Empire {A. Weber} (PAUSE)

~Before Twilight~

"Bellatrix." Hearing the voice call her name made her turn around. It was Emmet, his tall, bulky stature leaning against her doorway.

"Carlisle is forcing us to go to school; get ready; Alice is making us leave in 10." He smirks at her, knowing she hates school. Once or twice she would find a human actually interesting, but most were boring.

"Okay." The words rolled off her tongue. She came from old Spain, born in 1400. Her accent was deep and heavy, pleasing to her family's ears.

*****

"I still don't know why we go to school." Bellatrix's accent rolls off her tongue as they exit Rosalie's car. "No me gusta la escuela" (I don't like school).

"It won't be that bad." Alice laughs as they link arms. "Don't curse me." Bellatrix glares at her as they enter the school. Right before they walk, Bellatrix looks over her shoulder, catching the eyes of a girl holding a camera and snapping a picture of them. Her emerald eyes widening as she felt the mate bond roll off of her.

Bellatrix takes her schedule from Jasper, nodding in his direction as she looks at her classes. "Por Favor." Bellatrix sighs.

"What?" Alice looks over her shoulder, seeing she had science with Edward, English with, and Photography first.

"Why do I have Photography?" Bellatrix asks, as it's not what she signed up for. Alice backs away from her, knowing the Latina would slap her.

"Alice!" Bellatrix glares at her, but the pixie-fairy-like vampire only smiles at her.

*****

"Class, welcome our new student. Bellatrix Cullen." The photography teacher introduces the vampire.

Bellatrix's eyes scan over the students, and Henry's emerald eyes do not spare anyone a second glance. Noticing her mate, Bellatrix takes a seat in front of her but doesn't utter a word to the person next to her.

She knew Rosalie would skin her alive if she found out that Bellatrix made an effort to even talk to the human. Bellatrix didn't blame her; the blonde beauty wanted to protect her family and her mate. Although the Volturi and Bellatrix had a complicated relationship,

The best thing Bellatrix could do in a situation like this was to remain as far away from the girl as possible. Even if some part of her deep down craved to be next to her, not even talking to the girl, Bellatrix was craving her attention.

*****

The day became agonizing until she was able to go home. Rushing into her room without a word for her family Edward's eyes furrowed as he was blocked out of the Latina's mind.

"What happened?" Carlisle walks into the living room as they hear the door slam close, flinching at the sound.

"She found her mate. Just like my vision told me." Alice pipes up, making the vampires turn to her, surprised.

"Vampire?" Esme asks hopefully. Alice shakes her head, making the family sigh. Rosalie's eyes widen, but she knows Bellatrix knows of the consequences.

Bellatrix slammed her door shut as frustration built up in her. It's just her luck that her mate is human. She couldn't risk her family for a girl she didn't know. Well, maybe she could risk Edward.

Bellatrix groans as she sits in her chair, bringing her knees up to her chest as she contemplates what she did to get this torture. Although Bellatrix is no saint,

100 years before she met Carlisle, she had been a viscous vampire, and many tales were based on her. Dracula? No man was ever involved; it was her. Not the Dracula who falls in love with someone and all that bullshit. But it was Dracula who tore down kingdoms and feasted like a king, and that's what she was, a king.

Many vampires fear her and her magic. People would be stupid not to A knock on the door echoed through her head as she was snapped out of her memories. They were never pretty. She had been covered in blood as kingdoms fell. The begging and pleading from her victims Pretty soon, everyone will have heard of and feared her. Not even the Volturi did anything due to her gift.

"Trixie?" Rosalie opened the door, making Bellatrix smile at her best friend. "Rosie?"

"Alice told us." Rosalie sits across from her. Neither girl knew how to properly express themselves; they had terrible upbringings, and life wasn't easy on them when they were humans.

"I figured nothing could be kept secret." Bellatrix scoffed. She hated not having much privacy. Living with a mind reader and a psychic did not help.

"I know you know that you can't." Rosalie cuts herself off. She knows what she is asking is incredibly selfish; hell, she knows she had little to no restraint with Emmet, but she kept her distance.

"I know Rose. I won't. She's human; it's best she stays human and innocent in our world." Bellatrix nods her head.

"I'm sorry." Rosalie apologizes, but she couldn't risk her family or Emmet.

"It's okay, Rosie; she deserves a happy life." Bellatrix assures her as the two women sit there in silence, enjoying one another's company.

"Wanna play?" Rosalie nods her head over to the piano in the room. Both girls played, as was expected in their time.

Bellatrix gets up, with the blonde following as they both let their hands brush over the keys. It's a good way they expressed themselves to one another, through the things they had in common since they were humans. Music.

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