It was Christmas time, and of course, with the Christmas holidays came the Black Family Annual Ball. This year would be extra good. Antonin was bringing something 'special' his older brother had just picked up from Bulgaria that apparently worked well with alcohol, and of course Bellatrix had about ten bottles of various drinks from her father's liquor cabinet.

Just as their guests were about to start arriving and Bellatrix was almost ready, Druella burst into her room.
"Oh darling, you look lovely." She said sweetly, looking at the floor length black dress her daughter had on.
Bellatrix frowned, her mother wasn't usually so sweet to her, especially when she wore black unless she was about to make her do something or tell her something that she wouldn't like.
"Thank you, mother." She said carefully, turning and standing.
"Well... I guess I better tell you now then," Druella said, clasping her hands together, "I have some wonderful news! This summer, when you graduate, your engagement to Rodolphus Lestrange will be announced!"
Bellatrix's face dropped as she looked at her mother, "what?"
"Isn't it fantastic!" Druella said happily.
"I don't want to marry him." Bellatrix said suddenly, stopping her mother immediately in her tracks.
"What?" Druella said, her smile immediate dropping, "Bellatrix. You have no choice."
"Daddy won't make me-"
"You have no choice Bellatrix." Druella said shrilly, placing her hands on her hips, over the light blue silk gown she wore to match her white blue eyes.
"No. I'm not going to marry him." she answered, folding her arms.
"Yes. You. Are." Druella hissed dangerously, getting more and more angry.
"You can't make me." She snapped, frowning angrily.
"No. But your father sure as hell can."
"Daddy won't-"
"Yes he will. And I'll be damned if he ever wants his name and his legacy to continue, you will get married."
Bellatrix said nothing for a moment, trying to figure out what to say to her mother. Her mother smiled, taking her silence as defeat and pressed her hand sweetly to her daughters cheek, "Now put some lipstick on. Nothing too harsh or your face won't look innocent and young."

Without so much as another word, she turned around and walked out of the room. Standing in silence for a moment, Bellatrix grit her teeth. She would be damned if she would make a good impression on the Lestrange family. Their father wasn't exactly the most prude man but he certainly had expectations of what his sons should marry. Turning back to her mirror, she pursed her lips. If it was an innocent, sweet looking girl Rodolphus's father wanted, she would show him just how corrupt and dangerous she was.

She pulled off her dress, replacing it with one her mother would not approve of, still black and lace, but with sheer panels, showing off a lot of skin. The back was low and the bodice of it was mostly sheer with a low cut neckline. The dress itself had a slit up to her thigh, showing off her long legs and the tops of her stockings, not to mention the high, spiked heels she wore were pointed and extremely dangerous looking.

She stood back, looking at herself in the mirror, before she opened her hair, letting the wild waves and curls fall freely down her bare back.

Everyone was enjoying themselves. All of the adults were drinking champagne, and most of Bellatrix's friends too had champagne glasses in their hands, which was really whiskey. Druella hadn't yet seen her, and she was extremely keen on letting her mother see her in the dress she had decided to wear. No sign of her mother, who was undoubtedly somewhere mingling. Bellatrix helped herself to a glass. Everyone was complimenting how she looked –her friends of course, but their mothers were having to drag their husbands away from anywhere she was in sight. She drank heavily, taking a pill of some sort Antonin had just given her. Mr Lestrange wanted a good girl for his son and he would show him how he was the complete opposite. She had to get his attention somehow, but he and her father were busy in conversation.

"Kicking in yet?" Antonin Dolohov said, reappearing after some time.
"Not yet." She said, focussed in on Rodolphus's father who hadn't even looked at her once.
"Well don't worry, it'll get there," he said as he shrugged and finished his glass of champagne, "I need a heavier drink, want some?"
"Sure." she said, turning and going towards the table where the Carrow twins were sat, hiding the bottles of drinks under their chairs.

"We're almost out, Bellatrix. Two bottles left." The twin brother whose name she could never remember said.
"I'll get some more in a minute." She said as she continued watching Rodolphus's father from a distance. Her father suddenly left him, perhaps looking for her mother. Immediately, Bellatrix walked over to him, having the perfect idea of how to get him to know she was the complete opposite of innocent and sweet.

"Hello Mr Lestrange." She said. He turned and to say he was shocked was an understatement.
"Hello Bellatrix, don't you look... wow." He whispered under his breath as he turned away from her for a moment.

He was a handsome, and only yet in his thirties, just like her father who had been married and had Bellatrix with her mother at the young age of sixteen. He looked just as she suspected Rodolphus might when he was that age, and she would be more than happy if that's what she was in for. His hair was dark and ever so slightly longer but brushed back. His eyes were dark, and his face well structured, he was extremely handsome, there was no doubt.

