Author's Notes: Chapter edited and corrected by Scott Fellman.
Bellatrix POV.
I entered the Blacks' grounds and felt the warm and comforting embrace of the family's protections, welcoming me as usual, as if it hadn't been 8 months since I first set foot on the family's soil, as if I hadn't changed enormously in all this time.
I took a deep breath before entering the mansion without any care. I looked around, and everything was the same, and it should be; in this world, no more than a day had passed since I had seen it. I smiled slightly at that, straightened my posture, and began to walk.
"Kreacher!" I shouted into the air, and in a few seconds the house-elf appeared next to me.
" Miss Bella, how can Kreacher help you?" Kreacher asked meekly.
"Are my grandfather and my parents here?" I asked easily, and Kreacher nodded.
"Lord Black is in his office, Miss Bella, Mr. Cygnus, and Mrs. Druella are also in the house," Kreacher said immediately, and I nodded.
"Can you take my parents to Grandfather's office? And tell all three of them I need to talk to them about something urgent. I'll be right there," I told Kreacher before saying goodbye and starting to walk toward my room. Once inside, I couldn't help but stop and look around, almost wistfully. Everything was still the same, but I couldn't shake the feeling that something was wrong.
My room was now with Serena, but she wasn't here. I sighed heavily before starting to undress, leaving my clothes scattered on my bed, then grabbed one of my dresses and quickly put it on.
The clothes I arrived in were of good quality; Cissy had made them. But these clothes were heavily influenced by underworld fashion, which, in turn, was influenced by human-world fashion. So yes, while the clothes were of good quality and really comfortable, they weren't something I could wear to a meeting with my grandfather.
I dressed properly, tidied my hair, and put on the Sera jewelry I wore constantly, before taking my wand and placing it in the sheath on my forearm. A warm sensation filled my wand. Even though I hadn't needed it lately, it felt just as comforting as the first time I held it.
I looked at myself in the mirror before nodding and starting to walk towards Grandfather's office. I stopped in front of the door and knocked firmly.
"Grandfather, it's me, Bella," I said firmly and waited.
"Come in," said Grandfather's muffled voice. I didn't hesitate for a second, opened the door, and entered the office. I saw Grandfather sitting at his desk, my parents standing to one side, frowning. I couldn't help but stare at them for a few moments longer than necessary. It was common for months to go by without me seeing them while I was at Hogwarts, but I always noticed the subtle signs of aging that came with each passing year.
Not now, it was exactly as I remembered it. I relaxed slightly before mentally wincing. I really had to stop feeling nostalgic about everything I saw; this was ridiculous.
"So, Bellatrix, you summoned us." Grandfather said coldly, not offensively, but rather in his natural voice, or at least it was now. I nodded, stood in front of Grandfather, and straightened up. "Does it have something to do with the Malfoys?" Grandfather asked before I could speak; I paused for a moment.
"The Malfoys?" I repeated, confused. Grandfather looked at me, very unimpressed.
"The disappearance of Abraxas Malfoy is quite an important matter at the Ministry," said Grandfather matter-of-factly.
"Oh, right, that," I hummed. "No, it has nothing to do with Malfoy. Cissy is comforting Lucius throughout this whole tragedy," I said dryly.
" Bella, seriously?" my mother asked wearily. I shrugged.
"I want to move up my marriage to Serena; I want it to happen before next month." I said without hesitation while staring intently at my grandfather, who returned my gaze.
"No," he said easily. I felt a twinge of irritation.
"Why not?" I asked tensely. Grandfather just leaned back in his seat and raised an eyebrow.
"And why yes?" he returned the question, the irritation continuing to increase.
"I want to marry her," I said simply and honestly. "I want to call her my wife," I said again; there was no point in lying. Grandfather stared at me.
"You're in love with her," Grandfather said simply, as a statement, yet I nodded.
"I am." I confirm, though it wasn't necessary. Grandfather hummed softly.
"Even so, it's a no," said Grandfather. I closed my eyes tightly.
" Bella... you may have... feelings for the girl, but aren't you rushing things? " my mother asked cautiously. I opened my eyes and sighed to calm myself.
"No, in fact, it's already taking too long," I said curtly. Maybe not for them, but my engagement to Serena had already lasted eight months, and I had absolutely no intention of it lasting any longer than that.
"You've been dating the girl for months, and you've only been engaged for a week. What's changed?" the grandfather asked immediately.
"Nothing," I said simply. "I simply want her to be my wife," I repeated to myself.
"And my answer will still be no," the grandfather said firmly.
"Why?" Irritation was heard in my voice, but Grandfather just ignored it.
"The girl will be your wife either way. There's no point, no benefit to rushing the wedding right now, beyond sentimentality," said Grandfather without any pity. I sighed and crossed my arms.
"And what's the problem with that?" I asked back.
"None," Grandfather said easily. "But unless you're afraid your 'feelings' or hers are temporary, there's no reason to do it, is there?" Grandfather asked, almost defiantly. I narrowed my eyes.
