A/N: sorry it's taken so long guys! Really sorry, but I've had exams and that:( the good thing is- I finish the last of them next week, so I can spend loadsa time writing, and I intend to XD. Just a warning for this chapter, the F-bomb's dropped a few times (ooo badass). Review? xoxo

Waiting was the hardest part. Bella sat by herself at the bar again, waiting for James to return. He might not return, and she knew that, but she wanted to stay there on the off chance. He didn't deserve the abuse Sirius was giving him, but when she thought about it the other way – if she'd caught someone like Lucy in a close embrace with Sirius – she'd be fuming as well.

'Hey, Bells,' Chesney was sparking a conversation back up again as he noticed her re-appearance. 'what's with you and Potter?'

Bella spun around on the bar stool to face him, as he cleaned a glass with a spell. 'I don't see a free drink in front of me.' She said animatedly, gesturing to empty space on the bar. Chesney grinned at her and shook his head, but in a few moment, a glass of wine appeared on the counter.

'Better.' Bella muttered to herself as she took a sip.

'So,' Chesney continued, leaning over the counter, but not too close. 'what's going on with you two?'

'Why? You jealous?'

'As if.' He said with a smirk. 'Besides, no one would dare set eyes on you – Roddy would have my head on a plate if I did.'

Bella set the glass down a little too loudly, as a couple of people turned around. She waited for them to carry on with their lives before she continued with her conversation. 'What's he been saying?' Even the thought of him filled her with anger, especially with what he just tried to do to her!

'The usual,' Chesney said casually. 'threatening to curse anyone if they look at you wrong, or stare at your arse when you walk past. No one knows what would happen if they went further, because no one has.' He sighed almost dramatically, then leaned a touch closer. 'Or have they?'

Bella met his gaze, that impossibly knowing gaze. How could he possibly know? Only Bella, Lucy, James, Lily… and now Sirius knew.

'I don't know what you're talking about.' She replied in a whisper.

'That's all I need to hear.' Chesney answered quickly, then took a step back. 'As long as you're happy, Bells.'

'Do I look happy to you, Larkin?' Bella snapped back, draining the remaining contents of her glass.

'You never look happy.'

Bella shoved the glass back across the counter at him. 'Get one for yourself, Chesney.' And with that, she stood up and left. It didn't stop him watching her as she did so, but he still kept one eye out for Roddy, just in case.

She left the Great Hall without question from anyone, but then again, who would question her? Lucy was off with Alex, probably trying to compete with Bella and go as far as she did with James… and James himself? Who knows where he was. Probably getting beaten up by Sirius. Bella knew she should have waited for him, after what he did for her, but she couldn't face it. And besides, would he really want everyone to see him with her? Before she knew it, tears were streaming down her face. She couldn't seem to get out of sight fast enough, she just wanted to hide herself away and cry. But she was stronger than that, or at least she wanted to convince herself she was.

Once she reached the dungeons, she stopped herself pacing, and leaned against the wall to calm down. It was cold and comforting on her back, exposed by her dress. She took a deep breath and tried to compose herself, but something caught her eye before she could do so. Movement, partway down the darkened corridor. She tried to adjust her eyes to the darkness, but it was already too late. She cast a quick glance at the staircase to check no one else was around, before she took off her heels, and took off after the movement. She didn't want to make any noise, because whatever it was – most like whoever – had left because they saw her, and alerting them of her presence would only make them run faster. Not that she couldn't keep up, just she couldn't be bothered with something like that right then.

She ducked behind a statue a little further down the corridor, as a candelabra illuminated the person she'd been tailing. It was Evan Rosier; he was back. He was in his uniform as well, which was even stranger. Bella would know if he'd come back to school, Lucy would have told her. He was talking to someone, the statue was just covering them up, even as she strained to try and make them out.

'He wants you to join,' Evan was saying quietly. 'he asked for you specifically.'

'Why? I don't understand.' The other guy said, though maintaining a tone of calmness, especially in comparison to the nervousness of Evan's voice. He used to be so composed, and he'd become this nervous wreck, quivering even at his own school. Former school.

'Because he knows you're talented! Why else?'

'Because he likes a certain sixth year, and knows he can marry her off to my brother?' The other guy retorts back sarcastically, but still with that tranquil tone.

'Are you fucking stoned?' Evan hissed at him. 'This is serious!'

There was a shuffling sound, as Bella could only see the other guys hands grab Evan's collar tightly, and growl at him, 'I know it's serious. And that's why I'm not interested. So don't get your wand in knot, Rosier, unless you plan on using it.' And then he dropped Evan like he was hot coal.

What were they talking about? It didn't make sense. What did Evan mean by 'want'? And why would he want this other guy because of a sixth year girl, and his brother… his brother. Bella's eyes widened a little as her brain finally made the connection. Why hadn't she recognised his voice? It was Rabastan Lestrange that Evan was talking to, and he must have been Tom Riddle, because he'd told Bella himself that he was recruiting people. He wanted to recruit Rabastan. But that meant, that the sixth year girl Tom liked, was her. It was Bella. She smiled a little at that, but it soon faded, at the thought of Tom trying to marry her off to Roddy. She'd sooner kill herself than do that.

