Infatuation

Bellatrix's obsession did not fade as time went by. No, it merely intensified by billions. She caught herself dreaming of him and the brief kiss he had given her hands every day. Often, she could not concentrate on any conversations attempted with her, and events hosted by the Black family or other pureblooded families were spent watching or attempting to find Rodolphus Lestrange.

He was so incredibly mysterious. She felt as though she knew so much of him, but she knew very little. He loved to examine paintings, had recently moved to their town, and had spent a summer with an uncle. She planned to build on that...eventually.

She looked back on the dinner party her mother had hosted with a joyful smile. She had been so eager and willing to speak with him then, without an ounce of worry or self-consciousness. However, now, she could hardly think of him without growing tongue-tied and earning color to her pale white cheeks.

Her lessons of proper etiquette continued, and those were the only times she managed to keep her mind off Rodolphus for a while. She wanted to impress him with how incredibly well-mannered and womanly she could be. And if doing that meant paying attention during lessons and walking just the right way, she'd do it.

She was eleven now, and it was in the midst of a hot summer's afternoon. She was sitting in a squishy armchair, dreaming fondly of the time when she would go to Hogwarts. The letter had already been received and her books collected.

Andromeda and Narcissa had grown quite a bit. Narcissa had begun her lessons not long ago and was becoming more and more like her eldest sister every day.

Andromeda, however, was more playful and unwilling to learn. She'd been aggravating and frustrating, and still didn't have most the drills in her head. It was slightly disappointing, but she brought life to the Black family, a life that had been drained from them with their obsession to be perfect.

"Bellatrix? Bellatrix, are you listening to me?" Holly scolded from her place across the room.

"Of course, Mum," Bellatrix replied, though she hadn't been paying attention at all.

"Good. As I was saying, when you greet a pureblooded man who visits our home, it isn't with a bobble of your head or a wild grin. It's with a curtsy. Show me your curtsies, dears," Holly continued, and Bellatrix stood up gracefully from the chair and performed a curtsy she had perfected over time.

As she sat back down, her thoughts drifted to the train ride. She imagined herself riding in Rodolphus's compartment, chatting with him while he ignored anybody and everything but her. And then of course, they would be the best of friends!

"Bellatrix!" snapped Holly again, waving her elegant hand in front of her daughter's face.

"I think I need to lie down. I'm feeling ill," Bellatrix lied to her mother. She wanted more time to think about Rodolphus. Sad and pitiful, but she couldn't concentrate.

"I'll have a house elf send you some soup in a bit," Holly assured her, and Bellatrix nodded.

Hopping off her seat, she hurried up to her bedroom and sat in front of her vanity. She stared at herself once more, imagining Rodolphus to be sitting beside her.

She quietly ran a hand through her hair, which had already become tangled since her bath this morning.

Hogwarts was still three weeks away, and it seemed like an eternity to someone obsessed with Rodolphus .

Ever since Rodolphus had told her that he had read a book on Hogwarts, she had looked at all the ones she could and read them all. She had memorized nearly everything there was to know about the prestigious boarding school.

When the day came to leave for the train station, she woke far too early and began running a brush sloppily through her hair.

They were supposed to dress in Muggle clothing for King's Cross, but Holly insisted that no Black would stoop so low, so Bellatrix had dressed in elegant green robes. They were surprisingly comfortable along with being fairly nice-looking.

"Bella! Come eat breakfast!" called Holly through the Manor well after the sun had risen.

Bellatrix flopped from her seat and hurried downstairs to the kitchen. She ate very little for breakfast. Her nerves were so jittery she could barely stay calm.

Her mother herded the three girls to the fireplace, handing them each a handful of Floo Powder. Bellatrix stepped up first, tossing the powder into the intricately carved fireplace and stepping into it.

"Diagon Alley!" she called clearly into it, having done this quite a few times.

