Disclaimer: Nope I do not own this, though I wish I did.

Chapter Seventeen: Bellatrix Black

Ginny gave her a small smile and let her magic reach out to wrap around the older woman. She was checking for any tracking spells or something of the sort. Finding nothing she eased her way into her mind.

Bellatrix was heading down the halls, it was only the second day of school and the first day of classes. She was in a hurry, not wanting to miss her first class of the day. The halls were just as crowded as ever with all the first years not knowing where they are going. She smiled slightly, remembering when she was that young herself. While she continued on she watched as Lucius, who her younger sister, Narcissa, had an infatuation with, knocked over a smaller red head. Her bag fell off her shoulder and dropped onto the ground. A few books, paper, and quills fell from her bag. Lucius didn't even spare a glance back as he continued on. The young girl shook her head sadly as she began to pick up her belongings.

She knelt beside the smaller girl and helped her pick up her things. 'Don't mind Lucius, he likes to push the first years around. He's a bit arrogant,' she told the younger girl as she handed her the quills.

The small girl smiled at her. 'Thank you. I'll have to keep that in mind the next time I come across him.'

'Where are you heading?'

'Potions,' the girl replied as she put her belongings back in her bag.

'Well just tell Slughorn what happened and tell him that I will vouch for you, he likes me so he won't mind if you are a little late.'

'Thank you again, I'm Lily Evans by the way.'

'Bellatrix Black, pleasure to meet you Lily. In Gryffindor I see.'

'Yeah, the hat was debating on putting me into Ravenclaw but said I was needed in Gryffindor, for whatever reason that was.' Lily shrugged at this as she got to her feet.

'Well the hat is never wrong. Good luck at school and if you ever need some help don't be afraid to ask.'

'I'll keep that in mind,' Lily said with a wave as she headed off to her Potions class. Bella watched the small red head disappear into the multitude of students and smiled to herself. It wasn't like her to stop and help the younger students but something about the small red head had caught her attention. She would just have to see where this led to.

Bella was sitting at the Slytherin table, her head bent over her potions essay. She had spent the previous night working on it and still had a bit more to go. As she worked she became oblivious to all the noise that surrounded her. It was already the middle of her seventh year and she had been working quite a bit these last few weeks. She spent a lot of her time wrapped in her work, keeping an eye out on her younger sisters, and just enjoying her free time.

She didn't hear the rise in talk as a certain red head approached the Slytherin table. It wasn't until Narcissa, Bella's younger sister, elbowed her that she looked up. As she looked up she met a pair of familiar green eyes. Lily stood before her, a small, shy smile on her face.

'What are you doing over here?' One of the Slytherin boys sneered at the young Gryffindor. True to her nature, Lily ignored the man and continued to look at Bella, which only seemed to infuriate the boy more.

'Rodolphus, sit down and leave the girl alone," Bellatrix snapped at the man. 'You are very brave to come over to the Slytherin table in broad daylight and in a hall crowded with people.'

'Gryffindors are supposed to be brave are we not? Besides I need to speak with you.'

Bella nodded her head and indicated outside. The two girls left, ignoring the whispers that were floating around the hall. If her mother ever figured out that she was associating with a Gryffindor and a half-blood she would be skinned alive. With a mental sigh she promised to make sure that no one so much as let word slip that she was out here.

'What can I do for you?' She finally asked when they reached the bank of the lake.

'I need some help. I can't really explain why I have to do this but I have to. Do you know anything about Old Magic?'

She looked shocked at the girl. 'Of course I do, most students don't look into that subject. What do you want to know?'

'Anything you can tell me.'

'Alright, we can meet once a week and I can teach you a few things.'

'Thank you again,' Lily said with a bright smile. 'You know you are quite different from what everyone else says.'

Bella smirked at this. 'That's the fun of putting on a mask all your life.'

She was sitting out by the lake, her legs drawn up to her chest, her chin resting on her knees, and her arms wrapped around her legs. It was the third week of the lessons with Lily. The young girl had a natural talent for understanding things, she wasn't surprised that the hat had wanted to put her into Ravenclaw. She didn't care for the whole stereotyping about the Slytherins or any of the other houses for that matter. Lily had proved to be a joy to talk to and she had come to adopt the younger girl as a sort of sister.

Not that she wasn't close to her own sisters, she loved her sisters a lot, and it's just that this was a change in pace. Lily had taken quite a liking to Bella and the two spent as much time together as was possible. However, they had to make their meetings secret, allowing them to come across a lot of hidden passages and rooms that no one knew about.

