Rating:
PG-13
House:
The Dark Arts
Characters:
Bellatrix Lestrange Sirius Black
Genres:
Drama Humor
Era:
Multiple Eras
Spoilers:
Order of the Phoenix
Stats:
Published: 09/19/2004
Updated: 09/19/2004
Words: 3,691
Chapters: 1
Hits: 1,131

Bellatrix's Wedding

Ocelot

Story Summary:
July 1972: The summer after his first year at Hogwarts, Sirius is forced by his parents to attend Bellatrix's wedding to Rodolphus Lestrange. Bellatrix and Rodolphus have just graduated Hogwarts, so they invite their school gang, including Snape. Sirius's whole family is there, including his kindly cousin Andromeda and wonderful uncle Alphard. But there's something afoot with the bride and groom and their entourage...

Posted:
09/19/2004
Hits:
1,131
Author's Note:
For background on Sirius's family as I imagined it, you really should read my story "A Lesson For Sirius" before reading this fic.


Bellatrix's Wedding

It was the last day of the summer term, and the four Marauders were sitting around the Gryffindor Common room for their last few hours as Hogwarts first years.

"Just when I thought my parents had run out of new ways to make my life miserable," Sirius groaned, "I find out that we're going to Bellatrix's wedding at the end of July."

"Bellatrix's wedding?" asked James. "But she's just finishing her seventh year!"

"She and Rodolphus Lestrange have been engaged since last summer," said Sirius. "I thought you knew."

"Blimey!" exclaimed James. "I thought he must've knocked her up or something--"

"Merlin forbid," Sirius said with his short, bark-like laugh. "A child those two produced--even Hagrid wouldn't touch something that foul."

"Now, come on," said Remus. "Look at your parents. You don't believe that garbage about blood being destiny and breeding being worth, do you? Even the Gruesome Twosome might have a great kid, like you."

"Whatever," said Sirius, "the fact is that not only am I stuck all summer with the usual suspects and Home Sweet Horrible, I have to go to the wedding with the entire Noble and Most Ancient House of Black. That means Pissy Cissy--"

"More like Kissy Cissy," Peter snickered. "That girl does nothing but follow Malfoy around and give him soppy looks."

"Yeah, well she can do that at the wedding, because Malfoy and every other pureblood wanker in Europe are going to be there," said Sirius. "And best of all, Hellatrix and her beloved will have invited all their toadies, the absence of whom was the one think I was looking forward to this summer."

"Oh crap," said James. "That means Rosier, Wilkes, Avery--"

"And Snivellus," Sirius finished grimly.

"Can't you just try and avoid them?" asked Remus in an attempt to be both hopeful and helpful. "I know you're outnumbered and all, but they're not allowed to use magic either. Besides, you said it'll be a huge party, they probably won't even--"

"Attempt their pathetic crap against a mighty Marauder?" asked Sirius, attempting the roguish nonchalance that had become so natural to him during his first year at Hogwarts.

"That's the spirit, mate," James grinned as he clapped Sirius on the shoulder.

* * *

Tiberius Black read his son's end-of-year report on the first morning of the summer holiday. "Well I see you've managed to earn more detentions than any other student in that disgraceful House of yours," Tiberius announced, ignoring Sirius's top marks in all of his subjects.

"Not that it did you any good, that Muggle-loving fool of a headmaster having gotten rid of corporal punishment," added Hera. "Merlin knows you could use a good beating."

"Which reminds me, boy," continued Sirius's father, "any trouble from you this summer and you'll get a bloody good hiding and worse."

"Especially," hissed Hera, "at your cousin's wedding."

Sirius knew that it was going to be a Holiday in Hell.

* * *

On the way to the London portkey transporting wedding guests to Cepheus Black's Cornwall estate, Sirius listened to his parents gush about their eldest niece.

"Such a splendid young lady," said Tiberius. "Marrying a fine young Slytherin in the bloom of her youth, proud to be a true Black, none of that idiotic adolescent agonizing and whingeing about Who Am I? and Are Muggles Human? and Rights for House-elves and who knows what other rubbish young people come out with these days."

"Not just a pretty face, either," said Hera. "She's inherited more than Pureblood good looks. Everyone's saying she's one of the most talented witches to come out of Slytherin in a generation. And she's a true blue Pureblood loyalist, already involved in the cause of purifying the Wizarding race and putting things in their proper order."

