• Prologue •

„Like most misery,
it started with apparent happiness."

A deeply satisfied expression adorned the noble features of the tall woman as she tapped the brightly polished wood of the door in front of her with a smooth movement of her hand. The finger bones meeting the dark mahogany produced a dull sound that suggested how solid and expensive the wood must actually be, gleaming in the faint rays of sunlight that fought their way through the thick wall of clouds.

The light silky hair that the woman had twisted into large curls that day was blown out of her face by the gentle wind. Behind her stood a handsome man, one hand propped on a walking stick and the other on his hip. His hair, as blond as hers, though a few shades darker, was tied into a loose braid with a black bow. Neither adult noticed how their two children stretched their heads in vain to catch a glimpse of the door that would be opened for them at any moment.

Footsteps approached the family with a clacking sound that announced the arrival of a woman who opened the door for them with a pretentious expression on her stern face. Her black hair was tied into a tight bun and her dark expensive robes sat like a second skin on her fair one. Nothing about Walburga Black seemed to have been left to chance, for her appearance seemed almost perfect.

"Ophelia, Abraxas! What a pleasure to welcome you back!" she exclaimed, but there was not even the slightest hint of said pleasure in her stern expression. Although Camille could hardly wait for the door to open before, she now had to resist the urge not to cover her ears with her hands at the shrill sound of the voice.

The young Malfoy, much as her mother had pointed out to her, kept behind her brother Lucius, who was almost effusively welcomed by Mrs Black. "The man of the hour, Lucius! And little Camille, what a lovely young Lady!"

Bravely shaking her hand, which was cold and firm, Camille made a little curtsy, just as she had been taught, and stepped into the entrance hall of No. 12 Grimmauld Place. While her mother was talking animatedly with Walburga Black, the little blonde girl caught sight of the beautiful chandelier hanging above her on the ornate ceiling. Below it they stood obediently lined up. The offspring of the old Black family, led by the eldest of the five. Bellatrix greeted them with a proud expression. Camille was sure she had never seen anyone who exuded more of the will to convince of her old-fashioned family.

It continued with Narcissa, but she only had eyes for Lucius. How could it be otherwise? After all, this gathering was to celebrate their engagement. Camille thought fifteen was a rather early age to celebrate such a thing. But it was not unusual in their circles and her brother and future sister-in-law did not look like they would regret it in the near future. It was possible to be lucky.

Andromeda's handshake was the warmest of the three and she gave her a genuine smile. In doing so, though, she looked as if she would rather be anywhere else. The youngest Malfoy couldn't blame her, at ten years old she would rather be in her room playing with her dolls too.

Camille thought it was silly to shake hands with Sirius and Regulus, they were the same age and had played together more than once when their parents had something important to talk about. Customs required her to do so, however, and so she didn't object.

The eldest brother grinned at her, while the younger tried to maintain a haughty expression that was probably meant to imitate that of his parents. But on his childish face it looked rather out of place. Camille unobtrusively joined the two and waited for Druella or Walburga Black to escort her into the dining room.

The table was already lavishly set and the cutlery polished to a high sheen. Camille was placed between her mother and Lucius and began to feel increasingly bored during Cygnus Black's speech, but she didn't let on. At least she hoped she didn't. "To Lucius and Narcissa!" He raised his glass to conclude his words and looked meaningfully around the room. "And to the unbreakable bond of family."

Murmurs of approval and clinking glasses filled the round. The feast had been opened and for now it drew Camille's attention entirely. Orion Black joined the group later, as he had been busy with his work, as Camille had gathered from the conversation. The head of the Blacks was a broad, tall man with the fine features found throughout the line. He kissed his wife on the cheek in greeting and gave his sons an appraising look. "Regulus, sit up straight, please. Sirius, tuck in your shirt."

Camille was hardly surprised at Orion Black's posturing, for the Blacks were perfectionists, after all. Just like her family was. For a split second she cast an appraising glance down at herself, but judging by the pleased look on her parents' faces, there was nothing wrong with her demeanour. Perhaps she too was already a bit of a perfectionist.

Walburga Black put her hand on Sirius' shoulder at the abrupt moment and looked around the table with a proud expression. "Our Sirius got his Hogwarts letter last week," she said.

