Today's the day - Katie and Bellatrix meet for the first time.

Part 18

Katie, Percy, and Minerva were sitting at the small table in the kitchen, eating breakfast, when the door opened from the outside and two men entered the house.

While Remus took a seat at the table, Severus stood in the doorway, still a bit indecisive.

Yesterday he had talked with Remus for a long time. At some point it had simply bubbled out of him. The fear. The worries. Oh and his concerns, his desire to protect his daughter - even from himself. Severus was so afraid of losing Katie - she was the only good thing in his life, after all.

The other man had understood him, but Remus had also tried to make him understand that Katie was old enough to make her own decisions. But it was hard for Severus to accept that. To him, Katie was still the little baby he had held for a few hours. His little girl.

But the talk with Remus had given him some clarity anyway. It had made him feel better. As had feeling the other man's closeness. Only Severus didn't want to think about that at the moment - no matter how welcome the embrace had been. And the chaste kiss. A slight flush of red settled on Severus' cheeks for a brief moment as he thought of the sensation Remus' lips had triggered on his own. But then he cleared his throat. Now was not the time that he should be indulging in foolish emotions. He was no longer in his teens.

"Maybe there is another solution," Severus finally began.

"There always is," Katie agreed.

And one of those possible ones, hopefully, would be meeting her mother. Katie would eventually, hopefully, be able to face her mother and ask her all the questions whose answers Severus had so far refused to give her. She needed answers, finally.

"Nevertheless, I still think my suggestion is the best solution. A Fidelius Charm is the best solution, no one would find you and you would be safe," Severus explained as he sat down on one of the empty chairs.

"What Severus is saying is that we will figure out what to do together later. Maybe not today, after tempers ran high yesterday and we all need to calm down, but soon. And then we will think very carefully about the pros and cons and then we will make a decision together. And you can have your say, of course. Severus will not exclude you from such decisions, where you and your life are at stake, not anymore," Remus added.

"I think that's a very good idea, don't you, Katie?" questioningly, Minerva looked at her.

Katie nodded.

Maybe it wasn't a bad idea to talk about everything again calmly and to consider together what was best. Remus Lupin certainly seemed to have a good influence on her father. She had noticed a while ago that something like a friendship was developing between her father and the other man. And that seemed to be good for Severus, too. I mean, the other man.

Just as Katie was about to reach for her teacup, an owl came flying through the open window, straight at Katie. A jet black owl, darker than the sky.

Quite clearly, Katie could feel her father's questioning gaze on her. She hoped he didn't know whose owl it was, that he hadn't recognized the owl, because Katie guessed who had written to her. Bellatrix.

She quickly detached the letter and slipped it into her pocket.

"Hermione also has a problem with Misses Weasley and needs my advice," she said quickly by way of explanation. And really, that was only half a lie. Just like it was with Katie, Hermione and Fred's close relationship was a thorn in Misses Weasley's side. In her eyes, Hermione was meant for Ron, meant to be Misses Ronald Weasley.

But this letter wasn't from Hermione, it was from Katie's mother, only she couldn't tell anyone - especially not her father. After breakfast, she would read the letter, which would hopefully bring her a little closer to the answers she so desperately sought.

As Katie cleared the table with Percy, Minerva and the two men went outside. Minerva wanted to show Severus her own garden, or at least that's what she had said. But Katie knew that the three of them wanted to have a conversation that Katie shouldn't hear about.

Again, her father and Professor McGonagall were keeping a secret from her, unfortunately.

"You wrote to her," Percy said, as soon as the three were out of earshot.

"I-"

"You don't have to explain anything to me. She's your mother and you want to see her. I understand why. Just promise me you'll be careful. You know, she's not only your mother, I mean, she's a dangerous woman, very dangerous, in fact."

Katie nodded. Yes, she knew Percy was right. Then again, she had no choice. If Katie wanted to finally know the truth, then she had to take that risk. Hoping that Bellatrix would act like a loving mother on this one. But was Bellatrix Lestrange a loving mother?

Katie could only hope that it would not be a mistake to face Voldemort's most fanatical follower.

With twenty minutes to spare, Katie had already apparated to the meeting place. Oh, she was just too excited. Finally a meeting with her mother would take place and finally she would learn the truth. Hopefully. Ever since she had received her mother's letter at breakfast this morning, Katie had been trying to imagine what the first meeting would be like.

Would Bellatrix take her in her arms? Was it going to be like two strangers meeting, or would she immediately feel the connection to her mother? Would she be disappointed? I mean, would her expectations and hopes not be met?

