Author's Note : this is a taster for my new fic, I hope you like it, I own nothing, there is swearing and stuff.
The Dog and the Dark Witch
Chapter One
The sea crashed angrily against sharp, unforgiving rocks, a sheer cliff face rose up towards the stormy sky, short tufty grass grew all along the cliff top, perfectly adapted to withstand the bite of the sea air and the constant wind and rain. At the cliff's peak, a tall tree stood defiant, gnarled and blackened, presumably struck by lightning during its long life, it was the only landmark on this barren stretch of coastline.
A storm was brewing on the horizon, dark clouds were rolling in from all sides, a sheen of grey against the fading light heralded the beginning of the oncoming deluge, flashes of lightning lit up the sky and an ominous roll of thunder rumbled out over the waves. The bruised, purple clouds sucked away the remaining light, the world was plunged into an artificial twilight, the storm, riding on a fierce wind approached the shore, the rain hissed on the surface of the sea before being drowned out by the waves breaking on the rocks.
Forks of lightning arced between the clouds, the thunder was deafening, the force of the sound shook the earth. The tree stood unmoved by the wind and the rain, lit white like bone in nature's impressive light show, at the base of the trunk where the shadows were at their darkest, there was a movement, a darker shadow, the sound of a struck match and the accompanying flare of burning sulphur, once extinguished, left behind the glowing red embers of the tip of a cigarette, acrid blue smoke drifted up to the heavens.
The shadowy figure seemed completely unperturbed by the never ending cascade of water from above, when the sky was ignited by electricity, an observer would be convinced that the water was avoiding the area in which the figure resided all together. There was no sense of urgency about them, occasionally a pair of eyes caught in the light of the lit cigarette, could be seen looking left and right. A deep inhalation and the red ember glowed with renewed life, followed by a slow exhale like a pleasurable sigh. As the act of smoking reached its conclusion the shape flicked the stub away, a tiny glow of red tumbled end over end before landing on the sodden ground to be snuffed out by the downpour.
A second figure appeared as if born from the darkness, a massive roll of thunder cracked as if some gigantic ancient beast was announcing their arrival, they strode purposefully to the base of the tree and into the protective dryness surrounding the squatting figure.
"You picked a nice night for it, I'm soaked to the bone and I've only just got here"
The squat figure let out a throaty chuckle, the arrival of their companion hadn't fazed them in the slightest, they hadn't even looked in the direction of the newcomer.
"I like a good storm, have you forgotten you can use magic? Dry yourself off and quit complaining, it's perfectly warm and dry in here" arms gesture to the immediate area surrounding them.
The voice muttered some words, possibly insulting the crouched figure, more likely casting some spell as instructed. Shifting into a more elevated position, rocking slightly on their haunches, back pressed against the tree trunk for support, the first figure extracted a rather crumpled packet of cigarettes from some hidden pocket. The path of the cigarette from the packet to the owners mouth was interrupted by a request for one, the journey continued until clamped between lips, a match flared, the tip glowed bright and it's removed and passed upwards, the second figure took it with a grunt of thanks, the owner looked in dismay at the final cigarette in the pack, it's removed and ignited, the now empty packet was crushed and stowed away again.
The second figure, still standing rigid, relaxed a touch and leaned against the tree, radiating impatience, the cigarette was smoked at speed and with just under half of it left, it was cast out into the wet, rendering it unsalvageable, a strangled cry from near the ground and much coughing, a voice rasped angrily at the waste. The standing party shrugged their shoulders, an action almost imperceptible in the darkness.
"It's a disgusting habit really, it makes you reek of it, good for settling the nerves in the absence of a strong drink, I suppose"
"I would have finished it, this is my last one" he held it out like a precious trinket before placing it back between ready lips and sucking on it greedily.
"Why are we even here?"
"To talk"
"Well don't let me stop you"
The crouching shadow stood and stretched aching legs, having successfully shaken off the fatigue the pacing ceased, the figure turned on the spot and walked back to lean against the tree next to their companion. As they stood side by side the first figure was noticeably taller, standing a good head taller than the other.
