Bellatrix knelt in from of him, like a worshiper in front of a god. Her head was bowed low, though her deep brown eyes, partially covered by her long ebony hair, were turned upward to meet his scarlet ones. He brushed her hair out of her face with two long, spidery fingers and dived into her mangled mind, examining her memories and searching her thoughts.
Love is what he found there. Unrelenting, irrevocable love. He cared little for the emotion, though he knew that it meant one thing: loyalty. Loyalty. She was eternally his, no matter the cost. She was his in both life and death. Only his.
"Bellatrix," Voldemort said slowly, as if contemplating the meaning of her name. "Rise."
Bellatrix did as she was told, standing perfectly straight, continuing to meet his gaze. Her arms hung limp at her sides, waiting for instruction. Voldemort grabbed her left wrist and pulled up the sleeve of her robe, exposing the mark he branded her with. He lightly traced it with his index finger, making sure not to summon the rest of his followers. It was not their time. Though foolish for getting caught, only Bellatrix openly displayed her loyalty to him. Only Bellatrix stood at the edge of the pit and smiled confidently before diving headfirst into hell on earth.
The Dark Lord brought her arm to his mouth and Bellatrix released a soft sigh of longing. Her eyelids fluttered, but she never broke her gaze. The feeling of his lips against her skin sent a surge of electricity through her body, coursing rapidly through her veins, reddening her sallow face and heating her chilly limbs. Goosebumps rose on her flesh and Voldemort smirked against her skin. He roughly pulled Bellatrix onto his lap, hard enough to dislocate her shoulder if he wanted, though her arm remained intact. That would be punishment that she did not deserve. Voldemort grabbed her chin, turning her face to his and meeting her gaze once again. He dove into her mind, wanting to witness the torture of the Longbottoms during her quest to find him.
"Where is he?" Bellatrix screamed at Frank Longbottom, who was being restrained by her husband Rodolphus.
"I don't know!" Frank shouted pleadingly, and Bellatrix sent a jolt of red light, the Cruciatus curse, down to the writhing body of Alice Longbottom at her feet. Alice cried out in pain, her body jerking violently. Bellatrix laughed manically, before breaking the curse. Barty kicked the body on the ground, and smiled at the woman with the wand.
"Don't smile yet, Barty," Bellatrix chastised him. "Not until we have what we came for." She turned back to Frank. He was fighting in vain to break free of Rodolphus's strong grip. A loud crack indicated that a bone was broken from his struggle. The Death Eaters ignored it.
"Longbottom," Bellatrix said impatienty, "TELL US WHERE HE IS!"
"I DON'T KNOW!"
Bellatrix bit her lip, drawing blood, and sent another Cruciatus down to Alice, holding it until the woman's hair turned deathly white and her body lay limp on the ground. A twitch in the woman's finger let her attackers know that she was not dead. Her head slowly turned to look at her husband, and she blinked once. "Alice!" Frank screamed.
"Maybe they don't know, Bella," Rabastan shouted over Longbottom from behind Barty. Bellatrix whipped around, and swung at her brother-in-law, hitting him hard in the jaw.
"Drop him, Roddy."
Rodolphus did as his wife told him without question, adding a hard punch in the stomach for good measure.
Bellatrix looked at each of her fellows once, passion in her eyes. "Wands up, and on my count." Simultaneously three wands rose. "One… Two… Three…" Four jets of red light were sent straight down to Frank Longbottom. His body leapt up, dancing in mind air, his muscles convulsing violently as a high pitched squeal of pain escaped his lips. His hair turned white, just as his wife's had, and Bellatrix gave the order to breaks the spells.
The body of Frank Longbottom fell to the ground of a loud thud and was still except for a twitch in his finger.
"There are other aurors," she told the group, refusing to believe that this was the end of their journey. "The Longbottoms will be our example."
The three men nodded in agreement, and Voldemort left her mind.
"Bella," the Dark Lord said fondly, giving her a vampire smile. Bellatrix returned the gesture, placing her hand on his shoulder. Voldemort did not shrug her away as he would have done with anyone else. This was his beautiful Bellatrix, his amazon. He would never push her away, just as she would never push him away. She deserved better than to be treated like the rest, her loyalty and devotion to him must be rewarded.
"Within you," Voldemort said, giving Bellatrix the slightest of nods.
"Within me," Bellatrix responded in a whisper, bringing her face to his to meet his lips with hers. Voldemort pulled away after a few moments, only letting it last to feel the rise on her body temperature, and gave her the signal to get up.
"There is work to be done," he told her. Bellatrix nodded, bowed once, and turned to leave the room, feeling happier than she'd felt in fourteen years. Her Dark Lord had finally returned to her.