10. DEPTS TO PAY
One and a half year had past since Bella's marriage. She had settled in her role as a wife and found that it actually wasn't [i]that[/i] hard. She and Rodolphus had moved into an Estate in the Vale of Glamorgan, which had beautiful surroundings. Bella had decided Rodolphus wasn't that bad after all, but she still held no love for him. When after one and a half year Bella still hadn't 'secured the bloodlines', parents on both ends were starting to show their disgruntlement. Most of the time, she tried to ignore their marks of displeasure. It got to her, though, since she was secretly asking herself the same question: why wasn't she with child yet? The only ones to know how she truly felt were Andy and Cissy; to others she masked her feelings. She had had time to practise, whilst becoming more and more skilled in shielding her thoughts.
She and Rodolphus still practised the Dark Arts, though Bella more than Rodolphus. She grabbed every opportunity she could to use them. She no longer thought about her Hogwarts lessons on how to defend oneself from them but instead clung to the use of them, because doing so put her in a delirium-like state and made her feel vibrant with power. Lord Voldemort often asked her to accompany him when he went on 'missions', which weren't very different from the first 'mission' he had taken her on. Sometimes it would just be the two of them, on other occasions more participated. Bella had earned the respect of those who believed in Lord Voldemort's cause, both for her actions as for the fact that he spoke highly of her magical abilities.
At the Estate in the Vale of Glamorgan, the mottos of both the Lestrange and the Black family were omnipresent. Both stated the superiority of pure-bloods, thus creating the atmosphere for it to become a place to gather for a select group of witches and wizards. They were the ones most close to Lord Voldemort, the fiercest Muggle-haters, the truest believers in the pure-blood supremacy. They were, as he called them, the Walpurgis Knights. Many of them had been present at the dinner party at Black Estate but there were others as well. As much as her parents questioned her alleviation of childlessness, they revelled in Bella's role as an outstanding 'sergeant' to Lord Voldemort's knights. Bella's status, both as a trustee of Lord Voldemort and as a wife to a Lestrange, reflected well on their own social position too.
Andy didn't like coming around whenever there was a gathering. With a lot of her friends being half-bloods and, Bella was sure, some of them even Muggle-born, she despised the long conversations on pure-blood supremacy. She and Bella had one day ferociously clashed over their principles and since then, they didn't see as much of each other as they used to. Bella never told her parents this though. Andy pretended being busy preparing her NEWTs but Bella knew better. She felt as though she and Andy were slowly drifting apart and there was nothing she could do about it.
As a result, both sisters spend more time with Cissy, always the intermediary, the go-to-person for both of them whenever they wanted to complain about the other. Cissy loved both of them deeply but this sometimes drove her crazy.
"Look, fight your own battles, will you?" she told them on one of the occasions they had been crossed with each other. "You both have your beliefs but you're also sisters. My sisters. And I hate being in the middle of it. So keep me out of it, okay?"
"If only she would just see…" Bella began.
"No! Enough of it," Cissy interrupted angrily. "Just… leave it be, will you? Both of you. If not for each other, then do it for me." She had a stern look on her face, but her eyes were nonetheless pleading. Grudgingly, they gave in. From that moment on, there seemed to be somewhat of a truce between them.
Cissy was glad that the bickering had stopped. She had enough on her mind already. For one, fourth year was hell. She now understood why Bella and Andy had merely laughed at her when she said she had a lot of homework and told her to 'wait until fourth year and onwards'. She had never been busier. And then there was also a certain blond-haired Slytherin prefect haunting her dreams, keeping her awake at night so she could barely sleep …
Meanwhile, things seemed to brighten up for Andy as well. She and Ted had started dating again, carefully circling around each other and examining one another. Andy had an internal conflict going on; she really liked Ted, but as he was a Muggle-born, there was no way her parents were ever going to let her marry him. Ted had an internal conflict going on as well. He hadn't forgotten their row in fourth year and rumours of Bella's activities had spread rapidly. He liked Andy but wasn't to keen on the perspective of being tortured by her sister. A lot of students had parents or older siblings engaged in the cause of Lord Voldemort, so word of their relationship would most definitely reach Bella if they acted in the open. As a result, Andy and Ted kept their relationship a secret. They sneaked out to meet in alcoves and empty classrooms and Andy even took Ted to the secret passageway Bella had showed her and Cissy when she was still a fourth year. She was jealous of Cissy. At least [i]she[/i] was in love with an respectable, pure-blood Slytherin. They were not an item yet but Andy felt it wouldn't take long. And when they eventually should get together, no one would be bothered by it.
