Disclaimer: Anything that you recognize and have read before, belongs to our beloved JKR, and I do not intend to use it for my profit except for scores in QLFC.
A/N: This is Beater 2 from Falmouth Falcons.
I have half a mind to start off with elaborating the optional prompts and all the boring stuff meant for only the judges to read, but I'm not that evil and will add that at the end. My main prompt is 'Write about your chosen Death Eater going on a date'.
The suspense for the Death Eater's name doesn't really exist, as they're listed in the 'Characters', but to those who don't know that yet, and want to know their names, I'll just say, 'That's for me to know and you to find out!'
A Single Unmasked Heartbeat
.oOo.
"You see, there's a fundamental connection between seeming and being. Every Fae child knows this, but you mortals never seem to see. We understand how dangerous a mask can be. We all become what we pretend to be."
— Patrick Rothfuss, The Name of the Wind
.oOo.
"You need to live your life!" Lucius whisper-yelled, as he cast a look at the glass of some muggle drink Yaxley had in his hand. His friend knew very well that Narcissa would eat their ears if she saw him drinking anywhere in the Manor except for the dining room, but he decided not to say anything this once.
"I do that already," Yaxley muttered, taking a sip of his beer.
"Sure you do! Sleeping with a different muggle girl each week and then slitting their pretty little throats open is not what you call life."
"Well, neither do I want my toys to be used by someone else, nor do I want mini-Yaxleys roaming about here and there, yet."
"You are a Pureblood! What about our standards?" Lucius countered.
Yaxley shook his head. It was impossible to win an argument with this man he so dearly called his best friend.
"I've told you before, and I'm telling you now. There isn't any woman available who is worth it." It was true. The only woman he had his eyes on was off-limits. "You," he pointed his finger at Lucius, "got Cissy by luck!"
"Do you trust me?" Lucius asked, finally playing the 'trust' card, fed-up with his best-friend.
Yaxley snorted. "Of course I do. Why else do you think I'd agree to patrol with you, when everyone else believes you're gonna get them blown up by some bloody Order member?"
"Oh, alright, I'll do the Saturday patrols alone—" Lucius said, and Yaxley sat up in his seat. "—if you agree to do something for me in return."
"And what will that be?" Yaxley asked, frowning. Trust Malfoy to take advantage of his habits.
"You'll have to go on a blind date with this woman I know—"
"I think I can do that, given she's hot!"
"—and you'll plan this date to your best abilities." Lucius finished. "By the way, I'm sure you'll like her."
"I'll do it—" Yaxley said, extending his hand. "—given you fulfil your end of the deal."
He could do anything for getting Saturday nights off; to go to a muggle bar, get drunk, bang some hot chick—the things that kept him sane enough to do his Death-Eater duties properly. The Dark Lord treated them like a bunch of house-elves, not that he could say that to anyone and live to see another day.
Since the day that greasy-haired git had informed him of the prophecy, they were all stuck to patrolling Godric's Hollow, the ruins of the Potter residence, Diagon Alley, Hogsmeade, and every other area even remotely related to the Potters. As if they would turn up there by magic! Well, they might, but for now they had vanished off the face of the earth.
.oOo.
It was Saturday evening, and an impatient Yaxley was pacing down a deserted street of Hogsmeade, waiting for his 'date'.
He turned around as he heard footsteps approaching. His eyes nearly popped out of his head when he saw the person who was coming towards him. She must be here for some errand, he thought.
"Good morning, Yaxley," the woman greeted him. "So, where are we going first?"
Yaxley looked up to meet the gaze of those heavily lidded eyes. "B-Bellatrix . . . y-you?"
"Surprised to see me?" she whispered seductively.
The heavy, brutal-looking face of Yaxley softened as Bellatrix touched his arm. This was the one woman he had had his eyes on, who—unfortunately—was married to that moron Rodolphus. She deserves someone better than that fool, he thought. She deserves me.
Getting over the initial shock, he said, "Not surprised. I'm pleased, precious . . . very pleased!"
Gingerly, he took hold of her hand and kissed the knuckles. Bringing his mouth close to her ear, he whispered, "C'mon then, precious. Let's entertain you."
Holding tightly on to her arm, he spun on the spot. The next moment, the couple found themselves in a deserted spot with some big, weirdly shaped metal boxes—having glass windows and some coloured, glass decorations—surrounding them, looking so similar to each other, yet so different.
"What are these?" Bellatrix gasped.
"Dunno precious, but they use these things for muggle travelling," Yaxley replied. "C'mon now!"
"Where are we going?"
"Now that's a surprise. When I was young, my squib uncle and his muggle wife took me to a place of similar sorts." He turned to look at her. "But I enjoyed it a lot, and I'm sure you would, too!"
"The conclusion will have to wait," she said, much to Yaxley's surprise. He had expected he would've had to coax her to take even a step into some muggle place.
Without as much of a preamble, he tugged on her arm and started leading the way. Within minutes, they were standing outside an array of bright lights and fireworks with people moving about in masks and costumes—a Halloween Carnival.
He could hear his 'date' gasp in wonder, both her reaction and her title for the day working together to tug his lips up in a minuscule smile.
