The Future We Wish Would Be

"So, how'd it go?" Andromeda asked with a wide grin.

Bellatrix swiped at her hair, done up in a fancy braid, she was wearing her finest robes and as if she was attending the Wizengamot. She glared at her sister who was sitting in the Slytherin Common Room, the impish smile on the seventeen-year-old a great annoyance, although the question had her smile. "Professor Kampf managed to get Summer Break." She had a wide smile as she said that.

Andromeda cheered, before she grew a bit pensive, "I think Professor Kampf is underestimating how many people are going to be staying for Remedials." She noted, "I mean, I mentioned it to Sirius, and he's been cheering nonstop about not needing to go back to Grimmauld."

Bellatrix snorted at the mention of the 'White Sheep' of the Black Family. Their little cousin, the only Gryffindor of the family. She knew Aunt Walburga and Uncle Orion were mightily displeased with little Siri, but the boy was ever a wild child. She expected him to also be a DADA NEWTs graduate and might even take her place in her potential Apprenticeship under Professor Kampf. "Oh, I know. Professor Kampf had to bring out white boards of increasing complexity of how he was going to manage nearly a hundred potential students all by himself."

"Do you know how the classes are structured?" Andromeda asked.

Bellatrix nodded, "For the First and Second Years, they'll be engaged in a lot of physical activity. The Professor displayed his Transfiguration talent and will have animated constructs chasing them around, and damn near threatened the board to take a Healing Mastery after they questioned his ability to take care of so many children during his explanation. Madam Marchbanks glared at everyone there to quiet down." She laughed, Andromeda following suit.

"Its effectively going to be a 'camp', with animated constructs, complex wards applied to the halls and common rooms that will be interhouse; honestly, its rather amazing." Bellatrix smiled, "One long DADA class, paired with supervised study sessions, periodic quizzes and tests across all age groups, and grueling physical activities. It'll be hard and its certainly not going to always be fun, but there's a draw to the challenge."

"Bellatrix?" A voice called out, a slight veneer of disdain tainting the voice; joined shortly by several others as they came out from the dungeons. It was somewhat late, but not curfew, and these students -judging by a few that were stumbling on their feet- were a bit intoxicated from a visit to Hogsmeade. Unsanctioned, as it was a Wednesday.

She turned to find one Rodolphus Lestrange, her betrothed.

Joining him was Lucius Malfoy, the Carrow twins, Thorfinn Rowle, and Evan Rosier. Her older cousin, Regulus Black had Evan Rosier slung over his shoulder, the young man slurring as he tried to look around the room.

The drunk boys leered at her, Evan slurring something best not repeated, Thorfinn giving her a disgusting smile as his eyes shamelessly roved her dress robes, while Rodolphus stepped forward with a smooth and calm smile on his face. "Are you going somewhere tonight, Bella?" He asked softly, his eyes not lingering anywhere they shouldn't.

She rolled her eyes, "No, I was joining Professor Chaoskampf for a meeting with the Board of Directors. He asked for my presence to confirm the falling standards of the DADA material and criterion; requesting permission to host remedial studies over the summer."

Lucious Malfoy frowned, "That's an odd thing to support. Why would we need to assist the mudbloods with their education?"

"Dumbass." Regulus landed a soft fist on the prissy boy's shoulder, "That's our education too."

Lucius sniffed as he rubbed at his shoulder, "And only the poor would be incapable of hiring a tutor."

"Everyone knows you're rich, Malfoy." Regulus muttered, striding forward and shrugging off Evans to Thorfinn, "Are there any attendance requirements?" Her cousin asked. Regulus was always eerily mature and intelligent, but he was always quiet; thoughts dancing, but never truly being said, and what was, was often left unheeded.

"Just mention your attendance to Professor Kampf after classes."

Regulus hummed, moving forward to his dorm with a slightly unsteady gait, showing he was intoxicated, but the boy was a calm drunk.

"Will you be attending the meeting, Bellatrix?" Lestrange asked, the group of boys and one girl falling away into the couches and chairs of the common room.

Bellatrix pursed her lips. "I'm afraid I have other commitments." She gave an apologetic smile, "With the recent stringent DADA requirements, and with Flitwick and McGonagall adding more reading material; the number of essays I need to write…"

Rodolphus' lip twitched, Amycus narrowed his eyes, while Alecto visibly grew disgruntled.

"Surely such things can be put off, this is a historic meeting…" Lucius tried, but Bellatrix was already shaking her head.

"I need to have steady grades. Professor Kampf has agreed to entertain a possibly apprenticeship, and I need to keep myself focused if I'm to advance into the position."

The prat didn't have anything to say to that, and just hummed noncommittally. It was Lestrange that kept an uncanny gaze on her, before they bowed and soon vacated the common room to sleep. Bellatrix sighed, glancing over where Andromeda had kept her head down, cracking open study material to read. She sat next to her, pulling her sister close.

Andromeda stiffened, "Bella?" She asked; the young woman never one to show physical displays of affection.

"Andromeda?"

"Yes?"

"What do you want to do in life?" She wondered.

Andromeda stiffened. "I, um, I'm not sure."

Bellatrix raised an eyebrow, "Oh? Surely 'I'm not sure' doesn't have anything to do with the Tonks boy?"

A bright blush and a horrified stiffening overcame her sister, with Bellatrix shushing her. "Don't worry, I'm not going to tell anyone." She whispered, leaning back in the comfortable chair, gazing up at the chandelier hanging without a worry above her. "Just…tell me about it."

