Whispers In The Dark
Chapter One: Slipping Through The Cracks
"Bella." A voice called out to her
She felt soft hands caressing her face.
"Bella." The voice whispered.
Her eyes wouldn't seem to open, she was lost in the others touch. Captivated in the others soft whispers.
"Why Bella?"
She felt soft lips on her neck. She could smell the sweet scent of flowers. . . lilies.
She suddenly felt something hard pressed against her chest.
"Avada."
She tried to open her eyes; she tried to move but was unsuccessful.
"Kadavra."
Green light lit the night. As she slipped away, she could hear whispers in the dark.
Bellatrix awoke, sweat and rain soaking her body. Her mind was racing, heart pounding. Trying to catch her breath, she sat up reaching for her wand. This was just one of her many nightmares she had been having since she went in hiding. She knew she couldn't hide from her past, but she didn't think it would be this easy for her past to catch up to her. It has been almost a month since she went in hiding. For almost a month she dodged Aurors attacks, killed innocent muggles and searched for the Dark Lord.
Her main priority is to find the Dark Lord. She knew the Dark Lord was still alive. She could still feel a connection to him. Her mark had not burn for quite some time; still she knew the Dark Lord was still alive. She also had to kill Harry Potter, but first she had to find him.
She was nowhere near Hogwarts. She had been wandering around, rummaging for food, trying to find shelter. This was the life of the most loyal death eater. This was the life of Bellatrix Lestrange.
Bellatrix stood up, putting on her tattered cloak. Her hair hid her scarred face. The rain washed the dirt from her hands. She tightly gripped her wand and begun walking, trying to find shelter. She needed a dry place to stay, a pillow to lay her head on. She hated living like this. She thought that she should be ruler; she should be waited on hand and foot. She longed for supreme power. If it wasn't for a certain half blood she would've had everything. She would be on top, instead of slowly slipping through the cracks.
As she walked further, she could see a small house. Her pace quickens. With luck, the house would be occupied by lonesome muggles. As Bellatrix reached the wooden door, she smirked realizing that the ones occupying the house was an elderly muggle couple. Raising her wand, she unlocked the door walking in. Normally she would make her enemies die a most painful and slow death but this time she didn't take part in such torture. With a quick flick of her wand the couple was dead. She was too tired to properly dispose of the bodies; she simply put a charm on the old house and walked upstairs.
As much as it killed her to bind herself in filthy muggle clothing she needed to get out of her wet clothes, so she headed to the closet to fetch some suitable clothes. Once she had them she headed to the bathroom to take a much needed shower.
As the warm water washed over her achy body, she closed her eyes. Dreaming of having ultimate power. All she wanted was power. She needed to rule the wizarding world and rid of those filthy muggles, mud bloods and blood traitors. All she needed to do now was find the Dark Lord and await his orders. It was only a matter of time. The Dark Lord will rise again.
"Bella."
Bellatrix eyes snapped open. Was she hearing things? Certainly she must be.
"Why Bella?"
She felt soft hands trailing down her neck and back.
"Why did you do it Bella?"
Her body was frozen, she couldn't move a muscle. Her lungs tighten, her head was spinning.
"Leave me alone." The dark witch whispered.
"Why Bella?"
"I said leave me alone!" She shouted turning around in the shower, but no one was there.
The water had stop running hot and began to turn ice cold. She decided to get out and get some much needed air.
As she slipped in her towel, she looked at the foggy mirror.
She was beautiful once, flawless. Now time has got the best of her.
"Why now?" She asked the unknown. Closing her eyes she tried to take everything in. She tried to calm down and take control.
"Bella, why did you do it?"
The voices wouldn't stop. There Bellatrix stood, being haunted by the whispers of the unknown.
"Get out of my head!" She shouted, placing her hands on her head, trying to regain composure.
She needed to get things under her control. She was slowly falling inside the black.
"Bella."
"This is my last warning!" A man's voice shouted.
"Bella."
"No, leave me alone!" Bellatrix shouted, unable to silence the voices.
"Why, Bella? Why did you do it?"
"Avada Kadavra!"
As green light filled the air, a woman's screams filled the dark witch's ears. Engulfing her very soul.
"Why Bella?"
"Leave me alone you filthy traitor!" Bellatrix shouted, loosing total control. She punched the mirror in front of her, letting blood run down her arm. She failed at hiding her past. She thought she could bury her past deep in the ground. The one thing she feared was the unknown and the chance that her past was going to catch up to her. She no longer was the Bellatrix everyone feared. She was now vulnerable and weak.
As she lay on the bathroom floor, broken and naked she went to a place she never thought of going back to . . . the past.
"It hurts again, doesn't it?" Ginny asked her boyfriend.
Harry and Hermione have been staying with the Weasly's for about a month now. Things were looking good in their favor. They were invited to sit in a meeting with the Order. Voldemort was believed to be dead, but his followers were front in center.
"It hurts a little." Harry responded, touching his scar.
"You don't think Voldemort has returned do you?" Hermione asked.
Harry shifted his weight as he leaned against the bedroom wall. "No, I don't know it feels different this time."
"What do you mean different?" Hermione asked.
Harry shrugged. "I don't know something is just different."
"Well, if anything changes make sure you tell the Order." Ron chimed in.
Harry nodded.
"Dinner is ready!" Fred called out to them. "Better come down fast or mum will have your heads."
