Chapter 3:

Agree To Disagree

September 3rd 1957, Hogwarts express.

"You aren't seriously considering wearing that all the way to Hogwarts Bella?"

"You just watch me! If he so much as passes this compartment one more time I'll turn him into the cockroach he is - then stamp on him for good measure!" Growled the 16 year old, currently invisible, Bellatrix Black to her younger sister Andromeda.

"He keeps coming past because he's wondering where you are, if you just take off that damn invisibility cloak he'll soon stop. Honestly Bella, you're going to have to deal with him sooner or later, we're in the same house for goodness sake." Andromeda told the space where she believed Bellatrix sat.

"He's not wondering anything, he's spying! I bet you two Sickles father gets an owl from him within the next hour confirming I didn't run away." Bellatrix spat. "No bloody way am I going to marry Rudolphus-fricken-Lestrange! No way hosay! I won't do it, I absolutely refuse!" Bellatrix sounded as if she was almost hyperventilating she was so angry.

"Fathers not going to sign anything unless he's been over the agreement at least 100 times." Andromeda sighed, trying to sound optimistic. "I mean it's not as bad as you think, he may not even sign it and if he does you have until your 17 to change his mind." She gave a small smile that soon vanished as the dark haired, rather dangerous looking beauty that was her sister, whipped off the invisibility cloak.

"Are you kidding me? Not that bad. Not that bad!? It's an unbreakable marriage contract Andi! If he signs it I'm screwed – there's no way out! And you can bet your potions he will because Lestrange will offer all the gold in Gringotts if he can!" Bellatrix scowled, her eyes slightly rosed from hidden tears.

"Well I….I just mean you still have time to dissuade father if he does." Andromeda squeaked.

"Oh yeah great idea Andi, I never thought of that." Bellatrix gave a sarcastic applause. "Why do you think we're not allowed home this Christmas? It's so father doesn't have to listen to me going on about it the whole time. In 6 months I'll be trapped….Doomed forever to be the bride of Rudolph-So-Ugly Lestrange." She slumped into her seat and starred out the compartment window, silent tears threatening to fall.

Andromeda starred at her sister for a moment, watching as a tear cascaded down her soft cheeks. It was surprising for her to see Bellatrix looking so defeated, being her elder sister Andromeda had always seen Bellatrix as being the one with all the answers, the one she could rely on to solve her problems. But now it was Bella's turn for help, and she had very little help to give. She bit her bottom lip absentmindedly as she tried to come up with an appropriate solution to resolve her sister's turmoil.

"You could…well I could, try and talk to father for you…he might-"

Bellatrix half laughed and allowed her glossed ruby lips to kink upwards. "Nice try Andi," she said, drying her tears with her cardigan sleeve. "But I've already spoken to father, he'll never change his mind, in fact he'll probably say the same to you as he did to me; 'This is a matter for wizards not witches Bella!'" She impersonated, puffing out her chest and shooing her hands towards Andromeda in as pompous a voice as she could muster.

The sisters laughed halfheartedly at her accurate portrayal of their father.

"Not sure your father would approve of such behaviour Bella." Interrupted an arrogant Rudolphus Lestrange, who was standing in the compartment door. He was a tall 17-year-old boy, with a hooked almost beak-like nose dotted with large pours. He had long dark hair tied into a low ponytail, matched with what looked like the start of a moustache and goatee that refused to grow at the same rate, and a pair of ordinary brown eyes topped with a caterpillar monobrow.

Bellatrix immediately drew her wand. "What are you skulking at Dollop!?" She scowled, her violet eyes narrowing.

"You can call me what you like Bella, because…" He pulled out a letter from his left pocket, "guess what just arrived from my father." He gave a sly smile as Bellatrix snatched it and began to unfold the parchment, not taking her eyes off him.

"Don't read it Bella." Andromeda warned, already second guessing what was making Rudolphus so happy. But she read it none the less:

'Copy of Agreement to Certify the Marriage between Bellatrix of House Black and Rudolphus of House Lestrange has been arranged'

Bellatrix felt as if someone had sucked all the air out of the room. Her hands went limp and the parchment fell from her numb fingers. Her heart raced, pounding against her rib cage like an orchestral drum, filling her ears with resonating booms. Overall she felt as if she had been petrified.

'He signed it. I can't believe he signed it.' A small voice in the back of her head chanted in to the stunned silence.

And yet, taking in one long deep breath Bellatrix Black gave a mirthless smile as she raised her wand level with Rudolphus' heart. She couldn't help but snicker as the boy involuntarily gulped and took a step back, his hands rising in surrender.

