Thanks so much to everyone who reviewed, especially Pudding and Ducky – I love you guys to death. This was a tough chapter to write – I know some of you guys are gonna burn me about the bit with Bella, but it's not going to affect how I'm going to write this story. Anyway, I hope you all enjoy it!

.y.g.e.

Sirius Black was just arriving at the flat he had found over break in London – he was renting it for two weeks from a friend who was getting married over the holiday – in Jamaica. It was a nice-sized space for one person – a studio apartment with a view onto a short side street. Four AM and he was just getting home. And he was by himself. These were the many problems with being friends with a werewolf – you stayed out late once a month and didn't get a blow job in return for your efforts. He would meet Kim for dinner and fix that, the Gryffindor figured, trudging towards the couch he had been sleeping on the past several days.

He ignored the barn owl perched on the table next to the couch, gently hooting at him. He would open whatever the stupid bird had brought in the morning, when he didn't smell like a dirty, wet dog anymore. Or at least when the smell had subsided a bit. Why couldn't he have been something less… smelly? That didn't shed all the time? That would have been smart. But everything would have been smart in retrospect.

Moments after falling asleep, the bird was pecking at his ear. Apparently, this was somewhat urgent. Or maybe the owl had just been tied to the letter for a rather long time. Muttering "Lumos," the youth sat up, pushing black strands of hair out his eyes as he untied the parchment from the owl. He recognized Dumbledore's handwriting, as well as the Hogwarts-grade bird that remained perched on his table. Mr. Sirius Black, it read across the front. Tearing the enveloped, he carefully removed the parchment, unable to figure out why Dumbledore would write to him at four o'clock in the morning.

"Dear Mr. Black," it read. "It is my sad duty to inform you, with all my deepest regrets…"

"Bloody hell," was all he could say, grabbing a bottle of vodka from the liquor cabinet, sinking back into the couch, swallowing the liquid as if his life depended on it. All his plans were going down the drain – his plans for tomorrow, his plans for life. And all because of him. He had done this. And Sirius was going to get revenge. After he got sober, that was. Right now, though, he was going to drink himself to death.

.y.g.e.

Bellatrix Black had been waiting for three hours now – simply pacing back and forth across the hardwood floor of the house, waiting. There was a pattern to it – step step creak step turn step creak step step turn. It went on, unceasing, as she walked steadily, her head occasionally turning towards the door at the front of the room.

As a Black, Bella was undoubtedly beautiful. She was tall with long, thick hair of an ebony color, and deep blue eyes that many a man had fallen in love with. Her dark green velvet dress was a sharp contrast with her deathly pale skin, though it blended in with the dark room surrounding her. Soon enough, the wait would be over, and he would get here. It would be the perfect end to what had turned out to be an exciting night. It was the sort of night that got her blood rushing, adrenaline coursing through her body. If only Rodolphus knew the effect of the kill on her. And the hunt. He would never know, though, because he would never understand.

No, when she thought about it, Bella believed Rodolphus Lestrange to be a bit… squeamish. Weak. A wimp, in many ways. He didn't have what it took to truly serve the Dark Lord. He couldn't take the pain – he looked at the mudbloods and blood traitors too much as people and not enough as animals who would ruin wizard stock for everyone. That was why she would never really love him – she didn't identify with him. She would stay with him only for her family's sake. In the meantime, she would wait.

He came in a few minutes later, his cheeks flushed from the cold as he left his cloak on the hook by the door. Antonin Dolohov was tall and handsome – the same rugged youth Bella had lusted after all the way through school. His dark brown hair was pushed back, revealing day-old stubble and fresh lipstick on his jaw line. Bella pursed her lips again, running a finger along the mark. "What is this?"

"Not important," he replied, his fingers finding the zipper in the back of her dress. Playing with the mechanism, he asked, "And what does this do?" She gasped, as he pulled it down, and the dress fell to the floor. Shortly thereafter, they disappeared up the stairs, as she whispered things in his ear.

