3

S&B

Bellatrix was the first to remove the chain from around her neck. They were standing in the same place that they had left only seconds earlier except…the house on top of the hill was gone. The grass was more unkempt almost touching their knees as they swayed to the whispering of the wind. All around them the vast green was now greener than they had left it. Sirius clutched the Time Turner and shoved it under his cloak as he began to walk around.

Before they could note any more differences, an unfamiliar sound in the distance sprung life into their ears. Bellatrix was slowly walking towards the end of the hill when Sirius called out to her.

"Bella! Can you hear that? Doesn't it sound like…" He trailed off when he saw her stop to look over the hill. She beckoned to him and he broke in a run. What met his eyes caught him by surprise as earlier there had been nothing, not one sound or inkling that there once had been.. a great wide sea.

"Merlins…" Sirius cursed under his breath. They were both met by a howling wind that came with the rushing tide. "Where did that come from? Where are we?

"I think….we're right where we left," Bellatrix said, "look, over there. Ships."

She was pointing towards the beach where the sea met the sand. Docked in the distance were a few ships and ones they had never seen before, neither did they look familiar in their time.

"How far back did we travel?" Sirius asked without looking away from the sea.

"I.. I'm not sure. I just give it a few turns and…" Bellatrix swallowed, "pretty far back, I expect."

"Look! Do you see them? There are people! Let's go closer." Sirius started down the hill towards the beach. Bellatrix hurried to grab his arm.

"Don't be silly, Sirius! We can't just appear to them—look at them. Look at us!"

"What do you mean? Don't tell me now you're afraid?" Sirius looked at her with a raised brow. Bellatrix frown and tightened her grip on him. "We've got magic, Bella. Remember?"

"I'm not afraid." She said through her teeth, "I'm afraid for them, you blithering fool. If we've traveled back in time, we obviously dress differently, and we don't know what these mug-people are."

"Yes. Yes, they are muggles. They must be." Sirius said curiously, "but there has to be magic too. I mean, it had to come from somewhere— what if we meet our ancestors? Bellatrix, we could be meeting the first of the Blacks! Come on!" He pulled his arm free from her grip and continued down the hill.

"Sirius!" Bellatrix hissed. Her face a contortion of fear and worry. Reluctantly, she followed behind her cousin holding her skirt with both hands as she scuttled down careful to avoid any rocks or uneven ground. "Sirius Black, I will use magic on you if you don't get back here!"

"As if that could scare me." Sirius responded with a laugh. He slowed down when the grass under his feet had started transitioning to grains of dark sand. They were still too far to be noticed by the people. Up ahead, there were piles of logs, some strewn as if thrown over by some great animal. Sirius took refuge behind one of them and knelt down turning to see how far his cousin went to follow him. She was already bending down walking towards him, following his positioning. The smile on his face irritated her. He watched her crouch next to him and turned back towards the sea. Bellatrix was leaning on the log when he gasped.

"What is it this time?" She whispered without turning to look.

"You won't believe it."

"Please, you couldn't sound any more stupid for a seventeen-year-old." She rolled her eyes as she said this.

"It's a castle, Bella! A castle!"

"A what?" Bellatrix nearly lost her breath from turning around so suddenly. It was an understatement to say that Sirius was right. It was a fortress. High stone walls surrounded most of the greens on the other side—as far as their eyes were concerned. Behind those walls, peering high above was a tower to what they could only assume was a great castle, every inch covered in black stone.

"Where the bloody hell are we?" Sirius could not contain his wonder. Bellatrix swallowed to replace the dryness that had quickly built up in her mouth. The pair of them held on to the trunk as if for dear life.

"I don't know, but I don't have a very good feeling about this place."

"Well, it is rather comforting to know that you actually do have feelings." Sirius said in a sarcastic jest.

Suddenly, Bellatrix put both her hands on his arm catching him by another great surprise.

"Sirius, let's go back! Come on, give me that Time Turner!"

"Am I correct to think that Bellatrix Black is succumbing to fear?" Sirius stared at her with amused eyes. Bellatrix didn't even flinch.

"I don't care what you think! I want to go back. Now. We don't know what these people could do when they find us, don't you understand?"

"Find who? Nobody knows who we are! We could be like…traveling merchants or whatever. Just make something up. I mean, you are the smart one."

"Merchants? Selling what? We're empty-handed, dimwit! We could be very well selling our bodies if they have to ask." Bellatrix spat and slapped the back of his head. Laughing, Sirius turned to lean back on the log to regain his composure. Bellatrix reached around his neck for the chain, but Sirius was quick to react and dodged away.

"No, no, no. Not so fast, cousin. This was your idea, wasn't it?" He was smirking now, a smirk Bellatrix had never been a recipient of. "And since you did so well to convince me that we must turn time, which I have to admit was really brilliant, I say let's finish it. I mean, I've got all—a very, very long time. With you, though…" He stopped at a loss of thought. Bellatrix closed her eyes hard, mentally cursing herself for the idea and sighed as she found herself staring back at her cousin in resignation.

"All right. All right." She said very slowly, "but if we get into any trouble at all… we're going back. All right?"

"Fine." Sirius said quickly. "Now, I spotted about three men in there. Think you could, do something to get them to get us inside?" He gave her a thoughtful smile. Bellatrix frowned and exhaled as she reached into her pocket for her wand.

"I was thinking more on the likes of…" Sirius trailed off eyeing her mischievously.

"Imperius curse." Bellatrix finished dejectedly. "Why can't you do it!"

"Because! You're-you're older! And much much much more experienced." Sirius remarked.

Bellatrix groaned, "I don't like the way you said that." Timidly pointing her wand to a man just at the shore, she whispered the curse and he immediately straightened up as though his spine had locked itself onto a plank. The other two men hadn't noticed as they were pulling in a rowboat with a rope. The cursed man spoke, unintelligible to Sirius or Bellatrix, and the two other men immediately dropped the rope and walked towards the entrance of the fortress. Its enormous doors ajar and unguarded.

"Let's go." Bellatrix instructed. Sirius stood first and they both hurried towards the tainted man. He turned to them with a rather lifeless expression on his face and led the way towards the fortress doors.

"What should we do when we get inside?" Sirius whispered. They were walking side by side behind the man. Bellatrix was silent for a while and then her eyes widened when an idea came to mind.

"Get rid of your robe. Quick. You'll need to look like my servant." She hissed quickly.

"But my wand—!"

"Give it to me. It'll fit in my pocket. Sirius, move fast!" Reluctantly, Sirius obeyed stripping his robe from around himself revealing a rather loose, white undershirt and chestnut trousers. Bellatrix took his robe and wand, waved it over the robe and shoved them both in her pocket without trouble.

"Hold it there, ser." The voice of another man beyond the gates made them stop in their tracks. Sirius stepped behind Bellatrix and bowed his head just as a man in thick leather armor appeared from within the gates. Sirius noticed a sword on his side. The man under the curse cleared his throat.

"She's been sent for the queen. Maid to the queen."

"Ah, the queen's maid. And him?"

"Blacksmith from the Stormlands."

The gave them both a sweeping look, nodded once then held one door of the grand gate open. Once again, wonder filled their eyes. Now they could see the black stone castle in clear view, and from where they stood they immediately recognized its facade having been accustomed to a such sight, albeit in its real form. The castle, like an armor, beheld the shape of a dragon.

Hi All, I realize this will be a very tricky story to pull through, but it's been on my mind for a while and I'm only too excited for the story to unfold, so any r&r's will really help me move further. Clarifications and corrections are very much welcomed. Thanks so much! :)