Title: The Bottomless Pit
Author: Faerybox
One: Degradation
"Bella have you learnt to shut up yet, or do you need me to show you another example of how it's done?"
The words Bellatrix had been about to utter in her defence were hastily swallowed back. She thought better than meeting the eye of her lord and master, who seemed to be in worse spirits for something that she was sure was not her fault. The stony ground was cold and wet from previous rain, which by now had seeped into her robes and mingled with the blood she'd shed due to the four cruciatuses he'd bestowed on her. The urge to talk back was great; especially since her partner and co-fucker up in the mission Snape had only suffered two such curses. What a shame that the Dark Lord was less forgiving to those not possessing male genitalia.
"In answer to your thoughts, it is not because you are a woman that I am punishing you like this, Bella. You have failed this mission dismally and in your craze, killed the only person who could have provided me with the information that I wanted. Now because of your pride, you have ruined one of my many plans in the uprising. Or do you wish to deny that you acted on anything but your own conceit?" He hissed dangerously.
She knew better than to fight back this time.
"No my lord. I promise you that it wont happen again."
Her eyes stared dangerously ahead at the cobbled ground, desperate to get out of there and not face anymore humiliation in front of the other death eaters. She knew Snape was smirking at her, that Regulus was secretly scared for her and that those of her social class might even taunt her about this in the future.
Bellatrix attempted to put that out of her mind, and instead try to convince her master through her thoughts that she'd certainly learned her lesson not to indulge in future blood play whenever she felt agitated.
Bellatrix really hoped the curse she'd just suffered had been the last of her punishing. She would be wasting a lot of time covering the cuts and bruises for tonight's social function otherwise.
"You will never disobey my orders for your own amusement again, Bella. Or I will not be so forgiving next time."
In emphasis of the latter part, Bellatrix's body suddenly exploded from welts of pain induced by the curse, causing her mouth to drop open and emit another cascade of screams.
She collapsed afterwards and remained on the ground for a few seconds, distantly hearing her master finally announce that they were all dismissed. The sound of feet shuffling prompted her to rise to a standing position, but just as she was upright she almost gave way and would have fallen had she not been prevented by a sudden arm.
She shooed it away in her defiance and did not care to see who it had belonged to. The last thing she wanted was Regulus or another death eater showing her pity. Before the owner of the arm could protest, Bellatrix disapparated with a crack.
She appeared in the bathroom adjoining her room at Black manor, where she collapsed for the umpteenth time that day on the white tiles. She did not know how long she laid there for, but when she lifted her head a year later her eyes were instantly met with the sight of red liquid staining pearl tiles. She couldn't even differentiate the fraction of blood that was hers or the victim's. The ability to move had completely left her, but her lack of knowledge of the time as well as her promise to her mother that she'd attend another social function tonight, called for desperate measures.
She called and her personal elf appeared in a flash.
"Telly, clean up this mess and help me to my bathtub. Make sure my clothes are mended and cleaned, otherwise throw them out. If I should discover that you have breathed a word of this to anyone, you won't have only clothes to fear."
She couldn't see the elf but the sudden lift of her body off the tiles told her it Tilly getting straight to business. She liked this elf, it was always so obliging and so easy to scare that it worked to Bellatrix's advantage. Nothing like her uncle's ruddy elf Kreacher, who never obeyed him due to its unhealthy obsession with its mistress.
Her body floated over to the bathtub, where she was laid in lavender-scented water. As soon as she was fully set inside, she watched through a haze as the clear water mixed with the red from her skin. She was going to require a lot of energy for tonight.
Three hours later…
Bellatrix surveyed the overly decorated ballroom and its mindless occupants with only one thought displayed across her dark brown eyes: boredom. She quite frankly couldn't believe that she had gone through the haste and trouble of preparing for this event.
Her third cousin Natalia, also the hostess of this elaborate do, was dressed in robes that could have previously been curtains pieced together with a tailoring charm. Apparently, lace was the new fashion of the season. Not that Bellatrix kept up with the recent fashions.
She smirked as she sipped on her third glass of champagne, quite aware of how much she stood out of the crowd of ladies clad in puffy robes and lace dresses. And for what, a party celebrating her cousin's return from honeymoon with her pervert of a husband, who was also twenty years her senior. Bellatrix still couldn't believe how that pureblood match had been made. When she'd voiced her opinions on the matter out loud though, her mother had retaliated with a barbed reply of her own.
"These are not times like when I was a young lady, Bellatrix. Too much war and a confined society have resulted in a scarcity of men, much to our misfortune. I hope you will learn to follow in your cousin's footsteps and secure a respectable marriage before it's too late," had been Druella Black's naked suggestion a month ago, before turning back to her needlework charms.
