Chapter Text
The Deranged Strange-Blacks
The First Wave: Part One
You Stopped My Heart From Fifty Feet
It Pumped
And Sang
And Skipped A Beat
And When I Sleep My Soul You’ll Keep
I Wish For You To Be Happy
I Wish For You To Be Free
I Wish For You To Be Fearless
That’s Wishes One, Two, And Three
And I Won’t Wish
To Be Yours
Or For You To Be Mine
But I’ll Wish Them All For You
Every Time..
Despite the rumor, members of his house did not start lusting after their cousins before they walked. Sirius always noticed his cousins. How could he not? They spent more time with his mother in a week than he had all his life. They were all brilliant, beautiful, and doomed as all pureblooded women were. Cissy was bright and as cheerful and she was allowed to be as a daughter of House Black. Andy was distant and calculating. Bella was most like him, touched by the family magic in such a unique way that most of the family thought them on the verge of madness.
Most weren’t worthy of all the secrets their family magic held, only the strongest of the house received the full gift as he and Bella did. The most the family magic had done in centuries was drive family members insane. But he and Bellatrix were Blessed, they both knew it. But they knew enough to never speak about it while their fathers and Grandfathers lived unless they wanted to be hexed more. When the family saw what they thought of as a sign of The Black Madness in them they decided they’d help push him and Bella along. The beatings and hexes that had been the norm of their lives since they were young were now more frequent. As the eldest children, they not only were held to a higher standard but were punished fiercely for any perceived slight from any children in the family.
Sirius fully realized what their strength in magic meant when he was eight and watched Bella and Andy leave on the Hogwarts Express for the first time, heartbroken that it fell to him alone to look after Cissa and Reggie. He and Bellatrix had the potential to lead their wretched house into a new era. They only had to take what was rightfully theirs and save their family when the opportunity came. Personally, he couldn’t wait.
It wasn’t until Sirius was fourteen that he started to fancy Bella. And wasn’t that just insane? Fancying a cousin three years your senior who was being groomed by torture to be House Black’s perfect representative for The Dark Lord? But his heart longed for her, no matter what their destiny spelled. He was the blood traitor Heir, and she was to be mistress to a madman so their cowardly fathers didn’t have to fight in the coming war. It was impossible for them to be happy.
Plus, she still saw him as ‘Itty Bitty Siri’, how in Godric’s name would he be able to get his cousin to see him as a young man?
So, he asked if he could escort her to the Yule Ball. Hogwarts only held a ball every few years, so this was his one chance. He wasn’t going to get her attention by asking her to Hogsmeade.
Unbelievingly, she said yes.
Bellatrix flooed to the Potter’s receiving room in tears. Siri had run away weeks ago and started staying here. She was glad he was safe, and they had a safe place to see each other. As infrequent as their time together was, Bellatrix treasured their stolen moments. They had only been having stolen moments for a year, but they had been some of the happiest moments of her life.
Life was so bleak since she graduated. Andy was cast out. So was Siri. Cissy was set to marry after she took her OWLs. Bella had been given to The Dark Lord after graduation as a mistress and fighter. Father had hoped that Their Lord would marry her so he and the rest of the men in her family would be pardoned from going on missions. When it became apparent that He did not wish to marry Bellatrix, The Patriarchs began to husband shop for her and sold her off to the highest-ranking Death Eater family they could. The betrothal was signed this morning. It made her little more than a battered house elf to all of House Lestrange and The Dark Lord. Her moments with Sirius were ending.
She found Sirius in James’ study laughing about something, but conversation stopped when she entered in tears.
“Who?” her Beloved asked.
“Lestrange. His horrid Mother and Father were happy. They and their three younger sons have as many privileges to me as their heir and The Dark Lord do.” Bella sneered. “What has happened to Our House Siri? Father, Uncles, and the Elders are running it and us into the ground. Never would I have thought a betrothal agreement would be so cruel to a member of our house!”
“I promise Bella, I will find a way to free you.” Siri said hugging her tight.
“Father has bound my magic to this union. There is no avoiding it.” Bella assured her Siri, “My magic will do its best to protect me. I’ll hide most of myself behind Occlumency walls. I’ll survive. Promise me Siri, do your best to look after Cissy and Reggie.”
Her Siri nodded solemnly. “I love you, Bella.”
“And I you my ickle Siri.”
Bella woke for the first time in months in control of her own body and actions. She had been under the imperio on and off since the week before her wedding. Occasionally they would forget to renew it and she could slip away, but it had only been a handful of times that she had been freed. Thankful for her proficiency in the Mind Arts, she still felt herself and was able to tuck the nastiness and cruelty that had been her life away behind thick walls.