Today, however, her mind was not on the young redhead, but a young black haired boy. He was in her house, a first year, and he had a natural aptitude for potions, which was one of her favorite subjects. His name was Snape. She had helped him a few times with some of his homework.

It was odd, every time she looked at the younger boy her heart rate would increase. This wasn't normal for her, she didn't tend to get near many of the boys at the school. They were pretty much a nuisance, so she did all she could to get away from them. However, this boy, made her feel different. She had no idea what it was, he was so young, not even twelve and here she was thinking about him. Why? She had no idea.

This was where Snape found her, gazing out over the lake. 'Hey,' he said quietly.

She turned to look up at him, her eyes conveying her surprise before she got her emotions back under control. 'Hi,' she said quietly as she focused her attention back on the lake.

He sat down beside her, neither of them talking, just sitting in a peaceful silence. 'I wanted to thank you for your help on that potions paper. I had no idea what I was doing.'

'It's no problem. I'm good at potions,' she said as quietly as she had earlier. She could feel his eyes on her, sending chills down her spine. Bella bit her lip, trying hard to control emotions that she shouldn't be having because of an eleven year old!

'Slughorn likes you a lot. He compliments you all the time in class.' At this she only nodded her head. 'I saw you with that Evans girl. I didn't know you associated with Gryffindor.'

'She's more than a "Gryffindor",' she said icily. 'It's a stupid stereotype that was created with the sorting of the houses. It has nothing to do with what house you are in but who you are. She's a bright girl and an amazing person. I have a feeling she will be one of the top students in her class.'

'I wasn't trying to insult her,' he said quickly. She turned to look at him and saw the remorse in his eyes and couldn't help the small smile that played across her lips.

'It's fine, don't worry about it, just watch what you say next time will you?'

'I will,' he said with a smile.

Bella stood looking out over the lake for the last time that year. She had spent most of her year teaching Lily as much of her knowledge of Old Magic as she could. The two had become fast friends and she had been so pleased when the redhead had told her she had passed all of her tests.

The rest of her spare time she spent tutoring her sisters or tutoring Snape. As the year had progressed her feelings toward the young boy had grown, much to her annoyance. He was sweet, always there when she needed him.

'Bella?' A soft voice said behind her.

Turning she faced Lily. 'Hey, what are you doing out here?'

'I wanted to come say goodbye,' the young girl said sadly.

'Hey, this isn't goodbye. We will see each other again I am sure. Just remember to keep to your studies and hold your head up high. You've got good friends and they will always be there to help you out when you need it.'

Lily smiled at her. 'Thank you, I would never have gotten through this year without you.'

'You did it all yourself, I was just here to guide you," Bella said with a smile of her own.

Lily moved to hug her tightly. Bella hugged the younger girl back, fighting back the tears that threatened to break free. 'Take care Bella, I will hope to see you again.'

'We will, we will.' With that she released Lily, who turned, tears in her eyes, and headed back to the castle.

'That was sweet,' Snape said from the other side of her.

'She's a great girl,' Bella said as she continued to watch Lily make her way to the castle. 'Can you promise me something?'

'Anything,' Snape said. If she had been looking she would have seen a deep emotion in his eyes as he looked at her.

'Watch over her. Make sure she is safe, I couldn't stand the thought of her getting hurt. She has a lot of things she is going to go through and I just want to know if she makes it through them all,' Bella said quietly.

'I promise. I'll make sure to tell you how things are going," Snape said proudly.

Bella turned and smiled at the young man. She moved over to him and bent to kiss his cheek. 'Take care of yourself Severus. I want you to be safe as well,' with that she turned and headed to the castle, silent tears slipping down her cheeks.

It was her fourth year out of school and she had just started her new job as a healer at St. Mungo's. She had been receiving letters from both Snape and Lily over the last four years. The two had told her about everything that had been happening at Hogwarts and how they were doing. She was proud of Lily, having held the top marks in her year. When she had heard about Lily and her friends pranking, she had been pleased with this. Snape, however, seemed to be the target for the 'Marauders' pranks.

Over and over she had told him that they were just having their fun and not to hold it against them. Lily would take care of them in time and he had told her he would do his best. With each letter she came to enjoy her friendships with the two. On occasion, during the summer, her and Lily had managed to get together to talk for a few hours.

What had made her happier was the times she had gotten to spend with Snape. They were rare but she didn't care, it was better than nothing. With each letter and meeting she was falling more and more for the boy. It made her heart ache more and more as she began to love him more and more. The pain was almost unbearable.