"Here we come!" Ron yelled down at is brother. He turns to the rest of the gang. "We better go."
"I wonder what she made today." Hermione said, as her and Ron went downstairs.
Harry started to the stairs but Ginny took his arms. "Harry."
Harry looked at Ginny, knowing what was going through his girlfriends head. "I'm fine Ginny."
"I don't want to lose you Harry." Ginny said as she hugged Harry.
He held Ginny close. He knew she cared for him. She loves him, and didn't want him to get hurt in any way. That's what he loves about her, she was so caring. "Ginny, nothing is going to happen to me. Everything is going to be fine, I promise you. I'll always be with you."
As they parted, Harry softly kissed Ginny. Both taking in each other. Loving each others touch.
"What are you two doing up there!" Ron yelled up, from the bottom of the stairs.
"Ron, let them have their space." They heard Hermione say.
"Space, space for what?"
"Ugh, just come on."
Ginny smiled. "Ron is such an idiot."
Harry let out a small laugh. "Everyone seems to know except Ron, or maybe he knows he just doesn't want to accept it."
Ginny shrugged. "Maybe, but let's go downstairs, I'm starving."
The two walked down the steps, being greeted by the smell of baked bread.
"What were you two talking about up there?" Ron asked.
"Ron, leave them alone." Molly told her son. "Hope you all have an appetite."
"The food looks delicious Molly." Arthur said, beaming at Molly.
"Oh thank you, well eat up before it gets cold." Molly said, looking around the table.
Ron didn't hesitate; he grabbed the closest piece of chicken he saw. "Delicious!"
The rest of the gang began to eat. Enjoying their meal. Harry looked around the table, this is what he enjoyed. Family.
There was a loud crack upstairs, followed by a thump.
"Looks like Tonks is back." Molly said.
Sure enough Tonks came downstairs. "Hello everyone." She greeted.
She was met by greetings and nods, and a not so friendly stare by Hermione.
"So nice of you to join us." Hermione said as Tonks sat down next to Harry and George.
"I'm sorry for taking so long, work calls." She said as she filled her plate.
"Any new information?" Arthur asked Tonks.
"Still no evidence of the return, we have a few Death Eaters in our site." She replied.
"Good, the last thing we need is a surprise attack."
"Yea, so are you all ready for the next year at Hogwarts?" Tonks asked looking at Ron scuffing down another piece of chicken.
Ron nodded. "Yup."
"Ready to give em hell." The twins said together.
"Fred, George!" Molly said in a stern voice; however her small grin gave her away.
"How about you Harry?" Tonks asked.
"I'm ready; everything is going to be great." He assured her.
Tonks nodded. She glanced up at Hermione, but decided not to ask her seeing anger in her face. She wondered why Hermione was in such a bad mood. For the past week she had been biting her head off. She decided to talk to her after their meal. . .
"Any word on who the new Defense Against the Dark Arts professor?" Ginny asked.
"I heard it was Dr. Bonham, she is a great teacher and witch." Molly answered.
"Fancy that woman." Ron said.
Fred agreed and George nodded.
"She is a wonderful woman; I studied with her a while back." Tonks said with a smile.
"Studied?" George said under his breath, smiling at Tonks.
For the next hour or so, they laughed, joked, debated and laugh some more. Sharing stories and opinions. As dinner wrapped up, they headed their separate ways.
"Harry?"
Harry looked up, seeing Hermione standing in the door way. "Hermione, whats wrong?"
"Nothing is wrong; I just wanted to see if everything is going OK." She asked.
"Everything is great."
"How about you and Ginny, are the two of you doing good?" She asked.
Harry smiled. "Yes Hermione, we are doing well."
Hermione nodded. "OK well I am off to bed, goodnight Harry, tell Ron I said goodnight when he comes in as well."
Harry nodded.
Hermione left the room, heading to her resting place.
"Hermione, you got a sec?"
Hermione turned around, seeing Tonks standing there. "Sure."
"Tonight, at dinner I had the feeling that you were upset at me for some reason. If I did something to upset you, I am sorry." Tonks said with an apologetic look.
Hermione leaned on the banister, with a smile on her face. "I'm not upset at you, I should be the one apologizing really. I didn't mean to bark at you, I'm just on edge you know."
Tonks nodded. "Yea, I know. I guess everyone is on edge a little."
"I just don't know if Harry is ready you know. I know he is powerful but I have this feeling that someone other then Voldemort wants him dead. That somebody more powerful then Voldemort wants him dead."
"You're right." Tonks simply said sighing.
"Who?" Hermione asked.
Tonks shook her head. "Don't worry about it." She said, beginning to walk up the stairs.
"What do you mean, don't worry about it." Hermione asked, grabbing Tonks arm.
She couldn't explain things, at least not now. "Not here."
"At the meeting then?" Hermione offered,
Tonks sighs. "At the meeting, yes."
Hermione released Tonks arm.
"Goodnight Hermione."
"Goodnight."
"Someone wants me dead, that's no surprise but more then Voldemort?" Harry whispers. He overheard their conversation. He didn't know how to take this. Maybe that's why his scar was hurting so much. Voldemort was a war in itself, how could he defeat someone more powerful then Voldemort?
A/N: More to come!
Who is this mysterious person who haunts Bellatrix?
Who is this person who is more powerful then Voldemort himself?
Next Chapter: Changes of the Season