Good parents, the Lestranges decidedly did not make. They loved their daughter, they did, but in the removed way that all parents did. It was the care of their daughter in which they were deficient, already so devoted to their Lord that in coming home to be welcomed but an infant with no real personality or functions… well they did not know how to interact with her. Regina from birth, like all pureblood children to some degree, was always going to be partially raised by the household elves until she could walk and talk. It wasn't unusual, Socialite mothers and networking businessmen fathers made it so that children did not get attention until they proved themselves worthy of it. Regina's case however, was one of extremes.

Rodolphus and Bellatrix spent long hours attending their affairs or their Lord, not thinking to spend time with their only child who was only just starting to babble at this point. They did not care much for her first word ('No') and they did not see the point in interacting with a little human who as far as they could tell, didn't do much besides eat sleep and mess themselves. The trauma of Regina's birth giving away to little more than an unusual eye color and perhaps, an overly quiet baby, not that they noticed beyond appreciation of the silence. If one had actually asked the House Elves responsible for her care, their reports, while glowing in their little lady's praise, were atypical of the usual baby.

Regina had been a very well behaved child since practically birth, never fussing without reason and favoring small whimpers over the usual wails a child makes. From early on it was obvious to anyone truly paying attention that her eyes followed any movement around her, observing rather being distracted by the multitudes of toys other families had sent in celebration of her birth. And early on, her noises had made sense to the overly eager to please Elf's, each pitch combined with a movement corresponded to a whim of the child they were only too happy to fulfill.

No one ever asked them, of course, so this was largely unnoticed as her parents came and went as their busy schedules dictated, leaving a small Regina to nearly wonder who was holding her whenever they deigned to visit the nursery, the shock of their unfamiliarity jolting a fit from her usually, not particularly endearing her to any of the three usual visitors. But she could never help it, it was to shocking, being exposed to their magic suddenly, their auras frightening her before she was able to relax into a tentative embrace.

It was not until she was almost three did her parents make a longer than usual visit to her rooms with a man she had never seen before. His aura swirled around him like the blackest of nights, heavy and intoxicating while terrifying at the same time. Regina had no recourse but to run behind the nearest barrier and curl up, crying in her startled fright. This marked the first time her parents had ever been less than gentile with her.

"Come out you useless girl!" Bellatrix shrieked as her daughter made a mockery of her in front of the Dark Lord himself who had graced her with his visit.

"Noooooo!" Regina shouted back, to frightened by the mere presence of the man to entertain the thought of leaving her sanctuary, no matter how feeble.

"Out girl!" Bellatrix demanded, moving to pull her out from behind the chair she had taken refuge with, to focused on her good standing with the Dark Lord to take any head of her daughters terrified wails. Stalking forward and grabbing her nimbly, keeping hold of her despite the thrashing limbs she presented the red faced, tantrum throwing Lestrange Heiress to their Lord.

"Quiet child." He hissed out as Regina felt her windpipe nearly choke on the almost physical manifestation of his power. He was even scarier up close, greying hair with an angular face and red eyes, draped in a cloak that mimicked the hue of a moonless night. She stared at him silently, unable to disobey his order, her unnaturally violet eyes clashing with his vivid red.

"How interesting." He breathed, breaking the silence after a good long while, no one willing to speak before he allowed "such a gifted child you have Bella." He complemented her mother, never taking his eyes away from hers and she remained frozen under his immense power.

"Isn't she?" her mother cooed, a complete about face from her earlier temperament, still holding her out for scrutiny as Rodolphus looked on, perhaps slightly conflicted, but ultimately willing to go on his wife's judgment around their Lord.

"Such a game changer you will be little one." The Dark Lord practically crooned as he reached out to trail a single skeletal finger down her cheek, leaving a burning cold trail in its wake "she will be of great help to us in the future." He declared much to her parent's glee, causing them to not particularly notice the near catatonic state Regina had fallen into.

The adults left soon after, giving her over to the care of the Elves who were mortified of the condition their usually bright and happy baby was left in. They were immediately prompted into action as they gathered warm blankets, warm comfort foods and all of her favorite toys as the head Elf Missy cuddled with their precious Miss Reggie, allowing the child to burrow as far as she could into her embrace, staving off her shivers as the others popped back into the room with what they needed.

"Is they Missy OK?" Tipper, a younger elf fretted as he wrung his ears

"She's being ok after we's be making her feel better!" Pipsy squealed as she rushed forward to wrap Regina in the softest blanket she could find, helping Missy sooth the shivers wracking the young girl's body.

"That's right." Soothed Missy as the blankets "You's telling Missy what be being wrong and she's be fixing it." Missy petting the small child's head as her shivers subsided and the shock slowly wore off. Finally Regina lifted her head to look at the surrounding three Elves who took such care of her, her eyes no longer carrying the innocence of youth, but a haunted undertone that had no place on the face of a child.

"His eyes."

! Thank you to those who reviewed/favorited/followed, this is still build up, next chapter gets more into plot type action, but still, a lot of backstory to go through... I don't have the patience to write it alllll out so you get the abridged version through the eyes of Regina a few years into the future. let me know how you like it? Just a heads up, I'm borrowing a lot from Pagan/Wiccan numerology/color meanings... sooo do with that what you will.