Chapter 10- A Dance With a Cousin

A Twin in Mine Shadow

As soon as Lizzie arrived at the scene of the crime, she was startled to find that her grandfather had not been exaggerating when he'd implied his serpent's insanity. It had knocked down every painting in it's path, then gathered all the family heirlooms in a large heap near the front entrance. As Lizzie got closer, she found the pile also consisted of random parts of polished armour, silver platters, ancient wands of deceased family members and thick books of Dark Arts that Lizzie thought her family should have concealed before the party. She was just about to go shoo the serpent away when a sudden hand grabbed her shoulder firmly.

"Be careful Lizzie. It's already bitten four of your cousins and two elves, including Algae," Duncan Potter's voice whispered near her ear. But oblivious to what he'd said, Lizzie continued to focus on the serpent by staring it sharply in the eye.

In a matter of seconds, the creature looked up to lock her gaze and the two were suddenly joined in a bond of language and unvoiced thoughts.

"Drop the armour," Lizzie breathed out in a short hiss. But the snake did not budge an inch, and continued to curl around a silver breast plate that lay sprawled across the floor.

"I said DROP IT," Lizzie spoke again, though this time her language had an edgier pitch. To her surprise, the serpent finally dropped the metal, but slithered back to the heap and picked up a shiny jewelled goblet instead.

"You know, what you are doing is quite pointless. I'd rather drop my act and obey instead of facing a beheadment ceremony hosted by my master," Lizzie hissed again, knowing full well that this would make the creature give in. They always did.

True to her thoughts, a look of bitter understanding crossed the snake's face (if it were possible) and the goblet fell to the carpet with a loud 'clunk.' The snake emerged from the heap a second later, and fell into a deep bow right in front of Augustus Rookwood's legs.

"Let this be the end of it," she uttered with a smirk at her uncle, each syllable causing her tongue to twist in weird motions.

The snake did not answer, but let out a long, slow hiss that translated as obligated approval. Without another word, she walked back into the ballroom to get back to what she'd missed upon being dragged away from her friend.

Lizzie was re-conducting a personal search for Narcissa when the figure of another blonde friend came into view. But as she quickened her pace, a sudden person sent her flying into Clarissa Malfoy's back.

Trying desperately to straighten herself up, Lizzie's cheeks began to grow red when she realised she'd just head-butted one of the most richest women in Wizarding society; also known as her best friend's mum.

"I'm so sorry to startle you Lady Malfoy, I did not mean to,-" Lizzie began, but she was cut off by the sudden shrieking of a loud woman.

"Sirius, look what you've done to your robes! How on earth did you manage to soak your robes with butterbear?" A black-haired woman with a creased brow, whom Lizzie suspected was Sirius' mother, began to shout.

"It's not my fault; I was pushed," Sirius said in an annoyed voice.

At that moment, Lady Malfoy turned around to eye Lizzie and Sirius with curiosity. Having realised neither was the culprit, she began to search neighbouring crowds for any sign of who was responsible. Lizzie also shifted her gaze and was surprised to find a messy black head moving frantically towards the opposite side of the room and vanished a second later.

"James," Lizzie and Sirius muttered at the same time.

"Who?" Evelyn Black and Clarissa Malfoy enquired together. But Lizzie and Sirius only rolled their eyes before Sirius uttered, 'Never mind.'

With a similar look of feigned innocence, Lizzie and Sirius both excused themselves to continue in a similar path to hunt down the culprit.

"Why on earth did James push you into me?" Lizzie asked Sirius haughtily.

"Because he thought it would be funny to see you make a fool out of yourself in front of the purebloods you always praise," Sirius replied whilst not looking at her.

"I do not praise purebloods, so to speak. I just find their presence more delightful than that of mudbloods, unlike you."

"Excuse me!" Sirius asked threateningly, stepping in front to stop her in her path.

"What is it Sirius, can't handle the truth? Well you are a blood traitor, if you're forgetting your purity and wondering around with hopeless mudbloods like Diana Nebula, who think that if they throw out every part of cleavage they could muster then they're just as good as us," Lizzie said as she made to push Sirius out of the way. But he did not budge and instead gripped her wrist to prevent further struggle.

"So now I'm a mudblood womaniser, am I?" Sirius asked as his nails dug further into Lizzie's arm, making her yelp.