Bellatrix had rather enjoyed her own answer.
"Mother, as much as I value the pureblood way of life, my sister's illegitimate and highly disgusting marriage to that filth has taken care of any hopes I may have had for a decent future. You may go about prancing under the false belief that our family is still highly-respected, but in reality nothing will be able to remove the stain on our name. You might as well accept now that if anyone does end up marrying, it will be Cissy, but I shall have to reside as a spinster for the rest of my years."
Her mother's look of horror had been worth every exaggeration Bellatrix had made with her answer. With a false look of dismay, Bellatrix had left the room before her mother could utter a further word. At least that would give Druella something to mope over for the next few weeks, leaving Bellatrix to carry out the business her master had instructed her to do.
The sound of her own name interrupted Bellatrix's thoughts. She raised her head up and turned to her right, where a congregation of society's most respectable doyennes (her mother and aunt Walburga included) had all their eyes focused on her. Bellatrix knew better than to think they had good intentions for calling out to her. Her aunt's loud voice a second later confirmed her suspicions.
"Druella, I must say you are rather open-minded for allowing Bellatrix to wear a frock like that to such an event as this. Why, I do believe I happened upon something of a similar make at one of those undergarment shops in Diagon Alley, when I was last in town."
Out of the corner of her eye, she felt her mother look at her with an amount of distaste equal to the one gracing her aunt's expression. Bellatrix could not help but smirk as she took another sip from her glass of champagne.
She actually rather liked the dress-robes she had chosen for tonight. They were made of black satin that revealed a little cleavage but a lot of back, where two straps formed a cross shape over it. The length was quite short as far as respectable dress-robes went, which Bellatrix found suitable. She had made sure to cast a charm that would conceal her bruises and cuts for a minimum of six hours, which was plentiful time in her opinion.
"Why, aunt Walburga I didn't know you were familiar with Madame Cecille's Undergarments for All Purposes as well. I did pick up a chiffon number from there the day I purchased this dress from Twillfit and Tattings, but thought the other one would be more suitable for your luncheon on Wednesday."
A horrified gasp from her aunt, accompanied with a raised eyebrow from her mother hinted that this was the time she should take her leave. No doubt her mother would be spending the rest of the night convincing Walburga that her niece would do no such thing as show up to the luncheon clad in the inappropriate attire she had mentioned. Bellatrix fought bravely to contain her laughter as she strolled across the ballroom floor towards the balcony, her loud heels echoing with each step.
"Bella, where are you off to?"
She had planned to exit via the balcony and find a bush in the garden where she could indulge in what she felt was a well-earned cigarette, when the sound of a man prevented her from doing so. She turned to her left with an annoyed expression at the prospect of being delayed, but the head of her cousin Regulus poking out from a group of gentlemen made her relax. Once their gazes met he quickly took leave of his group, which appeared to contain four gentlemen she did not recognise and two ladies she recognised and hated, before making his way over to her enthusiastically
"Bella, I couldn't hear what you said to my mother but she doesn't seem a great deal too happy," Regulus stated with a smirk and a glance in the direction she has just come from. Bellatrix also glanced back to see that Walburga was quite beside herself with worry, while her mother appeared to be distracting her aunt with inaudible words.
Before Bellatrix could utter a remark, the sudden voice of her cousin quite close to her ear prevented her from doing so.
"Are you quite recovered from earlier? I thought about following you home from the meeting to see how you were, but changed my mind when I realised it would probably raise aunt Druella's suspicions."
Bellatrix felt her spine grow cold at his words. She'd had an that inkling he'd stopped her to bring up today's events, which was something she had no wish to discuss at all right now.
She narrowed her eyes at him and straightened her back to appear taller, all the while betraying no emotion in her expression.
"I can take care of myself quite well, young cousin, contrary to what silly notions may have registered in your head. Maybe you think all women are fickle things like your mother, but I do not care for it. Might I advise you to stop bringing up such topics in the future, for I know He would not want you discussing his business in public."
She was about to stalk out on the path she'd been before, when his hand reached out and grabbed her arm, keeping her in place.
"Forgive me, Bella, I had rather forgotten the extent of your ego. Maybe you should stop wallowing in this ridiculous abyss you've created for yourself and start acknowledging that it would be wise not to hurt the people that care for you. You are not the only one harbouring misfortunes, you know."
Bellatrix yanked her arm away but did not move. Who was he, almost a decade her junior with no idea of the real world, to lecture her on real life?
"You think you have misfortunes now, do you? One might wonder what horrors a quidditch captain fresh out of school could possibly be feeling, especially when he is the sole heir of a great pureblood line and has a hoard of people fussing over him daily!"
She realised she had spoken a bit too loudly, but luckily no one was near them except the group Regulus had been previously occupied with.
