Scared

After the two of them had fled the ministry, Bellatrix expected punishment. A severe punishment. She wasn't prepared for what happened instead, as they had apparated right into the Dark Lord's study. He didn't put all of his rage about his Death Eaters failure straight out on her. The Cruciatus Curse Bellatrix had grown used to after all the years in her master's service, never came. In fact, he wasn't even looking at her.

"Why can't anything ever go as planned?! Is it so hard to get one damn little prophecy and…"

As the Dark Lord raged on, Bellatrix, taken aback by his sudden outburst, stepped backed and found herself pressed against the wall right next to the door. There were shatters of glass flying around everywhere, feathers ripped out of the pillows were swirling around and the Dark Lord's voice that was streaked with such anger even Bellatrix hadn't experienced often, filled the air.

Not knowing what to do, she stood there watching the study being turned into pieces. And she was terrified. How bad will she end up when her master remembered that, unlike the furniture, she actually had had a part in the failure of their mission? When he remembered that she was the reason he had to show himself? That she was the only servant left to punish with the rest carted off to Azkaban?

She needed to calm him. She needed to explain why she had failed. That it was Lucius, who was responsible for all of this. But how do you calm a man, who could end your pathetic little life with one flick of his wand?

Out of a sudden impulse, Bellatrix stepped away from the wall leaving the door, probably her only hope for safety, behind and strode right in the direction of her Lord. Before she herself even knew, what she was going to do, Bella had already grabbed him by the hand, turned him around and kissed him.

Her mind was swirling. What the hell was she doing? This could just make everything worse. Of course Bellatrix had always wanted to kiss him; but she had never imagined it to happen like this. Presumably merely seconds away from her death. She felt him freeze completely and finally got herself slightly under control to, after she believed what had been hours, pull back.

She lowered her head, staring at her own feet because she didn't know what to do now. She expected to be hit with a curse even more as when they had arrived. But again nothing happened. The wrongness and disrespect that her action must have shown to the Dark Lord came rushing in on her. What had she done?

At last after minutes of silence, Bellatrix looked up and found herself eye to eye with her master. Unlike her expectations though, he wasn't looking at her with utter disgust and there was not even a hint of anger about him anymore. The only reaction she could see was the confusion present in his eyes, which didn't leave her face for a second.

But nevertheless Bellatrix panicked. "My lord, I'm sorry! But…", she managed to stammer out.

"But?", the Dark Lord, who seemed more like himself again that Bellatrix had disrupted his thoughts, said.

"You scared me.", Bellatrix answered.

She knew, that she had gone too far now. And without waiting for a reaction from the man in front of her, she turned around and ran out of the room.

Bellatrix had run straight to her own bedroom. Now, hours later, she was still lying on her bed, waiting for her lord to seek her out and punish her for her insolence.

As the moon shone brightly in through the window, she finally stood up. Maybe she was lucky and he would just forget about her stupidity and pretend like the whole thing never happened. Bellatrix supposed she could live with that, even if it had just felt as right as it had felt wrong.

Glimpsing the state of her appearance in the mirror across the room, she decided to take a shower for she was still wearing the clothes she had from the mission at the ministry and her hair and face were covered in dirt.

She walked into her bathroom, took off her clothing and stepped under the jet of water. The warmth felt great on her sore and tired body and soon Bella had forgotten every negative aspect about the ministry, the study and punishment she might still have to face. All her thoughts went back to the moment her lips had touched her lord's. Maybe he hadn't minded her boldness all that much. She was still alive after all, right?

When she was finished, Bellatrix wrapped a towel around her body and let her damp hair fall freely down to the small of her back. Pushing all her stupid girly thoughts out of her mind, she went back to her room to change into her nightgown.

But when she stepped over the threshold, she froze on the spot. The Dark Lord was sitting on her bed as if he was waiting for her.

"My lord! How long have you been here?!", Bellatrix said as she found her voice again.

"I mainly found it rude to intrude on you, so I decided to wait until you were finished."; the Dark Lord said.

Bellatrix couldn't hear any of his intentions out of his statement but it seemed rather odd for him.

"I'm so sorry! You could have just called me out! I wouldn't have let you wait for so long! I'm so sorry...", Bellatrix started to explain and was clutching the towel tighter around her. She was full of fear all over again.

This time it was the Dark Lord who made the first step. He walked over to the woman at the other side of the room and took her free hand gently in his.

Bella stopped speaking right then and looked up, taken aback by the touch of her master. She raised her gaze even more, looking him directly in the eyes as only she ever dared to do. To her surprise she didn't see any of his previous emotions but one she couldn't quite place.

"I simply wanted to apologise for scaring you." And before she could even comprehend what was happening, he had put his lips on hers.

Speechless and utterly confused, Bellatrix found herself left of every little part of fear she might have had.