Epilogue. Back To The Alps
The snow that year was excellent for skiing and Bella put on her sexiest and tightest ski outfit and gave Ian 'twirl' to model it for him. After she had defeated Tom Riddle she had taken a month's leave of absence and tried to rebuild her life and her relationships and in this she had happily been successful. Ian and Bellatrix were reunited, (although she still retained the Black name), and the rift with her friends Geoff and Morganna was also healed.
Despite her success in defeating Tom Riddle, the gratitude of the Potter family and the praise and gallantry medal she got from the Ministry she felt unable to carry on her career as an Auror, feeling, perhaps rightly, that compared to what she'd already achieved anything else would be less of a challenge. Also, despite what Alastor Moody had done for her in concealing her earlier involvement with Lord Voldermort, perhaps she still felt a little guilty and tainted by it.
So Bella and Morganna had gone back to their earliest love from their school days, their superb fashion sense. Together they'd opened a stylish and hugely successful witches boutique in Diagon Alley, purveying fine (and very expensive) continentally sourced ladies couture to a rich and therefore mostly a Pureblood clientèle. But Bellatrix had learned to be a lot more open minded, having seen where misplaced and excessive Pureblood pride could lead. Just so as long as her clients were rolling in money she didn't much care about their 'blood status' any more. 'Well, at least it was some small improvement, if not exactly the height of morality! "Know Thyself, Bella.' She thought with a smile.
The two young couples, Bellatrix and Ian, plus Morganna and Geoff were back at the same chalet at which they'd enjoyed such a carefree time when they were still at school. Bella's older sister Andromeda plus her husband Ted Tonks, (Mark, her old boyfriend long since having 'fallen by the wayside'), were also with them and most welcome despite Ted's muggle ancestry. Bella's newly learned humility and empathy from her experiences meant she was able to be on very friendly terms with Ted, who she thought made a good pairing with Andromeda.
Andromeda and Ted's baby daughter Nymphadora, (who was a 'wild talent' Metamorphmagus as well as being Bella's much loved young niece), was staying at the home of Morganna's mother and father, along with Morganna and Geoff's daughter Estelle, to act as mutual playmates and keep each other company, whilst the children's parents got some 'adult time'.
The rest of the Black family were outraged by Andromeda's marriage and had disowned her. Bellatrix however had slyly kept her peace about the situation and her family therefore did not realise she'd undergone something of an 'attitude adjustment'. She had even contacted her estranged cousin, Regulus' brother Sirius Black via his friendship with the Potters, with a view to the possibility of also mending their rift. However, her other sister Narcissa, who was married to the vile Lucious Malfoy, (now in prison for a long stretch as a convicted Death Eater), had vowed never to speak to Bellatrix again, which was just fine by Bella!
Albus Dumbledore had been in touch and she was seriously considering his invitation to join The Order of the Phoenix. After all, even though Tom Riddle was dead there were still some of his supporters at large, also new evil would one day inevitably arise and need fighting in the future. Bellatrix, (Auror or not), would, at heart, always be a Warrior Witch by nature and was fairly sure she would be joining the Order soon. Even 'posh frock' sellers can kick ass, she thought, laughing inside to herself.
What made the holiday they were on even more enjoyable for Bella was that no-one had told her still bigoted parents that Andromeda and Ted would be staying at the Black family chalet and Bellatrix for one wouldn't be telling them, she thought, smiling somewhat smugly to herself. The group had even managed to find the addresses of some of the Beauxbatons graduate girls whom they had met on their previous trip many years earlier and they had arranged to meet them later in the week. It was shaping up to be another great holiday.
Heading off to the ski slopes hand in hand with her husband, with her friends and her favourite sister by her side she felt very satisfied and hoped that, wherever he was, her late cousin Regulus, (to whom she was truly grateful for giving her back her life and honour), was as happy as she was.
All was well in Bella's world.
The End
But! Bella and her trusty friend Morganna, Order of the Phoenix members, independent dark wizard hunters, amateur(ish) detectives and posh frock sellers extraordinary will be back, in The Case of the Mislaid Muggle. C'mon, you didn't really think Bellatrix Black would settle down into a safe, boring life, did you?