A/N: Thank you so much for your reviews that really helped me to get over my temporary block. Now I am really looking forward to write the next chapters.
This one might be considered a bit of an "interlude" but I am hoping to post the next chapter as soon as possible. As always, it's a bit of a balance between wanting the story to move ahead swiftly and not wanting to rush things. I'll be very grateful to know what you think.
Chapter 18 – Confrontations and revelations
April 1977
Bellatrix was sitting by her vanity in her dressing gown reading through a letter with a deep frown painted over her forehead. When she was finished, she angrily tore it apart. Muttering curses, she threw the shreds into the fire place.
"From Regulus again?" asked Rudolphus behind her.
Reluctantly, she glanced back at her husband. He was in his night shirt, getting ready for bed. "Yes," she admitted grudgingly. "The little creep never gives up. He has been singing the same song ever since Christmas. Since he is convinced he will be married to my sister, he also seems to think that he has a right to know everything about us and about Him."
"Well, the ties of blood are important. And he has a lot of followers with him at Hogwarts, doesn't he?"
"They are a bunch of spoiled brats, just like him. We don't need them."
"Maybe not now, but they will grow and their skills will develop." Gently, Rudolphus put his hands on her shoulders. "All the people of pure blood must unite, isn't that what my lord has always said?"
"Yes, I know, but still..."
"And in any case, it's for Lord Voldemort to decide if they are worthy of joining us or not. The least we could do is introduce them to him and let him have his say."
Bellatrix's frown grew deeper. She didn't like the thought of her younger cousin as a member of Voldemort's followers, but she knew that her husband had a point. "You are right," she finally admitted. "We should let them see him. We could invite them all to the Chateaux and let the lord take a look at them."
"Good idea," mumbled Rudolphus as he lifted up her mane of black hair and kissed her neck. "You were going to visit your sisters some weekend, weren't you? You could talk to them then."
"I could do that." Bellatrix had long planned to visit Hogwarts. It wasn't only because she missed her sisters, but also because she wanted to make sure that they could manage without her and that they behaved like they were supposed to. From her letters, it seemed like Narcissa had finally stopped moping over their insufferable former cousin, which was a good sign. If Andromeda absolutely refused to marry Regulus, then perhaps Narcissa would consider it. To be sure, Regulus was a fool and not nearly as handsome as his brother, but still...
"You know," mouthed Rudolphus as he pulled down her robe over her shoulder, kissing her pale skin. "I just remembered what my lord said at a meeting a few weeks ago. He said that we are far too few. Before we have found the way to immortality it is most important that we reproduce and make many new purebloods... many..."
Bellatrix smiled as she stood from her chair. "Well, let's see what we can do then..." She allowed her husband to lead her to the bed where he pulled off her gown and covered her body with his own. It was a bore, but it was a prize a married woman had to pay.
She was just grateful that Rudolphus didn't know that she was taking a contraceptive potion every seventh day. Lord Voldemort was right that they needed more purebloods, but she cared too much about her lovely figure to want to risk it yet. And besides, she felt that she had more important things to do at the time. When she had a child, she was going to make sure that it was brought up in a world that was ruled by the pure.
Andromeda and Narcissa were standing on one of the school's balconies, looking towards the sky, waiting for their sister to arrive. Andromeda had thought that it would be wiser for her to apparate herself to Hogsmeade, but she had insisted on taking her broom. Se would need her skills since the spring wind was fierce and it tore in Andromeda's and Narcissa's long hair.
"Not exactly a good day for a flight," noted Andromeda.
"No," answered Narcissa. "No, it's not. But I think she can handle it."
Her tone of voice was flat, but Andromeda was glad that she had at least replied. There had been a certain tension between them for a few days and she knew the reason. The day after the night in Hogsmeade she had hesitantly confronted her younger sister about her date with Lucius Malfoy.
Narcissa had seemed angry that Andromeda had been watching her. "So what?" she had asked her shortly.
"I just don't understand what is going on," Andromeda had told her honestly. "Will you please tell me what you are doing?"
"What I am doing? I have nearly been throwing my life away. I am sick of it so I am moving on. I want to keep living."
