Bellatrix didn't see him for a couple of weeks following the events of new year. He hadn't summoned her. She had no idea what his thoughts were, whether he was angry. She didn't see how he could be, though. He knew she was married.
Late one night, she received a summons from him. Nervously, she'd headed to his house and to his office. The door was open, which was unusual, and the house was silent and empty.
"My Lord?" she murmured, standing in the threshold. The room was dark.
"Come in," she heard him call. As she entered, she could see that all of the lights were off, apart from the fire in the hearth. The Dark Lord was sitting on the sofa, smoking. She frowned, wondering what was going on. "Shut the door."
Slowly, Bellatrix went back and closed the door, noticing how the office got even darker now the light from the hallway was not there. "My Lord..." she said again, not sure where to place herself.
"Come and sit with me," he said quietly, patting the seat next to him.
Still very unsure of herself, Bellatrix did as he asked. Hearing the clink of glass, she looked up, noticing he was handing her a drink of whiskey. She took it, taking a sip. "Is everything alright?" she asked him cautiously.
"Yes," he said, taking another drag of cigarette. "Fire is such a beautiful thing... yet so deadly." Bellatrix glanced to the fireplace and then back to him. It was a normal fire, like any other. Voldemort chuckled slightly, tilting his head to look at her. "You look well."
"Do I?" she asked, frowning again. She didn't feel well. She felt like she was being driven insane by unrequited love.
"You do," he said, smiling at her. "I have something of mine that I would like you to look after for me."
"Of course," Bellatrix replied, smiling back at him. Merlin, he was so handsome, she'd actually somehow managed to forget.
"Could you put it into your Gringotts vault tomorrow?" She could detect a note of concern in his voice.
Bellatrix nodded. "Yes, first thing."
Voldemort sat back, taking a gulp of his drink. "It's... important to me."
"What is it?"
He nodded towards his desk. Bellatrix stood up, heading over. Through the darkness, she could make old a slightly dull golden cup. She picked it up, holding it to the fire to see it properly. She gasped as she recognised the badger markings on it. "This is the Helga Hufflepuff cup!" she exclaimed, turning to look at him. "Why'd you have this?"
Voldemort smiled slightly. "It's just something I collected from my days at school."
Unconvinced, but not willing to question him any further, she set the cup back down on the table and taking her seat again. She picked up her drink. "I will secure it, my Lord," she said quietly.
"Thank you," he said with a nod.
They sat together in silence, both watching the fire. Bellatrix desperately wanted to mention the events of new year, but she found she didn't have the words. Luckily, he beat her to it.
"Nothing should change between us," he said, breaking the silence. He turned to look at her through the darkness. "I have been anxious to give you some space following..." He stopped talking.
"I wish I could give you... what I want to give you, my Lord," she replied, after a moment. "And what you want to give me."
There was another period of silence. He topped his drink up, lighting another cigarette. Bellatrix couldn't decide if he didn't have the words, if he was in a really bad mood or if something else was going on. "Don't let me keep you," he said suddenly, and Bellatrix jumped. His tone was slightly sour.
"You... You're not, my Lord," Bellatrix replied, trying not to stutter.
"I am not feeling particularly talkative tonight," Voldemort said, his voice cool.
Bellatrix was unsure of how to answer. "I can leave if-"
"You don't have to leave," he cut in sharply. He turned his head to look at her for a moment, before looking back to the fire.
"We don't need to talk," Bellatrix said after a moment. She sat back in the sofa, setting her glass down and leaning her head against the back of it. The fire was deliciously warm and was making her feel quite sleepy. Without thinking, she leant over slightly and rested her head against his shoulder. He tensed to begin with, but within a second his head was leaning against hers.
After a few more minutes, Bellatrix's neck was hurting. She slowly moved, gasping in pain as her neck clicked loudly. Voldemort laughed slightly. "You're getting old," he said, looking down at her with a smile.
"Not as old as you," she mumbled, rubbing her eyes. She could hear him laughing still, and she wondered if she'd dragged him out of his bad mood. "Mind if I lay down?"
Voldemort shook his head, watching as she set her head down at one end of the sofa. Slowly, he pulled himself along the sofa, laying himself down just behind her. Surprised, Bellatrix looked over her shoulder at him, seeing his eyes were already shut. She brought her legs up, pressing her feet against his. He murmured something, and one arm slid around her, squeezing her tightly. She could feel herself drifting off.
Bellatrix woke up a couple of hours later. The fire had almost died. Behind her, Voldemort was breathing peacefully and she knew he was asleep. As much as she wanted to stay, she knew Rodolphus would kill her if he found their bed empty at whatever time he arrived home.
Slowly, she eased herself from his grip, standing up. He stirred, but did not wake. She was disappointed that the room was so dark, because she couldn't see him. She'd fantasised so many times about seeing him asleep, and now it was coming true it was equally ruined.
She sighed lightly, wondering how life had become so complicated. Rubbing a hand over her face, Bellatrix grabbed the golden cup from the table and quietly left the room, unable to believe that she had fallen asleep with him.
When she got home, she hid the cup in her drawer. She didn't want Rodolphus to find it and try and put it in his vault.
x-x
It was finally spring. The weather was warmer and the days were longer, which suited Bellatrix. Dark nights seemed to go on forever, especially because she was alone for most of them.
