A/N: Sorry for the delay! I really struggled with this one, but thanks to the help of se89, last weekend I finally was to get to this chapter :) I am still about to improve my English here in the States, and this story is un-betaed, so mistakes are possible! :(

A/N2: I still don't own anything, apart from the Plot and Saiph :)

A/N3: Review please!

Nine.

"My Lord" Bellatrix bowed her head as she approached the dark wizard in front of her. "Bellatrix" he greeted her coldly, distantly.

He was different, not only that he looked different in his snake like facial expressions, no he also behaved different towards her. At least that's what she thought, since she never had the impression that he was trying to avoid her from getting too close. But had he forgotten? Had he forgotten what they had shared?

No. No, he couldn't have forgotten! How? Saiph was the living prove for their past! He couldn't have forgotten! But why was he pushing her away?

Did he regret?

"Bellatrix?" he asked sounding impatient, snapping out of her thoughts she searched his eyes. "My Lord, I…I saw her" for a split second Bellatrix thought to see something like curiosity moving over his expression less features, before she continued. "I also spoke to her, I believe Narcissa is quite right speaking about her as a brilliant witch" he reminded silent and emotionless. Was he even interested in her? After all, she was his daughter.

"You believe?" he asked warningly "I…I don't have a prove my Lord, but she noticed when I used legilimency on her…something she shouldn't be able to" she replied bowing her head again. "Bellatrix, she is MY daughter, of course she is brilliant" his voice sounded much calmer this time. "Of course my Lord, she is your daughter. She is brilliant" Bellatrix agreed, her gaze still lowered. "What does she think about those, who raised her?" he asked, his voice sounding venomously again. "She hates them. She always believed she didn't really fit into their life. According to Narcissa, she wouldn't meet them at all, if she wasn't forced, to remain the cover." He nodded. "Good." Finally Bellatrix allowed herself to look up again, meeting his eyes she believed to see something of his old self hidden deep inside his dark red eyes.

Flashback.

"About what did you wanted to talk?" he asked patiently, probably sensing that something was wrong. She had feared this conversation, the moment she had found out about it two days ago. She knew he probably would be upset that she didn't spoke to him right away, but this wouldn't be the only thing he would be upset about, would it? "My Lord" Bellatrix started, moving her eyes over his beautiful features. He seemed so relaxed, sitting behind his huge dark wooden desk. Tilting his head slightly, he encouraged her to continue.

"I am pregnant", she suddenly blurted out. Resisting the urge to cover her mouth with her hand, she forced her eyes down, facing the marble floor she stood on. This wasn't how she had insisted to tell him about her secret. Not at all. The plan had been to tell him carefully, not to just throw it towards him.

She didn't know how long the air between them reminded silent, only filling the tension further but she could feel her heart skip a beat or two when he finally responded. "Are you carrying my heir?" he asked emotionless. "Yes my Lord. Your heir is developing within my womb" still Bellatrix didn't dare to meet his gaze. "Did you tell anyone, about this?" still his voice seemed emotionless, almost cold. "No my Lord" she responded, sensing danger in his respond she protectively moved her hand over her still flat belly. "Good", she could hear him getting up and moving towards her. He wouldn't take it from her, would he?

Finally looking up, she searched his eyes, expecting the worst. But she didn't feel any spell or curse hit her, instead she suddenly felt his hand on top of hers. "Nobody will ever know about this child, Bellatrix. No one, will ever know that it is mine" she nodded carefully. "Let them believe that it is Rodolphus child." He continued and slightly moved away from her. It took everything from her not to follow his movement to still remain close to him.

"I expect you to avoid any serious harm towards you and the child. After all, you are carrying my respectful heir" he told her warningly before he returned to his place behind the old oak desk. Bellatrix nodded her response. Never would she let anything happen to her unborn child. He turned his Sensing this as the end of their conversation, when he continued to study the book he had is eyes on the second she had entered his study, she turned and walked towards the door.

"Oh and Bella" she froze in her tracks. He used her nickname rarely, if ever. But whenever he did it sent shivers down her spine. And he knew he had this effect on her. "I expect you in my chambers tonight"

Flashback end.

Bellatrix hadn't managed to have any conversations with Saiph over the past five days. Whenever she had tried to get any closer to her daughter, it had ended in an awkward silence, causing either her daughter or herself to leave the scene with a lame excuse.