"We have Sybil Trelawny's prophecy"
"So do we"
"Not all of it, according to Dumbledore"
"Shit"
"I'm surprised I was able to tell you that much"
"There are two births due at the end of July"
"We know this as well, I suppose the spell allows us to talk about shared knowledge"
"The Dark Lord has made his choice, I'm sorry, there was nothing I could do, I tried"
A sombre silence descended upon the two, the storm continued to play out overhead.
"It's not your fault, we both thought he'd go after the pure-blood, it doesn't make sense"
"All is not lost, you are the obvious choice for secret keeper"
"That's the very reason I'm not the secret keeper"
"Then who?"
The shrug indicated an inability to answer that question, the other can only nod in acknowledgement, the solemnity of the situation weighed heavy on them both.
"What now?"
"I'll go back to the order, what about you?"
"I have to go and see Severus, he pulled me aside after the last meeting and asked me to"
"Why?"
"No idea, I guess I'll find out soon enough"
"I have a bad feeling about all of this, there is so much we don't understand, I'll be in touch if there is another opportunity to meet, be careful, don't do anything stupid and go getting yourself killed"
"I'll be fine, no one suspects a thing, they fear me"
They embraced like old friends and disappeared simultaneously.
(Scene Break)
Fog hugged the banks of a river, its grimy waters flowed sluggishly through an industrial part of town, at one time it was busy, prosperous, now it was dirty and derelict, a few factories had endured the hard times, but mostly it was used as a dumping ground, discarded shopping trolleys poked from beneath the brown water like strange silvery sea creatures, mattresses, old TVs, glass bottles and other urban detritus lined the old tow paths. Night had long fallen, somewhere in the dark a clock chimed midnight, the rows upon rows of bleak terraced houses lined the hill that gradually crept up and away from the toxic river.
Like the industrial area, the houses harked back to a better time, built to supply the workers with affordable living space, most had moved away once the good times had left, the factories stilled their machines and one by one closed their doors. Any residents remaining left before the crime rate rose, there were more boarded up windows than not, crude graffiti was daubed across every available surface, gardens were being reclaimed by the hardiest of plant life, nettles and thorny bushes fought a war for dominance.
A casual observer would assume the whole place deserted, there was no indications of human life, feral cats mewled, the sound harsh and the echo made it impossible to pinpoint the source, scurrying noises filled the silence, possibly rats, spawned unchecked, no cars were parked along the roads, no lights burned behind shut curtains. A few rows shy of the hill's crest, there was something, a dull flicker, too dim to be a light bulb, the casual observer wouldn't have seen it.
This house was inhabited, the glass was caked with grime, lace curtains yellowed with age were just visible, thick curtains, faded, recently pulled shut. The window frames were white once, peeling paint clung to rotting wood with desperate futility, the front door may have been a bold red colour, long faded to pink, the paint clung to the wood of the door with more success than it's glass paned fellows.
Inside, the entrance hall was small and dingy, a narrow staircase led upwards into blackness, books and newspapers lined the right hand wall, a door on the left was highlighted by whatever light source burnt behind it, lazy yellow light seeped through the cracks around the door.
The room was lit by several candles, some were guttering on the verge of extinguishing themselves, a fire had been burning, glowing red embers crackled towards death. Floor to ceiling bookshelves covered almost every bare inch of the walls, a dilapidated sofa seemed out of place next to the high backed armchair, though worn, the leather was of high quality, leaving just a small side table as the only other item of furniture.
The carpet appeared filthy, on closer inspection it's just hideously patterned, clashing colours twist and overlap. On the side table was a large pile of books, their covers cracked with age, two bottles of wine lay discarded at the foot of the table, a half full bottle sat beside a glass brimming with a dark red liquid, a pale hand, shaking slightly reached for the glass, after a moment a tiny slurping sound could be heard and the glass was replaced, less one mouthful.
