AN: Here we are, my dears, the final chapter. It's taken a while and I feel like I haven't quite given this story my all (should have updated it sooner) which is a little disappointing but perhaps an edit will be on the cards soon. Still, I'm happy with the ending and I hope you enjoy. Please review!

…

The pain that night had been unbearable.

Lucius was sure that October the thirty-first would be forever imprinted on his brain. And on his left arm, he thought idly. When the Dark Lord had fallen the Dark Marks on each of his followers' forearms had seared with a burning pain worthy of that of the Cruciatus Curse. Lucius was only lucky he had not been in public when the tell-tale sign of his loyalties had shown. Now, the Marks were faded and sorry looking remnants of what was once a glorious marking.

Bellatrix had been in a state like no-one had ever seen when the news that the Potter boy had vanquished their master came out. She had torn down half the manor in fury, upset and disbelief. Narcissa had tried to calm her but there was no use. Rodolphus and Rabastan had arrived within a half hour after the agonising pain stopped and there was no stopping the warped family as they recklessly travelled to find their master.

Now, Lucius sat in the dungeon courtrooms of the Ministry of Magic, playing his part as he always had and hiding his true self. There was a hushed murmur like he had never been a part of that pitter-pattered through the many robed workers of the court. Across the room, he could see Albus Dumbledore. He did not look as though he had just won a war. Instead he looked almost crestfallen, tired and sad. Lucius sneered and had to remind himself of the fact that he could not show any opposition to the man in public unless he wanted to be in Bellatrix's place by next week.

A large, secured door at the other end of the room opened with a groan. Cloaked Dementors surrounded four prisoners as they were shown into the torch lit courtroom.

The ghostly hooded figures led them to a stop in front of four chairs and each of the group took a seat. As the only woman sat down proudly, large enchanted chains leapt to life and bound her wrists and ankles to the chair. She took no notice of them deliberately and held her head pompously high wearing a proud smirk. The Lestrange brothers on either side of her looked as if they would lunge at the preying audience had the chains not existed. Barty Crouch Junior, on the other hand, was shaking and quivering revealing him to be the pathetic little boy that he truly was. Merlin knew why he was caught up in all of this.

Crouch stood up. When he spoke he did not sound himself. It seemed that condemning his own son was enough to break even him.

"You have been brought here before the Council of Magical Law," he said clearly, "so that we may pass judgement on you, for a crime so heinous-"

Bellatrix visibly cringed when Barty started whimpering and pleading his father for mercy. It was embarrassing to be on the same plane as him; such a child compared to the greatness of the Lestranges. Crouch continued talking but Bellatrix did not listen. Instead, her dark hooded scanned the watching jury. Lucius was stiff. She barely even showed recognition as she glowered on past him and this caused a large lump to rise in his throat.

"I now ask the jury," shouted Crouch, "to raise their hands if they believe, as I do, that these crimes deserve a life sentence in Azkaban."

Wizards and witches on the right side of the room all raised their hands… the left side too. Lucius kept his hand by his side with his grey eyes set forward. He could not betray Bellatrix now. The eyes on him were chilling him through. It was clear as he glanced up that many wizards and witches were looking suspiciously on him. One part of him, his heart, was screaming at him to keep his hand down but the other part, his head, was thinking of his reputation, his family, his work. With great difficulty, he too raised his hand. The action was painful; almost as painful as that horrific night he had endured when he lost his master. Bellatrix watched him intently then, her black eyes blazing as his own hazed over. Her poisonous lips parted in disbelief and she gave a slow shake of the head before Barty's screaming distracted her and pulled her from Lucius' cowardly gaze.

Everything after that happened so quickly. The Dementors closed in on them again and Bellatrix could feel their hunger; she knew that they were longing to give them the Kiss. The chains released them all and they were swiftly forced to stand up. Before they were carted out of the room by the death-like creatures' icy force, Bellatrix looked up at Crouch with a glare that could freeze beer and gave him one last threatening message.

"The Dark Lord will rise again Crouch!" she started to bellow, the passion in her voice able to fool anyone as it carried like an ominous vortex throughout the courtroom, "Throw us into Azkaban, we will wait! He will rise again and will come for us, he will reward us beyond any of his other supporters! We alone were faithful! We alone tried to find him!"

The guilt in the pit of Lucius' stomach was rising up in the form of bile and he thought for a moment that he was going to be sick. It took all of his well-practiced pretending to mask the emotion that was threatening to burst free.

The ice-cold breath of the Dementors was on the back of her neck. With one more menacing look to Crouch she swept from the room. She didn't so much as glance Lucius' way. He had betrayed her. After the months of betraying his darling Narcissa, here he had betrayed Bellatrix too.

"I'm your son!" Barty was screaming, "I'm your son!"

Was this all the aftermath of the war was going to be? Betrayal? Lucius had done this to the two most important woman in his life just as Crouch had done it to his own flesh and blood. Lucius' stomach knotted as he thought about being put in that position with Draco's life on the line. What would he have done in that situation? He would have done his job. That was all he had done today. He would have done as Crouch had done because it was his duty and it sickened him. Merlin, he was such a coward.

Lucius, within earshot, heard Crouch muttering, "You are no son of mine," before ordering the prisoners to be taken away.

Lucius couldn't help glancing back to Dumbledore who looked just as he had done before. He couldn't help believing that the old man knew that all of this was causing pain where it was also causing rejoice. The courtroom was in uproar and Lucius took his chance to remove himself unnoticed. He did not feel much for celebrating.

As he wandered through the darkened underground corridors of the Ministry his thoughts were racing so hard that his head began to pound. Bellatrix would never forgive him for what he had done. Yes, she would have had the same fate either way but the principal was there. She trusted him and Lucius had broken that trust. If they ever did see each other again, Lucius knew that things would never be the same between them.

Loving Bellatrix was a losing battle from the very beginning. Now he had a duty to his wife and child and there would be no more dark distractions. Loving Bellatrix was like being lost and, now, he had once again found himself.

-Finish-