Sequel to "Bella and the Beast" (aka Love that Binds)
Chapter 1: Prologue: I See Fire
(Bellatrix)
"Narcissa, I can't do this."
"Do what?"
"This. The wedding. I can't."
Bellatrix stared down at her dress, feeling extremely out of place in it even though she thought the style suited her well. The top of the dress was a deep-plunging sweetheart cut made of blood-colored silk and covered at the waist with an exposed black leather corset. The skirt of the dress was longer than Bellatrix would have liked, but made of layers of red tulle that glistened with a faint sprinkling of iridescent and black glitter.
"I look like a princess," she murmured faintly. The dress was fluffed out like a cupcake past her waist rather than form-fitting as she might have opted for had Narcissa not objected during the fitting. It made Bellatrix think of children's stories about heroes and knights and battles where the light side always had to win. At least it was better than the white and pink monstrosity she'd been forced into when she married Rodolphus. But then again she hadn't put much input into any of the decisions for that marriage simply because she didn't care. This was different.
"Bellatrix, please. I'm not as good a Legilimens as you but even I can tell that you're making comparisons to your first wedding. Stop. This is different and you know it." Narcissa leaned over Bellatrix, softening her curls into delicate ringlets with the tip of her wand.
"You know you don't mean that. You loved Roddy," said Bellatrix bitterly.
"Yes, but you didn't. This is different," Narcissa said again. "You love the Dark Lord." Was it so different? Or was it merely the same situation in the reverse? In the first marriage, Rodolphus had loved Bellatrix, but she didn't love him back. Now, she was finally marrying someone who felt right, but wasn't so sure he returned her feelings. Of course, she and Narcissa had already been through that conversation about a dozen times, so Bella didn't feel she stood to gain anything but a lecture by bringing it up again. Besides, Narcissa would only say the same thing she always said: "Why would he bother marrying you if he didn't love you?"
Unfortunately, Narcissa didn't know that Voldemort stood to gain quite a lot from marrying Bellatrix even if he didn't love her. More than that, he had only just begun to recognize his emotions less than a month before...perhaps he was confusing the feeling of love with the feeling of sense of obligation. After she'd fulfilled the prophecy and took a killing curse for Voldemort, she'd fallen into the strangest sort of dream state...she still didn't know if it was real but she saw...things. Things she hadn't dared to confide in anyone. Not Narcissa. Certainly not Voldemort...but she often wondered, with Voldemort being the great Legilimens that he was, if he knew she saw something pertaining to him and thus decided to marry her so he could have some sort of insurance on the information she possessed...but it was all a bit absurd, really. In the dream (because that was all it could be) Albus Dumbledore came to her through a thick fog to show her the birth of Voldemort and his supposed twin brother.
It wasn't even possible...
Except she knew it was.
"Sweetie, he brought you back from the dead," Narcissa added cheerfully as if guessing her sister's thoughts. Oh yeah. That.
"Cissy, why the hell would I want to marry someone I owe my life to?"
"Because he owes you his life, too."
"Maybe that's why he feels obligated to marry me," Bellatrix growled, slouching back against her chair.
"Come on, Bella...not this again. And sit up straighter, please...otherwise your hair is going to be all messed up."
If only not to disappoint Narcissa, Bellatrix straightened even though she knew her sister was about to be a lot more disappointed when Voldemort got cold feet and decided not to get married after all...or decided he'd rather marry someone else.
For awhile, the only sound in the room was the slow hiss of Bellatrix's hair singeing as Narcissa's wand molded it into place.
"Are you sure you want to wear it down? No up-do?" Cissy prompted brightly.
"No."
Narcissa sighed. "Please...with the moping. One would think you were headed off to a funeral," she said, echoing her sentiments from when she prepared Bellatrix for her first trip down the aisle.. "Love has caused you so much pain. Both of you," she continued. "You need this. And so does he. Besides that, you're the brightest witch of your age and he's the brightest wizard of his age and you two couldn't be happy with anyone but each other."
Bellatrix said nothing. It all happened so fast. For thirty years, Voldemort had barely acknowledged Bellatrix's existence and then all of a sudden, he was talking to her about some prophecy and telling her how much he appreciated her...but still, none of that hinted at love. Friendship, arguably, but not romance. And then just over a month ago, she woke up in a strange place to Voldemort leaning over her and telling her that now they both knew what it was like to come back from the dead, they should be married and that was that. It was quite logical not to trust it, she thought.
"What do you think of your hair?" Narcissa held up a small silver hand mirror so that Bellatrix could examine her reflection. She had to concede that her younger sister had done a very nice job, even if she thought it was all going to be wasted when Voldemort backed out. Maybe it was all a joke. Maybe he blamed her somehow for the Elder Wand's failure to kill Harry Potter. Maybe he thought making a fool out of her like this was an innovative way to punish her.
"Bella, honestly…cheer up. We've got a Dark Lady to coronate." She saw Narcissa's smile reflected at her through the mirror and she resented it.
"I can't do this. I won't do this."
"You've wanted this your whole life and now you're saying you don't want it anymore?"
"No. Cissy...I do want it. And now I might actually have it. And that's why I'm bloody fucking terrified
~I'm weak in the knees for you,
but I'll stand if you want me to~