A tall, dark-featured woman was walking up a dark staircase. She was

moving quickly, excitedly. She had been summoned by her master, whom she was

very loyal to. She would do anything, for him. She reached a door at the top of the

staircase. I was slightly ajar. You could see the light from a fire flickering on the

wall.

"Enter," sounded her master's voice from inside the room. The woman

walked in and kneeled before her master's chair, the fire warming her back. She

waited for him to say something. He didn't speak for several minutes, and even

when he did, he did not look at her face.

"Bellatrix," He said, and when he said no more she knew it was her time to

speak.

"Yes, my Lord?" she asked. She stared up at him eagerly, as if willing him

to finally look down at her. But the Dark Lord bends to no will but his own. She

wanted him to say something important, to prove she could be trusted. Or give her a task, to prove her loyalty as she has time and time again. Then he spoke.

"I have received intelligence of the whereabouts of the Potters. I trust you remember what I told you of the prophecy Severus heard?" he asked. Still he did not look at her face.

She nodded then exclaimed "That is wonderful news my Lord!" She had forgotten to hide her emotion, a very important thing to remember while in the presence of her master. His face showed a flicker of annoyance, but only for a moment. Had it been anyone else they would have been punished.

"It certainly is Bella," he said, relaxing, "And will never guess who told me of this." He gave a low, hiss-like chuckle. Nagini stirred for a moment on her rug, and then went back to her nap.

"Who my Lord?" she asked innocently. She would torture whoever it was, for though she was happy that the Dark Lord could now extinguish his greatest threat, she wanted to be the one to tell him of it. To be the one to receive the reward.

"It was Peter, their secret-keeper and your traitor cousin's old friend," he said. If she wasn't so aware of all her actions in front of him she may have let her jaw drop.

"Wormtail?" she asked, shocked, "That little boy that was always following Potter and Sirius around?"

"The very same," he said, the faintest shadow of a smile still playing at his lips. He paused for a moment. "Do you know why I am telling you this Bella?" he asked, finally setting his slit-like eyes on her face, the sallow skin, heavily-lidded eyes and high cheekbones. His gaze was so intent that she was left breathless, and could only shake her head in return to his question.

"I am telling you because in a few short days I will have more power than ever before. All of my enemies will be vanquished, and every wizard in the world will know that I am the most powerful of us all, and they will bow down to me. I will be able to get anything I want with no consequences. None at all. Do you know what I want, Bella?"

"I do not know my Lord," she answered. She was looking straight at him, like she had been longing to all this time.

"I want you Bella. Once the Potter boy is gone, I control everyone. I can get Rodolphus to do whatever I want. I can bribe him. He will listen to me. I am his master, after all. I can make you mine," he said, so quiet and soft that she could barely hear him, even when all he had to sound above was the crackling of the fire.

"My Lord…" she trailed off. She could scarcely believe this was happening. Her dream since she joined the ranks of the Death Eater's. She was to be the Dark Lord's mistress. Her husband meant nothing to her now.

"Come to me Bella," he said, gesturing for her to come and sit with him. He pulled her to him put a soft kiss on her lips, which she gratefully accepted. He kissed her again, harder this time, then dismissed her and walked her to the door. Then he whispered in her ear, "You will be mine, love. I will kill the Potter boy tonight, but you mustn't tell any of the others." Then he walked away, back to his armchair in front of the fire.

Standing in the doorway she whispered "Yes, my Lord," and then left. Her sister Narcissa was waiting for her at the bottom of the staircase. "What did the Dark Lord want of you sister?" she asked.

"Nothing," Bella answered, "Nothing of your concern." Then she walked into the foyer, out the front door and disapparated.

"Crucio!"

"ARRRGHH!"

"Where is he!" Silence. "I said where is he!"

"I don't know! Have pity! Have pity! We know nothing of where he has gone!"

"Crucio!"

"Stop! Please!"

"Tell me where he is! Now!"

"I don't know! ARRRGHH!"