I own none of the characters; I just like to play in their world :)
Bella's Release
She had spent a lot of the nights of her incarceration in Azkaban staring out at the sky. Looking for the star she was named for, and the surrounding darkness of her birth name. The perfect combination. Unlike many of her Lords other servants, she had never wanted the complete eradication of their enemies. She knew better. Knew that the dark would be insignificant without the contrast of the starlight. Just as (though she still sneered at the thought), without the light-side of the magical world, they would have nothing to rule over. Nothing to fight. And the fighting was akin to air or water to her. Without it, she could never really live. Even those wretched Muggles, who governed so much of the world, of her world, were needed. Annihilating them completely would take away the chance of future battles; future generations of Mudbloods to be tortured for daring to possess magical gifts so undeservedly. There would be no point to a ruling class if they had no one to rule. A deranged cackle fell from her cracked lips, momentarily smothering the usual crash of waves hitting the island far below her. She stared out of the glassless barred hole of a window, unconsciously dragging her filthy nails down the rough wall of her cell, waiting.
Her neighbours murmurs started and the chill from the surrounding sea dropped lower. The sound of fraying cloak slithering along uneven stone drew nearer. A ghost of a smile graced her once beautiful face as she turned around to meet her visitor. Instead of shrinking back she approached it, welcoming the interruption, while the creature's breath tried to draw in more than simply the air around her.
The Dementors had never really affected her. They say Dementors feed off fear, but then so did she. They force people to relive their most haunting thoughts, their darkest memories; driving them slowly insane. Long before she set foot in Azkaban Fortress though, she was already doing just that. And in turn she had twisted her dark, merciless thoughts into becoming her power-source. One could not lock a gifted witch and wizard inside their heads for evermore if the one wielding the wand's own mind was fuelled by happy memories.
She knew many believed her insane and resented them for it. Knew that most people couldn't possibly see the things she had done as the work of someone in their right mind. They were wrong. She was as sane as them, just wired differently. Though Azkaban had faded away recollections of Christmas' past and time spent with her sisters, she did not miss them. As the Dark Lords most faithful, she had never been one to reminisce about holidays or birthday parties. You would be much more likely to find her reliving duels or experimenting with new ways to create anguish to those weaker than her, with that perverse leer on her face of one who gets pleasure from causing torment.
The Dementor had paused outside her door again. They never learned. After all these years they still seemed to expect to find her crouching and snivelling in a corner one day. She was surprised that they could not sense how similar she was too them. Though it was probably unsettling to find the power they relied on useless. Another thing they had in common. Knowing she had all that magic inside her but unable to do anything with it. Smirking she pressed her face against the bars separating them and run her tongue across her lips before blowing it a kiss. She knew it could sense this, even if it couldn't see it. For a fraction of a second it seemed to stare straight at her; through her. They could see she may have a different name, but her soul was still the same Black she was born as. The thrill of having something able to see how warped her heart and mind was sent static charges pulsing through her body. The flashes of memories they induced, of causing pain and suffering to people unworthy to call themselves wizards made her eyes light up and head spin.
Until recently, the thought of being around monsters that could force such arousing memories into her mind at will for the rest of her life had been one she was content with. The outside world, with all their Mudblood tolerance and the Ministry controlling everything down to what spells people could use was a place she knew she could never belong in, if in the extremely unlikely chance she were released. Especially with that Muggle loving, weak willed Dumbledore still admired by all. Just the thought of him made her blood boil. Sitting on his throne at Hogwarts, forcing pure-blooded students to live and learn with filth. Perverting their minds. Students like her nephew who should be well into his school years by now.
But now... now things were changing. She hadn't needed the sudden white hot burn on her forearm seven months ago to know what had happened. She had been able to sense it coming, taste it almost, in the air for a while. He was back. The Dark Lord had returned and from then she knew she just had to wait.
As the Dementor moved on she turned her gaze back to the sky. It was changing also. Each night looked a little different than the one before. The stars she was so familiar with seemed to have dulled and the darkness was becoming more intense, more solid. She knew those around her could feel it too. The Dark Lords other Marked ones, even those trapped inside their own heads had begun to whisper it.
She had always known He would come back to her one day. Come back for her. The crime she was imprisoned for proved it. While those pathetic disillusioned ones had heralded his death by a baby, she had searched for him. How could a baby, a baby born to a Mudblood mother and blood traitor father have defeated the most powerful sorcerer of all time? The one whose mere name was feared. She had never believed it. She had taken three others with her to find him, to torture his location out of those who would know. And now, when he comes for her, she will be rewarded. Her loyalty to Him and Him alone will be clear to all. She will be standing next to her Lord while all those who wormed their way back into society have to beg for forgiveness.
Coming out of her reverie it took her a minute to realise something was different. The air was warmer, fresher and it seemed lighter. A manic smile spread slowly across her face. She knew instinctively the Dementors had left, and knew there was only one person with the power to make that happen. Her heartbeat seemed determined to tattoo itself onto her ribcage as she turned to face the door she hadn't stepped outside of for over thirteen years.
Time appeared to stand still. Even the waves below seemed to have frozen in anticipation. She did not move either, only her chest heaved up and down. A blinding flash of light made her glance away and when she looked back she could clearly see the unbreakable bars of her door had been reduced to ash.
For another moment there was silence and then the voice she had dreamt about for so long spoke out of the dust.
"Come Bella".