Bella
The four boys were sitting at the table, eating, when Peter and James, who were sitting across from Sirius and Remus, froze completely. The other two turned around, only to see a 14 year old girl standing there. Next to her was Malfoy, his two gorillas, a girl who looked almost identical to the 14 year old, just a year younger, and a beautiful blonde twelve year old girl. They had all Slytherin colors on them and the rest of the boy’s quickly understood that they were there for Sirius. The entire Gryffindor table was looking at them with interest. Even the Ravenclaws and Hufflepuffs were glancing over now and then. The teachers went on with their conversations but it was obvious that they were keeping an eye on everything that was happening. Sirius slowly stood up and tilted his head, once again looking like a confused puppy. The oldest girl smiled.
“Siri. Why don’t you come over and sit with us? I think you’ve had your fun already. It’s soon Christmas.”
Sirius straightened his head and shrugged.
“So what, Bella?”
Bellatrix took a step closer.
“You know what, Siri. You shouldn’t be doing this in the first place. It’s wrong. They will give you so many ideas. About us being the bad ones, about them wanting to help you, about mudbloods…”
“Don’t call them that.”
Sirius said it almost automatically and, behind him, James smirked. Bellatrix seemed to be shocked.
“What did you just say?”
Sirius hesitated. The inner conflict could be seen on his face as he kept his eyes on her. Then he lowered his head and sighed.
“You won’t tell?”
Bellatrix smiled softly.
“You know I won’t. You’re family. Come on. Sit with us.”
She linked arms with him but before she could drag him away, the three boys stood up. James leaned over the table and said with anger in his voice:
“Hey! Leave him alone.”
Bellatrix raised one eyebrow.
“Let me guess. Potter.”
He nodded while Sirius softly tugged at the girl’s arm.
“Come on Bella. Just leave him. Please.”
She pushed him towards Malfoy, who put an arm around his shoulders and pulled him close to the other slytherins. To the three gryffindors it was clear that it was not a friendly hug. Malfoy was making sure that Sirius stayed with him. Bellatrix went back to the table and faced James.
“Get lost, Potter. You don’t understand anything.”
“What is it I don’t understand? That you are a heartless bit…”
“James!”
Potter glanced over to Sirius, who now had something dangerous in his eyes. Remus grabbed James arm to calm him down but it didn’t seem to work. He got up on the bench and jumped over the table. Bellatrix smirked.
“What are you going to do, Potter? Hit me? Call me some more things?”
James drew his wand but before he could do anything, Sirius had moved in front of her. He looked at James with anger.
“Put your wand down.”
That ordering tone appeared in his voice again but James just glared at him. McGonagall and Slughorn were hurrying over to them when, suddenly, Remus stepped in between the two boys and pretty much growled:
“Stand down. Both of you. Sirius, we have potions in ten minutes so we better hurry up.”
Sirius glanced over to James, then to Peter, and stormed off in the end. Peter sighed and ran after him. James looked frustrated but grabbed his bag and went out too. Remus turned to Bellatrix.
“Stop messing with his head.”
He then turned away from her and followed James. About halfway to the dungeons, someone grabbed his arm. He spun around and was shocked to see Bellatrix. A very furious Bellatrix.
“What are you doing? Don’t you understand that he can’t hang out with you?”
The young werewolf frowned.
“Why? We are his friends.”
She let out an angry sigh.
“Yes. But at the end of the day, he’ll go back home to his parents. And they will not be happy to see him if he continues as he does.”
Remus looked around to make sure that they were alone and then asked quietly:
“So they abuse him?”
Bellatrix looked suddenly very uncomfortable.
“He wouldn’t call it abuse if you asked him.”
“I’m asking you.”
For a second she got an amused smirk on her face.
“You know, not many people dare to talk like that to me. I can see now, why Sirius actually listens to what you say.”
Remus shrugged.
“I just don’t like to take shit from others. However aristocratic they are.”
She nodded.
“I see. Well. As I said. Sirius wouldn’t call it abuse. He doesn’t see it as abuse. In his eyes, his father can do nothing wrong. Sirius has been beaten. Hurt. Almost tortured at a few points. But he will never admit to it.”
Remus frowned and looked around again. The hallway was still empty so he asked quietly:
“Why not?”
Bellatrix smiled softly.
“Ask him. He’ll tell you. Out of all of you, he seems to give you the most respekt. Just tell him these words: Look how low the mighty Black has fallen. Tell him I told you. He can’t ever be too mad at me.”
Remus tilted his head.
“What’s that supposed to mean?”
The girl just shook her head.
“Ask him. I have to go. I shouldn’t be seen with mudbloods.”
She started to walk away but then stopped and looked back to Remus.
“If he decides to stay with you, take good care of him. Sirius isn’t like the rest of our family. Just keep an eye on him.”
He nodded.
“We will.”
Bellatrix smiled and went away. Remus looked around and frowned. A second later, James appeared from behind the corner.
“I heard everything.”
The young werewolf nodded.
“I guessed that.”
They stood in silence for a few seconds. Then James sighed.
“I think it will be better if you talk to him. I have a feeling that he is mad at me right now.”
Remus raised one eyebrow.
“Nah. I doubt you two can be really mad at each other. Just talk to him.”