"And what's wrong with being a mudblood womaniser?" a familiar voice bellowed as James' head came into view. All talk of blood was instantly forgotten as Sirius and Lizzie's gazes shifted over to James. A gulp of fear was suddenly heard before Sirius and Lizzie launched out and broke off into a chase after James, not caring about all the eyes they were attracting.

It took five more laps around the ballroom before Lizzie finally managed to grab a handful of her brother's robes. A second later Sirius was by her side, and together they dragged a struggling James out of the room, who could not yell due to the gagging charm that had been placed upon him. Once they got to the kitchens, Sirius and Lizzie dropped James to the floor before falling in wooden chairs for a moment of rest.

"What on earth did you eat tonight? I don't think I've ever lifted something so heavy before," Lizzie sighed through quick breaths while a house elf brought her a glass of water. James grunted in defence before Sirius reached his wand out to lift the charm placed on his mouth.

"So, where were we…" Lizzie trailed off with a dark glimpse in her eyes. James at once saw that his sister meant war and turned to his friend for sympathy.

"Come on Padfoot, you know I didn't mean to do what I did, even you said the prank would be funny," he started with a fake laugh. Needless to say, Sirius was not amused.

"I said it would be funny to push Lizzie, not for you to get butter beer all down my front," Sirius replied angrily.

"Hey!" Lizzie shouted at the boys in defence. But they just ignored her.

"I just thought it would be funny to see Lizzie soaked in butter bear, but I must have pushed from the wrong angle," James said, motioning to his glasses.

"Oh, okay then, you're forgiven," Sirius said while he helped his friend up to his feet. If he had not been so busy grinning at the idea of Lizzie soaked to the bone, he might have been able to duck just in time to avoid a square punch in the nose.

"I'll give you forgiveness!" Lizzie spat as she launched herself at Sirius and James, knocking them both to the floor. She knew she'd not let them get away with this.

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Twenty minutes later, Lizzie entered the Ballroom; feeling relieved since she'd just freshened up. She tried not to smirk silly as her mind wandered back to the recent events that had taken place in the kitchens not too far away. She wondered if any of the elves had found her brother and his friend yet, or whether they were still locked up in the airing cupboard supporting identical bloody noses and fractured wrists.

Lizzie was about to wander in search of her friends, when a short hand stopped her from walking. At once, Rodolphus sank down in a gentlemanly bow, holding out his hand to offer a dance. Lizzie smiled and outstretched her arm, willing her cousin to drag her onto the dance floor.

Once the pair began to dance and the chatter had risen, Rodolphus and Lizzie settled with a hushed conversation so as not to be overheard.

"I saw you and the Black heir chasing James half an hour ago. Is everything alright?"

Lizzie glanced back at her cousin, a smirk gracing her features, and replied truthfully, "Oh that. Well, it wasn't alright at the time, but that's been taken care of, if you're getting my drift."

Rodolphus smirked at her in return, knowing full well what his cousin was hinting.

"Anyway, have you seen the other Blacks around at all? You know, Lady Cassandra's daughters," Lizzie asked Rodolphus innocently.

She knew she'd not been mistaken earlier, when she'd seen Rodolphus leading Bellatrix Black onto the dance floor, and his newly scarlet face did anything but increase her doubts.

"Oh yes, well they were standing by the windows a few minutes ago, but it seems they have moved. Why would you want to know anyway?" Rodolphus enquired suspiciously.

"Well, Narcissa is sort of my best friend, and I was just wondering whether I could find her or not."

"Which one was she?" Rodolphus asked again.

"The blonde one, clad in turquoise robes; obviously not the eldest, for you know her name already," Lizzie said with a suspicious grin. Rodolphus' eyes widened suddenly, but his expression turned to stone again as he attempted to shrug off his cousin's suspiciousness.

"We just danced, that's all. Even if something did happen, it would be no business of yours, Lizzie."

Lizzie looked at Rodolphus again, as he twirled her really fast across from him. For a fraction of a minute, she caught his eyes flicker to somewhere behind her, so she let her gaze wonder to what had caught his attention.

"I see you have found one of the Black's already. Well, doesn't she look pretty dancing with Cousin Nathan. I would have hooked her up with you, but seeing as you're only 'dance partners' I suppose Nathaniel will have to take her place."

Rodolphus' face tensed at once and Lizzie was smug to find his grip on her waist had tightened.

