Bellatrix keeps a steady hand on the wheel as she guides The Black Serpent into Port Solis, majestically cutting through the waves to glide the ship to a stop alongside the harbour wall. It dwarfs the other boats moored there, casting long shadows across the calm water in the last of the evening sun. The crew are a well oiled machine; working together seamlessly as if they have been doing this their whole lives. Bellatrix grins to herself when she realises the truth in that. She's dominated the seas for two decades now, and her sisters have been by her side the entire time, even if other members of her crew have come and gone.
Captain Black walks to the side of The Black Serpent, throwing down a rope and gesturing for the man working on the dock to tie them to the mooring. Ship secured, she turns her attention back to the rabble of people standing expectantly on the deck.
"Alright, you lot. Those of you that are on shore leave, I want you back by sunrise. We leave on the morning tide and if you're late, then you know the rules. I'll leave you behind," she warns with a twinkle in her eye as laughter break out. She shakes her head, wild curls blowing in the breeze; a small grin curling up her lips in the corners. "Off you go!"
A cheer erupts, echoing around the harbour, as her crew prepare to depart for the night. She doesn't ask what they get up to when they leave the ship, and she doesn't care. All she asks is that they turn up fit for work the next day. The Black Serpent has a reputation to uphold and if her crew are hungover, they will be sloppy. She lets them get away with a lot, but not when it comes to the running of her ship. They are known as the best in the business for a reason, and they are paid well because of this fact. No other ship and crew is safer to transport goods around the world. After all, what could be more fearsome than a crew of magical people in a world where magic is so rare now?
She turns to her two sisters, jerking a thumb over her shoulder. "I'll go pay the harbourmaster and arrange the resupply. Are you two good to stay here?"
The blonde waves her off dismissively. "Go. Just make sure you bring back a decent bottle."
Bellatrix rolls her eyes. "Firewhisky, Cissa?"
Narcissa smirks. "Nothing but the best. I know what they have available in this port and how good it is. Oh, and a crate, Bella. Not just a bottle."
The Captain bows mockingly, and grins as her youngest sister wanders off down below deck, turning to Andromeda. "Anything for you, Andy?"
Andromeda shakes her head, black curls nearly identical to her older sister's flying around her face. "Nothing more than I've already written on the supply list," she replies, gesturing to the scrappy piece of parchment Bellatrix has in her hand.
"Okay. I'll be an hour. Two at the most," Bellatrix advises. "Keep an eye out, you know things can get rough here at night."
"I know," Andromeda assures her. "I'll stay on deck and keep watch. I need to do a rigging check, anyway."
Bellatrix gives her an approving nod and then jumps down onto the dock below. They've spent plenty of time in this port over the years and she knows the drill, taking off in search of the Harbourmaster who can usually be found wandering around, no matter how late in the day it is. He charges a steep price for a night's docking, but the facilities on offer make up for the extortionate fee. A work force of twenty men will help her crew restock the ship and load the cargo that they need to pick up on their way to Port Terra. She's happy to pay almost any sum if it means they can be turned around quickly, ready to head back out to sea. Life on the waves will always be preferable than being shackled to one of these enormous floating city platforms.
As she wanders along the harbour, Bellatrix catches a glimpse of bushy brown hair just visible behind a small shipping container, and grins to herself. The person hiding is too short to be a threat of any kind and it's not the first time she has been spied on by a curious child. There is not a port on the water that hasn't heard of the Black sisters and their infamous ship, The Black Serpent.
Half of what is said about them is completely false, but it doesn't harm for them to believe the things they do about her and her crew. If anything, it makes it safer. If they really believe she is like some modern day Medusa, able to strike down a man with a single look, never even raising her wand, then she's not about to correct them. The thought amuses her, though.
She strides forwards confidently, rubber-heeled boots barely making a sound. A face appears to look at her as a young girl steps cautiously out into the open, a sheepish smile on her face.
