A/N: Haha, I love waking up to reviews! Thanks, NightlyRowenTree! Finally, someone who seems to maybe see the whole uncle Roman thing.

Anyone who might be putting the pieces together? I love dropping clues. And still – I'd love to get some ideas from you guys. Your opinion matters!

BTW – IMPORTANT. A picture of Mina's dress will be at the bottom, follow the link!

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Without even expecting it she gawked in astonishment as words formed before her reflection.

"Don't trust anyone."

She dropped the mirror to the floor, watching it bounce once without breaking – quite the feat in itself. The old thing must've been enchanted to not break, which was useful enough.

It was the present from uncle Roman, the one she hadn't yet checked if it was cursed – but it didn't seem like it was anyways.

It had been stupid, really – touching it before she had checked it properly. But hey, it hadn't killed her.

While unconsciously shaking her head she dipped down to pick it up, feeling the cold metal on her fingers. The handle in itself was silvery, the baroque pattern swirling around like a frame to her reflection seemed to once have been black; now it was faded with the time, black specks on silver. It looked to be centuries old, resembling what you would find in the attic of your grandmother. Forgotten and neglected.

She stood up again, walking towards her bed – her trip outside completely forgotten.

As she sat down in the big, fluffy monster of a four poster she sunk a little in the duvet and the pillows that took up most of the bed. While holding the mirror in her hands tenderly she spun it around slowly, inspecting every inch of it. The words had disappeared as soon as they had shown up, leaving her with her own reflection staring back at her.

Her green eyes and brows knitted together in a furrow, inspecting the ancient artifact in her hands. It wasn't cursed, it seemed. But why would uncle Roman send her a mirror like this?

She was sure that she had seen it before though, but where?

It didn't repeat its message, it just stared up at her with the blankness of her own reflection.

Honestly, Christmas came and went like a whirlwind. Where did the ribbons and wreaths go? As Mina paced down the hallways she was overcome with more and more silver – Christmas was gone and New Year's was here. It was now the last day of 1972 – she could've sworn that it was 1971 just a few days ago…

It was funny really, almost two years had passed since she was finally granted to attend Hogwarts. She hadn't even finished her year before they had to leave – but it had felt more like home than the Lestrange mansion ever had.

There she had met Lucius and Severus, whom had become her friend – Lucius later becoming her fiancé.

Oh, Lucius… Their engagement had been arranged, but she could've turned him down. She knew that. Nevertheless, she had realized that Lucius would provide her with a happier future, she could've ended up being forced to marry an older wizard. That happened, the forcing part especially. Lucius would never allow his father and her uncle to force her into anything, he had always had feelings for her. That had been apparent – and honestly, that meant he would be kinder to her. Finally, it seemed that she was coming to grips with her own emotions, she was actually in love with her fiancé.

That sounded ridiculous, didn't it? Finally, in love with ones' fiancé. In another world than the one she lived in, that would've been an outrage. In this backwards Pureblood 'town' she was darn lucky.

It was still fairly early, not yet noon. She was dressed in a simple knee length, blue wrap dress that would suffice as something more comfortable before she would get ready for the day.

"Umm… Mina?" A voice called through a hallway not too far from where she was. It was Rodolphus, her vain, yet slightly raggedy cousin.

"Down here!" She sang, dramatically like a lark.

Quick steps approached her as he positively jumped out from behind a wall to her left, a big grin on his face. In his eyes were a motive, and she was sure that he was slightly dreading what was to come. Up to no good, 'eh? "You look like you fear my wand." Mina snickered, watching Rodolphus cross his arms behind his back, so that his chest strutted like a rooster's.

"That's always a worry of mine." His telltale smirk plastered, a fanglike canine glittering in his bad boy smile. "Yet, I have pressing matter to brief with you."

"What did you do?" Huffing, deflating like a balloon she crossed her arms – staring up at her cousin as if she was his mother. Stern.