The occupant of the chair glared at the clock as if waiting for something, the glow of the fire gave his face a haunted look, deep shadows ring each eye, they were bloodshot and puffy, his skin looked sallow and dirty, his hair hung in curtains, lank and greasy. He swayed slightly, even sitting down, the excessive consumption of alcohol was clearly affecting him, despite his dishevelled appearance, his eyes burned bright, sharp and inquisitive and showing no sign of alcoholic excess. His robes were black and crumpled as if they'd been slept in. He steepled his fingers across his chest and his eyes fluttered closed, after a few minutes he rubbed them vigorously as if they were causing him a degree of irritation, sighing loudly he reached for the glass on the table, the hand was much steadier this time around.
Back on the bank of the river, just under the cover of a bridge, a loud pop echoed in the quiet, a scavenging animal, larger than a cat, probably a fox, startled at the sound and ran for safety, a figure stepped out from the shadows and climbed up the grassy bank to better orientate themselves.
Creatively cursing all the while, a small section of chain link fence was blasted unceremoniously out of the way, the chain links hung limp, some clattered to the ground as the black robed figure swept through the break and instinctively sought out the shadows, they crossed the cracked concrete yard and strode purposefully in the direction of the rows of houses.
Progress was fast, unimpeded, the figure showed no sign of slowing, melting effortlessly from shadow to shadow and passing between the rows at each break, a cat jumped in front of them hissing it's displeasure, a sharp boot found it's mark and sent the creature howling into the darkness. Crossing the final street and passing between two rusted iron posts that once held a gate, the familiar sensation of walking through an invisible barrier made the hairs on the back of their neck stand up, a hand raised to strike the door was rendered impotent as it swung open of its own accord, looking left and right and seemingly satisfied to be alone the figure crossed the threshold into the dark hallway and the door closed quietly behind.
Confidently they stepped forward and grasped the handle on the door, it squeaked in protest as it turned, the door opened noiselessly inwards and they moved inside the dimly lit room.
"You're late" drawled a voice dripping with annoyance.
"You have my heartfelt apologies Sev, did I keep you from something important?"
"Only sleep"
"I had a few things of my own to be getting on with"
"The meeting with the mongrel, how did that go?"
"As well as can be expected, do you have any flea powder?"
"I'm so glad your sense of humour remains unaffected by the situation"
"Sorry Sev"
"Can you stay? Will anyone question your whereabouts?"
The tension in the room increased to unbearable levels for the unkempt man as he waited for a response, the traveller shed their long hooded cloak and flung it haphazardly into the corner, the tutting from the chair was ignored by the woman now fully revealed, thick black curls tumbled in controlled chaos around her shoulders, her eyes, black as night seemed to reflect the sombre mood, fingers with nails filed to sharpened points brushed stray curls from her face, her blood red lips were pressed tight into a thin line.
She cast an appraising eye over the man sitting in the chair, he looked unwell, deep purple rings around sunken eyes, she'd never seen him unshaved, but it looked like he hadn't touched a razor in many days, there was an unpleasant smell in the room, unnoticed until now, she wrinkled her nose in disgust at the odour of stale sweat and alcohol.
"I'll stay unless I'm summoned" she spoke in a softer tone, his gratitude was palpable and he nodded his agreement "there is, however, one further condition, go and sort yourself out, wash, shave, and put on some fresh clothes, you stink"
She wasn't completely heartless, she understood feelings and how to display them at the appropriate time, it was a powerful tool for survival. There were very few places she could go and relax, it was a rare pleasure to shake off the façade and be herself. This was one such place, she supposed he was a friend, they shared a mutual respect for each other, and in her own way cared about his well being.
Severus didn't bother to argue, he bit back his ire at being ordered around in his home, but she was right, and after he may even feel slightly better, and then they would talk.
