Voldemort was deathly quiet as he crossed the room. He wasn't quick, but he wasn't slow; he just…came. Bellatrix, having just been summoned to the ballroom of the Malfoy Manor, waited anxiously, her breath quickened.
The Dark Lord's wand wasn't drawn, but she had no illusions about his ability to end her life. It would take him just the tiniest flick of his finger to rip the life from her body…or worse.
Oh, he could do worse.
His steps…every one seemed to reverberate inside Bella's body. Every step made her shake just a little bit more, made her breaths just a little shorter; when he finally got within of a meter of her, she just wanted him to get on with it. Surely her years of service would make it quick…?
"My dear Bellatrix. Do you truly think me a senseless killer?" His voice, silky smooth, served to calm her body somewhat, though Bella could still feel her terror beating inside. After all, she had known the Dark Lord to sweet-talk many before he killed them.
"My Lord…forgive me."
Voldemort snorted in response, but the sound came out more like a snarl from his snake-like nostrils. He raised his hand to his face, surprised, and allowed himself a thin, lipless smile. "I have yet to get used to this new body, it seems." Then he fixed his full attention on Bellatrix, who cringed.
"Bellatrix, I do not blame you for the Malfoys' folly. It is hardly your fault if your companions failed you." He paused, and frowned at Bellatrix. "Look at me, Bellatrix." When she didn't immediately respond, he said "Look at me."
Bellatrix did just that, slowly, quietly. She was afraid to look into his eyes…but not for the reasons that most were. Her true fear, her deepest terror, was what would happen if he found out the secret. He could never know…would never know. Even as she looked into his emerald green eyes, even as she gazed directly into that intense green fire, Bellatrix reinforced her mental shields, her Occlumency talent asserting itself. She didn't allow any emotion to enter her mind; she merely held the Dark Lord's gaze coldly. It was truly strange…now, looking into his eyes, Bella didn't feel the fear that had consumed her just a moment earlier; the red fire…it felt…soothing.
Voldemort blinked in response. He held Bella's gaze a little longer, then turned away, raising his hand to his chin. Bellatrix, emboldened by her unexpected burst of courage, asked "My Lord, may I ask you a question?"
Voldemort turned back to her, but his posture wasn't threatening, and again, Bellatrix didn't feel any fear. It was intriguing, almost intoxicating. "I believe you just did."
Bellatrix swallowed, then launched straight into it. She knew that this strange feeling wouldn't last long. "Why are you so afraid of those…" She paused, searching for a suitable word. "…Children? There are still many Aurors and survivors of the Order of the Phoenix out there, and surely they are a superior threat…?"
Voldemort smiled, but once again, it wasn't a smile of malice. "Dumbledore may have been a fool, but he knew, as I do, the power of a child's mind." He paused for a moment, as if assessing Bellatrix, then said "I don't believe I have ever told you this, but after leaving Hogwarts, I applied for a teaching position there. You see, for all the Aurors and fighters still out there, I know what to expect when they approach. I know what they will try to do, and how they will do it. But with the children…" He shook his head, and amended, "but with Potter, I do not know what he will do. Nor do I know how he will do it. My ignorance is a weakness that he has exploited in the past, if only by chance."
Voldemort looked around the ballroom, and Bellatrix's brow furrowed for a moment, until he summoned a pair of elegant oak chairs from a nearby room. He sat into the chair even as it was moving into position, and without thinking, Bellatrix followed suit. On any other day she wouldn't have dared, but now, today, she felt that something had changed. Something significant.
"I must admit, I do weary of this in-fighting, my dear. Dumbledore, and the fools who followed him, ignored my warnings. When the Muggles invented that…" he paused for a moment, "atom bomb, I knew that our time was coming. I warned them all. Dither and fret as we may, but war with the Muggles is inevitable; eventually, their technology will surpass even our magic, and when that day comes, we will have to fight." At Bellatrix's shocked expression, he frowned. "Shocked, are you? That magic may not always be superior?" Voldemort sighed, and suddenly, his posture changed, his head dropping. It wasn't a purely physical change as all of a sudden, at once, Bellatrix could feel the aura of malice that pervaded from him, like a dark, malicious mist. It was at once delicious and terrifying, and Bellatrix knew that she had to speak now, to hold onto this unique moment.
"I…understand, my Lord. To survive, we have to purify our society, strengthen it for the times to come."
Voldemort's head snapped up so quickly it gave Bellatrix a start. He looked into her eyes once again, and finally, finally he smiled. "Yes…you do understand. I can see it." His smile…was it fondness that Bella saw? "So often people have disappointed me. Dumbledore, the only wizard who could truly claim to be my equal, always treated the Muggles like curiosities, pets. The old fool was so secure in the invincibility of magic. But you…" At this the Dark Lord raised his hand to Bellatrix's face, still gazing into her eyes. "I admit, Bellatrix, I am impressed." He raised his chin, and lowered his hand. Even though he hadn't touched her, Bellatrix felt a thrill, the skin on her cheek tingling.
Voldemort stood suddenly, his simple robes flailing. At once, like the flick of a switch, he became himself, the Dark Lord, and his silky voice took on the threatening tone Bellatrix had come to know so well. But now, it felt empty, and with a shock, Bella realised that the threat held no meaning for her. "Bellatrix, I leave it to you to deal with the Malfoy's failure. If necessary, you may be…creative." Without another word he Apparated, and Bellatrix was left looking into the empty space before her. For the first time in a long time, for the first time in decades, she felt…worthy.
And that meant a lot.