In light of my nephew's first birthday on January 7th, I have started feeling exceedingly guilty at not having updated this story since the dawn of time. Last time I did, my sister hadn't even picked a hospital – that really puts things into perspective! Also, I don't want my nephew to out-age Harry/Phineas, so I have found new ambitions in that. I have to admit, though, that some of the things I had planned for this story I have forgotten and others have started to seem silly, so bear with me. The basic structure still lives on, so that's okay.

Still, after thirteen months, I have returned. (That's alot quicker than the Dark Lord managed!)

Happy 2014! I wanted this to be the first thing I posted this year :)

)o(

Groaning in exasperation, Bellatrix pulled a pillow over her head in a futile attempt to block out the brat's – uhm, child's – wailing. She was in no mood to get up for the third time in as many hours. Cringing at what she was about to do, she swallowed her pride."Roddy, would you - "

"Do it yourself,"her husband snapped before she could even finish her sentence. Mumbling cusses that would make her mother faint, Bellatrix rolled out of bed, making sure to drag the covers along with her just to spite Rodolphus.

Still grumbling under her breath about useless husbands and whiny brats, Bellatrix made her way to the nursery. Not for the first time that night, she had to fight the urge to just go ahead and throttle someone – she wasn't all to picky as to whom, really. Preferably the reason she was up at this ungodly hour. But the Dark Lord had told her to treat the child as her own and as far as she knew, throttling your children was frowned upon in most societies.

Stopping infront of the nursery door, she drew in a few deep breaths in an attempt to calm herself, forcing a smile on her face before opening the door. Luckily acting came with the territory if you grew up with the Blacks.

The boy, who was standing in his crib and screaming his lungs out, stopped the second he spotted the Death Eater, stretching his chubby little arms towards her in the universal gesture for pick me up.

She did just that, cradling the toddler against her, allowing him to snuzzle his face into the crook of her neck."You're a clingy little bugger, aren't you? I'm not going to forget your very exsitence just because you don't wake me every hour, you know. So there really is no need for all the crying and screaming. Understood?"

All she got in reply was some incoherent mumbling. Rolling her eyes, Bellatrix went to set the child back down in his bed, prompting a renewed screetching fit on the toddler's part.

Scooping him up once more, Bellatrix realised that she had only two options if she wanted to sleep through the rest of the night: Either put a silencing charm on the kid and be done with it or take him to the master bedroom, where he wouldn't need to scream, as she'd be right there.

The first option seemed a lot more tempting, but she had to try to see this from a mother's perspective. Narcissa would never leave Draco to silently scream his little lungs out, that was for sure. Her own mother would not have done such a thing to her daughters either, Bellatrix had to concede. Aunt Walburga might, but her success rate in raising proper sons loyal to the cause was practically non-existent. Regulus had been good for a few months before getting himself killed for reason the Dark Lord would not share with her; all she knew was that he had angered her master.

So the Walburga approach to parenting was out of the question.

It seemed sweet and caring was where it's at when it came to raising a child – afterall, Druella's coddling had produced Bellatrix, so it obviously was the perfect road to the perfect decendant.

With a little shrug, the woman handed the child his stuffed bear and headed back to bed with the toddler in her arms.

Rodolphus groggily sat up in bed as his wife carelessly kicked open the door, not having a hand free to open it quietly. His eyes narrowed to angry slits."You're not bringing that in here."

"As you can see, I am bringing him in here,"Bellatrix replied calmly."And unless you want to get up when he starts crying again, there's nothing you can say to change my mind."

"How about you just put a silencing charm on him?"Rodolphus demanded as she set the toddler down on the bed. The little boy stared up at his unwilling adoptive father with wide, fearful eyes. Bellatrix kept her voice calm as she smiled at her husband sweetly."How about you shut the fuck up, Rodolphus?"

He didn't even dignify that with a reply, instead scowling at the boy on his bed."Look, Bella, either he goes or I go."

"Well, good riddance, I'm sure the elves'll have a guestroom ready for you in no time,"she shot back without hesitation, demonstratively pulling the covers up to the toddler's chin.

With a last angry glare, Rodolphus stomped from the room, slamming the door hard enough to send a painting crashing to the ground.

The little boy crawled closer to Bellatrix."Bad man?"

"No, he's all right, Rod's a decent guy. He just has his immature fits when something doesn't go his way; he's not accustomed to that. What would you expect of the heir to the Lestranges, huh?"Bellatrix stopped in her rambling at the child's blank look. Stroking his hair soothingly, she changed tracks."No, he's good. Good man. He won't hurt you. He might be loud, but he's good. Okay?"

"Kay,"the child echoed, snuggling into Bellatrix's arms. She smiled at the prospect of finally being allowed to sleep through the night."And he'll come around, you'll see. Can't resist the idea of being a father for long. Sleep tight, Phineas."

)o(

Bella doesn't like problems she can't Crucio, but she'll deal ;)

I'll try to update before the year is out. (It's a joke, but knowing me it might turn into a non-joke accidentally.)