"I don't like it when my loyalties are questioned, much less my feelings or those of my fiancée, Grandfather." I slowly warned Grandfather.
"Bella!" my parents exclaimed, almost horrified; my grandfather just stared at me.
"No one is questioning anything, granddaughter, just explaining the facts," the grandfather said matter-of-factly. "Your request is based on sentimentality. If you trust your feelings and hers, then the mere title of wife or fiancée won't matter; it won't change anything if it happens in a few years," the grandfather said.
"And nothing will change if it happens now." I insisted. Grandfather shook his head.
"It would change how you'll be perceived by the public, Bellatrix. I approved this marriage because of the girl's potential, not because of who she is now. What would you gain from this marriage? While the Prince family name carries weight and respect, that's all she has. Miss Prince has nothing to her name except a patent for a potion and a few hundred galleons in her bank account."
"She doesn't even own a house; the dilapidated house in Spinner's End is in the name of her missing Muggle father. The Prince has nothing to inherit; they lost everything over the years, and what remained was divided among various families who had the minimum blood tie to the Princes to claim a share of their fortune."
"So the girl has nothing at the moment, no house, no money, so my answer will still be no," the grandfather said, unable to contain himself.
I was torn between wanting to draw my wand and attack Grandfather for belittling Sera like that and bursting out laughing at what Grandfather had said.
Serena had nothing? She was a king; she had a noble title; she owned a city; she had practically conquered an entire planet in just a couple of weeks and forced it to accept her conditions; she had a fortune exceeding 9 figures; she had a huge, burgeoning reputation in the underworld, and more.
But I suppose none of that matters, right? Not here. I hummed softly.
"I want to marry her according to the Old Ways, in a rite of union," I said calmly. That froze the three of them.
"What?! Bella, are you crazy?!" my mother yelled in a panic.
"Is this something that the Prince girl is inciting?!" my father asked forcefully. I ignored them both.
"That... is even worse than what you've been asking me for." Grandfather said, narrowing his eyes. I stared at him.
"You say she has nothing, but that's temporary, and it's not like it can't be fixed. My dowry is more than enough to buy a house, for whatever is needed," I said easily.
"It will be a waste," Grandfather said coldly. "The girl is Lady Prince. Let her earn it properly, Bellatrix. It is her duty to prove herself worthy of her title, not for you to lower yourself to hers." My hand trembled slightly as I tried not to take Casull out of the inventory.
"So, if I give you an excuse, a good enough reason, would you agree to move up the marriage before next month? And even triple my dowry?" I challenged Grandfather as I lifted my chin, Grandfather's eyes flashing with interest for the first time.
"Well... now you're talking, my granddaughter, let's see why." Grandfather said easily, waving his hand in a simple gesture for her to speak. I wrinkled my nose.
"We need to go to the training room." I said confidently. Grandfather stared at me and raised an eyebrow.
"Any reason?" asked Grandfather, and I raised my own eyebrow in his direction.
"Worried?" I replied easily. Grandfather snorted, but stood up.
"I hope it won't be a disappointment, granddaughter," the grandfather said dryly, then began walking out of the office.
"Bella! What are you doing?! " my mother asked sharply as she approached my side and whispered. I just smiled at her.
"Trust me, I have a reason," I told my mother. "Now let's go, Grandfather won't wait," I said curtly. That made my parents move quickly, and I caught up just as fast.
The four of us quickly arrived at a room large enough to be used for practicing particularly dangerous magic, which was found in the family libraries.
"We're here," Grandfather said easily as he looked at me. I just pointed to the space.
"I need you to use up all your magic, as much as you can, to a level where you can truly feel it," I said easily. The old man just raised an eyebrow; I rolled my eyes. "It's not dangerous at all. If I wanted to kill you, I'd find an easier way," I said curtly.
"Bella!!" my parents screamed in horror, while my grandfather just smiled so slightly that I almost missed it. I smiled shamelessly.
The grandfather elegantly took out his wand and began to move it, quickly and fluidly, with a practice that only came from years of handling a wand. He began by casting light, easy, neutral spells, before moving on to some darker and more energy-intensive ones.
"You too," I told my parents. They gave me a strange look before sighing and taking out their own wands. They both flicked their wands; they didn't have the same elegance as my grandfather's, in fact, they weren't even close. My mother was almost clumsy, despite being capable of casting some rather dark spells.
It took at least 10 minutes before the three of them seemed slightly tired, and their spellcasting began to slow down.
"Very well, that's enough," I said simply. The three of them stopped and turned to look at me. I reached inside my cleavage without any shame and pulled out three small vials. My mother looked at me, almost horrified by the lack of decorum. I just waved the three potions in front of them. "Here you go," I said, handing one to each of them.
The three of them carefully grabbed the small bottles and looked at the potion cautiously; I rolled my eyes again in impatience.
"Drink it all at once, it's not dangerous," I said, tapping my foot. Grandfather just snorted before uncorking the potion with a finger and starting to drink it. He took several large gulps before emptying the small test tube. Before freezing, he stared at the potion in disbelief before looking at his own hands.