She was pleased with herself. She had managed to placate her mother for much of the last four years. Her mother was demanding that she finally make a pure blood marriage but she couldn't do it. Her heart belonged to Snape and she would never marry anyone other than him.

Things had taken a turn for the worst only a year back, when her favorite sister, Andromeda, had fallen for a Muggleborn, Ted Tonks. Her mother and the rest of the family had disowned her when they heard she was going to be married. What was worse was that Andromeda was already six months along by that time. Apparently she had met Ted right out of school, which was almost two years ago.

She couldn't deny that she was happy for her sister but her mother had made it impossible for her to speak to her. The loss of their sister had hit hard to both Bella and Narcissa, who were all close growing up as children. Narcissa was still in her seventh year so she hadn't been able to see Andromeda before things had gone askew.

'Bella,' a soft voice said from behind her. She turned to come face-to-face with Severus. Bellatrix had just come home from another long weekend at her mother's house. Narcissa had been forced into her marriage with Lucius and there was nothing she could do. Being the only unmarried child and the oldest her mother was starting to turn her attention towards her.

Severus was now sixteen and was about to go into his sixth year. "Severus? What in the world are you doing here?" She asked slightly breathless. Her heartbeat was racing as she saw him. It had been almost six months since she had last seen him.

He didn't say anything as he moved to stand in front of her, his fingers running down her cheek. She could feel his warm breath on her cheek and neck, making her shiver. His eyes held hers and she could feel her knees go weak. Her eyes desperately searched his for any sign of what he was thinking, or feeling for that matter.

Just as she was about to say something his lips found hers. Shocked, it took her a moment to respond. When she did she wrapped her arms around his neck, drawing him closer. She poured all her pent up emotions into their kiss. He held her tightly as he kissed her back with just as much emotion as her.

When they pulled apart they were panting heavily. She held his face in her hands, tears forming in her eyes. 'I've been waiting years to do that,' he told her as he drew her as close to him as possible.

'So have I,' she said quietly. She smiled at him as she drew him back into yet another kiss.

The two lay on the couch in her apartment. Severus held her tightly while she rested back against him. The summer had just started, leaving the two with a lot more time together. He had proposed to her with less than a week left of school. She had instantly said yes, it was what she had wanted for the last seven years.

They planned to remain together as much as possible throughout the summer. Her job had taken on less work, which was pleasing to her. It didn't matter to her that she was in love with a half-blood, because she only saw a man. A man that she loved with her whole entire soul.

It was one of those rare days where they could stay the entire day together without so much as an interruption.

'Bella,' her mother said icily as she entered her mother's house.

'Mother,' she said in an equally cold voice.

'I'm glad you could make it.'

'I had no other choice.'

'I have news for you. Since you have refused to be married these last seven years we have found someone for you to marry.'

Bellatrix straightened up on hearing this. 'What?' she demanded softly, too stunned to yell properly.

'You knew him during your schooling. Rodolphus, he was in your year I believe. It's all arranged.'

'Him! I will never marry him!' She shouted, finally regaining herself.

'You will marry him! There is no way around it.'

'Yes Bella, you will be mine once and for all,' Rodolphus said from behind her. He stood with a cocky grin on his face. The rest of the males in her family stood behind him.

'You will be married today, now.' With that the male relatives grabbed her and dragged her into another room. There stood the minister, who held out the paper for them to sign, well her to sign.

'No!' Bella screamed, tears falling down her face. 'I won't marry him! You can't make me!"

'You will marry him, there is no other way around it. You will make a proper pure-blood marriage like your sister did.'

'NO!' She cried again but it was too late. They cut her finger, running her blood across the parchment. When it was finished they released her and she collapsed onto the ground, tears falling down her face.

There was no way she could get out of this now. The only way was through the head of the family and he had helped put her in this situation. Rodolphus yanked her to her feet and apparated them to a slummy apartment.

'You're mine now Bella and there is nothing you can do about it,' he said in a harsh whisper.

She turned icy eyes on him and her knee came up to hit him, hard. He collapsed with a groan and she apparated back to her home. Severus jumped when she came back into the house.

'Bella!' He cried when he saw the state she was in. His arms wrapped around her as she told him what had happened.

He didn't say anything but she knew how upset he was. 'This wasn't supposed to happen," she cried into his shoulder. 'It wasn't supposed to happen this way. It was supposed to be you, not him, not ever him.'

Severus continued to hold her, tears falling down his cheeks. 'I will always be here for you Bella, no matter what,' he whispered into her ear.

