Chapter 11

Annoyance

Bellatrix did not want to go back to school. She was of age, she shouldn't have to. If she had already proved herself to the Dark Lord, then why should she have to prove herself by finishing school. She knew that at school she would be cut off completely from her master, able to correspond with him only rarely, and that she would not see him until at least Christmas holidays.

However, her father, thought it of the utmost importance that she finish her education at Hogwarts, and complete her N.E.W.T.'s. So she found herself hurrying through King's Cross station on the first of September, accompanied by her harried mother and two younger sisters.

"Hurry along girls, we're going to be late." Druella said, her skirts fluttering out behind her as she went. Their only non elf servant, a man who their father employed, followed behind them, pushing a very full trolley, laden with three large cages, each containing a rather annoyed looking owl. They marched on quickly, ignoring the obvious stares of muggles who seemed to find the group of women and their servant a very peculiar sight. Upon reaching the barrier between platforms nine and ten, Druella led them straight through, not bothering to see if any muggles were watching as they disappeared through the barrier.

Platform 9and ¾ was full of students and their parents, wishing each other tearful farewells and loading trunks and baggage onto the large scarlet train, which was covering much of the platform in a smoky mist. Their servant busied himself with unloading the contents of their trolley onto the train, leaving the girls to say goodbye to their mother.

Druella kissed Narcissa on the forehead, brushing her daughter's blond waves from her face. "Have a lovely term my dear." Narcissa smiled at her mother and allowed her to embrace her.

"Well goodbye mother. I'll see you at Christmas." Andromeda gave a half-hearted smile and disappeared into the crowd. Bellatrix watched her disappear and saw her being warmly welcomed by several of her fellow Griffindor classmates. It was pathetic, it really was. Druella pretended she hadn't noticed Andromeda's disappearance, instead she turned to Bellatrix.

"Now you," She smiled, "Better study hard for those horrible tests."

Bellatrix smiled back, "Of course mother." She allowed Druella to kiss her on the cheek.

"Miranda!" Narcissa exclaimed excitedly as she turned to embrace the figure who had appeared out of the mist. Behind the girl was a women who bore a striking resemblance to Druella. She wore high necked, green robes and her blonde hair was pulled back in an elaborate bun that sat on top of her head.

"My dearest sister." The women was saying, stepping forward to kiss Druella on both cheeks. She was much taller than her Druella, and her hair was slightly darker, yet other than that the two women were identical.

"Nicolette." Druella smiled, "Miranda." She addressed the young girl who was now talking animatedly with Narcissa.

"Where is Chealsey?" Bellatrix asked her aunt, looking around and seeing no sign her aunt's elder daughter.

"Already on the train, I'd imagine." Her aunt replied. "She certainly missed your company at Park Ridge this summer." Nicolette gave her niece a questioning look. Bellatrix thought it best to escape before her aunt could question her about her activities over the summer holidays.

"We don't want to be late." She said quickly. "Come on Narcissa." She took her younger sister roughly by the hand and led her onto the train, followed by their cousin Miranda. The two younger girls found more of their giggling friends once on the train and Bellatrix slipped past them to find herself somewhere more quiet to sit.

She found an empty compartment near the back of the train. Her school robes weighed her down and made her feel ugly. She fingered the beautiful Onyx earrings that hung like black tear drops against her pale neck, and thought of him. His beautiful body, perfect in every way and overflowing with magic. She closed her eyes and could almost feel his breath on her neck and….

"Bella!"

She opened her eyes in annoyance as Chealsey slid into the compartment, her curly blonde hair was pulled back from her face and her blue eyes were shining excitedly. "So?" She demanded.

"So what?" Bellatrix replied, in a bored voice, as Chealsey's Siamese kitten jumped into Bella's lap and began purring contentedly. Bella gave the animal a look of contempt and resisted the urge to curse it .

"Lucius told Rabastan who told William who told Avery who told me that you got the dark mark!"

"You shouldn't listen to such idle gossip cousin." Bellatrix replied, unfolding a copy of the daily profit that she had retrieved from her bag and scanning the headlines.

"You didn't answer my question!" Chealsey said, giving her cousin an irritated look.

Bellatrix smirked and said nothing.

"You did, didn't you!" Chealsey gasped. "I thought the dark Lord didn't want anyone who was still at Hogwarts. Is that why you were spending all summer at the Malfoy manor?" She said this all in one breath and Bellatrix almost laughed at her cousin's eagerness. She folded her daily profit on her lap and looked across the compartment at her cousin.

"You mustn't tell anyone." Bellatrix ordered, giving her cousin a harsh look, "Not a soul. If any of the teachers found out, if Dumbledore found out…" Her voice trailed off.

"I swear, in Slytherin's name, I wont say a word." Chealsey breathed.

Bellatrix pulled up the sleeve of her robes, to reveal the dark mark to her cousin, whose eyes widened.

"Bloody hell!" She swore. Bellatrix could not help smiling as her cousin looked at the twisting tattoo of the serpent and skull in obvious awe. After a moment she looked back up at Bellatrix, her eyes burning with curiosity.

"So, the dark lord, what's he like?" She breathed, and Bellatrix could not help smile.

"Well," She bent closer to Chealsey and lowered her voice, "He's absolutely gorgeous."

Chealsey burst into a fit of giggles. When she calmed down she said, "I can't believe you Bella, you're actually a Death Eater."

Bellatrix smiled and leaned back in her seat, drumming her fingers against the windowsill as the countryside sped by.

"So.." Chealsey asked after a minute, "How's Lucius?"