James hesitated but nodded and they started to walk towards the dungeons. Outside the classroom stood their class. Sirius and Peter were standing a bit away from them. Sirius looked positively furious but it didn’t seem to bother Peter. The short boy stood with his arms crossed and a frown. When they came closer, they heard what Sirius was ranting about.
“It’s not like it’s my fault. They are my family! I can’t just leave them. It’s not like I have so many other choices. And they aren’t that bad. Mother screams sometimes and father beats me up but it’s not like it’s that unusual. I’m guessing that only a few of the kids in Hogwarts haven’t been beaten up. It’s not like they are abusing me. It’s for my own best.”
Peter sighed.
“Just drop it Sirius. James won’t understand. He’s from a different home.”
Sirius closed his eyes.
“I just… I can’t believe he was going to call her… that.”
James dropped his head a bit. Then he went over to Sirius and smiled.
“Sirius?”
The Black spun around to face him.
“What?”
“I’m sorry.”
For a second, Sirius looked completely confused. Then he frowned.
“You’re sorry?”
James nodded.
“Yeah. I was way out of line. They are your family, mate. I had no right to try to call her that. Are you very mad?”
Sirius raised one eyebrow and then smirked.
“Nah. We’re good. Just don’t do it again.”
James smirked back at him.
“I won’t.”
Then he glanced to the rest of the class and he got an evil glint in his eyes.
“Look there.”
Sirius turned around and something dangerous appeared in his eyes. Next to them, Remus and Peter sighed. They knew what was coming.
“Snivellus.”
Sirius looked around with a grin but it disappeared when he noticed the girls.
“Nope. Not here. Evans.”
James frowned.
“So what?”
Both Sirius and Remus rolled their eyes.
“You want her to like you or not? It won’t work if you keep attacking her best friend.”
James just shook his head.
“It’s not like that. He’s a slytherin. I’m just making her realize that.”
Then he drew his wand and started to walk towards the slytherins. Sirius sighed but followed just a step behind. He didn’t draw his wand but, as they all knew by this time, he didn’t need it.
The clip ended and Harry turned to Sirius.
“You and dad attacked Snape? Without any reason?”
Sirius sighed.
“I’m not saying that I’m proud of what we did but I’m also not going to make up excuses for us. What we did to Snape in school was horrible. At least the things we did when we were younger. He didn’t have the same knowledge as James or the training that I had gotten at home. But James was set on making his life a living hell only because Lily liked Snape more than James. And I couldn’t just let him get in trouble alone.”
“But not all of it was Potter’s ideas.”
Snape’s voice was angry and Sirius briefly closed his eyes and shook his head.
“No. Not all of it. Not later on. That one was on me, and me only. When we came back… I actually thought that James and Peter would kill me. And then Remus came back and refused to talk to me. It served me right. I could have turned into a killer that night. Serial killer since Remus would most probably be executed for killing you.”
Remus snorted.
“Trust me, Black, if I had killed him, you would be the second body they found that night.”
Sirius just nodded, accepting that. Molly opened her mouth to say something but quieted when Snape spoke up again.
“One more thing, Black. Was that Bellatrix?”
Sirius nodded.
“Bellatrix Lestrange?”
He nodded again. And finally, Molly got to speak.
“That crazy witch?”
Something in Sirius face changed. He got cold and they were all struck with how much he looked like his father.
“Bella is not crazy.”
His voice was low and dangerous. Molly’s eyes widened.
“Not crazy? Don’t you remember Alice and Frank?! How she tortured them until they lost their minds?!”
Sirius flew up from his seat.
“Don’t you dare saying anything about her. It wasn’t her fault.”
Molly stood up too.
“Not her fault?! So she wasn’t the one that cast the crucio?! She wasn’t the one that held the wand?! Oh, maybe you will try to tell me that she was under an imperius?!”
Suddenly, Sirius made a slashing gesture and Snape fell onto the floor. His eyes were full of pain and he was shaking. A few seconds later it all stopped. Snape was looking at Sirius with wide eyes while the Black stepped closer to Molly. The woman took a step back and stopped when she hit the table.
“You better watch your mouth in this house, Molly. Not everything that the news said about me back then was lies. And in here I can do whatever I want without the Ministry knowing.”
He then turned to Remus who had now stood up.
“Don’t say anything, Remus. I’m tired of this. This is my house. You are here only because I’m allowing it. And still, you treat me like a prisoner. Even you.”
Then, before anyone said anything, he turned to Snape, who was now sitting in his chair again.
“I’m sorry about that. But, excluding me, you are most probably the only one in here that wouldn’t make a bit scene of a small cruciatus.”
To everyone’s surprise, Snape just nodded. Sirius sat down again and seemed to actually relax. He glanced over to a big mirror that was hanging on one of the walls and snorted.
“Don’t look so satisfied.”
They all turned to the mirror and noticed with shock that it wasn’t a mirror at all. It was a painting, painted so perfectly that it looked almost as if it mirrored the kitchen. They had all thought that they couldn’t see each other in it because it was enchanted in some way but now they understood. On the painting was Orion Black. He was smiling at Sirius and some of them felt chills go up their spines when they saw that smile.
“You’re finally starting to act like a Black.
Sirius rolled his eyes.
“Just shut up. It’s enough that I have to deal with mother dearest on a daily basis. I don’t need you ruining my life too.. Remus. Why don’t you play the next one? I think we all agree that it is the best plan right now.”
Remus, completely shocked, just waved his hand towards the wall.