"Well, you don't look like the Harbourmaster," Bellatrix remarks with a grin. "And this is not a safe place for the likes of you."
The small girl is indignant; hands on her hips as she squares up to the Captain. "A kid like me?" she scoffs.
Amused, Bellatrix laughs. "Yeah, kid. It's obvious you're not from around here. Let me guess, you're from one of those flashy places up there?" The Captain gestures to the city looming above them. The apartments are staggered up the man-made hill; glass fronted with lush, green rooftop terraces. Gleaming and clean, they could not be more different from the makeshift shanty towns that spring up near the harbours of each city.
"Maybe," the girl agrees, adding proudly, "but I come down here all the time."
"You know, Kid. You really do need to be careful. A girl like you who is young and obviously in good health, could find herself whisked off and working the seas faster than you could blink. It's not safe for you."
"My name's Rose, not Kid," the girl informs the Captain testily. She drops her head, looking down at her feet as she scuffs her boots against the floor. "And maybe I want to leave," she mumbles.
Bellatrix catches the flash of pain across the girl's face, before brown eyes are looking up at her defiantly.
"Why would you want to leave?" The girl is no more than nine or ten, if Bellatrix has to hazard a guess, and it's obvious she has a home. She is wearing expensive clothes that could have been made for her. Her hair is a wild mass of untamed curls but it's clean, and she's well fed even if a little on the skinny side. Someone is looking after her and making sure that she has everything that she needs in life. Bellatrix's curiosity rises at the anger she sees when it replaces Rose's earlier defiance.
"My father is not a good man," is all the explanation she offers as she stands with her hands clenched into tiny fists.
"Not many men are in my experience, but that's not necessarily a good reason to leave."
"No! You don't understand. I'm not the one running from him, I want…" the girl falters, blinking back sudden tears that form in glassy eyes. "I want to rescue my mother."
Bellatrix softens as she takes in the girl's distress. "Your mother? Why?"
Rose sighs heavily, wrapping her arms around herself. "He hurts her. She tells me that she's just clumsy but I hear them when he comes home at night. He hits her."
"I'm sorry, Rose. I know that's rough. Your mother has to want to leave, though. You can't force her if she's not ready."
"She does want to. She's just scared because we have nowhere else to go." Rose's eyes narrow on the Captain, assessing her.
Captain Black doesn't miss the moment that a plan is hatched in the young girl's head, the beginnings of a devious smile forming on small features. She cuts her off before this can go any further. "Kid? No. That's not happening. What would I do with two city folk? Muggles, at that! There are no free rides on my ship."
Rose is not daunted in the slightest, her smile growing wider. "I'll work hard and Mum can cook or clean. We would pull our weight, I swear it!" Eyes wide and unblinking, she tries to stare Bellatrix down.
"You don't know the first thing about living at sea. I bet you've lived on one of these city platforms your entire life," Bellatrix scoffs.
"Please, Captain! Just give us a chance? If you don't think it's working out then you can drop us off at the next port and then at least we are still away from my father," she begs, reaching out and grabbing hold of Belaltrix's arm. "Please?"
The Captain rolls her eyes, unable to believe what she is about to propose to this tiny scrap of a person. "Let's see how you do this evening. If you work hard enough and you can convince your mother to leave, then I will give you a fair shot. Word of warning, Rose. The next stop is Port Terra and I guarantee you I have no problem with leaving you both there if you don't earn your place." Her voice is stern but there is a twinkle in her eye when she sees the fierce determination on the girl's face.
"Ay, Captain!" she practically squeals, saluting the woman.
"Knock it off. The name's Bellatrix."
"Right. Captain Bellatrix," Rose replies, grinning widely.
The next hour is spent wandering around the harbourside. Bellatrix pays for and arranges food and supplies for the crew, organising the next shipment they are transporting to Port Terra. Rose asks her endless questions, some of which she answers and some she chooses to ignore, but nothing seems to dampen the girl's excitement. She is boisterous and excitable, even when Bellatrix purposefully loads her up with heavy bags to lug back to the ship.
