Since Bellatrix had absconded to France with the Dark Lord, her life became chaotic in the best way possible for someone with her ferocious disposition. Dumbledore had sent letters over the holidays addressed both to Riddle and Bellatrix's parents, imploring them that she should be permitted to finish her schooling, and that it was not only completely safe, but necessary for her to do so. The Dark Lord dropped any discussion of his previous suggestion that she ought to make arrangements to take her NEWTs remotely (such an effort would have involved replying to Dumbledore's letter, which his lawyer, Gamp, had told him he should not do under any circumstances).

It hardly mattered now, given that Bella was more valuable to him as a procurer of intelligence who was unafraid to get her hands dirty. It began to dawn on him that Bellatrix delighted in orgiastic violence perhaps even more than he did, and it pleased him greatly to see her cheeks freshly stained with an enemy's blood, returning to one of their hideouts from a successful mission, eyes wide and proudly announcing in her gleeful, lilting voice "I killed for you, Master!" But these stolen moments were hard-won, wrenched not only from Voldemort's enemies, but Bellatrix's own family.

When Bellatrix first returned to Black Manor with Voldemort to collect her belongings, they were met with various calumnious accusations. Cygnus demanded to know why Bellatrix would not be returning to school, and why he wasn't allowed to know where she would be living. The Dark Lord wandlessly and non-verbally sent Cygnus and Druella crashing against the wall with his magic, taunting their insignificance and the shallowness of their lives. Andromeda, who was locked in her bedroom, overheard much of what was said, and hated the Dark wizard all the more for stealing Bellatrix away. She mourned her lost sister in a more profound manner than she had even mourned Ted. Although, she was not without hope for salvaging what was left of her own life, and winning her independence.

On Christmas Eve, Andromeda spiked her father's brandy with sleeping draught, and managed to pilfer a set of keys from his pocket. She tried each one until she was able to unlock the drawer in which her wand was kept locked in Cygnus' study. Reunited with her wand, she then conjured a pair of muggle pliers, relying upon a mental image of a diagram from a book on muggle technology she had once borrowed from Hogwarts' library. After using the pliers to remove the bolts from her bedroom window that were sealed with magic, Andie packed a small bag with a couple outfits and all the galleons she had to her name, taking off into the cloudless night on her broom without looking back.

Her destination was the home of Emmeline Vance in the West Midlands. Emmeline was a half-blood, whose father was a friend of Dumbledore. The Blacks received an owl the next morning from Andie, informing her parents that she planned to move in with the Vances; she further denounced the family's views on blood supremacy.

Druella coped poorly with the absence of two of her daughters over the holidays. She blamed Voldemort for Andromeda's mental unravelling, and of course for 'indoctrinating' Bellatrix to view him as her saviour, although Cygnus had no love lost for his second child, and regarded his eldest in the manner of a weed, stubborn and willful, that he had never been able to stop from springing up inconveniently. Bellatrix sent a short note to tell her parents she was safe and happy in her new home, which helped Druella taper from using approximately three vials of dreamless sleep per week, to just two. Bellatrix's mother was, for better or worse, still mostly unaware of the full extent of Voldemort's depravity, and that of her eldest daughter; she merely resented the oversized role he seemed to be playing in her family's private squabbles. Still, she understood that he was a supremely powerful wizard and harbinger of change, whose values matched their own, and didn't want to risk further alienating Bellatrix by criticizing him in any way.

The Blacks welcomed 1969 in a subdued manner compared to their usual lavish parties held at the Manor. By this time, it had become known within the extended Black family that Bellatrix was not in fact betrothed to Rodolphus Lestrange, but "belonged" in every sense to the Dark Lord. Or almost in every sense—they required the express permission of the elderly patriarch of the House of Black, Arcturus, to consent to their marriage. Although Arcturus was a financial donor to Voldemort and supported his philosophy behind closed doors, he had dug in his heels and refused to budge on the matter of a half-blood marrying into his House.

