You and I will always be unfinished business -- Summer 1978

I had to end things with Bellatrix.  Monica and I had decided to make things official and marry each other.  We had two children now, we were clearly in it for the long haul.  I loved Bellatrix, but she had changed in the last year... she was so dark.  Even though I was not entirely sure, she was one of the most avid followers of You-Know-Who now... and I could not be associated with that any longer.  It was hard enough when I only had Gabriel... but now I had Persephone as well.  I needed to think of both of them, not just myself.

When I saw her near the edge of the wood where she wanted to meet up today, I barely recognized her.  She was stunning in her corset and dark clothing, but she looked eerie at the same time.  "Bella," I said to her when I reached her.

"Garridan," I said to him as he approached me.  I knew that things had changed; we lost Regulus and I was not just going to stand idle while things got to this point.  Regulus was the first death of a pureblood in this war and he would not be the last... but I was not going to let any good blood spill if I could help it.  I could see it written on his face that we were no longer a possibility.  It was fun while it lasted.  I would be strong like I always was while this went down.  He had another child and I had married Rodo anyways.

"We both knew this day would come," I continued, keeping my voice icy.

I nodded at her.  "Obviously," I said to her, not being quite as harsh as she was being.  "It doesn't have to be quite like this, though.  We don't need to become enemies."