"Happy birthday," Bellatrix sighed sleepily as she rolled over to her cousin, who was draped in his red silk sheets. He smiled through his sleep, lying on his back with one arm around her and the other by his side.

Their night had started as it always did. The cold greetings they gave one another, the names they called one another, 'dog' she would hiss, 'whore' he would snarl back and of course, one would always say something so bad to the other, they would resort to drawing their wands if they were in the school grounds, and almost like a tradition, they would unarm one another at the same time, which only turned the fight into physical abuse. But that wasn't where their night ended, no. They would end up in bed –or on the floor some hours later, tangled in the sheets and exhausted from what they liked to call love making and others would call physical violence if they saw the aftermath of the two.

They said nothing to one another but Bellatrix watched as his chest moved up and down, the moonlight illuminating his skin. She ran her fingers over the scratches she had left in him, slowly falling further and further into a deep sleep. Her body pressed to his side, he turned his head, breathing in her scent and his warm breath on her skin making her purr a little. The heat of their bodies was the only warmth they needed, and as she lay a long leg over one of his, she slipped her arm over his stomach, sleeping comfortably against him. For the rest of the night both of them hardly stirred, blissful in the warmth of one another's warmth and comfort –something only the night brought out in them both was something both of them needed more than anything. They loved it, but they would never admit aloud to even themselves.

Morning came around too quickly. They were still lying as they had fallen asleep. He wouldn't admit it, but it was by far the best birthday present to be able to wake up next to her. His parents were away on holiday and as it were, they were not expecting Sirius back. Reegulus was at school, as he should be like the good boy he always pretended to be. But of course, Sirius knew it was all just a cover up. Sirius kept quiet about his cover up for one very good reason, he assumed he knew what was going on between himself and Bellatrix –he was a smart boy after all and wouldn't say a word as long as Sirius did the same. It was an unspoken truth between the two of them, so unspoken in fact, that they didn't even say it aloud to themselves, so why on earth would anyone else say it aloud?

Bellatrix was first to stir and turn over onto her other side. Sirius pressed a kiss to her bare shoulder that was exposed thanks to the sheets having fallen down to only just cover her breasts and stood, pulling on some clothes.

The weather was warming up now it was Easter time. He hated his house, but after the events of last night, he found himself here once more with his cousin. He remained in his boxers, unbothered about changing into anything else for the moment. After but a couple of minutes, Bellatrix too woke properly. She lay on her back for a few moments before running her fingers through her hair and sitting up sleepily. Completely naked under the sheets just as Sirius had been Bellatrix pulled on the closest thing to her –Sirius's shirt. He could tell she was hungover –as was he. Kreatcher was sure to be around somewhere to bring them both some good food.

"What happened last night?" she asked, rubbing her forehead.
"We ran into each other in Hogsmeade just before midnight." He said calmly, turning to her and sitting back on the edge of the bed.
"And did I remember to say Happy Birthday?" she said innocently, running her hand across the many deep cuts she had left in his torso.
"Yes. And I believe I remembered to thank you." He said, tugging down the top of his shirt on her slender body and gesturing to a set of what looked like an animal's teeth marks on her shoulder.
"You were-?" she asked in surprise.
"Don't look at me like that, you wanted it." He grinned.
"Really?" Bellatrix said, furrowing her eyebrows. He didn't get a chance to say anything before she continued, "Well I'm guessing we both enjoyed it."
Sirius grinned again and nodded, "Don't worry cousin, I'll make sure you're sober next time."

Thinking back hard, Bellatrix remembered very few details of the night before except only a handful of things.

"Where can we practice?" Bellatrix said, thinking hard. They were all sat in the Slytherin common room, and they were all slowly getting progressively drunk. Bellatrix could no doubt hold her drink, but Lucius Malfoy clearly could not. The boy's slicked back white blonde hair was slightly messed.
"How about the shrieking shack?" Rodolphus said, gulping back some more firewhiskey, merely buzzed form all the drinking, and not yet drunk like the other two.

Bellatrix somehow found herself at the shrieking shack some probably half hour later.
"Found that passage months ago. Don't know whose it is but who cares." Rodolphus shrugged.
"Isn't this place I dunno... Haunted?" Lucius said quietly, stumbling a little.
"Are you scared, Lucius?" Bellatrix grinned, the cool night air had gotten to her, and she was a little more sober. Rodolphus must have been able to tell, as he handed her a bottle of whiskey, which she gulped back hungrily.

There wasn't a lot more Bellatrix could remember, except that at some point, she had told the two boys not to be scared.