The next thing she knew, she was tumbling outside a fireplace and the busy building of Flourish and Blott's was in view right in front of her. She brushed the soot off her robes, waiting impatiently for her sisters and mother to arrive.

In turn, they each did, tumbling out of the fireplace with the exception of Holly, who managed to carefully step out, with less soot than the rest of them.

Holly led them down the cobblestone streets and to a large shop near the end of the street. She stepped inside and the three girls hurried in after her, examining the shop.

"We need a ride in one of those Muggle contraptions to King's Cross." Holly grumbled irritably and the plump man behind the counter nodded, handing her a ticket. She handed him a few coins and led her daughters to the back, where the oddest things were waiting for them.

"Mother, is that what we'll be riding in?" Bellatrix asked, looking at the four-wheeled mobile contraption that looked to be able to fit all of them inside it.

"Yes. It's a terrible way to travel, but we have to be inconspicuous to the Muggles. They're called cars." Holly explained as one of the black vehicles moved over to them, stopping.

A man got out of it through a door in the front, opening the back door for them.

"Welcome! I'm Randy, I'll be your driver this afternoon. These cars have been approved by the Ministry and belong to the Transportation Company," Randy explained in a tough-to-decipher Irish accent. The three girls boarded in the back of the car, and Holly slipped into the front seat.

Bellatrix thoroughly explored the car's insides as they traveled until she got tired of it. Eventually, the car came to a steady stop.

"Come, girls," Holly ordered. The three girls quickly got out of the car and followed their mother to the train station. Randy herded along her trunk and the cage of her owl.

In turn, they crossed through the barrier between nine and ten, doing a very good job at not seeming noticeable.

Bellatrix handed off her things to the luggage compartment worker, who quickly headed off to put them in their proper places. With a pop, Remulus appeared next to Holly and promptly kissed her cheek hello.

"I'll come home for Christmas break. And I'll write," Bellatrix told them, hugging her mother and each of her sisters.

Lastly, she moved to her father, hugging him. Behind him, she could see a familiar set of adults with a very handsome young son who shook the man's hand and then nodded to the woman. It was Rodolphus.

"Goodbye, dear," Holly said as Bellatrix finally let go of her father, waving to her family before boarding the train and glancing around.

This was going to be weird. She'd have to find friends and hopefully be in the same house and classes as Rodolphus. Slowly, she walked, stalling for until Rodolphus got on.

When he boarded behind her, she turned and grinned at him. Finally!

"Afternoon, Rodolphus!" she called cheerily, and he nodded his head.

"Good afternoon, Miss Black," he said politely, brushing past her and boarding a compartment. She hurried in after him, seating herself across from him.

"So, how did you and your parents get here?" she asked him, tilting her head and attempting miserably to be flirtatious.

"Drove in one of the Muggle automobiles," Rodolphus explained, looking out the window. His parents were already gone, but Bellatrix's parents were on the platform, searching the windows for her face.

The door slid open, and both the children turned to see who it was. Lucius Malfoy stood in all his glory, swaggering in and sitting down.

"Lestrange. Black," he greeted them, a smirk settling onto his features.

Bellatrix didn't respond. Before long, Rodolphus and Lucius had leapt into conversation about Quidditch strategies.

She was rather bored the rest of the ride, watching the two (mainly Rodolphus) talk about Quidditch. Lucius seemed very competitive, probably because, according to her parents, the Lestranges were slowly climbing the blocks to get where the Malfoy family was. Where they could buy their way to anything.

At last, the train came to a stop Bellatrix was already in her robes, merely pulling off the bottle green cloak and hanging it over her shoulder.

As they got off the train, she followed a rogue and rough voice, which she matched to a man who looked to be as large as a giant. She groaned softly. Half-breeds had not been mentioned in the Hogwarts book.

"Firs' years!" called the giant man. Bellatrix followed his voice, making sure to keep close to Rodolphus as they were led to a giant group of boats floating in a large lake.

