She was late, but she was sure no one would notice her absence. She had been doing more important things and as soon as she was back on school grounds, she had cleaned herself of blood with a simple spell and made her way to the Halloween feast. She had grabbed her cloak from where she had left it in the passageway to the shrieking shack, pulling it over her mostly leather outfit and high boots that would most certainly not be acceptable for the feast –though she was far from caring.

Joining her table, which had enchanted candles above it and sitting between Lucius and Rodolphus in hope of keeping her voice low, which shouldn't have been hard in the cheerful talk of the great hall, along with some music Professor Flitwick had enchanted to play. They were among the hoard of their friends Lucian Crabbe –a big muscular boy with a strong jaw, Rose Greengrass –a beautiful blonde haired girl with a sharp tongue, Andre Dolohov –a tan, handsome Italian aristocratic boy and a few others, Bellatrix was starving, and helped herself to a well cooked steak before she began to talk to the two boys she was between.

"How did it go?" Rodolphus asked.
"Awful," she hissed furiously, taking a bite of her steak and a sip of the pumpkin juice which she turned her nose up at, "tell me you have something to make this bloody awful drink any better?"
Lucius poured some whiskey into the drink from a flask he had in his cloak.
"Seven people but I only got six."
"How?" both of the boys said together.
"Keep your voices down. I don't know," she murmured, cutting harder than she needed to into the steak, "One got away."
"How the hell?" Rodolphus started before Bellatrix cut him off sharply.
"You fucking try killing seven people with one dagger and no magic." She hissed viciously before calming herself and taking in a breath, drinking down the spiked pumpkin juice before she snapped, "he's going to kill me just because one asshole managed to hide himself in a cupboard."
"What are you going to do?" Lucius asked, looking worried for her.
"I don't know..." she paused for a moment before sighing, "I'll have to go back."
"No." Growled Rodolphus, "By the time you go back, there'll be people there trying to find out who did this. And that seventh person will be long gone."
"I managed to see his face and I got him in the back of the leg with my dagger. He wouldn't have gotten far."
"Rodolphus is right, it's far too risky." Lucius said, furrowing his eyebrows.
"I have no choice." She hissed at him.

Both boys looked at one another before they sighed and topped up her goblet with more whiskey.
There was no changing her mind, once she was set on doing something, she got it done.
Her lips still pursed tightly, she couldn't eat even though she was starving. Rodolphus's large hand on her lower back followed by a kiss pressed to her temple as he whispered into her hair and put his own dagger into her hand, calming her somewhat, "Don't tell him."
Bellatrix nodded, tucking the dagger away perfectly and began eating once more now that dinner had disappeared and dessert had appeared and been there for some time. Everyone was enjoying the pumpkin pie and multiple other sweet dishes including Bellatrix who finally dug into something.

Two tables across, Sirius was thoroughly enjoying his Halloween meal. He and his friends were enjoying good conversation and laughing loudly. But of course, his cousin had caught his attention as she walked in late and looking very angry. He couldn't help but watch as she sat down between the two boys Lestrange and Malfoy, and also watch as they spoke in what must've been hushed whispers. Sirius joined the conversation again as James was retelling the story of how they had hung Severus by his feet and pulled down his trousers. Everyone who could hear was roaring with laughter.

Glancing back at his cousin as they all finished off their deserts, and some even helped themselves to seconds, he watched Rodolphus as he pressed a kiss to her temple. Sirius was now completely distracted. He didn't know what was going on and he would never admit to her, but seeing her with Rodolphus made a surge of jealousy hit him. If only Rodolphus knew not just three months prior, he had been fucking the egotistic aristocrat's future wife for hours until she was screaming Sirius's name.

No sooner had he thought this than his eyes met Bellatrix's, who just happened to look up at that very moment. She had finished what was on her plate. She stopped for just a moment, both were looking at one another through the crowds of people. Bellatrix was first to look away from her cousin by standing and leaving, as some people had already done. Sirius's table too was dwindling out. Remus and James had left the table to join Lily and a few of her friends back in the Gryffindor Tower for a game of exploding snap and other Halloween games.

