These Days

Prologue

Part I

June 1974

Bellatrix walked up a long driveway, her black curls bobbing, wand clutched tightly in her hand. Her pouted lips curved into a smile, her dark eyes gleaming. It had taken days – no, weeks – for the day that the plan would work to come along. Finally, finally her burning desire for revenge would be satisfied. Now that her sister was gone for an Order meeting, only Ted Tonks stood in the way of her and victory. But he was a trivial matter. A mere obstacle. With a wave of her wand, he could be eliminated. How she longed to cause Andromeda that sort of pain.

Bellatrix knew that she couldn't kill Andromeda – not only because of her prestigious skill – but also for the fact that Andromeda was her sister. No matter how hard she thought about it, she knew that all attempts would be futile; Bellatrix's nerve would fail her. The plan in place was a perfect way for Andromeda Tonks to suffer for her mistakes, pain that would be even harder to endure than death.

Love. Bellatrix delicately snorted at the word. The eldest Black sister wasn't stupid; she knew that Andromeda loved dearly and deeply. To love is to destroy, Bellatrix thought to herself. It was a phrase that her mother had taught her when she was little. But she would never know the full meaning until it was too late.

Her mother. Druella Black. This was for her, not for the Dark Lord, and maybe partially for herself. Andromeda made a mistake in marrying that mudblood Ted Tonks. A mistake that tore her mother – and Bellatrix knew deep down, herself – into fragments. But no matter, no matter. The middle Black sister was about to understand.

The gate was locked, and charms were cast around the property. Idiots, she thought to herself, a wicked smirk crossing her attractive features, making her brown eyes glow in the dusk light. She muttered a simple spell, and all of the protective charms dissolved in a shimmery light. It was easier than Bellatrix expected it to be.

Stepping lightly, she made her way up the stairs. A crow cawed, and Bellatrix looked up. It was an animagus, by the name of Rodolphus Lestrange. Her husband and guard. If any Order members came – which was unlikely – he would signal it.

"Alohomora," she whispered, and the door opened. Again, she contemplated on how naive her sister and husband were for thinking that the charms would be enough. Of course, Andromeda was far too noble to use stronger dark magic to protect her family, Bellatrix mused.

Walking to their bedroom was simple, as Ted was fast asleep in the hammock on the balcony; he was all the way on the other side of the house. When Bellatrix reached the bedroom, she cast her eyes upon the sleeping twins that lay in the cot. One of them had vivid pink hair; the other had green hair. Hmmm, Metamorphmagi. That could prove useful. All she could see in the twins was Ted. It was only when the green haired girl opened her eyes that she could see her sister, Andromeda.

The twins' names were Nymphadora and Magnolia. Bellatrix rolled her eyes. Even as children, Andromeda said that she would call her children those particular names. Horrible names.

Bellatrix stopped thinking about the past and focused on the task at hand. She scooped the two infants in her arms, not knowing how to hold them and doing so roughly. The pink-haired twin opened her eyes and looked up at Bellatrix, who had a vague idea of what she had to do.

"Hello, darling. It's Auntie Bella, and we're going on an adventure!"

To Bellatrix's dismay, the pink-haired baby started wailing. Frantically, she tried to console her.