A/N: Written for inlovewithlaughing's one shot a day challenge.
Quote: 'He/She stared at the presents, a small smile tugging at his/her lips
The Present
The Ballroom was packed, filled with witches and wizards from the best and wealthiest families with the purest blood. They were decked out in their finest dress robes and ball gowns, the women showing off their best jewelry as they sampled the food and the wine and the champagne silently comparing it to all the others they had tasted at other parties and functions and deciding where the Lestrange's anniversary ball ranked on the party scale.
No-one's ball gown was as beautiful as hers was, no-one's jewelry so fine, no-one's husband as handsome and Bellatrix Lestrange glowed with satisfaction. Her ball was a success and she knew it; from the pink champagne fountain at the centre of the table, to the tasteful ice sculptures at the four corners of the room, and the walls and floors sparkling with the illusion of frost and ice; the Lestrange's celebrated their anniversary with style and flair.
She wandered about the room taking great pride in her work and smiling greetings at the important and influential people who had come tonight. It was a stunning coup on her part for someone so young to have such a wonderful turn out of money and privilege.
She tipped her goblet towards her sister Narcissa Malfoy who beamed at her across the room and gave a secret little toast back at her. Her sister had recently married Lucius Malfoy, although Bellatrix couldn't pick him out in the crowd, come to think of it couldn't find her husband Rodolphus either or his brother Rabastan.
Bellatrix surveyed the room carefully and noted that there were a few young men she couldn't find, all of them were working with a man who called himself Lord Voldemort and he was rallying an army of witches and wizards from the best families, the ones whose pure bloodlines spanned back in time so far and so intricate that it was almost impossible to unravel them. These select men and women were going to bring order into the chaotic world in which they all lived at the moment. There would be no more squibs, no more mudbloods and no more marrying of muggles when Lord Voldemort came to power, and he would come to power; he would become Minister of Magic and right the wrongs of their world.
They were witches and wizards, they lived in the wizarding world, it was a world just for them where they could be who they were without fear or prejudice from muggles. Bellatrix couldn't help the outward sneer that lifted her top lip when she thought about muggles. They were always afraid of what they couldn't understand and fear brought out their desire to destroy. Muggles would not destroy her world and Bellatrix was more than willing to stand beside her husband and fight to destroy the muggles before they destroyed them.
Bellatrix came out of her thoughts and watched the dancing couples as they engaged in an age old dance that had been passed down from generation to generation, she knew this dance it was one of her favourites and she had practiced hard as a child to become step perfect. She frowned and looked about her again, sweeping up onto the tips of her toes and craning her neck in search of her husband; he should be there to dance her favourite dance with her on their anniversary.
Then suddenly she saw him, Rodolphus came into the room flanked by Lucius and Rabastan. He spotted her immediately and Bellatrix knew that he could tell she was annoyed by his prolonged absence by the wicked smile he sent her way.
Her frown deepened and Rodolphus winked at her, his eyes twinkling with amusement. Bellatrix sometimes felt that she was an endless source of amusement for him.
Rodolphus came towards her and Bellatrix noticed instantly that there was something different about him, it was something only a wife would notice; the way his eyes glowed and his body seemed to fairly hum with excitement. He looked somehow older to her, his arrogance was still there but the irresponsibility of youth was gone.
"Where have you been?" It was no longer the demand Bellatrix had been intending to use, her curiosity was now taking over.
"I had to slip away for a while." Rodolphus took her hand and led her to the dance floor. "Shall we dance your favourite dance together?"
Bellatrix didn't have chance to argue, he swept her into his arms and began the dance, one she knew by heart and got lost in every single time she danced to it. One two three, one two three, turn two thee, one two three, one two three, turn, dip, turn, one two three, one two three. The first time she had danced to this at a party had been with Rodolphus and somehow Bellatrix had just known she would marry him. He had been, as he still was, the most handsome man she had ever seen and she was secretly thrilled with the envious looks she received from other women when they saw them together.
They were both dark of hair and dark of eyes, pale of skin and slender in build and both had a wildness to their characters that was poorly concealed in spite of all their good breeding. They both craved excitement and danger and Bellatrix found Rodolphus to satisfy that craving inside her.
"Rodolphus, where have you been?" Bellatrix demanded this time. She had an insecure jealous streak in her and she always worried that she would find out he had a mistress tucked away somewhere. Rodolphus had always loved women and women loved him right back.
"I have been securing your present, my love."
Bellatrix eyebrows lifted in surprise. "But I'm wearing my present." She had opened a stunning emerald jewelry set at breakfast this morning and she was proudly displaying it now. The green stones in a diamond setting sparkled at her throat, her wrists, her ears and had received many admiring looks and compliments during the evening.
"This is a different present." Rodolphus dropped his hand to catch hers and tugged her off the dance floor. "Come with me and find out."
Bellatrix followed him her curiosity now raised through the roof. She went with him down the hallway and into a darkened room; his study. Bellatrix rarely came into this room if she could help it she found it too depressing with its dark antique furniture. "What are we doing in here?"
Rodolphus lit a lamp and beckoned her over. "Look." He lifted the sleeve of his dress robes and showed her the most hideous tattoo she had ever seen; a black skull with a snake coming out of its mouth. Before she could voice her disapproval Rodolphus spoke, "It's his mark, Bellatrix."
"Lord Voldemort?"
"That's right." Rodolphus smiled slowly in the dark, the single flame from the lamp danced and flicked in his eyes turning them into shards of broken glass. "It's starting, Bellatrix, the war to end all wars, the war to end the travesty our world had become and return the wizarding world to wizards once again."
"When?" Bellatrix breathed. "When will it happen?"
"Soon," Rodolphus promised. "And you will be there with me, fighting at my side just as I promised. Lord Voldemort wants to meet you, he wants you to wear the Dark Mark too."
"He does?" Bealltrix practically glowed, she had been unsure as to whether her request would be granted, perhaps Lord Voldemort wouldn't want women in his army of Death Eaters; but her husband, her wonderful husband who could do anything had arranged it for her.
"My present to you. Happy anniversary, Bellatrix." Rodolphus kissed her softly.
Bellatrix stared at the present, a small smile tugging at her lips. She reached out and touched the Dark Mark lightly with her fingertips; suddenly it didn't look so ugly to her, it was a symbol of the pureblood elite and she could hardly wait to have one of her very own.