1963
1963
“Bellatrix dearest come here, Mr Dolohov, Lestrange and Malefoy wish to congratulate you.”
Bellatrix Black plastered a smile on her face and came to the little crowd with all the grace she could muster. She knew she could not allow herself to be wobbly or to let her smile falter. She was of the noble and most ancient house of Black : perfection was not a necessity, it was what she was made of.
She greeted the 3 men politely, her bow not too deep, the hand of her mother on her shoulder like an hawk’s claws. The older woman’s figure was tight and serious but she always wore an almost seductive smile that brung attention to her.
The three older men were speaking with Bellatrix’s father, wizards draped in expensive capes, in golden clothings of fine tissues. The four of them were smoking ciguares without a care for other people discomfort. Bellatrix payed attention to not let herself cought. They congratulated her while looking at her father. It was really him who was being congratulated. She was an after thought, not worth looking at more than half a second.
She felt her blood boiling for a moment, not really knowing why.
Maybe it was the feeling of not being seen. Mother would say it was not her role to be in the center of the attention. Her role was to stay aside and bat her lashes prettily. Mother would say such childish feelings were unbecoming of a Black. Bellatrix was 11 years old and yet she knew how to be worthy of the title. How to prevent what her mother called her out on her childish temperament.
Cygnus Black was talking to the three men and Bellatrix had difficulties to remember who they were. The blond one was a Malefoy, the blond hair were proof enough, maybe he was Lucius’ father, he looked old for that though. The other one had dark strands around a strong jawline, maybe an extended family member, she couldn’t remember ever meeting him. The third one had brown hair turning to gray where his beard started. She had to be better at remembering. She really had too. The incapicity to know their names was irritating her terribly.
Her father was a tall man with a lean complexion, face always closed, eyes always hollow. Bellatrix did her best to stand as straight as him, hoping to retain like he did an aura of calm strenght.
She admired her fathern his force, his neat clothes, his straight back, his strong words.
As for her mother, her young mind already pityied and found ridiculous the pathetic old woman. Her disdain did not stop the motherly hand to hurt her shoulder though, it never did. She did not stop smiling, not allowing the discomfort to show on her face.
"You have great luck to have such beautiful daughters.”
Said the old man, Dolohov, Dolohov was his name. His voice seemed as slow as his languishing mind.
Cignus Black smiled politly, not looking back at Bellatrix who was hoping for a glimpse of his attention.
“I do. I do. That’s what purity of blood gift you.”
Mr.Malefoy nodded firmly, sipping on a red wine in a crystal glass.
“Toujours pur.”
The blond said with a rather bad French accent that almost made Bellatrix snicker. He continued:
“Pretty things are they not? Your younger one particulary is a sight to the eye. A gracefull creature whom already understand her the meaning of being of the 28 pureblood families.”
Cignus allowed himself a satisfied smile and looked at his youngest with a proud look.
Bellatrix felt a violent pang of jealousy. Her sister was talking with their cousin on the other side of the room and Bellatrix, whom a second before only wanted to join them and be free of adults, suddendly felt bitter toward her sweet, pure, perfect sister. Six years old and already winning the attention of everyone without even fighting for it.
“And she is such a good friend to my son.”
Continued Malefoy.
The smile of Cygnus fell at this sentence and Bellatrix saw the way it came back only in facade, a dangerous curve. (She had often seen it, that dangerous grimace, directed to her)
She understood something was happening but she couldn’t grasp WHAT was happening exactly. It made her angry. She was great at this, better than Andromeda and Narcissa. And yet she could not understand. Not matter how used she was to whispers and lies and meaningfull looks she could not understand. She was still not enough.
“Yes it is indeed great.”
Said Bellatrix mother with a big smile. The eyes of Cygnus narrowed. His hand took his wife’s harm in a loving embrace that seemed to make her go stiff. Bellatrix felt the pression on her own shoulder leave and her mother sent her a gaze she did understood. It was time for her to let the adults talk.
