A/N: Another chapter! Woot woot!

Bellatrix slowly pushed open the door of Snape's home and Voldemort's headquarters. A blanket of warm air surrounded her as she stepped out of the frigid winter air. The house at Spinner's End was bustling with people, for there had just been a great victory for Death Eaters. Bellatrix, along with a few other companions, had successfully captured and tortured the Aurors Alice and Frank Longbottom.

Bellatrix smiled at the memory. She just loved the rush of adrenaline and pure evil coursing through her veins when she watched others suffer. She, and that Barty Crouch, Jr., too. He had certainly had a good time that night.

Bellatrix was greeted by a few other men and women. Avery bowed slightly when he saw the menacing-looking woman with fierce, curly hair. Mulciber nodded in her direction. But the only person in the room that Bellatrix had eyes for was her sister, Narcissa Malfoy.

She pushed her way through the crowd of Death Eaters and greeted her favorite sibling. "Cissy," she said. "Lucius," she added curtly, barely taking notice of her sister's husband, who stood protectively by his wife's side.

"I… I need to talk to you," Bellatrix whispered. She walked over to a secluded corner of the room and motioned for Narcissa to follow. When Lucius tried to accompany her, Bellatrix turned sharply and snapped, "Alone."

Lucius nodded respectfully and walked in the other direction. When he was out of range of hearing, the beautiful witch with silky blonde hair and dark eyes said, "What's wrong, Bella?" calling her by the name only a few, intimate friends used. "You look horrible."

Bellatrix did indeed look horrible. Her hair was even unrulier than usual, sticking up in odd places. Her whole body sagged, as though she was extremely stressed. She had dark circles under her eyes. She looked disheveled, exhausted, and most of all, distraught.

"You know how the Dark Lord summoned me here the other night?" she began slowly. Narcissa nodded. "Well… we… the Dark Lord and I, I mean. We…" she trailed off, not wanting to say it out loud.

"I know," Narcissa said. "We all assumed. Snape told Lucius, and he told me, and, well… We all figured out it was just a matter of time. You're one of his most devoted servants. The Dark Lord always gets what he wants, and of course you'd be most willing to give him… anything." She stopped, slightly embarrassed at the topic they were discussing. "So that's it, then? That's what you wanted to talk to me about?"

Bellatrix took a deep breath. "No, that's not all." She closed her eyes, inhaled, exhaled. "I'm… I'm…"

And then the inexplicable happened. Bellatrix Black broke down. Bellatrix, the cold, hardened criminal who had killed and tortured countless numbers of souls, had tears falling from her cheeks like a raging waterfall. Her head was in her hands and her body was wracked with sobs.

"I can't tell him," she said between deep, tear-filled breaths. "He'll kill me, or torture me, I know it. This is the last thing he wants. He couldn't… I couldn't! I don't want this!" she exclaimed. A few Death Eaters glanced at her, surprised by the sudden outburst.

Narcissa looked down at her sister, eyebrows furrowed in concern.

Bellatrix looked up with watery eyes. She shakily opened her mouth and said two words. "I'm pregnant."

---

Narcissa led the sniffling Bellatrix out of the bustling parlor and into Snape's kitchen. Bella lowered herself into a chair while Narcissa rummaged through Snape's cabinets, retrieving ingredients for a potion one by one. She plopped them on the counter and finally carried the bottles of herbs, beans, and various animal parts to the table.

"What are you going to do?" Narcissa asked gently.

"I don't have a choice. I have to tell him." Bellatrix sniffed.

"And then?"

"I'll do whatever the Dark Lord tells me," Bellatrix replied stonily.

Narcissa sighed. "But what do you want?"

Bellatrix stuttered, "I… I want whatever the Dark Lord wants."

Narcissa looked sternly at her sister. "I know that's not completely true. It's ok, Bella, you can say it. I'm not going to tell anyone. What do you really want?"

Bellatrix squeezed her eyes shut. "I can't quite… put it in words. I do want what the Dark Lord wants! But, at the same time… Let me put it this way. He's my master, my lord, the… the only man I've ever looked up to. The only man who's ever cared about me. And now I'm carrying a part of him around inside me. If he expects me to kill a piece of him? I can't. I just can't!"

Narcissa nodded. "You'll get through this, Bella. Let's just take this one step at a time. If he truly cares about you, then maybe he'll take your wishes into consideration.

"Here, drink this. It's a nerve tonic- it'll calm you down." She handed Bellatrix a cup of the finished potion. Bellatrix took it and sipped.

She relaxed immediately. "Thank you," she said.

"Now," Narcissa continued once Bellatrix had drained the cup. "Are you ready to speak to him?"

"I… yes. Do I look presentable?"

Narcissa waved her wand, and Bellatrix's eyes lost the puffiness and redness gained from crying. With another flick, her insane black lay elegantly at her side.

"You look beautiful."

Bellatrix embraced her sister in a tight hug, thanked her again, and then confidently walked out the door. "Good luck!" Narcissa cried softly after her. "Love you," she whispered for only herself to hear.

---

Bellatrix reached the door to the room where Voldemort was residing. She took a deep breath and reached up to knock. Before her hand hit the door, however, it swung open of its own accord. Inside sat a man with a snake-like face pointing his wand at the door. He sat at an intricately carved mahogany desk. The four legs had the same skulls that had sat on the bedposts of the bed in the same room a few nights before.

Voldemort looked at Bellatrix gravely. "I heard you at the door," he commented. "Bellatrix, you are using Occlumency against your master…. That is not a good sign. What's going on?"

Bellatrix looked her master in the eye, confidence aided by Narcissa's potion. She gulped. "My Lord," she said, "I'm pregnant."

There was silence. Voldemort stared ahead, no emotion on his face. Bellatrix bit her lip nervously, but knew to stay quiet.

After an unnaturally long time, Voldemort broke the silence by muttering to himself. "An heir… helpful, yes, someone who follows unconditionally, raised to believe in our cause more than anyone… then again, there's the struggle for power. Sons overthrow their fathers all too often for it to go unnonticed and unconsidered… But if I had an heir who would not overthrow me…. Yes, yes, that is the solution."

He looked up at Bellatrix. "A son will overthrow me, that I'm sure of. Power struggle occur constantly in history. I will not make that mistake. But an heir would be most benifitial… so this is the solution. A girl, you will keep and raise to be the perfect Death Eater, the true daughter of Lord Voldemort."

A grin broke out on Bellatrix's face. Voldemort quickly continued. "A son, however, you will destroy. Immideately. I cannot trust a powerful, power-hungry son." Bellatrix's smile faded. "Is this clear?"

Bellatrix nodded slowly, and began praying feverishly in her head that she had a daughter resting in her stomach. "Shall… shall we find out now?" Bellatrix asked timidly.

Voldemort nodded and picked up his wand from the desk. "Generis Revelio," he said and pointed his wand towards her abdomen.

After a moment, a faint glow began radiating from the woman's stomach. After a few more seconds, it had turned into a bright pink halo of light, framing Bellatrix's belly.

Bellatrix let out a sigh of relief. Voldemort nodded contently. "Very well then. We will discuss more precise arrangements soon. But now, Lord Voldemort is tired. I will see you at the meeting tomorrow."

Taking this as her cue to leave, Bellatrix smiled and said, "Yes, my Lord. Thank you, my Lord!" She turned and walked out of the room, clutching her stomach in wonder, awe, and delight.

She, Bellatrix Black, was going to raise the Dark Lord's daughter.