She still tried hard with Rodolphus, even if her heart wasn't in it. On the nights he did stay in the house, he was sullen and moody, and nothing she could do would bring him out of that. He'd given her a couple more bruises in the months since new year, but that was mostly just for snapping and answering him back.
The Dark Lord was very much at the forefront of everything. She was with him more often than she was with Rodolphus. Voldemort had very much become her best friend, inexplicably. They hadn't given it a name, and they hadn't talked about it, but their relationship had developed since that ill-fated kiss, and Bellatrix could not imagine her life without him.
She would spend many hours in an evening sitting in comfortable silence with him, both reading various books over large glasses of red wine. Her days were filled with helping him write letters, planning and talking. He sometimes summoned her just because he was bored and wanted a companion. They'd even gone out for a couple of casual lunches together. He had somehow made missing out on raids an acceptable, perhaps even favourable, turn of events.
It was the happiest she'd been since leaving school. And the beauty of it was – Rodolphus either didn't know, or couldn't complain. He had done this all by himself.
Voldemort had even begun to teach her Legilimency. It was hard, she struggled, and she hadn't managed it on anyone other than him so far. She was unable to make it subtle, he always knew she was there. He'd been patient and nice about it so far, and she knew that their new relationship was probably the reason for it.
The problem was, she was completely smitten with him. She woke up and fell asleep thinking about him. She found eating a chore unless she was with him. She was utterly and helplessly and unconditionally in love with him. She'd hoped the feeling would change, but it didn't. It never left her mind. He still flirted like he always had, and to be honest she would probably have been completely overcome by loneliness if he didn't. His flirting made her feel wanted.
It was the afternoon when she received her summons that day. She loved the burn of his mark on her skin, it made her feel like she was his. She headed for his office, knocking briefly and entering.
"My Lord," Bellatrix murmured as she saw him, unable to help the smile that appeared on her face. She slowly dropped down to one knee, bowing her head.
"Bella," he said, his voice quiet. "You don't need to do that every time you see me, I keep telling you."
Bellatrix looked up at him, seeing his expression serious. She drew herself back to standing. "I probably will, though, no matter how many times you tell me," she replied lightly, stepping towards him.
"There are other ways of saying hello."
She could see his expression relaxing slightly now. "Such as?" she asked, smiling at him.
He was smirking. "A kiss?"
Bellatrix laughed, approaching him closely. "A kiss, my Lord? Are you sure that is wise?" He nodded, his eyebrow slightly raised in surprise as she drew closer to him. Then she pressed a lingering kiss against his cheek. As she pulled back, their eyes met.
"Marry me," Voldemort murmured, his hand catching hers. It wasn't the first time he'd said this to her, and she knew it wouldn't be the last.
"I'm already married," she responded, half smiling at him. He didn't mean it, he just wanted what he couldn't have. "Besides, you wouldn't want me if I wasn't." She smirked, pulling her hand away from his.
"Is that really what you think of me?" he asked, laughing.
Bellatrix crossed the room and sat down on the sofa. "You want what you can't have. You are a man like no other."
"Yes, I am," he said, smiling across at her. "Attracted to the most beautiful woman in the world."
"Who is that?" Bellatrix asked, knowing full well he was talking about her.
"My most loyal follower," he continued, standing up and slowly approaching her. "My favourite person."
Bellatrix laughed, looking up at him. Then he sat down next to her and his hand made its way to the back of her neck, drawing her closer to him. All she could see were his red eyes. She'd never wanted to kiss someone so badly. He continued drawing her closer, and Bellatrix knew she had to pull back from him.
"Please, my Lord," she murmured, looking up at him pleadingly. "I can't…"
"Why?" he asked. "Rodolphus will never know."
"But I will know," she replied quickly. "This will go one of two ways, and neither are a desirable outcome."
"The outcome will be very desirable," he said quietly, smirking.
Bellatrix shot him a glare. "I am not having this discussion."
Voldemort pulled away, sitting back in the seat. "I quite like it when you get authoritative with me," he replied, his smirk still present. "Do you speak to your husband like this?"
Bellatrix scowled at him. "You know very well what he would do to me if I did." She looked over at him with a frown. "You scare me less, as you know," she continued, her voice soft.
Looking into her eyes, serious now, he brushed hair back from her face. "If it's that awful, why do you stay? When you have options? Do you think I am incapable of protecting you?"
Shaking her head, Bellatrix looked away from him. "Of course I don't think that," she said softly. "But you've wanted me for… almost three years and…" She looked up at him, seeing his face was blank. "You might have what you want and… and then get bored." She looked down at her lap, dreading his reaction to that.
He was silent for a moment, and then he laughed. He stood up, heading back to his desk, still laughing. Bellatrix scowled at him, sitting back into the seat of the sofa.
"Bella, you really don't understand," he said, once he'd finally stopped laughing. "You think you know everything about men and what we want."
Bellatrix rolled her eyes. "You're a simple breed normally."
"Yes, simpler than you think," he said, still grinning at her. "Why would I invest my precious time in you if I all I wanted was a fuck?" he asked. "Do you think I am attached in any way to the women I sleep with?"
Shrugging, Bellatrix looked down at her hands. She tried to forget he did.
"I am not joking when I ask you to marry me."
She looked up, seeing his expression now serious and his gaze on her intense. "I am not joking when I refuse you," she replied quietly. "I am already married. Divorce is not an option for me, I will be disowned."