Sirius stood as he watched his cousin walking out of the hall alone, leaving Peter at the table.
Rodolphus had noticed Sirius watching Bellatrix, and watched Sirius's gaze follow her out of the room.
"Come on Peter, let's go to the tower." He said calmly, still watching his cousin. They both left shortly after Bellatrix, but Sirius had a better idea.
"I forgot my hat," Sirius said suddenly to Peter, "Go without me. I'll be up soon."
Peter nodded, following a hoard of other Gryffindor students.

Sirius rounded the corner back to the hall and followed quickly after his cousin. She was using one of the main passages out by the whomping willow. No sooner had Sirius reached outside than his cousin had slipped in under the tree after freezing it with a simple spell. He followed her quickly in his animagus fom. He was determined to find out where it was that she was off to and being so secretive about. As soon as he had gotten under the tree, he saw her cloak go around a corner. He could hardly see what she had been wearing underneath, but her wavy hair was open and he could recognise her hair from a mile away.

He slowed after some time, realising he was right at the entrance to the shack. He remained in his animagus form as he pushed past the hatch and saw as his cousin shut the door to the shack behind her. He followed her out around the side, not wanting her to suspect him.

Continuing his way, he followed her through Hogsmeade until she got to the Hog's Head. She lifted her hood and went in. From what Sirius could see through the fogged up window, there was hardly anyone in there. Madam Rosmerta was bartending and facing the other way having a conversation with an old couple and hardly noticed as Bellatrix slipped to the back. Sirius was quick to follow her. He slipped through the door as another person went into the pub before he regained his human form in a booth not far from Bellatrix's. He held up a drinks menu in front of his face to shield him from view and peered from behind it as his cousin took her seat and moved her hood down. He couldn't see who she was talking to as they too had a hood up. She looked upset, disappointed in herself even. He needed a closer look to see who it was but no sooner had he leant forward a little more than the person she was talking to stood. She stood as well, and Sirius caught the tail end of her sentence, her voice desperate, "I didn't mean to. Just give me a few hours, I-I'll fix it."
"Fix it?" he heard the person respond in a dark, dangerous voice. Sirius looked up once more, immediately he knew it was a man she was seeing and as he looked –perhaps at the wrong time, the man she was talking to slapped her hard across the cheek. She held her face, her breath catching. A surge of anger rushed through Sirius, and he was about to lose his temper as the man turned quickly and walked away, hardly glancing at Sirius. He recognised the man but couldn't put a name to his face, and it was far too late as he corrected his hood and Sirius had to hide behind the menu once more. Bellatrix was quick to walk after him, and she too hardly noticed he was there.

Immediately he was back into his animagus form, and he followed Bellatrix as she rounded the same corner the man had gone past, which led to the back exit of the Hog's Head.
"I swear. Please." Bellatrix said as she followed him back. He turned quickly, and pushed her to the wall, to which she gasped.
"You have failed me." He snarled viciously.
Sirius watched from a distance, listening in as carefully as he could.
"No, I haven't. I still have time to change this. And I was about to before you called me." She answered back. Sirius could see she was scared, but the man clearly wasn't.
"Oh please. I don't know what I was thinking having a little girl do this for me."
"A 'little girl'?" she snapped back, pushing his hands off her –that was the Bellatrix Sirius knew. He watched as she stood to her full height in front of him, "I have not failed you. Not yet. If I can't get him, then I have failed you. Not yet, not once have I not done exactly as you have asked of me. But please there is only so much I can do without magic. And you know that if I really was just a 'little girl', you'd not have me. You'd have someone else."
The cloaked man said nothing for a moment before he turned his head away, "I don't care how many hours it takes you tonight, find him and kill him."
Sirius gulped, watching carefully as his cousin nodded her voice now a lot calmer, "Yes My Lord."
"You'll know where to find me. I want to know when it is done." He said, turning and walking away before all Sirius could see was his cousin alone, her back to the wall and the faint sound of a 'pop' as the mysterious man in the cloak disapparated.