She followed Rodolphus to an empty one, Lucius boarding with them plus a petite blonde girl.

Once they arrived across the lake, they were lead up to the castle and into a corridor with the large man until he left, leaving them with a tall, uptight, skinny woman wearing a very pointed hat.

She explained to them things Bellatrix already knew. They had four houses which they would compete with for the House Cup. She sighed, tuning her out and examining the rather intricate and exquisite paintings on the wall.

Finally, the Sorting Hat was revealed to them on a rickety and unsteady looking stool in the front of the Hall. Bellatrix was called fairly early, since her name was early in the alphabet.

She sat uncertainly on the stool, afraid it would break, though she was rather lightweight, so maybe she had the opportunity to survive. The hat easily fell over her eyes, but she pushed it back so she could see the expecting crowd. A hat over one's eyes looked tacky.

"Choose the right path when you are older," the hat said into her ear, and Bellatrix raised a curious eyebrow to it, though knew it could not see. "SLYTHERIN!"

With excitement, she gave the hat back to the spindly looking professor and sauntered to the Slytherin table, amidst loud cheers. Smiling, she took her seat among the older students, being the first one to have been sorted into Slytherin.

She waited patiently and expectantly as the other students were sorted. Slytherin gained one in the D's, and then another in the G's. Two came along, twins, in the H's, and then none until a bit later.

Bellatrix felt tension run through her as Rodolphus was called to the stage. She grinned in spite of herself as he sat on the chair, pushing back the hat as almost everyone had done since she had done so as well. She felt slightly disappointed that he did not even look to her, but watched as the hat seemed to contemplate.

"SLYTHERIN!" the hat rang out, and Bellatrix broke into wild applause, resisting the urge to stand up. He sat beside one of the twins, looking smug.

Lucius Malfoy joined the Slytherins, amidst applause from everyone but her. To think she'd be marrying him quite possibly in seven years.

He sat beside her, looking twice as smug as Rodolphus as he glanced around the room, seeming to plan how he would make the Slytherin house grow to worship him.

"Scheming?" Bellatrix sneered at him, and he tossed a smirk at her, though did not answer. She glared at him for a moment before turning back to her plate.

The feast had been magnificent. It was equally good, if not better, than dinner back at home. House elves simply had to have made it because the foul creatures really were excellent cooks.

At last, a tall prat led them to the Common Room, explaining to them the dormitory arrangement smugly before heading off up the boy's staircases. Bellatrix took a seat on one of the couches, feeling rather full and somewhat sick because of all the food she'd stuffed in.

A girl with golden blonde hair flopped down beside her, brushing tangled strands behind her ear before turning to Bellatrix.

"Hi," the girl greeted, her voice muffled by tiredness and seeming ly out of energy. Or she could just usually be like that, Bellatrix couldn't be certain.

"Hello," Bellatrix replied, careful to remain collected despite her lack of energy. "Bellatrix Black." She held out a hand to the girl.

"Yvonne Statemore," the girl told her, shaking Bellatrix's hand and smiling lightly. "You're a first year here, aren't you?"

"Yes. You?" Bellatrix asked, unable to remember if this girl had been sorted into their house or not.

"Second, actually," Yvonne replied, taking her hand back and setting it into her lap.

"Oh," Bellatrix said, for lack of better words. The girl was small, smaller than Bellatrix, and a year older.

"I've heard about your family. Have you got a brother, Sirius?" Yvonne asked, tilting her head of blonde hair to the side.

"No, he's my cousin. I've got two younger sisters," Bellatrix explained. Sirius was a giddy, hyper child who was annoying to her anyway.

"Oh! Well, Mother attended your Christmas ball last year. I had to visit an aunt in Egypt, but she said your manor's beautiful," Yvonne continued, smiling brightly.

"Thank you," Bellatrix replied, brushing her hair off her shoulder.

"I'm off to bed. See you," Yvonne waved, getting up and sauntering up to her dorm.