'But what am I supposed to tell him now? He'll go mad if I tell him I failed!' Evan started begging, taking a huge gulp of air afterwards, like suddenly he was finding it hard to breath.

'Tell him I'm not interested.' Rabastan told him confidently. 'If he really wants me in his little cult, he'll make a better offer. I'm not going to sign up to this for free. Why would I invest in something I know nothing about? Only a fool would do that.'

'Always bringing money into it, aren't you?' Evan snarled back. 'I should have told him your dad worked in money, he could have bribed him.'

'Don't start, Rosier. Not if you know what's good for you.' Rabastan said with a bored sigh. Bella had always liked him better than his brother, he had such a low tolerance of idiots, and yet, never lost his temper with them, which seemed to make him superior to a lot of people. 'Go and tell him that I say he needs to make me and offer I can't refuse, alright?'

'An offer you can't refuse?' Evan repeated quickly.

'Yes. Would you like that in writing?'

'No.' Evan replied stonily, glaring back at him. And without another word, Evan turned to go down to corridor, and back up to the main part of the school. Where on earth was he going? Bella was about to follow him, when something stopped her.

'Evening, Bellatrix.' Rabastan said coolly, not moving from his spot, but turning to look at the statue she was hiding behind. She took a few moment, then slowly stepped out from behind it. 'What are you doing behind a statue, might I ask?'

Bella shrugged casually. 'Nothing much.'

Rabastan broke a smile at her, and she managed one back. 'Are you okay?' He asked her, suddenly sounding concerned as he stepped closer. 'You've got mascara-'

'I know.' She cut him off, maybe a little too fiercely. 'Ask your brother why.'

Rabastan sighed and rolled his eyes in annoyance. 'What's he done now?'

'Cornered me outside, he was going to fucking rape me.' Bella bit back, angry at his nonchalance at his brother's misdemeanours.

'Shit.' He muttered, and ran his hand through his hair. 'Bells, I'm sure he-'

'He meant to. I know he did.' She interrupted again. Rabastan didn't even try and reply this time, he put his arm around her and let her hug him for a while. He knew she didn't really want to talk, she was never in a good mood at the best of times, let alone when she was upset.

'Bells,' he started, as she gently lifted her head off his shoulder to look at him. 'how much of that conversation did you hear?'

'A fair bit.' She replied quietly.

Rabastan nodded slowly, like he'd been expecting that. 'Thought so. And you understand what's going on?'

'I think so.'

'Then say no.' He told her forcefully. 'Get out now, while you don't have an obligation, okay? I can tell this is not going to end well.'

'He said it was a organisation…' Bella tried pointlessly to defend Tom, but it was obvious it was only due to her personal attraction to him. 'He said it was a common interest…'

'To eradicate Muggles,' he continued where she'd left off. 'and mudbloods. And yes, I don't like them, but I would never want them killed. That's what he's planning to do, Bella. He wants to world to be entirely wizards, and pure-bloods at that. Can you imagine how small this school would be if it was only pure-bloods?'

'It would grow after a while,' Bella answered automatically. 'once our generation had grown up and had kids.'

'Don't.' He told her sternly. 'Stop. You cannot defend him. If you continue with this, you'll end up getting yourself killed.'

'Tom wouldn't let that happen…'

'Wouldn't he?' Rabastan questioned her. 'I could take out my wand right now and kill you on the spot. And where would he be? Not here, that's for sure. And you'd be spending the rest of your life with Moaning Myrtle.'

The thought petrified her. That was not what she wanted, to be left haunting the corridors of a school she used to love.

'He'll seize the school once he can, Bells.' He told her, almost like he'd seen her thoughts. 'Think about how lovely it is now, and how much it could change. It will never be the same once he's left his tainted mark on it, Bella. You know he's bad news.'

'I've always liked the bad guys.' Bella said with a sigh.

'Change your mind. Just once.' Rabastan told her, grabbing her shoulders and forcing her to look him in the eyes again. 'It might just save your life.'

She watched him for a while. His dark eyes were filled with upmost sincerity, and she knew he meant every word. And as much as she hated the thought of what he was saying about the school, the one thing that lingered in her mind, was being married to his brother. And that notion sent chills down her spine, and a spike through her heart.

'Gonna take a chance, Bells?' He asked her finally.

'I don't know.' She answered in a whisper, as she was still locked into his eyes, trying to find a part of him that was lying.

'Something to think about, then,' he said quietly, and did the most unexpected thing, completely throwing Bella off any other thoughts she was having. He kissed her. Let his lips glide over hers with more emotion than she ever thought possible. He was begging her not to join up. Before she could even react after getting over the shock, he pulled away from her.

'Good night, Bellatrix.' He said in the same tone he'd greeted her, and walked back down the corridor, casual, as always. Bella watched him go, with a strange feeling of longing nagging at her in her mind. That kiss was something else entirely, and that thing that made her want more, was that she was sure it wasn't because he was attracted to her. Which made him even more appealing. And, he was Roddy's brother. So off limits he should have been glowing red with warning, but that just made him so much more tempting. The anger it would cause Roddy to see her with his brother was too tantalising to dispel the notion, no matter how bad it was to think of it.