"Fine," Voldemort said with a nod. "I'll kill him. I don't need him."
Feeling frustrated, Bellatrix stood up and headed for the window where she could hide her emotions.
"With you by my side, this war could be won."
Bellatrix didn't reply. She had nothing to say. How could she be responsible for the murder of her own husband?
"Did you need me for something?" she asked him, turning to look at him.
"I summoned you to talk some sense into you," he said, standing up and approaching her. He grabbed her hand. "Do you think I am unaware of how he treats you?" His grip tightened. "It's all I can see when I look into your eyes. He treats you like his whore – worse than his whore."
Bellatrix flinched at his words.
"I don't even think I've seen half of it."
"You can be my guest," Bellatrix snapped, looking directly into his red eyes.
"I don't want to see," he hissed back, letting go of her. "I want to erase it from your memory. I want to erase him from your memory."
"You can't," she said flatly, looking away. "You like me damaged."
"Why would you say that?" he asked, and Bellatrix could hear the anger in his voice. "I liked the undamaged Bellatrix I met at her wedding more than this version."
Bellatrix looked up at him, her mouth open in shock. "What?" she asked, feeling her anger surge. "You're just as bad as him! You would change me too!" She moved towards the door.
"Bella, that's not what I meant," he said, coming after her and taking her hand.
Bellatrix wrenched her hand from his grip. "Fuck off," she snarled angrily, grabbing the door handle. "You're just as bad. Why will nobody just let me be me?" She turned, looking up at him and glaring. "Don't summon me unless you have something important for me to do. I am not interested in being fucked with." She pulled the door open angrily, slamming it behind her.
As she walked down the stairs, she realised he must truly care for her. She had never heard anyone raise their voice to him, let alone swear directly at him, and get away with it. She smiled to herself at that thought.
She got home to an empty house, and wondered why she kept being so loyal to Rodolphus. He wasn't loyal to her.
x-x
Bellatrix was awoken the next morning to a searing pain in her arm. She sat up groggily, sighing as she looked at her mark. It was black. She glanced around her, noticing that Rodolphus had not come to bed. She headed into the bathroom, turning the shower on and deciding that she was not going to go to the Dark Lord, knowing he would want to talk about last night.
Five minutes into her shower, Bellatrix's mark burned again. She sighed, rinsing shampoo out of her hair. Honestly, if he thought that he was going to get her by causing her pain, he was going to have other ideas coming his way. She would go to him when he was good and ready.
She stepped out of the shower and back into their bedroom to dress. She jumped as she heard a loud bang from downstairs, and hastily pulled a robe over her head to go and investigate. As she got to the hallway, she could hear shouting. She ran down the stairs, seeing the Dark Lord below her in the hallway. Eyes wide, she stopped dead where she was. He had come for her.
"What have you done to her, Lestrange?" she could hear him shouting at her husband.
"I haven't touched her," Rodolphus replied, his voice hoarse. She suspected he was very hung over.
"Then why is she not responding to my summons?" Voldemort snarled, and she noticed his wand in his hand.
Inhaling deeply, Bellatrix descended the rest of the stairs.
"I have chosen to ignore your summons, my Lord," she said, reaching the bottom of the stairs.
He spun around to face her, his expression changing to that of surprise when he saw her dripping wet hair. Then she could see the desire on his face, and she wished she was his.
She looked towards Rodolphus, who seemed to be slightly confused, but definitely suspicious.
"What is going on?" he asked, narrowing his eyes at her. "I swear to Merlin, Bellatrix, if you have touched him I will not be responsible for my actions."
Bellatrix didn't even have time to process what he'd said before Rodolphus was on the floor under the Dark Lord's spell. She rounded on him and glared at him. "Stop it!" she screamed at him. Voldemort half frowned at her for a moment, but then to her surprise stopped the spell in the next moment. She recoiled, staring at him, unable to believe that he'd done what she said. Then he grabbed her wrist, pulling her away from Rodolphus.
"Come and live with me," he murmured into her ear. "I would never lay a finger on you. You could have your own rooms, if you wanted. I would protect you from him."
Bellatrix pulled her hand from his. "My Lord, he is my husband," she said, frowning. "You are putting me – us – in a very difficult position. I beg of you to reconsider your position." She stared into his eyes, for what felt like forever, before turning back to Rodolphus and helping him up.
She was half relieved and half disappointed when she heard the loud crack of apparation behind them.
"Are you alright, Roddy?" she asked, putting her arms around him. She could smell the alcohol on his breath but she knew better than to comment on it. "Do you want some breakfast?"
"Yes," he said, his voice slightly cold. He pulled away from her, heading slowly into the dining room where there was a massive breakfast awaiting them.
"Did you have a nice evening?" Bellatrix asked, trying to keep her voice steady as she poured them both coffee. "Did you see Evan?"
"Never mind my night, were you at his house again?" he asked, filling his plate, glaring at her as he did.
"He summoned me for some writing assistance," Bellatrix responded softly.
"So what was that all about?" Rodolphus pressed, eating although Bellatrix could tell he was getting angry.
"He saw a memory of.. of a bruise," Bellatrix mumbled, looking down at her plate. "You know it's just a control thing, Rodolphus, if I'm going to have a bruise then he wants it to be of his making."