"I killed someone tonight, Antonin…"

.y.g.e.

He crossed the room silently, sitting down next to her, pulling her into his lap, replacing the pillow with his shoulder. "It'll be alright." James didn't have the slightest clue what exactly was wrong, but he was sure it would be okay. He would make it okay. "It'll be alright," he repeated, as if that would make it better.

"Oh really?" Lily replied tearfully, pushing a crumpled piece of paper into his hands. "Read it."

Muttering "Lumos," James uncrumpled the paper, pushing his glasses further onto his nose.

Dear Lily,

It would be unjust to allow you to hear about this in tomorrow's paper – and thus, I must inform you now. It is my deep regret to say that Lord Voldemort, accompanied by several death eaters, arrived at 8 Norrel Grove soon after midnight tonight. Kim McCracken and her family fought bravely against the death eaters, but there was nothing they could do. They were caught by surprise, and they were murdered. I hope that you and your friends will come together to help fight this sort of travesty that occurs daily in our world now. Again, I offer you my condolences.

Sincerely,

Albus Dumbledore.

James pulled her closer, unhooking her arms momentarily from his neck so that he could pull the covers up over her shoulders. He got out of the bed, grabbing a pair of sweatpants out of his drawers. Changing in the dark, he climbed back into the bed, next to her, holding her close until she fell asleep on his shoulder

.y.g.e.

They awoke together, ate together, packed their stuff in silence to head to Lily's house. The rehearsal dinner for the wedding would be that night, and James would finally get around to meeting Lily's family. Needless to say, he was excited; she was not.

James was beside himself. How could this have happened at Christmas? Why couldn't the damn death eaters have given someone a chance to be happy for once? Why did they have to target a seventeen-year-old witch? Why did they have to break Lily's heart now? And what about Sirius? He was staying alone in London over break. So what was he going do when he found out?

James didn't want to think about that – Sirius had issues. "Lily, do you want to stop in London and see Sirius before we head over to your place?"

"Yes."

"Let's go." They said goodbye to his parents and disapparated from the front doorstep, arriving a mere few seconds later. It was only after several minutes of banging on the apartment door that Sirius answered, looking hungover. His eyes appeared to be slits, and he clearly hadn't shaved. Not to mention that he still smelled like a dog. A dog who had been bathed in alcohol. He looked like hell.

Maybe it was the sad state that Sirius was in, maybe it was that Lily knew exactly what was going through his head, but whatever it was, she was making him coffee and soup within a few minutes of entering the apartment, pushing his hair back out of his eyes as they sat on the couch together. She was crying again within a few minutes, as James stared at the floor, knowing he could do nothing for her. So he was almost relieved when the doorbell rang. It was an excuse to leave, to walk away from this situation for a moment.

He opened the door, surprised to see Bellatrix Black greet him. "James, what a pleasant surprise!" she smiled, as he stepped into the hallway.

"What the hell do you want here?"

"Oh, nothing. Just came to see my cousin. You sleeping with that mudblood girlfriend of yours yet?"

"Don't call her that." Potter's fists clenched. Bella killed Kim, he figured. Why else would she have shown up here? She knew Kim and Sirius were dating, that they were actually serious about each other. It wasn't your average relationship with Sirius Black.

"I'll call her what I want, James."

"What do you want, Black?"

"Oh, nothing," she replied, taking a step towards him. He didn't move, holding his ground as her fingers met his shoulders before running down until they curled over the waist of his pants. Still, he didn't move. She pressed her lips to his, trying to nudge his mouth to life with her tongue. Nothing.

"You can send me an owl after she dumps you, Potter," Bella continued. And with a small pop, she was gone, and James walked back into the apartment, taking his former seat in a comfortable armchair.

"Who was that?" Lily asked quietly, joining him there.

"No one important," James replied succinctly, watching Sirius carefully. "Sirius, we're taking you back to my house, alright? My mum's gonna take care of you for the rest of break. She'll make you some cheesecake."

"Whatever."

.y.g.e.

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