The young woman sat in the large living room of the Black Mansion, staring into the blazing fire. The flames reflected in her murky eyes, giving them a bit of life. Her dark and unruly hair had been forced into a thick braid and secured high up on her head. A deep green robe with a slim waist and a tastefully low neckline completed the look. In her hand she held a small glass of deep red wine. She needed it to calm her storming nerves. She would have been a beauty to behold if it wasn't for the gloomy look on her face. The thin red lips held no smile and her cheeks were almost as pale as death.
If it hadn't been for the soft rising of her chest, one would have easily believed her to be dead.
Bellatrix Black, the oldest daughter of Cygnus and Druella. She held such an unusual air around her that had it not been for the smoothness of her skin and the hair free from any silver you would have taken her for a much older and experienced lady than the child she was. Oh yes, in many ways she was still a child but in many others she was far more aged.
"Bellatrix, have you finished packing your trunk?" A soft voice broke the stillness in the room and Bellatrix fixed her dark and lifeless eyes on her younger sister.
"Would I sit here if I wasn't, Andromeda?" The woman asked in her calm, but yet threating voice.
"I suppose you wouldn't… You better hurry. Mother and father are waiting in the dining hall for you. In fact they all are." The younger girl took a step closer to her sister. Her dark blue robe fitted her very nicely and her dark brown hair flew freely across her back. Not like Bellatrix's. She kneeled down next to the more solemn looking one and placed a hand on her sister's. For the first time in weeks she realised how thin Bellatrix had gotten over the summer.
"Are you sick dear sister?" Andromeda's voice was laced with worry. Bellatrix forced on a joyless smile to her lips.
"Not at al. It's just that I don't feel that my birthday is something to celebrate. I haven't done anything worth celebrating. I only managed to survive one year more. I can understand that they celebrated our grate grandparents' birthdays. Death occurred more frequent in their days, but not now." Andromeda listened to her sister. Bellatrix always seemed to think more about these kinds of things than the rest of the Black children. While Narcissa and Andromeda loved birthdays and Christmases, Bellatrix grew even more dejected than she normally was.
"But since the party has already started and it is because of me. It wouldn't do me any good to stay in here, would it?" Andromeda smiled and pulled her sister to her feet. Normally Bellatrix wouldn't have tolerated such an act, but as always on the evening of the last night at home before going to a new year at Hogwarts, Bellatrix became almost like a shell that wouldn't let anything affect her.
The ballroom was full of the noble Black family members. Even her grate aunts Cassiopeia and Dorea were there. Andromeda held her sister's hand even tighter, as if she tried to give some courage to Bellatrix. Not that the young woman seemed to need it. She held her head high and walked up to her mother and father.
"Happy birthday daughter" Cygnus Black bent forward and kissed his eldest on the cheek. Bellatrix closed her eyes for a moment. She hated that sort of display of affections, but knew better than vocalizing her feelings in front of so many.
"Thank you, dear father" She said in a low voice, placing her delicate hand on her father's shoulder. She received a kiss from her mother as well and smiled politely. Soon more and more family members came up to congratulate her and she smiled her dead smile in thanks to all of them. She hated it all. Hated the affections they showed. It was all a façade and an act. She knew it. If they had truly cared for her they would have known that she didn't turn seventeen today. That she in fact would be eighteen in October. For some reason, that she still after all these years could not comprehend, was a disgrace. Cygnus and Druella had made it look to everyone that she was born on august 31.
"Bellatrix is awfully moody, isn't she" Druella looked a bit ashamed when her mother in law and the grandmother of her children spoke so of the child that should have been the proud and new sprout of the family tree. Bellatrix was the first grandchild. Pollux and Irma had praised Druella for her growing belly and even shown a bit of love. That however ended as soon as the child's gender had been told to them.
"She is just nervous, she will be starting her last year tomorrow and she is coming of age tonight" Druella felt as she needed to defend her daughter even if all she wanted to do was walk up to said daughter and let her know how she truly felt. Irma Black snorted in disgust.
