Voldemort looked over his assembled Death Eaters, a sneer on his smooth almost featureless face. He ran a hand over Nagini's sleek scales hissing softly to her as she looked up at him adoringly. Her eyes flicked to Bellatrix as they spoke softly together. Voldemort looked to the snake chuckling softly as he ran a finger down her head. Then his eyes landed on the empty seat next to Draco sitting on the other side of his parents from Bellatrix. "Why, Draco, where is your little moon princess? Did I not ask that all of your household join us, Lucius?"

"Y-you did, my Lord." Lucius said clearing his throat a little. "I am sure she'll be here momentarily."

"Wormtail? Why don't you escort our beautiful lady down?"

"There is no need." The accented alto voice said as the curvy blonde woman glided into view. She wore a moonstone pendant about her neck.

Voldemort's eyes flicked to it as he fingered the one he wore, a much bigger one, on his robes. "Ah, Kaeli, I am glad to see you could join us." He stood and took her hand as she was about to sit down. Resisting the urge to yank it from his grasp she looked up at him and all he could see was hatred in her light eyes. He smirked seeing it. "You are truly a spectacle, my lady. Wearing silver and gray when everyone else is wearing black…my, my…"

"If that is all, may I sit now?" She asked him and then a look of pure disgust crossed her features as he smelled her wrist. She did yank it away then. "Do not touch me." She told him.

He chuckled. "Such spirit in the Daughters of the Moon," he looked like he enjoyed her resistance to him. He could see Bellatrix glaring at Kaeli from the corner of her eye. As if she had anything to be jealous about. He touched Kaeli's shoulder as she sat caressing down her arm. He felt her pull away and shudder at his touch. He settled back down at the head of the table watching the other Death Eaters, many were pretending they hadn't been watching, others looked bored with the proceedings. His eyes moved over to the woman in the corner suspended in mid-air and then he heard the footsteps approaching. "Snape, Yaxley, you are very nearly late." He told the two as they appeared in the doorway and then separated to their seats. "You have news, I take it?"

"My Lord, the Order intends to move Potter on Saturday next."

"I see." Voldemort said.

"My Lord," Yaxley cleared his throat. "I have heard differently. A contact in the Auror office told me he would not be moved until the 30th, the day before his birthday."

"This is a false trail." Snape said. "The Auror office no longer has any say in Potter's security. The Order believes that the Ministry has been infiltrated at the highest levels."

"The Order's got that one right, eh?" One of the Death Eaters said laughing maliciously. Others followed his lead. Voldemort didn't stop them. He let them have their laugh.

"Where are they going with the boy?" He asked Severus.

"To the house of one of the Order, I have heard every possible precaution and spell has been cast to ensure his protection once he is there. That being said, once he is there we will not be able to lay hands on the boy."

"What say you, Pius?" He asked one of the men.

"One hears many things, my Lord, and many things may be said for or against."

He looked at the man before scoffing. "The Ministry will not be ours before Saturday next. We must try for the Potter boy when he leaves his childhood home."

"My Lord," Bellatrix said leaning forward eagerly. "I would like to kill the boy, please."

"Bellatrix, your blood lust is inspirational, but I must be the one to kill the boy." He told her. "It must be me."

She slid back into her position looking down at the table.

"That being said, my wand cannot touch Potter. I must have one of yours…" he stood. "Come now, who will lend me their wand?" He paused as he walked down behind the chairs, "Lucius?"

"My Lord?" he asked looking up.

"Your wand, Lucius."

"My wand?" he paused only a moment before drawing it out and Voldemort took it before snapping off the snake head and handing it back to him.

"Do I detect elm?"

"Yes, my Lord."

"And the core?"

"Drag—" he cleared his throat. "Dragon Heartstring, my Lord."

"Why, Lucius? You seem less than happy to lend me your wand…" he said. "Your entire family seems less than happy of late. Does my presence displease you?"

"Yes." Kaeli said.

Lucius looked aghast at the girl. "Kaeli!" he hissed.

Voldemort however laughed. "At least, Lucius, she is honest."

"No, my Lord, we are not displeased by your presence! We are honored! So very honored to have you here!"

"My Lord," Bellatrix said. "There is no higher pleasure for me and my family to have you here!"

"No higher pleasure, Bellatrix? That is high praise from you, I am sure, especially considering the happy event of your family taking place this week."

"My Lord?" Bellatrix asked confused.

"I am talking about your niece. Didn't she get married to the werewolf Lupin?"

Bellatrix's cheeks were pink with rage as the jeers from around the table were directed straight at them. "She is no relation of mine, my Lord! I have never seen the child! We have not seen our disgraced sister since she ran away to marry a Mudblood!"

"Enough!" Voldemort said sending silence across the table. "Many of the old families have had to prune off branches. I am sure this is a branch you could cull, Bellatrix."

"With a will, my Lord! The first chance I get!"

"If I didn't already have a mission for you, Bellatrix."

"Whatever it is, my Lord, I will do it!" She told him, "Gladly."

"We shall see," he said before turning to Severus who had been characteristically quiet. "Do you recognize our guest, Severus?"

The dark man didn't say a word, but his eyes glanced over at the woman who was now coming closer to them hovering over the table. "This is Miss Charity Burbage, she taught Muggle Studies at Hogwarts until recently. It is Miss Burbage's belief that Muggles are not so different than us, that we should mate with them." He tuned out the comments and calls of those up and down the table.

The woman was whimpering, "Severus, please, help me…" she pleaded. "Please, Severus, we're friends." She said staring right at him. Snape, for his part, remained impassive.

"If you're going to kill her, do it." Kaeli stood. "Do not torture her with hope that you will let her go."

"Avada Kedavra!" Voldemort yelled and then turned on Kaeli. He was next to her in a moment face to face. "You are very lucky, girl, that I have plans for you, or you would be dead right here! It is only through my graces that you stand here at all!"

"No, it's because your precious Death Eaters let my mother slip through their fingers." She told him. "They did not kill all of us when they had the chance."

He put his hand on her throat. "I can kill you any time, girl!" He yelled. While he was doing this the other Death Eaters weren't paying attention to him, they couldn't tear their eyes aware from the snake eating the former Muggle Studies teacher.

She just stared at him dead in the eye. "Then do it." She whispered.

He took his hand away and back handed her sending her to the floor. "Do not tempt me." He told her.

Kaeli did not fear death and she knew she shouldn't have taunted him. Maybe she was reckless like Dean said before he left…He couldn't live here anymore, not even for her. Kaeli had told him to go…he had to go. Voldemort wouldn't suffer him the same way he did her. She felt Narcissa and Draco on either side helping her to her feet and out of the room.

"Not you, Bellatrix." Voldemort said as the others fled the room. She had been about to stand up, but sat back down in a hurry. He waited until the others were out of the room. "You, Bellatrix, are what is available to me. And I will use whatever I can to secure my place."

"My Lord?" she asked him uncertainly, not sure what he was talking about.

"You, Bellatrix, are a Black."

"Yes, my Lord," she nodded.

"You know the prophecy of your cousin, don't you? About me and Erin Black?"

"Yes, my Lord, I know the prophecy…"

"It has come to my attention, Bellatrix, that if I cannot have Erin Black…then perhaps I can make the prophecy come about in another way. You, Bella…" he said softly leaning over her. "You, Bella, shall bear me a child."

"Oh, my Lord, I…yes, I am honored. I am so honored to be chosen—" He pulled her roughly to him kissing her.

Narcissa stood outside the room trembling with fear, with rage, and tried desperately to push down her feelings, push down everything. She knew that she had to stop this. She could not allow Bella to bear his child.