She went away, lingering for a second, hoping to hear a bit of the conversations.
“Bella!?”
A litle hand grabed her elbow and she turned to see her little cousin Sirius. His blue eyes were looking at her with all the wonder in the world. She felt the dark thing that clung her heart release it graps a little.
“Sirius? What do you want?”
He smiled, brown hair around his sweet childish face.
“Is that true that you are going to Hogwart this year?”
She hesitated. She should probably have gone toward other adults to be congratulated, or to other pureblood of her age she could charm, or whatever her mother had asked her to do which she had not understood. She didn’t. Instead she answered, crouching on herself to be to her little cousin height.
“Well yes.”
“That’s so cool! I want to go there too!”
She smiled fondly and ruffled his hair.
“Of course Sirius. You will even have a party like this one just before you go.”
His eyes went wide:
“Really? I’ll have a party? Just for me ?”
“Mmh.” She nodded vaguely.
He started bouncing on his feet with exitation.
“A party! A party!” He started chanting.
Bellatrix eyed the other adults around them to see if they weren’t seeing the overeager attitude of her little cousin. One could deem it unbecoming of a Black. She was ready to tell him to stop harshly but saw the way he looked at her and could not bring herself to do so. After all nobody had seem to see him.
“Calm down little one.”
She ruffled his hair again and he grumbled.
“You know when I will come back for the holidays I will teach you what I learnt.”
I went back to bouncing exitedly.
“Really? That so cool Bella!”
Then his little face became really serious. (HA)
“But aren’t we not allowed to practice magic before a certain age.”
She snickered.
“We’re pureblood Sirius we can do whatever. And anyways the rule only stand in front of filthy muggles.”
He smiled.
“Really? You think I could teach Reggie too when he is older ?
“Yeah, yeah of course. Where is he anyway?” She pouted, a little bit disapointed that her little little cousin was not there for HER party for her first year in Hogwart.
“Mom said we couldn’t bring him because he is little.”
The little boy answered.
“You know he is soooo little! Like a little little man!”
She laughted a little.
“Really?”
“Yeah! And now he can stand!”
Bellatrix gathered herself and tried to speak with the superior tone adults took when they talked to children.
“That’s great that you and your brother are getting along.”
The boy nodded hastily.
“Yeah!”
Then tilted his head in shame.
“Well I didn’t really liked him at first.”
She gave a swift look around her to see where her father was.
“Oh yes? Why?”
“Because he took all mother and father attention. And just after he came mother was really angry always and dad kept calling her an acariatre mégère.”
He sais matteroffactly.
“But that’s not his fault. Mom is just like that sometimes.”
He concluded, rather maturely for a five years old. Or maybe it’s just that he said everything that went trough his head, who knew.
Bella did liked her little cousin. She had not had much occasion to see Regulus but Sirius was mostly great. When she was just a bit younger she had liked to play with him and her sisters. She had liked the way they looked upon her with delight and awe, as if she was some kind of all powerful, all knowing entity that would be able to protect them and teach them the best games.
Of course she didn’t play anymore she was too old for that really. She was going to Hogwart. She was not a kid anymore. She was basically an adult.
“TAG YOU’RE IT!”
Screamed Andromeda with glee, pushing Bellatrix then running away. Bellatrix stayed shocked and Sirius gigled before seeing her ragefull glance. He ran behind Andromeda steps, still laughting.
This was stupid children games.
She started running.
She tagged Narcissa whom laughted like a shirping bird and went to Lucius to touch his head by behind.
They all exited the big hall where all the adults where when one of them started screaming to stop running everywhere. That was not good, Bellatrix knew it. It didn’t stop her to race to the big garden of the manor, playing tags with her sisters, her cousin, Lucius and Avery Jr.
Her dress was restraining her movments and her stomach ached from too much laughter, she felt better then she had felt in a long time. (She kind of wanted to throw the robe though. Her mother scornfull gaze in her mind stopped her.)