She did very well on her NEWTs and she even got a note from Bella, congratulating her. [i]Well done sis! Time to start Healing now.[/i] the message said and Andy smiled. She showed the message to Ted, who snorted. But Andy was happy. It was very nice of Bella, considering they still only talked chitchat. Nonetheless, Bella had remembered that Andy had voiced the ambition of becoming a Healer and her message referred directly to Andy's preferred career.
She was, however, much less pleased with the message of her parents she received a couple of days later. She had opened the envelop and needed only to read the first lines to know what it was. It was a letter similar to the one Bella had received now nearly two years ago. She let the letter drop on the table. Her face had taken an ashen undertone and her hands were shaking. It took her only a second to decide what to do. She rushed to her dormitory. Luckily, she had already packed, so it didn't take her long to take her suitcase, which she shrunk. She then rushed over to the Ravenclaw common room. Ted was just about to enter it when he saw her.
"Andy? What's wrong?" he asked when he saw her face.
"Ted, if you care about me, pack your belongings and leave with me this very instant," she said.
"But what…"
"Please," she begged, her voice trembling. He raised an eyebrow but the look on her face was one of utter desperation.
"Just a minute," he finally said and disappeared in the Ravenclaw common room.
Andy waited with her hands clenched and finally, after what had seemed to her like an eternity; he reappeared, lifting his heavy trunk.
"So, where to?" he simply asked and Andy could just hug him for being so understanding.
"I don't know," she replied honestly. "We just need to be going now."
"Well, if you don't mind spending time with a Muggle family," he grinned, "my parents are very nice people."
Andy hesitated for a split second. If she went this way, there would be no turning back. His face dropped. "Or isn't that good enough for you?"
"Of course it is." She managed to smile. "I would love to meet your parents."
She shrunk his trunk too and they went to the statue of the witch guarding the entrance to the secret passageway, since it was impossible to Disapparate out of Hogwarts. They waited until they saw professor McGonagall leave the hall before they darted into the alcove where the witch stood. They tapped her hat murmuring 'dissendium' and then quickly sneaked into the passageway. When they had made it out of Honeydukes, Andy grabbed Ted's arm.
"Are you ready?" he asked.
She nodded, not trusting her voice. The nauseating feeling overwhelmed her and she had to cough the moment they stopped moving. When she finally looked up, she saw that they were standing near a cosy cottage on the countryside.
"This is where you live?" she asked, astonished. She absolutely loved the rose gardens surrounding he cottage.
"Yeah, we couldn't just Apparate in the living room now could we? We would scare the living daylight out of my Mum," he shrugged.
"I love it." Andy turned to him and kissed him on the cheek. "Thank you," she whispered.
"Come," he said and started to steer her gently towards the little cottage. The door squeaked as he pushed it open.
"Mum? Don't be scared, it's just me," Ted, who first went in, yelled.
A witch appeared in the doorway of the kitchen, looking shocked at him. "Ted!" she exclaimed. "What are you doing here? I thought school didn't end until next week!"
"Well, things changed a bit," he said and stepped aside. "I brought someone. Mum, this is Andy." Andy lowered her head and blinked as she too passed through the doorway.
Ted's mother looked at her, aghast at the sudden guest. When she saw Andy's trembling figure, she walked over to her and hugged her tight.
"I don't know what's got you so upset dear, but you can stay here as long as you like."
Her kind voice was enough for Andy to start crying. Tears run down her face and Ted's mother gently stroked her hair. "Now now, it can't be that bad," she shushed. "Ted, don't just stand there. Get her some tea, will you?" Ted hastily scurried towards a stove where a kettle was placed.
Cissy found a letter on one of the tables in the Slytherin common room. Curiously, she picked it up to see who had left it there. Her eyes darted over the sentences and she felt a knot tying up in her stomach. The letter was addressed to Andy and after reading the contents, Cissy sank into one of the chairs. She instantly knew what this meant. If Andy had read this letter, and there was no reason why she shouldn't have since it was opened and left carelessly behind, she most likely had fled. She remembered Andy's words when they had read Bella's letter. [i]I would never agree to a proposal like this,[/i] Andy had stated.
Cissy didn't know how long she had been sitting there, but she jumped as someone touched her shoulder.
"Is everything okay?"
She looked up to the person who had spoken. Her heart skipped a beat when she looked into the dazzling grey eyes of Lucius Malfoy, the boy she had had a crush on for months now.