"Do not make assumptions; you might accept my proposal!" His hands splayed out in front of him, begging her not to shoot him just yet.

"Fine, fine… What?" Shoulders slumping, but she didn't have enough time to respond as he grabbed her arm, making her hold it as if he had gentlemanly held it out for her. Tricky bastard.

"Bella is attending the party tonight." He took a deep breath, and she knew that her even attending was hard for him.

Bellatrix Black was the better sister of the Black girls, though Andromeda was apparently nice enough. Her sister being Narcissa… Mina had had her issues with Cissa, but luckily those had died out. She had even heard that she was to marry some French Pureblood.

But that wasn't the point. Bella's parents had been shielding her from the social life in the Death Eater circle. Not that they were really too involved, none of them being in the inner circle – but it was obvious that Bella was now becoming a Lestrange, so the poor girl would be dragged into this hellhole.

"And I was wondering if you could help her?" He furrowed his brows, shooting a glance at his cousin while they paced the hallways.

Mina had once been innocent and unknowing in the arts of the social life of the inner circle of Death Eaters. Now they seemed to crave her, eating out of her hand. She didn't know it herself, but she was highly considered within their ranks. Nobody else than her seemed to hold the attention of The Dark Lord.

Nobody knew what was to become of her, but everyone saw the potential.

"Ease her into the snake hole?" She nodded, not needing a response really. She knew that Rodolphus had grown some feelings for his fiancé, they were like teenagers. But teenagers didn't always hold true love, did they. "Sure, I'll help her. When is she coming over?" Another to protect, she would exhaust herself.

The both of them sat down in a couch that Mina had had moved into the lush bathroom. She had spelled the room to be pure white marble, tiles and just… Oh, pristine. This was her place to just get away from everything.

But she wasn't alone. The girl sitting next to her with wild ebony tresses seemed stressed out of her mind. She had cheekbones to die for, cutting the very air. She still had some of that youthful roundness to her face, but a woman was growing out of it. Her brown eyes were locked on the floor, hands knitted together in her lap. She wore plain black robes, just something to pull on before she got to change to her party clothes.

Mina laid one dainty hand on top of Bella's, finally getting the attention of the slightly stressed out woman.

"I'm not going to bite, you know." She spoke softly, as if to a wild animal. Some humor was behind her words though, and she pulled a smile from the other woman.

"I'm sorry… I'm just really nervous about tonight! I haven't really been out on anything official with Rod, and this is just so… Serious! I mean, all of those serious people, and the serious setting… And… Serious!" Her eyes were wide open while she tried to catch the breath she had spent on ranting nonstop.

"Girl, keeping all that cooped up will kill you." Mina burst out in laughter, Bella slowly followed. She seemed to finally relax, seeing that her 'up and coming' friend wasn't too uptight.

"Yeah, I guess." She chuckled. "Now, what can we do about my hair?" Mina eyed the wild tresses for a moment before she got out of the couch – the only in the house that wasn't French. She rummaged through her bathroom closet for a moment before she threw a bottle of Bumbin's Antifrizz Hairlotion at Bella.

"This can tame a lion!" She said victoriously as she looked into the mirror. She pulled out her wand and transfigured her hair into a few styles, trying to decide how she wanted to look tonight.

Behind her Bella eased a fair amount of the liquid into her hair, combing through her suddenly silky hair.

"Hey, this stuff is brilliant!"

"Yeah, I know. Rodolphus used to steal it from me, but he had to buy his own bottle in the end." Mina snickered, making Bella giggle like a little girl.

"Why am I not surprised…" She shook her head while trying to stop giggling.

"After you marry, you can share hair products." Wiggling her eyebrows while aiming the wand at her own head, Mina felt like such a girl. It was nice to actually get some girl time – she didn't really have too many girlfriends.

"It will be glorious!" She exclaimed, throwing herself backwards to slump in the couch. Bella was a tad eccentric, but Mina liked her.