Time to be a gentleman, he thought to himself. "My lady!"
"Oh . . ." she spun around.
"Shall we?"
"We shall," Bellatrix smiled, accepting the arm he had offered. "But don't we need a costume?" she asked.
"Oh, our robes and wands would suffice," he replied, giving her a wink. "Be right back!" he whispered in her ear, and within a minute, back he was. "Here, for you!"
"What is this?" she asked, not able to think of any use for the huge pink ball of cotton wrapped on a stick.
"This is Candy floss, precious. Try it!"
One bite, and her face lit up with a smile. At this moment, there wasn't a trace of the follower of a Dark wizard to be seen on her face. Content with himself, Yaxley led her to a giant wheel. Huge pumpkins hung from the rim, couples occupying them and yelling their hearts out.
Paying for the tickets, they joined the line and were riding the 'Ferris Wheel' within minutes.
"This is such fun!" Bellatrix squealed as their pumpkin-shaped seat rose to the top.
"Told you, precious. Anyways, there's so much more waiting for you yet."
And the next two hours did prove to be the best time she had ever had.
.oOo.
The duo was now steering towards the gaming site, the major difference being it was now Bellatrix who was steering Yaxley. Apparently she had noticed a guy who had a Dracula-like costume on, winning a stuffed skeleton-doll for his girlfriend, and became fascinated by their demonstration of love.
"Will you get something for me?" she asked him.
Yaxley shrugged. "I'll try."
The next few moments caught the eyes of more than a few, as five shepherd-pies made their way straight to the target's face.
The vampire-girl standing at the booth looked at Yaxley in awe, her mouth hanging wide open. A moment later, she shook her head and said, "You're the champion of the day, sir. You've won a free exclusive dinner for two at the restaurant down the road. And you can pick up anything from over there."
Yaxley turned around and winked at Bellatrix, who was all smiles. "Pick up anything, precious."
.oOo.
A quarter of an hour later, they were sitting at a table in a secluded corner of the restaurant, scanning through the menus.
Bellatrix looked at the stuffed snake sitting by her side. "Was that a try?" she asked.
"People in their right minds never take pride in their talents," Yaxley responded, his face somber.
"Oh, bullshit!" Bellatrix snorted, as she sipped her 'muggle drink'. "The Dark Lord does take pride in his capabilities, as do I. Dueling is my talent, and I'm proud of it!"
Yaxley didn't say anything, but the mention of the Dark Lord brought a strange, uncomfortable feeling down his gut, something he had never experienced before.
He looked at the pendulum clock hanging on the ceiling, lost in thought. Had it not been for this date with Bellatrix, he would have been sitting at some bar, completely wasted, flirting with some hot chick. Now, he didn't have the slightest desire to do any of that.
As they were making their way through the food, Yaxley's mind drifted to a subject that had been nagging him since the start of this wonderful 'date'.
"Would you like going out with me someday later, precious?"
"Of course!" Bellatrix responded.
Finding himself in safe waters, he detoured onto the stormy business. "Well, if you don't mind asking, where does Rodolphus fit in here?"
To the absolute shock of the man sitting in front of her, Bellatrix snorted. "D'you think I married that bastard by choice?" she slurred, the wine showing its effect. "Cissy found Lucius and then got pregnant. And Bella? Eldest marries earliest—the pureblood traditions! Marry Bella off to the first pureblood you find!"
Yaxley sat there, looking at her in utter bewilderment.
Venom was oozing out of her mouth now, in the form of words. "You know, I hate Sirius Black. Not because he's a bloody Order member; because he's a free bird. I never had the guts to stand up to my family. That and one other thing was all it took for me to give up on the beauty of the living and to join the one who spreads death!" What the other thing was, she could not tell him. She could not admit that it was her infatuation with the handsome heir of Salazar that played a major role there.
"I hate the fact that I'm not what I wanted to be or was meant to be, but I am what my family wanted me to become—the strong, evil Bellatrix Black. This isn't what I was supposed to be." She looked up into Yaxley's blue eyes. "What about you, Yaxley?"
"I'll just say I love my life too much to refuse taking away others'," he replied. "But Bella, you shouldn't act what you aren't . . . Masks beneath masks until suddenly the bare bloodless skull."
"Where does all this wisdom come from?" she asked.
"My mum used to read to me," he replied. He wore an indifferent expression on his face, but his eyes were telling a different story.
"What happened?" Bellatrix asked, placing her hand over his.
A sob escaped before he could stop it. "I killed her. She tried to protect my squib uncle. I killed her and my uncle and aunt. My first service to the Dark Lord."
Bellatrix got up and sat by his side, rubbing his back. "It's fine love, have a drink."
The L-word did the magic. Soon, the couple was making their way through the bottles of wine and the heavenly dessert.
.oOo.
An hour later, the duo started for the place they had apparated to, thoroughly content. As they moved a few yards into the secluded area, they heard a high pitched scream.
The two rushed to the source of the sound.
"Mommy will not come. You will die," a thick, heavy voice spoke. The speaker was a burly man with dark hair and a heavy beard. He was moving towards a little girl, a huge knife in his hand.