"They are the same misfortunes, Bella. You lost a sister and I my brother, both of them the black sheep of our family or whatever you want to call it. But the fact that you go around ruining everyone's moods just so you can feel better, leaving me to deal with my mother's constant dismay is not something I wish to handle everyday."
He met her stare with an equally hard one, their identical grey eyes focusing on each other for what seemed like hours whereas in reality it had been mere seconds.
She finally broke her gaze away, uttering a sigh as she plucked two champagne glasses from a hovering tray of beverages behind them and handed one to her cousin.
"I don't seek to ruin our family for my own amusement, Regulus." She saw him raise an eyebrow at her, making her roll her own as she took a sip from her champagne.
"Okay fine, but I don't always make it my mission to do so. Sometimes it's because I feel bored. In any case, this time I did it because your mother provoked me, with her highly reproachful attitude towards the respectable robes I chose to wear tonight."
"If you think that what you're wearing is deemed respectable Bella, then I can only assume you have grown blind to the point of insanity," Regulus remarked with a smirk.
Bellatrix hit his arm lightly, sharing a smirk of her own as she gazed down at the scrap of black that made her legs look rather long.
"Just because I choose to wear something that is not in accordance with the recent wizarding fashion as stated by Witch Weekly, and prefer robes that do something for my figure does not mean I am any less respectable," she spoke proudly as she took a large gulp of champagne.
She saw Regulus roll his eyes at what she supposed was the answer he'd expected from her. He was about to add further to it when familiar voice from behind interrupted him.
"Reggie, Bellatrix dear, may I introduce Mr Rookwood, the son of Algernon Rookwood Senior."
Bellatrix turned towards the interruption and eyed her aunt Walburga and the tall gentleman on her arm wearily, wondering what on earth the former could be up to.
"Mr Rookwood, this is my son Regulus and my niece (Cygnus's daughter) Miss Bellatrix Black. My son is soon to take over the family business from my brother, as you no doubt will have heard," Walburga added loudly with a smug smile while she unlinked her arm from his to stand at his side.
Algernon Rookwood, clad in ink blue robes with his dark hair tied in a ponytail and green eyes glinting with pride, stepped forward to shake hands with Regulus, before turning towards Bellatrix.
"How charming to meet your acquaintance, Miss Black," he spoke with small smile, before bringing the hand she'd extended for him to shake to his lips instead.
What on earth was her aunt playing at? Bellatrix knew for certain that this must have been a planned introduction, probably what the older women had been conspiring once she'd left them. For a brief second, she wondered whether her mother had repeated the words Bellatrix had mentioned to her about remaining a spinster for the rest of her life. That would certainly explain why Walburga was going out of her way to plan introductions between strange pureblood men and her niece.
The minutes following the kiss on her knuckles to when he brought her arm back down seemed to drag on for years, with Bellatrix silently contemplating the best way to remove herself from this situation before he decided to strike up conversation with her.
To her dread, she saw his mouth move to utter something, but luckily an interruption was suddenly rewarded.
"Regulus, we were wondering where you'd gotten to," an oily voice boasted as three men strode over to them from a couple of metres away. Rookwood immediately moved to stand beside her in order to survey the joining party, and to her surprise her aunt Walburga's eyes narrowed with distaste when she recognised the approaching trio.
They appeared to have been the men Regulus had been stood with earlier, except up close they appeared far haughtier than aristocratic. The one who had addressed Regulus loudly stood in the middle of the three, large belly obvious from the way his robes clung to it, with an overly defined jaw and greying, wiry hair whereas his companions appeared much younger. The one to his left had gelled back hair, which was so blonde that she wouldn't be surprised if he was a member of the Malfoy family. The man to his right however, was dark-haired, tall and wore an expression of displeasure that made his face appear haughty rather than attractive.
All three of them seemed very familiar though Bellatrix had never made their acquaintance, making her wonder whether she'd possibly seen them at meetings.
"I do apologise gentlemen, I was somewhat detained by the pleasurable company of my cousin," Regulus replied with a smirk she had no doubt was intended to mock her.
"Gentlemen allow me to introduce my cousin, Bellatrix Black. You know my mother and Mr Rookwood, I'm sure." They all nodded at each other with acknowledgement, the two men either side of the middle one sharing a brief look with each other.
"Bella, these are my friends Lucius Malfoy, Nathaniel Avery and Rodolphus Lestrange," Regulus supplied while Bellatrix nodded her head at them in acknowledgement. To Bellatrix's shock her aunt's look of disdain only became more evident, leading to an uncomfortable silence.
Finally, it was Algernon Rookwood who broke it.
"Miss Black, might I fetch you a drink? Your glass appears to be almost empty," he spoke with a pointed look at what she was clutched in her hand.