"I'm fine," she said. "I think," she added in so soft a voice he had to lean in closer to hear her.
"Are you sure? You don't look fine," he sounded worried. Cissy shook her head and behind her back, she clenched the letter tight into her fist. As much as she fancied him, she didn't want him to read the letter. It was private. She was vaguely aware of the fact that he still had his hand on her shoulder.
"Well, come on then," he said. "Sadness doesn't go well with your pretty face."
She gave him a watery smile and he smiled back. "There you go, that's much better."
"I have some news for you you might find interesting," Rodolphus announced to Bella when she returned from a 'visit' to a Muggle community. "I've just heard it from Rabastan."
When she didn't reply directly, he continued: "He has asked your parents for Andromeda's hand and they have consented. So you can help her prepare her wedding this summer."
Bella just looked at him, stunned. [i]Rabastan wanted to marry Andy?[/i] She just couldn't get her mind around it. Whichever way she put it, it just sounded … weird.
She remembered the conversation they had had when her own marriage was announced, and how fiercely Andy had said that she 'would never agree to such a proposal'. How would she take it when she found out her parents had arranged a marriage without her knowing of it? She doubted Andy would consent herself to the wishes of their parents.
"Andy wants to be a Healer," without thinking she had said it out loud.
"I don't think she'll have time to study besides her duties as a wife."
Bella clenched her fists. "So, you think she should just give up the things she's dreamed off only because that brother of yours came up with the idea that he wanted to marry her?"
"Well, it worked out fine for you, didn't it?" The moment he had said it, he realised it was a huge mistake. Bella slapped him hard in the face. He grunted in pain as he felt his jaw move in a way it shouldn't.
"How dare you," she hissed. "You wouldn't be so high in Lord Voldemort's ranks if it weren't for me. How dare you talk to me like you're my better?" She turned and stalked away, furious. It took her all her self-control not to curse him to pieces.
She withdrew in her quarters and frantically paced up and down. [i]How could it have come this far? How could she not have seen this coming?[/i]
She needed to do something, let Andy know it hadn't been her idea, so Andy wouldn't spend the rest of her life hating her for something she had no part in. She said down to write her a letter but she couldn't get the words right. Everything she wrote just didn't sound sincere. Eventually, she wrote down a short note, congratulating her on passing her NEWTs. [i]Well done sis![/i] she wrote. [i]Time to start Healing now.[/i] She looked it over twice but she couldn't get anything else in writing. It was like she was empty.
With a sigh, she went to tie the little note to one of the owls and watched as it took to the sky. She hoped Andy would understand that she wanted her to go along with her dreams, that she hoped Andy would become a Healer. She just hoped Andy would get the message behind her words.
However, it wasn't Andy she received a note from a couple of days later, but Cissy.
Andy didn't show up that evening, nor the next morning. Cissy began to get really worried. Where could Andy have gone? Just after breakfast, Amelia came rushing to her, asking her if she knew where Andy was. "I haven't seen her since yesterday and that's nothing for Andy," she said. "Is she ill?"
"I don't know," Cissy shook her head sadly. "I doubt that she's ill, but I don't know where she is." She bit her lip.
Amelia looked at her, quizzically. "How can you not know where she is? Surely you must've seen her in the Slytherin common room?"
"Not since yesterday. I fear… I fear she might have disappeared." Saying it out loud made it ten times worse.
"Disappeared?" Amelia echoed. "What do you mean? Cissy, what's going on?" She was alarmed by the look on Cissy's face and by her words.
Cissy hesitated for a moment. Could she tell Amelia? But Amelia was Andy's best friend and she cared for her too. She breathed in deeply.
"Do you remember Bella's wedding, two years ago?"
Amelia nodded. "Who wouldn't? It must have been like the most excessive wedding party in ages. But what has that got to do with Andy?"
"Do you also remember what happened before that, when Bella was still at Hogwarts and just finished her NEWTs, just like you and Andy have now?"
Amelia frowned and then her face cleared. "You mean the invitation?"
"A little before that, but yes, that's about what I mean. Days before you received your invitation, Bella was informed by my parents that was she going to get married."
"Yes, I remember Andy telling something like that. Andy was furious, said that if they ever tried to force [i]her[/i] into a marriage, she would… oh my god!" Amelia clasped a hand to her mouth. "They haven't, now have they?"
Cissy nodded sadly. "I found the letter yesterday on a table in the Slytherin common room. When I went to her dormitory, I saw that all her belongings had been gone. I have no idea where she is," she said desperately. "I just hope she's not doing something stupid."
