You know the games I play and the words I say when I want my own way
You know the lies I tell when you've gone through hell and I say I can't stay
- Opheliac, Emilie Autumn
Tempest did not speak a word as Lucius collected her. She did not speak either before or after they apparated. She did not even speak the rest of that day until the evening. Instead, she carried a rather bitter expression, her lips pursed and her eyes staring. Draco laughed riotously at her, having known where she had been for a week of the summer holidays.
"Must be absolutely terrible at simple Potions," he taunted the first night she returned. "A whole week with Professor Snape. I think I would have killed myself to spare the shame."
"From what I've heard he gives you with no special treatment," Lucius said nonchalantly. "Now, I assume nothing that simple would sway your thoughts towards your Head of House, Draco."
"I should think he gave up quickly enough on you," Draco continued, although he gave a rather filthy look to his father. "I certainly would have."
"For your information," she said quietly and calmly, the first words she had said all day, "he thinks I'm progressing well."
"As if," he replied. "He never compliments people."
"He didn't have to."
"So you're imagining it all? I should have known!"
"But if he didn't think I was doing well, he would not have allowed me to do the potions I did do."
"Yeah, of course," Draco said, rolling his eyes. "Like?" Lucius looked up with the slightest interest, causing Tempest to shuffle her feet in an embarrassed manner.
"Well…there wasn't much time to do certain potions, but he thought he'd test me out with Felix Felicis, after he saw how I did at the Amortentia."
"Amortentia?" Lucius asked curiously. "Why in the name of Merlin would he make you do that?"
"For fun?" Tempest suggested. "I got to keep a vial of it," she added, pulling a small bottle out of her cloak pocket.
"Severus never does things just for fun," Lucius muttered. "You must have done something different."
"But she's pathetic at potions!" Draco cried out.
"Now, Draco, you've never seen her try anything of the sort. Don't start making assumptions." He put a finger to his lips thoughtfully. "It is extremely rare he sees talent so early on. He would not have otherwise given you N.E.W.T potions."
"N.E.W.T's?" Tempest asked, her eyes wide. "I didn't think they would be that hard."
"You've been cursing your elders again, haven't you?" Lucius said, rolling his eyes. "After what you managed to do to my wife, I thought you had learnt your lesson."
"It was only a little charm! Anyway, I'm sure she was having as much fun singing as we were having watching her." Tempest paused thoughtfully. "But I didn't do anything to Severus."
"First name terms?" Draco spat, irate. "What makes you so special?"
"The ability to excel in Potions," Tempest retorted. "He does not deserve the rank Professor, his teaching is probably the most incompetent I have ever seen. All he did was speak in riddles and shout at me."
"Apart from the riddles, that's all father does."
"Draco," Lucius said firmly, but his attention again turned to Tempest. "You obviously must have done something right. If I were you, I would keep an open mind when it comes to Potions."
"Why should I bother? It's a horrid subject."
"Nevertheless, it is one you will excel in if you are careful."
"B-but-" Draco stuttered, dumbfounded. "But she's stupid!"
"If I'm so stupid, then how come I'm doing better than you without even going to school?"
"You didn't even get into school!" Draco turned to Lucius, scowling. "Father, you must put this right! She doesn't even go to school, she barely even gets tutored! She must be cheating, or something like that!"
"Jealousy gets you nowhere, Draco."
"Jealousy?" Draco replied, his pale cheeks going slightly pink. "How can I be jealous of that little brat?!"
Tempest growled and pointed a finger almost accusingly at Draco. He raised an eyebrow, slightly surprised, but it was Lucius who was entirely shocked. A moment after Tempest had pointed at Draco, his skin turned a strange shade of green. Tempest giggled to herself, entertained by her own spell.
"You look plenty jealous enough," she taunted, still laughing. Draco frowned in confusion, but upon looking down at himself, he saw the strange green tinge. His confusion became rage, and his fists clenched.
"Filthy little cretin!" he screamed, launching himself at the girl.
The two twelve year old children grappled on the floor, clutching each others throats and scratching each others faces at different intervals. This continued for quite a while, simply fighting. Lucius watched, torn between entertainment, annoyance and a desire to tear them apart and scold both of them. He allowed himself to watch and be entertained, having slightly missed the fights that broke out between the two. Narcissa entered the room, having heard the noise of the argument from the other room.
"Lucius!" she cried, shaking him by the shoulder. "Stop them, now!"
"My dear, even if I wanted to, I doubt that I could. Or, at least, I would not win. If I tear them apart, they both will complain about not being able to finish the fight. If I don't tear them apart, then Draco will complain about having lost again."
The prisoners of Azkaban found that one night could not be distinguished from another. Thinking about it, they knew that the day could not be distinguished from night either. It was always dark. There were minimal candles lit, but most of the time they were blown out whenever a Dementor would go by. They were all so out of it that they didn't really know how the candles were lit again.
Much of the sound in the building was composed of screaming. Prisoners often had nightmares, and some still experienced them while awake. It was the sort of life they led, if a life you could call it. This prison was where Bellatrix was situated now, eleven years after giving Tempest to the Malfoys. To say the least, the prison had not agreed with her. Her once beautiful and youthful looks had withered away until she looked more like a skeleton than a human. Of course, a very pretty skeleton, but she could barely be called beautiful any more. She was not the only one who had been withered by Azkaban.
