Until Death Puts Us Apart

He didn't like the idea of being back in the house at all. He had sworn to himself he would not put his feet in that place again. He did not like breaking oaths. Less when they were a door to the past he wished to forget. Yes, he wished to forget. However he tried he could never forget. It was hilarious that the memories of the best and worst moments of his life were so similar. It was contradictory. He did not wish to enter there. It was unavoidable. He was strong. He had faced all kind of things. He should be able to face his own memories. But he could not. He could not dispel that smell invading his nostrils. A rotten smell impregnating his soul. That smell represented all of them. It was all that remained - a smirk passed by his lips. But why did she have to be part of them too? Her. Everything reminded him of her.

"It's mine, Sirius, give it to me!" a little girl shouted, as she punched her cousin. Her black ponytail was already messy because she had jumped so much.

"Is it? So come on and take it," he provoked, shaking the plush unicorn over his head, where she could not reach.

"I'm going to tell mom!"

"Do it. It doesn't scare me."

"You prat!" She went towards him trying to climb up on his shoulders to reach the toy. They both fell to the floor of the stone stairs where they stood.

"I'll give it to you with one condition," he said with a naughty grin, as she stared at him furiously.

"Tell me quickly and give it to me!" Although they were on the floor she could not reach his hand.

"Settle down... I'll give it to you, but only if you kiss me."

He did not wish to be back there. He did not wish it because he hated that place. He hated it with all his strengths. He could not stand the fact that she was part of it, or that she chose that disgusting and selfish life. Yes, living your life taking off other people's lives was selfish. He wished he could at least understand what she thought, and why she had made that choice. It could be pride. Yes, her pride was bigger than everything. She was able to oppose her own wishes on pride's behalf. Damn pride! He should have foreseen it. She had always thought only of herself. She could not change so suddenly... However he wished... However he tried....

"Merry Christmas, Bella!" He had an innocent smile on his face, but everybody knew Sirius Black and innocent smiles didn't match.

"Merry Christmas, huh? You can't lie to me, Sirius. What are you up to," she said, raising her eyebrows.

"Nothing. I'm only wishing a merry Christmas to my dear cousin," he declared in his best convincing tone. "Look, I have a gift for you."

"Hum...." she moaned, taking the little colourful box he had taken from his cloak, "if it is a prank you will be sorry."

"It isn't, you will see." But less than a second after he finished talking the box exploded in her face, getting her clothes and face dirty with ashes.

"STUPID! LOOK AT WHAT YOU'VE DONE!" She started beating him with what remained from the pack, her red face covered with ashes.

"Hey, wait a minute! Who said I was talking about this gift," he said, holding her wrists pointing to the floor.

"What do you mean?"

"This...." He took advantage of his position and pulled her against him, and before she could react they were kissing.

It was the first time he had seen her weaken. He could feel her lips. They felt so good. He, the only person who could cross the barrier that was around Bellatrix. He was the only one who had some power over her; or at least it was what he thought.

He wished she hadn't been so selfish; he wished she had thought twice about it. But that was past; she had already spoiled their lives and nothing could be done. She wasn't happy, of that he was sure. Happiness wasn't important, not for her. If it was, she would have accepted his proposal and nothing would have happened. Nothing bad would have happened. They would only be themselves and nobody would spoil it. He would not have to go through this. Everything would be different.

"Bella," he whispered, caressing her dark soft-as-velvet hair.

"Hum," she said in a muffled voice, her head leaning on his naked chest.

"Do you wanna marry me?" His voice failed a little when he said it, but he recovered his control, his fingers massaging her neck.

"Sirius, I...." She moved away from his reach, sitting in the bed.

"What happened?" He sat down too, putting one of her hands between his. She was trembling. "Look at me."

"I... I can't, Sirius, I can't...." She raised her face. A tear slid down from her eyes.

"Why, Bella? Don't you love me?"

The only time he had seen her crying. Maybe the only time she had cried; he didn't know. Bellatrix Black didn't cry, without a doubt. A whole continent wasn't afraid of her for nothing. That stupid pride was the cause of all the things which happened. She had denied herself. She had denied her own heart. How did she put up with it? How? She was cool in everything: love, friendship, pain, feelings, uncertainness. Uncertainness. Bellatrix Black had been drowning in a sea of uncertainness, but she had been saved. She had been saved by the wrong boat. What she'd thought was her salvation, actually was her ruin. She was never the same. Bellatrix Black died on the day she refused his proposal. Since then there was only Bellatrix Lestrange, a Bellatrix who denied the love she had once known.

"Hmm... Don't stop," she whispered, opening her eyes.

"Heh, we have all the time of the world...."

"You are crazy."

"I love you."

"Forever?"

"For all the days of my life... until death puts us apart."

"For all the days... of my life... heh!" He was right. He would love her for all the days of his life. He would give up everything for her. Anything; all she hadn't been able to do for him.

He dropped himself on the dusty sofa, hiding one hand in his tangled hair and the other on a soft thing dropped next to his head. A plush unicorn.

"Yeah, Bella... Until death puts us apart."