Bellatrix, relieved to have a reason to be rid of him, jumped at the first chance.
"How very thoughtful of you, Mr Rookwood. Thank you very much," she spoke with effortless grace, before finishing the last of her champagne and handing it to him. She hoped the trays were quite far, so that she could attempt an escape before he returned.
"Oh Mr Rookwood, if you would also be so kind as to escort me back to my group of ladies; I feel I have removed my presence from them long enough," Walburga spoke with a gracious smile as she accepted his extended arm.
"Good evening, gentlemen," were her polite words of farewell, though her tone suggested otherwise.
Once they were out of earshot, Avery turned to Regulus with a look of mirth.
"I'm guessing that your mother is still unrecovered from what we told her about you giving up your certain responsibilities to consort with the likes of muggles," he finished with a loud laugh. Regulus and Malfoy let out small chuckles of their own, while the other one, Lestrange, remained impassive.
"Just give her a couple of weeks and I'm sure she'll come to terms with it. Trust you to fill her mind with such worry Avery, at times when not a day goes by that an article about muggle killings or our raids isn't published in the Prophet,"
The chuckle suddenly halted as Avery's expression became more serious, before he cast a look at Bellatrix then a pointed one back at Regulus. Bellatrix raised her eyebrow.
"You needn't worry yourself old man, my cousin is well-informed of our dealings with Him, for she happens to be a member of our cause herself."
All gazes suddenly shifted to Bellatrix, making her quite self-conscious though she hid it the best way she could. She saw that Avery's eyebrows has risen so high that they'd disappeared under his fringe, his mouth hanging slightly agape. She felt insulted that he was surprised that a woman such as her could make it to the ranks of the Dark Lord. She felt relieved momentarily that not all death eaters had been present to witness the spectacle he'd made of her today, and that only those of her master's inner circle had been in attendance.
Malfoy and Lestrange on the other hand, did not show any surprise at this knowledge and for a second the horrible thought that they may have been in attendance today crossed her mind.
"I trust your father and family are well, Miss Black?" Lucius Malfoy's voice suddenly broke the silence that an astounded Avery had seemingly established.
Bellatrix vaguely remembered her father mentioning something over the past month about how he'd joined arms with the Malfoy family regarding a deal involving cauldrons. Or was it brooms. She rarely paid attention to what he said anymore, especially since every sentence ended with an over-exaggerated hint directed at Bellatrix to find a suitable husband.
"Indeed they are, Mr Malfoy, but you probably know that already since you see my father every day," Bellatrix answered sarcastically before she could help herself. She knew Regulus was rolling his eyes at her in the corner of her vision, whereas Malfoy just raised an eyebrow with brief distaste at being slighted so bluntly. She didn't even know why she did it. She supposed she was just fed up of hearing about him for weeks and how much of a suitable husband he would be for her.
Following her remark, she decided this would be a better chance than any to take her leave before Rookwood returned, when a sudden voice dashed these thoughts out of the window.
"If it's not too bold of me to remark Miss Black, I am quite amazed at the charms you have used to hide those gifts you were presented with this afternoon. Why, if we had not been in attendance today then I would have scarcely believed you'd suffered such an ordeal at all."
Bellatrix's eyes flared dangerously as they locked on the smirk that now graced Rodolphus Lestrange's lips. She saw Avery out of the corner of her eye looking between them with confusion, but just as he was about to enquire as to the meaning behind Lestrange's words, she cut him off.
"That is too bold, Lestrange," Bellatrix replied coldly, which to her rage only made his smirk widen.
She still couldn't believe her ears. How dare this self-involved prat think he could bring up what had happened earlier today. She felt like drawing her wand out, but then realised it was strapped to her thigh as she had brought no bag tonight, and pulling that out would create a spectacle indeed. Her rage was so elevated that she heard a small scratching sound as cracks began to form in the champagne glass in Regulus's hands. He must have noticed it too, for in an instant he was standing between them and vanishing his glass with his wand.
"Rodolphus, I don't think it would be wise if we carried on discussing such things in public. Let's drop the subject, now," Regulus muttered hastily with a look between them. The realisation that he'd just used her own words crossed Bellatrix's mind, but she was beyond her anger threshold to feel anything for it.
"There is no need for that, Regulus. If you'll excuse me gentlemen, I believe I have wasted my time in your company long enough and my presence is probably expected elsewhere." She did not even look at their faces as she turned around and stalked proudly towards the balcony.
A/N:
So here is my first actual story in the Bellatrix/Rodolphus category. I've changed the plot abit so have altered the first chapter somewhat. The characters all belong to JK and there is one line borrowed from Pirates of the Carribean ("too bold"). Would love to know what you all think.