A/N: I don't own. I had a lot of time on my hands, with no internet.

Belladonna

Harry spent most of the night drinking and wandering around Knockturn trying to establish contacts. The Barkeep was rather willing to part with what information he had. Tipping well when paying for his drinks worked well.

Catching the young theif attempting to pick his pocket had paid off as well. The boy was willing to keep Harry apprised of comings and goings on the first level for a pittance. A few of the first level shop keeps were also willing to part with some information, for more than Harry really wanted to pay.

Most of the information, Harry already knew. But knowing what had already happened and what happened later in his original time line Harry could feasibly make a better approach to doing what he thought Magic had thrown him there for. If he was lucky, this meant going home.

Despite carrying large amounts of gold on himself, Harry found his pouch getting lighter. He would need to find work.

"'Lo, Mr. White," the Barkeep called to him as he entered the 'Rag.

"Hello, yourself. If you find anyone who needs things... found. Let them know about me will you? After the hols, if you would."

"Will do, Mr. White."

"Thank you, good night."

"'Night, Mr. White."

X x X x X

"So you mean to tell me that you have found an escort for the Yule Ball tomorrow?" asked a graying Cyngus Black.

"Yes, Father, I have. He is, surprisingly, quite the gentleman," answered Bellatrix.

"You found such a man in Knockturn Alley? In the one place we have forbid you from going without an escort?" Cyngus sighed, he had a few more years to deal with his teenage daughters. Why couldn't he have had sons like Orion? "I will allow it. But do bring the young man around for introductions, won't you dear?"

"Of course, Father," Bellatrix bowed her head dutifully. A moment of silence and Bella realized the dismissal. She left her father to his thoughts, smiling to herself.

X x X x X

"No."

"They are the height of this year's fashion!"

"No. I'd rather go with something a little more modern, something at least from the time period as your dress," Harry countered. Who knew Bellatrix Black of all people was a fashion officiando.

"Wizards do not wear anything but robes to political functions!" she hissed at him. Standing outside the formal clothing shop, Wizarding Threads, arguing for twenty minutes was not how Bellatrix went shopping.

"It's a good thing I'm attending for business."

Bellatrix reached out and grabbed his lapels with her gloved, leather this time, hands. Pulling him close she hissed even more violently. If Harry didn't know better he'd say she was speaking Parseltounge.

"What kind of business requires you to look a fool in front of my social peers?"

"The kind of business that my politically motivated clients will appreciate my declaring my separation from their arena."

Bellatrix blinked and leaned back slightly putting some space between their faces.

"Touche."

"Thank you. Now can we go inside and get something I want that you can accept?"

"Yes," she said letting him go and walking inside.

Harry ran a hand through his hair.

"Ruddy Blacks. If they weren't so good looking I doubt anyone would ever deal with them," he mumbled as he too stepped into the shop.

X x X x X

Bellatrix would be the last to admit it out loud, but Harry cut a rather dashing figure in Victorian styles. And his black and white colour scheme would match hers enough to the point that it would scare off many of the other families daughters. At least the ones that weren't already scared away by the fact he was her escort.

'A businessman, that is what he wants to portray? Why? Would I be able to join him in this venture?'

She had only known him for barely three days. Harry very much intrigued her. He was obviously smart, and had a certain charm. The way he seemed to talk about clandestine things the same way he talked about the weather or a good Quidditch match. His knowledge of the Low World's customs. The way his smiles made her stomach tie into knots like no other man could. There was indeed something very interesting about Mr. Hadrian White.

Bellatrix would figure him out.

X x X x X

The suits had been expensive, but worth it. One set for the Yule Ball, and three others for conducting business.

"You can pick them up in the morning, Mr. White," the pleasingly plump and flirtatious tailor said.

"Thank you, Mrs. Merrywether," Harry said smiling. Fueling a lonely woman's fantasy was the easiest way to get his things done faster. Later, he mused, sleeping with her might get him a huge discount. Decent clothes were always so expensive.

