A/N: Hem, hem, the character's aren't mine, yadda yadda yadda, they're JKR's of course.

It was 2 o'clock in the morning and Bellatrix couldn't sleep. How could anyone expect her to sleep when she was going to be trained in the dark arts by the Dark Lord in less then 24 hours?

What am I going to wear," she asked out loud. "Should I wear the earrings or will he think I like them too much? Yes I should definitely wear the earrings it is the polite thing to do. So I'll have Cissa do my hair, no way, she'll ask too many questions. I'll have a house elf do my hair and I'll wear it down with some tight black robes. Yes, that sounds good. God, why do I care so much? It's not like I have a crush on the Dark Lord. Of course I don't. That would be foolish I mean he's way too old for me. WHY AM I TALKING TO MYSELF? Just go the hell to sleep Bellatrix or you'll have circles under your eyes even magic can't cover up. Hmm, I wonder what I'll be learning? OK, I'm going to sleep I really am."

And with that Bellatrix closed her eyes and attempted to go to sleep, something she failed at miserably. So Bellatrix laid in bed looking out her window wondering if she was staring at her own star or some other horrible star such as Sirius or Andromeda. She laid there for around an hour when an owl swooped in through her window. It was the same black eagle owl as before bearing a small scroll. She eagerly took the scroll from the owl and opened it. Inside it said:

Bellatrix,

Go to your father's study promptly at 4:00 A.M. I'll be waiting there to begin your training. Don't worry I will have the room silenced so none of your family will hear a thing. Make sure to silence your footsteps on the way to the study.

LV

A little less friendly than last time, but at least she was getting her training, and sooner than she expected. She was a bit worried as to how she'd do considering the lack of sleep she had gotten. But it wasn't like she had been woken up, she hadn't even gone to sleep in the first place.

Bellatrix glanced at a sterling silver watch on her bedside table. It said it was 3:15 A.M.

"Well, I might as well make my way to the study now," she thought.

First she changed into her tight black robes and ditched the idea of a house elf doing her hair. She shook her head and let her hair fall down around her. Even without the help of a house elf the long ebony strands were sleek and shiny.

She silenced her footsteps and made her way downstairs and then down a spiral staircase hidden behind a bookshelf in the main floor's library. As she descended the stairs she came into a small square room with family awards adorning the walls and shelves. On two opposite walls there were doors. She went through the door located on the wall where her father's family's awards hung. This was her father's study. It was filled with books filled with mysterious dark spells and bottles containing strange and disturbing substances. Some of the books were written in foreign languages, others had weird symbols on them. But Bellatrix's keen interest in her father's study was interrupted by a loud, pop.

To Bellatrix it sounded as if someone had apparated into the house, but she knew that wasn't possible. Her father had charmed the house so no one could apparate inside it. But when Bellatrix turned around she realized the sound of the pop, was due to someone apparating; that someone being Lord Voldemort.

"Why, my Lord, it's good to see you. But if you don't mind my asking, how, how did you do it? My father charmed the house so no one could apparate inside it."

"My Bellatrix, people can apparate if they're inside the house can they not? And do you doubt my abilities so, that you believe the Dark Lord incapable of finding entrance to a house if he so pleases?" He was looking at her sharp face. She appeared to be thinking and tried to cover up a look of regret with one of icy composure.

"Yes, of course, my Lord. You are capable of anything my Lord."

"Anyway, we'll spend about two hours training which will give you plenty of time to get upstairs before your parents wake up. I've decided we should work on the blocking spell. I know you're well aware of how to perform this spell, but if you're able to perform this spell quickly and accurately no one will be able to harm you. And that is what I am most concerned about." Bellatrix nodded agreement after everything he said. "I'm going to fire spells at you and you're to try and black them as best you can. I'll start with stunning you, but soon I'll be using more advanced curses, understand?"

"Yes, my Lord," she said with a grin. He wondered why she was grinning. He didn't think anyone on Earth should be grinning at the prospect of dueling with the Dark Lord.

"Alright on the count of three, I'll try and stun you, and you'll attempt to block the spell," he said evenly. "One, STUPEFY!

"Prote…" Bellatrix screamed this half of a word before she fell over, completely stunned.

"Hmm, quite impressive, she actually managed to get part of the spell out before being stunned entirely. Not bad at all. Ennervate." Bellatrix came to and realized what had just happened. She felt mildly embarrassed at not having blocked the spell successfully.

"And again, STUPEFY"

"Prote…," Bellatrix attempted once more.

"Not bad either, I mean she's probably, what, fourteen or fifteen years old? Damn what's wrong with me? She shouldn't be doing this well against me. All the same, she's just what I hoped for. Ennervate." And again, Bellatrix came to. "Well Bellatrix, not STUPEFY," he screamed.

"Protego," she yelled as she fell backwards on the ground. But this time she was conscious. She had managed to get the spell out but in her attempt at saying the spell quickly the accuracy dwindled.

For the next hour and a half, Lord Voldemort continued to stun her and she continued her attempted blocks. By the end of their training session, eight out of ten times, Bellatrix could successfully block Lord Voldemort's spells, sending them right back causing him to have to duck and move out of the way quite frequently. For Lord Voldemort, this was more than what he had expected. He had to consider that she was still young, and he was well, himself, the Dark Lord, Lord Voldemort. Voldemort mentally decided that a training session spent blocking a few of the Unforgivables would do the trick. Do the trick meaning, train Bellatrix till there is no one and no spell she can not block.

"Very good Bellatrix, very good. And you should know I rarely compliment others, very rarely." He could not help but smile when he noticed she was wearing the ruby earrings as she swept a wisp of hair behind her ear. He also could not help but imagine himself sweeping that same wisp of hair from her face, let alone sweeping both his hands through all of her sleek black hair. FOCUS, he thought. "Well then, I should go, and you should get to sleep. I'll notify you about our next training session in the same manner I notified you about this one. Bye Bella." And with a pop he was gone. Bella frowned, she hadn't even gotten the chance to thank him for the earrings or say goodbye. But then her thoughts flickered to the smile that had played across his lips a moment earlier. She'd seen smiles like that on the faces of boys her own age. Not necessarily a look of desire, but of two friends sharing a joke. She had seen the smile like that on boys faces because basically all of her friends were boys. She found joy in the small chance that he was regarding her as more then just a pupil, but a companion as well. And with that she turned to go.

She as assuming her footsteps were still silenced since she had not taken the spell off. But just in case she re-silenced them. She left her dads study, went up the spiral staircase and made her way up another staircase and to her own bedroom. She took of her black robes and saw Rodolphus's shirt laying on the ground. She slipped it on and slipped in bed.

Of course, Rodolphus, her boyfriend. How could she not have thought of him in so long. What was it Rodolphus had left for so urgently? Something his grandmother had that concerned her. What could concern her that was left in his grandmother's will? "Duh, Bellatrix," she said aloud. "Seriously how could you not have realized that until now? Where has your brain been?" On the Dark Lord, she thought. But then her mind went back to Rodolphus and his grandmother and the heirloom she was passing down to Rodolphus. I am in fourth year. Why is this happening now? Aren't I to young to be taking part in something that will bind me for the rest of my life? Another voice in side her reminded her what she'd been doing for the past two hours. Oh well there's that. O well. I mean, I do love him, and I'll be holding up the family motto, she thought. "Oy, I need some sleep." And with that Bellatrix immediately drifted into a dreamless sleep.

A/N: Sorry it took so long, I've been out of town a lot. I hope you like it, RR please. I hope it doesn't get to confusing near the end talking about Rodolphus even though the whole chapter was about her and Voldemort. O well, let me know!