Amelia stood frozen. "This is terrible," she managed to say in the end. "And she hasn't left you a note as to where you could find her?"
"No. I was hoping she might have told you but she obviously left in a rush."
The two girls, younger sister and best friend, looked at each other, to worried to say anything for a while.
"She can't be with family?" Amelia asked hopeful.
Cissy laughed bitterly. "Like that's going to happen. You know what our parents are like. No, if she has fled to someone she knows, it should be one of her friends. But since the holidays haven't started yet and everyone is still at Hogwarts, that's not very likely either. Maybe she's staying at [i]The Three Broomsticks[/i]. I'll go and check right away."
Amelia frowned. "How are you going to do that? It's not a Hogsmeade day and besides, you're a fourth year, so you still have classes."
"I don't care about them classes, my sister is missing! And I'll be going through the secret passageway."
"Wait, what? There's a secret passageway to Hogsmeade?"
"Andy never told you about it?" Cissy was sincerely surprised. "It leads into the cellar of Honeydukes."
"If you're going, I'm going with you," Amelia decided firmly. Cissy wanted to say something but changed her mind. She nodded instead. "Let's not waste any time then."
She went ahead, closely followed by Amelia. She couldn't care about people noticing them but just went ahead, tapped the witches' hat and whispered 'dissendium'.
"Weird!" Amelia said when the passageway became visible. Cissy knew exactly how she felt, she had felt the same the first time she had seen it. "Lumos," she said, thus illuminating the passageway. Amelia followed her example. They were lucky, cause it was rather busy in Honeydukes, so no one noticed them.
"You know, if it wasn't for Andy being missing, I might have actually enjoyed this," Amelia said as they stepped into the sun.
The first thing they did, was to go to [i]The Three Broomsticks[/i].
"What are you girls doing here at this hour of the day? Don't you have school?" The owner looked at them suspiciously when they walked in.
"We are looking for my sister," Cissy replied. "She's disappeared and we figured she might be staying her. Is she?" She knew it sounded bold but she didn't care. She just wanted to find Andy.
"I have only one guest at the moment and that's a fifty-something wizard."
"Oh." Cissy tried to keep the disappointment out of her voice but failed miserably.
"Look, I can keep an eye out, okay? What's her name?"
"Andy."
"Very well. If an Andy shows up, I'll tell her to contact you, okay?"
"Thanks," Cissy murmured. They greeted the owner and walked out. Cissy was desperate. If not in [i]The Three Broomsticks[/i], where could Andy be?
"There's another inn," Amelia said. "[i]The Hog's Head[/i]. She might be there," she sounded like she didn't believe it herself, but they went to check nonetheless. It was the same story; no Andy. Miserable and worried, they went back through the passageway.
"I must tell Bella," Cissy said. "Maybe she can help, since she's not bound to stay at Hogwarts. I'll write to her immediately."
"Let me know if you find out anything, will you?" Amelia pleaded.
"Of course. You too."
They both went their way; Amelia to Ravenclaw tower, Cissy to the Slytherin common room to write to Bella. When she finally tied her letter to one of the owls in the Owlery, it wasn't quite the letter she had intended to write, but besides help, she also needed something of a clarification from Bella.
[i]Dear Bella,
I'm sure you have knowledge of the letter Father and Mother wrote to Andy and I'm also sure you remember how she reacted when you received one likewise.
Why did Rabastan ask for her hand in marriage? Andy hates the guy; she thinks he's a pompous twit. But you already knew that. Did you have anything to do with it? Cause if you did … then it's all your fault. You knew she would react strongly to a marriage like your own – no offense.
But now, Andy's gone and I haven't got the faintest idea as to where she might be, neither does Amelia. She isn't anywhere at Hogwarts and me and Amelia have already checked if she was staying somewhere in Hogsmeade. I'm worried sick.
Is there anything you can do? Anything that might help me track her down? Please, Bella, I don't know who else to turn to.
With love, Cissy[/i]
Bella slowly lowered the letter she had received from Cissy. Her heart was racing and she was thinking rapidly. So Andy had indeed run away to chase her dreams. It made her proud and anxious at the same time. Proud that Andy chose her own path, anxious that something might've happened to her. Anxious also, as to how Rabastan and her parents would react to Andy's disappearance.
She quickly scribbled an answer to Cissy's letter. Yes, she had known about it and no, she had had nothing to do with it. She didn't know where Andy was and she was as worried about her as Cissy was. She tied her response to the owl that had brought her Cissy's letter and sent it on its way.
