The room looked just as it had the last time he'd been in it. He picked himself quickly up off the floor, cursing himself for letting his guard down. The damn woman was like a cat. It wasn't a good idea to tease her unless you craved a cruel, swift punishment. His head hurt but, thankfully, wasn't spinning.

To his knowlege, about thirty seconds ago, he had fallen through the veil of mist that was now a few feet behind him. The myriad people who had filled the room seemed to have vanished in that short space of time. Sirius listened a moment and heard nothing of them either. How a good twenty or so enemies had come together to the decision of leaving in such a startlingly efficient manner he hadn't a clue. It was downright inconsiderate to leave a fellow like that. They'd even gathered up the fallen Tonks and petrified Dolohov and taken them along.

The only sign of recent human activity was a piece of paper, blowing in the soft breeze of the veil. It circled around near his feet. Cautiously, he stepped forward and placed the toe of his shoe upon the errant scrap. The side facing him when he picked it up was disappointingly blank. He turned it over. The other side held seven words in tiny, neat cursive. "Had to go. The park, 9pm. - BabyDoll"

This only served to confuse him further. Only minutes ago, Bellatrix had been hell bent on killing him. Now everyone had vanished and she wanted to meet up. Presumably to talk. The use of the old facetious nickname he'd given her as a way to rub in her father's complete lack of regard for her enormous intelligence was as strange as the rest of the situation. Someone in the room would have had to see her scribble the note so what point was there in concealing her identity?

Shaking his head, Sirius suddenly remembered that he was a highly sought after criminal and decided to beat a hasty retreat.

Two hours later he sat on a tall stool in his favourite muggle bar. It had a pleasant old world atmosphere that lent to the tender nursing of thought and drink. He had busied himself doing just that for the last half hour. No matter which way he turned it in his mind, the whole business refused to make sense.

HIs thoughts wandered back to being pleasantly interrupted by a pretty young lady for about five minutes near the start of his visit. She'd come out of the back and stopped to get his opinion on wether or not she'd need a coat for her dinner date. It had been "So bloody hot all summer" she'd been toying with the idea of leaving without one. He'd advised her to leave it off. Her date would thank him. Covering that dress would have been a damn shame.

He took another sip of his drink and nearly spit it out. All summer. She'd said all summer. He got up and ran outside to the small magazine stand that rested not fifteen feet outside the bar. The old man tending it looked up, startled, as he approached.

"Have you anything with the date on it?" Sirius asked. The old fellow moved so slowly it seemed almost deliberate. Once he'd rifled through three stacks one page at a time, he removed one leaflet at the pace of a watched pot.

"That'll be..." "Oh i only want to glance at the cover." Sirius assured him. He did just that and had he been drinking would have actually spit this time. The date read August twelfth. August. Nearly two months.

He thanked the old man in a rather weak tone and wobbled back to his seat at the bar counter. After a few minutes during which he calmed himself, he checked the large clock that sat over a large stone fireplace at the other end of the room. It read 7:42. His meeting with Bella, should he choose to attend, was set for about about an hour from the current time.

At this point only two courses of action were really sound ideas. He could forget his crazy cousin and go reunite with the no doubt mourning members of his order or keep the appointment he'd never agreed to. The latter was ill advised but would likely bring a fuller version of the missing months to light.

As he left, the bar his feet carried him towards the grassy fields and broken swings that hosted many of his wild childhood romps. Situated two blocks from Grimmauld Place, it served as the perfect asylum for a child fleeing the wrath of parents who held the notion that children are tiny adults and should act accordingly.

Bella sat on the largest bone of contention between Regulus and him during their early years, the only intact swing in the place. Her feet barely brushed the ground. Hands folded and head turned towards them, she looked almost childlike. Sirius was sickened by the thought. A monster such as that should never be allowed to bear resemblance to embodyments of innocence.

He stalked up cautiously, hand on the wand in his pocket, and conscious of the fact that, as it was not really his, he would be at a grave disadvantage in any fight.

Bella didn't look up until he was standing nearly over her. A faint smile flicked at the left corner of her mouth.

"You look awefully good for a dead man." she said and continued half smiling up at him. Sirius rolled his eyes and got down to business.

"What do you want, Bella?" She pushed her eyebrows together and puffed her mouth into a slight mou. He went around behind the swing and began pushing her.

"That depends on you, dear boy. Shall I first explain what happened post ministry battle?"

"Please."

"There we were. Fighting. Wind in our hair. Thirsting for the glorious rush of taking a life."

"If you go on like that we'll be here all night." He interrupted. Bella sighed and continued

"Well, I knocked you through the veil and, naturally, the Potter brat started screaming. At first, I was going to fish you right back out again but then I had a thought. If I let everyone think you were dead for a few months you'd be quite free once you came back out. That is, if you do what I want. You can work for us and have safety, money, and security or refuse and be outed to the ministry. You'll be hunted by both us and them and end up dead within a week. I'd rather that didn't happen. The Black family could use an heir and you're the only one left who could provide a true one. Once we have what we want you could be free to move on happily with your life. No Death Eater would ever bother you again."

"I hope you're not serious." He said

"No, darling, that's you." Sirius rolled his eyes again.

"The point is that I'm not going to play your game." Bella jumped off at the front of her swing and sighed.

"They've really done a number on you, haven't they." She brushed imaginary dust from her impeccable skirts "I'll bring roses to your funeral." and started walking away.

Sirius stood there a moment, anger was surging through every vein in his body. How dare she think such a ridiculous ultimatum would override his sense of right. Frankly, it was insulting. Every second made it harder and harder not to go after her. He wanted to hurt her. To crucio that smug look of control from her still perfect visage.

He started counting slowly in his head.

One, two three, four...

Losing control, Sirius fired a stunner at his cousin's retreating back. She fell in a graceful arc to the ground.

Eighteen minutes later he was propping an unconscious Bellatrix up agaisnt the wall in his Uncle Alphard's basement and fixing manacles to her wrists. He stepped back to study the affect, wiped his hands together to get rid of the dust, and went upstairs to rest and ponder his next move.