For once, Sirius was actually interested in his parents' conversation. Exactly how was Bellatrix involved in the "cause"? And who else was involved with her?

"Yes, I hear Bellatrix and Rodolphus are in a group that's doing all sorts of ground-breaking work," said Tiberius. "Rodolphus's older brother, Rabastan, is also part of it--"

To Sirius's profound disappointment, his parents seemed to have no further information on the activities of Bellatrix and her comrades.

Finally, Sirius, Regulus and their parents reached the Portkey and were whisked away to the site of Bellatrix's wedding.

* * *

It was a lovely Cornish summer afternoon, and the four of them were seated up front among hundreds of people. Tiberius and both of his sons were all wearing black dress robes of the finest silk. Tiberius and Regulus's robes were stolid and Brooks-Brotherish; Sirius's were in the flowing Celtic style. Hera was wearing a long, narrow-cut, Chinese-style dress of silk brocade. The high Mandarin collar served as a platform for her aristocratic facial beauty: alabaster skin; high cheekbones; cruel mouth; and the fine, straight nose that was the Black family trademark. And there were her violet eyes--like those of Elizabeth Taylor, the Muggle movie star, though no sane person would ever dare suggest such a comparison to Hera's face. Hera's eyes were set off by the violet color of her dress, across which was embroidered a green and silver dragon. Even at the age of mmm-something Hera insisted on wearing a sleeveless dress in order to display the famed beauty of her willowy white arms. Her gracile Black figure was crowned by the elaborate upswept hairstyle into which her straight jet locks were arranged, with peacock feathers as the finishing touch.

Tiberius had the Ibero-Celtic olive complexion, curly black hair and wide, thin-lipped mouth of the Cornish Blacks, sharing his wife's nose and cheekbones. His dark eyes were stern and unyielding. The one good thing Sirius's parents had given him was their looks; clear white skin, fine straight nose, high cheekbones, sensuous mouth and large deep brown "puppy" eyes that worked wonders on everyone except for his parents and Professor McGonagall. His thick black hair was straight, unlike Regulus's, which was curly. Ten-year-old Regulus's violet eyes were his other main physical difference from his brother.

* * *

Bellatrix and Rodolphus Apparated, standing on opposite sides under the wedding canopy. As the two began to approach each other slowly, a Ministry official Apparated in the center. But no one was paying attention to him. All eyes were on the veiled figure of Bellatrix. Sirius could see why. Bellatrix's face was concealed by her opaque white lace wedding veil--but the rest of her--

Her slinky gown was made of tiny white pieces of fabric that shone and glistened (like a snake's skin, thought Sirius) and flowed into a long sleek train that shimmered as it Levitated a few inched above the ground. An astonishing necklace of diamonds and emeralds glittered above Bellatrix's olive décolletage--lank as she was, Bellatrix had quite a rack. When she and Rodolphus reached the center and clasped each other's hands, Sirius noticed that both of her bare upper arms sported an amulet; the right one a band of woven Celtic silver, the left one a platinum snake with emerald eyes that twisted its way up Bellatrix's rangy bicep. Uncle Cepheus and Aunt Cassiopeia had certainly spared no expense. You could feed Bangladesh with the cost of that getup, Sirius thought. Not that anyone in his family would want to.

In a dry, bureaucratic tone, the Ministry official asked Rodolphus, "Do you, Rodolphus Lestrange, take this woman Bellatrix Black, to be your lawfully wedded wife?"

"I do," replied Rodolphus.

Turning to Bellatrix, the official asked, "And do you, Bellatrix Black, take this man, Rodolphus Lestrange, to be your lawfully wedded husband?"

"I do."

"Then by the power invested in me by the Ministry of Magic of Great Britain, I now pronounce you husband and wife. You may kiss the bride."

Rodolphus flipped back Bellatrix's veil and the couple engaged in what looked to Sirius like the Kiss of Two Dementors. Hundreds of flowers appeared from thin air to rain down upon the party (What, no cobras, thought Sirius). As the newly wedded couple turned to join the party, Sirius thought that Rodolphus looked especially stocky and unattractive next to his dazzling bride. Sirius had no idea what went on in his cousin's twisted mind, but he was sure of one thing: Bellatrix hadn't chosen Rodolphus for his looks.