"What should I wear?" Mina looked at a few of the dresses that hung at the clothes rack she had pulled into the bathroom. With one arm wrapped snugly around her waist and the other one at her chin she did the 'eenie meenie miney mo' between them.

Bella had already brought a long, black dress with black rhinestones embellishing the bodice. It was muted, yet really elegant. From her place in the couch, which she had slung her legs into now too, she stared intensely at the dresses.

"Go big or go home, right?" She grinned, and Mina had a feeling that this meant trouble.

A few hours later the both of them were ready to head off. Both had been laughing so much, it seemed like their face might crack. They were walking arm in arm down to the men that were waiting for them down in the hallway. Bella hadn't gotten rid of her classic wild tresses, but now they rather shined like silk. She wore a black dress with a tight bodice, long sleeves and a relaxed skirt. She had black pumps and mascara with eyeliner. She looked like a bombshell, really.

Mina didn't look any worse, which her fiancé could confirm as soon as he saw her. The two women rounded the corner to the hallway by the entrance door.

Lucius took in his beautiful fiancé as she entered with Rodolphus fiancé, they separated and he couldn't keep his eyes off Mina whom was walking towards him. She wore a dress that threatened to stun him. It was crème colored, almost white. It had a deep v-neck and it barely covered her shoulders. A lace bodice that was ended with a thick, metallic belt that cinched her tiny waist. From her waist, beneath the belt, the skirts flowed freely down. It was two layered, an under skirt that reached to her rump and a slightly thick see-through skirt over it. It had a split at her left leg, going all the way up to above her knee. It was sexy, yet elegant. It ran all the way down to cover her feet, but he could see silvery pumps. She wore no jewelry but the locket she'd gotten from him. It was nestled away in her bosom, so no one might understand its meaning. With defined cheekbones, smoky eyes and glossy lips she smiled at him.

Man – he was going to marry that woman one day.

"Stop ogling, would you?" She chuckled.

Abraxas stood in the background, just shaking his head while watching his son act like a teenager. But even he saw what a beauty Mina was. Her long, light golden hair hanging in waves around her shoulders.

They had apparated to the large manor out in the forest. It seemed a tad run down, but nobody commented on that fact – everyone preferred not to get Crucio'd or killed.

Mina held onto Lucius' arm, still a bit queasy from apparating. The pull beneath her bellybutton lingered as she scrunched up her nose, releasing her fiancé. She preferred to walk by herself, independent.

They were at his manor. The Dark Lord's own little cozy nest… As if.

Apparently he was holding the New Year's party this year for the inner circle, which seemed wrong on so many levels. Not that she was sad that Abraxas didn't get to hold it, another dance at the floor where her parents were killed… No. Then it was better to be at a killer's lair.

It was mainly a first class Death Eater party only, seeing as most of the ones invited were marked ones. Yet there were people like Mina and Bellatrix who were a part of the clan now, but not marked. They were there by association, but Mina was another story entirely. She had no idea, but this night would change her life forever.

As they entered the manor, they were immediately greeted by a few others who were lurking around, the creeps that they were. She could spot a few familiar faces; Karkaroff, Yaxley and and Macnair. She wasn't too fond of any of them, but politely greeted as their eyes stared her down.

"Miss Lestrange, what a pleasure." Karkaroff purred as the others were making nice with the other men, Bella was gripping Rodolphus' arm tightly.

"Karkaroff." Her voice almost faltered as she just couldn't find anything nice to say to the double-timing bastard in front of her. Everyone knew that he was always one step from stabbing you in the back. He spoke with a thick accent and was dressed in an open, thick woolen coat. He took her hand as she did a small curtsy, not granting him more. He kissed her hand, and disgust shivered down her back as she felt his coarse beard brush it before she felt his lips.

Snake.

"Mina, dearest." Lucius must be psychic, because he gently took her other hand and nodded curtly to Karkaroff.