She wants to know everything. Rose has never left Port Solis and her curiosity about the world reminds Bellatrix how lucky she is to have experienced so much in her life.
"Do you really believe people used to live on the land?" Rose asks the latest in her long line of questions, hungry for information she has evidently not paid attention to in her lessons.
"What the hell do they teach you in school these days?" Bellatrix wonders, staring down at the girl who is wobbling under the weight of her load.
"Commerce and engineering," Rose replies innocently, blinking up at her.
"No history?"
Rose blushes slightly. "I didn't really pay attention," she admits. "It's really boring."
The Captain laughs. "No wonder you have no idea about the world you live in. Yes, people used to live on the land, but it was a long time ago. Humans nearly destroyed the planet, and now most of it is underwater. Only the peaks of the biggest mountains are still above water."
"And they were planted with trees to repair the atmosphere," Rose recounts proudly, as she remembers a small fact she learned in school.
"Yeah, that's right. That's why all the cities were built on floating platforms."
"Have you ever lived in a city?"
Bellatrix shakes her head. "That's enough questions for now," she tells her as they approach the ship again. "We will be leaving here at 7am and not a minute later so we catch the tide. If you and your mother aren't here by then, I will assume you're not coming," she warns solemnly.
"Okay, Captain!" Rose salutes her again, an easy smile on her face. "I'll be back, I promise."
"Sure you will." Bellatrix rolls her eyes. "Thanks for your help tonight, Kid. You weren't entirely useless." She holds out her hands for the girl to hand over the bags she is carrying, holding back a laugh when the girl groans and rolls out her shoulders gratefully.
As Bellatrix watches, Rose puffs out her chest slightly, despite her words being a thinly veiled insult. The girl waves a cheery goodbye and takes off, running towards the city on the hill. For a moment she wonders if she should make sure Rose gets home safely, considering the sun has now set, but she does this all the time, apparently. At the end of the day, the only people Bellatrix is personally responsible for is her crew. The girl is not someone she needs to worry about, though, admittedly, she's gotten under her skin in the last hour. Shaking her head with amusement she climbs the ladder and jumps down onto the deck of the ship.
"New friend, Bella?" Narcissa asks with a smirk, walking towards her and taking some of the bags.
"Something like that," Bellatrix confirms with a grin, as she heads down below deck in search of food. Most of her crew have chosen to spend the night on shore, enjoying every luxury the city has to offer, so she makes do with a bowl of reheated soup. The day Harry had joined their crew, the food on offer had improved considerably. Trained as a chef in one of the other port cities, she's never been more grateful to someone waking up and deciding they want to choose a different life for themselves. Growing up an orphan with relatives that despised him, Harry had taken a leap of faith when he met Draco one night on shore leave.
Bellatrix hums as the flavour of roasted pepper and garlic brings her tastebuds to life, relaxing against the soft cushions behind her. She thinks back on the last hour with Rose, idly wondering whether the girl will be successful in convincing her mother to leave what is obviously a bad marriage. It's unlikely, and a situation Bellatrix has seen play out too many times before. These powerful men up in the city residences think that they own women, just like they own property. Whoever Rose's father is, he's unlikely to let his wife run away and live at sea.
Finishing her bowl of soup, she pours herself a glass of wine; a small, contented sigh leaving her lips.
"Something on your mind, Bella?" Andromeda asks, walking into the dining area and sitting opposite her at the table. Narcissa follows her in, snagging two glasses from the cupboard and pouring them both a glass of wine. She sits next to Andromeda, facing Bellatrix with an expectant expression on her face.
Bellatrix looks up slowly, blinking as she focuses on her sisters. "What?"
"I know that look," Narcissa declares with a laugh. "What did you do this time?"
"I didn't do anything," Bellatrix denies, shaking her head. "Why do you always think I'm up to something?"