Instead she had to watch how the already tight bond between her sister and the young witch only seemed to grow. Narcissa seemed so at ease around the young girl, conversations flowed easily between the two and Saiph didn't watch the blonde witch suspiciously whenever she attempt to touch her.

Bellatrix almost envied her sister for knowing how to handle her own daughter. Sure, it wasn't new for her to be around children, to watch them grow. She had Draco, but still. It wasn't Narcissa's job to raise her daughter. Not now after she was here, able to do so herself.

"You have to visit them Saiph" anger flashed over the young witches features. Since almost twenty minutes did she try to convince her aunt that a visit at the Muggle – Family wasn't necessary for her. But Narcissa didn't back down. In a still calm voice, she told Saiph that she had to visit them, no matter if she wanted to do so or not, she had to. Bellatrix hadn't dared to say a word, she watched the heated exchange between the two silently, focusing on her daughter. "I won't go there. There is no need for me to visit them" she spoke coldly. Her normally – like Bellatrix had learned – collected features couldn't hide the anger any longer. "You will go there to visit them. Draco can join you if you wish." Narcissa said unimpressed by the girls anger. "No." Saiph's voice was low, dangerously low. She had clenched her hands to fists earlier, probably an intend to remain calm. Now, her knuckles where turning white and her nails where digging deeply into the soft skin of her palm. She reminded the dark witch a lot of herself in a young age, but still did Bellatrix admire the patience her sister had. She had forced her daughter to go and visit them, without any discussions. Saiph had to do, whatever she or her aunt demanded from her.

"Look, I know you dislike them – " Saiph interrupted her sharply "I hate them!" Narcissa nodded "Yes, right you hate them. But still you will visit them" the blond witch tried again, hoping to be finally able to end the discussion. "I don't want to visit them!" Saiph responded almost yelling. "Please?" she asked almost pleading. But she wasn't addressing Narcissa. Her dark brown orbs were focused on Bellatrix, and the dark witch could sense a soft glimpse of hope flashing through her daughters eyes. "Why does she need to visit them, again?" she asked her sister, never taking her eye's from Saiph's. "We don't know how much Dumbledore and his followers, or the Ministry know. They are suspicious enough, with Saiph carrying the name Black. We don't need any more trouble around her. Not as long as we don't know for sure what happened" Bellatrix sighed, her sister was right. As much as she disliked the idea of her daughter visiting the Muggles, she had to. At least for now. "I am sorry" was all she managed to say, causing disappointment and sadness to move through her daughter's eyes.

Dropping her gaze, she got up and left the table. Bellatrix could hear a muttered "Thanks for your help, Mother" before Saiph disappeared out of the dining room.

If this wouldn't stop, she would never find a way to get a connection with her daughter.

"You should go after her" – "Excuse me?" Narcissa smiled softly at her sister. "She is your daughter, she has your fits. Last time she almost completely destroyed the sitting room. If possible I'd like to avoid this today" without another word to her sister she got up and left the room.

Her sister had managed to cause Saiph's anger, and now she was supposed to calm the girl? How could she possible do that?

"Wait!" she called after her daughter, and to her surprise she really did stop in her tracks. "What?" danger lingered deeply inside her low voice, clearly her father speaking out of her. "I am sorry. If I was the one to decide you wouldn't need to go to visit the filth. But Narcissa is right, it is better if you do so, for now at least" Saiph nodded slowly. "We don't know yet, what the old wizard and his friends had to do with…with the fact that those Muggles raised you so we have to be careful my dear" Bellatrix wasn't sure but she thought that she saw something like a soft smile moving over the girls lips, but it fainted quickly being replaced by her usual collected expression. If the girl was angry, she was able to hide it well.

"I am sorry mother, you must be very disappointed with me" now it was Bella's turn to show emotion. Surprise moved across her features. "Why should I be?" starring at her hands, Saiph explained "Well, I was raised by Muggles, I believed to be one of them. I…well I actually loved them." – "Oh that's not your fault my dear" the old witch spoke as softly as even possible for her. "It is not your fault, and probably not their fault at all. They didn't knew that they raised the heir of the Noble and Most Ancient House of Black. Sure, your grandfather Cygnus Black would turn in his grave, knowing his grandchild would be raised by filth, but still it wasn't your fault. You were taking away from me, from our world and dropped in their world to believe you were one of them" – "Why?" Saiph asked, continuing to walk.