"Very well, I think she is quite attractive and I'd like to have her share my bed if she wanted. But don't forget that she's Cepheus Black's daughter and if he ever found out, he'd gladly feed me to his sakes," Rodolphus muttered in Lizzie's ear.

But Lizzie was astonished beyond anything else. "Wow, I thought it was just a mere fling, but I never thought you felt like that about her."

"I was exaggerating, you stupid girl," Rodolphus breathed with a single sigh. Lizzie cast another glance at Bellatrix, and was happy to see the second she found her, Bellatrix looked away.

"Well, it seems like the eldest Black has also taken quite an interest to you, Rodolphus. What did you do, slip her a love potion?" Lizzie enquired bemusedly.

"Are you sure? How on earth can you tell," Rodolphus tried to figure desperately.

Lizzie stared her cousin straight in the eye, and was surprised to find him naturally confused. She'd never seen him this clueless before.

"Maybe because she keeps staring over here, probably wondering who on earth I am to be steeling away the man she admires."

Taking in every word his cousin said, Rodolphus cast another look at Bellatrix and this time he caught her looking away. Trying hard to deal with the happy truth, he took a bow in front of Lizzie once again, while the song ended.

After resting her arm in the crook of her cousin's elbow, Lizzie allowed Rodolphus to steer her to the refreshments table, but he suddenly came to a halt.

"Wait a minute; shouldn't I be leaving you so that she doesn't think I've taken a fancy to you?" Rodolphus whispered desperately.

Lizzie urged him to move once again, and once they'd begun to walk she muttered back, "You forget that she's a Black, Rodolphus. Blacks never let their thoughts be known, so don't think she's going to wander freely over here if I take my leave. Besides, a bit of jealousy couldn't hurt anyone, could it?"

Rodolphus tried hard to understand what his cousin was saying, but he could not prevent himself attempting to voice the half a dozen questions on his mind.

"But what if,-"

"Rodolphus, if she really gets jealous then she'll probably ask Nathaniel of the relationship between us, and we both know he'll gladly state we are cousins."

Rodolphus smirked at Lizzie's words and ordered the elf to pour her some punch, while he graced his face with a false smirk of lust.

"Don't look at me like that, you're beginning to creep me out," Lizzie uttered with a strained face.

Rodolphus feigned a look of hurt before taking hold of the goblet and passing it to his cousin.

Lizzie was just about to take a sip of her drink when the sound of her own name startled her. Bewildered, she turned her head along with a dozen other people surrounding them.

"LIZZIE! I can't believe what you have done to your brother," Jonathan Potter's voice barked over the music. At once, all talk stopped and everyone turned to glare at the wizard holding his dishevelled and bloody son. Lizzie's cheeks began to glow red but lucky for her, Rodolphus came to her rescue.

"Jonathan, if you could settle this outside it would be greatly appreciated," Rodolphus replied as he made his way to his father's cousin and attempted to move him towards the exit door. Jonathan was just about to retort back, but a glare from his wife silenced him, and altogether they walked away from the centre of attention.

Once they were outside and out of earshot, Jonathan immediately began to bark and shout at his daughter, while James stood beside him looking as though his birthday had come early. Luckily, Lizzie's mother was also present to silence him, and once he'd quietened down she launched into scolds of her own.

"This will be the last ball you attend young lady, until you decide to clean up your act and learn how to behave. I have already received an offer from a Finishing School in France, and now I see that you are in dire need of this experience. You'll be shipped of in September, and will reside within their walls for two years without any visits from me or the rest of your family."

Lizzie's eyes were wide from shock, and there were tears threatening to slide down from her eyes, but she did not let them fall. Rodolphus' grip tightened on her hand; an action she knew was one of comfort and encouragement. Her father shared the same accusing expression as her mother, and it was at that moment that Lizzie knew there would be no escaping the fate her parents had in store for her.

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Apologies for the delay again, I know this is becoming a bad habit of mine and I promise I will never delay as long as this again. But just in case you wish to know, I have been suffering from a long period of depression that I haven't totally recovered from yet. Hugs to all those people who have been reviewing and keeping track of this story so far.

I think I'll set the next chappy closer to the day Lizzie leaves to France; (even though it's not exactly at the end of seventh year, I thought it would be cool if Lizzie began now and came back a couple of years later as a reformed woman; lol- adds to the romance.)

Please R&R

Serpentina Black