Chapter 1
The young woman entered the study, where her father was already waiting.
“Sit!” Cygnus barked, his voice laced with anger. Bellatrix obeyed without a word, not daring to provoke him further. He picked up one of the papers lying in front of him.
“September third, dearest Bellatrix,” he began, his tone harsh as he started reading aloud. Bellatrix’s eyes widened in disbelief and shock. How had he gotten his hands on these?
“Father, I—”
“Quiet!” he snapped, cutting her off. She lowered her head as he continued reading.
“It’s only been a day since we last met, but I already miss you deeply. I miss the smile on your lips, the blush on your cheeks, your lips on mine.”
He dropped the paper and picked up another.
“September nineteenth, my beloved Bellatrix.”
This time, she did not dare to interrupt.
“The evening on the Astronomy Tower was the most beautiful experience we could have shared. Thank you for that incredible birthday gift. You truly are the best girlfriend imaginable.”
The second letter was set aside, but Cygnus was not finished. He picked up another letter, then another, and another. Each one was a personal confession, a testament to a relationship Bellatrix had never intended her father to uncover. As he read, she shrank smaller in her chair, her discomfort growing with each word. Cygnus, meanwhile, grew more furious, his anger palpable in the silence that filled the room.
By the time he finished, Bellatrix had resigned herself to the inevitable. She didn’t expect to walk out of this room on her own. But to her surprise, there was no wand pointed at her, no curse awaiting her. Instead, her father looked at her with a mixture of fury and disappointment.
“Explain yourself!” he spat.
“I… I…” Bellatrix stammered, the words failing her. Fear gripped her, and her mind raced, but she could not think straight.
“Do I really need to remind you what happened to your uncle?” he snarled, each word dripping with venom.
“No,” Bellatrix whispered, her voice barely audible.
“You will end this,” he pointed at the letters, “as soon as school begins again. Do you understand?”
She nodded, unable to form any words. Then, as she had anticipated, the curse came. The pain coursed through her body with such intensity, it threatened to overwhelm her. She bit back a scream, and as the pain ended she focused all the strength she had left to answer in a strained whisper.
“Yes, Father.”
He stood behind his desk, towering over her, his gaze cold and unyielding.
“Say it,” he demanded, his voice low but full of authority. Bellatrix knew exactly what he meant.
“To… Toujours Pur.”
The room seemed to freeze as the words left her lips, a cold weight settling in her chest. They sounded hollow, meaningless in the face of the pain they had caused and the life they dictated. Her father’s gaze softened for the briefest of moments, but the coldness soon returned.
“Again,” he ordered, his voice a growl.
Bellatrix hesitated, the weight of the moment pressing on her. But she forced herself to speak, the words tasting bitter as they left her mouth.
“Toujours Pur.”
The tension in the room was almost unbearable as Cygnus nodded, his satisfaction evident. He straightened, his posture rigid as ever, and surveyed her with a chilling finality.
“Good. That is the only truth you need to remember,” he said, his tone now dangerously calm. “Do not disgrace our name again, Bellatrix. You may leave now.”