"You let him see deliberately," Rodolphus snapped, spearing a sausage angrily before eating it.
"I didn't," Bellatrix replied, shaking her head. "I can't always help it, Roddy, the worst memories are hardest to hide…"
"And I suppose that's my fault?" Rodolphus snapped, putting his knife and fork down and standing up, leaning over the table.
"That's not what I meant," Bellatrix said, biting her lip. "Rodolphus, please…"
"I want you to give it up," Rodolphus said abruptly, glaring across the table at her.
"Give what up?" Bellatrix asked, frowning.
"Your mark," Rodolphus snapped, leaning over the table further. "You will go to him and tell him you want to concentrate on being my wife, that we are planning for a child."
Bellatrix gasped. "But we are not planning for a child, Rodolphus."
Rodolphus slammed both his hands on the table. "Then lie!" he shouted. "You cannot be loyal to both of us, so make your choice, Bellatrix!"
Feeling tears in her eyes, Bellatrix stood up, facing him. "Please, Rodolphus, please don't make me give my mark up," she said, hating how weak she sounded. "It's impossible to lie to him, you know that."
Rodolphus reached forward, grabbing her by the hair and dragging her across the table. Bellatrix screamed, realising she'd knocked the scalding coffee onto her leg. "I don't give a fuck," Rodolphus snarled, pushing her onto the floor by her hair. Bellatrix sobbed loudly, feeling scared about what he was going to do. His boot made contact with her abdomen and she fell over backwards, slamming her head onto the floor with a loud thud. She could hardly see, but she saw his fist heading towards her face and she cried out as he hit her on the other cheek this time. "I am sick to death of hearing your fucking excuses. I know you are his whore, and I will not stand for it."
Bellatrix could hear a loud ringing in her ears as she hastily pulled herself along the floor away from him. She felt him grab her by the leg and pull her back to him. "Rodolphus…" she said, hissing in pain as his foot stamped onto her leg.
"Stop being such a fucking drip," he snarled, pulling her to her knees by her hair. Bellatrix was too scared to scream, knowing her wand was out of reach on the table. "The girl I had last night screamed like you just did," he said, crouching down so his mouth was level with her ear. "Cried, when I was too rough. But I didn't pay for her, so I killed her. I paid far too much for you to kill you when you piss me off." He released his hold on her and she dropped to the ground. "Funny that, it makes you more of a whore than she was."
Bellatrix opened her eyes, noticing that there was blood on the floor. As she heard him walking out of the room, she realised that the blood must be hers. Feeling genuinely scared for her life now, Bellatrix knew that she needed help, and she knew that there was only one person that would be able to offer that help without having a total melt down.
She dragged herself up to the table, grabbed her wand and disapparated. When she re-appeared, she found that the magic had made her feel dizzy and sick. There was no way she was going to make it up the stairs to find him. Hardly thinking, she rolled over onto her side and pressed two fingers against her dark mark, struggling to keep her eyes open. The room was spinning and she was violently shivering.
Hearing footsteps hurrying down the stairs, Bellatrix felt herself relax slightly. She knew he would look after her. "Fuck," she heard him say, before she felt his arms around her and realised he was picking her up. The motion made Bellatrix's stomach turn and she suddenly realised she had thrown up over herself, and more disappointingly, him. "It's alright," she heard him say soothingly, and she realised that she was whimpering. She felt something soft and warm beneath her. "He can't hurt you here." She heard him murmuring various spells, and the pain started to fade. "He'll never hurt you again."
Bellatrix opened her eyes, smiling slightly as she caught sight of red eyes looking back at her. She closed her eyes again, feeling sleep take her.
x-x
Bellatrix awoke with a start, wondering where she was. Then she realised that her body hurt all over and she remembered what had happened. She looked around her, noticing that the Dark Lord was sat on a chair next to the bed, but was kind of slumped over the bed, apparently asleep. Bellatrix smiled slightly, it was strange seeing him do something so human, and also kind of sweet that she was in his bed and he hadn't got into the bed with her.
"My Lord," she whispered, hoping that would wake him. She really needed a drink but was afraid to move. "My Lord!" she said again, slightly louder this time. He sat up with a jump, staring at her.
"You're awake," he said, rubbing his eyes slightly.
Bellatrix swallowed, looking at him. He really was handsome. "Would you mind…" she started, feeling nervous. "Some water…"
"Of course," he said, standing up and disappearing into his bathroom for a moment. He returned with a glass of water, and he carefully handed it to her. "How do you feel?" he asked, watching her sip it.
"Sore," she replied, passing the glass back to him. "Thank you, my Lord," she said, looking up at him. "For everything."
He sat back down, putting the glass on the table next to the bed. "It's my fault you're in this state. I didn't think he'd do this."
Bellatrix shrugged. "Probably still drunk."
Voldemort shook his head. "You deserve better," he said quietly. "Please don't go back to him. You could have died." He sat back in the chair, observing her. "And then where would I be?"
Bellatrix laughed softly, even though it made her head rattle. "You'd cope, my Lord." She breathed deeply, feeling tired again. "Do you mind if I go back to sleep?"
"I think I should insist on it," he said, smirking at her. He lent forwards, pressing a kiss on her forehead. "It's the middle of the night."
Smiling at him, Bellatrix realised she wanted him to stay close to her. "You… You could get into bed with me, if you wanted," she said quietly, closing her eyes. "It's your bed."