"You're almost done with that drink, can I get you another?" she said sweetly, taking his arm and pulling him over to the table.
"That's kind of you." He said, unable to help but look her up and down.
"Something stronger no doubt? I won't tell if you don't." She grinned.
He raised an eyebrow, "you remind me very much of your father when he was your age. I could absolutely do with something stronger."
"Well then... you'll have to come with me. I know exactly what will hit the spot." Bellatrix said innocently, leading him out of the room. He followed, his eyebrows raised as he cleared his throat and unashamedly watched her body move as she walked.

She led him into the library, shutting the doors behind her and turning to the liquor cabinet.
"What will it be? Whiskey? Scotch? I take you as more of a scotch kind of man." She said as she took a glass.
"Your father keeps his stocks well supplied. I find it hard with two teenage boys. How did you guess? Scotch it is."
Bellatrix smiled, raising an eyebrow, "My father doesn't have to worry about sharing his alcohol, we're the only two who drink from it."
She poured him a glass of scotch, "So, I hear I'll be marrying your son. And do I have a mother-in-law to expect also?"
"No, I never remarried, nor will I marry again." He said coolly, watching as she poured two glasses.

She handed him a glass, taking one for herself, "cheers."
Their glasses clinked and Bellatrix threw back the scotch in a matter of three gulps. She would certainly need it for what she was about to do.
"That must be very lonely..." she said innocently, pursing her lips at him slightly as he drank and placed his glass down, "More?"
He said nothing but nodded slightly as she poured more into his glass, Bellatrix was fully aware he was hardly lonely, amongst her father and their friends, he was a loose cannon, finding women like it was no man's business.
"And what do you suggest I do about being so lonely?" he said, watching her carefully as she stepped in every so slightly closer to him.
"I think you should take advantage of every opportunity that comes your way."

He said nothing, taking a gulp of the drink she handed to him which after a moment he placed down only for a moment, but no sooner had he done so than her hands were all over him and her mouth hard on his. Immediately he kissed her back, he would certainly take advantage if it meant she was all over him. He groped at her ass from over her dress as she pushed him down onto the leather sofa in front of the fire not far from them. Her lips were intoxicating and he found himself hard at the very thought of what was under her dress. She straddled his lap, her fingers tangling into his hair for a moment before pulling off his jacket. He turned them over, gripping her wrist and pinning it above her head as he lay her down on the sofa, immediately his hand going up her dress to try and find panties.

"I'm not wearing any." She purred, making him so hard he thought he might burst if she even touched him. She pushed him back up to sit up on the sofa as she undid his belt and dropped between his legs on her knees on the floor. She bit at his neck, leaving a small love bite and her lipstick smeared cross his mouth. He tugged at his tie but immediately dropped back as he felt her mouth on his throbbing member, sucking and licking at him, teasing him with her teeth lightly. He was too big to take all of the way, but her fingers grasped around his thick cock as she sucked heavily. His fingers were in her hair as he dropped his head back. It didn't take him long; most of her teasing had riled him up so much only five minutes of her advances and he was already filling her mouth with his hot liquid. She swallowed, licking her lips and standing once more.

"Well what do you know, daddy's got the biggest. Looking forward to being your daughter-in-law, Mr Lestrange." She said innocently as he did up his belt hurriedly. He furrowed his eyebrows and after a moment understanding what she meant. She picked up his scotch glass and gulped it back in a matter of a few sips, needing more alcohol to forget what she had just done. On the plus side, she thought as she left the room, correcting her dress and leaving her hair as it was, he probably wouldn't want her to marry his son anymore, and that had put her off marriage for at least another two years. Not much but definitely worth it.

"Antonin, I need another pill." She said, immediately approaching Dolohov who turned and raised an eyebrow.
"Where have you been?" he asked, handing her another from inside his jacket pocket.
"Just helping Mr Lestrange get a stronger drink." She said as she took the pill and swallowed it down with more champagne.
She watched as Rodolphus's father walked back into the room and rejoined her father, little did he know, he had lipstick on his collar and his hair was ever so slightly messed up, but Cygnus was hardly paying attention to it as he was suddenly deep in conversation with his good friend with something that from a distance was seemingly making him extremely happy. Bellatrix watched everyone, and eventually after some time, she found herself heading back to the library to get more whiskey.