“Bella! Bella! Save me!”
Cissa was against a tree and Avery was going towards her with a devilish smile, ready to tag her. They were both laughting behind their antics. Avery was a year older than Bellatrix and already had spent one year in Hogwart but he was also kind of stupid in Bellatrix opinion.
She ran in front of her sister and crossed her arms fiercly.
The other boy stopped, a bit astonished The second was one of too many because the moment after a ball of earth was thrown in his back and he started screaming at a defiant Andromeda. Forgetting about Bellatrix and Narcissa he started running after the middle child of their trios, Andromeda laughting like the devil herself, as fast as the wind. Andromeda had always been good at running.
“Thanks Bella!”
Said a little voice and her sister hugged her by the side. Bellatrix rolled her eyes but hugged her back. The girl then went back to running in the dark, light hair bouncing on her back as she giggled.
Bellatrix let herself fall against the tree for moment. She didn’t actually need a break : a Black did not need breaks but she did wanted to sit and think so that what she did. Pureblood did what they wanted to do. Anyway her mother often said she should think more ( she often saud it with a disapointed glance) so that’s probably what was the right thing to do.
The night was soft.
The manor’s lights were illuminating the garden. Green grass was properly cutted with magical exactitude. Some old trees were turning their branchs to the moon. Old as their family and just as strong liked to say her father. (in some years they would turn sick, their green and vibrant leefs rotting and their trunk falling appart.)
This was one of the five houses the Black possessed she knew it. She only had visited one of the other though and it was Grimmauld place. Sometimes in the secret of her mind she could confess she prefered Square Grimmaud. It was a bit smaller, a bit less silent and in the middle of a big mooving city. It was warmer, more dark place to hide in and less endless corridors for her voice to mindlessly echo on.
She wondered what her years in Hogwart would be like. She didn’t knew much other than what her parents had told her. It would be the best years of her life, a good occasion to make friends (and they always insisted on the word, Bellatrix knew what it meant, she had to build connections or something like her father did in night such as this one.) and to establish her purity (whatever that meant.) She already imagined herself in the green tie with really good grades to please her father. Even though sometimes at night she did have nightmares about her tie being blue or yellow, or worst : red. She had in fact stolen one of her father’s tie to learn how to tie it every day, to be prepared for it. It was a strange thing to do Andromeda always said. But Andromeda didn’t really understood anything so whatever.
“Bella Bella! They are coming!” Hushly screamed Sirius running toward her.
“What?”
“Narcissa and Lucius! They did an alliance!”
She got up and started running with him. She saw the blonds’ team coming toward them and ran faster, going where there was more trees to cover them. But the hunters were gaining ground. Hastily, she took her cousin arm and dragged him under a bush.
It was her secret place, a hiding. Under the leaves was a large space in a circular shape. They both put their hands on their mouths and tried to shut their panting as the blonds were searching around them. Sirius seemed really close to laughting so she sent a glare his way, eyes swinging dagger. She was not going to loose .
When finally the team seemed to get away they relaxed and started laughting. Tears were almost forming in the corner of their eyes and they couldn’t stop themselves. Everytime Bellatrix tried to go back to seriousness, another wave of hilarity swinged her over. They ended up lying on the ground, trying to catch their breath. (she did think vaguely to her mess up clothes. Her mother was going to kill them.) When they had calmed down Sirius took a look into the darkness around them.
“Oh waouh it’s so cool there!”
Bellatrix nodded and had a noncomitall hum to go with it.
“Bella?”
“Hum?” She answered, her mind drifting back to hogwart.
“I have a secret to tell you.”
Her dark eyes went back to her little cousin she couldn’t entirely see clearly in the shadows of the bush.
“Yes?”
He smiled and putted on a serious face, or at least tried to appear serious and solemn. (which he miserably failed at. He looked like he was constipated. Well knowing the little boy it might have been the goal.)
“You can’t say to anyone but I think you’re my favourite cousin.”
She smiled and ruffled his hair.