"You wouldn't think me wrong?" Voldemort asked after a moment.
Bellatrix shook her head, too tired to find the words. She could hear him moving around the bed, before realising that he was next to her. A minute later, she felt one of his arms loop around her waist.
"Goodnight, Bella," he murmured into her ear, and Bellatrix could not remember a time when she felt so safe. Rodolphus hadn't put his arm around her in forever.
x-x
Bellatrix awoke the next morning, remembering straight away where she was and what had happened. She tilted her head, noticing the Dark Lord was still holding her tight. She could see his eyes were closed and that he was still asleep. Fascinated, she turned around slightly so that she could see him better. His eyelashes were really dark and thick laid on his cheeks.
She jumped as his eyes snapped open, and for a moment she was scared of him, until his face split into a gentle smile at her. "Bella," he murmured.
"Sorry to wake you," she replied softly, smiling back. "It's just… You're so handsome."
Voldemort smirked at her. "I know what you think about me. You've never once used Occlumency against me, apart from when you were learning it."
"All of me belongs to you," Bellatrix murmured. "My Lord. I think my heart belonged to you… The moment I first met you."
He stroked her hair, very gently. "And I… Have a feeling that my heart has always belonged to you too, Bella," he said, really slowly.
Bellatrix swallowed deeply, staring at him. "My Lord… I don't know what to say."
"Don't," he said, smiling at her slightly. "You don't need to. But you do need to consider your own safety, and the safety of any children you might have."
"I don't love him," she said, quietly. "I've tried… I've desired him but… He's impossible to love." She glanced towards him. "You, my Lord… Are supposed to be the darkest wizard of our age… But you're not impossible to love. At all." She could feel tears welling up in her eyes; somehow she'd fallen in love with the Dark Lord.
A tear spilt over the edge, and his fingertips were there instantly, wiping it away. "Marry me," he murmured. "I've never meant something more. I will kill him."
Bellatrix shook her head. "He doesn't deserve that."
"Think about what you deserve," Voldemort said quietly. "What we deserve."
Bellatrix felt more tears spill onto her face. Voldemort pushed her onto her back, kissing her tears away. She felt absolutely stunned, he was everything and more she thought he'd be.
"I have fallen in love with you," he murmured into her ear. "I do not understand it. I have never been in love before." He pulled back, looking into her eyes, frowning. "I did not think it possible for me."
Bellatrix frowned. "Why?" she asked. She knew he used the darkest of dark magic, but that was no reason not to be able to love.
He stared at her for a moment, before pulling back and lay back down next to her. "I can't tell you why," he said, finally. "Not yet. Maybe… When you belong to me completely." He glanced over at her. Suddenly he was laughing. "How have we come to this, Bella?"
Bellatrix snorted. "You're not allowed to be surprised, you're the Dark Lord. I'm the surprised one."
Voldemort chuckled. "Believe me, I never thought I would feel like this for anyone. Not in a million years."
Bellatrix shifted closer to him, feeling the heat from his body reach hers. She felt his arm slide around her, and she couldn't remember ever feeling happier or more comfortable.
They lay in silence for a while. Bellatrix could feel her breathing evening out. She shut her eyes, smiling to herself.
"Let me kill him," she heard Voldemort say suddenly, and she opened her eyes to look at him. His expression was serious.
She shook her head. "You need him too much."
"I need you," he retorted sharply, though she knew he wasn't angry with her.
"Rodolphus has killed more high profile Dumbledore supporters than the rest of your force put together," Bellatrix said. "Your cause needs him."
"Our cause," he said, staring into her eyes. "It would be ours."
"It would only be ours if we were married," she replied quickly. "And it would not be ours for long without Rodolphus. Your cause must be more important to you than I am."
Voldemort didn't answer her, and Bellatrix was temporarily stunned. His lack of answer seemed to suggest that she was of more importance to him, then his cause.
"Isn't it, my Lord?" she said, her voice slightly high pitched.
"Not exactly," he replied, catching her gaze. "I want an heir. I could think of no woman better for this than the one I have fallen for." Bellatrix swallowed very deeply, looking at him with wide eyes. "My child will not bear the Lestrange name, Bellatrix."
Bellatrix could feel tears coming to her eyes, and slowly, they began to trickle down her face. "I want to say yes," she said, thickly through the tears.
Voldemort's fingers found their way to her face, wiping them away. His expression was completely different to one she had ever seen on his face before. He had completely let his guard down. "Say yes," he murmured. "Rodolphus is nothing to me. He should be nothing to you." He moved his face closer to hers, put his hands gently into her hair and kissed her.
Bellatrix could see stars; it was such a beautiful feeling. He felt so right against her in every way, they were a perfect fit. She felt her heart soar – there was no way that any part of this could be wrong. She could be free from Rodolphus, she could be safe and she could be the most important thing in the world to someone. She had no doubt in her mind that Voldemort loved her more than Rodolphus ever could. And she loved him. Voldemort pulled away from her, staring at her longingly.
"Yes," she breathed, leaning forwards and kissing him briefly.
"You will want for nothing," Voldemort told her, his expression serious. "I mean it, I will give you anything you desire."
"All I want is you," she said. "You are perfect, my Lord." She caught sight of a suddenly strained expression on his face, and it made her nervous. "What is it?" she asked.