Bellatrix rolled her eyes. "He's an arrogant git." Although she could feel her cheeks warming slightly.

"Are you sleeping with him again?" Her cousin demanded, smiling knowingly.

"Chealsey Parkinson, you really are the limit!" Bellatrix retorted.

"Oh come on Bella." Chealsey smirked, "You had him, all to yourself for half the summer. What girl in their right mind wouldn't?"

Bellatrix raised her eyebrows and turned back to her daily profit. Chealsey smirked and put her feet up against the seat opposite her, yawning slightly. There were several minutes of silence that ended with the compartment door banging open.

"Ah and here we have Hogwarts' most delicious ladies." A boy with blond hair and a round face was grinning at them from the doorway of their compartment. Chealsey giggled as the boy slid onto the seat beside her, putting his arm around her.

"Oh please..." She giggled, she and William Nott were still an item, and Bellatrix thought her cousin could do better. She turned away in disgust as the couple embraced.

There were two other boys who had entered the compartment with him, one of them sat down next to Bellatrix, and she ignored him also. He had dark hair and squinty eyes. The other boy remained in the doorway, smirking at them, "My dear cousins." He said, addressing the girls. Chealsey smiled at him while Bellatrix continued to pretend that the three boys did not exist. "I trust you've had a pleasant vacation." Evan Rosier's curly brown hair had grown over the summer and his handsome face was tanned. "Although from what I hear, cousin Bella, you certainly did."

"What I did or did not do on my summer vacation is certainly no business of yours."

Evan laughed loudly at this, "My father," He replied, "Informed me that my cousin has been chosen as a little project by a certain infamous wizard."

Bellatrix glared at him, "A little project?" She spat, drawing her wand from her robes and pointing it at her cousin. The smiles faded from the faces of the boys. "Is that what everyone thinks I am?"

"Come on Bella, he was just.." Nott attempted to interrupt, but Bellatrix turned her wand on him now.

"I wasn't talking to you was I, Nott?" She glared, "Get out, all of you." She moved her wand from Nott to Evan to the other boy who had slid off the seat to get away from her.

"Oh and Avery," She continued, and the dark haired boy froze and turned around to face her, "You would do better to not spread gossip about me, from now on."

"I can assure you, I never.." Avery answered quickly.

"Just go." Bellatrix said coolly. He turned and followed his companions quickly from the compartment, slamming the door behind him.

"Really Bella? Was that so necessary?" Chealsey asked after the boys had left.

The rest of the journey was quite uneventful. Chealsey actually fell asleep at about two in the afternoon, her head leaning against the window so that her little breaths fogged up the glass. Bellatrix had turned her mind to the coming year, her final year at Hogwarts.

It had gone by so quickly, her time at the school. However, she would not be sad to see the back of it come June. She would much rather be out in the world, doing her master's bidding. He did, however, have a special task for her to carry out while she remained at the school. She smiled at how easy it would be, she had imagined her assignments for Lord Voldemort would be of a more challenging nature.

It had begun to rain as they slowed down and approached the school. Bellatrix pointed her wand at Chealsey and whispered, "Enervate." Her cousin opened her eyes and exclaimed in shock when she realized how long she had slept for.

It was pouring rain and dark thunder clouds hung over their heads as they stepped off the train. Chealsey and Bellatrix hurried to the nearest carriage climbed quickly inside, soaked from the slight walk from the train to the carriage.

Two other people were already in their carriage, Bellatrix recognized them as two Griffindor girls in the same year as her and her cousin. They gave Bellatrix and Chealsey an untrusting look and continued their conversation.

"I'd hate to be a first year in one of those boats right now." One of them was saying, "The poor dears must be getting soaked." The speaker was a girl with a mass of red hair that hung in curls around her freckled face.

"It must be dreadful." Her companion agreed. "Merlin I'm starving! I hope the sorting doesn't take long." She had short blonde hair and a round pink face.

To Bellatrix' surprise Chealsey was the next to speak, "I hear that you're head girl this year, Alice." She addressed the blonde girl.

"Yah, I am." The blonde girl seemed startled that Chealsey was speaking with her.

"And she really deserves it." The red head added, beaming at her friend. Chealsey raised an eyebrow.

"I'm sure she does." She replied, "In Dumbledore's mind at least."

"What do you mean by that?" The red head snapped.

Chealsey smirked, and then shrugged, "Well I mean, of course he only ever chooses blood traitors or muggle borns to be head boy and girl. Who's head boy this year, oh yes, Arthur Weasley? I couldn't ask for a better example. Although the Prewett's aren't much better. Would you agree Bella?"

"The Prewett's?" Bella sneered, "I'd rather be a muggle born."

Both of the Griffindor girls had drawn their wands. Bellatrix smiled from the corner of the carriage, watching as Chealsey stared coolly down their wands. "Oh come on now Alice, what would the headmaster think of the head girl cursing students before she even arrived at school. Perhaps he would change his mind about his decision to make a Blood Traitor the head girl of Hogwarts."

Bellatrix laughed. Alice had lowered her wand but the red head girl had not, "I suppose you'd rather have your little death eater friends as head boy and girl." She sneered at Chealsey, whose face fell slightly. She collected herself quickly though and resumed her mocking gaze.

"I think they have much more important things to do with their time."

Their conversation stopped with the carriage as it pulled up in front of the large front doors of Hogwarts. Students were running from the carriages to the school as quickly as possible to avoid the torrential downpour that was now upon them.

Both of the Griffindor girls left the carriage as hastily as they could and Chealsey and Bellatrix, still grinning, followed them up the steps to the doors of the great castle.