A/N: There's another author's choice week coming up so I'll take requests for feature characters/'shipps.

Bend Over Backwards

Antonin knew that Igor was nearly fanatical over his laboratory research and experimentation. What he needed most were qualified partners who were willing to work for the Dark Lord. Those sort of people were increasingly hard to find. Antonin also knew, however, that a certain Durmstrang graduate – Ivan Voskrisenski – was willing go to any length imaginable, bend over backwards, turn the world upside down to prove himself as a brilliant scientifically-progressive mind. That was the sort of person they needed. So when Mr. Dolohov approached the eighteen-year-old Ivan with an "offer of a lifetime" there was nothing innocent about it.

Axe to Grind

"Reg? Can't we talk about it?"

Regulus looked up; his older brother stood watching him from the doorway.

"Haven't Gryffindors heard of knocking?"

Sirius sighed. "I didn't do anything to you, Reg. Why do you hate me all of a sudden? I'm willing to work our problems out if you just talk to me!"

"Mother says you're turning into a blood traitor. My friends say that you're a blood traitor."

"That's what this is all about?"

The thirteen-year-old Black stood and straightened, tilting his chin up in an aristocratic gesture. "You're a Pureblood heir, brother. You should act like one."

Rise and Shine

"Rise and shine, Cissy! Don't want to be late for your own wedding!"

Narcissa sat up, rubbing her eyes and squinting from the bright light flooding the room "Bella…must you always be so…"

"So what?" Bella asked cheerfully, continuing to push open the curtains on the large windows.

"What time is it?"

"Time for you become a wife. come on!" She grabbed Narcissa's hand and dragged her out of bed.

Narcissa laughed and hugged her sister. "It's great isn't it?"

"Yes," Bellatrix said softly, hiding her face in her sister's shoulder so that Narcissa couldn't see its expression. "It is."

Tongue and Cheek

"Say, Roddy, you don't want Tom Riddle to get Dolohov out of Azkaban do you?"

Rodolphus glanced up at his brother suspiciously. "Why wouldn't I? Antonin and I went to school together…"

Rabastan shrugged. "Oh, well, I though you wanted to marry Bellatrix?"

"What does that have anything to with anything?"

Another shrug, a sly look. "Nothing. It's not like she's in love him and if Dolohov gets out he certainly wouldn't try to get her back before you can put a ring on her. No, no reason to worry at all"

Rodolphus made a frustrated gesture. "Shut up, Rabby."

Without a Doubt

Theodore Nott sat on his trunk, packed for his first year at Hogwarts, staring out the window at the raindrops running down the window.

"Time for bed, Theodore."

The boy turned to face his father. "I'm not sleepy, Papa. I'm…nervous."

"About school?"

"Yea…I don't know many people my age and…" Shrug.

"You'll make more friends once you're there. You're growing into a wonderful young wizard. Your mother would be proud."

"What if I'm not in Slytherin? Would Mother still be proud?"

"Without a doubt. Your mother loved you and she would've been proud, no matter what House you're sorted into."