Disclaimer: I don't own Harry Potter. I wish I did, I really do! But I don't.

A/N: The rating will probably go up as the story progresses, I just didn't want to mark it as "M" until I've written chapters that would cause me to change the rating. Happy reading!


"Insolence!" Voldemort shouted, firing a Cruciatus Curse at Lucius Malfoy. He yelped and fell to the ground writhing, but the Dark Lord paid him no attention. "Could not one of you secure the boundaries? Or did you plan to besmirch my name with your stupidity? Outsmarted by a house-elf..." He laughed darkly and surveyed the small group of Death Eaters on the bench before him.

Lucius, who had by then recovered from his 'punishment', was brushing the dust off of his robes. His nose was gashed and a purplish bruise had begun to form around his left eye. Draco did not dare meet the Dark Lord's eyes and had hung his head with a mixture of shame and fear. Narcissa held her son's hand, comfortingly, as a mother would. She too hung her head, but unlike her son, she had closed her eyes and, had it not been for the steady stroking of Draco's hand, Voldemort might have mistaken her calm demeanor as sleep.

His gaze hung on the final person left in the room: Bellatrix. She sat with her hand crossed in her lap, her talon-like fingernails grasping at the fabric of her dress. Her hair was disheveled and matted and her face was splattered with a thin layer of dirt. Yet, unlike the Malfoys, she dared to look upon her master's face. His eyes bore into hers and he searched for an answer as to why they had lost. He could not fathom how she of all people would let the boy and his friends escape, how she could lose her wand to a house-elf, how she could fail him as she did. She couldn't either.

"Out of all of you," he spat, still staring directly at her, "I am most disappointed in you, Bellatrix. As much as I would like to blame Lucius for this folly, I must admit that it was you who lost your wand, you who let them escape... and I must punish you accordingly."

Bellatrix did not look surprised; she knew that it was her who had let the Dark Lord down the most and that she deserved to be punished. Somehow, the mudblood had retrieved the Sword of Gryffindor, an item that was supposed to be locked up safely in her vault. She knew that she could not keep this from her master, for he would be even angrier if she did not mention it to him. But before she could muster up the courage tell him of the theft, he spoke again.

"Lucius, take your family and go. I wish to speak with your sister-in-law alone."

Narcissa squeezed her sister's knee, seeming to tell her, It'll be alright. Bellatrix wanted to scoff- his disappointment in her was twenty times more painful than any punishment she may receive- but she bit her tongue and nodded, patting Narcissa's hand in reply. One by one, the Malfoys exited the hall. Finally, Voldemort turned to her.

"Bella," he spoke. He knows. "Is there something you wish to tell me?"

The tone of his voice was enough to send chills down even the bravest man's spine. If looks could kill, she was sure she'd be long gone. She could feel his hands around her neck, squeezing until her air flow was cut and she was dead. Instinctively, she grasped her throat, only to discover that it was just her imagination- for now.

"Master," she choked, "I am sorry, the mudblood she- she had the sword. I do not know how, I do not know why! If they have that, then maybe they- they-"

"Silence!" He slapped her, drawing blood from her lip, "Do you think that I am here for your pathetic apologies and excuses?" Silence. "I asked you a question, Bellatrix! Didn't your mother ever teach you to respect your superiors?"

"Master, I-" she drifted off, the sting of his words surpassing the sting of his hand.

"Well, Bella?"

"No... you are not here for that, but I-"

He slapped her again, causing her to gasp sharply. "Do. Not. Question. Me," he breathed, his face inches away from her own. "Crucio," he breathed, the spell hitting Bellatrix with great force.

But she did not scream, she did not writhe; she simply fell to the ground and lay there, bracing herself for another blow. Her eyes were closed and her chest was heaving; she could not bare to look at her master after she had shamed him in such a way. His footsteps creaked on the hardwood floor, and as they neared her limp body, she could not help but tense up and ready her body for another curse. But it did not come. Instead, he bent down and brushed the sweaty tendrils of hair from her face.

"I expect you tonight, as usual," he wiped the blood from her split lip, "I hope you will learn that the Dark Lord is not always this merciful, my dear. Oh and do try to clean yourself up, Bella. You're bleeding."

Bellatrix could hear the menace in his voice, but she did not dare question it. She was lucky that she had only endured one bout of the Cruciatus Curse and a bloody lip. If Lucius were in her place, she suspected he'd be a lot worse off.

"Until tonight," Voldemort stroked her cheek and rose to his feet.

She waited until she heard the sound of apparition before she opened her eyes again. Until tonight.


"Lucius, stop squirming! You're only going to make it worse!"

Narcissa Malfoy was currently attending to her husbands wounds, and the mixture of his fidgeting and her thoughts were adding to the difficulty of the task. If the Dark Lord had done this much damage to his face, she couldn't even imagine how her sister would look when he was finished with her. Bella... She couldn't fathom how Bellatrix could be beaten and abused, shot down, tortured and assaulted and still love the man with every fibre of her being. He was going to be the death of her, Narcissa was sure of it.

