Yay I got reviews! Seriously though. To all of my reviewers and followers, thank you. Now. Enough about me…

"I'm sorry to disturb you, Miss…?"

"Bella," I said. "Bellatrix Black."

He smiled. "Bellatrix." He said it as though he were tasting it. "A lovely name. You are a daughter of the Noble and Most Ancient House of Black?"

I rolled my eyes. Was that the only thing that would ever define me? "The one and only. And you are?"

"Of course," he said. "How rude of me. I go by the name of Lord Voldemort."

"Lord Voldemort?" I asked. I knew Muggles had a complicated hierarchy in which there were lords and dukes and princes and the like, but British wizards had no equivalent. Or if they did, I had never heard of it in all of my years of school, which seemed unlikely. My family and the other purebloods were the closest our kind got to royalty. "Lord of what, or of whom, may I ask?"

He chuckled. "You are an impetuous girl, aren't you? Of what or whom isn't an issue as of now. I am a wizard of great power, and I sense you are an accomplished witch."

I shrugged. "Not that it matters. I'm supposed to get married—probably to one of the Lestrange boys—and have children to continue the existence of pureblood wizards."

"You say that as though you are opposed," Lord Voldemort said. "Do you not support the idea of pureblood wizards?"

I felt stupid for saying what I did. Of course a lord would value the purity of blood. And who knows what sort of a place he ruled over. Maybe he supported traditional roles of women as much as my own family did. I treaded carefully, not wanting to upset him. "Of course I support the idea," I explained. "I'd just like a chance to do something. Be something, you know?"

"Believe me, Bellatrix, I know the feeling," he said. "Now. Would you like to duel with me? I won't hurt you. I'd just like to know that my idea of you is correct."

I hesitated.

"Oh!" he gasped. "Are you old enough to be doing magic outside of Hogwarts? If you're a child, I'll…"

Perhaps he hadn't meant to sound condescending, but it ruffled my feathers nonetheless. I couldn't have this handsome noble thinking I was a little kid. "I'm not a child," I snapped. "I'm of age. Let's duel." I drew my wand.

"We're only aiming to disarm," Lord Voldemort told me. "And, as always, no physical contact. Are you ready, Miss Black?"

I nodded. He drew his wand. We faced each other and bowed. For a moment, we both seemed unsure as to who would make the first move. In a real duel, the obvious choice would be for one of us to yell 'expelliarmus' immediately and end it quickly. But I had a feeling this was more about showing off than actually dueling. Nerves got the best of me and, panicked, I shouted the first charm that came to mind. "Obscuro!"

"A blindfold?" he asked. "Cute. But I think you underestimate the… pull that you have. Even if I don't see you, I can sense you. Tarantallegra!"

Immediately my legs began the uncontrollable dance that came with that jinx. It struck me as humorous that this sophisticated lord would choose the same jinx used by Hogwarts students to prank their friends.

"Finite," I said. "Rictusempra!" If he wanted childish jinxes, he would get childish jinxes.

"Stupefy!" he shouted.

"Protego!" I yelled back, quickly and instinctively.

He looked almost proud, another sign this wasn't a real duel. Nevertheless, I took the moment to my advantage. "Incarcerous!" I shouted, and, once he was tied, finished the duel with a swift, "Expelliarmus!"

"Very nice," he said, untying himself from the tree with a mere nod of his head and moving close to me. "Of course, I was going easy on you. Even so, you have proved yourself a fair opponent, Miss Black."

"Please," I said. "Don't call me that. I'm not Miss Black. I'm just Bellatrix."

"Fair enough," Lord Voldemort said. He took another step towards me and pushed one of my ever-ruthless curls off of my forehead. "How old are you, Just Bellatrix?"

I wanted him. I wanted him in a way I had never wanted Rodolphus or any of that lot. I resented the age question. If he heard I was only seventeen, he would run for sure. "Old enough," I said, hoping I didn't sound like a child, like Narcissa trying to dress too old for her age or Sirius begging to sit with the adults. "I told you I was of age, isn't that enough?"

"I suppose it will have to be," he murmured. "You are quite powerful. You have so much potential."

"Thank you, my lord," I said.

We were standing so close. I could feel the chemistry between us. He was a stranger, a stranger who was undeniably older than I was. This was wrong.

We kissed.

I had been kissed before, of course, by Rodolphus and others, including a very regrettable Hufflepuff boy my third year of school.

But I had never been kissed like this.

I feel kind of creepy writing about them. I know they're not real, but the age difference… is definitely not socially acceptable. Anyway. I'm leaving for vacation tomorrow, so if I don't update for a while, it's because I don't have Internet. In the meantime, please read and review!