The living room door clicked shut and his footsteps faded as they climbed higher and higher, a few floorboard creaks allowed her to pinpoint his location upstairs. A shudder and groan of ancient pipes announced the arrival of water, How he could live in this grotty little hovel was beyond her, she thought twice before sitting on the threadbare couch, and elected to make it fit for purpose with a little wand work, pleased with the effort, she took the open bottle of wine from the table, sprawled out on the couch and thought back to how it all began.
(Scene Break)
She had no idea why he had chosen her to confide in, she wasn't exactly approachable, most people went out of their way to avoid her, they were both in their late teens and commanded respect among their Lord and his followers. She couldn't see what the Dark Lord saw in the man, she had, in her opinion, done so much more than he, successfully completing all of the tasks she was assigned with her own unique style, she never killed if she could help it, but left an impressive trail of destruction. He had heard accounts from others, even those with a steely disposition had recoiled in horror and disgust when faced with her victims.
She avoided him where possible but in this instance she had to seek the man out, her sister had been adamant that he would be able to help her and that his potion making skills were second to none, Narcissa had been correct much to her chagrin, Bellatrix had been convinced that they were having an affair, but she was dead wrong, she had used every trick except legilimancy to get her sister to confess her infidelity, in the end her sister had slapped her round the face and forced her clean conscience onto her, she apologised to very few people, this time the sting of pride was worth it.
It had not been a good day even though it had started out brilliantly, she had set out early and climbed up into the low lying hills a few hours walk from Black Manor, the weather had been mixed the last few days and thick fog covered the landscape, it swirled and parted as she passed through and slunk back in behind her once she'd moved on, she was attempting to hunt a pack of werewolves, she secretly hoped it would be Fenrir Greyback's pack.
By noon she had picked up a trail, it was not the quarry that she had hoped for, and to make matters worse the dull pain in her gut had become full blown cramps, and that could only mean one thing, she cursed the bad timing, simple spells sorted out most of the issues she'd face, but the pain wouldn't budge and she couldn't mask her scent, perhaps that would work to her advantage.
Picking up the trail and determining the most logical direction they would head was easy, Bella prided herself on being able to track creatures and if push came to shove she could survive in the wild, her best option was to leave the path and go cross country, it would slow her progress but hopefully make it harder for the wolves to lure her into an ambush.
She couldn't have been more wrong, the crack of a twig and a low rumbling growl was just enough to save her life, the sleek animal launched itself from the undergrowth, a cutting hex fired purely on instinct was enough to send it crashing to the ground, crimson stained grey fur and spattered onto the surrounding foliage. She barely regained her breath as the second attack came, the shield was enough to prevent a mauling but the beast hit her at speed and the momentum carried them over an incline, she gripped matted fur and clung on as they rolled end over end, she took the brunt of an impact against a rocky outcrop, it forced the air from her lungs leaving her gasping for breath, as the tumble ended, fortune was on her side as the final fall was broken by the wolf, she made a slashing movement with her wand cutting her assailant's throat, it gurgled a final breath.
She picked herself up and controlled her breathing, she watched the wolf regain it's human form, a woman lay naked before her covered in blood and dirt, a simple transfiguration dealt with the corpse. After brushing down her clothing she trekked back to the other wolf, it was alive, but only just, with each shallow breath a bit more blood trickled from the wound, the only option was to put it out of it's misery. She stamped hard on the man's neck, shuddering slightly as she felt and heard the snap of neck vertebrae.
She didn't have the energy to apparate back home, and despite her discomfort, wouldn't have done so even if she had been able, she couldn't take things for granted and if, Merlin forbid, she was ever without her wand she wanted to be as self sufficient as possible.
For the duration of the journey her magic had been out of control and she had been in pain, had she been unlucky and received a bite she thought being a feral werewolf would be preferable than having to deal with a constant kicking in the gut from mother nature. The final straw had come after she finally made it home, she managed to set fire to her bedroom, Narcissa had come in, she raised an eyebrow as she took in her sister's appearance, but said nothing as she calmed her down and repaired the damage, the blonde witch hastily scribbled an address on a piece of parchment and told her to go and see Severus Snape, it was not a request, how her sister was able to read her without effort was a source of much amusement and annoyance to Bellatrix. She had her own ways of irritating her sibling, she shed her clothes and walked languidly towards the bathroom, leaving Narcissa ranting about dignity and how a lady should conduct herself.
