Disclaimer: These characters are the property of J.K Rowling and not mine. Please review and let me know what you think.
Sirius found himself roughly pushed against the wall. He looked up to see his cousin Narcissa glaring at him, her grey eyes burning with hatred. "Don't you dare mess up my engagement party Sirius or I'll kill you." She said her voice laced with venom. Sirius squirmed, forcing her hand to slip from his lapel. He looked up innocently. "Dear Cissa now why on earth would I do that? You and Malfoy deserve each other." He said smirking at the elder girl.
Suddenly his gaze passed over the top of Narcissa's shoulder to where a high giggle had emerged from. Narcissa followed his gaze and turned back to him angrily. "You leave Bella alone Sirius. She's a good girl now without your influence. Leave her be or you'll find yourself at the end of one of my hexes!" Narcissa warned.
"And that's meant to scare me!" Sirius grinned.
"You wouldn't dare." Narcissa spat as she watched Sirius stare at Bella who was stood next to Rudolphus Lestrange, her ebony curls bouncing as she chatted animatedly to the small group of assembled men around her. Sirius wasn't surprised to see many of them hanging onto her every word for Bella had blossomed into a truly captivating 15 year old. Tall and skinny with a dazzling smile and the most gorgeous eyes, Bella had numerous admirers at school, many of them staring in adoration at her at that very moment. "I see that Lestrange prat is pretty taken with her." He muttered.
"Yes and it's a good match." Narcissa said glaring at Sirius again, her eyebrows raised suspiciously at her cousin.
"No it's not. She's much better than that idiot." Sirius said softly his eyes glazing over.
"Look Sirius I'm wanted by mother." Narcissa said as an older image of herself waved at her. "Promise me you won't do anything stupid and do try to be somewhat normal."
"Normal what the hell do you know about normal!" Sirius whispered under his breath as Narcissa strolled over to her mother and made small talk with the Nott's who'd just arrived. Deciding that joining a group of Slytherins in small talk was hardly his cup of tea he made his way over to the drinks table and grabbed a Butterbeer which he proceeded to throw down his neck in one swift movement.
"Now Sirius how are you?" A familiar voice said.
"Uncle Alphard!" Sirius said his face lighting up as he turned to see a jolly looking middle-aged man smoking a pipe.
"I didn't expect you to be here in all honesty. Not with what your mother's been saying."
"Well what can I say? She obviously thought the scandal of me not turning up to my cousins engagement party outweighed the possible embarrassment I may cause." Sirius said setting his tankard back down on the table.
"I see Bella is the centre of attention." Alphard said casting a sad glance over at his once-favourite niece.
"She isn't as bad as the rest of them." Sirius said adding as an afterthought. "Not yet she isn't."
"Oh she will be. She seeks approval and love from her father far too much to follow yours and Andromeda's example. She's desperate for him to tell her he isn't disappointed in her, that he doesn't care that she wasn't the son he craved so much. I hate Orion for not loving her." Alphard said sadly.
Sirius sighed as he watched Rudolphus move a strand of Bella's hair behind her ear and whisper something in her ear making her blush. "How can she let him touch her, anyone can tell he only likes her for the way she looks, not for her spirit." Sirius said bitterly.
"This is hard for you isn't it!" Alphard said looking at his nephew. Sirius nodded, his fringe falling in front of his eyes.
"We were meant to be like that. I was meant to be with her." Sirius said frowning a little.
"I know and I remember the pair of you when you were little. Never apart were you." Alphard mused remembering a time long ago when two little children would run to him and scramble up on his knee to hear intriguing stories of vampires and curses and all other gory tales. More often than not he'd bring his favourite niece and nephew little presents, particularly once Bella had been left alone; both Andromeda and Narcissa at Hogwarts.
Sirius watched as his cousin said something and departed from the group of boys. She made her way to the drinks table fixing herself a Gillywater. "Hello Uncle Alphard." She said stiffly as she took a sip of her drink.
"Bella my dear you look ever so pretty tonight. And how is school going?"
"Okay thank you. Potions and Defence against The Dark Arts are my favourite lessons." She said smiling.
"A girl after my own heart aren't you Belle!" Alphard said putting an arm around his niece's shoulder.
"Uncle Alphard! Please don't embarrass me. My friends are over there." Bella said looking thoroughly petrified that her friends would see her.
"Oh okay Bella I get it. I'm too old and fuddy-duddy for you now. Oh well how about I leave you and Sirius to chat hey." Alphard said ignoring the glare Sirius was giving him. Bella sighed and blew an ebony curl from her eyes.
"Okay Uncle."
"Good girl. Now you two be nice to each other remember you are cousins now not arch-rivals." Alphard said departing to go and talk to Odette Rookwood leaving Sirius and Bella looking at each other uncomfortably.
"So Sirius you alright?" Bella asked after an awkward pause.
"Well yes apart from been pinned to the wall by Narcissa as I entered." Sirius said rubbing his neck.
"Did she hurt you Siri?" Bella said looking angered.
"No just gave me a little warning."
"The cow! I told her to leave you be and she said she would." Bella said tightening the grip on her glass so much that Sirius thought it would break. "Hey Bella chill I'm okay. It was only Cissy after all. If it had been you on the other hand then I'd probably be suffering from a broken neck." Sirius said his eyes resting on the stem of Bella's glass. She smiled slightly, her red lips turning upwards and for a moment she was the old Bella, the one who hadn't yet been sorted into Slytherin, who hadn't yet met those other boys.
A familiar song graced the room and Sirius looked at his cousin with a raised eyebrow. "May I have this dance?" He asked expecting her to say no. To his surprise and perhaps to her own she said 'Yes' admittedly it was almost a whisper but a definite yes. Sirius glanced deep into her eyes as he took her hand and led her to the dance floor.
Placing his other hand on the ivory silk folds of her gown that graced her hip he felt his hands sweat. 'Sirius stop it, she's a Slytherin and no longer yours.' The little voice in his head said but he blocked it out. Bella meanwhile was ignoring the icy glares Narcissa was giving her. She giggled a little when she saw Alphard wink at her as Sirius expertly waltzed her past him. The song ended too quickly for either party and Sirius seemed reluctant to let her go once the song finished.
"Sirius please let go."
"But Bella why do you loathe me so much when we're at school?"
"I don't. I just have to act like that don't I. Like you act when you're with your friends. You understand surely."
"Bella can't we try and be friends again? You can't have forgotten how we once were." Sirius said softly. Bella took his hand gently in hers and stroked it softly with her thumb.
"I haven't forgotten and I doubt I ever will, But Siri you and I are different and we're taking different paths from each other."
"So! You could be with me we could be together. Please Bella I love you."
"No you don't and anyway Sirius I can't make you happy." Bella said sadly.
"Why not?"
"Because father doesn't approve of you and I want so much for him to love me like he does Narcissa." Bella said with a hint of sadness in her voice. Sirius cupped her chin with his free hand.
"Anyone who doesn't love you is a moron."
"Don't talk about my father like that!" Bella said bitterly moving her head so Sirius's hand was dislodged.
"Bella!" Sirius sighed as she stormed off back to her Slytherin friends.
"Well you tried." Alphard sighed handing his nephew another tankard of Butterbeer.
"Yeah but not hard enough!" Sirius mused as he turned away trying to hide the tears gracing his eyes.