Written for the xe1h level of The Pairing One Hour Challenge/Hardest Challenge Ever II with the pairing Bellatrix/Voldemort and the prompt: "I couldn't ask for anything more."


The crack of apparation echoed loudly through the halls of Malfoy Manor, followed by another sickening crack of soft flesh meeting the cold marble floor. Bellatrix lay panting on the ground, averting her eyes from her furious Master who paced before her. Adrenaline pounded through her veins, her heart racing, he mind spinning. A kick landed squarely in her ribs, sending her sprawling face down on the floor once more and tears of shame welled up in her eyes.

She had failed him.

They had all failed him, but her failure was by far the worst because she was by far his most devoted follower, his best lieutenant. Failure for her was far more personal and cut far deeper than the idiotic mistakes of fools like Avery or MacNair.

The anger was radiating out of him in crackling waves of magic and as she struggled to her hands and knees, he turned suddenly and hissed in that cold, beautiful voice, "Crucio!"

The pain hit her with enough force to throw her onto her back and arch upwards, as if in the throes of a seizure. A sob of despair tore out of her throat and she clamped her lips shut to stifle any more noises as the curse went on. Her teeth pierced the pink skin of her lip and crimson blood began trickling down her chin.


Eventually he ended the curse though his anger remained as he returned to pacing. The girl – though after all of those years in Azkaban, could she really be called such a thing any longer? – was the last of his inner ring, his most valuable servants. He sneered at her, his face full of loathing and disgust. This… pathetic, broken creature cowering on the floor like a terrified animal was his best lieutenant. He would have disposed of her, had she not become suddenly valuable in the absence of her peers. He threw another curse at her, watching with little satisfaction as the skin on her cheek sliced open, more blood pouring down to join the trickle still coming from her lip.

Why was he forced to put up with such fools? He fumed as his mind ran through the consequences of his Death Eaters' most recent failure. A rustling on the floor made him turn sharply to see Bellatrix crawling towards him. She reached out for the hem of his robe and tried to pull it to her bloodied lips and he pulled away in disgust.

"Master, I beg you…" she sobbed.

"You beg me," he mimicked contemptuously, and she shrank back, "Of what use to me is that, Bellatrix? Of what use are you to me?" He stepped down hard on the hand that she had stretched out to him, crushing it into the cold, unforgiving marble.

"I – I am yours, forever," she replied hoarsely, for speaking her devotion was far more important than crying over her broken hand. Though she could barely see them for the blood and tears in her eyes, her fingers were twisted at odd angles and turning black while more blood pooled around her mangled appendage.

"I could not ask for anything more," he sneered, releasing her hand and stalking away. Bella lay limp on the floor, cradling her broken body, sobbing over her crushed heart.