The shower refreshed and revitalised her, the blonde witch had laid out fresh clothes, she dressed quickly and paused to admire herself in the mirror. A deft hand applied just the right amount of make up, in truth she already looked dangerous, finally satisfied, she collected her travelling cloak.
The indignity of having to go and see anyone about a matter so personal would have normally left her suffering in silence, but the risk of harming one of the few people she truly loved was enough incentive, so she had gone, she had stood in the rain outside his house for a good half hour before finally knocking, the amused look on his face when he saw his visitor did not sit well with her.
"Bellatrix, what an unexpected surprise, how may I be of service?"
"It's Madam Black, and I require a potion, my sister sent me"
"Ah, Narcissa, I hope she is well, I have a few items you can take back for her when we're done"
"My sister is fine, and I am not here to run pointless errands, now if we can skip the niceties, my time is valuable"
"Very well, please come in"
He stepped aside to allow the woman entry, she stood stiffly in the entrance hall, water pattered onto the carpet, she dried herself as he shut the front door and opened another into a dimly lit room. She wasn't offered a seat, he sat down in an elegant wing backed chair and looked at her over the tips of his fingers, an amused look still lingered on his face.
She had the feeling he was being deliberately dense as she vaguely hinted at the potion she so badly needed, her patience was fast running out, her knuckles went white as she gripped her wand tightly, she growled out her words through clenched teeth.
"For fuck's sake, I just need something for period pain, there, are you fucking happy now?"
He had actually laughed at her, she was shocked into inaction, on a normal day he would be begging for his life in a puddle of his own piss and shit. Seeing the look on her face and sensing danger, he had held up his hand and offered an explanation for his uncontrollable laughter
"The mighty Bellatrix Black, your reputation will no doubt become legend, I've heard the others sharing whispers of how you can take a sustained Cruciatus curse without so much as a whimper, I never would have imagined that something so trivial would have you coming to me for aid"
"Fuck you Snape, it's not the pain, I'm no stranger to that, it's the effect it has on my magic, so are you going to stop wasting my time and help me?"
As if to illustrate her point, the lamps lining the dingy room sparked into life and flared with foot high flames. In his moment of distraction, she raised her wand and pressed it's point hard against his cheek, anger flared in his dark eyes, he raised a hand to his face and pushed the length of wood aside.
"Narcissa owled me, I have already prepared your remedy"
The dark witch looked about ready to murder the man.
"My darling sister talks out of turn too much for her own good, you knew and still played games with me? I would happily snuff out your miserable existence and no one would even care"
"There would be severe repercussions for you and your family if you harmed me"
"I think I could live with it, you aren't the only one he favours, he would forgive me and the others are too afraid to speak out"
He stared unflinching into the woman's eyes and allowed a sneer to form on his lips, he spoke before any curse could be cast.
"It would be prudent not to push away a potential ally, you aren't as safe as you wish to believe"
She didn't frighten him in the least, this was incomprehensible, unless he was misguided enough to believe his friendship with Narcissa would protect him. She stared daggers at the greasy haired man, her wand arm twitched but she wasn't stupid, he had her thinking and she was curious to discover what he knew.
"Speak!"
"They do not like you Bellatrix, they despise how you have gained favour at such a young age, they do not trust you, they would do anything to unseat you, and all because you're a woman"
"What about Alecto?"
"She is only there because of her brother, therefore she isn't a threat, you are unpredictable and dangerous, should you fail, well, I don't care to imagine what would happen"
His words hung in the air, he was right, there was no denying it, what harm could come from talking to the man, once she was in possession of all the facts, then she could decide how to act.
"I'm listening"
"I want you to help me"
"How? Get to the point, I'm growing tired of your bullshit"
"Stay away from Godric's Hollow and Little Whinging"
"We have no plans to attack Godric's Hollow, and the magical community in Little Whinging is of no consequence, why and what's in it for me?"