Arcturus did not know of the Unbreakable Vow, as Cygnus had been too ashamed to admit the circumstances of Bellatrix disgracing herself to anyone but his wife. Privately, Cygnus had his own suspicions on how the Dark Lord could be so callous about undertaking the Vow. The concept of Horcruxes was familiar to him, as he had received some Dark Arts training like all sons of his House. Even so, no one in the Black line had left any record of ever creating a Horcrux. It was the most mysterious and sinister form of magic for a reason. Riddle had already tortured him, and would not hesitate to kill him if he was denied what he wanted. Therefore, he spent considerable time convincing other members of the family to see the proposed alliance as advantageous. It sickened Cygnus to describe Tom Riddle as an ideal suitor for his eldest daughter, but he had no choice—the marriage would need to happen with or without Arcturus' approval.

But approval was certainly preferred by Voldemort, as it would send a signal to the pureblood community that the Blacks were publically throwing their support behind him, and by extension his candidate for Minister for Magic in the upcoming elections in the Wizengamot, Abraxas Malfoy. If they did this, it would be likely that other fence-sitters, such as the Greengrasses, or the Fawleys, would also back his cause. This was desirable for everyone, as Voldemort would be placated, at least for the time being, and Cygnus and Druella would be able to go back to something resembling their comfortable former existence, or as much of one as having the Dark Lord as a son-in-law could allow.

June 1969

Abraxas Malfoy was, for his part, well accustomed to frequently carrying out personal as well as professional business on behalf of the Dark Lord. Since offering his chateau to Voldemort in December, their movement, which was fed into the Malfoy campaign coffers, continued to pick donations and grow its base of supporters. Bellatrix was a welcome addition to the Death Eaters' offensive and tactical force, along with the young Rosier and Lestrange heirs, who had recently graduated Hogwarts. They had been inducted in a ceremony the week after their Hogwarts graduation, and were proving similarly useful. As their ranks swelled, fear was stoked in the heart of the magical community. Franklin Carruthers' murder and the subsequent arrest of another employee in the Auror Office had been headline news, and the public were looking for a strong leader to quell their fears.

Enter Abraxas Malfoy, a sober and wiser version of his former self, with years of experience in the wine and apothecary trades (he rarely involved himself in the operations of the Malfoy vineyards, besides receiving quarterly reports on expenditures and the weather conditions of the soil, and which varieties of grapes could be cultivated using magical methods; Malfoy Apothecaries hardly needed his help, being managed by his cousin) and serving on the Wizengamot. While he had rarely attended the chambers in the past, he began appearing with greater frequency to deliver rehearsed statements, or to ask pointed questions about the incompetency of the Aurors and the Department for Magical Law Enforcement. These speeches were always written by Tom, and the public came to believe that Abraxas Malfoy was a powerful orator—his delivery was perfect, his charisma infectious, and he was a doting father with a glamourous (ex)-wife whom he was rumoured to be dating again.

So, on a day off from campaigning in June, Abraxas found himself seated in the parlour of Arcturus Black's London residence to assist his Master with the one obstacle that still stood in his way. He had at last been granted a private audience after months of attempting to foster closer relations with the Black patriarch. There had been opera tickets and several private-label bottles of elf-made wine from the Malfoy vineyards; he'd even swung an award for a "lifetime of service" presented at a swanky gala hosted at Malfoy Manor, though service to whom or what, Abraxas was unsure.

Arcturus had ushered Abraxas into the parlour that felt oppressive with its neoclassical dark wood paneling, while barking orders at his house-elf, Koopy, to remember to leave the teabag in for a full four minutes if it didn't want to be commanded to iron its hands again.

"Malfoy, I've only allowed you into my home because you share a disdain for my useless grand-nephew, Cygnus. Merlin only knows how he trapped himself in this situation. He's assured me multiple times she isn't pregnant, and as for this business about the dead mudblood, Bellatrix hasn't been publically outed as involved in that little incident. I see no reason to approve this match," said Arcturus.

"You know that we have the votes to win. Do you want the Blacks to remain influential? Give your approval."

"Ha!— I've seen Dark Lords come and go. Dumbledore's allies suspect your Lord—his name's Riddle and always will be as far as I'm concerned—of being behind all the disappearances in the Auror Office. They know that you're just his puppet. You may have the votes, but I don't see them letting your lot seize power without putting up a fight."

"Well, consider it from another angle. It's a bit of an open secret, but Malfoys have on occasion allowed intermarriage with someone whose parent or grandparent was a half-blood. Of course a second or third-generation pureblood isn't the same as a half-blood, but I should say our impeccable looks, which can be attested to in our portrait gallery, have been preserved as a result."

