Lord Voldemort held up a copy of the Daily Prophet and showed it to the assembled group before him.
"Yesterday's headline," he said, a little smile dancing on his lips. "FLOREAN FORTESCUE - PORTRAIT OF THE ICE CREAM KING."
Bellatrix joined the other Death Eaters in chuckling at the Dark Lord's words. He happily set down the newspaper and picked up a different one.
"Today's headline," he said, pausing for a dramatic moment and cocking up an eyebrow. "BELOVED MINISTRY EMPLOYEE MISSING - THE WORST IS FEARED FOR WILLOW FREIGHTMAN."
Everyone smiled more broadly than ever, and Voldemort tipped his head as he turned his face to Bellatrix.
"Bella," he said, his voice silk in the air, making her shiver. "Do tell."
Bellatrix tipped her chin up a little and nodded. "Yes, My Lord. I went to Yorkshire in the middle of the night and snuck silently into the witch's cottage. I managed to ambush her whilst she was still asleep. I killed her in her bed and Vanished the corpse. I left her front door ajar; I think her cat escaped."
A little rumble of laughter went around the table, and Voldemort seemed very pleased as he said quietly,
"That was very well done, Bellatrix. Very well done, indeed. And you shall be rewarded."
Her lips parted little then. She knew what he meant, even if the others didn't. She'd be given kisses; she'd be touched and more to reward her for her service. Voldemort stared hard at her for a moment, and Bellatrix was distantly aware of the way the others were observing the silent exchange. Finally Voldemort snapped his face to the rest of the table, and he noted,
"Enid Nott has passed away from dragon pox. Mulciber, she was your mother-in-law. Nott, she was your aunt. You both have my condolences. I would like everyone here to be at the funeral tomorrow. Am I understood?"
There were murmurs of yes, My Lord around the table. Voldemort dismissed everyone, and just before he left the room, Rodolphus gave Bellatrix a small smile and a wave. Her stomach pulled a little. These last three weeks, Rodolphus had spent half his nights in a separate bedroom at Castle Lestrange and half his nights at Edwina Fawley's flat in London. But he was friendly toward Bellatrix, and she would never complain aloud about the workaround she and the Dark Lord had agreed upon.
She lingered in the meeting room without permission. Once everyone had gone, she drummed her fingers on the table and asked simply,
"Have I made you proud, My Lord?"
He nodded. "Oh, yes, Bellatrix. I am very proud. That witch disappeared into thin air. They've no proof it was us. They may all think it was, know it was, but you've injected fresh fear into them. You have served me perfectly. And I meant what I said about a reward."
She smiled a little, but she was surprised to see him reach into his outer robe and pull something out from a pocket inside. It was silver and glinting, and when he held his fingers up, a little pendant fell from a silver chain. It was a round emerald surrounded by little shimmering diamonds, and Bellatrix gasped. Voldemort rose slowly and said,
"A token of appreciation… from your master."
She panted a little as he stood behind her, pulled her curls over one shoulder, and fastened the clasp of the necklace. She was dizzy as she touched at the pendant and whispered,
"I'm not worthy of it."
"I have decided that you are," he said rather firmly. "Stand up, Bella."
She did, so quickly that her head spun. She turned to face him, and he planted a little kiss on her cheekbone as he said,
"That was very good work in Yorkshire, Bellatrix. What a very fine soldier you are. I shall see you at the funeral tomorrow."
"Will you be staying with Edwina tonight?" Bellatrix asked Rodolphus as they walked up to the modestly outfitted but large country home of the Nott family. He flashed her an apologetic look, but Bellatrix waved him off. "Enid Nott was her maternal grandmother; I'm sure Edwina's devastated. Perhaps you ought to stay with her for a few days, Dolph. Have the House Elves pack you some luggage so you're comfortable."
He smiled just a little and reached to brush his knuckles over her cheek. "You're one of the good ones, Bella."
That made her heart hurt just a little, for she remembered when he'd stroked her cheek in bed and told her that he loved her with all that he was. But Bellatrix shook off her emotion and insisted,
"Oh, no. I'm no good. Let's go in, shall we?"
They hadn't attended the graveside ceremony, owing to them not being close family, so they arrived at a somber reception. There were buffet tables of dour sorts of foods - miniature meat pies and raw vegetables and plain bread rolls - and a table of glasses that filled themselves with blood red wine. She and Rodolphus mingled with Bellatrix's parents for a few minutes of dull conversation, and then the Dark Lord stepped up to the front of the ballroom. Everyone went hush, and Voldemort waited for silence before he said,
"Enid Nott spent decades committed to the purity of her family's blood. She was a loving wife, a devoted mother and grandmother, an intelligent and skilled witch, and a testament to what we all ought to aspire for in our own lives. May Enid Nott find respite in whatever comes after this world. She will be dearly remembered here. To Madam Nott."