"I'm not going to reveal all my cards just yet, I don't know if I can trust you yet"
"You are taking a risk right now, what makes you think I'll keep your secret?"
"As a show of good faith, I will provide you with your potions, no questions asked"
"If you think ridding me of pain is a worthy price, you're very much mistaken"
"Very well, in regards to your upcoming marriage to Monsieur Lestrange, I hear you aren't best pleased at the prospect of this union"
"It hasn't been announced yet, Narcissa needs to learn to keep her mouth shut, I will perform my duty as a Black and fulfil the wishes of our Lord"
"Perhaps, but I think you'll be grateful of my help, I know the family and I warn you, Rodolphus likes to break his women, he's no where near as sadistic or brutal as Rabastan, you will be quite the catch, and you will tow the line one way or another, and that would be such a waste"
He reached into his robes and removed a tiny vial, it looked empty, the faintest glints of silver caught the light and as she stared at the contents the solution became more visible, it pulsed between its colours as if it wasn't really there, she'd never seen anything like it.
"What is that?" she asked, her curiosity getting the better of her anger
"It's a concoction of my own design, providing you can administer this to your husband once a week, he'll never lay a hand on you, believing instead that you are every bit the loving and doting wife, it's untraceable, and his memories would pass even the most skilled Occlumens' scrutiny, I shall keep you stocked, what do you say?"
It was almost too good to be true, he didn't resist as she skilfully entered his mind searching for deception, she found none, the deal was made and he placed the potion in her hand. Before she departed her initial request was granted, she drank the potion in one go and tossed the empty bottle at him, he caught it with the skill of a seeker. He was surprised when she suggested performing the unbreakable vow to safeguard each other. They shared a drink and he spoke briefly about his love for a muggleborn witch called Lily Evans. They had forged an unlikely friendship and decided that in the presence of others they would maintain an air of hostility, it was safer that way.
(Scene Break)
Snape re-entered the room and sighed heavily at the sight before him, Bella was swigging wine from the bottle and despite her usual attire of full skirts and corset her seating position was less than ladylike. As he passed her on the way to his chair he slapped her leg, she spluttered and coughed on her mouthful of wine at the shock, she sat up and glared at him with streaming eyes, after wiping her mouth with her hand and drying her eyes she threw a few choice expletives at him punctuated with a raised middle finger, Severus barely raised an eyebrow in response.
"I'm not sure why you wanted me to come here tonight, I can't change his mind, he believes the prophecy points to the Potters, I was surprised he chose a half-blood over the pure-blood"
"You're the only person who knows about Lily, I was convinced he'd go after the Longbottoms, I'm going to see Dumbledore"
"Sev, are you out of your mind? Why would he even entertain the idea of helping you?"
"I can give him information, he can try and hide them"
"He already is hiding them, Sirius told me, he couldn't say who the secret keeper is, but it's not him"
"How did the order find out he'd chosen the Potters?"
The witch sat forward and offered the remains of the bottle, he took it from her and drank, he set the bottle on table, only then did he see the smile on the woman's face.
"After the meeting I owled Sirius anonymously, he never mentioned it, maybe he couldn't"
She could see the gratitude on his face, tears flowed freely down his face and his body was shaking, he moved to stand.
"Don't even think about hugging me, we've been friends for a long time but I will hex you"
He sagged back into his chair and held up a hand in acknowledgement of the threat, no matter how idle it might have been. The sofa creaked as Bellatrix settled back, she hiked up her right leg and began methodically untying and unlacing her boot, she repeated the process with the left, she tucked her legs up and arranged her skirts.
"What now?"
"We wait, Sirius will contact me when he can, we might get lucky"
"I meant now"
"Well, you are going to get some sleep, I need to sleep, it's been a long night, we can talk more in the morning, things might be clearer then, and if you are adamant about going to Dumbledore, I won't stop you and I'll cover for you if needs be."