"Now now Bella. There's no need for wands." He stated. "Don't want anyone else getting hurt because of your temper do we?" His eyes narrowed suggestively as they glanced behind Bellatrix. The dark witch was acutely aware that McNair and Rabastan Lestrange had now joined the stand-off, their wands pointed at Andromeda, who Bellatrix was pleased to see, was standing her ground behind her sister. But her sister was several years younger and although she knew how to duel she hadn't learnt a great deal of spells that could help in this situation.

She raised her wand and gave a false, unnatural laugh. "What's the matter Dollop? Can't take a joke?"

There was a moments pause before Rudolphus also let out an unconvincing chuckle and the other boys lowered their wands. Andromeda however, refused to lower hers until Bellatrix delicately placed a hand on the tip to lower it, ignoring the electric shock of charged magic as she did.

"The girl has a sense of humour." He leered, signalling for the others to return to their own compartment before looking as if he too was about to join them, when he stopped. A yellow smile spread knowingly across his oily face. He turned back to Bellatrix and bowed low. "My Apologies Mistress Black, please forgive my intrusion." In true wizarding aristocratic fashion he offered his hand- adorned with three gold signet rings- in forgiveness.

Surprised, Bellatrix studied him suspiciously, every inch of her screamed not to take his hand, but she could already hear the giggling of several students in the hallway watching the spectacle, and today she was not in the mood for any attention.

"Get up you're forgiven Rudo-" Just as she went to touch his hand to release him, he grabbed hers and pulled her sharply towards him, saying in hushed tones so that only Bellatrix could hear;

"You know, I think I'm going to enjoy breaking you this year Black. Thanks to your dearest daddy, you're now mine and you will obey me one way or the other."

Bellatrix felt her heart leap to her throat, a cold chill plummeting through her like an ice cube. She felt Rudolphus release her and for a moment she just stared at him.

"WHO DO YOU THINK YOU ARE!?" Andromeda strode past Bellatrix like a charging bull. Bellatrix, if she had not been so shocked, would've found the scene incredibly funny, and by the laughing crowd so did everyone else.

Andromeda had put her wand but that hadn't stopped her from lunging at the Rudolphus, who was at least double her height and starring at her in a mix of disgust and confusion.

"DO YOU KNOW WHO WE ARE?! IF MY FATHER WAS HERE HE'D BLOW YOUR BALLS OFF!" She squeaked, her flame red hair swishing angrily about her hips. Bellatrix snapped back into the moment, spotting McNair already pointing his wand at her sister. She grabbed the girl by the collar and yanked her back into the compartment.

"HEY!"

"Enough Andi." Bellatrix scorned, shooting Andromeda a dangerous look that made her sister pale slightly. "I will deal with this."

"You and your sister need to learn your place!" Rudolphus threatened as he stepped back into the compartment doorway, "One day, your tempers could get you hurt."

Bellatrix felt a burst of hatred growl from within her but she managed not to let it show, "I apologise for my sister's behaviour, my lord" She swallowed, "You are quite right, it was not our place at all." She leaned towards him seductively, placing her right hand gently to his face and allowing her nails to flow through his greasy hair. Rudolphus didn't move an inch, and Bellatrix forced herself to smile as he let out a soft moan – she knew just how beautiful she was and she knew how to use it. Anyone watching would have believed they were about to kiss, confirmed by Andromeda's hushed "Yuuck!"

Bellatrix leaned towards him, using every bit of self-control to not breath in his musky scent, but she skimmed passed his lips and just like he had to her she spoke into his ear.

"Not if I break you first."

"BELLA NO!" Andromeda cried. But it was too late.

BANG!

Rudolphus flew backwards into the carriage wall behind him, cracking the glass in the window with a bone chilling crunch, his head slamming into the metal frame, before falling to the floor like a rag doll. Silence fell throughout the train.

For a few seconds, Bellatrix stood proudly over the knocked out body of Lestrange, staring down at him like a lion would its prey. Andromeda, who had spotted Bellatrix point her wand into Lestranges stomach, stepped forwards to look at the pathetic figure on the floor. Half of her wanted to congratulate her sister, but the other was filled with dread as she spotted a small puddle of red beginning to pool its way across the carpet.

"Bellatrix," she gulped, "What have you done?"

TOOOOOT! TOOOOOOOT!

The two girls jumped at the whistle and Bellatrix spotted one of the train guards striding towards them.

