Chapter 11 – Forgiveness
The Dark Lord apparated into Draco Malfoy's apartment in Greece, summoned by Bellatrix Lestrange's Dark Mark. He looked around. There was no sign of Draco. The only one there was Bellatrix, lounging on a couch and looking remarkably calm.
"I hope for your sake Bella... that Draco hasn't slipped through your fingers" the Dark Lord said in a low, dangerous voice. "Not exactly" she said calmly. "Then why..." he said coldly, "...isn't he here?" "We thought it was best... that I talk to you"she said evenly, getting to her feet.
"Talk to me about what exactly?" he said in a chilling hiss, crossing the room till he he was very close to Bella. "Draco wants to come back" she said firmly. His hand shot out and tightened around her throat, lifting her off her feet and cutting off her air supply.
"You defy me for the sake of that foolish boy?" he screeched as she tugged at the hand around her throat. "He knows he...made a mistake" she squeaked though a constricted windpipe. "Hes...still loyal...still faithful...please...have mercy."
He let go of her throat, dropping her to the floor. She sprawled across the floor, her lungs taking in great gasps of air and her hands massaging her bruised throat.
"And why..." the Dark Lord said silkily, turning his back on her. "...should I do that?" She got to her feet and walked till she was right behind him. She ran her hands up his upper arms and placed her chin on his shoulder "I can think of one... good reason..." she whispered in his ear.
He turned around, his expression intrigued. "And what... dear Bella... is that?" he said smoothly.
She said nothing but gave him a wicked, seductive grin that left no doubt exactly what she had in mind.
"Are you trying to seduce me... Bellatrix?" he said, amusement and desire mingling in his voice. She move forward a step, putting her face inches from his neck. "I'll stop... if you want me to..." she purred mischievously. She put her hands on his chest and her luscious lips inches from his ear. "Do you want me too?" she whispered in his ear.
He gripped her firmly by her upper arms. Her eyes looked rather panicked and he could feel the tension in her body. He leaned in and kissed her possessively, hungrily, like she was something he could eat..
He picked her up as if she weighed nothing at all and carried her over to the couch. He kissed her again, his weight settling on top of her. His long pale arms went her, his hands resting in the small of her back.
She felt surprised and rather gratified that he still wanted her like this.
Despite her fear of him she still felt something when he kissed her. She had wanted to be close to him for so long, wanted exactly this for so long. The only reason she had not approached him like this in a long time was that she knew he could not love her. She had used to love him... a part of her still did... but he would never be able to love her back.
The Dark Lord wasn't capable of feeling or even understanding love. Hadn't he shown that the night he tried to kill Harry Potter and been reduced to something barely alive by his own rebounding curse? She had known then that he could never love her.
However she would risk falling in love with him again, risk having her heart broken by him again... if it would save Draco's life.