"Yes, but... him?"
"Him, yes," Narcissa had snarled. "A good-looking and rich and cultivated pureblood wizard has taken an interest in me and I have not pushed him away. Is that really so incredible?"
"No... but..." Andromeda had hesitated, unsure of what to say. "I just don't want you to be hurt again. And it's Lucius Malfoy we are talking about here. You saw what he did to Bellatrix."
To her surprise, Narcissa did not look guilty, just angry and slightly uncomfortable. "Bellatrix wasn't right for him, he told me so. I could suit him better."
"Maybe you could," agreed Andromeda quietly. "But are you really sure that he would suit you?"
Narcissa had not wanted to meet her sister's eyes when she answered. "Who knows? I won't find that out unless I give it a chance, right?"
That was pretty much how Sirius had once reasoned, Andromeda realized. She had a bad feeling about this, but she supposed that it was not much she could do. She was not very fond of Malfoy after the way he had treated Bellatrix, but she knew that in the wizard world, he was considered an extremely good catch. And if he had been able to pull Narcissa out of her depressed, almost suicidal state of mind, he deserved her undying gratitude, whether she liked it or not.
"You must at least tell Bella about this," she had stated. "It would be unfair to keep it from her."
Narcissa had glared at her. "Oh, don't worry, I will tell her. I don't like sneaking around and keeping secrets. I am not like you."
Andromeda had turned cold. She had not dared to ask Narcissa what she meant. She was afraid of what she would say, afraid of giving too much away. There was no way she could know, was it? She had been so careful all along... Or maybe she hadn't? What if the whole school knew about it? She didn't know what she was going to say.
Finally, they were able to catch a glimpse of their sister, a little spot just by the horizon. It wasn't long before she landed gracefully next to them. Her black hair was a mess ad her cheeks were red from the wind, but she was looking radiant and her face was shining.
"Well?" she asked when they had finished hugging. "What sins have you committed without your big sister?"
Andromeda and Narcissa both laughed at the joke, but somehow, it didn't seem very natural.
"So how are things with Rudolphus?" asked Andromeda. The three sisters were sitting in the dormitory, sharing a bottle of port that Bellatrix had smuggled with her.
"Oh, they are good," answered Bellatrix. "He doesn't mind staying in London so much, though he abhors the food. Anyway, we plan to get back to France next week. There are some... things we need to do."
"And what about Rabastan?"
Bellatrix cringed. "He is better, even though he still seems a bit depressed." She grinned at her sisters. "Actually, I was thinking I would persuade one of you to cheer him up a little bit. What do you say Narcissa?"
Narcissa squirmed. She had hoped to carefully lead the conversation towards the burning subject, but it was just like Bellatrix to hit the nail on her head at once. She could feel that Andromeda was glancing nervously at her, waiting for her to spill it out.
Bellatrix sensed the discomfort in the room. "What is it? Is something wrong?"
Narcissa cleared her throat. "There is something I need to tell you."
Bellatrix frowned, suddenly looking very suspicious. "Well, go on then."
"Maybe I should leave the two of you alone..." Andromeda hesitantly stood up.
"No, you'll stay here," ordered Bellatrix and her voice would brook no objections. "Neither of you will go anywhere until I have found out what is going on. Just tell me!"
Andromeda clearly looked like she wanted nothing more than to escape from the room. Still, she obeyed her older sister and sank down on her bed again. She gave Narcissa a look of pity. She was obviously expecting the rage of a lion from Bellatrix and no one would want to get in her way then.
"Well, Bella," started Narcissa. "This concerns Malfoy... Lucius Malfoy."
That was obviously not what Bellatrix had expected. "What about him?" she demanded.
"He has... I mean we have been writing to each other for some time. He wanted to see me so he came for a visit last weekend and we went to Hogsmeade together."
There was a hint of confusion on Bellatrix's face. "You and Malfoy?"
"Yes," mumbled Narcissa. "He wants... well, he is interested in a relationship with me."
Bellatrix's face had turned pale and her lips were tightly pressed together and looked almost white. Andromeda was beginning to look more and more terrified. She glanced anxiously at Narcissa as if she wanted to tell her to run for her life.