"Ah, Karkaroff. How nice to see you in these parts..." He slowed his tone, staring at the man with one eyebrow slightly raised in an arrogant way. Lucius had his chin raised, along with his medium length pale hair hanging down his neck, he seemed regal. Her Lucius was obviously another person around people like these. "I do apologize," he drawled "but I must borrow my fiancé." Pointedly he led Mina away from him, not speaking another word.

"He'll kiss my hand and then chop it off." She spoke as she breathed out, keeping her voice low. She didn't mind if he heard, but it was best not to be too obvious.

"Good thing you got a dagger for Christmas." He chirped, slightly more upbeat.

"You would never guess where I've hidden it." She chuckled. Lucius looked down at her with one eyebrow raised.

"Is that challenge?" She huffed at him, contemplating kicking him fleetingly. "That's the look you get when you want to hurt me, Severus or Rodolphus – you know."

"Good, you need to recognize your demise." She purred.

They entered what seemed to be a grand dining room. It wasn't anything like Abraxas ballroom, but still… It was ridiculously big. What was it with Pureblood men and big rooms?

There was a big table with enough chairs to fit at least fifty people, it was decked out with roasts and all sorts of delicious food. Maybe it would be a decent night?

A few people were already in here, none new to her. Lucius seemed to change his posture even more as they entered, he seemed positively daunting. It might have something to do with his fiancé pulling out all the stops when it came to the dress. But she had also the feeling that Lucius was an entirely different person in here. It was probably here he had gone to get branded, where he had been called to while they were still attending Hogwarts.

"Lucius!" A man slightly older than them walked towards them, the tall and sharply angular features of Travers were contorted into a pleasant smile. The two men shook hands while exchanging the never ending pleasantries she was getting used to. Mina knew of Travers, but she was not really acquainted with the man.

"Travers, this is my fiancé. Mina Ophelia Lestrange." The man immediately turned his body towards her, smiling his dead smile as his eyes roamed her body for a while Lucius seemed to be able to breathe fire any moment.

"Ah, miss Lestrange! You are quite the name in our circles." He took the hand she offered, kissing it lightly. She tolerated it, but Lucius didn't seem to appreciate his presence at the moment.

"Good, I hate to announce myself." Her smile was pleasant enough, Travers smiled at her with intentions she didn't care for.

"Travers, my son might kill you." Abraxas came over to them, chuckling as he patted his son's shoulder. Lucius only looked up at him with one eyebrow raised.

"Ah, kids and their tempers." Travers laughed, and Mina chose to tear away from this little party. Abraxas seemed to find Lucius' animosity amusing, Travers was… Maybe a tad stupid.

With her hands gently clasped over her waist she walked over to the roaring fireplace where Severus already stood. He was dressed in the robes he'd gotten for Christmas – looking positively smashing.

"May I share the warmth, sir?" She said smartly, acting like a stranger. Severus turned around and bowed while grasping her hand for a moment.

"Oh please." The sarcasm was thick, she laughed. She stood next to him by the fire, and they looked around the room. "Lucius is being pleasant, I see." He muttered, arms clasped behind his back.

"Positively radiant." The both of them watched Lucius, with his arrogant expression glare holes in Travers.

"Travers likes you."

"Travers will need a coffin." And with that they looked at each other, smirking.

They watched as Rodolphus and Bellatrix entered the room, Bella not the slightest calmed as she held his arm apparently painfully hard. He was apparently trying to control his own facial expression, but the constant twitch in his eye was enough of a telltale.

Mina and Severus had stood by the fireplace for ten minutes before Lucius, Rodolphus and Bella had joined them. Bella seemed to calm down instantly as they were in a group she was comfortable with.

The conversation rolled easily as the three men were engulfed in some stupid Quiddich discussion, Mina and Bella had decided to ditch that conversation.

The two of them stood by the windows that were next to the fireplace, giving them a generous few meters away from what would not be something they'd join in on.