"That is certainly not an excuse. The girl is a Black and should be acting like so. I do not want to hear that she has drawn disrespect over Cygnus good name. Merlin knows she has already done so more than enough" Irma's voice was laced with venom. Like just mentioning her granddaughter caused her grate pain. Druella sucked in her cheeks to prevent herself from saying something that she would later regret.
"Of course not, mother" She said instead in her silky voice. Irma took a sip from her champagne glass and looked over to the corner where Bellatrix stood and spoke in a hushed voice to her uncle Alphard.
"This would never have happened if you had given Cygnus a boy, but you always were a bit of a disappointment weren't you?" Before Druella had had the time to answer, her mother in law walked away. A flash of hate flared up in the woman's eyes. A hate directed to her daughter. If it hadn't been for her this would never had happened. Irma would have continuing to praise Druella as a good daughter and Cygnus would still be sharing her bed. Now he rather spent his night in the study than next to his wife. He didn't want any more girls under his roof.
It was all Bellatrix fault. She should have drowned the baby at birth.
"So Bella, how does it feel to start your last year in mere hours" Alphard smiled at his eldest niece and patted her on the bare shoulder. Bellatrix took a sip from her wine and for a moment something stirred in her. A feeling that desperately wanted to come out, but she suppressed it, like she had been raised to do. A Black woman never lost her control in the present of others.
"Dear uncle, I wish you wouldn't call me Bella. It is not a name suitable for a Black now is it?" Even if she was serious a hint of mirth could be found in her voice. Uncle Alphard was one of the few who had actually seen the young girl smile with her eyes.
"And not a name for a seventeen years old young lady" A shrill voice from behind made Bellatrix' smile faded away before the prone figure of her aunt Walburga joined them.
"I have told you time and time again Alphard. The children were given their name for a reason. Those names should not be played with like they were some common names like Anne or Mary" Walburga sounded like she was talking about ancient gods and goddesses when she spoke of the Black children. Bellatrix could see how her uncle forced himself not to make a childish face at his older sister and a girlish little giggle was heard from the depth of her throat. Almost as soon as the sound had escaped her lips she felt a claw like hand around her neck.
"Bellatrix, there is a young man who wishes to speak to you. Do forgive us Walburga and Alphard" Bellatrix bowed her head politely to her aunt and uncle and followed her grandmother.
"Don't let me catch you behave like that ever again, Bellatrix. You have shamed the Black name more than enough already" The Black matriarch led her granddaughter towards her parents and a young man, though visibly older than Bellatrix.
"Daughter, meet Rodolphus Lestrange" Her father presented the dark haired man with the watery grey eyes. As the noble and pristine girl she had been raised to be, she greeted him as it was fitting. A soft bow with the head and her eyes closed. The man took her hand and gently kissed the back of it.
"Rodolphus has asked me for your hand in marriage and I have accepted" Cygnus continued. Bellatrix felt as the world has collapsed over her. She couldn't marry this man! She didn't love him. She didn't even know him.
"Father I…" Her voice was caught in her throat. For the first time Bellatrix found herself completely mute. She couldn't give voice to what her heart tried to force her to. The heart that she had since long silenced. There was no possible way for her to get out of this. If she were to refuse… no, that was not an option. She felt the emotions stir in her. They wanted to surface. They begged her to listen, do something other than just stand there.
But she didn't let them. She swallowed them down just as she had done so many times before. Emotions were a display of weakness and she would never let the barriers, she had so carefully built with concrete of unshed tears, crumble down.
"I am most grateful to you father, and you mother. And of course to you, sir, my future husband" It was as if she had left her body. Like an outsider, looking in, she saw the silver ring with the emerald being placed on her finger. From now on she would learn to behave like a Lestrange. It was her destiny.
Bellatrix Black would be no more.