Bella sat in her room trying to finish her Arithmancy homework. It was not hard just long. As she worked Bella allowed her mind to wander back to the incident at the lake. It made her smile. Being with Sirius felt so good. Like she could forget about everything else and just be herself. She wished for the thousandth time that Sirius had been Sorted into the "right" house.
There was a commotion outside her dormitory door and Dromeda, her sister, burst through the door.
"If I told you," Dromeda began with any other form of greeting. "That Rosier was asking about you, what would you say?"
"Which one?"Bellatrix asked looking up from her work though she really could care less.
"Evan."
"I'd say that the answer is still no."
"No," Dromeda said. "He wasn't asking about you like that. But has he really asked you out before? Did you really say no?"
"Yes."
"You said yes?"
"No I said no, Dromeda you know what I meant." Annoyed Bella set aside her Arithmancy work. It was obvious she wasn't going get anymore work done.
"But Bella," Dromeda whined. "How could you say no?"
"Very easily. You'd be surprised."
"I am. Rosier is so cute, and smart, and funny, and—"
"If you like him so much why don't you go out with him."
"Because he likes you! That's what I've been trying to tell you. Evan told Edward—"
"Wilkes?" Bella asked wondering if Dromeda meant her boyfriend.
"Of course, who else? Anyway Evan asked Edward if you were dating anyone, and then he asked if you had shown any preference towards any particular boy, and of course Edward said no, so Evan then asked if he, Edward thought you would go out with him; I mean Evan not Edward. Edwards mine. Anyway Edward said he didn't know but he said that he'd ask me, which he did and I said that I thought you would, go out with Evan, that is because I didn't know you already turned him down which I still don't get, but anyway—"
"Dromeda!" Bella said loudly to be heard over her sister's babbling. It was giving her a headache. "Dromeda I don't care. Please stop talking."
Dromeda looked disappointed at her sister's lack of enthusiasm on such an interesting subject. "But Bella, Evan told Edward that he—"
"I don't care."
"—liked you. He actually said he liked you." Dromeda finished.
"Yes but I don't like him."
"Come'on Bella. Rosier is a sixth year. That's a year older than you. And he's a prefect, and he's Quidditch Capitan."
"I don't care what he is, Dromeda." Bella was feeling quite exasperated. "I still don't like him."
"Well then who do you like?"
"No one."
"Come'on there has to be someone."
"No there doesn't. Now can we go to dinner. I'm starving." Bella stood but Dromeda wasn't going to drop it there.
"Don't you try to change the subject on me. Guys practically fall at your feet. Do you honestly expect me to believe there isn't one, just one you might like?"
"Yes I do Dromeda. Now let's go." Bella turned and walked out of her room. Dromeda followed close behind. "What about Pucey?"
"No."
"Or Avery?"
"No."
"Carrow?"
"No."
"Bole?"
"No."
"I know you don't like Crabbe or Goyle but did you really have to give him ears?"
"Yes, now can we please stop talking about this?" They were almost to the Great Hall.
"No, I will figure this out Bella."
"Good luck with the impossible."
"Higgs?"
Bella did not respond.
"Lestrange? Malfoy?"
"Malfoy is an idiot.
"Okay but what about Lestrange?"
"Not bloody likely."
"What about Potter?"
"From Gryffindor?"
"Yes."
"No."
Dromeda paused for a moment trying to remember who was left. "What about Sirius?"
Bella stopped walking to stare at her sister in shock."Sirius Black?"
"The one and only. You two spend an awfully large amount of time with each other."
Bella did not respond. She resumed walking.
"Merlin, it is Sirius isn't it?" Dromeda said feeling excited that she might have actually figured out this great mystery. "I mean he's always over and you guys talk about everything, and you wrote to him over the summer, and you spend so much time together, and he doesn't have a pair of ears and—"
"Dromeda, Sirius is my, our, cousin."
"So? Mom and Dad are like second cousins or something. It wouldn't be that weird if you two started going out. We pure-blood families do it all the time, and you two won't make such a cute couple."
"I never even said I liked him."
"But you never said you didn't, which coming from you says a lot."
"Dromeda I'm not discussing this anymore. This conversation is over." Bella turned and pushed the door to the Great Hall.
Dromeda followed grumbling but did not push it any further. When Bella said their conversation was over it was over. There was no arguing that point. Not many people went against Bella. For one thing she had a commanding way about her that made most people listen to her on instinct, for a second thing she could beat just about everyone in a duel, and for a third thing it was a widely known fact Bellatrix Black was a bit indiscriminate about who she cursed.
It was this last thing that kept Dromeda's mouth shut. But as both sisters sat down for dinner, it was clear what both girls were thinking about.
