Chapter Two. A Slytherin 'Princess'.
Several Years Earlier...
"Hurry up Bella!" her friend Morganna Wilson said impatiently. "If you don't stop titivating your hair we'll be too late to meet up with the boys and miss the whole start of the ball!"
Bellatrix Black looked back at her pretty friend Morganna, smiling at her in the mirror and said, "I'm sorry Mo, I just wanted to make sure it was okay, This ball will be my first 'proper' date with Ian apart from a couple of Hogsmeade weekends and I want to look my best.
"You look gorgeous Bella and you know it." Morganna said coming up behind her seated friend and giving her a gentle kiss on the back of her head, being careful not to muss her hair. "Ian Devere 'hyphen' Jones is going to drool and I doubt he'll even be able to talk when he first sees you. I'll be ready with a 'Rennervate' spell, just in case," she giggled.
Bellatrix stood up from her chair walked over in front of the Slytherin girl's dorm dressing mirror and smoothed down the gorgeous midnight black silk ball gown that hung off of her beautiful, flawless shoulders. The charmed fabric shimmered iridescently like a raven's wings. She then tied the sash of the matching wand pouch around her waist, for without her wand to hand no self-respecting young Pureblood witch would feel properly dressed for a formal occasion.
Bella took a final look in the full length mirror on the wall, nodded at her reflection in approval and the two sixteen year old girls went out through the Slytherin Common Room and headed up to the lobby in front of The Great Hall.
There they met up with their dates for the evening. Bellatrix approached the 'tall dark and handsome' young Ravenclaw Pureblood, Ian Devere-Jones who was wearing elegant dark blue dress robes and awaiting her arrival. On seeing her he stood there slack jawed for a second, too stunned to speak or even move, just as Bella's friend had predicted.
However Morganna did not need to use her Rennervate spell as she'd threatened since, as Bella reached him, Ian recovered the power of speech and said,"Bellatrix, you look gorgeous, that dress makes you look like a fairytale princess, the way the black reflects so many iridescent colours with every move, it's beautiful, and so are you!"
"Thank you Ian, you're looking rather dashing yourself tonight. At least those robes are far better than the scruffy old Quiddich shirt and jeans you normally slob about in when we go to the village anyway," she teased. Bellatrix then smiled and held out her hand to Ian.
He took it, executed a perfect, formal, Pureblood bow, raised her hand to his lips and kissed it, sending goosebumps up Bella's arm. Ian then went on to say "You're looking very lovely tonight too Morganna, if I may say so, the blue of that dress matches your eyes perfectly."
"Why thank you young sir!" Morganna replied and curtsied in mock formality, then looking around saw her own date, Geoffrey Wheeler, a half blood Gryffindor prefect, approaching from the other side of the lobby. He was a lean, tall, athletic looking boy with blond hair and was also immaculately turned out, in fine, dark, wine red dress robes. He reached Ian and the girls and Morganna smiled at him. Geoffrey looked just as stunned and impressed by Morganna's outfit as Ian had been by Bella's.
Recovering the power of speech himself Geoffrey said, "Wow! What happened to the scruffy, tree climbing tomboy with her hair in rats? Who are you and what have you done with Morganna Wilson?" He jokingly asked.
"Oh, I've got her locked up in the dungeons Geoff. I'm actually an evil old hag, but I've transformed with Polyjuice Potion in order to seduce you." Morganna joked in reply.
Then just like Bella had before Morganna held out her hand for Geoffrey to kiss. He took it and did so with enthusiasm, but first clicking his heels and bowing his head in a stiff, mock Germanic gesture, like some old-fashioned Prussian nobleman.
Morganna and Bella both giggled at his behaviour and then both couples, arm in arm, joined the formal line led by the Head Boy and Head Girl, waiting to enter The Great Hall. When they got inside they found it was decorated gorgeously for the Yule Ball, with everywhere glistening in magical snow and ice, which looked exactly like the real thing but which did not make it feel cold, despite the 'icicles' hanging from the wall lamps and ceiling and the 'snow' seemingly all around. It enveloped the dozen large brightly lit Christmas trees dotted around the hall and there was even a light dusting of 'snow' falling from above, but evaporating into thin air a few feet above their heads and never quite reaching the ground. It was a beautiful setting for a party.
The Headmaster stood up, approached the lectern and said, "Welcome everyone, pupils and staff, to this year's Yule Ball. If the Head boy and Head Girl will take their place on the dance floor for the first dance then these festivities can get under way, I hope you all enjoy yourselves, eat, drink and be merry one and all. And a happy Yule!
Later on the party was well under way when the two couples took a break from the dancing and sat down for a while, feeling like a snack from the buffet and something to drink. The boys went off to fetch their young ladies some food and some of the special low alcohol elf-made wine the pupils were permitted and the girls got chatting as they awaited their return.