Headmaster Dippet paced in front of his desk, his hands behind his back. His honey mustard robes swishing as he walked and his matching hat drooped and bobbed about loosely in front of his face. He twirled his moustache thoughtfully before turning to face Bellatrix, leaning back against the desk with a firm exhale of breath.

Hard pencil grey eyes met hers, but she didn't look away.

"This is the first time, in all my years of office, that a student has ever managed to be sent to my office before the start of term." Bellatrix felt her cheeks burn. "Do you have anything to say for yourself Miss Black?" His voice heavy with disappointment.

Bellatrix wanted to say that Rudolphus deserved it. That if the school knew what was happening behind closed doors they would understand. She wanted to scream at the top of her lungs, 'help me! I don't want to marry him! I don't want to be a Lestrange! I don't want this please help me!' But instead, she simply shook her head slowly from side to side and stared at something blurred on the far wall.

"No sir."

Dippet Hummed thoughtfully, "You realise this is the third time in six months that you and Lestrange have had an altercation on school property Miss Black." Bellatrix didn't answer. "If it were under any other circumstances I would not hesitate to expel you. However," he strode over to his desk and removed a fluttering origami swan. "A little birdie felt it prudent for me to know a few things before I pass judgement." He gave an understanding smile as he allowed the swan to glide into her hands. Immediately it spread its wings and unfolded itself revealing a hastily scribbled note;

'Lestrange threatened my sister first.

Arranged marriage contract signed.

Please don't expel my sister.

Andromeda Black'

"Andromeda was always very good at swans." Bellatrix smiled as the parchment transformed again and fluttered back into Dippet's desk draw. "But she didn't need t-''

"I like to pride myself on knowing each of my students." He dragged his chair from behind his desk and sat down opposite Bellatrix, making her sit up a little straighter. "I think that I would be failing as headmaster if I did not take stock of what was going on both in the class room and at home."

Bellatrix felt her toes stiffen inside her shoes. Perhaps the headmaster was not as oblivious as she thought. Maybe he could help her. If anyone was more likely to persuade her father not to go through with the arrangement, it would be him.

He gave her what she believed to be a knowing look and she felt a twinkle of hope bubble inside her chest.

"I believe; congratulations are in order!" He smacked his knees with both hands and positively beamed at her from under his floppy hat. She felt her jaw drop. "I must admit I think this is an absolutely brilliant arrangement, a very clever move on your father's behalf. I can remember when my cousin, Mildred, was married off when she was 16. Yes, that worked out very well for the family. Now," he slapped his knees again as if to bring himself back to the present. "I have taken the liberty of….."

But Bellatrix didn't hear what he was saying. Her ears roared with the sound of blood drumming through them. She felt as if she was falling into an endless pit of darkness that threatened to engulf her. She shut her eyes as the room began to swim. She gripped the stool to keep herself steady, digging her nails as deep into the wood as she could. Everything was wrong and no one except her and Andromeda could see that. What was worse was the fact the very people, the very institution, she believed could help her, were too oblivious to even notice she needed it.

"What do you think to that?"

"Sorry." Bellatrix snapped, her eyes springing open onto the overly chirpy Headmaster.

"About your new living arrangements with Lestrange?" He folded his arms, and Bellatrix thought he looked a little annoyed.

"Living arrangements? With Lestrange!?" Her voice hit a new pitch as her mind crashed back to reality. "So I'm not expelled professor?"

"Of course not!" He laughed. "I'd be a terrible Headmaster if I expelled an engaged student from her final year of study."

"What!?" Bellatrix could feel the panic race through her body, her heart pounding louder in her chest. "But…But I haven't even finished my exams! Sir this can't be my final year?"

"Of course it is. I would have thought you would know this Bellatrix, after all your parents marriage was arranged. Didn't they tell you this?" He gave Bellatrix a confused look as she shook her head frantically. "Well it's an old wizarding law, that once the wizard has finished his education his wife no longer attends education. As this is Rulophus' final year it is also yours. Not to worry Miss Black, I'm sure you will make a wonderful home witch and continue the Lestrange line." He grinned at her and Bellatrix couldn't hide her disgust at his complete incompetence. "Now, getting back to your new living arrangements. I believe your things have already been moved from the girls dormitory into the arranged quarters you'll be sharing with Rudolphus. I just need-"

"I don't want to share anything with him!" She snapped, unable to stop herself and forgetting who she was addressing. "And if you think, for one second, that I'm going to share a bed with him then I'll…I'll….I don't know what I'll do, but it won't be pleasant!" She felt her chest heave as her breathing quickened and all the nerves in her body felt as if she had been struck by lightning. She felt a cold tear glide down her cheek and she realised she was crying. As she brought a hand up to wipe it away she saw she was violently shaking. Everything was going horribly wrong.

