They used to say that the Blacks came down from the vampires. I never knew whether it was true or not. Mother said we could be traced all the way back to Elizabeth Bathory, but she was always saying things like that. She'd claim kinship to any pureblood she took a liking to. I heard it more often at school, whispers in corridors that would evaporate as soon as I turned.

You could still see it in Bella though. She had that certain otherworldly quality. It used to scare me sometimes, especially when I'd round a corner in the manor and come upon her unexpectedly. She'd be standing there, paler than the moon itself, almost seeming poised to strike. Maybe that's why I could never trust her. I could never tell what she was up to.

Bellatrix is the world's best manipulator. She always has been. Even when we were children, she had the biggest room, the newest toys, and the best tutors. The worst was how she could handle Father. Bella could flutter an eyelid in just the right way and make him forget his own name.

She was very popular with men before she met Rodolphus. Slytherin House was filled with her conquests. Bella'd pick them out, charm them, seduce them, then toy with them. She could drop a casual word from her perfect lips and make a man feel completely degraded. She never shone as brightly as when she had some poor fool on a string. Oh, they'd eventually leave her, once the proverbial scales fell from their eyes. But every last one of them would be back by her side in a heartbeat.

It's no wonder why He wanted her so badly. She's his perfect accessory- beautiful, remorseless, and willing to suck the life from anyone.