Sometime later they found themselves trying to find a good room in the shack to duel in. A low growl sounded from a dark corner as they were about to make their way out of the door. A loud bark had Lucius almost screaming, and Bellatrix and Rodolphus startled. Immediately, Rodolphus drew his wand. The large bear like dog growled, baring his teeth once more and fully emerged from the shadows.
"Sirius!" she had cried, dropping down in front of him and hugging him around his neck, to which the dog stopped growling and responded by pricking his ears up. The great bear like dog gripped her around the wrist and started pulling her, to which the boys did not respond well to.
Lucius walked backwards into the wall, thinking he was hallucinating, and Rodolphus, unimaginably confused, tried to grab hold of Bellatrix but she had shaken him off easily.
"Don't be scared," she said simply, following the dog. The other two boys watched her go, "I'm fine. Go."
They stood, momentarily shocked and utterly confused at what had just happened before, when they could no longer find Bellatrix, they left immediately after hearing a howl from the upper rooms in the shack.

Bellatrix found herself being flung onto a bed, she was too drunk to care where she was, and her arms were around the large dog's neck as she pulled him in to hug as tightly as she could. He shook himself free after but a few minutes of her crooning and telling him how sweet he was, turning back to his normal self.
"How drunk are you?!" he hissed at her.
"Only a little I swear... No... Go back to how you were. Pretty please..." she murmured, sitting up and drunkenly pressing a kiss hard to her cousin's mouth.
"You said my name, Bellatrix!" he yelled, to which she pouted and let go.
"I'm sorry... I just haven't seen you in so long. Wait-" she paused, "isn't it your birthday today?!"
He stopped shouting at her before furrowing his eyebrows, his voice softer now, "Oh. You remembered."
"Of course I remembered." She said, pressing another kiss to him and rewrapping her arms around his neck. She grinned, sitting up and straddling his lap, "Now... Can I give you your present?"
She pressed her mouth to his once more, her crimson kisses now covering his entire mouth and parts of his face and neck, to which he responded by kissing her back. It was only a few more minutes until midnight, but the moon was out full, and it was his birthday soon. James, Remus and Peter would no doubt be wondering where he was. But at the moment, he had his minx of a cousin on top of him, her mouth pressed onto his and her clothes coming off. There was no question about where he would rather be.

Bellatrix remembered most of the events of last night, as did Sirius.
"Did you apparate?" she asked suddenly, looking rather impressed at her cousin.
"I turned myself into an animagus when I was 13 years old and you're impressed about apparition?"
"Well, aren't you a smart boy." She grinned a little. She would never tell her cousin any of the magic she knew. They were very alike, fast learners. Bellatrix too could apparate. She had figured it out when she was 15, and her father had taught her it well. She had done it so often in the past few months too, that it was starting to become a second nature. So much so, that she had to be careful when she was in the school grounds to try not to apparate somewhere.
"You said my name in front of those two twats you were with." He said flatly.
"Don't be mad, cousin. They would have forgotten all about it by now I assure you." She said, pursing her lips and pressing herself to him once more.
About to say more but being cut off by her mouth on his yet again, they were both interrupted when they heard a creak on the stairs and a familiar grumble. They looked at one another and rolled their eyes.
"Kreatcher, here. Now." Bellatrix said flatly, moving away from her cousin and placing her hands on her hips as the ugly elf entered, "make us both breakfast."
"Of course Miss Black, most certainly Miss..." he trailed off after looking adoringly at Bellatrix to which she rolled her eyes and waved him away. Kreatcher stopped and said bluntly, "Him?"
"Away with you, bloody elf." Sirius said in a growl. He hated the old elf, who was so absorbed with his mother, Walburga that he hardly had time to realise other people too lived in the house.
"No." Bellatrix said as the elf turned, grumbling something about blood traitors and the like, "Come here you insolent little wretch. How dare you speak to your masters that way!"
"Forgive me, Miss Black," he said, cowering at her sharp tone, "but he is no longer my master."
"Bellatrix. Leave it-" Sirius started.
"What do you mean no longer your master?!" she hissed, ignoring her cousin, "you will do well to remember he is your master."
"Perhaps, Miss Black should look at the tapestry downstairs." Kreatcher said as nicely as he could, though an ugly smirk found his face when he saw the expression on Sirius's face.
"Excuse me?" she said, about to draw her wand, though Sirius stopped her and shook his head.
"Don't. He's right. I'm no longer his master." He said calmly, though she could see he was frightened of her reaction.
"What do you mean?" she said, confused, her temper only growing more so.
"Bellatrix..." Sirius started, "I've been disowned."