Hello, very long time no see and I do apologize. I went through yet another computer as well as more life trials (yay). I was not in a good place to write for a long time and as I'm trying to...fix, I suppose, the things that have gone wrong in my life there have been rays of light in the dark abyss that is my writer's block and this is a result of that. This is just a prologue to the real story to see if anyone would be interested in reading it. I've put a lot of time and research into this story and, seeing as it is helping me through the darkness of writer's block, it is my baby.

Hopefully there will be a noticeable difference in tone and pacing from my other stories seeing as I actually edited and outlined good portions of this story and worked really hard on the characterization of them. Granted they will not be strictly canon for my purposes obviously, I think I have developed a really good Bellamione couple. I'm really excited about this one.

Now the tragic news about Stomach Tied In Knots, I've put it on indefinite hiatus. Every time I try to sit down and add on to the story I fall back into a bad writing space and the story itself reminds me of an awful time in my life. Not to mention I can't read over it without cringing at myself. That story got away from what I wanted it to be. I'm sorry to disappoint and I hold nothing against those who would like to unsubscribe to my works that is your right. I will continue to rework that story, but until I get it fixed, here is something different entirely that I do plan, life willing, to continue on for many many chapters. I still have no editor so I'm still a one-woman operation, but I've suddenly (and quite unfortunately for me) had a lot of time on my hands. So if this is something I see people enjoy I will definitely continue as quickly as possible.

Ugh, enough semi-depressing talk. Without further ado, I present Toujours Pur.

A gaunt, yet fair beauty. A dark woman with heavy-lidded eyes and thick, shining black hair. The epitome of a Black just like her sisters, even after all her time in Azkaban. That was the description given to me when I asked Professor Lupin about Bellatrix Black. I knew she was dangerous, of course she was. You don't wind up in Azkaban for all those years unless you were dangerous. And again, Voldemort would have left her there had she not had such reputable skills.

Everyone was on edge. Harry was on a chase for Sirius Black, the man responsible for Voldemort finding and ultimately killing his parents. Ron would be helping him at any chance that arose while I did whatever I could to assist Professor Lupin. Not many knew of his predicament and besides someone who could corroborate his alibis for being absentee for several lessons I thought above all else he could benefit from someone to talk with about it. We even came up with several proposals for the betterment of ministry policies regarding magical creatures.

We tried to settle some sense of normalcy among ourselves. Of course it seemed to work, everyone tried to be as calm as possible when together. Speaking only of quidditch and school work, but at night Ron tells me that Harry is out with his invisibility cloak, chasing a ghost on the Marauder's Map. Professor Lupin told me of Peter Pettigrew, not much other than he, Sirius Black, and himself were all close friends with Harry's father and that he was a timid boy. The wizarding world presumed him to be dead when all that was found of him was his finger. After that Professor Lupin went into deep, reclusive thought and refused to share further. Although it was not hard to guess what he was thinking.

As it turned out his summation was correct. Peter Pettigrew was hiding in plain sight for over a decade. Lupin and Sirius explained that only two people knew of the place Harry's parents were hiding, Pettigrew and himself. It had been Pettigrew who sold-out the Potters to Voldemort and framed Sirius for his own murder. Ron was floored to find that his beloved pet was a transfigured fugitive all this time and Harry got his closure with Sirius. Although we could not clear his name due to Pettigrew's escape, he and Harry seemed to form a bond Harry had been craving his entire life.

Sirius went into hiding and we thought the war ahead would be an evenly matched one. Until the day of the mass breakout from Azkaban. Several high profile dark wizards were freed and among those wizards was the notorious Bellatrix Black. Voldemort's most loyal servant and most dangerous ally. After that we were playing a waiting game which made us uneasy. Professor Lupin moved on from Hogwarts and it seemed that with his departure a certain darkness followed. We were sitting in tension, waiting for something we could not plan for. That was an oddity in itself. Lupin told us that all others who were broken from Azkaban had become active within 2 weeks of the day, while no one had so much as heard a whisper of Bellatrix yet and it was closing in on 2 months. The only explanation we have is that she and Voldemort were planning for something big and disastrous. Something the public could not ignore. Harry had begun to take Occlumency lessons from Professor Snape as Dumbledore believed Voldemort had been planting false memories and thoughts into his head. Even still, we were in the dark about anything to do with Voldemort or Bellatrix.

A breakthrough came the night of Sirius' death. Finally, our fears were confirmed. Following a false vision to the Department of Mysteries resulted in a face-off between the Order, Dumbledore's Army, and the Death Eaters. Bellatrix finally made her first appearance since leaving Azkaban, every ounce as crazy and beautiful as I had been told. There was a certain madness about her that was inhuman, almost as if she were brainwashed. She fought with no concern for life, taking joy in whoever fell at her wand. That is until the wizard on the receiving end was Sirius Black, her cousin. There was a moment, a beat so short you could miss it, where everything stilled and held it's breath. Sirius looked at his chest, not believing he'd been struck and Bellatrix seemed just a surprised as she watched him fall behind the veil. For that one moment you could see Bellatrix almost regret casting that spell. Although I doubt anyone else would have noticed.

We'd gone back to Grimmauld Place save for Dumbledore and Professor Snape for safety and to mourn the loss of our beloved friend. Harry locked himself in Sirius' room as soon as we arrived and refused to speak to anyone. There was a shocked silence among us all, even the painting of Mrs. Black could not be heard. It was late, no one checked the time, we just knew it was too late for any muggles to be out. A figure completely covered in a dark cloak appeared just outside the boundaries set on the house. They made no move, only faced the space where the house was hidden as if they knew that it was there. Then they pulled the hood of their cloak back ever so slightly, just enough to let the moonlight illuminate their face.

Bellatrix Black.

Everyone except Harry made their way to the lawn ready to defend our safe house, but Bellatrix didn't move. We supposed she was waiting until she had our full attention, when she felt she had it she raised her hands as if in surrender and spoke, "I am going to remove my wand, place it on the ground, and take two steps back. I do not come to fight." She moved slowly and followed her instructions precisely.

"We can't possibly let her in. This is obviously a trick to gain access to one of our only remaining safe houses." Mad-Eye raved to no one in particular.

"Of course not, although this is a very risky move on her part. Surrendering to the Order and relinquishing her wand. She doesn't seem to have a mind for leaving and she knows that we are here. I think our only option is to parlay." Shacklebolt pointed out. There was a pregnant pause where we waited for one of them to come to a decision that we would ultimately follow. Eventually Shacklebolt won out over Mad-Eye. "I will go out and speak with her. You all stay here and be ready for anything."

We watched as he slowly walked out of the protective wards, Bellatrix didn't so much as blink at his sudden appearance. "Shacklebolt." There was a curt nod of her head.

"Black." Shacklebolt was his ever-kind self, his hands were held behind his back, no wand at the ready. The ultimate submission. If Bellatrix had come here to fight he stood no chance, she was far too quick.

"I expected to be apprehended, but you don't even have your wand out. I take it you are not alone." She didn't sound afraid, she seemed perfectly at ease. As if she belonged here. Completely engulfed in pure blood air.

"No. Why have you come here? You've left yourself highly exposed. Not to mention the earlier events. Many wizards here would like to have your head." Shacklebolt spoke with her as if speaking with an associate at the Ministry.

"I have something I would like to say. A proposal really. But not out here. For what I am proposing I need complete protection."

"And what is it that you want to propose?" Shacklebolt asked.

"To tip the scale in your favor."