Whenever she was herself again, she would visit her beloved. He was currently shacked up with Remus Lupin in a small flat and was floored when she knocked on their door.
“Bella!” Her love exclaimed when he answered.
Bella giggled and jumped into his arms with a laugh. “I don’t have long before they notice. I needed to be me. I needed to see you again. If only for a moment.”
Her Siri grinned at her after twirling her around for a moment and kicking the door shut behind them. “Well love, it happens to be my day off. I’m at your disposal.”
“How is our family?”
“Andy and Ted are fine; their little girl is a terror. Reggie has not answered any of my owls, he insists on staying the course Father wishes for him …if only to keep an eye on Cissy. And Cissy… you know how bad it is for Cissy. Andy is able to communicate with her somehow, that’s the only reason I know.” Siri told her, “I failed to protect them Bella and have failed to save you.”
Bella briefly thought of telling Siri of Andy visiting Malfoy Manor under Polyjuice to check on Cissy. Whenever a summons to Malfoy Manor came to St. Mungo’s Andy’s colleagues knew to send Andy and would give their hair to her, as it was common knowledge what Lucius had been putting Cissy through since she was sixteen. She decided not to though, Auntie Wally had often said that some secrets were best kept. She did not want to endanger Cissy or Andy if someone read Siri’s mind, her loves Occlumency shields were simply dreadful
“Siri dearest. You did your best.” Bella assured him. “It is not your fault the damage The Patriarchs have done to us. Soon you will be the Head of Our House and you can save us from what has been done. The Dark Lord ordered me to kill Father his cowardice, Grandfather is long gone, and Great Uncle Arcturus has taken ill soon he will be gone. Then Uncle Orion will be the only male-line Black older than you… once they have gone all will be yours love.”
“It seems The Patriarchs are dying off rather quickly since I came of age…” Sirius wondered out loud. “How have you done it Bella?”
“It wasn’t me Siri!” Bella laughed, “But I do know of someone who has been waiting years for the opportunity to kill them off and was waiting for you to come of age...”
Sirius looked at her skeptically “Why would Mother do such a thing? She wouldn’t want her blood-traitor son to be Lord. She wanted me to be disowned.”
Bella briefly thought of denying it to protect Auntie, possibly framing her good-for-nothing Mother. But he had figured it out, and she couldn’t out-right lie to her love. Auntie’s work was nearly done though, so even if someone read Siri’s mind, they couldn’t stop her plans.
“Silly Ickle Siri.” She smiled, “Have you been disowned? Or did Uncle Orion suddenly decide just to empty your inheritance vault in hopes you’d come home? Did you really think Uncle Alphie, supporter of all things that came from Uncle Arcturus’ mouth, would leave you the gold in his vaults? Think my love, she has been playing this game of survival with The Patriarchs since before we were born, she knows how to make her moves, and her poisons, undetectable.”
Siri looked despondent a moment. “I believe you, but I still don’t understand why she would do such a thing.”
Bella giggled at her love; he was such a stubborn lion her Itty Bitty Siri. “Enough talk of our family my dear… make love to me please?”
The first thing Sirius did when he hears of Voldemort’s defeat was make sure Harry was safe. The second was go to his mother’s home and call for a family meeting.
Tonight, was the night.
Since Father died and Sirius had taken up the lordship, they had been fighting the Lestrange’s and Malfoy’s in court for Bellatrix and Narcissa. It used to be that when a new Lord rescinded a betrothal contract and at least one party was in the marriage unwillingly the marriage was annulled. The Lestrange’s and Malfoy’s had been rewriting laws since news of Grandfather had died, so it wasn’t that easy anymore. Now, they would simply take back what was theirs.
While Sirius waited for the family to assemble, he sent Bella a message via Patronus, letting her know a rescue was imminent.
“I thought your Patronus was your Animagus form?” Mother asked as she entered the room.
“It changed after the first time Bella and I professed our love.” Sirius said with a grin.
Mother nodded. “A hyena is loyal, protective and fierce. Strong survival instincts. Put their clan above all things. Apt for you both my bright star…Expecto Patrounum!” she said as a lioness appeared, and wasn’t that just ironic that his mother’s spirit animal was a lioness? “For Narcissa Walburga Black. Cissa dear. It will be time for a family reunion soon. Do give Draco my love.”
“I didn’t even tell you what the family meeting was about Mother…Are you wearing trousers?” He exclaimed.
