My first Sirius Black fic. Know that this is not incest between Sirius and Bellatrix, but only filial love. I always like to think about a certain pair of people's relationship. That they loved each other before they ended up with all the hate. Same goes with Rodolphus. Oh well. Happy Hearts Day, everyone.

Disclaimer: Get this: I'm hooked on Britney's song Womanizer. Womanizer. Womanize. Oh, you're a womanizer. Haha. Oh well. I don't own Sirius or Bellatrix.

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"A life full of memories gone so young.

And now I'm regretting all I've done,

But in your heart know that I'm with you all the time."

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Once upon a time, Sirius Black and Bellatrix Black loved each other like brother and sister. Once upon a time.

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Once

It would be quite rude for me to say, on behalf of everything, that I have not thought about this before. This sort of thinking sometimes lead me into a quiet and dreamless stupor. Quite hilarious, really, Sirius Black, the rebel of the "Noble and Pure" house of Black thinking and entering a dreamless stupor! I'm naturally smart, how d'you reckon I passed my OWLs?

But, enough of that. I'm here to tell you lot about myself, little by little I will divulge a bit of my past with you all. And a certain person who shall more or less pop up will be my darling cousin, Bellatrix Druella Black-Lestrange. As I have told James – Harry – Bellatrix is my most hated cousin - Well, I hated the lot of them - I told him Andromeda Black-Tonks was my favourite. But that was just recently. Before, in my earlier years, when I was but a little child, innocent, care free, free spirited, I played with Bellatrix.

And here is the tale of which I shall tell:

When we were in our earlier years, when we were just children, about what age you ask? It's not really your role to ask such questions, just know and be satisfied that it was a rather very long time. I assure you, you don't want to know. But moving on. Bellatrix in her innocent glory. Dear Bella. Curly, dark haired, icy dark yet greyish eyes, strong jaw and ringing voice. Even as a child Bellatrix was the icon for pure bloods. A little girl who looked so dignified and noble at such a young age...but Narcissa passed it off better than her. Cissy was true to being graceful and what not, but Bellatrix merely put it up for show. When we were together, playing, Bellatrix was a monster. A monster who knew how to play a whole lot.

Bellatrix and I were inseparable. We were like two halves of a whole; I honestly did pay more attention to her than to Regulus, who seemed to die for my own attention. Well, come off it, he was a bit younger than me and Bella and I were only a year away.

Enough of the fixated admiration of Regulus to yours truly. Now, going back to the story:

Bellatrix and I were like twins. I had curled up dark hair, she had curly dark hair, and we both had dark yet greyish eyes. Even Druella, who was not at all kind, treated me above her usual unkind standard. So on the day of our year before Hogwarts, ickle Trixiekins and I were at it again. We had just played mud-bloods and purebloods, and I, along with Bellatrix's aggressiveness, forced Andromeda to play the role of the mudblood. I can't say I don't regret it to this day because I do. Little Narcissa was just looking at us down her balcony, her long blond hair – which was so unlike her sisters – draping on her shoulders. Cissy gave me a reproachful look and then smiled slightly.

Bellatrix was calling me and we both sat down under a tree. She had bought her feet up to her chest and was hugging it. She shuddered slightly and for a moment we were both silent. The breeze playing with both our hair, Narcissa and Andromeda had retreated to the safety and less humid shelter of home. Bellatrix looked at me, and her eyes were wide, it seemed fearful for once.

"Sirius," Bellatrix told me, picking at a lock of curly dark hair out of her face. I propped myself on my elbows and pushed my hair out of my face, mimicking Bella and turned my head at an angle of which I had a good view of her, and she to me.

"Yeah, Bella?" I said, she was leaning on the tree, her arms still locked around her legs.

"We're starting our first year at Hogwarts in just a few months," Bellatrix said, eyeing me.

"Yeah," was the only thing I could say.

"And we'll be sorted into houses. Of course...we'll both be in Slytherin." This time, our eyes locked. I doubted that I would be put into any other house aside Slytherin, but the idea of belonging to the somewhat sick and demented House that all the Blacks belonged to seemed to be quite monotonous. The only thing I could say to Bellatrix was, "Yeah". We lapsed into a moment of silence and I lay down on the cool grass.

"Promise you'll be in Slytherin," Bellatrix piped up, she was on her elbows and was leaning towards me. "Okay, Sirius?" I really didn't know. But chances are I would have to be Slytherin. Toujours Pur. The Blacks were always sorted into Slytherin House, as I have said earlier.

"...I don't know, Bells." Bellatrix shook her head and raised a hand. For a moment there I thought she would hit me so I sat straight.

"Let's just promise each other this. Whichever house we get sorted at – and it will be Slytherin – we'll always have each other. No matter what. Unless you're gonna be a Hufflepuff..." Bella giggled, her eyes sparkling. Her pinkie was stuck out.

"Promise?" She prompted, I seemed to have frowned because her brows contorted and her brows furrowed, her lower lip pushing out into a pout. "Promise, Sirius?" Bellatrix said once more, her voice this time demanding, commanding, yet it was a caring sort of tone.

I caught her little finger with mine and nodded. "Promise, Trixie." She frowned at the name and shook her head but we looked into each other's eyes. She then leapt and tackled me into a hug. We sat up straight and looked at the sky.

"Whatever happens, we'll always be there for each other. Bellatrix Black and Sirius Black, the greatest of all wizards and witches." Bellatrix hummed, her eyes closed and I stared at the now darkening sky.

"Maybe if we're lucky we'll end up in the chocolate frog cards!" I joked; she giggled and sighed...what a promise that was.

We stuck true but when I was sorted, just after Bellatrix, into Gryffindor and she into Slytherin, her grin fell. She looked kind of sad and down as the claps and chatters in the Great Hall died down...they had not expected for a certain Black to be sorted into Gryffindor.

Bellatrix was my most favourite cousin. She was like a sister to me. When we were sorted into rival houses, everything seemed to fall. Our friendship didn't really survive and the petty little promise us kids had made was left, broken and in the form of ashes. Only the hiding stars and the setting sun knew of our promise, knew of the supposed familial love two kids had for each other.

I once loved Bellatrix. And maybe I still do now. But that emotion is by far shrouded with others, with spite. The monster of a cousin, the one that could really make or break your day was nothing more today but a mad woman. She is not fun anymore, she is but a monster. And I'll say it again; maybe deep down I still love her.

Once, I say.

But people don't need to know about that little tale, do they, because I'm sure all of you who have stuck with me right now to listen to a man who has escaped Azkaban and who is now residing in the house he was confided in, who truly cares for his godson will not recount anyone of this. I trust you will not relay this to anybody else. Keep it to yourselves. And know that I Bellatrix and I had once cared for each other.

To the man who wept when his best friend died. To the man who once had a sister. To Sirius Black. To myself.

Cheers.

fin.