Aaand we're back in town. The story continues and I have to apologize, once again, for delaying. It's because this story is sort of an 'inspiration strikes' kind of thing. I knew how it would begin and I know what the last few chapters of this story are going to be like (that's a long way to go though). All the plot right now – I have no idea about, so what's going to happen next is as much of a question to me as it is to you people. Genuinely, if my mind works and I get inspired, I write.

So, I hope you enjoy this chapter. I put my heart in these bellamort pieces. x

10. Turning Tables

Close enough to start a war

All that I have is on the floor

'Everything is planned and ready to work, my friends. You are moving tomorrow.'

'Of course, My Lord.' Lucius nodded along with some other men around the table.

It was yet another meeting their Lord summoned in the last few weeks. Now, after over five months since the grand escape from Azkaban, the mission would be completed. The Death Eaters were already provided with most of the needed information but their curiosity was in its fullest.

Lord Voldemort had not yet told them how he planned to lead Potter into their trap. He had been working on something for a long time now; a bond of some sorts, apparently, existed between the boy and himself. It seemed the only clear explanation, that Potter had access to the Dark Lord's plans or mind visions, to how he'd found out about Weasley's attack. After long and tiring researches, however, he proved himself superior and his skills above any ordinary type of magic.

'I have discovered an interesting thing that connects the brat and I. The boy has got access to my mind at times.'

The people turned to give each other slight looks of concern; anything that was not going by the plan of their Lord could end with the lot of them being punished. Even if they had nothing to do with the cause of it. Voldemort noticed that and, with a grin of satisfaction, continued his rant:

'For many months the visions had been haunting him and, to be honest, I am surprised he still has his sanity. Well, so they say, at least. However, I've discovered a major advantage in the situation and that, my lieutenants, is what will bring us victory.'

With a background sigh, the atmosphere of the room suddenly became a lot lighter. The Dark Lord was pleased; for once no torture was included to his joy.

'The connection is mutual. I can slip into the boy's mind and even create visions. False, detailed dreams that seem as real as the true ones. With the help of my fake little show, I will get Potter to the ministry. Or, to be precise, the brat will come himself...' the pale man looked around and set his eyes on certain dark brown ones, piercing through the owner of them as he spoke once again, 'In his mind, I will torture a person sentimentally dear to him, connected even, by that nonsense that old fool Dumbledore's been blathering about all his pathetic existence. Someone that is loved by Potter. Unfortunately for some of you, the encounter won't happen in reality. I spot people who might even be... interested in that little meeting. Bellatrix?'

'M-My Lord?..' the raven haired woman bowed her head down and glanced up in confusion; Voldemort had not once let his own eyes wander away from hers.

'Ah, your family I'm talking about. Dear cousin Sirius. Wouldn't it be nice to meet him?' he taunted; sneering and laughter filled the background, 'Catch up for old times' sake? Narcissa, are you interested? A Black family get together. How joyful would that be?'

The sound turned into laud cackling by then, as the man they all feared and obeyed mocked the women that considered themselves the 'purest of all'.

'My Lord knows I – and Narcissa, of course! – have nothing to do with that blood traitor! He is no family of ours; I – we, My Lord – can assure you!' Bellatrix swore, leaning as close as possible to the man she idolized as shameful tars filled her dark, bottomless eyes. She searched for the gaze of her sister, but the blonde woman held her head down, only nodding in agreement with the elder witch.

'I'd take care of the filth immediately if only I was provided the chance, Master! One who stains the family tree deserves no forgiveness! That traitor deserves no life!'

'I believe you, Bella. And one day, you will get the chance,' he nodded at her direction; red eyes caught a glimpse of her 'thank you', 'We must rid of the ones who had rotten. Cut infected branches off a taintless and healthy tree. I promise, after I kill Potter, nothing can stop me. After I kill the boy, the wizarding world will be mighty and pure once again.'

Some of the people smiled, other men even dared clapping. His words were true. He was powerful. In him they trusted.

November 5, 1981

Bellatrix walked through the narrow stone corridor with pride and arrogance. Even when not being in charge of things, she kept her superior appearance. Rodolphus and Rabastan were already out of her sight; she watched two men drag young Barty to the opposite direction, right through a grey, dim lit tunnel, to his cell. Throughout their entire hearing he shrieked about his innocence, pleading the judges for mercy. His pleads, however, did no justice. Not to him, nor to anyone else. Everyone knew he'd done the crime with the other three who sat silent. Barty was just trying to dig through the armour of his father. He had screamed in the hall, he did so while pulled to the place he'd spend the rest of his days in. The last echo of his voice reached the woman's ears before three more Azkaban guards led her forward.

Nothing that had happened surprised her. She knew they were fresh meat to fill four rotten cells the moment the Longbottoms lost their minds. Her Lord wasn't present anymore; there was no way to get him back. Not that the witch regretted the actions she had committed – Bellatrix would've done anything and everything to find him. She did what he would have expected; what her heart told her.