“Sirius, darling, you only step foot in this house once weekly for tea, where we only discuss the progress of getting the girls back, or my remodeling of Black Manor for your use. It is late evening on Samhain, even you wouldn’t show up this late on a holiday unannounced unless it was important. My guess is The Dark Lord is dead and the world is in chaos, or you just got tired of waiting for Lestrange and Malfoy to give us our girls back. Either way I shall be dueling and torturing tonight, and I prefer to do both with full range of motion thank you.”
Before he could formulate a response to that the floo flared to life. Reggie and Ted stepped through dressed for battle.
“Andy will be along in a moment, she and Kreacher are trying to get the little Nymph into bed.” Ted said before looking to Mother. “Madame Black.”
“Auror Tonks.” Mother said stiffly, she had made a deal when Sirius admitted Andy, Ted and Dora into House Black to be cordial to Ted if it meant that she could have a relationship with Andy once more and get to know her great-niece. Mother always did have a soft spot for her nieces, and admired that Andy found a way to escape the fate The Patriarchs had in store for her, even if it was finding love with a muggleborn.
“It’s time?” Reggie asked.
“Yes. I opted to let you know rather than keep it secret for nearly two years.” Sirius said with a huff. He was still miffed that he was only just informed of his baby brother’s survival because he dropped by the Tonks house unannounced one day. Glad, but miffed.
Ted laughed, and Andy smacked his head for it as she stumbled out of the floo. “Kreacher is ready to watch over Draco as well. I will be taking Cissy immediately to Gringotts. Last I saw her it was bad; she will still have trouble moving.”
“Gringotts?” Mother asked, “What can those creatures do to help a witch?”
“The Goblins saved me Mother. I have been working closely with them for some time now, and their healing magic is exceptional. They only offer their services in extreme cases; we are lucky they offered to help us.”
Mother began muttering under her breath but otherwise said nothing further on the subject.
“Okay Ted you might want to change out of your Auror robes, you will partake in a few illegal activities tonight.” Sirius told his coworker.
“The correct term is not-strictly-legal…” Reggie, ever the solicitor, said, “An important distinction.”
Sirius rolled his eyes, it was disappointing that his little brother became less fun with age.
Ted glared at Reggie before speaking. “I will simply be arresting Death Eaters this evening like our colleagues are doing Sirius. They called us in for the round up a half hour ago. I volunteered to take in the Lestrange’s and Malfoy’s. I’ve been authorized to bring them in by any means necessary. They didn’t call you because of James and Lily’s deaths. There’s mutterings that it was you that betrayed them.”
Sirius was floored by the implication and sneered. “I’ll be hunting down the real traitor once the girls are safe and Reggie helps me get my godson back from Dumbles.”
“The Potters are dead?” Mother gasped, stepping towards him briefly but quickly stepping back. “Siri, I’m so sorry my son.”
“Anyone with sense knows it wasn’t you that betrayed them.” Reggie said.
“If they issue an arrest warrant for him, I’ll have to arrest him.” Ted said, “My Vows will force me to.”
Sirius nodded. The Auror Oaths were unbreakable. An Auror could not hide a fugitive if a warrant had been issued for their arrest. “Then let’s rescue our girls before they get around to issuing a warrant for me.”
“Cissa first.” Reggie pleaded, “Her and Draco are defenseless against Lucius and Abraxas.”
Sirius had no argument. Just last year Luna Malfoy nee MacNair had finally died from her husband’s abuse. Sirius had gone to the funeral as one of the Ministry-requested guards so Pandora Lovegood nee Malfoy and her husband could safely pay their respects to Pandora’s late mother. Cissy and her son were on their own against two fully trained wizards. Cissy was forced to stop school after fifth year to marry Lucius. Bella had finished her NEWTs, had been able to get a few masteries and was a vicious duelist. She could hold her own until help arrived against the dim Lestrange family whose only real talent was the ability to imperius others to do their bidding.
“Mother have you found a way around the wards?” Sirius asked.
Mother grinned and giggled. “Of course. I do hope no one present is particularly squeamish about blood magic.” Ted paled a bit at her words. Andy looked gleeful at the thought. Reggie wore a manic look that likely mirrored his own.
“Excellent. We have Madame Lovegood to thank for her willing donation of blood and the corpse of the late Remington Lestrange to thank for his unwilling donation of flesh and bone. Thank you for killing that toad Siri, by the by.” Mother said taking out two vials of potion. “I’ve had this potion made for ages, not to worry Auror Tonks you will not see any blood magic be performed this evening. Just see a potion poured on the ward lines of the respective properties. Harmless really.”
Ted snorted and muttered under his breath as a response.
“To Wiltshire!” Sirius said as he apparated away.