As the two of them seemed to drift off into mindless chatter of Hogwarts and their friends from the school, something was pricking at Mina's consciousness. It felt like someone was touching something inside her head, like a gloved hand. It wasn't rough or uncomfortable, just… There. She tried not to let anything show on her face as Bella went off on a rant about some guys she knew from Ravenclaw when…

"Come." The voice dripped in dominance, the kind that she would forever associate with The Dark Lord. Her spine stiffened, not out of someone's control, but alertness.

"I'm sorry…" She mumbled, turning on her heel. As Lucius reached out a hand to his fiancé, she raised her hand, telling him not to. Leaving four of her friends behind she raised her chin and walked with confidence towards a door not too far from the place they had stood.

People took notice of her, seeing as she was the only one dressed in white tonight.

She approached the door, feeling like all sound was shut off. Turning the door knob, she entered, no one ever approaching or calling out to her. Her behavior must've seemed a tad bizarre, but she couldn't think of that now.

The room she had entered was dark, only lit by a few candelabras at the walls. At the end of the small room stood a dark figure that she was getting awfully acquainted with.

"You called, Master." Her hands were clasped in front of her waist as she lowered her eyes a little, curtsying in this dress wouldn't be too comfortable.

"You were quick." His chuckle was, as usual, not pleasant. Yet it was better than nothing. Mina lowered her head for a second and came towards him as he beckoned her.

"I do not dare to do otherwise, my Lord." He just laughed at this, offering her a chair at a table that she hadn't seen before, due to the low lightning.

"You look quite beautiful today, Mina." He complimented her, she only accepted it with a smile, sitting down on the chair opposed to his. He sat down also, they were only separated by a small table.

"Only the best garment would suffice when The Dark Lord honors me with an invite, Master." Her tone was low, yet its melodically self.

There was a moment of blessed, yet uncomfortable silence.

"This could be a big night for you." He said after that uncomfortable moment. Mina turner her head to face the man who seemed to be drained for more and more humanity each time she saw him. She guessed that was another way to look daunting.

"Why so?" She tried to be polite, but her sudden interest brought a creepy smile to his face.

"You can officially join my ranks." His voice was steady, a red glow in his eyes that threatened to scare her – but right now she knew that he had no intention of offing her.

"Are you offering me the mark?" She tilted her head, her curls spilling over her shoulders. She didn't mind how she looked in front of The Dark Lord – the way she understood it, he didn't feel like a 'normal man'.

"Yes, Mina. I am." It looked like he was offering her the world, and she knew that in this moment she couldn't refuse. She had to take it, or die. He would not take kindly to her refusing him.

"But, Master." She cleared her throat while rummaging her own mind. "What on earth could I offer the Death Eaters – offer you? I'm just a regular witch." This had actually been bothering her. Mina might be of excellent breeding and she had her looks – but what else could she bring to the table?

"Ah, Mina – Mina… Always selling yourself short." A dangerous glint in his eyes, as if he dared to be challenged. Yet she couldn't let it go.

"My magic might be well honed, but I am not powerful like you, my Lord. I am not a fighter – neither am I a schemer." It might be challenging faith, but she took her chances.

"Out in that room, Mina – "He pointed towards the door, where everyone surely was waiting. "There are schemers and fighters, there are even those who will stab me in the back if I may turn too fast." He shook his head with silent laughter. "But in here there is me, The Dark Lord. And the only woman who has ever dared to speak up to me in a long, long time. The only woman who seem to see danger, but walk towards it with confidence. You might not as powerful as me, but you could kill every person in that room outside here. You are beautiful enough to render a whole room speechless, but you do not boast. You use it to your own advantage. But most of all Mina – you are possibly the second most dangerous person in this country." He took one long breath – and nobody else but me has realized it."

She looked up at him, red glowing eyes and everything. Her brows were furrowed and she had heard every word he had spoken.

"Fine, I'll take it." Her voice steady, she put her left arm on the table, staring up at him with a challenge in her eyes. He smiled, accepting it.

THE DRESS pin/533887730805071811/