Arcturus dropped his bone china teacup on his saucer, guffawing at the Malfoy heir's shameless vanity.

"One only needs to look at what became of his family," Malfoy continued, "You've seen the photos. The Gaunts were not looking so great. I suppose you must want the Blacks to become like those circus freaks, no?"

"Orion's boys look fine. Young Sirius is quite the little heartbreaker at school, or so I've heard. Bellatrix should wait for him to come of age, or marry the Lestrange boy."

At the suggestion of marriage between first-cousins, Abraxas made no discernable gesture or facial expression to hint at his true feelings, which were largely centered upon revulsion. He cleared his throat and tried another tactic.

"Just make my job easier, alright? I do not want to torture a man of your age. I fear the Cruciatus would stop your heart," he said, his cutting remark falling flat as the wizard seated across from him merely waved his hand to dispel his threat as if it had been a dry, formal statement from the Ministry on cauldron regulations.

"I'll throw off your Cruciatus, Malfoy, just like I've been throwing it off since my father used it on me as a boy, as his father used it on him. We Blacks are made of tougher stuff."

"Well, if you won't listen to me, listen to Walburga. If she sees the value of this alliance, does that not give you pause?"

"You've spoken long enough. I'll endorse your bloody campaign, but I'll not allow any Black to marry someone whose father was a filthy muggle. Koopy! See this man out."

A week before Abraxas' meeting with Arcturus, Bellatrix had met her aunt for tea at Grimmauld Place, describing in detail how she'd used her gift of the obsidian stone pendant to strengthen the blood curse that killed Andromeda's (almost)-boyfriend. Bellatrix still felt bad about how Andromeda had been locked inside the Manor since Professor Riddle wrote to her father, but now that Andie had finally been disinherited and burnt off the tapestry, she worked harder than ever to purge herself of any lingering affection for the blood traitor.

Aunt Walburga had always been cold, and gave the impression that she seemed to despise children—a fact that was clear to anyone who had observed her interactions with her two young sons, Sirius and Regulus—and if not for her duty to procreate, Bellatrix supposed she might have had a career as a politician, for all she talked of policy and strategy. It was ultimately down to Walburga, who had once called young Tom Riddle "half-blood filth," that Arcturus, her father-in-law, finally changed his tune after months of heated letters and debate.

At least two anonymous letters written in poison ink by Bellatrix had been intercepted by the house-elf, Koopy. The elf was bred from a line of elves exclusive to the Blacks whose owners had for generations been targeted as a result of political regime change, inter-family rivalries, blood feuds, and malicious plots of all kinds; poison detection was as much of a routine task for them as mopping floors, or making tea.

Bellatrix also confided in her aunt that the Dark Lord had atoned for being the son of a muggle by his commission of the infamous triple murder. It had always been suspected by families in the know that the simple-minded, inbred Morfin Gaunt, while certainly violent and volatile, had nowhere near as strong of a motive as Tom Riddle, Jr. to rid the earth of the only evidence of his connection to his muggle relations.

Finally, Bellatrix tried to impress upon her that Voldemort's murky parentage would likely become buried under the historical significance of what would be the Dark Lord's glorious reign. It was this last argument that ultimately convinced her, and with her won over, the Black patriarch soon folded. Aligning the family with Lord Voldemort might even be viewed by future Blacks as a shrewd decision, and further, they both felt safe in the knowledge that Sirius and Regulus would marry suitable pureblood witches to continue the Black line.

September 24, 1969

In Voldemort's study, which functioned as a war room for the Malfoy political campaign, a series of newspaper and magazine reports from the past week were strewn on top of the desk. Augustus Rookwood, Antonin Dolohov, Corban Yaxley, Gaston Lestrange, and Abraxas Malfoy were seated around the Dark Lord, debriefing him of the media response to his recent nuptials.