Reaching up to the top shelf a little more able to get to it with the help of her spiked heels, she stood on her tiptoes, biting her crimson lip and reaching for the glass bottles.
"Let me." Rodolphus said, appearing behind her, easily getting the two whiskey bottles, his free hand on her waist.
"Thanks." She said, correcting her dress and taking the bottles from him.
"You look... Well... wow to say the least." He grinned, winking at her.
Bellatrix smiled a little, "Funny, your father said almost exactly the same thing. Shall we?"
"Actually... Well I wanted to tell you something about my father. He just came and spoke to me."
Bellatrix said nothing but nodded. Rodolphus continued, "We've been friends for a long time and I thought you might want to know."
"Know what?" Bellatrix said, raising an eyebrow, praying he was about to tell her that they weren't betrothed anymore.
"Well, I think as soon as we finish from Hogwarts, they want us to get married."
Bellatrix said nothing, her expression dropped, "What?"
Rodolphus frowned, "Aren't you happy?"
"Marriage to me has never been something to be happy about." She said bluntly, sighing and running her hand through her hair with her well manicured nails.
"Bella," he said, taking the bottles from her hands and placing them down on the ledge of the cabinets, "this is good for us. We can do whatever the hell we want to do, and besides, I can't think of anyone else I'd rather be watching come down that aisle."

Bellatrix said nothing. Rodolphus no doubt was unbelievably wealthy, he was smart, he was extremely good looking and he wanted everything she wanted, but she just couldn't believe his father hadn't changed her mind, hadn't she just done enough?
"That's great, Rodolphus. What more do you want me to say?" she said.
Rodolphus nodded, gripping her arm to pull her in closer, "Well since you're already going to be my wife, come here and give your future husband a kiss."
Bellatrix leant back away from him, "cut it out."
"Cut what out?" he said, pressing a kiss hard to her mouth, to which she pushed him away.
"Stop." She hissed, pushing him harder though he barely moved.
Rodolphus gripped her arm again, pulling her back once more, one hand on her hip and the other on the back of her neck, "Now you know I'll hate it if that's what you're going to be like when we're married."
"Get off me!" she said, struggling against him, "Stop being such an ass."
"Stop being such a bitch then." He growled, pressing her back into the cabinet and pressing his mouth back to hers once more.
She struggled but Rodolphus was far too strong for her to be able to simply shake off like that. Her hand hit his chest but he ignored her, forcing his mouth to hers, groping at her body over her dress.

Without so much as a warning, Rodolphus was pulled back off Bellatrix and turned. Stood behind him, Sirius Black stood as tall and angrier than Bellatrix had ever seen him.
"Get the hell off my cousin." He said and without a second's hesitance punched Rodolphus square in the nose. Rodolphus held his nose momentarily before he pressed into the wall.
"Walk away, right now Black." Rodolphus growled dangerously.
"We will, don't worry." Bellatrix answered, pushing Rodolphus back as he moved towards Sirius and standing in front of her cousin.
"You're going to protect him?" Rodolphus said, fuming with anger.
Bellatrix said nothing but turned. She said nothing and she would do nothing more. Her cousin had already done exactly what she was about to do. Rodolphus stood and straightened out his suit jacket.
"She won't protect you forever." Rodolphus spat angrily, "Wait till you find out exactly what she is."
Bellatrix gripped her cousin by his arm and walked out of the library and up the stairs quickly, ignoring what Rodolphus was saying.

"What are you doing here?" she said urgently, "You can't be here. Your mother and father are here and everyone else, all the family..."
"I've been here all evening, just watching from a distance. I guess I miss making fun of how ridiculous everyone looks, with you. And... wow you look hot." He said hardly bothered he might get caught as he followed her up the stairs and to her bedroom.
Bellatrix shut the door behind them, "It won't be long before Rodolphus says something."
"Why the hell did you let him do that to you?"
"Sirius, you really can't be here."
"Answer me." He said, blatantly ignoring her question.
"I was too shocked, it was the last thing I was expecting from Rodolphus."
"He's a brute." Sirius shrugged as he put his hands in his pockets.
"Yes, well unfortunately he's a brute I'm getting married to."

"What?" He said suddenly, turning to his cousin, "You can't marry him. He's horrible. He won't treat you good, won't love you like-" Sirius stopped as he watched his cousin's expression. He shrugged, "What?"
"Like what?" she said, folding her arms.
"Like... Someone else could love you. Like, really love you. You know, properly."

"I have no choice. I tried to stop him, fucking hell why did you leave!" she said suddenly and accusingly.
"What could I have done?" he said, frowning.
"You know what you could have done. Before any of this crap that happened, my mother and father adored you. They listened to you. They would have listened to you if you had told them he's no good, he's an ass he's whatever." She said exasperatedly, sitting down on the end of her bed.
"You don't have to have this life, you know." Sirius pointed out as he sat beside his cousin.
"Yeah, I could do exactly what you've done and get disowned from my family. Don't be stupid." She scowled, her head in her hands as she kicked her heels off and brought her legs up to cross on her bed.

Sirius remained silent for some time, unsure of what to say to his cousin. She would never do that to herself. She agreed with everything Sirius disagreed with, and he hated her for it. If only she could be just a little bit more like him –kinder and more open minded.
"You can still save yourself." He said quietly, watching her as she raked her fingers through her hair as if she were thinking hard.
"Save myself? It's too late for that. I've done all of these things so I won't have to get married, I've done so much to stop it happening, but what happens? Mother and father find someone who wants exactly what I want," she said ungratefully, rolling her eyes, "Everything I've been doing is to fucking get out of this marriage stuff!"

