In the thick of exams so have struggled to write but wanted to post something, apologies that its short and took ages. I'm looking forward to being able to give it more of my time very soon, hope you're still here xx

When Bellatrix walked into the breakfast hall on her first day back, she heard a roar of applause from her house's table and she smiled cockily and slid into a seat next to some friends, who all began to fill her in on what she had missed. She listened to the murmur of their words as her eyes scanned the room for one frizzy haired girl in particular and frowned when she failed to find her. Still she kept an easy smile on her face that seemed to have remained on her face since the other night with the Gryffindor girl. Midway through talking about the quidditch practise she needed to make up for, she heard a squawk from above as a letter dropped down in front of her, the dark and sophisticated stationary made her stomach drop. With reluctance, she turned the object in her hands to reveal her own family emblem waxed upon the seal, as soon as she touched it, she felt a prick upon her finger and the seal popped open having checked her heritage. The Black family had always been suspicious types, hopefully it was a letter saying some rich old uncle had croaked and left her something she thought as she slid out an elegant letter.

Bellatrix,

The pain of my time spent in Azkaban pales in comparison to the pain of having raised such a disappointment. Those who wronged your own blood and murdered your Lord roam free around you, while you appear to do nothing. To hear of your accident at the hands of the Potter boy further adds to injury, knowing you are seemingly at their mercy. When the time comes to show your loyalty, these mistakes will not be tolerated.

You will hear from me soon,

C. Black

The moment her eyes scanned her father's name, red cracks began to spread across the paper and in a flash the letter was illegible ash in her hands. The shock had distracted her and with her attention now in flux she noticed the number of eyes on her, she looked around and saw a hushed room of students stealing glances at her. Her fear rising in her throat quickly twisted into a roaring rage as her eyes darted faster looking for an explanation, when the boy across from her slid across his issue of the morning paper.

GANG OF DEATHEATERS ESCAPE FROM AZKABAN: PUBLIC WARNED TO STAY ALERT

Below, amongst the group of faces was the snide scowl of her father glaring out at her, she read and reread the headline. Her mind struggling to concentrate as she felt the number of eyes on her increase, the whispers around her growing louder until she swore she could hear her name being hissed out over and over until it all sounded like one chillingly familiar voice hissing poison into her ears. She stood abruptly and left the hall, shoving a younger child out of her way. When no one seemed to be around her she ran out into the grounds and towards the lake, until the burn of her breathing masked her urge to scream.

Many people within the hall had watched the Slytherin witch storm out, leaving behind a thick tension, amongst the spectators was a very old man looking at the pile of ash she had left behind over his mooned spectacles. Dumbledore was smart enough to have kept an eye on all the children of death eaters throughout their time at Hogwarts but was also wise enough not to assume they held their parent's beliefs. He had watched how energetic Bellatrix had appeared the week after the Triwizard tournament, many assumed her teasing of others was out of anger about her fathers arrest and yet the headmaster saw the twinkle in her eye that suggested the only spite involved was faked to save face. He had also noted the new involvement Bellatrix had with Harry and Hermione which was pointed out to him by the incident at the most recent quidditch match, which she surprisingly hadn't retaliated to. Instead it seemed she was sneaking around the castle with Miss Granger. With a sigh he took off his spectacles to clean them, it was a relief that Miss Black didn't seem to have ill intent, since he was going to have to leave the school as soon as possible.

The water of the lake was still as the late October sun lazily rose over it, but its beauty went unnoticed by the girl sat under a tree at the scenes edge, deep in thought. Bellatrix's new reality without the constant pressure of her father and his "cause" was crumbling through her fingers as fast as her father's letter had. She would likely see him eventually and this time she couldn't even try to defy him, not after his capture. Bellatrix knew that despite the dark lord's death, the most loyal followers, those who had nothing left to lose, would be thirsting for revenge. It must be a horribly strange thing to be locked away in a box of a room, with nothing more to think about than the people who put you in it, what you may do to them if you ever felt the sun on your face. The thought makes her shiver, if she did enough of her father's bidding, that might just be the place she ends up.

The day dwindled past her as she sat in the cold, casting the odd charm to warm her feet when it became hard to bare, the sunken sun created a long shadow approaching her and she looked up to see the girl she had been searching for this morning, in her hands was a tube-like container. The younger girl gave her a small relaxed smile and settled next to her on a tree root, screwing the top off of the object in her hands and filling the lid with the liquid inside, the next moment Bellatrix had a small cup of hot chocolate in her hands. She looked at the girl sitting slightly above her, searching her face for pity or an unspoken question, but still only found that easy smile. In silence they sat and watched the world turn dark, then Hermione rose and offered her hand to her. On the walk back Bellatrix broke the silence, "I don't think I can go back to how things were before. He…isn't a good person, let alone a good father. If he could see me right now, us, right now, he would kill me on the spot."

Hermione looked at her with saddened eyes and softly grasped her hand, "I'm sure they'll find him, and in the meantime, you're safe here."

"I hope you're right"

Far from Hogwarts a skinny man sat in the stinking bowels of an abandoned house, breathing in the damp air and fiddling with a small sharp blade. His sharp face twisted into a satisfied smirk as he looked down at the water warped desk in front of him. On its surface sat a shiny old locket that whispered to him faintly in the dark and made the tattoo of him arm squirm in reply. He had been called many things in his life, evil, wicked and sadistic. But above all else, he was dangerously patient and soon his efforts would be handsomely rewarded, he would soar beyond his previously high status and be a household name for every wizarding family in the world. He would bring back his Lord and change the world by his side. No matter the cost.