Hello there—I am the Asexual Author, and welcome to my first fanfic on this site. This is an idea that I've had kicking around for a while but had yet to really put down to paper. Inspired by the song the fic gets its name from, this story is an amalgam of two questions: what would Harry's story look like if someone other than Ron met him first, and what if that person was the child of Bellatrix.

A good question, and one that I don't have a full answer to just yet.

What I do have is the prologue and first chapter of the fic written up and ready for publishing, so here they are. This fic will likely come out in sporadic chunks as more of the story reveals itself to me—writing a full fic as an adult is a lot more difficult than it was when I was in high school—so expect updates to be a bit more on the slow side, at least while starting out.

Also, a few things to note before we get into the fic itself—FIRST, I am not British, so I do not know a lot of British slang or cultural touchstones. I am trying my best to keep this true to the era these stories took place in, but if you have advice I am eager to hear it. SECOND, for personal reasons of shipping and writing preferences, I've shifted the time-tables around a bit. So, students start at magical schools at age thirteen and go until Fifth Year, with the OWLs acting like the American GED, while Sixth and Seventh Years are then the first few years of specialized college education. This also means that Harry starts Hogwarts in 1993 instead of 1991. In addition, Nymphadora Tonks has been aged down a bit—instead of being a Seventh Year at the start of this, she's in her Fifth Year, four years older than Harry as opposed to her canon six.

And, finally, and most important of all—I am well aware of the hateful and bigoted stances and views of one Joan Rowling. I, personally, do not agree with them, and as I've gotten older I've noted more and more ways with which she writes the characters in this series that I take umbrage with. As such, I'll be attempting to do my best to present a version of the Magical World that is more fleshed out and less problematic than the one she created.

With all that having been said, please enjoy Two Birds on a Wire.


Prologue: A Sister's Request

She couldn't believe she'd agreed to this. They were right in the middle of a war—a war that the two of them were on opposing sides of, no less! And judging by the rumors surrounding her sister, Andromeda highly doubted Bellatrix was just a casual supporter of the Dark Lord's beliefs. From what she'd heard, her crazy yet kind younger sister was all but a distant memory in the face of the insane murderous witch she'd become.

All that in mind, she had every reason not to accept the request to meet. And yet, here she was—sitting inside a small muggle cafe in downtown London, watching the snow fall lazily in the street outside, idly sipping at a cappuccino and holding her wand just under the table in her lap. She wasn't so foolish as to not have it at the ready, even if she was foolish enough to agree to meet with her estranged sister to begin with.

Damn her bleeding heart and lingering bonds of sisterly love.

Minutes ticked by in silence as she waited for the other to arrive. Her already tensed nerves tightened even more the longer she waited, and the nagging thought at the back of her mind that this was a trap slowly grew louder. Just as she was thinking of calling this off and bolting away, though, she saw a dark shape pass by her window and up to the front of the cafe, followed by the soft jingle of the front door. She swallowed hard and looked up, just as a familiar and yet so unfamiliar figure sauntered into view.

"Andy, you actually came! What a surprise—so good to see you, dear sister."

The voice was her sister's, and on some level Andromeda did recognize the woman before her as Bellatrix—but it was a mere shadow of recognition. The bright, excited gleam that had once filled her vibrant violet eyes seemed dull and faded—her lustrous raven-black ringlets drab and tangled like a bird's nest. Even her dress, clearly of a fine and high quality, seemed ill-fitting and wrong on her. She was a stranger wearing her sister's face, and it unnerved her to no end.

Andromeda swallowed hard again, her grip on her wand not relaxing in the slightest. "Yes, I did," she replied in a clipped tone. "It's good to see you, Bella."

For a half-second, Andromeda swore she saw a shadow of…something…cross her sister's face. Regret? Sorrow? Guilt? She couldn't tell, and it was gone before she could pin it down, replaced by a bittersweet smile as Bellatrix laughed. "No it's not, Andy—but I appreciate trying to play along."

Before Andromeda could reply, Bellatrix dropped into the seat across from her with a heavy sigh, waving a hand over to one of the cafe workers for a drink. "Now, I'm sure you're wondering why I asked you to meet me here, dear sister—oh yes, an espresso with two sugars and a quarter cup of cream," she noted, putting in her order as the barista hurried off with her request. Her gaze snapped back to Andromeda. "After all, it has been such a long time since we've sat down together like this, hasn't it?"

"Not since before Father had you married off to Rudolphus, I believe," Andromeda stiffly replied.

Once more, Andromeda was sure she saw a shadow of something flash across her sister's face—this one darker and more foul than before—but it was gone just as fast, and Bellatrix giggled as she nodded. "Yes yes, oh it has been a while then. You know, I seem to recall you being the one my dear Rudolphus was promised to—but then you had to go and run off with that Tonks fellow, and so—"

Andromeda grit her teeth and set her jaw at that, her grip on her wand growing tighter. "Bella, do you have a real reason for calling me here? Because if you're just going to spout that filth, I will leave."