She had left the Manor in her anger, and actually was on her search for something to destroy or hurt till her mother stopped her. "It doesn't make any sense! I mean sure, you are a dark witch, but isn't Lucius a dark wizard too? Why could they keep Draco? Why would someone take me away from you? They at least could have left me with aunt Cissy." She could feel her anger raising again. "WHY?" she yelled angrily, twisting her right hand.

Bellatrix watched in awe how a fox suddenly flew towards her. Wandlessmagic.

It landed with a thud in front of Saiph. Ignoring the presence of her mother, Saiph twisted her hand again causing it to whine in fear and pain. A sudden feeling of pride filled Bellatrix, her daughter was capable of silent spells and wandless magic.

Yes, she really was brilliant.

Saiph had managed to calm herself rather quickly, after watching the fox fighting for his life against an invisible force. She didn't kill it, but Bellatrix believed once she had learned the Unforgivables, she would use them. It only was a matter of time and she couldn't wait till she could teach her daughter those curses.

Maybe the girl had luck, and the Dark Lord himself would teach her the Dark Arts. She knew he would be happy to hear about her abilities, but she wasn't so sure if he would be as proud as she was. He seemed rather disinterested towards Saiph.

Bellatrix heard a faint knock, followed by a "Mother, may I come in?" The relationship between the two had slightly improved over the last couple days and Bellatrix was thankful for every movement from her daughter towards here. Finally she became a part of the girls life. The Dark Lord had ordered her, to bond with her child, to find a connection with her. And she obeyed willingly, ignoring the growing wish for find whoever was responsible for her daughter's messed up childhood.

"Sure" she responded and a second later her daughter, dressed in her night grown stood in the middle of her room. "I am sorry to interrupt at this time, but I couldn't sleep" she explained. Bellatrix nodded and patted the mattress of her bed next to her, asking Saiph to sit down next to her. She hesitated a moment, but finally sat down next to her mother. "What's bothering the pretty mind of yours?" she asked. "I was wondering…if you maybe could answer me some questions?" she asked carefully. "What questions?" Bellatrix didn't like the turn their conversation toke, but she accepted it. "Well, I don't know much at all about you. Aunt Cissy rarely spoke about you, and Draco didn't knew much either." She shrugged. "What do you know about me?" she asked now curious. "You were born as the oldest of three sisters and mostly raised at least in your younger years from elf's. You were a brilliant student at Hogwarts, you actually finished with O's only." Saiph shrugged "After Hogwarts, you married, and joined the Dark Lord and fought for his cause" she added. "And now I was wondering, if you married Rodolphus, why am I a Black, and not a Lestrange? He isn't my father, isn't he?" the older witch sighed loudly. Surly, at a point Saiph would ask after her father, but she and her Lord hadn't yet discussed what she would tell her. "That's right. Rod isn't your father my dear. That's why you are a Black" she wanted to keep the information she gave away as low as possible. "So, my father didn't wanted me?" Saiph asked "Or he doesn't even know I exist?" Bellatrix stayed silent. "The one who told me, that I am Saiph Willow Black, was about to tell me who my parents were. Obviously you and…I don't know who" she sighed. "What? Who told you, you are my daughter?" Cissa hadn't spoken from someone who had told Saiph the truth.

"The one who gave me your Diary" she shrugged. "My Diary?" Bellatrix raised an eyebrow. "Yes, one day I got an owl, with the diary" – "Do you still have it?" Saiph nodded. "Yes, it's in my trunk" she replied and got up.

A moment later she came back and gave it to her mother. "Did you saw, the one who gave it to you?" she asked, flipping thought the pages. "No, I didn't. I met him in the park as requested, and there he told me that I am Saiph Willow Black" she shrugged, slightly confused by her mother's behavior. "What is wrong?" she finally managed to ask. Bella stayed silent for a long time, before she finally answered. "Nobody was ever to know who your father was. Everybody should believe it was Rodolphus." She started. "Why?" Saiph asked puzzled. "That's not necessary now" was all her mother replied coldly. "More important is, who did send you this Diary? And where from did he know about you?" she asked, finally reaching the last page.

"I have to go!" she told her daughter coldly, hiding her anger beneath a mask of ice. The girl was already confused enough, she didn't need to push this any further.

"Bellatrix?" he asked surprised. "My Lord" she bowed deeply, suddenly regretting to disturb him at this hour. She didn't manage to form an apology or anything else, not sure how to handle him after what had happened, so many years ago. So without another word she placed the diary in front of him, for him to read the last page.

So...what do you guys think?