"I see," Bellatrix finally said in a flat tone of voice.
"I really am sorry, Bella," Narcissa hurried to tell her. "I never meant to hurt you. It wasn't planned and..."
"Hurt me? Why would I be hurt?" To her sisters' surprise, Bellatrix smiled, even though it didn't look completely natural. "Dear Merlin, for a moment I thought you were going to say that you were getting married to a mudblood or something!"
Narcissa was stunned by her reaction. "You... you are not angry with me then?"
"Why should I be angry? This is great news. Mother and father will be delighted." She smiled mischievously at her little sister. "I would hold on to him tightly if I were you. Make sure you get that ring on your finger as soon as possible."
Narcissa laughed and even though she was surprised she was also deeply relieved that Bellatrix had taken it so well.
"So..." said Bellatrix and took a sip from her glass and looked closely at her sister. "Has he kissed you yet?"
Narcissa blushed. "Actually...yes. It was on our way back from Hogsmeade. I hadn't planned for it to happen, but..."
Andromeda quietly stood from the bed. "Will you two excuse me for a moment," she mumbled.
Bellatrix frowned, but she didn't protest. When Andromeda had left, she turned back to Narcissa: "And?" she encouraged her. "What was it like? Did he try to make you go any further than that?"
"No, of course not! Don't be stupid, you know Lucius. He is a gentleman."
Bellatrix frowned again.
Andromeda hurried down to Revanclaw's entrance and managed to catch Ted just as he came out. They snuck away to a closed area of the school and kissed passionately.
"I was afraid I wouldn't see you at all today," said Ted. "With your sister visiting and everything."
"I had to sneak off for a moment," sighed Andromeda. "I couldn't stand to be away from you even for their sake. Not even for a day. That's crazy, isn't it?"
"Crazy in love at least," he agreed.
"Anyway, I thought it was a good idea to leave them alone for a while. They have some things to talk about."
"Ah, yes. How did the great revelation go?"
"Much better than I thought actually. I was afraid that I would have to physically restrain Bellatrix from throwing curses at Narcissa and believe me; I would have needed the strength of ten men to do that. But she actually handled it pretty well. Perhaps she has really gotten over Malfoy."
"That's good," said Ted. He looked curiously at her. "You seem very relieved. Do you think this meant that she would accept us too?"
"I don't know," Andromeda admitted. "But it can't be a bad sign at least." She thought about Narcissa and the possibility that she knew something. But she didn't want to worry Ted so she said nothing.
Ted put his arms around her waist. "Will I see you tonight?" he asked.
"Yes, as soon as Bellatrix has left," Andromeda assured him, feeling a twinge of excitement in her stomach. "We could meet in the gardens, behind one of the hedges."
"I'll be there." He glanced at her. "But we won't take any risks, will we?"
"No, no. Don't worry about it. The potion will work." She sighed and stroked his cheek. "I have to go or they will start wondering."
"I know." He pulled her into a tight hug. "Just a little moment longer."
Bellatrix's visit at Hogwarts was coming to an end. Having said goodbye to her sisters she was walking trough the garden towards the gates. Since the wind had turned into a raving storm, she had let Andromeda and Narcissa persuade her to apparate back to London, rather than taking her broom.
Before she left, she had made sure to find Regulus and tell him about the meeting at Chateaux Lestrange that she and Rudolphus were planning to host. Her younger cousin had looked delighted and it annoyed Bellatrix that he seemed to think he would just be accepted as a member of the lord's followers.
"It is for Him to make the choice," she reminded him sternly. "And he will make demands on his followers. Don't come unless you are up to it."
Regulus looked offended. "Of course I am prepared for that. I will do everything I can to prove my worthiness."
"Well, this doesn't just concern you. You need to bring all your friends with you and find a suitable excuse to get out of school. Something discreet."
"I'll do that," answered Regulus haughtily. "They will all be enthusiastic. What about Andromeda and Narcissa? They are invited too, I hope?"
Bellatrix had tensed. "They are not actually. And I would appreciate if you didn't tell them about this."