"Because you usually are," Andromeda and Narcissa reply in unison, cackling when Bellatrix scowls at them. She ignores their questions, raising her glass and taking a long swig.
"Spit it out. What cute little witch caught your eye this time?" Andromeda goads, topping up her sister's glass.
"It's not about a pretty witch! I've not even met her." Bellatrix drains her second glass, wiping her mouth with the back of her hand, and then nods at Andromeda for another refill.
"What does that mean?" Narcissa asks curiously.
"So there is someone, then?" Andromeda teases.
Bellatrix sighs. "I may have done that thing I do."
Andromeda laughs, a knowing smile on her face. "You rescued a damsel in distress?" she guesses, laughing again when her sister nods sheepishly, looking down at the table in silence.
Narcissa waves a hand in front of her face to get her attention. "Well? Who is she, Bella?"
"Some rich city-dweller. Muggle, I think, based on where she lives. I met her daughter on the dock and she wants to get her mother away from this place. Bad marriage, you know? I said they could join us, as long as they both put in the work."
"A kid and a city woman?" Andromeda raises her eyebrow. "This isn't an easy life for people like that."
"A lot of us came from that life once," Bellatrix reminds her. "Anyway, I doubt they'll turn up."
"People surprise us all the time," Narcissa muses. "Look at our crew. None of them looked like they would last a cycle of the moon at sea, but look at them now. They all work hard and they know what they're doing."
"True," Bellatrix agrees. "I told the girl I'd ditch them at the next port if they didn't pull their weight."
Andromeda and Narcissa laugh at her words, and Bellatrix reluctantly smiles. They all know she would never leave someone alone and defenceless like that.
"Shut up," the Captain grumbles, standing up from the table and heading to the back of the ship where her quarters are based.
-xXx-
The deck is a hive of activity by the time the sky in the east begins to lighten. The lamps on the deck and harbourside don't give out much light, but it's enough for the crew to get to work and oversee the loading of cargo.
Belaltrix watches over her crew, with very little need to issue instructions. Her sisters are right. They all know what they are doing now, for the most part. They've done this so many times before and each person knows their place in the team. She frowns as a lanky redhead rushes to the side of the ship, emptying the contents of his stomach over the side and into the water below.
"Oi, Weasley! Get over here."
The man in question stumbles towards her, and even in the low light she can see the green tinge to his normally pale skin. She wrinkles her nose as the stench of stale alcohol reaches her nose, repulsed by the state he is in.
"Yes, Captain?" the man replies meekly, taking deep, slow breaths in what appears to be an effort not to lose any more of his breakfast.
"You know the rules about going on shore. I don't give a fuck what you do, or who you do it with, but you don't turn up the next morning in this state. I need you fit and ready to work."
"I'm sorry, Captain," Weasley replies, looking progressively greener. When he starts to sway on the spot, she rolls her eyes, taking pity on the younger bloke. Ron and his sister, Ginny, joined the crew about six months ago, but while Ginny has settled in perfectly, Ron is still adjusting to life at sea. Hangovers combined with even the most gentle sway of the ship in the harbour, are never a good combination.
"Go and see Andy, she's in her quarters. She's got a potion that will sort your hangover out," Belaltrix instructs gruffly. "And don't you dareturn up for work in this state again, Weasley."
"Thanks, Cap," Ron replies, unsteadily walking away and heading below deck.
"I'm going bloody soft," Bellatrix mutters to herself, jumping down onto the dock below to check how the resupply is going.
Eagle-eyed, she watches every piece of cargo being loaded onto the ship, correcting them if needed; the correct weight distribution is absolutely essential to keep The Black Serpent steady in rough seas. Her crew are good, but ultimately it still falls to her to keep them safe, and it's a responsibility she takes extremely seriously.