"So," said Bella. "You and Geoff seem to be getting along very well, Who'd have thought it, a Slytherin and a Gryffindor eh?" Bella smiled at her friend, "I must admit for a half blood he's a very nice guy, not to mention dishy. My parents would have a fit if I dated him though, but luckily for you your family are not so strict about such things are they?"
"Oh Bella," Morganna said, "I wish you wouldn't let your family's prejudices control your life so much. I know that being a Black must be hard, what with so much family history and tradition weighing down on you, but honestly, this is the Twentieth Century, not the Eighteenth! I know for a fact that you yourself are nowhere near as 'stuck up' as the rest of your family."
"I try not to be Mo," Bellatrix replied. "But I do have to walk a fine line, since my parents are so firm about such things. I don't want to upset them, and after all many Pureblood traditions are well worth maintaining. I am proud to be a Black, but I just hope that our family can become a little more 'relaxed' by the time my own children are growing up."
"Well lets hope so," Bella's friend replied, "enough of the serious stuff though, this is supposed to be a party after all. So, to lighter, more fun matters, what are you doing this Christmas Bella?" Asked Morgana. "Going home to London to see the family as usual, like me I suppose? Boring, boring, it's fine for a couple of days, but two whole weeks, Ugh!"
"Yes," replied Bellatrix, "Well I'll be there for Christmas Day, Boxing Day and the whole first week anyway. But then for the second week my older sister Andromeda and myself are off to do some skiing in the French Alps. My cousin Regulus and his girlfriend were originally coming along too, with a couple of friends of theirs, but then they all decided to drop out and go and stay with friends in a cottage they've rented in the West Country instead, for the run up to the New Year.
Bella gave her friend a shy grin and said, "I'm going to be daring and ask Ian if he can join us in secret. Andromeda's dishy boyfriend Mark will be there and it's a huge chalet that our family own out there. Andy and I have always got on well and tell each other everything. We keep each other's secrets and I'm sure she won't tell our parents about Ian joining us if I ask her not to. Now the others aren't coming there's plenty of spare rooms, I'd love it if you and Geoff could join us too. I don't think Andy and Mark will too badly 'cramp our styles' as chaperones either, they'll probably be a bit too 'busy' themselves, she giggled. As long as my parents don't find out it'll be great. In fact I will 'legitimately' ask them if you can come, as they won't object to that."
"Ooh, that'd be brilliant Bella!" Said Morganna. "I'd love to come, it sounds so romantic, I'm sure I can get my parents permission, Daddy will let me do just about anything I ask him, I've got him twisted around my little finger." Morganna giggled. "So it's just Mum to 'sort out', I'll tell her it'll be an 'educational experience' to visit France, she'll fall for that one I'm sure. I'll ask Geoff too, let's hope he says yes as well."
The boys returned with the food and after a quick snack Bella said to Ian. It's a bit stuffy in here, fancy some air? You two could come as well if you like," She said turning to Morganna and Geoff. Then winking and looking around her to make sure no teachers were observing them she surreptitiously pulled a half bottle of muggle vodka a little way from her tiny beaded purse, which obviously had an invisible extension charm to make the inside big enough hold it. She then swiftly hid it again.
"Oh Ho!" Exclaimed Ian. "Who's a naughty girl then?" He joked. "But then again I've been a naughty boy too." And Ian reached into the inside pocket of his dress robes and pulled out the neck of a full bottle of the 'adults' version of the elf made wine, which he'd somehow managed to 'borrow' whilst up at the bar. "That's why I always ask my tailor to make the inside pockets on my robes extra large and strong, I tell 'em it's so I can carry books and parchment," he laughed.
The two couples casually wandered out of The Great Hall and then as they approached the front door of the castle Bella skillfully cast an invisibility charm over the group.
It was a Disillusion Charm of such power that her teachers would have thought it way beyond the magical ability of a N.E.W.T. student like Bellatrix.
Under the charm's cover they easily avoided the notice of a couple of members of staff who were on 'lookout duty' against pupils sneaking out into the grounds. Once outside they slid off into the shadows of the carriage stables, where it was quiet and Bella undid the charm, which had been so effective it had even hidden themselves from each other.
Sitting in a carriage to keep out of the cold, with the girls shoulders warmly wrapped in the thick woollen travel blankets of the carriage they began to share their illicit bounty, mixing the vodka and the sweet elf made wine and getting a little tipsy as the evening turned into a passionate snogging session.
Eventually, Bella and Mo, whilst 'coming up for air' for a while told the two boys about their plans for the holiday and both Ian and Geoff said they'd love to come and they'd try and get their parent's permission to go, by claiming they'd be with male friends. "After all Bella, why shouldn't we have a holiday together without our parents?" said Geoff, slightly slurring his words, "We're all nearly of age now, your older sister and her boyfriend will be there as chaperones and remember girls, I'm a School Prefect. If you can't trust a Hogwarts School Prefect who can you trust eh?"
At that they all started laughing, then they finished off the remains of their drinks and headed back into The Great Hall for another slow smoochy dance.