"Don't you dare harm the girl," Bellatrix spoke in a mendacious voice, her eyes burning savagely. "Lay a single finger on her, and I swear you won't have a single finger to lay."
The man turned, and his eyes widened in fear—the stone-faced Yaxley and mad Bellatrix bearing a terrorizing look on their faces. He gulped and started to run.
"Avada Kedavra!" Bellatrix shrieked, and the man fell into a heap as the jet of green light hit him in the back.
"Obliviate!" Yaxley muttered, pointing his wand towards the child. The duo then shared introductions with her and led 'Charity' to her mother's safety. Little did the girl know, she had escaped an easy death to meet a hard end years from now.
This was Charity Burbage, who would be skipping about in a huge castle, wearing black robes, five years from now—unaware that it was the courtesy of a couple who has spent seven years in the same place, that she was even alive.
.oOo.
A few minutes later, the duo found themselves back in Hogsmeade.
"So—how was the date?" Yaxley asked her, slightly out of breath.
Bellatrix tenderly placed her palm on his chest, her breasts heaving. "I loved it," she whispered bringing her mouth close to his.
Yaxley closed his eyes as her lips met his, and kissed her passionately.
He pulled back slowly, and held out his hand. "My lady," he whispered.
She placed her left hand in his. Without breaking the eye-contact, he tugged the sleeve of her arm upwards. His eyes filled with lust as he brought his mouth close to her Dark Mark, to place the Death Eaters' kiss. As his lips touched the mark, Bellatrix shrieked.
Yaxley was in unbearable pain himself. It took him all his might to keep from screaming.
In front of their eyes, the Dark Mark burned bright green before fading away.
"What have you done?" Bellatrix roared.
"I don't know!" Yaxley cried, and pulled his sleeve up. His mark was barely visible.
"Go to hell!" she thundered, and disapparated away.
Yaxley dropped down to his knees, unknown to the fact that somewhere, not very far away, his master had fallen, too. He wouldn't have cared even if he had known that.
He had lost his chance. He had lost the only woman he had ever liked. After all his efforts, he had lost her.
.oOo.
"You mean to say that the boy got away, again?" Voldemort hissed.
"M-My Lord!" Yaxley stuttered. "I followed them to Black Manor, but the girl shook me off a-and they disapparated."
"Bellatrix," the Dark Lord whispered.
"My Lord!" she said, her tone an echo of his whisper. She leaned towards the man she had blindly followed since the day she met him.
.oOo.
That night, as Bellatrix lay in her bed, the screams that had pierced her ears as Yaxley was being tortured echoed in her ears.
You still like him, her subconscious said.
NO! She thought, trying to convince herself otherwise, but the more she struggled to fall asleep, the longer she stayed awake. And before she knew it, the rays of dawn spilled through the window.
.oOo.
She shrieked. Her scream was lost in several others that festooned the battlefield. The cries would have been music to her ears if she wasn't the one adding to it.
A stinging-hex hit her arm but she could barely feel the pain. Her body and mind were numb as she looked at the fallen warrior, who laid at the feet of the boy whose twin she had killed an hour ago.
Yaxley had died at the hands of an enraged George Weasley, who had wanted revenge for his brother's death.
He cannot be dead, she told herself.
Why do you care? her subconscious mocked at her.
I do not care! she fiercely thought, and brought herself back to the war-zone.
.oOo.
She knew it before it happened. In those few moments before the curse hit her, she thought of those words she had kept locked at the back of her head for the past seventeen years. 'People in their right minds never take pride in their talents.' She lost herself in a duel—to a woman whose wand, until now, had served the purposes of levitating dirty utensils and charming knitting needles. She cackled at the thought.
The clock chimed. She wanted to double up in laughter. Seventeen years of that thing ticking away was not enough to know the truth of her life, but this last one second was!
She had loved Yaxley, and she was going to join him now.
Hidden behind the façade of her fake laughter, the thought brought a smile on her lips.
The mask had finally fallen.
She knew the truth.
She was content.
She was truly happy for the first time in her life, as she embraced death.
.oOo.
A/N
Prompts used:
Clock
Usage 1: Yaxley looks as it when they're eating at the hangout, thinking of the activities he used to do at that time each Saturday, before this one.
Usage 2: Bellatrix listens to the chimes of the clock in her last moments, while realizing the truth.
'People in their right minds never take pride in their talents.'
Usage: Yaxley once told her this, and just before meeting her end, she realized that he was indeed right. These words of his, which had always been there at the back of her head, were like a feeble thread connecting the two, not unlike the phoenix feather in Harry Potter's broken wand, which finally served as the guide to unite the two pieces.
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# Word Count: 2742 (without including the four words of the title)
# The term 'AU' may or may not be used in context with Bellatrix here, as I used her canon personality as a mask she wears all the time.
# I want to thank certain people here: firstly my awesome Cap, Arty who acted as the first beta for my story. Then S4 (commonly known as Sunne) and my co-beater Tigger—who is a total genius, cool, cute and crazy. (I told you I'd get this framed, virtually!) Then, for their support, all the other Falcons, who are the best team members I could hope for!
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