Disclaimer: The Harry Potter world belongs to J.K. Rowling. Also, the news article in this chapter is from the actual book. Here is the online source: .com/wiki/Daily_Prophet_articles

Sturgis Podmore, 38, of number two, Laburnum Gardens, Clapham, has appeared in front of the Wizengamot charged with trespass and attempted robbery at the Ministry of Magic on 11 February. Podmore was arrested by Ministry of Magic watchwizard Eric Munch, who found him attempting to force his way through a top-security door at one o'clock in the morning. Podmore, who refused to speak in his own defense, was convicted on both charges and sentenced to six months in Azkaban.

Bellatrix read over her Master's shoulder from a safe distance. The headline, which read "Trespass at Ministry," was on the front page of The Daily Prophet.

"Tsk, tsk," he remarked after reading, "Lucius made quite a mess of that one."

"What?" Bella asked, unable to resist. "Mess of what?" She had a flashback of Narcissa's face the day she had left and the way her voice wavered when she said that everything must have gone wrong…

"What I asked him to do for me," Voldemort replied. "There is something at the Ministry that I want."

She bit her tongue before she could question any more, knowing that he would elaborate when he felt like it.

"Wormtail, did you ask Bella if she wanted some breakfast? Or even something to drink? She is still a guest in this house, and you know I like to treat my guests well," Voldemort called out to Pettigrew, who was hunched over on the floor in the corner. He was sulking as he usually did whenever Bellatrix was in the same room, which was most of the time. After a few nights ago, Voldemort had stopped trusting himself in long periods of time spent alone with her.

Wormtail glowered at Bellatrix but asked her nothing.

"Oh, just some juice and toast for me if you don't mind, Wormtail." Bellatrix smiled prettily at him. He got up and trudged to the kitchen, hating her. He had half a mind to spit on her food, but knew the consequences would be too great if he got caught.

"I asked Lucius to acquire a prophecy for me from the Ministry," Voldemort stated once Wormtail was in the other room. He knew the topic would pique her interest and keep her talking. He couldn't afford for things to go silent – because she would try to fill the silence with the wrong things.

"Prophecy, My Lord?"

"The one concerning Potter and myself," he replied. "The one I didn't get to hear the entirety of. Lucius is supposed to be getting it for me from where it is housed in the Department of Mysteries. As you can see," he gestured at the paper, "he is not doing well. By the looks of it, he tried the Imperius Curse. Would have thought him to be a bit more creative than that."

"He did not seem very enthusiastic about his task," Bellatrix told him, feeling a twinge of guilt as she said it. But I am right. I should tell him these things. How can he recognize his truest, most loyal servants if he does not weed out the bad ones?

"I am glad I have you to tell me these things, Bella." It was as though he had read her mind. Perhaps he had. Whatever the case, she had nothing to hide.

They could say nothing further. Wormtail brought out her toast with nothing to drink. Bella took one look at the toast before Wormtail could walk away from her and said, "It's more burnt than I like it. Try again. Oh, and you forgot the juice."

She was lucky that dirty looks couldn't kill. He took the plate from her and turned to go back into the kitchen.

"Oh, and not too much butter, mind you," she added. He slammed the kitchen door shut behind him, and she giggled mercilessly. She leaned down to whisper in her Master's ear, "Master, how about a Curse for when he comes back?"

He laughed coldly. "For poor Wormtail? But he has been so well behaved lately."

Though he laughed, she could sense his reluctance at having her that close to him. It made her hungry for him; she so wished she could break through that resistance. She wanted that more than anything else in the entire world.

"Not just one teensy Curse?" she asked in a quiet voice, her breath warm on his ear. It was soothing, yet unsettling – fire that yearned to be ice.

He didn't answer, and she backed away slowly. She knew it was pointless, but sometimes she enjoyed his punishments – although, now that she was where she wanted to be, she knew she had to play her cards right to avoid being sent away. She couldn't bear the thought of going back to her husband. Or any of the Melancholy Malfoys.

Voldemort seemed to feel more at ease once she was a distance from him again. Bellatrix frowned slightly and sat on a sofa. He immediately perceived the change in her mood, but did nothing, assuring himself that she would get over it. It was just taking her longer than it did him. Much longer.

Wormtail returned and shoved her breakfast at her, nearly spilling the juice, then began retreating to his usual corner of the room to sulk more. Bellatrix did not thank him. He was less than a person to her now – might as well have stayed a rat.

"Obscuro!" the Dark Lord called after him, surprising him and Bellatrix both. A blindfold went over Pettigrew's eyes. His breath became short, panicked. "Tarantallegra!"

Wormtail's short legs moved uncontrollably, and he could not stand still. He had no idea where he was going and ended up knocking into a bookcase, causing most of its contents to tumble onto the floor. "Finite!" Voldemort cried. "Dear, dear, you're going to have to clean up that mess. Imperio! Now, why don't you pick up those books. Yes, that's it…"

Wormtail was blindly reaching for whatever book he could find. Once he had a firm grasp on one, he proceeded to pick it up and beat himself violently over the head with it.

"Yes, please try to beat some sense into yourself. Now, perhaps you should go over to the fireplace to warm up. Don't want you catching cold," Voldemort told him. Wormtail dropped the book back onto the floor and went to the fire, then stuck his hand in it. He cried out in pain.

Bellatrix cackled. "Yes, Master! I think he is quite warm now. What do you think?"

"Hmm, I suppose so," he replied. Wormtail took his hand from the fire. "Finite Incantatum!"

The blindfold disappeared, and Pettigrew got his wits about him again. He continued to cry out in pain. "It burns, it burns! Oh, cold water! Help!"

Before either of them could react, there was a loud knock, then pounding, at the door.