"Including killing those people?" Sirius said suddenly, remembering his sole purpose of coming there tonight.
"What?" Bellatrix frowned, unsure of what her cousin meant for a few moments.
"Don't lie to me," he said angrily, "Don't you fucking dare lie to me."
"I don't-"
"DON'T LIE BELLATRIX! I know it was you, I've been reading the papers and it makes sense! Everything makes sense."

Bellatrix looked up at her cousin and sat back, watching him as he stood and began his accusations.
"I know it was you that night! They said there was no magic involved and that's perfect for you! They said a dagger was used. It makes sense, you can't use magic outside of school yet. But they said each and every one of the last of the victim's wands were used to make that –that, thing in the sky, that 'Dark Mark'. I know it was all you. Every one of those killings since the end of summer!"
Bellatrix said nothing for a moment before she stood and tried to take his hand, "Sirius, you don't know what you're talking about..."
"You're not going to seduce me this time, I've figured it out!" he shouted at his cousin, throwing her hand off his.
"shhhhh!" She hissed angrily, "someone will hear you."
"I don't care! I know it was you! All of these killings have been you haven't they? It's that man, that –that... Tom Riddle!" he said angrily. Bellatrix said nothing, to which he continued, "I can't believe you! This whole time you've been working for that cruel, evil man!"

Bellatrix was sudden in slapping her cousin hard across the cheek, leaving a burning sting on his face. Sirius was taken back at his cousin's reaction. He scoffed at her anger, but it was pure and apparently unrelenting. As he continued, "You're sick! You're fucked up and this family is the reason! He is the reason!"
"Yes. FINE! It was me! Every single one of those killings was me. And you know what," she hissed, "It felt incredible. Finally, I was doing something I knew I was good at. And I am helping our world get rid of all mudbloods and filthy traitors LIKE YOU!"
"Oh so you're going to try and get rid of me now, are you?!" he bellowed, "Go on! TRY!"
"You know, I just might have to one day," she spat angrily, suddenly standing and facing her cousin, "give me a dagger and I'll gut you like the rest. Just like I'm going to kill every single one of your filthy traitor and mudblood friends!"
Sirius's temper got the best of him, he grabbed her by her arms and slammed her back into the wall of her bedroom, "I'll be damned if I ever let you touch a single one of them. And if I find out you've so much as looked at them-"
"What?" she said, raising an eyebrow, "What will you do to me, cousin? Will you hurt me? Will you kill me and send me piece by piece to my mother and father? What will you do to me?"
"I won't bother with your blood on my hands," he growled through grit teeth, pressing her harder into the wall, "I'll let the dementors take you to Azkaban, take out that filthy rotten soul and eat it. Maybe that will make you a better person."

Bellatrix's lips curled into a cruel smile as she gripped her cousin by his shirt, pulling him in closer to her body and biting at his earlobe to whisper in his ear, "I'll race you there."
Sirius pushed her back hard, to which she laughed lowly and licked her lips. He said nothing to her before he moved away, purely horrified at the woman he saw in front of him, who was turning into something she never had been before and was only becoming more.
"Who the hell are you?" he said to his cousin, frowning.
Bellatrix ran her hand over her forearm, removing the concealment charm and lifting her forearm to show her Dark Mark to her cousin in front of him, "I'm his."

"He's making you sick!" he shouted, gripping his cousin's wrist and pointing at the mark, "can you not see? This is not you, I know for Merlin's sake Bellatrix, I know he's not turned you into something you're not."
"Too late," she said as she licked her lips, "Once you get one taste for blood, the lust for it continues."

Sirius let go of her, suddenly his hands were cupping her face, forcing her to look at him as he pressed her back into the wall he had her pinned to, "You are no killer Bellatrix. You are a good person, not a bad one. You never have been a bad person. Stop before something awful happens to you because of what he wants you to do."
She said nothing though she attempted to push her cousin away. He didn't move, he kept her pressed to the wall, gripping her tightly, trying to force her to see what she was doing. It had no doubt changed her. Even she knew it. The mark in her skin was as if it were a part of him in her that was alive.

A sudden banging at the door alerted Sirius, he knew it must be Rodolphus and some others. He moved away from her, only taking one more look at her to watch what she did, which was rest back against the wall and shake her head slightly as if to tell him to leave. He was quick on the balcony before jumping over the to the hatching beside her balcony which he could easily climb, and hurry away just in time for her bedroom door to be opened and a number of people including Rodolphus to hurry in, a wild hope of catching him, though when they entered, there was no one in the room except Bellatrix, who was fixing her shoes back on once more.