Bellatrix followedquickly getting into her bed and falling asleep moments after her head hit the pillow.

The next morning, Bellatrix woke to see three girls in the dorm, sitting up in their beds and chatting. She sat up, examining them for a moment before they turned to her.

"Morning! I'm Diana Till, and this is Jane Stevens, and she's Barbara Hailo." One girl piped up, showing each girl in turn before flopping her dark brown hair over her shoulder. Jane Stevens grinned lightly, while Barbara Hailo stared, emotionless, at Bellatrix.

"Morning..." Bellatrix said quietly, getting up and walking over to her trunk. She opened it and searched for a pair of decent robes to wear.

"What's your name?" Diana Till asked in a high-pitched tone that was very annoying to Bellatrix's ears.

"Bellatrix Black," she muttered, pulling out an outfit for the day.

"Oh! I've heard all about you!" Diana squealed, a giddy grin on her face.

"Oh," Bellatrix replied, doing her best not to glare at Diana. She was just like Narcissa. Which was sad, because Narcissa was three years younger than she was.

She quickly slipped into the shower and back out, dressing and running a comb quickly through her hair before pulling all of it back into a ponytail. She managed to avoid her roommates as she slipped into the Common Room, only to see it packed with students.

Yvonne was among them and she walked over to Bellatrix with the same smile on her face. She looked just as she had the night before, merely with different robes on.

"Have you seen the grounds?" Yvonne asked once she reached her.

"No," Bellatrix replied simply, her attention focused on finding Rodolphus within the crowd.

"They're wonderful! Come, you must see them!" Yvonne cried, grabbing Bellatrix's arms just as her eyes locked on Rodolphus in the corner.

She was obligated to comply as Yvonne led her outside.

"Wow..." Bellatrix breathed, leaning against a pole. The grounds really were magnificent. There was a giant lake, docks, a beautiful garden, some hut off in the distance, a forest (which Dumbledore had told them was off limits) and several other beautiful areas around them.

"You like it?" Yvonne asked, tilting her head slightly.

"Yeah. It's wonderful," Bellatrix replied, just as a voice sounded behind them.

"Hello, Yvonne!" called the voice, and Bellatrix turned to see a boy with well-groomed black hair and a tan complexion.

"Hey, Jackson," Yvonne replied, turning to Bellatrix. "This is Jackson Reynolds," She told the other girl, waving her arm to the boy. "Jackson, this is Bellatrix Black."

"Pleased to meet you," Jackson began, holding out a hand to Bellatrix. She placed her own in his and he brought it to his lips, briefly brushing them across her fingers.

"Jackson's in second year too," Yvonne explained, and Bellatrix nodded simply.

"Yeah, I remember seeing you last night," Jackson pointed out with a brief smile. "So have you shown her the gardens yet, Yvonne?" he asked.

"No. Want to see them, Bella?" Yvonne asked, and Bellatrix raised an eyebrow at the nickname. Of course, her little sisters called her Bella, but she didn't really mind with them.

"Sure," Bellatrix replied, only to have her am snatched by Yvonne again. Jackson kept up with them as Yvonne led them to the gardens.

"Aren't they wonderful?" Yvonne gasped once they reached their destination, heading down the path at a regular pace.

"We've got gardens back home. They're not quite as full as this. Mother has certain restriction on which flowers to attain," Bellatrix explained as they walked further down the path, flowers of different colors engulfing them at every angle.

"You know, you don't act at all like a first year," Jackson stated bluntly as they continued on.

"I don't?" Bellatrix asked, reminded vividly of her squealing roommates. All but Barbara, who hadn't said a word.

"No. Most of them are more hyper. I s'pose it's what family you come from," Jackson continued with a shrug, his hands held behind his back.

"I've never noticed..." she said, though of course she had. Since her young years, she'd been raised to act as such.

"Well, you do," Jackson finished, shrugging again.

That day marked the beginning of Bellatrix's first friends in the school.