27th December 1971

Natalie apparated in front of Lestrange Manor.

The black iron gates were looming in the distance like they were almost shielding her from the horrors inside.

Her siblings were back at her own manor;she was only here to see Bellatrix's initiation to the 'death eaters'.

Natalie had warned her many times but Bellatrix hadn't listened,so here she was watching her best friend devoting her life to a dark wizards cause.

Natalie sighed softly before walking toward the iron gates.

She walked right into them and the wards let her in.Bellatrix had made sure that the first person who was signed into the gate was Natalie,before her own family.

It was like the gates had dissolved into black smoke and Natalie walked on the path before she was greeted by a house elf.

"Floppy will take Miss Malfoys coat?"The house elf said,"Then Floppy will take Miss to the meeting room."

Natalie silently handed her coat to the house elf,as she closed her eyes and occluded.

Her mind was a library;memories with every person became books,books became shelves,shelves became sections,some restricted,some not.

Natalie's grey eyes were cold and emotionless when she opened them.

"Should Floppy take Miss Malfoy to the meeting room now?"

Natalie simply nodded.

When Natalie finally got into the meeting room,the long,mohagany table was filled with Purebloods.

Her Pureblood friends.
Corban, Bella, Rudolphus, Rabastan, Gillian, Carson.The list could go on and on.

She could feel the eyes on her.

The person sat the end of table spoke. "A Malfoy I presume?"It was a cold,snakelike voice and Natalie almost flinched.

Helena and Abraxas had taught her how to behave in these sort of presences.

Calm and controlled.

"Yes,My Lord,"

The man's eyes flashed red and Natalie realised that her occulmency walls were going to be forced open.

She pushed them up higher.and made them stronger.

"Another person to join our great cause,"He said softly,still forcing her walls.

Then it stopped.The pressure of the force.

"Take a seat,"

"Thank you,My Lord,"Natalie murmured,her head bowed as she sat in the closest chair to her,which happened to be next to Bellatrix.

Bellatrix stood up from next to her,getting her attention quickly.

"And now your task,"The Dark Lord said,after dismissing the rest of the death eaters.

The 7th Year Slytherins stood in a tight circle.

The friendgroup in their usual places.
Only one change.

This was it.There was no going back.
And Natalie was going to have to become one too.

"Your task is to kill the Halfblood family,The Browns,"

Natalie's eyes flickered up to meet Bellatrix's.

There was a girl with the surname Brown in her year.She was a Hufflepuff.

Her icy mask wavered for a second,before it returned.She wasn't going to show any emotion.

"All of them?"Carson asked,brow furrowed.

"All of them,"The Dark Lord confirmed,"You will take these to hide your identity," He flicked his wand and 8 cloaks and masks flew out of a chest.

"Go,"

It was chaos.No one had used the masks either.

Natalie had used the unlocking charm on the front door to not get the attention of the Browns.

They all crept in silently and walked through each room together.
It went chaotic when Carson stepped into the kitchen and knocked over a vase.

Gillian panicked and tripped and kicked a chair.

If the vase hadn't woken anyone up,then the chair definitely had.

"What do you not understand about staying silent?"Bellatrix hissed.

"Who's there?"

Rabastan jumped as Rudolphus' silent Avada Kedavra hit the person and sent them flying.

"Augustus?"A woman's voice called. "What is it?"

Seeing as Natalie's spells were well known in the group,they silently casted protective charms and split up into 2's.

"Augustus?"The voice repeated,"Are you the-"

A red spell,came from Gillian's wand and struck the woman in the chest.

"Nice one Gill!"Carson said.

"Thanks,"

Leah Brown was trying to hide and protect her siblings,but she couldn't before Corban,Natalie and Bellatrix found her.

"Malfoy,Yaxley and Black," She greeted calmly,pointing the wand at her siblings and casting a shield.

"Actually it's Lestrange,"Bellatrix corrected.

Leah ignored her. "What brings you to my home?"

"We just came to say hi,"Corban said,with a charming smile.

Leah snorted,"Like I'm going to believe that."

"Can we get past the formalities?"Natalie said,twirling her wand,before shooting a spell at the halfblood.

Leah dodged the spell.

"I'll take Brown,you take her siblings,"Natalie said,glancing at the other two Purebloods in the room.

That glance cost her though,as a diffindo got to her cheek.

"I've always wanted to duel you,"Leah said, "But not under these circumstances,"

"Same here,"Natalie drawled,"I've always thought you Hufflepuffs to be quite interesting,"
She threw a stupefy at her but Leah dived to the floor.

"Stupefy maxima,"

"Well it was nice dueling you,Brown,"Natalie said, her eyes still cold. "Shame I won't be doing it anytime soon,"

"Avada Kedavra,"

The group regathered downstairs.

"We need to go now!"Natalie said,fixing the Death Eater mask she had taken off earlier. "Someone's called the Aurors,"

"Wait!"Rudolphus called,walking outside before casting the Dark Mark into the sky.

"So how was your mission?"The Dark Lord asked. "Did you kill every one of them?"

"Yes My Lord,"Bellatrix said,"Every last one of them dead."

"Brilliant,"He said softly,"Left arm,Miss Lestrange,Miss Malfoy,Mr Nott and Miss Fairman,"

Natalie sighed softly.This was it.

She rolled the sleeve up of her left arm,as the Dark Lord stabbed his wand into Bellatrix's forearm.

Then he moved over to Natalie and grabbed her wrist with his cold hand.

Then he stabbed.

The pain was fire,coursing through every vein in her body.It was painful and she almost let out a hiss but stopped in time.It was like a dozen knives were being repeatedly stabbed into her arm.
It was exactly like the Cruciatus Curse but it was only her forearm instead of her whole body.

"Perfect,"The Dark Lord hissed,so quietly that Natalie almost didn't her what he said. "You are dismissed,"

He apparated away.

Suddenly,the library had its doors torn open and books, pages,bookshelves were flying.The restricted sections was blown apart.

Natalie's occlumency walls had finally fallen.

"We killed them,"She whispered,sinking to the floor. "We actually killed them,"

Bellatrix sank to the floor,too.

"You're bleeding,Natalie,"Gillian said,softly.

And we're murderers.

It wasn't said but every one of the 7th Year Slytherins were thinking along those lines.

"Stop pretending it didn't happen,"Corban said, "No matter what we do now,it's not going to change,"

"We killed a girl and her family,for no reason,"Natalie whispered. "A girl who I sat next to in Herbology in 5th year,"

"I'm going to take Gill back to her manor,"Carson said,"I'll see you all back on the train?"

"Natalie,should I take you home or do you want to stay here?"Bellatrix said,softly.

"Take me home please,Bella,"Natalie mumbled.

This took ages to write 😭😭😭
But as I said,I published on Monday so.
pms are finally gone...😭😭
Ily all x