She tilted her head up to look at him, her eyes bright from crying. Without another word she pulled his head down to hers, kissing him with such love that it shocked her. When they pulled apart they were breathing hard. Bella pulled on his arm, leading him back towards her bedroom.

'Come on,' Rodolphus snapped at Bella. 'He doesn't like for people to be late.'

'I'm not going! I will not swear allegiance to him!' She cried from behind the door. With a groan he kicked open the door and dragged her out. 'Let me go!'

'Get over it Bella, you are mine now and there is nothing you can do. You will swear allegiance to My Lord and that is final!'

Bella stood back with the rest of the Death Eaters, watching with a heavy heart as the love of her life knelt before Voldemort. Her eyes burned but she fought to keep the tears from escaping. She had no idea he had planned to do this and there was nothing she could do to stop him now.

She watched as he took the oath and the Dark Mark was placed on his arm. When he rose to his feet, everyone moved to leave the room. She managed to slip away from the crowd, waiting for him to arrive. When he did she threw her arms around him.

'Why did you do it?' She demanded from him.

'I will always watch over you, I told you that. I will not give you up.'

'You didn't have to do this Severus, I don't want you to be here as well.'

'It's too late Bella, I'm here. Rodolphus is coming,' he mumbled.

'To hell with him, it should just be us. We shouldn't be here like this.'

'We can't do anything now my love. This is what we have.'

She nodded her head as she stepped away from him. Severus disappeared into the shadows just as Rodolphus came to collect her.

'She's dead,' Severus told her.

'Who is?' Bella asked quietly, not quite sure what he was talking about. His eyes were sad as he looked at her.

'Lily, Voldemort killed her as he tried to get to Harry. I had no idea he would go after her, you have to believe me.'

She stood, transfixed. Lily, her Lily, dead? No, no…it wasn't possible, she thought to herself. 'Lily,' she said quietly.

'I didn't know Lily was the other one. I would never have told him. I would have protected her. Her son, Harry, is alive. He took out Voldemort.'

'Lily,' she repeated before she collapsed, tears falling down her face. 'No!' She cried helplessly. 'I just saw her," she mumbled. 'Not but two months ago. Please say you are lying Severus, tell me she is still alive! Please!' She was all but begging by now.

'I wish I could Bella but she's…she's dead," he said as he dropped to his knees, holding her as she cried into his shoulder.

The images began to fade, leaving Bella on the floor, crying helplessly. "He never would have let her die if he had known," she said through tears. "I would have done something, anything to have protected her from him. She was like family to me. I was there for her wedding, the day her son was born. Then to hear that she was dead, I just couldn't believe it. We were sent to Azkaban after that and I never got to see him again."

Ginny got up from her seat, brushing back the tears in her eyes. She knelt beside the older woman. "I believe you. Lily knows you care for her, she always will know."

With that Ginny took the older woman's arm, placing her hand over the mark that had been there. Bella's arm glowed a deep red color, then a dark green, and finally a light gold color. When the colors faded Ginny removed her hand, the mark was gone.

"Go see him, he needs you just as much as you need him."

She nodded her head and fled from the room.

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"I had no idea you knew her," James said a bit shocked.

"She was the other bridesmaid at the wedding," Lily told him. "Her identity had to be kept secret for her own safety as well as ours. She told me what had happened to her, what her mother had forced her to do. No one really knew about her relationship with Snape."

"So that's why you were so adamant about my leaving him alone."

"It was. He watched out for me just like he promised Bella. I'm just glad she is free of him. Sirius will be sure to get the divorce settled before the weeks end."

James wrapped his arms around his wife, kissing her cheek. "Everything will be better soon."

"I sure hope so," Lily whispered to him.

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A/N: Here is my ow so wonderful update! And it's in dedication of my friend Audrey as a sort of late b-day present type thing. I actually went to hang out w/her on her b-day so that was a lot of fun. Ne how, this is the chapter for now, then of course there is the chapter on Friday. You will all be happy to know that part 4 is already up to 4 chapters! I have three and four at my betas right now, I got both of them done today and chap. 4 done in like an hour! It was sooo cool then I have five to get done later. I think by the time I get this one done, I could possibly be more than halfway done with part 4 but I can't really be so sure right now. Thanks again to everyone who has reviewed! I love all of your reviews, it makes me smile to get them. So here is the next chap and I hope you like what I did with Bella! So drop a quick review and it will help get these chapters out MUCH quicker. Txs again to all my readers and reviewers.

Seritha