"You should call me by my name," he said, slowly and quietly.
Bellatrix was surprised, but nodded. "Volde-"
"No," he cut in sharply. "My real name." Unsure of what that was, and wondering if it was in fact Marvolo, Bellatrix decided not to respond. "It's Tom," he said, so softly, Bellatrix was unsure if she had heard him right.
"Tom," she said, testing the word out.
She noticed his flinch. "It's not the most traditional wizard's name," he said, slightly defensively. "But it was the name that my mother chose for me."
"I love it," Bellatrix said, feeling slightly shy all of a sudden. This was unknown territory for her, as she suspected it was for him. "It will be our secret, Tom."
He looked across to her, a small smile reaching his face. "My middle name is Marvolo."
She smiled. "I wondered where that had come from." She touched her ribs tentatively, feeling a deep ache developing. "My chest is sore."
Voldemort slowly sat up, looking down at her. "I've got something you can take for that."
"Thank you," Bellatrix murmured. "Is anything broken?"
She watched as he slid out of bed. "No," he said shortly, disappearing into the bathroom. Bellatrix wasn't sure that she believed him. He emerged a moment later with a few bottles of potions. "One of these will help." He set them down on the table next to her, before sitting on the bed beside her. He ran his hand across her forehead, before leaning over and pressing a gentle kiss against the same area.
"I love you," Bellatrix murmured, looking up into his eyes. "It's a strange feeling, saying it out loud, but I love you with my entire being."
"I promise I will never hurt you," he said, his voice soft and warm. "You are perfection."
Bellatrix pulled herself to a sitting position, wincing at the pain in her chest and legs.
"Careful," he murmured, reaching out with one hand as if to catch her if she fell.
"Kiss me," Bellatrix said, staring into his red eyes.
He hesitated. "You aren't well."
Bellatrix rolled her eyes, grabbing him at the back of his neck and pulling him closer. "I am well enough for a kiss," she replied, feeling very nervous about the next word that left her mouth. "Tom."
Voldemort smiled slightly. "I can't deny you anything," he said quietly, looking directly back into her eyes. For the first time, Bellatrix didn't think he was reading her thoughts. He was just staring as if transfixed.
He lent closer, one hand finding its way gently into her hair. His gaze was very intense, the most intense she'd ever seen. Their lips met, and Bellatrix wondered if she'd gone to heaven. He felt truly perfect against her. The kiss deepened and she found her hands in his hair, pulling him closer. He shifted on the bed, increasing their contact. He was surprisingly gentle. Bellatrix had always expected him to be a rough lover – although this was different for both of them. She'd never been in love before either.
As he pulled away, Bellatrix looked up at him, breathing heavily in desire. "I want you so badly," she said, her hands at his robes.
"No," he said firmly. He reached over, picking up a bottle of potion and handing it to her. "You are already in pain. Being intimate will not help."
Bellatrix took the potion from him, uncorking the bottle and swallowing it's contents.
"That's going to make you quite sleepy," he said after a moment of silently looking at her.
"I don't want to go to sleep," Bellatrix replied indignantly.
"I don't want you to either," Voldemort responded, smiling. "But you have to heal and sleep is going to make that happen much faster."
Bellatrix could feel her eyes drooping and she slid back down the bed to lay down. "You're the most beautiful man I've ever seen," she said, her voice thick with sleep. She smiled. "And now you're mine."
She felt his lips press against her forehead and him drawing the duvet up around her neck.
As she slept, the man with the red eyes from her dreams had stopped laughing at her. He was content too.
x-x
Bellatrix woke up, feeling disorientated. She couldn't work out where she was to begin with, although once she remembered the feelings of fear, arousal and love descended on her all at once.
She slowly sat up, testing the pain. It wasn't that bad. She slid her legs out of the bed and stood up, slightly shakily. Her leg hurt. She looked down, seeing that she was wearing a long black silk nightdress. It was nice, actually. She smiled to herself, thinking about the Dark Lord transfiguring her robes. She slowly headed into the bathroom, shutting the door behind her and sitting carefully on the toilet.
He did have good taste. The room was completely decorated in pale marble, embellished with silver. The bath was humongous. She smiled as she considered how lovely it would be to sink into a hot bath.
The stabbing pain in the top of her leg returned. Bellatrix hitched up the skirt of her dress to look at it properly. She gasped. Her entire thigh was bright red and blistered, and she suddenly remembered the boiling hot coffee that had spilt on her. She stood up from the toilet, feeling very dizzy. Her stomach turned, and she threw up over the beautiful marble.
Gripping the sink, Bellatrix looked into the mirror. She gasped again. Her face was completely white – almost grey – and her eyes were sunken into her skull. She grimaced, pulling back and heading back into the bedroom to find her wand. Shivering, she opening his wardrobe and pulled out a set of robes, pulling them over her shoulders. She walked back to the bathroom, flicking her wand towards the general direction of the vomit and hoping she'd cleared it. She couldn't bear to look at it.
Feeling slightly dizzy again, Bellatrix opened the door to the sitting room. As she did so, she noticed she could hear several voices in the room.
"Bella!" she heard him say. As she looked into the room, she could see Evan and Lucius. "You shouldn't be awake yet."
Bellatrix shook her head, turning her gaze to him. He was standing, staring. "I don't feel good," she said, and she realised that her words sounded a little slurred. She moved forwards, tripping over his robes a little bit.
