A book slammed in front his face and Sirius peered up at the person who dropped it before reading the cover. A sallow Bellatrix stood there, then his eyes fell to the cover of the ancient-seeming volume. It was a picture of a man, sketched with his arms out wide and his legs at shoulder-width apart. Or at least, that's what half his body was - the other half had an oddly-shaped head with a wolf's snout, great long fingers with sharp claws off the ends, and hindlegs like a dog's.

"A book about the way 'Cissa looks in the morning?" He asked mockingly, looking up at her skeptically.

"No," she drawled, "A book on werewolves."

"And you've brought this to my attention, why? Is that boyfriend of 'Meda's, MacNair, is he one or something?"

"I s'pose you could say 'or something.'"

"But it'd be downright idiotic to allow a werewolf in Hogwarts."

"Exactly," she said, draping herself into the chair across Sirius, "which is why I didn't half believe my own assumptions 'til I looked it up."

"So who the bloody Hell is this mystery student?" Sirius asked her quizically.

"Why, your new best friend. Remus Lupin." Sirius's eyes flashed with anger.

"You are sick, Bellatrix." She looked slightly taken aback, but he hadn't expected her to take it offensively - she'd been called far worse. "To tell me something like that. Is it a plight to get me further estranged from my housemates? Oh, no, I bet my dear Mum put you up to it."

"Sirius, listen, he misses lessons every time around the full moon. He's always spotted with Madam Pomfrey at that time, and she always leads him to the Whomping Willow, where that secret passage way 'Meda discovered last year that leads to the Shreiking Shack is."

Sirius groaned, "Stop! He is NOT a werewolf!"

"Listen to me," she hissed, "And the Shreiking Shack only really began shreiking back four years ago, the same year Lupin came to Hogwarts."

"You've done quite alot of research, Bella. And they say 'Meda's the smart sister."

She rolled her eyes at his sardonic tone as the two cousins sat, eyes that matched locked across the table. They looked like one another so closely it frightened some younger students. Of course, most anything to do with the Black family frightened younger students.

"He's not werewolf."

"Why, Sirius?"

"'Cos he'd tell us."

"Us?" Bellatrix sneered, "You and your little Gryff friends? Sirius, you're teetering on the edge."

"Edge of what, exactly?" He demanded, his eyes gleaming.

"Don't act like you don't know. Of falling off the family tree, disgracing the name more so than you did by being sorted into your disgusting little house."

"Right, getting the boot from a bunch of blood-obsessed rich people."

"That's my family, your family you're talking about," she said, contempt edging her voice.

"Their family if I act the way I should? If I disarm all my housemates and beat them over the head with a beater's mallet?"

"Sirius, it's your decision. Now, are you going to believe me about Lupin or not?"

Sirius stood and Bellatrix couldn't help it, her breath was caught in her throat. This was the moment of truth, the moment that had been building between the two former best friends. It was sink or swim for her cousin who she loved deeply.

"I think," he hissed through clenched teeth, his words dripping with malice, "I'll go with my friend. My Gryffindor friend."

And with one fluid motion, the two had commited the exact same action - sweeping away with anger in their silver-gray eyes and frustration in their throats. And, for the first time but not the last, a sense of missing.

Author's note: watched Prisoner of Azkaban tonight for the third time. Got inspired. Very mucho like 'Black Nature' but kindof not. Bella poses the question of Black loyalty, I guess, is the only similarity. You can tell 'Meda hasn't been disowned yet (as a matter of a fact, whilst this is going on, she's dating Lucius) and that 'Cissa is dating Marius MacNair. Um, EW! Sirius's opening line is a joke-ish thing... riggght. Well, off to write another fanfiction (Ron-centric, set in Prisoner) and update Yuletide Cheers... hopefully on the YC thing. Right-o. Gittin' sleepy.

Review, please!