* * *

The ceremony over, Sirius and the other guests rose from their seats to go socialize on the lawn. Sirius saw his cousin Andromeda standing with her mother, Cassiopeia, and younger sister, Narcissa.

"Absolutely magnificent, Cassiopeia," Sirius's mother told her sister-in-law. "Bellatrix looked exquisite. Why I remember her as such a tomboy, threw tantrums at even the thought of wearing a dress. How she's changed!"

"Tomboy" seemed too innocuous a word to describe Bellatrix, but Sirius thought that she always had been something of a man's woman.

"Oh, but how difficult it was to get Bellatrix to wear white!" exclaimed Aunt Cassiopeia. "She wanted emerald green, or scarlet red, or even black, but I insisted--white is the traditional and the only color for a pure young lady on her wedding." Sirius thought that if his aunt was so concerned with her daughter's purity she ought to be less interested in Bellatrix's taste in clothing and more interested in the large blocks of time she spent with Rodolphus under the Quidditch bleachers. Such a pity Filch never managed to catch the two of them at it.

"But I love that green and silver dragon on your dress, Aunt Hera," Narcissa said in her most grown-up voice.

While Hera, Cassiopeia and Narcissa continued to discuss fashion, Sirius quietly place his hand on Andromeda's forearm and led her to a part of the lawn where the two of them could talk together. When the two of them reached a secluded spot Sirius said, "I thought we ought to escape before Mother started bragging about her shoes--made of skinned Muggle, you know."

Andromeda gave a small, musical laugh and said sweetly, "Now, Sirius, don't you think that's a bit of an exaggeration?"

"Just a tad," Sirius grinned. "I'm sure dear old mum would never let filthy Muggle skin defile her precious little Pureblood feet."

"Well, it's nice to know there's another person in our family who doesn't believe in that Pureblood rubbish," Andromeda said. "Honestly," she sighed, "my parents have talked about nothing for months but the unimprovable purity of Rodolphus's blood--goes back to the eleventh century, the Norman wizards and all that."

"What did Bellatrix have to say?" asked Sirius. "Did she inform your parents about the purity of their new son-in-law's other bodily fluids?"

"Now, Sirius--"

"Sorry," Sirius grinned again. "I ought to be have myself in front of a prefect." Clever, responsible Andromeda had been made a Gryffindor prefect her fifth year, and might even be made Head Girl for the upcoming school year.

"Sirius behave?" came an inquiring voice from behind them. "Why Andromeda, you must be working some very powerful magic indeed--I just hope it isn't dark magic--"

"Uncle Alphard!" both cousins exclaimed with delighted surprise.

"Hello, hello," Uncle Alphard said, exchanging hugs and kisses with both Andromeda and Sirius. "Andromeda, you look lovely. I just got back from Greece--" Uncle Alphard ran a wizarding travel agency--"and the sky there was the exact same azure color as your dress. "Why thank you," said Andromeda, her warm turquoise eyes twinkling out of her golden, sun-kissed face. "This gown is actually modeled on the ancient Greek styles--I always loved how they were so flowy and clinging."

"Yes, and you're wearing that golden Greek belt I gave you for your birthday," Uncle Alphard said. "They say it belonged to one of those Delphi witches ancient Muggles called oracles."

Disappointed that his only two non-evil relatives were talking about clothes, Sirius wandered off. He noticed Lucius Malfoy, who, like Mr. and Mrs. Lestrange, had just graduated Hogwarts. Malfoy was surrounded by Crabbe and Goyle and the rest of the Slytherin Quidditch team, of which he (of course) had been captain. "Well at least Kreacher's not here," Sirius thought to himself in an attempt to be positive, "even though he begged to come. Bellatrix is his favorite Black after my mother--talk about taste in women. But Father insisted he stay home to guard the house (as if anyone would want to go in there.)" Not wanting a confrontation with Malfoy and his cronies, Sirius turned to go elsewhere before the gang noticed him. As he was doing so, he noticed Narcissa gazing at Malfoy. "Forget it, Cissy," Sirius snorted. "There's no way the World's Sexiest Albino is going to be interested in a little kid like you. Maybe if you Transfigured yourself into a Quaffle--"