He had frowned. "Why? They are Blacks too, aren't they? This is their fight as much as ours. They will be disappointed if they won't get their chance."
Bellatrix bit her tongue. "I just don't think the time is right yet."
She knew that Regulus thought she was being unfair to her sisters and she supposed he had a reason to. To him, it must seem like she didn't trust them enough even to come and be introduced to the lord. But even if Bellatrix would have liked to invite them to the meeting, she kept hesitating. Lord Voldemort needed only those who were prepared to show him eternal loyalty and strength. And she was not certain if her sisters could do that or even if they would want to.
Bellatrix loved her sisters, but she was not blind to their weaknesses. Narcissa had really behaved like a complete ninny when her betrothal was ended even if she seemed to have recovered by now. And Andromeda was just plain strange sometimes. Her thoughts and ideas were not what they should be. No, Bellatrix realized. She could not take them to the meeting. It was not worth the risk.
She frowned as she thought about them. She was not so unmoved about Narcissa's relationship with Lucius Malfoy as she had tried to appear. It hurt her pride that the arrogant wizard might consider her baby sister more worthy than she had been. But above all, she was suspicious about his motives. She intended to have a talk with him when they met again. And then there was Andromeda... She had seemed strangely distant and Bellatrix had no idea of why.
As she reached the gate, she was ripped out of her thoughts by a sound and when she raised her eyes, she was suddenly looking into the grey gaze of Sirius. Bellatrix froze and her hand immediately moved to her wand.
"I need to have a word with you," he said.
"I don't think so." Bellatrix tried to get past him, but he blocked her way.
"I just want to talk, nothing more."
"Sorry, I don't speak the language of worms." Once again, she tried to get past him, but his taller form pushed her back. He also had a wand in his hand. They were still inside the gates of Hogwarts. He was allowed to do magic here.
"I can't believe that you dare to come near me, you filthy piece of dirt," she spat, feeling a wave of fury cross her body as she remembered what he had put her family and especially Narcissa through. "How do you live with yourself? I should have thought your shame would have killed you by now!"
"Hate to disappoint you Bella, but not yet." He smirked harshly. "Will you talk to me or not?"
"Talk to you?! As far as I am concerned you don't even exist!" She raised her wand, but he was faster. A quick "Expelliarmus!" and she was disarmed.
"I don't think I should have to call for back-up, should I?" Sirius made a gesture with his wand. His friends the marauders had snuck up right behind her a few feet away. She was effectively surrounded.
But there was no way in hell that Bellatrix Black Lestrange was going to let herself be intimidated by those rats. She crossed her arms and gave Sirius a look of ice. "All right. Say what you want to say and make it quick. I am in a hurry."
"I have heard some rather nasty rumours about you, Bellatrix."
"Have you? How interesting for you then. Was that all?"
Sirius' eyes were cold. "They say you have approached the dark side."
Bellatrix smiled. "Dark side? If you mean those who disapprove of the likes of you and your freaky friends, then I suppose you would be right. But so I always have been. Why should you bother?"
"Because I think you came to Hogwarts to recruit new members to your little union."
Bellatrix laughed mockingly. "Your brain seems to have gone out of control. I suppose that is what happens when you spend too much time with mudbloods. I came here to visit my darling sisters."
His eyes were narrow with suspicion and anger. "Only for that?"
"Like I said." She smiled wickedly at him when she remembered something. "They had a lot to tell me. My youngest sister in particular is very happy right now. She has had a new boyfriend for some time, a man who actually treats her with a hint of respect. One who doesn't embarrass her by hanging out with werewolves. Lucius Malfoy is his name if you remember him?"
Sirius' face turned pale. To Bellatrix's delight, he couldn't hide his shock. "Malfoy?" he whispered hoarsely.
"I just told you that. It's obviously not just your brain, but your ears as well." Sirius seemed so stunned that he didn't even protest when she pushed him aside and grabbed her wand from the ground. Nonchalantly, she put it inside her robes.
"A pleasure to talk to you," she said sweetly and walked away from them. She could feel Sirius' eyes burning against her back.
