I have wanted to write a Barty fic for a while and now here it is. The fic is based on the Ready, Set, Write competition where I had to write about Barty and the Quote Competition using the quote "Every step he/she takes brings heartache his/her way."

Enjoy

Barty was convinced Bellatrix was like no other woman he had ever encountered. He was only eighteen, but he was sure he would never meet another woman like her.

Leaning against the stone wall, he watched completely mesmerised as she paced back and forth in front of him, her black robes trailing through the blood lining the floor of the dungeon. He could not remove his eyes from her. Everything about her was intoxicating from the silky trails of black hair, to her aristocratic face, to her long legs and to her breasts that always seemed to snag his gaze.

He knew who she was. He knew she was nearly ten years his senior. He knew she was married. He knew that practically every step she took brought heartache in her way.

It was all very obvious; from the ring she wore to the trail of eyes that always followed her.

He was not the only one trapped. There was Evan who attempted to pretend he was not checking out his older cousin and, even her own husband Rodolphus, who, despite their marriage, always seemed to have a hollow and desperate sheen to his bright blue eyes.

Still it did not stop Barty's current feelings.

"Barty are you listening?" Bella snapped as she leant over the muggle body tossed between them that was still emitting the blood that coated the dungeon floor. "Have you seen how much it is bleeding? It's all a matter of targeting your curses. By all means kills the filth, but, unfortunately, some filth is better kept alive to get what we need. Then we can kill them."

"Of course," he said obediently focusing on her again. Obedience was a habit he had adopted throughout his life, but, this time, his feelings were genuine. Straightening up, he closed the distance between them and stood by her side staring down at the body. "So there?" he asked, indicating to a point on the muggle's thigh.

"Yes there!" Bella said enthusiastically as she gazed down at him. She even managed a smile which he knew was unusual for her. He was not sure if it was that or his close proximity to her that made his heart leap. "Now do it again!"

He complied. He sent curse after curse at the muggle; always aiming exactly where she directed his barrage. The first few times he had used magic to torture he could admit he had some uncertainties, but she had fixed that. Bella had made him sure he could never feel any remorse to those creatures and she even started to make him enjoy it.

Her teaching talent was something to be cherished.

Bella was not the one who had brought him before the Dark Lord. It had begun from the Slytherins at Hogwarts who had more contacts than he ever had. Somehow he had attracted the Dark Lord's attention. More than that, his Master had said he had potential. It needed to be nourished so it had gone to Bella to tutor him.

He knew the importance. Bella had told him on multiple occasions that she had been taught by the Dark Lord. It somehow just seemed to become linked; Bella became the Dark Lord's protégé and Barty became Bella's protégé.

He could not complain about that situation for one moment.

Like Bella, his heart was too strongly tied to his teacher.

Feeling a soft hand on his arm, he immediately quit the curse and gazed at Bella. She was not looking at him, but the continued smile on her lips while she examined his handiwork was enough to please him.

"Now finish him."

One nod was enough for him to comply like he had done a dozen times before. Lifting his wand, he said calmly, "Avada Kedavra."

A jet of light exploded from his wand and, when it faded, the seizures from the muggle had stopped.

"Good boy, Barty."

As Bella lent down and patted him softly on the head, almost like how a master would treat a well trained dog, though he did not utter a word of criticism as, like always, her soft luscious lips brushed tenderly against his cheek. It only lasted for a moment, but the vibrant shock that slid through his veins continued, causing his face to turn slightly pink.

Logically, Barty suspected he was being played. He could only imagine how many hearts Bella had broken, but, for now, he did not care.

Then, he only cared about pleasing her and wondering how he could get her to do more than kiss his cheek.

He swore, eventually, he would succeed on both counts.