Chapter 8: A Boiled Rat

Once at the Burrow Molly Weasley looked to Ginny and Hermione, "Ginny, please send an owl to Nymphadora...it's time for a war council to figure out what to do about Ms. Reed."

"Harry, I'm fairly sure Kreacher boiled a rat for our dinner.."

Harry looked at the meal before them. He couldn't disagree, mostly due to the fact that the 'meat' had four legs and a tail. Disgusted he pushed away the plate. Just then they heard a voice from the floo in the other room.

"Wotcher Harry, you home?"

Harry walked into the other room, Bellatrix stayed behind so she could reapply her glamour before joining him. He was talking to the head of Nymphadora Tonks from the fireplace.

"You didn't forget about our pizza tonight did you? I figured I'd call up and see what you two want on yours." The head of Tonks said with a smile. She saw Bellatrix walking into the room, "Wotcher Josephine, you keeping Harry out of trouble?"

"He's been very well behaved, thanks for asking." Bellatrix answered with a little smirk.

She knew that the other women she'd seen at the house didn't like her living here. I wonder if they'd be relieved if they knew it was a death eater living with him instead of his girlfriend... That thought made the smirk turn into an actual smile.

Harry looked to Bellatrix and then back to Tonks. "How about one with plain cheese on half and the other half with pepperoni and sausage? What do you think Josephine?"

Bellatrix shrugged in what she hoped said Whatever sounds good versus I have no bloody clue what a "pete-zah" is. It seemed to work as Tonks turned back to Harry, seemingly ignoring the other witch. "Right then, I'll be over in about a half an hour...see you two soon." With a flash of green Tonks closed the floo call and then Harry and Bellatrix were alone again.

"Alright, what is a pizza Harry? I'm sure it can't be worse than a boiled rat, but I am still curious."

Harry looked to Bellatrix, "Alright, the best way to imagine a pizza is think of a meat pie. It's a flatbread covered in tomato sauce, cheese, and sometimes meats and vegetables. It's sliced into wedges, usually about eight. It's extremely popular among muggles and every muggle-born student I've met at Hogwarts has at least mentioned it once...well almost all of them, Hermiones parents probably never let her have anything as bad for you and delicious as pizza."

Tonks had seen the message from Ginny Weasley. She had penned a reply Having dinner with Harry and Ms. Reed. Will send details afterwards. It felt odd going behind Harry's back like this. But it had to be done. No one knew this woman, which meant no one could trust her. At the best, she could just be, as Ginny Weasley had called her a 'scarlet woman', at the worst, she could be a hidden Death Eater.

It was too risky for now, so she would do her best to 'befriend' Josephine Reed, get to know her, hopefully she'd be able to suss out what she meant to Harry, and more importantly what she wanted from the Boy-Who-Lived.

Meanwhile, Bellatrix had went downstairs, returning she had the box of albums resting on top of the case of the record player.

"Help me find a spot to rest this, I figure we can listen to some music while we wait.." Bellatrix motioned with her arms full. Harry moved to clear space on a counter beside the table.

"Thanks Harry, one moment and I'll pick us out a good album...KREACHER!" Bellatrix shouted and with a pop the House Elf appeared before them. "Yes Miss Bellatrix..Kreacher lives to serve the great House of Black.." Bellatrix glared at the House Elf, "I'm sure you do, to that end, if you ever serve us anything as disgusting as that excuse for a dinner, I will personally knit a scarf so I can throttle you with it before kicking you out of this house. You served the new Lord of House Black a meal he has to throw away uneaten. You will clean these dishes and then you will ensure that tomorrows breakfast will be up to the standards of Lord Black, do I make myself perfectly clear?"

Harry watched, the Elf looked down at the floor and muttered a barely audible "Yes" before vanishing again.

She turned back to him, the smile returning, "Right, with that out of the way let's get settled in the parlor while we wait." She went back to her record player and box of albums, lifting it back up, she allowed Harry to open the door for her. She set everything down on her uncle Orion's old liquor cabinet. She selected an album and put it on before sitting beside Harry on the couch. Soon the music began to play and she closed her eyes and just listened.

The winter it has passed

And the summer's come at last

The small birds are singing in the trees

And their little hearts are glad

Ah, but mine is very sad

Since my true love is far away from me

And straight I will repair

To the Curragh of Kildare

For it's there I'll finds tidings of my dear

Harry looked at the smile on Bellatrix's face. It wasn't the same one from before, that one had been joyous, a smile of madcap rapture at her freedom. This smile was softer, a sadder smile. He wondered what she was thinking about. He took her hand, she opened her eyes and smiled a bit wider to him, then she was back in her own world.

The rose upon the briar

By the water's running clear

Brings joy to the linnet and the bee

And their little hearts are blessed

But mine can know no rest

Since my true love is far away from me

A livery I'll wear

And I'll comb back my hair

And in velvet so green I will appear

And straight I will repair

To the Curragh of Kildare

For its there I'll find tidings of my dear

Bellatrix opened her eyes, she had unconsciously been squeezing Harry's hand in time to the music. She looked over to him, "This was a song I would think about whenever it was raining and I was trapped in the house, forced by my Aunt to 'learn what is expected of a pureblood witch.' "

All you who are in love

Aye and cannot it remove

I pity the pain that you endure

For experience lets me know

That your hearts are filled with woe

It's a woe that no mortal can cure

Tonks popped her head in the floo and called out "Wotcher Harry, if you two are ready to eat, I've got two pizzas here ready for us!" She walked in, it was quiet...well not quiet, there was music playing, she crept closer. Harry and Josephine were sitting on the couch listening to an old song. She didn't have the heart to ruin the moment, instead waiting until the song finished to knock on the doorway to get their attention.

Harry and Bellatrix both jumped at the sudden noise. Harry looked to the doorway, seeing it was Tonks holding two pizza boxes. "Tonks, you took a year off our lives, come on and sit down with us, we'll eat our pizza in here." It was time, he had given Bellatrix academic knowledge of pizza, but now it was time for her to try the real thing.