"…I think I'm going to be a lawyer. Ted has ideas about entering the attorney market. We're studying law on both sides of the world, and its good money either way." She whispered, "Ted, and I, we think something's coming. The Knights, Dumbledore's pushes; mom and dad, they're interacting with extreme people, talking about dangerous things. Its becoming scary."

Bellatrix frowned, "Are you running?" She wondered, not judging.

"I, I guess? We just want to be safe; live our lives together. I, I love Ted." She admitted with bright cheeks, "He's just, a rock. Steady. Calm."

Bellatrix had a grin crawl on her face, "And 'forbidden love' doesn't have anything to do with it?" She wondered.

"Bella…" Andromeda whined.

Bella's humor left her, "What about the family? Aren't you worried…"

"Aunt Walburga will rage. Father and Mother are going to be utterly livid. But its, its my life." Andromeda growled, "I found love, and they'll tell me to drop him because he's of poor stock." She scoffed, "Ted's not some Dumbledore, but he's intelligent, hardworking; loyal. The ideal Hufflepuff, and that's not something to make fun of. Those are rare qualities in a man."

Bellatrix stroked her sister's hair, smiling softly as she listened to her gush about her man. "And what about your future; beyond just your careers?"

Andromeda blushed, "Well, uhm…" She whispered something.

"Oh?"

"…kids?"

"Oh, how cute." Bellatrix cheered, "Ickle nieces and nephews for auntie Bella to spoil rotten." She laughed.

"Oh, and how about you? Rodolphus and you, hmm?" She asked.

Bellatrix frowned.

"Oh." Andromeda whispered.

"It was a contract." Bellatrix said softly.

"Hmm." Andromeda hummed noncommittally. "And if you had a choice?" She asked.

"I…I'm not sure what I want." Bellatrix lied.

"Didn't you want to be a duelist?" Andromeda asked, remembering her say that.

"Well, say I'm a duelist; then what?" She asked.

Andromeda frowned and glanced over to where the posse of wasted teens had strolled. "What about them?" She asked, her voice neutral.

"Andromeda…" Bellatrix said sadly, "You know their motives. I can't, towards Ted; hell, they're dogma would include Professor Kampf." Both frowned. The enigmatic man at times had a presence surpassing Dumbledore. His unnatural and magically altered eyes lighting up like a wrathful star, glaring anyone into submission. It was intimidating to think the group might have designs against the man.

"And with Rodolphus in the Knights…" Andromeda started.

"I'd be expected to join regardless." She whispered.

Andromeda tapped her fingers, "The Apprenticeship." She stated, "It's your way out."

Bellatrix nodded, "I've thought so as well. It doesn't save me from the marriage contract, but it'd distance myself from them."

"And the ceremony is after Hogwarts, right?"

Bellatrix hummed in confirmation.

Andromeda thought for a moment, then blushed.

"What?"

"Nothing." She bit out quickly.

"What, c'mon Andromeda."

The girl looked down at her book and mumbled something.

"I can't hear you."

"You and Professor Kampf. Could…y'know." She tapped her fingers together.

Bellatrix stared at her in incomprehension, then her eyes widened, and her face flushed. "Andromeda Virgo Black! I'm not going to…seduce my professor…" Her face was burning red, and her imagination ran wild.

Andromeda grinned like an imp, "But, well, he's hot." She whispered. "I mean, just those eyes." She bit her lip.

Bellatrix growled, "You have Ted, get your head out of the gutter." She sent a stinging charm that had her sister let out a soft 'ow'.

Waving her stung hand around, Andromeda grinned unrepentantly, "You know you want too~." She sing-songed.

"Andromeda…" Bellatrix moaned weakly, falling back on the lounging couch, her sister not stopping as she buried her face into her hands.

"I'm just saying, if you get that Mastery, you'll be in the perfect position for it." Andromeda commented, chanting 'Epski' on her hand to banish the lingering pain from the hex. "And he's likely Britian's most desired Bachelor. There are rumors of the man being absolutely loaded with gold."

"He can make Orichalcum." Bellatrix stated, Andromeda pausing, then her jaw lowered in shock.

"Well that explains the Alchemy Mastery." She muttered. Andromeda shook her head, "So, he's young, handsome, exotically so." Bellatrix kicked at her sister, drawing a laugh from the girl, "He's rich, powerful magically, politically divergent as he's technically a foreigner; Bella, you have an unclaimed phoenix hanging right in front of you; and you're hesitating." She listed out, now staring at Bella with disappointment. "Bella, ignore what our parents say; they're fools if they can't see the prize you have lined up."

Bella rolled over, "Well, is he even interested in a student?" She muttered.

"Ooo. Look who broke!" Andromeda giggled. Bella glared up at her sister, causing the younger girl to roll her eyes. "Someone can't take what they dish out." She muttered. Bellatrix kicked her again. "Ow. The only reason that he'd not consider you is because you're his student, and that taboo gets broken a lot. That, or he's a fag." She mused.

"Oh Merlin, what if he's a fag?" Bellatrix hissed.

Andromeda licked her lips, "Ted and Professor Chaoskampf…hmm."

Bellatrix stared at her sister with a baffled expression, "Andromeda!" She exclaimed, utterly scandalized.

Andromeda boosted herself on her feet and blew a raspberry at her sister, "Grow up." She then walked off, ignoring her sister's ire filled gaze.

Bellatrix fell back on the couch, staring up at the Slytherin common room, and sighed. Then she got up and decided to head to bed. She'd think about this tomorrow.