Sirius Black was situated in the cell across from hers, causing both immense annoyance from the moment they were forced into the prison. Once a very handsome man, he now resembled a starved creature. Yet he still retained a look of sanity about him, caused by two factors: firstly, that he had always been better in mind than his cousin, and secondly that he was able to escape the Dementor's torture whenever they came down the hallway by turning into a dog. It was one of the most enjoyable activities he could think of, as it often annoyed Bellatrix even more when she came round from a depression-induced coma.
"You're more dog than man," Bellatrix hissed through the bars as he turned into a dog, simply to rest. The black, shaggy form of the dog lay its head in its paws, staring up with tired eyes. "You certainly pretend plenty enough. Can't even bear to take a little pain."
The dog barked, though it sounded more like laughter than anything else.
"Coward! Turn back and take it like a man."
After a pause, the dog sat up and in moments, there sat the man Sirius again.
"Just like you do?" he asked roughly.
"That's completely different," she replied, her voice suddenly quieter. She pulled her knees up below her chin and rocked slightly. "At least I don't find the easy way out."
"Don't try and kid yourself, you would if you could. Just because you haven't got the talent."
"I have plenty enough talent," she sniffed, her nails digging into her arms as they crossed around her legs. "But when I finally get out of here, I won't be rewarded for cowardice."
Sirius Black looked down at the floor, shaking his head pityingly.
"No one is waiting for you out there. No one wants you."
"Because of course, many are waiting for Sirius Black, aren't they."
"That's not what I said," he snapped. "There is no Dark Lord, there's no one."
Bellatrix cackled, her usual laugh gone now, instead replaced with an indication to insanity. For reasons she herself was not sure of, she had not told Sirius about young Tempest. Sometimes it was the only shred of hope that kept her sane. Everyone in the prison had something, if they hadn't already gone mad. Some still had the hope of the Dark Lord. Some that were falsely imprisoned had the hope of being discovered. Even Sirius had the hope of one day finding Peter Pettigrew. He often spoke about it in his sleep.
"At least I don't have delusions of grandeur," he replied when she stated the fact spitefully. "I actually shouldn't be in here, unlike you. I'm going to get out."
"Now who's delusional?" Bellatrix gathered a small amount of energy to drag herself to the bars of her cell, and gripped them tightly as she spoke to her cousin. "They aren't delusions."
"Of course," Sirius said tiredly, leaning his head against the nearest wall. Even the smallest of conversations rendered most prisoners weary. "I'm not the only one who'd say it. Your precious Lord would say it too."
"Don't say that!" she said with a hiss. "You haven't a clue!"
"Plenty enough to know you've gone mad."
"I haven't!" she cried out, though her voice so weak it was hoarse, and a croak rather than a passionate cry.
"Of course," Sirius repeated, close to fainting from exhaustion. Bellatrix shook with anger, gripping the bars even tighter.
"You'd believe me if I told you!" she said, slightly more earnest. "You would, I know it."
"Of-"
"Don't say that," Bellatrix interrupted irritably. Sirius shook his head in a lazy, pitying manner.
"Fine," he said slowly. "Prove it."
Bellatrix shifted uncomfortable, her anger leaving her, replaced by doubt. She argued with herself, attempting to decide whether it was best to ignore her cousin's request or prove to him that she would be free. She finally decided, having come to the conclusion that he could never get to her and would never be free. Bellatrix smiled, although it was more like a cat prepared to pounce rather than a humane smile.
"I'm surprised you haven't figured it out already," she purred. "All those years ago."
"If you're going to speak in riddles, I'm going to fall asleep," Sirius warned.
"Well, I'm sure you remember your little godson well enough," Bellatrix continued, a glint in her eyes. Sirius sighed, thinking her mad. It took a simple moment for him to remember to whom she was referring to as his godson. His eyes flew open, filled with hatred. It took him a minute more to realise what she had meant by it. With a quick movement- at least, quicker than most prisoners in his condition- he gripped the bars, his anger and hatred amounting in that one glare.
"What have you done?" he hissed through the bars. "Bellatrix, what have you done with Tempest?"
"Nothing you wouldn't have done," she replied, a satisfactory smile on her lips as she leant back against the wall, staring Sirius down.
"Don't make me ask again, or I'll-"
"Or you'll what? Kill me? Torture me? Nothing worse than this place has already done," she said, laughing. "You can't even get over here."
"What-did-you-do-to-her?" Sirius repeated, elaborating every word.
"Saved her," Bellatrix replied contentedly. "She's safe."
"As if! You have about as much maternal instinct as- as- my mother!"
"Hitting below the belt, aren't we?" she said sarcastically. "I happen to think your mother was rather pleasant."
"You would," he growled. "Where is she then?"
"With family," Bellatrix said. "Of course, not that Muggle family the boy was sent to. A nice, proper family."
"One of your lot," Sirius guessed, his face turning whiter than usual.
"Yeah, of course. I'm not letting her be raised by Muggles. It would be a…waste."
"Waste?"
"Surely you must have guessed, dear cousin." Bellatrix chuckled. "She's going to grow up ever so well. She's going to be the one to get me out of here."
"Now you're completely mad." Sirius shook his head. "You're expecting a kid to save you? You've been here years, she wouldn't even know you."
"You saw how powerful the Potters were, even you can't deny that. She'll be able to do it. And as for knowing me…I've taken care of it."
Sirius paused, and a bark of laughter emitted from his throat.
"No, I was right," he said, turning over to his side to sleep. "You're mad."
With that, he drifted to a restless sleep. Not that any night wasn't restless. Bellatrix watched him for a bit, imagining all the curses she knew, wishing she could perform magic just once. She slipped into sleep not long afterwards, her dreams the same as they always had been; nightmares.