He stood in front of the gates of Malfoy Manor and waited as the cracks of his family’s apparating sounded. Mother pushed past him and started pouring her potion, the second bottle out of sight. The gates sprang open once the potion was absorbed into the ground.
His family sprang into action.
It was Samhain night when the patronus of her Beloved came. Sirius’ voice telling her that Riddle had fallen and her family was coming to rescue her was music to her ears. She only needed to survive a bit longer.
Since her last outing, the Lestrange’s had her in magical shackles when she was in the manor and only imperioed her when she had to leave on a mission for Their Lord. She waited patiently for an hour until an elf came to un-do her shackles for her bath and left. Then she went about the plan she had been plotting for years, in hopes one day she could be free.
Bellatrix killed Lord and Lady Lestrange in their beds, casting a curse that would take away their ability to breathe air. It would look like natural causes and was one of the curses that Riddle had taught her after he used her. Bella then went hunting for her dear husband and his remaining brother. Bella had celebrated when Remington, the middle brother was killed by Aurors this year and was thankful that Roderick was sent abroad to finish his education after Remington was killed.
Bella found her intended victims in a sitting room with Barty Crouch, whispering and planning. Bella laughed as she cast a mass crucio on the three men. Years of captivity, abuse, and torture fueled her spell.
That was how her family found her, two hours after the patronus was sent. Auntie Wally and Siri had run into the room first, followed by Reggie and an unfamiliar man in Auror robes with a bound Lucius Malfoy levitating behind them. She dropped her spell as they entered only for Auntie, Siri and Reggie to start cursing the men. Eventually, Reggie lost his taste for torture and handed Crouch over to the Auror to be arrested. Then he and the Auror argued with Siri and Auntie that they needed to have at least the Lestrange heir to take a trip to Azkaban with Malfoy, if not the spare as well. If they killed the brutes by torture the Auror’s oath would force him to arrest them.
Aunt Wally huffed, sending Rabastan flying into a wall and turning to Bella, giving her a smile. “He let me give Abraxas a teensy heart attack, now all of a sudden the boy is playing by rules? Bella dear, lovely to see you. Where are the Lord and Lady of the Manor? Sirius and I would love to have a chat with them.”
“They seemed to have died in their sleep.” Bella said with a smile, “And since I have bested their heir in an informal duel and I am married to him…that makes me the Lady does it not?”
“That it does dear.” Auntie grinned before kissing her and pulling her into a quick embrace. “Terrible, dying in your sleep. Abraxas seemed to have died suddenly on the stairs, have you heard? Terrible shame all this sudden natural death.” Auntie said before laughing.
The Auror walked away muttering about deranged in-laws and levitating Lucius, Rodolphus and Rabastan behind him.
“Honestly, the mudblood is growing on me,” Auntie said to the room. Siri and Reggie groaned. Reggie began lecturing Auntie about respecting members of the family when Bella finally locked eyes with her Sirius.
Bella had flung herself into his waiting arms. He smelt as good as she remembered, she couldn’t remember the last time she was able to sneak away to see her beloved Sirius. Had it been two years?
She stilled and looked Sirius in the eye. “Cissy!” she told him desperately as memories of the last few revels sprang to mind. Her baby sister had been comatose, bloody, and near death.
“She’s safe. She’s with Andy and the kids at Gringotts. Reggie made a deal with them to help heal any of us that needed it. Andy will take over anything else.” Sirius said kissing her soundly. “You’re safe now Bella.”
Bella sighed in relief.
Safe.
She wasn’t sure what that felt like but was thankful for the chance to find out.
“Come on dear. Let’s get you healed.” Auntie Wally said.
Sirius held her tightly as they stood in the doorway to the goblin healing suite.
“Beloved, I will see you soon. I promise.”
“I know. But you deserve to be truly free. You don’t need to be attached to me anymore Bella. You can do whatever you want now. Love whoever you want.”
What was this daft boy going on about? She would only ever love her Sirius.
“You’re my love Siri. Yes, I finally have freedom of choice. But I will always choose you.” She smiled at her silly, stupid Gryffindor. She appreciated him trying to do a noble thing, but it was wholly unnecessary.
He smiled brightly at her. “I love you Bellatrix Druella.
“And I you, my Ickle Siri.”
If One Day The Stars Align,
You Feel Ready To Be Mine
I Hope You’ll Find The Strength To Come
With Trumpets,
Pipe
And Drum
You Stopped My Heart From Fifty Feet
It Pumped
And Sang
And Skipped A Beat
And When I Sleep My Soul You’ll Keep
11:11 – Ben Barnes