But getting a discount and getting one's tally whacker wet? Best deal around.

But the way Bellatrix was glaring at the shopkeeper made him swear to never bring her anywhere there was a female clerk. Bad for his soldier's business. Something almost as important as his own.

Stepping out into the street Bellatrix began to speak.

"Like your women big, White?" she spat.

"Jealous, Bella?" he teased, arching his eyebrow.

She stopped dead, clenching and unclenching her hands. A blush working its way up her neck and ears.

"N-no! You great pillock!"

"Then maybe you should stop to think what's good business. Part of my job may require me to flirt or even, dare I say it," he gasped and then whispered, "have sex!"

Bellatrix stepped past him, now leading them back to the 'Rag. Harry chuckled to himself. With a swish of his cloak he moved to catch up, the small children watching in awe of his cool billowing cloak.

X x X x X

Severus Snape held onto his mother's hand. Today, they had come into the Alley to pick up a few potions ingredients and maybe his wand! Brewing potions was one of the few things his father allowed his mother to do that wasn't 'normal.'

It was his first time in such a magical area. He stared in childish awe and wonder. The little markets scattered through out England were never this cool.

That's when he saw the man. The man Severus Snape knew instantly he wanted to be. The man's confident gait, small smirk/sneer, and eyes that screamed cool. The thing that drew little Severus' attention the most was the cloak. The way it flowed and billowed. It was the single most awesome thing that he had experienced to date.

Severus Snape swore that his cloak would billow too.

X x X x X

Harry almost ran into Bellatrix on the stairs to the third level. It was fairly deserted and the many alcoves often held couples in the midst of amorous activities. When Bellatrix suddenly grabbed him and drug him into one of the alcoves, Harry began to worry about being sexual assaulted.

"How many women have you been with?" she demanded.

"Why do you want to know?" he asked calmly. He could escape but that could damage his rapport with the young woman. He tapped his foot, softly, in a peculiar fashion.

Her wand arm whipped into motion, and her wand was on his throat.

"I'm asking the questions! How many!"

"Actually slept with? Several. Had sexual relations with? Dozens."

Her breathing was heavy, and her face was flushed but slowly she began to back off, leaving her wand in place.

"Why? Because of business?" she asked, fire still evident in her voice.

"Yes. I've only been with one woman out of love, but it turned out she didn't love me," Harry answered, seriously wondering why she was following this line of questioning.

"Bella?"

She had gone quiet.

"Yes?" she spat at him.

"I don't think you should ever come at me like this again. Or your punishment will be worse than this time."

Bellatrix snorted.

"Oh and how am I to be puni-" Bellatrix gasped mid-word as her clothes ripped themselves off her, leaving her stark naked in front of the man she was not crushing on.

"Next time I won't leave your clothes intact. I'll meet you at the 'Rag when you get dressed," with that Harry began to walk away.

"HARRY! What if someone sees!" Bellatrix whispered loudly, already beginning to don her clothes. They wouldn't be put together right but she could readjust at the 'Rag.

"It's not my problem. Just get dressed."

"Harry!"

He had rounded the corner and heard something he never expected from this Bellatrix.

"Bloody hell."

X x X x X

"How did you do that?" Bellatrix demanded as she entered his room.

"Little Magic has uses for everything in everyday life, including sex. That little spell is very useful for getting clothes off quickly."

"Teach me!"

"So you can see me naked? Your gonna have to try harder than that."

Bellatrix blushed heavily at the implication. How did he have such an effect on her?

X x X x X

Salazar Slytherin did as much research on his natural talent as he could. His most important discovery was that Parseltounge magic never left his natural speaking. It only intensified when spoken to a snake.

What this meant was that his words would generally have a great effect on people he spoke to. Only those who were master Occulmens or did not seek someone to lead them would be left largely unaffected.