Katie didn't know. All she could do was hope for the best.

Lost in thought, she didn't notice at first how a noise announced the arrival of another person. Apparently, someone had arrived in the clearing.

Katie stood in the shade of the trees for a moment, watching the person. Her heart was beating rapidly due to agitation. It was time for the moment of truth. She took another deep breath before leaving the safety of the trees.

"Hello, Mother," Katie said out loud - with a slight tremor in her voice.

Bellatrix Lestrange whirled around. Her breath caught in her throat when she saw who stood in front of her.

Oh, so this was her daughter. Her baby, which she had only held in her arms for a short time, had grown into a beautiful young woman. And for a moment, it felt as if she were looking in a mirror. There in front of her was a young woman who looked so damn much like Bellatrix.

Earlier, Katie had released the spell that held her dark hair into a tight knot, and as a result, the resemblance was that much more apparent. The dark hair fell over her shoulders in wild, untamed curls. This made her look a bit like the young Bellatrix Black.

"Hello Catelyn," Bellatrix greeted her daughter, "Or what should I call you?"

"Katie. That's the name Professor McGonagall gave me. Katie Bell."

"Katie, that's a good name," Bellatrix agreed.

Katie had so many questions for her mother, but she didn't know what to say or which question to ask first.

Wordlessly, the two looked at each other. For a moment it looked as if Bellatrix wanted to reach out and touch her daughter, to stroke her cheek and see for herself that her hair was just as silky as her father's.

But in the end, Bellatrix managed to control herself. After all, she was not allowed to let herself be steered by feelings or something like that. She never had and never would be allowed to do so in the future. She was, after all, a Death Eater, Voldemort's right-hand woman, feeling only devotion and love for the Dark Lord and for no one else, she tried to remind herself.

Bellatrix cleared her throat after a moment of silence.

"I can't stay forever. If he notices my disappearance, he'll want answers, and I can't and shouldn't give them to him."

Katie knew who Bellatrix meant by him, Voldemort. He was also one of the reasons she was here today. Voldemort and Dumbledore were both looking for her. As for her, she was looking for answers.

"I have so many questions, for both of you," Katie then began.

"What do you want to know?"

Katie thought for a moment about which of the questions to ask first. Yesterday, when she wrote the letter, she knew what questions were weighing heavily on her mind, but now that she was face to face with Bellatrix, she was at a loss for words, so to speak.

"My father and you were not a couple when I was born. You had already been promised to Rodolphus Lestrange when you found out you were pregnant, by my father. I am the child of a forbidden relationship. Did you ever really want me, or was I just a mistake you couldn't fix?" she then asked.

Bellatrix looked at her daughter in surprise. Well, she had expected to be asked so many questions, but not this one. In fact, she wasn't sure she could really answer the question. Katie was by no means a mistake, and she had been so happy to hold her baby in her arms, but at the time, when she had realized she was pregnant, she had wanted to throw herself off the Astronomy Tower. Being pregnant had been a big problem, after all, she had been promised to another man at the time.

Bellatrix sighed before she sat down on one of the fallen logs and began to talk, "I don't know if your father ever talked about it, but knowing him, he never did. At the time, you know, we were young and we made some decisions that we shouldn't have made that way. Still, I don't have any regrets."

No, she hadn't. And at times, way back when she'd felt her baby move, she'd imagined for a moment what it would be like to raise that child. To be a mother. But she had quickly dismissed that idea as soon as her eyes fell on the ring on her finger. Rodolphus ring.

"You wanted me?"

"Yes. Even though we knew we weren't supposed too but we did want you. Both of us."

"And yet you gave me away."

"Because we-" but Bellatrix couldn't say any more, as the mark on her arm began to ache.

Voldemort called his followers.

And Bellatrix would have to answer this call. While she had finally had a chance to see and speak with her daughter after all these years, her obedience and love for Voldemort was greater.

"You must go," Katie said as she saw her mother's body tense slightly. She was familiar with it when Severus did it. Every time his mark burned, then he tensed, then the expression in his eyes became a little more strained.

And that was exactly the expression she saw on her mother.

"I-"

"You don't have to explain it to me. You're his follower first and foremost, and then you might be my mother," Katie said with a hint of sadness. She should have anticipated it.

Katie clutched her wand - it was time for her to leave. And before Bellatrix could say one word to her, Katie had apparated away. Still, Bellatrix had seen the tears that had shimmered in Katie's eyes.