Voldemort grabbed her to stop her from falling, and Bellatrix felt a sharp pain in her chest as he did. She moaned in pain. "Sorry," he murmured, letting go of her and taking her hand. "Come and sit down." He led her towards the armchair he'd just vacated, helping her to sit down and then crouching in front of her, holding both of her hands. "Do you want anything?"
Bellatrix shook her head again. "I saw my leg," she said softly, looking into his red gaze. She could feel tears welling in her eyes.
"It looks worse than it is," he replied, squeezing her hands. "You need to drink, I will get you some water."
He disappeared from her sight, and Bellatrix was suddenly very aware of Evan and Lucius staring at her. Evan stood up and came closer, pressing a kiss on the top of her head. "I'm sorry," he said quietly. "I should have told them..."
Bellatrix knew he was referring to her parents. He'd said this before. "It's not your fault," she murmured. She turned her face to look at Lucius. He was frowning. "You mustn't tell Narcissa," she said, her voice a bit stronger. "You have to promise me."
Lucius nodded once. "I promise I will not speak a word of this to Narcissa." Voldemort came back with the water, handing her the glass. "My Lord." He turned to look at Lucius, and after a moment moved closer. Lucius was whispering something in his ear, and Voldemort was nodding.
"Yes, good," he said, looking back over to Bellatrix. "Will you go now?"
"I think that would be the better course of action," Lucius replied, bowing slightly. He turned and swiftly left the room. Bellatrix wondered what was going on but couldn't quite be bothered to ask.
Voldemort looked back to her, a sigh leaving his lips. "Bella, I have to go to my office briefly." He approached her, slightly hesitantly, before he bent over her and pressed a gentle kiss to her lips.
"Don't be long," she replied, her voice hoarse.
"I will be five minutes," he responded. He bent closer to her. "Every moment away from you is a lifetime," he continued in a whisper. Voldemort kissed her once more, before leaving the room.
Evan was staring at her, his eyes wide open. "What have you done to him?" he asked.
Bellatrix smiled slightly. "Nothing," she replied, sipping her water. "It turns out he has a loving side."
"Are you sure getting involved with him is a good idea?"
"I love him, Evan," she said simply. "I've never loved Rodolphus."
Evan shook his head. "How could you? Especially after this..." He trailed off, staring at her again. "The Dark Lord said you don't want him to kill Lestrange."
"He's an asset," Bellatrix said slowly, starting to feel sick again.
"He nearly killed you," Evan snapped back. "I could happily go and slaughter him right now."
"He didn't nearly kill me," Bellatrix replied, rolling her eyes. "I've got a burnt leg and a couple of bruised ribs."
Evan opened his mouth as if about to retort, and then closed it again. "Even so."
Bellatrix frowned. "What were you going to say then?"
The door opened and Voldemort came back in.
"Is there something you aren't telling me?" Bellatrix asked, looking between them.
"No," Voldemort said shortly, approaching her. She didn't miss the glare he shot Evan.
"You were defensive earlier when I asked if anything was broken," Bellatrix said, suddenly feeling stronger. She sat up, frowning at them both. "Please don't lie to me. I... I couldn't take it, from either of you."
Evan was shaking his head slightly. When she looked at Voldemort, she could see the conflict on his face. "Can you come next door and try and eat first?" he said after a moment.
Looking into his eyes, knowing she had to trust him, Bellatrix nodded.
"I'll leave you alone," Evan said quietly. He pressed a kiss on Bellatrix's cheek. "I'll come and see you tomorrow if you're up for it."
He stood up and headed towards the door, but Bellatrix was nervous.
"Evan, please don't tell my family," she blurted out. He turned to face her. He didn't look happy, but he nodded once at her before closing the door on his way out.
Voldemort took her hand, helping her up and across the room. He opened the door on the right of the room and guided her in. Bellatrix realised she was in his private dining room. There were two places set at the long table, just in the middle.
"I wasn't quite sure what you liked," he said softly, helping her sit down. "There's so much I don't know about you."
Bellatrix watched him sit down. "There's more I don't know about you."
He looked up at her, nodding slightly. "I thought some chicken and rice would be a sensible thing for you to eat."
"I'm not promising anything," Bellatrix replied. Two plates appeared on the table. She picked up her fork, scooping up a couple of grains of rice and surveying them. "I don't really want this."
Voldemort nodded. "I know. You're still in shock."
Slowly, Bellatrix brought the fork to her mouth and put the rice onto her tongue. It was plain, but the sensation of it in her mouth made her want to throw up. She slowly ate a couple more mouthfuls, before setting the fork down. She noticed that Voldemort had pretty much finished his plate, and she wondered how long she'd been sat there for. Her head still felt a bit strange.
He stood up, walking around the table until he was next to her. He sat down in the seat next to her, turning it so it was pointing towards her. Slowly, he reached across the table for his drink.
"I'm not sure if you eating first was a good idea," he said softly, reaching out and taking her hands. "Bella." He paused, looking up into her face. "There were some breaks."
"Some?" Bellatrix asked, wondering what he was getting at.
"Several," he added. "Ribs…" He looked back down at her hands. "Your head feels strange because you had a fracture in your skull."
"Oh," Bellatrix replied, not really knowing what to say. It didn't feel like her skull was broken.