For a moment there was silence between the two of them. Headmaster Dippet seemed frozen in his seat, as if he had never seen anything like this before. Bellatrix stared back at him determinately, silently begging him, daring him to expel her so she could at least have a chance of running away and escaping her fate.

"Right well…." Dippet coughed, collecting himself and standing up sharply. "I think I shall go and fetch the errr t-the nurse. I'm sure Poppy will be able to err…assist with this." She noticed the slight panic in his voice as he briskly walked to the door, not bothering to look at her. "Yes, this is clearly a topic to be discussed between women. You should stay here…Yes! You stay here Bell- Miss Black, I won't be err…, won't be long." The wooden door slammed shut and just like that he was gone.

It took a few moments before Bellatrix realised that the headmaster was actually gone. She couldn't believe what she had just witnessed. Was this really the man in charge of Hogwarts? What were the ministry thinking?

"He's a complete idiot!" Bellatrix starred at the door, half expecting Andromeda to burst through and say it was all a huge joke. Yet she knew it wasn't and she clenched her fists, determination pulsing through her.

"I won't be beaten this easily. I need a plan. What to do to? What to do? What to do?" She chanted out loud, hoping an idea would pop into her head as she bounced on her feet.

She looked around the oval office and her eyes stopped on the headmaster's bookcase. "Books!" She whispered excitedly, "there's got to be something here that can help." She sprinted towards the bookcase and began searching the titles. If her hunch was correct, the books in the Headmasters office were off limits to students and would not be easy to come across anywhere else.

'Banishing Your Banshee'

'Unspeakables & Curses: For The Experienced Wizard'

'Secrets of the Underworld: Revelations of the Werewolf Kingdom.'

'Dark Rituals and Long Lasting Curses: Make Enemies Pay Beyond the Grave.'

She scanned more and more titles, her hunch was proving correct but her heart fell a little more as each one showed no evidence of being any use to her. She was just getting to the last shelf when she heard it. A faint whisper…

"Bella….Belllaaa…" She froze. She felt the hairs on her neck stand on end. The eerie whisper called again and her heart leapt into her throat. Instinctively she removed her wand from her sleeve and spun round to face whoever it was.

There was no one.

'Great. The worst day of my life ends by being haunted.' Yet even as she tried to convince herself that she was indeed imagining things, something was telling her not to lower her wand, and her mind raced with possible spells. 'It's got to be a prank.'

"Who's there?" She called, instantly regretting it. 'Bella you fool. Just announcing exactly where you are!'

"Bellaaa….."

Bellatrix jumped as if she'd touched an electric fence, as a glass hatched cabinet door swung open.

PEeOow!

Without hesitation a spell shot from the end of her wand and ricocheted off one of the glass panels and violently pinged straight back to her. She ducked as her own spell whizzed past her, narrowly missing her and striking one of the books behind her.

'Well at least I didn't blow anything up this time.' She thought, as she checked the book for any singe marks. A low groan escaped its pages but aside from that, nothing.

"BEllaaa…." She dropped the book as the voice called her name again and again and again. Each time getting louder and louder, until the whisper became more of a torrent of wind and she had to cover her ears. "BEllaa… BELlaa….BELLaa…BELLAAAAAAAAA…"

As the herring gust grew louder still, Bellatrix watched as a white light grew from within the cabinet until it was so bright she could no longer bare to look at it. Eyes shut tight, ears covered – this had to be a trick, it had to be.

Just when she thought her eardrums would surely burst the voice stopped and the light faded. Bellatrix squinted one eye back towards the cabinet – what she saw enraged her. A student with messy black hair stood before her, his back turned.

Wand ready – temper definitely ready – she stalked silently towards the figure. She didn't recognise him, but she second guessed that he must be one of Lestranges gang members sent to teach her a lesson.

She smiled as she poked the tip of her wand into his lower back, she almost laughed as his body visibly stiffened.

"Who the hell are you!?"

A.N. I can say nothing except, Thank you for waiting. Promise the next chapter will be posted in 10 days. As I wrote this chapter I found myself enjoying writing Andromeda's character - she may be small but dont mess with family...Which only saddens me.

Let me know what you thought, your reviews really are inspiring x