"Cygnus, Druella, drink the potion." Grandfather ordered, almost impatiently. My parents jumped, both looking at each other in confusion, but they followed Grandfather's order, uncorked the potions, and drank them. Once they finished, they froze, just as Grandfather had.
"What—did that potion just regenerate my magic?" my father asked incredulously, staring at his own body. Then all three of them turned to look at me immediately. I smiled arrogantly. Grandfather took a step toward me and placed a hand on my shoulder.
"What was that potion?" he asked almost frantically, the first time he had seen his grandfather lose his composure.
"A magic regeneration potion, something my dear Serana is capable of creating, a recipe she only recently finished and discovered by accident." I explained easily. Grandfather stared at me.
"What is the creation process? What are its ingredients? What is the production cost? How effective are they really?" the grandfather asked quickly. I frowned and took a step back, pulling away from my grandfather's grip.
"That's a Prince family secret," I said without hesitation. Grandfather frowned, not seeming satisfied with my answer. "They're effective. A single potion would be able to completely regenerate the magic of an average adult. The process is really easy, according to Serena, but well, for her, creating Wolfbane is easy, so don't trust her estimate."
"Its ingredients are mostly easy to obtain, except for one slightly unusual ingredient, but easy to obtain if, say, I had a plot of land where I could cultivate said ingredient." I said as a smile grew on my face.
And I wasn't lying, the main ingredient was a dungeon monster, one that we had taken out in large quantities. Serena had locked them in an area with similar monsters and animals so they could reproduce, and she placed a time bubble to accelerate the process.
Now we had a new hybrid race, slightly weaker than their dungeon counterparts, but capable of thriving in an ecosystem on their own. Specifically, it meant we could maintain a steady supply without relying on the dungeon and Orario.
"You planned it all," Grandfather said immediately, and I chuckled.
"Yes." There was no point in lying to Grandfather. I really want to marry Serena just for the sake of getting married, that won't change, but I knew you wouldn't let me, so I just brought insurance," I said easily. Grandfather stared at me and narrowed his eyes.
"Well played, granddaughter," said Grandfather. "Once that potion is released to the public, Serena Prince's name will become truly famous, even more so than with her Wolfbane potion. A prodigy at the age of 18, she created two potions that were thought to be impossible to make."
"Her status and that of the Prince family are practically assured; we must join our name to hers as soon as possible. The marriage may seem rushed, but ensuring that the Black family is linked to the Prince family is more important."
"And they won't even be able to argue, a rite of union from Old Ways, it's something no pureblood can say is simply to bind the family together, it's much more, really well played, granddaughter."
"You'll have your triple dowry. I'll make sure to find a good territory for you and Prince, unless Malfoy has already found one?" said Grandfather, sounding genuinely impressed even though his tone of voice never changed. I smiled shamelessly at him.
"You won't see me complaining about more land, grandfather." I said with a smile; my grandfather just snorted and shook his head.
"We have a lot to prepare. I also have to talk to Lady Prince about the potion," said the grandfather with a hum.
"Before that, I also want to leave Hogwarts, along with Serena." I said without hesitation. The three of them turned and looked at me immediately. "I'll take my N.E.W.T.s at the Ministry with my wife. The last thing I want is for the headmaster to lay a hand on Serena."
"Serena doesn't get along with the headmaster, but it would be ridiculous to underestimate Dumbledore's ability to change people's minds. I want to get Serena out of his clutches. And after the wedding, we'll leave the country."
"Serena wants to travel the world, learn about different cultures, and discover potions from various magical lands and tribes. It would be a waste not to encourage her talent for potion-making. I want to accompany her. A... long honeymoon, you might say." I told them without hesitation.
It was a facade. Since we had entered this world once more, we could no longer stop time completely, or even slow it down, so we needed a plausible excuse to disappear for weeks or months.
This was the best way. It would give us a few years to get everything in order and then find another excuse.
Grandfather stared at me before nodding.
"You're right, Lady Prince was able to create Wolfbane in a shop in Nocturn Alley and the Magic Restoration Potion at Hogwarts; her talent is undeniable, and it really should be nurtured."
"And you're right about Dumbledore. If what you mentioned last time about the Wolfbane incident and the Potters holds true, the less time they both spend at Hogwarts, the better," said Grandfather firmly. "Very well, Bellatrix, you have my approval. Let's return to the office and discuss everything in detail."
I felt a rush of pleasure throughout my body before I smiled broadly. Perfect, I was getting married in a month.
"We have a lot to prepare," my mother said, gripping my arm tightly. "We have to prepare a wedding—no, a Rite of Union, that's more complicated. I can't believe you're doing this, but I respect it, my daughter. You always knew what you wanted, and I couldn't stop you, even if I wanted to." Mom said easily before sighing. I just nodded and let my mother lead the way. Normally, I would distance myself from her in these situations, but I hadn't seen her in months, so I simply went along with it. Orario could wait.