"I should stress that I have healed you, and am still healing you, Bella," he said, looking back up at her face. "You're not in any danger."
Bellatrix looked into his eyes. There were unspoken words between them, she knew he was thinking that she was safe – unless she went back. "Is there more?" She asked.
Voldemort nodded. "You… you had internal bleeding, from one of the ribs. When you threw up on me when I first found you… It was mostly blood." He picked up her hands, kissing each of them. "He nearly killed you. If you don't believe anything else, you must believe that."
"And that's it?" Bellatrix asked, feeling a bit shivery.
Voldemort tilted his head, looking at her carefully. "Your other leg was broken. It was a clean break though, shouldn't give you any more problems."
Bellatrix sat back on her chair, looking at her hands. She couldn't believe that her own husband had done these awful things to her, during a fit of temper, over nothing. She wondered if that was how his mother had died.
"Are you alright?" he asked gently. "You're not reacting how I thought you would."
Bellatrix shrugged. "I don't really know how to react."
He nodded, looking down at her hands too. "I will protect you from him. I swear he will never get to you again."
Bellatrix nodded, feeling numb. She didn't want his promises at that moment. She wasn't going to get over this easily or quickly.
"I'd like to go back to bed," she said after a moment longer of staring.
"Of course," he said quietly, standing up and offering her his hand. She took it, hardly noticing the walk back to the bedroom. She slid into bed, watching as he drew the covers around her. It was an odd thing to see.
"Tom," she murmured, her eyes closed.
"Bella?" he replied, sounding worried again.
"I can't focus on our relationship at the moment." She opened her eyes, seeing his face was blank. "But I love you."
He nodded. "I wouldn't expect you to." Slowly, he bent over her and kissed her forehead. "Do you need another potion?"
Bellatrix shook her head. "No, I'm alright." Apart from the sick feeling in her stomach, but that was because of reasons other than her physical injuries. She closed her eyes. "I will feel better after some more sleep."
She felt his hand close around hers, and she smiled as she drifted off. Sleeping was easy when he was close by.
x-x
Bellatrix woke up with a start the next morning. She sat up, staring wildly around her. "Bella?" she heard Voldemort murmur.
She turned to look at him, feeling panic deep inside of her stomach. "Where does Rodolphus think I am?"
Voldemort blinked sleepily, sitting up slightly. "Lucius told him you are at his house, with a healer in your own wing."
"And he believed that?"
"Why would be not?"
Bellatrix shook her head, sliding out of bed. "I have to go back, I shouldn't…" She looked over her shoulder at him. "I shouldn't be doing this."
"Please don't go back," Voldemort said quietly.
"I have to," Bellatrix responded, spotting her robes on the ottoman in front of the bed. "I'll be disowned if I don't."
"And?" Voldemort asked sharply, getting out of bed and closing the gap between them. "Why does that matter?"
"It matters to me," Bellatrix replied stubbornly. "I am the only Black left who will follow our traditions."
Voldemort was silent, watching her dress. She turned to face him, swallowing as she noticed the look of sadness on his face. "Please think about what you are doing."
Bellatrix shook her head. "He's my husband," she replied. "Tom, my Lord…" She reached out and squeezed his hand. "He is my husband," she repeated. "I have no choice."
"You know that isn't true." His voice was colder now.
"It's the only truth I can accept," Bellatrix replied, stepping away from him and towards the door. She paused on the threshold, looking back at him. "Thank you," she murmured, feeling incredibly guilty. His expression was blank, but she knew he wasn't emotionless.
"He will kill you, like his father killed his mother."
Bellatrix gripped the door handle. She could feel the tears forming, she desperately wanted to stay but if she did… it would be the destruction of her family name. Swallowing deeply, she wrenched the door open and moved hastily out of it. As she reached the end of the corridor and headed down the steps, she inhaled sharply, rubbing her eyes dry with one hand. She continued to breathe deeply as she left the house to disapparate.
Nerves set in as she arrived back at home. Voldemort was right, and this could be the moment when Rodolphus finished her off.
She didn't have time to overly panic – Rodolphus came out of the parlour, cigarette in hand. He looked her up and down.
"You look like shit," he said, bringing the cigarette to his mouth and taking a drag.
Bellatrix looked up at him, stepping closer. "I don't feel great," she murmured. She frowned, knowing that was probably not the most sensible thing to say to him, as he tending to take that as pushing the blame onto him.
He merely shrugged. "Well, you asked for it," he responded.
Bellatrix could feel her wand in her hand pulsating like it wanted to kill him. She understood why it felt that way.
Rodolphus smirked at her for a moment, before turning and heading back into the parlour.
Gripping her wand tightly, Bellatrix followed him into the room. "I did no such thing," she replied, frowning as he sat down.
He looked up at her sharply. "If you were truly intelligent, Bellatrix, you would keep your thoughts to yourself."
Bellatrix wished she had the courage to stand up to him, but found she could not. A wave of exhaustion hit her and she suddenly wanted to go back to bed. "Yes," she murmured in reply. "I am going to lay down."
"You can go in one of the spare rooms, I am expecting company tonight," Rodolphus shouted after her as she left.
Bellatrix froze at the bottom of the stairs, unable to believe what he'd just said. Although she didn't know if it was true, she wouldn't put it past him. Deciding it was better not to reply, Bellatrix headed up the stairs. It was going to be a long day and night.