"Shut up, Muggle-lover, I'm a year older than you," snapped Narcissa. Anger showed itself in the elegant Grace Kelly-face she had inherited from her mother. "Lucius slaughtered your Mudblood Gryffindor team at Quidditch--"

"Yeah, whatever," said Sirius. "I knew that when you fell in love the lucky fellow would look just like you--and have a ton of gold." Narcissa did look like Malfoy, although her sleek blond hair was a light ash shade, not platinum, and her eyes were gray-green, not pure gray like Malfoy's. "But if you want to catch Malfoy's eye, you ought to dress a bit sexier--" he glanced at Narcissa's prim lavender A-line dress--"especially since with big sis gone, there's an opening for the Slag of Slytherin position."

Sirius was enjoying the flush above his cousin's pearl choker and the reddening of her diamond-studded ears when a smug voice said, "Father will kill you if he finds out you've been causing trouble again."

Sirius whipped around to see Regulus. "Well I guess I get to live a little while longer," Sirius snapped, "because I'm not doing anything." Narcissa recomposed her usual superior expression.

"Mother says you're a troublemaker," said Regulus. "That you have no respect for your own blood--"

This exchange would in all likelihood have evolved into a serious altercation had not Andromeda appeared at the moment shouting, "Time for family pictures!" The four cousins silently headed to where the photographer was with the rest of the family, Andromeda using her wand to fix her coiffure so that the golden highlights in her brown hair glinted just so in the late afternoon sun.

As the photographer took pictures of the family, Sirius reflected on how Narcissa was a spitting image of her mother, except that Aunt Cassiopeia's eyes were ice-blue (her dress matched them perfectly). They had similar personalities too--interested in nothing but parties and fashion and shopping and having enough gold for these pursuits. Uncle Cepheus though--his features were very similar to those of Sirius's father, but his heavy-lidded dark eyes were cruel and cunning, not stern and stolid. Sirius knew that his uncle dabbled in the Dark Arts--but how much? More than Sirius's parents, who, like Aunt Cassiopeia, were essentially interested in money and society? Bellatrix certainly seemed to take after her father--she had his eyes, and that wide, thin-lipped mouth, and her hair, though straight, was black like his. She had the characteristic Black nose and cheekbones and the family's long, lean jaw. But what about her insides--

And then there was Uncle Alphard. He superficially resembled his two older brothers, Cepheus and Tiberius, but his eyes reflected his warm and gentle personality. It always amazed Sirius how people could be so closely related and yet so unalike--

* * *

The photography session over, Sirius saw Bellatrix, Rodolphus, and Rodolphus's older brother Rabastan retreat to a corner of the lawn. Also with them were Bellatrix's gang from Hogwarts--Evan Rosier, Justine Wilkes, Todd Avery and Severus Snape. And Sirius had been involved in enough conspiracies to recognize that this group was up to no good.

"Of course we'll keep in touch throughout the year," Sirius could just make out Bellatrix saying. "You can't imagine what I've learned already--but now he'll actually be teaching me personally--" Sirius wanted very much to here more of the conversation, but a huge voice suddenly rang out through the estate, announcing, "THE DANCE HAS BEGUN."

Music began to play and everywhere guests got into couples to dance. Sirius danced with Andromeda for a while--"you're not bad," she smiled, "considering you only come up to my armpit."

"Hey, I come up to at least your neck," Sirius grinned back at her.

Slow music started and Sirius withdrew to the refreshment tables. He was pouring himself some pumpkin juice when a sneering voice said, "a shame Potty isn't here to slow-dance with you, isn't it Black?"

Sirius turned around to see the scrawny, lank-haired figure of Severus Snape, clad in sweaty black dress robes that made him look like a Hasidic mortician. "What about you, Snivellus?" countered Sirius. "Couldn't get the lovely bride to spare you a dance? Funny, she's not exactly picky--I guess she didn't want grease stains on her dress. Then there's the fact that you're too short to reach her tits--"

"Are you questioning your own cousin's honor?" asked Snape with mock incredulity. "I'm sure your mother would be very upset to hear that--maybe I should go talk to her--"

"Yeah, I'm sure she'd love to hear you complain about being the only thing in Slytherin Bellatrix hasn't shagged yet. Maybe if you just tried bathing regularly--"

"Oh, but why don't you tell Bella your opinion of her?" asked Snape. "Scared when you don't have your support group with you?"