She had heard them whisper – Rodolphus and her brother-in-law. They thought it useless, their previous torture. Had they been smarter, the aurors wouldn't have lost their minds. It was the lack of commonsense in a moment of rage that had caused the position they were now in. She wanted to hex the fools – for their stupidity in both torture and disbelief in their Lord. They had the nerve to question his comeback. Yes, they were told to be stupid, the three. They all laughed when she stood up and admitted her loyalty, her willingness to wait for him... The imbeciles of the Wizarding World believed the Dark Lord to be gone forever.

But the heart of a woman as dark as her maiden name told otherwise. Somewhere deep inside the beating tool of life, somewhere in a small place locked with thousands of keys and enchantments, a place no other man but him had access to, she still believed. He'd come back and take her out of this mess. She would wait as long as it took without hesitation. He knew it and cherished the thought with himself, wherever he was, she hoped. He'd take her with him and they'd be together again. Bellatrix grinned to herself. Yes, together for all eternity.

The guards that led her stopped. One of the strong-looking men released her arm from his grip and unlocked the gates for what she believed to be her very own cell. She wasn't mistaking – as soon as the entry was opened, the woman was pushed inside. With a flick of his wand, the same guard changed her dress into a long, striped grey Azkaban robe. It was disgusting, at the least. Bellatrix hissed – was this what she would have to wear until he finally rescued her?

She shot her head up at the sound of creaking metal. The guards closed the cell bars and murmured various enchantments to make sure the crazy witch wouldn't escape. Ever. She slowly walked forward, staring at the three men with her head up. Graciously, she reached for one of the bars and leaned her body close to it. The raven haired woman pressed her cheek against the iron, devouring the cold shivers the touch had caused. She blinked almost pleasantly, her dark brown eyes still fixated on the men that were now enchanted by the view in front of them. Even if was a prisoner and bat-shit crazy, no one could deny her beauty. Bellatrix knew it as well as the others did.

'W-We should go now...' a short, blonde guard cleared his throat, 'The others might think something went wrong. No need to worry them...'

The other two snapped their heads at his direction so quickly as if from a deep trance.

'Uhm, yeah. I think we should. Let's go, Matthew.'

'Wait.' Matthew, the guard who had opened the wards, whispered. The other two guards looked at each other briefly, concern and curiosity written all over their faces as they waited for their colleague's next move.

The man turned to Bellatrix again and stepped forward. Only a few inches separated him from the entry of the woman's cell.

'Do you want to say anything?' he asked almost tenderly, though the grip on his wand didn't loosen.

The woman was danger; everyone knew they were playing with fire when near her. But the temptation was uncontrollable. There was something about her that had one's heart skip a beat. She was cruel. She was vicious. She was addicting. But she wasn't danger now; she was wandless and no one would let her move a bit. Besides, she was locked up. For once, the death eater wasn't in control of the situation. Right?..

Bellatrix slowly tilted her head up to face the guard once again. She looked him right into the eyes, her stare piercing through him. Her lips twitched down a bit, an image of weakness. Leaning in so that her face would peer through the bars a bit, she found him still, hypnotized almost; it was the perfect moment. Bellatrix quickly tilted her head backwards and, without hesitation, spat all of her mouth's content on the man.

'You bitch!' Matthew roared and shot a wordless expelliarmus at the prisoner.

The spell flew the woman to the opposite side of her cell. Her head hit the wall and she slumped on the ground. Shaking from the sudden pain, Bellatrix stood up and rested her hand against the hard stone for support. She could feel ruby liquid trickle down the thick waterfall of her black curls.

'Let's get out of here, someone else will take care of that maniac.' the third guard suggested and the men turned away from her ward.

'You fucking morons! He will be back, you'll see! I will wait for him and when he comes, I'll kill your fucking traitorous guts!' her roaring was followed by a loud cackle which echoed in every hall of the prison.

The dark haired witch threw herself on a mattress that stood in the corner and screamed until her throat was sore. She twitched and pounded her fists in every direction, anything to clear the noises inside of her own head. Her mind was screaming things she didn't want to hear and the sound was far louder than the ones she managed to make. What if she would really stay in Azkaban forever, alone and rotten? What if he wouldn't save her?

'No, no, no! He will be back for me!'

'Would you just shut the fuck up?' a hoarse voice came from a cell next to hers.

Bellatrix calmed down and lay still for a moment. Her eyes flicked to the direction of the other person. She crawled forward and leant against the thick stone wall separating their wards. The death eater grinned to herself.

'Well well... What do we have here?' she whispered, 'Finally rotting in the place where you belong, you blood traitor?'

'You're the one to talk, cousin.' Sirius Black snorted.

'Shut the fuck up!' she spat, 'You're nothing more than a spineless vermin of this world you little fuck! Don't even dare considering yourself a relative of mine.'

