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Chapter 1

As soon as Bellatrix awoke, she knew there was something wrong. Rubbing the sleep from her eyes, she sat up. Everything was as it should be. Kreacher had cleaned her room, as usual. Then why this feeling?

Bella lay back down and closed her eyes, trying to go back to sleep. Just as she was settled in, and almighty BANG sent her jolting back to her senses, and a cannonball slammed into her side.

"NARCISSA!" she screamed, shoving the little girl away. "Would it kill you to let me lie in? Why do you always insist on being my personal alarm clock?"

Her younger sister, the cannonball, just curled up tighter and began to mumble.

"Bella… Bella, help…"

"Will you stop mumbling?"

At this, the little girl raised her head for the first time, and Bella saw tears streaking down her face.

"Cissy! Cissy, what's wrong?" Bella implored, but Cissy only snuggled closer. Bella wrapped her arms round her skinny body and began to sooth her.

"It's ok, shh. What happened?"

"Sirius… Sirius…"

"Sirius what?"

"He ran away, Bella. They're shouting."

Now they were both quiet, quiet enough to hear the muffled voices of their mother and aunt. Bella froze for a moment, before ripping off the covers, sending her sister toppling off the bed.

"Oww!" Fresh tears began to pour from her sister's light blue eyes. Bellatrix, turning round, sighed heavily and bent to pick Cissy up.

"Ok, ok, I'm sorry Cissa" she said impatiently, setting her down and grabbing her hand. "Come on."

Cissy slipped her thumb back into her mouth and followed.

As Bella strode down the corridor, Andromeda poked her head out from her bedroom door.

"I wouldn't go down there." She warned. "Auntie Walburga's really angry."

"So? Have a sense of adventure, Dromeda. It's not like it's about us"

"But, Bella…"

"Oh, fine then, stay here, you little Mudblood."

"I'm NOT a Mudblood! Stop calling me names! I'm not a baby, Bells."

Bellatrix bent her head towards the younger girl, her dark eyes full of loathing. "Prove it"

Andromeda looked on the verge of contradicting, but seeing Bella's smirk made up her mind. She unhooked her silk dressing gown from the back of the door and stepped out in front of her sisters.

Smirking more than ever, Bellatrix pushed past her, dragging Narcissa behind her. Andromeda followed, trying not to let her sister see her reluctance.

As the three sisters walked down the stairs and towards the kitchen, the muffled voices became clearer. At the kitchen door, Andromeda automatically put her hand out to open the door, but Bella stopped her. Giving Dromeda her don't-be-an-idiot look, she pressed her ear to the door. Cissy copied immediately, still clutching Bella's hand and sucking her thumb. Andromeda looked back at Bellatrix, but wished she hadn't. Her older sister raised an eyebrow with the triumphant air of someone who knew they had been right. Silently, she mouthed the word 'Baby'.

Andromeda glared back, before pressing her ear to the mahogany door, ignoring Bella's smirk.

"Look, I know your upset that he ran away but you have to…" that was their mother, Druella."

"Upset? I'm furious! And not with Sirius either!" Walburga, their aunt, interrupted Druella

"You can't blame her! What does she have to do with any of this?"

"I know Sirius isn't the perfect son, but… he wouldn't have done this if she hadn't interfered!"

"So you're going to blame my daughter?"

Bellatrix and Andromeda froze, but Narcissa began to tug on her eldest sister's sleeve, whispering 'What did she say?' Bellatrix ignored her.

"Yes I will blame her! She didn't exactly make life easier for him. You heard the way she spoke to him! Admit it! She did this!"

"Wal, she's fifteen!"

Bellatrix froze. They were talking about her. Had she done this?

Cissa was consistent, yanking Bella's sleeve so hard the materiel was in danger of ripping; 'What did she say? What did mummy say!!!' she repeated, stamping her foot, but still whispering. Dromeda, trying to calm her down, lost track of the conversation, but Bella had her ear pressed to the door, listening intently. She had forgotten her sisters were there.

"Yes, she's fifteen." Her aunt continued, "And evil."

"Don't you dare speak about my Bella like that!"

"She bullied my son! I'll speak about her anyway I like."

"How can you say it's her fault?"

"Drue, what don't you get? Bellatrix made Sirius run away!"

"That's typically you, isn't it, Wal?" Her mother was now in hysterics. "Blame my daughter! What's next, Cissy caused the great fire of London? Andromeda started the goblin rebellion?"

Narcissa kept on tugging at Bella's sleeve more and more insistently. Her sisters could see a temper tantrum coming on, so Bella did the first thing she thought of, and slapped Narcissa so hard she went flying.

Narcissa screamed. The kitchen door came flying open.

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