As if on cue, the Dark Lord's voice followed by what sounded like a slap resonated through the hallway. She inwardly winced, before setting down the rag she was using, now soiled with her husband's blood, and moved to close the kitchen door.

"It'll be alright," Lucius broke the silence, "Bellatrix is a strong woman, she'll- she'll...be alright."

And for the first time in what seemed like years, Narcissa wept. She wept for her son, who was dragged into a world of murder and death, who was scared out of his wits and who, she prayed for every day to see another sunrise. She wept for her husband, who had gotten them into this mess in the first place, who she loved more than any other man in the world and who she was frightened for. She wept for her sister, who was irrevocably in love with the one man who would never love her back, who killed without mercy and who believed that the Dark Lord could never do wrong. But mostly, she wept for herself, for the fear of losing her family, for the fear that she would die at any moment and for the fear that she wouldn't. Besides, she was due for a good cry.

"Cissa, it'll be okay," Lucius scooped up his wife into his arms and held her close to his chest.

"You don't know that, Lucius," she whispered, calming down, "Who knows? He could walk through that door at any moment and kill us all. Bella could be lying, dead in our entrance hall and we can't do anything to stop it! Draco..."

"Is upstairs, safe," he finished. For now. "It'll be alright, Narcissa. She'll be alright. We'll be alright."

Defeated, Narcissa quieted. Lucius kissed her softly on the head, and rubbed the small of her back, glad that she was finally calming down. He hated to admit it, but he too was scared of what the Dark Lord may do to his sister-in-law. Sure, he wasn't particularly fond of her (she wasn't particularly fond of him, either), but she was his wife's sister, the only family she had left. Their family couldn't afford to lose her, no matter how obsessed with her master she may be.

"Thank you, Lucius," Narcissa forced a smile.

"You're welcome, love," he smiled back and kissed her. The two remained in a loving embraced, enveloped in themselves and finally, at peace until slam!

"What was that?" Narcissa asked, startled. The floorboards leading to the kitchen creaked and the knob turned. "Lucius..."

But it was not an enraged Lord Voldemort that waltzed through the kitchen doorway, but instead a disgruntled Bellatrix- and she was on a warpath.

"Bella, your lip! And your cheek! You're bruising and-"

"Cissy, I'm fine! Lucius, give me your wand."

"My-" Lucius started.

"Yes! Your wand! Now!"

Not wanting to enrage her more, Lucius obligingly handed over his wand.

"Episkey,"Bellatrix mumbled, and her lip was healed. She threw the wand back to Lucius with a great force, causing the man to jump and catch it.

"Bella," Narcissa spoke, "Are you alright? I mean, if you need some place to stay tonight, I'm sure we could let you have one of the guest rooms and-"

"I'm fine, Cissy!" Bellatrix yelled. Realising that her sister had only been trying to help, she attempted to console her, "Really, Cissy. I'm fine. Thanks for the offer, but I already have accommodations for the night."

Narcissa stared at her sister in disbelief. After all that the man had done to her, she was still going to go back to him!

"Lucius, love, could you give us a moment?"

Not willing to deny his wife time with her sister, he nodded.

"I'll see you later," Lucius spoke softly, kissing Narcissa's hair. She smiled back, and he left.

"Bella," she said, turning to her sister, "After all of this? You're still going to...to...?"

"Of course, Cissy! He is the Dark Lord!"

"He just can't do anything wrong in your eyes, can he? He could probably kill Lucius and I and you wouldn't even second guess him!" Narcissa's anger had risen to the point that the soft-spoken woman was now yelling.

"Cissy, you know I-"

"No I don't know, Bellatrix! I don't know what you would or wouldn't do anymore!"

Bellatrix winced at her sister's use of her full name; she'd only ever used it when she was angry with her.

"He doesn't love you, Bella," she continued, softer this time, "He can't love you. He never will."

Bellatrix's features hardened. Her mouth was thrown ajar and her eyes seemed to pop out of their sockets.

"How. Dare. You!" she screamed, "How dare you speak of him in that way! How dare you act like you know how he feels or who he is! He is the most powerful man in the whole of the wizarding world, in the entire world and you act like he's Lucius, or something! You don't know him!"

"Apparently, neither do you," Narcissa retorted, her voice now cold. Bellatrix attempted to grab her hand, to do something to try and make her sister understand, but Narcissa shoved her away. "No, don't touch me. We'll talk when you've gained some sense! Until then..."

And with that, Narcissa left the room, leaving a stunned Bellatrix behind.


"Is she-" Lucius started.

"I...don't want to talk about it. I'll go get Draco, let's go out to dinner," Narcissa replied.

Lucius nodded, and went to get his coat.

"She'll never understand," Narcissa whispered to herself, "She'll never understand."


A/N: Would you be a doll and Read & Review?