"To Madam Nott!" Those assembled raised their glasses and then drank, and Voldemort was quickly approached by some of the Nott family as the low buzz of conversation took over the room again. Bellatrix's parents drifted off to talk with the Averys, and Rodolphus asked quietly,
"Mind if I go see to her?"
To Edwina, he meant. They hadn't been together long, but they'd latched onto one another tightly. Bellatrix glanced over to see lithe, blonde, pretty Edwina looking tear-streaked in a corner, staring straight at Rodolphus. Bellatrix reached for Rodolphus' fingers and squeezed a little, and she promised him,
"I shall have some luggage sent to her flat for you."
Rodolphus gave Bellatrix a very serious look then, and there was a small flash in his eyes. Suddenly Bellatrix panicked, thinking perhaps he was going to wind up falling in love with her all over again, but he purred,
"You're a very good wife, Bella."
Then he walked away.
Bellatrix could feel Voldemort before she ever heard his voice. As he stepped up beside her, he murmured,
"Yes, everyone knows about them. Nobody really much cares; a few feel sorry for you."
"If they knew my truth, they would not feel sorry for me." Bellatrix turned to face him and sipped from her wine. She gazed up at him and watched his eyes flick to the modest V neck of her black velvet dress. She'd worn the pendant he'd given her the day before, and he stared for just a moment before he looked into his wine glass and assured Bellatrix in a murmur,
"You made the right decision. Keeping him in my service whilst eliminating the threat of his jealousy."
Bellatrix just nodded silently, unable to acknowledge to herself or to Lord Voldemort just how wounded she felt by the absence of her husband's love. Rodolphus had laughed with her, kissed her, caressed her. He had taken her virginity; he'd whispered into her ear that she was beautiful the night they'd married one another.
"Bella."
She looked up, realising her mind had drifted a little. Voldemort seemed thoughtful then, and he mused,
"No dancing today."
She smirked a little and shook her head. "No, I don't suppose there will be much dancing at a funeral, Master."
"Usually, when you and I are in social situations," he noted quietly, "we dance."
"But not today," she repeated, sipping from her wine again. Voldemort's face went very serious then, and he looked around furtively as if ensuring that nobody was listening to them. He cleared his throat and drained his wine glass, seeming to siphon courage from the drink, and he stared at the red smear of wine on the inside of the crystal for a moment. Then he said very gently,
"I am going to say something now, because I can quickly and easily walk away from you once I've said it."
Bellatrix frowned deeply, a spike of fear going up her spine. Was he about to command her to leave him be? Was he about to break off everything she'd built up with him? He shut his eyes for a moment and then raised a hard, dark gaze to Bellatrix.
"I am…" His throat bobbed beneath the collar of his black robes. "I am exceptionally fond of you, Bellatrix."
She almost dropped her wine then. She came so close that he sensed it about to happen, and his fingers went around hers for a moment on the glass before releasing her. He stared down at her, his eyes boring into hers like they'd first done at the Malfoy Christmas party. Bellatrix finally found the breath to whisper,
"Well. I am exceptionally fond of you, too, Master."
"It is unlike anything I have ever experienced," he continued crisply. "I am still not entirely sure what to make of it; I did not actually realise the possibility of this level of… of… fondness."
Bellatrix could hardly breathe then. Her dress felt tight all of a sudden; the room had gone very warm. She glanced over to Rodolphus and realised she no longer cared where he slept or who he kissed or loved. She turned her eyes up to her lord and master, to the most powerful wizard who had ever lived, and she assured him in an honest, soft tone,
"You are… everything. Everything, My Lord."
He blinked quickly a few times and licked his bottom lip as he told her, "It has been eight days since you spent the night in my suite at Malfoy Manor. I should like for you to stay tonight. I desire you near me, Bella, as often as possible."
His wine glass was slowly refilling itself, and he sipped again from it as Bellatrix nodded her assent. Then he told her in a stiff, formal voice,
"The necklace looks good; I knew it would suit you. You'll have many more gifts from me, because you deserve them and because I like to give you things, and because… because I am exceptionally fond of you. I'm going to talk finances with your father now. Goodbye, Bella."
He turned and walked quickly away without another word, leaving her standing there grinning at a funeral.
Author's Note: I wanted to get one more quick chapter in tonight! Hope everyone who celebrated Thanksgiving had a happy holiday with friends/family and a very delicious meal! I'm at a concert tomorrow, but I'll try and squeeze in one chapter if I get the chance. Please, if you can spare a quick moment to leave a little bit of feedback, I'd be enormously grateful. Thank you for reading!