To his dying day, Salazar regrets that he could not convince Godric to see his point of view, nor could he convince himself to compromise. And on his tomb he carved that his greatest regret was losing the friendship of the Arcane Knight because of their own stubbornness and mastery of the Mind Arts.

Only one man has ever seen the tomb, and Thomas Marvolo Riddle would never expose the weakness his ancestor showed in his life and death.

X x X x X

"And what if I did?" Bellatrix tried to turn the tables.

Harry arched his eyebrow.

"It wouldn't matter, I am Lowborn and you Highborn. I'd rather not go to jail just because you got randy."

Her skin was very red by this point. Harry was surprised she hadn't had an stroke at those words. Either in anger or embarrassment.

Bellatrix huffed and went into his bathroom, locking the door behind her. That was a lucky thing about being in the know. You usually got a private bathroom when you rented rooms.

X x X x X

A few moments of rustling cloth and Bellatrix was divested of most of her clothes.

She sat on the edge of the toilet in her black stockings, underwear and black and violet corset. Standing, she looked at her self in the mirror. At least her hair was still in good condition. It was thick and curly, making it very hard to tame. Some of it sat a top her head, a few locks cascaded down her shoulders and back. Her face was slowly returning to its regular pale colouring.

The thing was, their recent topic of conversation had left her rather aroused.

Her eyes lit up in inspiration. Maybe she could leave him embarrassed and attend to herself at the same time. It couldn't be that hard, one of the girls in her dorm did it on a daily basis. Normally, something like this was beneath her and unbecoming of a lady of her stature, but she was in the low world. She sat back down on the toilet.

Her hand slowly snaked down her front and into her undergarment as thoughts of a naked Harry White floated through her head.

X x X x X

Harry's head snapped up and his eyes went wide when the first throaty moan reached his ears. There was no way she was doing that while he was in the room next door! She must be faking it, there was no other explanation.

Her moans echoed in the room, and he rose unbidden.

"Bloody hell, I need to get laid."

Harry went to his desk and pulled out a piece of parchment and began to work, listing the things he had accomplished and compared that to his notebook, in an attempt to ignore what was possibly going on in his bathroom and what was happening in his pants.

It worked for a while, until the moans changed.

"Oh, Harry!" Bellatrix moaned.

Suddenly he was at full mast again, and he stared at the door wide eyed and open mouthed. His name escaped from her lips in the bathroom again and again.

His grip snapped the quill in his hand, ink leaking all over his parchment. Was she faking it? Because if she was she was doing a fantastic job. Why would she -

"To get back at me!" he said aloud.

Harry breathed deep trying to calm himself. Armed with his new knowledge he cleaned up and began anew, trying even harder to ignore what was happening.

X x X x X

Bellatrix moaned one last time before going rigid. When she relaxed she let herself rest against the wall to catch her breath.

'That was fantastic. Why doesn't everyone do that?'

She felt more relaxed than she had ever before. She slid her sticky hand out of her undergarments and looked at her fingers. They were coated. Curious, she sniffed them. Her nose wrinkled.

'That could be why.'

Standing on shaky knees she washed her hands and dressed making sure everything was in place, save one thing. Unlocking the door she stepped out into Harry's room.

Despite seeing Harry with his back to the door working on something, Bellatrix couldn't bring herself to be angry. She felt too good.

Harry turned to face her, a light blush evident on his cheeks. Bellatrix smirked.

"Finished are we?" he asked with an arched brow.

"I would have finished sooner if someone, who I believe I named earlier, had helped me."

When his blushed darkened, Bellatrix almost cheered out loud.

"We are done for the day, Bellatrix," he said attempting to maintain his composure, "You dressed appropriately today. You blended in today, enough so most outsiders would ignore you. Just be mindful of how you walk and most people period won't give you more than a glance."

"Of course I did. Blacks are not stupid, myself especially," she sniffed haughtily at him, "You will come to my home to pick me up at 7 sharp. My parents will have left long before then, but I will have to introduce you at the party."