Abraxas passed the Daily Prophet to his Master, who began to read carefully:

HOUSE OF BLACK'S ELDEST DAUGHTER MARRIES FORMER HOGWARTS PROFESSOR

HAMPSHIRE- In a private ceremony on the grounds of Black Manor on the 21st of September, Bellatrix Irma Black, 18, eldest daughter of Cygnus Black III and Druella Black nee Rosier, married Tom Marvolo Riddle, 42, former Professor of Defense Against the Dark Arts at Hogwarts School of Witchcraft and Wizardry. Riddle departed from his post last December under circumstances that can only be described by the Prophet as suspicious (we leave speculation as to the precise reason for his departure to other less reputable publications). The Prophet can report from a source in attendance that Andromeda Black, 16, was not included in the wedding, while Narcissa Black, 14, was witch of honour.

Abraxas Malfoy, 43, served as the groom's best wizard. Malfoy and his ex-wife, Lady Ariadne Lazaridis Malfoy, 40, pictured, were spotted by our Society Pages photographer embracing before leaving the property by portkey. Speculation is rife that the pair have rekindled their romance. For an in-depth analysis of Malfoy's candidacy for Minister for Magic, see page 9.

Coverage in Witch Weekly was decidedly more inflammatory and salacious:

HEARTTHROB PROFESSOR MARRIES SCANDALOUSLY YOUNG STUDENT!

Rumours that swirled last December surrounding the departure of Tom Riddle from his post as Defence Against the Dark Arts professor at Hogwarts have been reignited following the news that Riddle, 42, has recently wed his former student, Bellatrix Black, 18.

We spoke exclusively to Lucy Greengrass, 18, a former friend of Bellatrix Black with whom she shared a dormitory at Hogwarts, concerning the illicit relationship between the pair.

"It was obvious last year that they were together. She spent hours alone with him in his office as his assistant, and never shut up about how handsome he was," confirmed Greengrass, "But if Bellatrix had never caught Professor Riddle's attention, I would've never ended up with my current boyfriend, Rodolphus. So, I'm quite happy for them."

Miss Greengrass' Hogwarts sweetheart is none other than Witch Weekly's September Quidditch Hunk of the Month, Rodolphus Lestrange, 18, who was formerly betrothed to Bellatrix Black last year. Their betrothal is thought to have fallen apart due to Black's steamy affair with the decades-older professor. Lestrange recently signed a contract with the Appleby Arrows to begin a month-long trial, which would make him their youngest beater in history.

Horace Slughorn, Potions Master at Hogwarts, whom many are calling upon to replace kooky conspiracy theorist Albus Dumbledore, offered the following statement when reached for comment: "It is my understanding that any relationship began only after Miss Black had graduated. I wish Mr. and Mrs. Riddle many years of happiness together, and hope that they will remember to stop by to visit me at my next Slug Club alumni dinner party."

Druella and Cygnus Black, who are younger than their new son-in-law, refused our numerous requests for comment. Hogwarts Headmaster Albus Dumbledore could also not be reached for comment. Dumbledore is known to deny media requests after he was sued by Riddle for defamation in January, following the outrageously false claims he made against the heartthrob professor, who was awarded damages of 20,000 galleons.

"Well, Witch Weekly seems to like you, My Lord," said Abraxas. "You were right to insist I bring Ariadne to the wedding on my arm. She Flooed back to her own home after, but I've not given up on truly winning her back. I haven't even been with any witches in four months. That must be the longest I've ever gone since I was in sixth year at Hogwarts," he said self-pityingly.

"I thought you began seriously making an effort over six months ago?" Voldemort raised an eyebrow.

The other wizards in the room risked incurring their Master's displeasure with nervous laughter, but were quickly silenced as Voldemort raised one hand.

"My Lord…you are absolutely correct. I apologize."

Voldemort sighed and drained his glass of wine. "I'll forget about that, considering I am pleased with your latest polling. I want a copy of your speech on my desk by the end of the day, Abraxas, so I can make any final corrections. Bellatrix and I do not wish to be disturbed for any reason while we are in Paris. We leave tomorrow morning, and I expect you to keep this ship afloat without me. Bella deserves the world, and I intend to give it to her."

THE END.

Author's Note:

I want to say a huge thank you to anyone who has read and left kudos! This story has ended, but I'm sure I'll be back eventually when a new idea strikes me. Definitely not leaving this pairing behind, as I find the possibilities for their pre- War and First War relationship so intriguing, especially considering we have no confirmation of when and how Bellatrix first met Voldemort.