"Oh Andy, what've you done?" she sighed as she watched the owl disappear on the horizon. "I hope you know what you're doing and that the path you've chosen makes you happy."
She spent the next few days trying to find information about Andy's whereabouts but it proved very difficult to do so without letting people know she was missing. There was one thing she was postponing for as long as she could but she soon realised she had to act to avoid greater trouble. She had to tell Rabastan and Rodolphus before her parents would go and sent out invitations to a wedding Bella knew would never take place.
She went to the room Rabastan was staying in and knocked. "Yes?" Rodolphus' voice sounded from the other end of the door. [i]Just great, they were both there.[/i]
She took a deep breath, drew herself to her full height and entered.
"What is it?" they said, frowning when they saw her.
"I have received word that Andy will not be marrying you Rabastan," she said after a little silence. "It appears she has vanished."
"How can she have vanished? That's just ridiculous." Rabastan objected.
"Well, apparently, she has. So there will be no wedding." Her words reverberated in the air and both brothers looked at her.
"But we're already preparing," Rodolphus said slowly.
"I know," she sighed. "You'll just have to cancel it."
Rabastan jumped up, furious. "This just can't happen. She has an obligation. Your parents consented to the marriage. If she will not show up to marry me, I shall call upon the blood dept!" he shouted.
Bella stared at him, in shock. Her throat felt like squeezed and all colour left her face. "The blood dept?" she could barely manage to say. "Surely you don't mean that."
"As if I mean it! She mustn't think she can just play this on me. I'll hunt her down and I will kill her. You know it's my right."
"No. I will not let you hurt her," she said. She had found her voice again and was locking his eyes in hers, daring him to defy her.
"Fine. I will not hurt her, I will just let her be and have your other sister instead."
"Cissy? You can't. She's so young." [i]And in love with another pureblood, if I'm not mistaken the looks she has been sending young Lucius Malfoy last time around,[/i] she added to herself.
Rabastan started to laugh. "You seem to think you have quite a lot to say in this. I'll tell you something: you haven't. Kill the betrayer or receive a close female relative as an indemnification. You know that's how the blood debt works Bellatrix." His voice had gotten an icy tone.
Bella was familiar with the principle of blood dept, but it was ancient. It was barbaric and with the equalisation of witches it had gone in oblivion. It was however, never officially discarded.
"It's either one way or the other. Andromeda or Narcissa, who's it gonna be?"
Bella's mind was racing. She could not possible make a decision. Andy killed or Cissy given away like she was some kind of slave. She couldn't do that, to either of them. If only there was something she could do to protect them …
"There is another way," she heard herself say. She inhaled. "Andy has another sister," she said, barely audible.
"I'm not sure I quite get it …" Rabastan slowly said.
She turned to him. "Andy has another sister," she repeated, a little louder this time. On the outside she looked calm but inside she was shaking. [i]It really was the only possibility to save her sisters from harm.[/i] "I'll take Cissy's place, if you promise to leave both of them alone."
In the silence that followed, one might have heard a needle dropping. Rodolphus inhaled sharply but she stood her ground, looking both of them straight in the eye to show them she had meant it.
"You are in no position to make that bargain," Rodolphus grunted. "You're married."
"The principle of blood dept states that the one who is wronged will get a close female relative of the one who did the wronging as an indemnification. The principle doesn't speak of the marital status of said female." Her voice trembled a bit.
"You're my wife and I forbid you to …" Rodolphus began.
"I'm afraid you haven't got much to say in this matter dear brother," Rabastan said. "The blood dept is between me and the Black family. Being a Black, Bellatrix can make this proposal, whether you like it or not." He looked at his brother derogatory and then looked back at Bella. "I'll accept your offer," he said. He grinned devilishly at Rodolphus. "Looks like you're going to have to share her from now on, dear brother."
Rodolphus looked at her, infuriated. "Fine, you can have her whenever you like. I don't care."
"I'm [i]so[/i] glad you consent," Rabastan smirked. "Now would be as good a time as any."
"You… you… " Rodolphus stuttered, his face crimson.
"You said whenever I liked, right? So could you please leave the room now? Send the Blacks a message that the wedding will be off."
"How dare you order me around in my own house?" Rodolphus spat. He turned around, knocked over a chair and slammed the door on the way out.
"So, it's you and me now," Rabastan said slowly.
Bella swallowed away the lump in her throat. Her sisters would be safe, but she knew that from now on, she would be at the mercy of Rabastan. And judging by the look on his face, it sure wasn't going to be pleasant.