Harry waved her off.

"I expected that. I need it to happen anyways. How else am I supposed to offer my services if they don't even know who I am? And being on the arm of a Black will do well to get me out there to the kind of people who would want what I do."

Bellatrix sat on his bed instead of leaving. Leaning forward she asked:

"And what is it you do?"

Harry looked thoughtful for a moment.

"I... find things. Sometimes I acquire them. I don't take the lives of anybody if I can help it, if that's what you're asking," he said giving her a sharp look.

Bellatrix leaned back and put a hand to her chest.

"Why, Mr. White, would I think that you would be a killer?"

She had, in fact, thought that. But only for a few moments. Harry didn't seem to be the kind of a person who killed for a living. Maybe while he was making a living, his eyes were too haunted sometimes.

"Yes."

Bellatrix faked hurt.

"Mr. White, you wound me!"

Harry snorted.

"You'd probably like it."

Bellatrix looked at him puzzled. His last statement had confused her.

"What? Who could like being hurt?" she asked genuinely interested in the answer.

Harry's mouth snapped shut and a blush began to spread across his face. The question caught him off guard. It felt rather awkward to explain sex games to someone who was just barely legal and the younger version of his most hated enemy.

And despite his own sexcapades with various women, and Sirius' example, Harry had a hard time talking about it. It was one thing to flirt.

"S-some people," Harry coughed, "incorporate violence into their sex. Varying levels depending on the couple. I'd rather not speak of it."

"Oh," Bellatrix looked thoughtful, "Like what Mother and Father do in the dungeon sometimes?"

Harry spluttered, but nodded.

"P-probably. Now, go, shoo. I've things to set up tonight in preparation for tomorrow."

Bellatrix pouted, her knees were still weak, but managable. Using the time talking to him, to recover, had been a great idea. Now she had a better idea of what it was that he did and got some great ideas for what the Harry White of her mind could do to her imaginary self.

She stood and crossed the room. Pausing in opening the door, she sent one last parting shot at him.

"You best be on time and on your best behaviour, Mr. White, or I will get you to explain to me this dungeon play on a more practical level."

Harry wondered when the blush would leave his face. He channeled his inner Snape. He could not allow her to keep goading him like this.

"I will be on time, Ms. Black, and I will behave. Good night."

"Good night."

When she shut the door, Harry waited a few minutes before crossing to it and locking it. He then made a bee line for the bathroom and a cold shower.

X x X x X

"What in the nine hells?"

There laying across his toilet seat was a pair of black silk panties. And judging from the smell that lingered in the room, Bellatrix had not been faking.

"Bugger all. This is just the last thing I need."

Pulling out his trusty notebook, Harry flipped through the pages.

"Ah. Here it is. 'Dealing with a Hot for Harry Noble Lady: Ref. Death Eater.'"

Harry could not believe how many of these highly improbable situations that he had only put in here for giggles were happening. Magic was really out to get him this time, wasn't it?

X x X x X

A/N: I wanted to explore a Harry who is ultimately similar to Tom Riddle. 'Cept, ya know, the good guy. I also wanted to explore what I think Bella would be like as a rebellious teenage daughter. I have a feeling that one of the big reasons Bella in canon is so into Voldemort is because he was handsome, suave, and had the snake tongue edge. As she descended into madness, she began to obsess on the 'bright spot' of her life.

My story is inspired by Delenda Est. Make no mistake about it. But inspired not copied. Much like how Gandalf is the inspiration for the much shittier Dumbledore. So all in all my story Delenda Est. The one thing that someone might say I decidedly took from DE is Falschmann. I refute that by saying the only other language I speak besides English is German. And poorly.

Wanted to clear that up before anyone said anything.

For anyone who reads Winter Warlock, I've rewritten the chapter a few times. I'm not satisfied quite yet.