'Believe me, the feeling is mutual.'

'Why are you even here? Finally found the guts to do something worse than breaking a bunch of school rules with your filthy half-breed and half-blood gryffindors?'

'I've been blackmailed. One of those 'filthy gryffindors' you hate so much worked on Voldemort's side.'

'Don't you dare speak his name you traitor!'

'I'll call him however the bloody hell I please!' he shot back, rage dripping with the words, 'Besides, he's gone. You might as well stop caring about him.'

'He'll come back for me. And then, shit like you will be put in their rightful place - under the ground.'

Sirius laughed mockingly:

'You genuinely believe that? I guess you're even more deranged than I thought...' she heard him slither away, his movements getting farther from the wall, 'Go to hell you crazy bitch.'

Bellatrix cackled and lay on the hard ground. The young man had tainted their family name. She swore to him, as well as herself, that she would get rid of filthy blood traitors like Sirius. That one day, she'd make sure no man or woman was rotting the house of Black. And she would kill them.

'After you, Sirius.'

The next morning was exceptionally intense. All the death eaters could think about was the mission. Their plan was flawless and they had been getting ready the past few months. Still, the anxiety filled the air in Malfoy Manor; most of the men sat in a circle and listened to Lucius. He re-told their manoeuvres and goals every five minutes but none of the people seemed to notice. They just nodded blankly at everything he said.

Bellatrix snorted at the sight and turned to see her concerned sister. Narcissa's blue eyes were fixed on her husband. Her body shivered every time he mentioned a hex or a name from the Order.

'Not you too, Cissy?' the older woman questioned in disbelief.

'What do you mean?'

'Don't tell me you're worried?'

'I... Well, I just want it to be over with soon. That's all.' the blonde witch sighed and once again paid her full attention to every word that came from Lucius's mouth.

The raven haired witch rolled her eyes:

'Whatever. I'll be outdoors for the rest of the day if you need me.' she saw her sister nod in return and walked away.

The air outside was refreshing. Bellatrix went straight to the pool which stood in the centre of Narcissa's precious garden. She lay down next to the sparkling water and closed her eyelids. She felt relieved – after the mission was done, she would have all her heart ever wished for. Her Lord would finally win and she'd be there with him. Together, they would clear the Wizarding World of mudbloods. He would rule and she would be powerful once again. Nothing would happen to her again; she'd be safe and sound. With him, she'd finally be happy.

'Aren't you happy yet, Bella?'

Her eyes shot back open and her own brown twirling depths were met by his red ones. She quickly stood up and bent her head down.

'Answer me.' his voice was cold as usual but she didn't spot any hints of angriness.

'I am, my Lord. But your victory will make me even happier than I am now.'

'Well, I appreciate that.' Voldemort's thin lips curled into somewhat a smile, 'I must admit I was... Tempted to read your thoughts. You looked so calm; even I could not dare to intrude you.'

'There was no need, my Lord. Your presence is never an intrusion.'

'Very well then. Come, take a walk with me.' he turned to a silver path that crossed the majestic gardens and she followed.

'Do you think I will be victorious today, Bella?'

The witch glanced up to the Dark Lord. There was no sign of mockery on his face; his red eyes were calm and questioning. Her breath hitched – he always had this effect on her. She didn't understand if he had her under a spell of some sorts or was the reaction natural.

'I have no doubt...' she whispered, 'We will do everything by plan. The mission will be a success, my Lord, I assure you.'

'I trust you, Bellatrix, you know that already. I've trusted you with something important to me not so long ago. Is the object safe?'

'Yes. I've placed it in my vault right after our meeting, m...'

'Good,' he cut her off, 'You have pleased me before, I have no doubt you will do the same today. Am I right?'

'Of course.' she bowed her head down.

Bellatrix felt a cold hand touch her cheek. Lord Voldemort tilted the woman's head up so that her eyes would meet his. He saw confusion spread across her face but the trembling of her slim figure clearly showed her full obedience. She was his not because she had to be. That was what she wanted. He had seen her mind, the feelings she hid inside of her. Were it anybody else, they would be punished immediately. Her, however, he kept untouched. The Dark Lord was not sure why he didn't do it. Maybe it was because she had just recovered. Maybe the fact she had spent so many years with dementors sucking her feelings out was punishment enough. Maybe it was just something he hadn't yet figured out...

'I hope so.' the man said bluntly and walked away.

Bellatrix stood alone in awe. She didn't dare to follow without his permission; somehow she felt he was done with her anyways. Gingerly, as if the connection could burn her, the woman touched the place his fingers had landed on before.

He knew she would kill for him. He knew she would die for him.

She was sure he would save her.

I promise to update as soon as I can. Thank you to everyone who reads, subscribes, favourites and reviews. I love you all. Right now, hit that review button, tell me what you're thinking. No seriously, REVIEW. xo