"I'm certainly not scared of you," Sirius said with a snort. "Seeing as Slytherin's Fab Five are too busy to protect their ickle firstie."

"You'll be sorry Black," said Snape, his eyes glittering. "There are powers greater than anything ever seen before. Power you couldn't even begin to comprehend--"

"No, I can't comprehend any sort of power a greasy eleven-year-old might have," retorted Sirius, who despite his nonchalance was ever so slightly concerned about Snape's cryptic threat. "Especially since you'll get expelled if you try and use any of those dodgy hexes you're always trying to pull on James and me at school."

"Like you could do anything without magic," Snape sneered back.

Sirius snapped. With all the crap he had to put up with, he was definitely not taking anymore from greasy little Snivellus. "I can do this," Sirius said, and punched Snape squarely in the nose. Snape threw a much weaker punch into Sirius's stomach, and Sirius was about to make his next move when he heard another voice say,

"Impedimenta!"

Unable to attack each other, both boys turned to see Uncle Alphard standing with his wand held out. In a soft, patient voice he said, "Severus, why don't you go find your friends?" After a quick glare at Sirius, Snape nodded and walked off.

With Snape gone, Uncle Alphard spoke to Sirius. "Sirius," he asked in a quiet but firm tone, "Why did you punch that boy?"

"Because I'd get expelled if I used magic and hexed the bastard," Sirius replied.

Uncle Alphard sighed. "Sirius, he obviously just wanted to make you lose your temper. Why give him the satisfaction?"

"I doubt he'd be too satisfied if I knocked his teeth down his throat," Sirius retorted.

"And then you'd be in trouble, and for what? Sirius, violence is not the answer. You attacked him first--"

"Because he was being a git!" Sirius shouted with frustration. "Really, Uncle Alphard, you don't know him--he's obsessed with Dark Arts, that's why he's always hanging around Bellatrix--"

"Sirius, he's only a child. Being cruel to him will only make him more angry and bitter, and cause him to delve deeper into the Dark Arts. He's scared and vulnerable and confused, that's why he follows Bellatrix around. If you would just try being kind to him--"

"Honestly, Uncle Alphard," Sirius interrupted, "you're like the Hogwarts groundskeeper, Hagrid--the nastier something is, the more you want to be nice to it."

Uncle Alphard gave a small smile. "I remember Hagrid. I also remember a certain Professor Dumbledore--I believe he's headmaster now?"

"Yeah," Sirius answered, "but what--"

"Professor Dumbledore," Uncle Alphard said, "taught me a great deal of magic, but more importantly he taught me that all people should be treated with kindness and respect, whether you think they deserve it or not. For people can change, and if they are treated well they will very often change for the better."

"Maybe some people will," said Sirius, "but old Snivellus sure won't. And no offense Uncle Alphard, but you being nice to our family doesn't seem to have improved them much. Look at your brothers--"

"Sirius," said Uncle Alphard gravely, "there is much you do not know about what life was like for your father and Cepheus and me. And, I daresay, there is much you do not know about young Snape. But you are a good boy, and I would hate to see you treating anyone--well, treating them the way your parents sometimes treat certain people."

"Fine," Sirius gritted his teeth, "But nothing will ever make me be nice to Snivellus."

* * *

Sirius woke up quite late the next morning. After finishing breakfast, he went upstairs to his room to write a letter to James.

Dear James,

The wedding's over. It was almost as fun as detention with Filch. But I didn't get into trouble (no, really), so things aren't too terrible at the House of Pain. If I'm lucky, I might even get to visit you.

I thought I should tell you something, though--I heard my parents talking about how the Gruesome Twosome are doing something with a new "purify the Wizarding race" group. And Bellatrix said something to her flunkies about learning stuff from someone. Also, Snivellus tried to scare me by blathering about "powers greater than anything seen before." It's probably all bollocks (and I feel really stupid writing about all this to you), but maybe you should talk to your parents--they're cool and I know they're very against Dark Magic and Pureblood mania.

Hope you're having fun,

Sirius

Sirius gave the letter to his owl, kissed her and told her to bring it to James.