Author's Note: I'm not sure how many parts there will be to this, because I really don't want it to compete with alyssialui's story "Daddy's Little Girl" which is fabulous and funny and heartbreaking … and now that I mention it, there's no way this can compete with that. Still, probably not going to be a very long story.

Written for…

Daily Weird Prompt Challenge. Prompt: Bellatrix/Voldemort

If You Dare Challenge. Prompt: Moonstruck

Prologue

It was easier than he could have ever hoped, getting her to agree to every word he said. No one agreed with the cause as much as Bellatrix. She was passionate and dedicated, not to mention beautiful.

The idea came to him during a raid on a secluded home. It was a test-run of sorts; a way to weed out the weak recruits. And no matter what he said at the end of the night, she was better than all the others.

The house he chose belonged to the brother of a mudblood Ministry official he'd had run-ins with. Tom liked it for its seclusion and the message it would send once his army was full operational.

There were three children: two older girls and an infant. Tom watched his recruits carefully, monitoring their techniques as they eliminated the entire household. It was watching the male scum try in vain to protect his son that gave Tom the idea of an heir. What better way to ensure his mission would succeed than to have a second-in-command he could trust?

Once his mind was made up, everything else fell into place easily. He couldn't just choose anyone to carry his child. The woman would have to be absolute in her devotion to him and to the cause. There could be no chance of betrayal, lest she decide to use their proximity to attack or otherwise undermine him.

She would also need to be skilled and dangerous; clever and beautiful. All of these traits would be passed on to their child and become useful later on.

Bellatrix was the only logical choice.

She danced in the moonlight as the house burned, laughing maniacally. Blood dripped from a gash on her arm but she didn't seem to mind. She caught him staring; he didn't try to hide it.

He was straightforward in his advance, though he'd waited until they were alone. Her betrothed was also a supporter, and there was no need to get involved in messy marriage arrangements until he was sure she was pregnant. She accepted his invitation readily and that was the extent of their conversation.

There was no need to tell her of his true purpose for her just yet. There could be no chance of failure.