"Then Slytherin will be enriched by another excellent wizard," her husband added, tightening his posture with a proud expression. But Sirius didn't seem to share his opinion and disagreed, much to his family's surprise. "Perhaps not."

The corners of his mother's mouth began to twitch and her grip tightened on her eldest son's shoulder. "What do you mean, Sirius?"

"Well, there are four houses," he replied, staring at his plate as if he didn't dare look her in the eye. "Maybe I won't get into Slytherin."

Cygnus Black began to laugh out loud, whereupon several more of those present joined in the cold laughter, forcedly. "Every Black gets into Slytherin."

"Still, there's a chance I could go somewhere else, isn't there?" the eldest Black son objected stubbornly, seemingly unwilling to be dissuaded from his logical conclusion. Much to the displeasure of his relatives.

His mother seemed to struggle for composure for a moment before trying again to maintain her proud bearing. "Well, I think Ravenclaw wouldn't be all that bad either. Although Slytherin would be the best choice, of course."

"What about Gryffindor and Hufflepuff?" asked Sirius hesitantly, finally looking up from his plate again, straight into the icy grey eyes of the woman he was speaking to. "I mean they're just houses too. What's so important about that? What if I don't want to go to Slytherin at all?"

Walburga now looked like she had bitten into something sour as she laughed nervously. "Oh, it's just a phase... Just a phase isn't it, Sirius?"

"Whatever," he waved it off and rolled his eyes barely noticeably. But still the adults' gazes rested on him, not to mention the look Bellatrix was giving him. As if she wanted to curse him for the mere thought of another house.

Camille began to feel a little sorry for Sirius, who was visibly uncomfortable because of the tension that was in the room. "Oh, I'm so jealous of you, Sirius," she said in a shy voice that grew firmer with each word. "Regulus and I won't get our letter until next year, after all."

"I think everyone of us was looking forward to finally visiting Hogwarts then," Druella Black nodded at her, whereupon the rest of the former students fell into raptures as well. Camille breathed a sigh of relief and Sirius seemed to have released all tension as he formed a silent thank you with his lips.

After dinner, as usual, it was time for the children to leave the table and leave the adults to their conversations. Camille often wondered what they might be about, but her father always assured her that she would find out when she reached a certain age. Together with Regulus, she followed Sirius to his room, which was surprisingly quite plain. At least in contrast to his brother's, whose colour elements seemed to consist mainly of green.

"I'd really like to be in one of those adult conversations," Regulus said thoughtfully, letting his skinny legs hang over the bed frame.

"Must be super boring," Sirius groaned, dropping onto his desk chair, the back of which was almost invisible with so many clothes hanging over it. "They're probably just talking about how repulsive half-bloods and Muggle-borns are, the Dark Lord and how they can get even more prestige."

Camille and Regulus were silent as the eldest of them continued. "Actually, I don't know what they have against Muggle-borns. I met one once in Diagom Alley and he was really alright. In fact, he was really nice, nicer than my entire family put together."

"One doesn't exclude the other," Camille said with a shrug, giving Regulus a fleeting glance, who seemed visibly uncomfortable in his own skin. "But Mother and Father say..."

"Just because they say it doesn't make it right," his brother interrupted him. "I want to find out for myself what is right and what is not, just like Uncle Alphard did."

"Uncle Alphard broke the traditions of the Blacks in Mother's eyes," the younger boy remarked hesitantly and snidely. "That's why she blasted him out of the family tree."

"Maybe I want to break those stupid traditions too, preferably every single one of them."

"You're stupid," was the only thing Regulus had to say to that. Camille, on the other hand, couldn't understand why he reacted so controlled to Sirius' bitter words. Did he not take them seriously at all? In her eyes it was shameful to talk about his family like that, but maybe it was just talk and after all Sirius talked a lot when the day was long.

Said boy now approached his two friends and looked at them in turn reverently before extending his little finger in their direction. "No matter what, promise me that we'll stick by each other forever. That we will remain friends."

Regulus frowned, as if the very idea that things would turn out any other way was completely absurd. Almost without giving it much thought, he interlocked his little finger with Sirius'. They both looked expectantly at Camille, who sighed and did the same. In her eyes, one did not have to swear a friendship between friends.

Because true friends remained for
eternity.