"Captain Bellatrix!" a small voice calls out to her and she spins around, following the direction the sound has come from. Her brow furrows as she takes in the sight in front of her. It's the girl from yesterday and a woman she assumes to be Rose's mother. She leans on her daughter heavily, wincing with every step as Rose tries to help her. The girl is struggling under the weight of her mother, and the small suitcase she's dragging along behind them. Brown eyes look haunted as Rose's mother meets Bellatrix's assessing gaze.
"Shit," the Captain curses, turning back to the ship. "Draco, Harry, get down here," she calls to the two people nearest to her. "Clear the gangplank."
She turns her back, trusting them to do what needs to be done and walks over to the girl. The woman with her has vivid bruising on her face, and blood flowing freely from a deep gash in her hairline. Her lip is split, though it's crusted over slightly, her arm is in a makeshift sling made from a silk scarf and she is limping. Without saying a word, Bellatrix approaches the woman, and puts a supporting arm around her waist, taking the weight from Rose who is panting rapidly.
"Why don't you go ahead to the ship? I've got your mother," Bellatrix suggests softly. The woman walking next to her is grimacing with every step, holding back her discomfort for the sake of her daughter. Rose hesitates, but does as she is told, skipping up the gangplank like she has done it a thousand times before.
"Relax, I've got you," Bellatrix says quietly, pulling the woman's good arm across her shoulders to give her more support. "I'm Captain Black."
"Hermione," the younger woman replies with difficulty, the cut on her lip reopening with the movement.
They walk the last few metres in silence, Bellatrix growing more concerned with every step at the pallor of the woman walking next to her. The gangplank is wide enough for both of them, but when they hit the top they reach a problem. In her current condition there is no chance that Hermione can simply hop down onto the deck below like the rest of the crew do.
"Harry, Draco, help her down and take her to my cabin," she orders, releasing the woman when the two men reach up under Hermione's shoulders to lift her down. The brunette struggles and steps back from their attempt to help. She holds onto the Captain's shirt with her good hand, trembling fingers gripping tightly.
"Hey, it's okay. They're good guys, I promise," Bellatrix reassures her. "Let them help you, and get you settled, Hermione. I will be down to see you as soon as we are clear of the harbour, and then we'll get you patched up."
Nodding once, Hermione reluctantly lets go, and accepts the men's help down onto the deck. Her eyes are wide and fearful as she looks back at the Captain one last time, so Bellatrix sends her an encouraging smile, before turning back to the rest of the crew.
"Okay, back to work, everyone. We need to be underway in the next fifteen minutes. If we miss this tide then I'm docking your pay," she calls out. They instantly spring back into action, but she can see the small smiles they are all trying to hide at her empty threat.
The remaining goods and supplies are loaded smoothly and then they are ready to set off for Port Terra. On her command the sails are hoisted and she guides them away from the harbour out onto the open seas, breathing a sigh of relief as they head into open sea. They are soon clear of Port Solis and she visibly relaxes, allowing herself to enjoy the freedom that being on the water gives her.
"Cissa," she calls to her sister. "Come take the helm."
The blonde woman walks up to join her, taking the wheel without question. An experienced sailor, she loosely holds the wheel with one hand, keeping the ship steady as the crew let out the sails and the speed picks up.
"I'm going to go and take care of our newcomer. Where's the kid?" Bellatrix asks, eyes scanning the mill of people on the foredeck.
"Ginny took her below to give her some food. They couldn't risk stopping for food this morning."
Bellatrix nods, lips pulled into a thin line. "That woman has taken one hell of a beating."
"It's more than her body that will need to heal," Cissa reminds her. "Be gentle with her, Bella. She will need a lot of patience and support."
Scowling, Bellatrix leaves her sister on deck. Okay, so she might not be known for her patience but she would never treat someone badly when they need help. She goes through the hatch that leads down below deck and makes her way to her quarters at the back. She knocks as she opens the door to warn Hermione of her presence and her stomach sinks when she sees the woman curled up on her bed, crying silently.
-xXx-
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