Bellatrix's face fell, and now Andromeda was certain the first shadow she'd seen before had been one of sorrow. "O-oh, yes—I suppose I should get on with it, shouldn't I?"

She fell silent for a moment, seeming to collect her thoughts, and Andromeda was surprised by how small her sister seemed sitting across from her, as if she shrank before her eyes. "Well, the reason I had you meet me, Andy, is because I need you to do something for me. And, I know that we've drifted apart over the years, but I'd like to think that, as my big sister, you still have enough love for me in your heart to accept."

This piqued Andromeda's interest, and for the first time since Bellatrix had arrived, the grip on her wand slackened. "Bella…what do you need?"

Bellatrix didn't match Andromeda's gaze for another long moment. In that time, the barista returned with her drink, and—sensing the odd tension between them—quickly hurried off to help another customer. She took a sip from the drink, let out a slow, deep sigh, and finally raised her gaze to her sister's again. "Andy…I'm pregnant."

And just like that, Andromeda's whole world rocked.

"Y-you're pregnant?!" she gasped, mouth agape in shock as she stared her sister up and down. She could hardly believe it—not just because of who her sister was, but also because she didn't look pregnant to her eye. If anything, Bellatrix almost seemed thinner than she remembered—a thought that did not ease her growing concern for her.

Still, Bellatrix nodded. "I just found out the other day—that's when I sent the message for us to meet. I-I just…I can't believe this is happening…"

Andromeda frowned. "You don't seem as excited as I expected, Bella." For all her sister's faults—even before getting married to that oaf Lestrange—she absolutely adored children, and would spend so many nights imagining what hers would be like. A stark difference to the stark countenance on her sister's face now. "Is there something wrong?"

Bellatrix seemed to struggle for a moment, as if the words wouldn't form. "Not exactly…but…the Dark Lord has heard…a rumor…that there is a prophecy predicting who will kill him…and from what I know, that person is going to be born at the end of July…"

Andromeda frowned at Bellatrix's words, and her lips parted to ask what that had to do with anything—and then understanding filled her eyes, and she gasped. "Oh, Bella."

Bellatrix nodded, her gaze dropping down to the mug before her, while one of her hands moved to rest on her stomach. "I never put much stock in Divination—you know that…but the Dark Lord does. And, if there's even a chance he thinks my child is the one in the prophecy…" The hand on her stomach clenched like a claw. "...well, he won't get them."

Her gaze returned to Andromeda's, and her sister had to catch her breath. Shimmering tears filled her sister's eyes, refusing to fall, as she continued. "I can't do a lot as my husband's wife, Andy—just coming here was hard enough—but I can do this. I can name you my child's magically bound godmother. And if anything bad happens to me, I want you to take care of my child. Will you do that for me?"

Andromeda struggled to find her voice, her mouth opening and shutting in shock. There were so many questions she wanted to ask, especially after that. "I-I…Bella, are you—"

"Will you do that for me?" Bellatrix repeated, and there was a faint tint of desperation in her tone..

The words on Andromeda's tongue died, and sorrow filled her gaze. Those questions, and the grief that surely came with them, would have to wait. For now, she solemnly nodded. "Yes, Bella. I will look after your child if something were to happen to you."

"Swear it!"

The insistence in her sister's words made Andromeda swallow hard, and her hand wrapped tight around her wand under the table again. "I…I, Andromeda Tonks, swear on my magic, to serve as the godmother for my sister, Bellatrix's, child—and should anything happen to keep my sister from raising them, I will do everything in my power to take care of them as if they were my own."

As the words fell from Andromeda's lips, the wand under the table flared softly at the tip, and both witches felt a warmth surround them, like a blanket settling on their shoulders. Bellatrix's expression softened with a relieved sigh, and her shoulders slumped as if some great weight had been lifted off of her for the first time in days. "Good…good. Thank you, Andy."

Sighing, the younger sister suddenly stood from the cafe table, subtly wiping the tears from under her eyes. "Well now, now that that's taken care of, I should get back—must hurry before Rudolphus finds out. Andy, it was a pleasure, and do send my love to your husband and little Nymmie for me."

As she said that, she turned to walk away. Andromeda stared for a long moment before shooting to her feet, stepping after her. "Bella, wait!"

Her sister paused, almost to the door of the cafe, not turning back just yet as Andromeda stepped closer. "Bella, if something is going on…with you and your…husband…it's not too late." She reached out, trying to reach for her sister's hand. "I don't know what's going on, but…if you need help…"

Bellatrix pulled her hand away from Andromeda's reach, and a bittersweet smile spread across the younger sister's face as she shook her head. "I'm sorry, Andy…it's too late for me…"

And with that, she stepped out of the cafe and into the now heavier snowfall outside, disappearing from view moments later. Her sister stood there, staring after her, her heart filled with longing and regret, and wondering what strange future fate had in store for her.