LoveSKINS94, white-walker89, OpheliaBlack, hintermhorizont - Thank you all for your reviews. I know this is darker than Hermione's side of things but it was hardly to be expected that Voldemort wouldn't throw a hissy fit. Also, is it just me or does he appear to run a very sexist organisation? I am still trying to follow what happens in the book, although obviously most of this is made up because we don't actually see this side and it suits my nefarious purposes ;)
Being under what was effectively house arrest, life at Malfoy Manor, went from bad to worse. Bellatrix concealed the fact that she had the Mudblood's wand, as there was no telling, given everything that had happened, when she might really have need of it. Her knife was deadly enough to keep most at bay and those it didn't, well, she had put up with worse and at least she didn't have to go home to Rod. Narcissa on the other hand, was constantly worried about Lucius, whom she had not been allowed to see and Draco, who had withdrawn into himself and rarely left his room. Bellatrix was worried about her.
Snape was the only one allowed to occasionally see the elder Malfoy, who gave them any information on his well being and he had only said, that given everything, Lucius was holding up well. Most of the Death Eaters, were too worried that it might be their turn next to do any real harm and those that did, so far he'd been able to successfully heal the damage. Even Bellatrix thought that was hardly reassuring, yet did not know how to fix it.
The days turned into weeks, there was no news of Potter or his friends. Ollivander could not be found, nor the Goblin and Hermione had again, been nowhere near room 5.
Bellatrix was not stupid, nor she knew was the mudblood. For all she had told Snape that they would be together, the life debt was broken, Hermione would not come near her now. Pushing the thought away, she tried to please Her Lord, did all that was asked of her but nothing ever appeared good enough, to sate his rage.
It was only when she was alone, in the deep of night, that she allowed herself to dream a little; dream that it was not the broken life debt that made Hermione stay away, that it was circumstance alone, that she could not get away from her friends, that she would come to her if she could… and just as she had found herself clinging to the hope that Her Lord would come, while she was suffering in Azkaban; she now clung to the hope that Hermione, some how, would get back to room 5, even if she could not go to her, just so she knew she was safe.
The sisters had taken refuge in the library, Narcissa only once being bold enough to remind the men milling around, that they were guests in her house. They had laughed unpleasantly at her, told her that they were the Dark Lord's guests and that she should know her place. It was here that the door opened, one day just after dinner and her husband was pushed, unceremoniously into the room and collapsed in a heap on the floor. Narcissa moved quickly towards him while Bellatrix went over to the cabinet, to which they had transferred some medical supplies from Cissy's room, more in hope than expectation, of this eventuality.
#~~~#
It was odd, Hermione thought when the day finally came. She knew every inch of this body, had traced it's scars; felt it's need; had touched it; tasted it; desired it and felt the thrill of it coming apart in her arms. This however, was a whole other level of intimacy. This was... her thought was derailed by a sudden pain in her left shoulder that made her aware of other things. No wonder Bella was usually cranky if she felt like this. If they both came out of this alive, she was taking her lover to a muggle osteopath, although she supposed she'd have to remove her wand first. She looked down at it, so much death and destruction bound up in walnut and dragon heartstring and shuddered, then wondered how Bellatrix was. She had tried not to think of her, knowing it would do no good. She could not get back to her after all, could not even go to room 5 while she was sharing with Luna. It was madness, she should have known from the beginning that this couldn't end well but really, she hadn't thought about beginnings or endings, it had started as heat and craving and wantonness and before she knew it... Griphook, she noticed, was staring at her intently, his look was... she finally decided on malevolent, but could not tell whether it was aimed at Bellatrix or herself. Drawing her body up to it's full height, which was taller than she was used to, she channeled her lover and sneered at him, his eyes narrowed for a second and then he nodded as if satisfied, opened the door and then there was no more time for contemplation.
#~~~#
They were sitting in the library again, when both Bellatrix and Lucius gripped their arms in pain and looked at each other, not knowing why they had suddenly been summoned. Lucius, since he had been able to sit up, had not left Cissy's side but now they had no choice, "get Draco down here" he said, "we'll be back as soon as we can". Walking over to the bookcase, Bellatrix grabbed the wand just in case, knowing her brother-in-law no longer had one. In a house full of potential enemies, they had, if not become friends, at least managed to maintain an entente cordiale. Disapparating at once, they found themselves at Gringotts, the grand bank now a swirl of smoke and rubble, a large hole in the floor, Goblins on their knees facing the Dark Lord. Keeping well back in the shadows, they heard his voice, high and cold, talking to the figure at his feet.
"What did you say to me?" The goblin was trembling, "Say it again!" murmured Voldemort. "Say it again!"
"M… my Lord" stammered the goblin, "m… my Lord… we t… tried t… to st… stop them… im… impostors, my Lord… broke… broke into the… into the Lestranges' v… vault…". Bellatrix pressed herself further back into the darkness. This could not be happening, this could not…
"Impostors? What impostors? I thought Gringotts had ways of revealing impostors? Who were they?"
"It was… it was… the P… Potter b… boy and t… two accomplices…"
"And they took?" he said, his voice rising "Tell me! What did they take?"
"A… a s… small golden c… cup m… my Lord…"
There was a scream of rage and on instinct she grabbed Lucius's arm and made a run for the door, as Goblins and Wizards alike started dropping like flies all around. She did not head towards Knockturn Alley but instead ran towards the Leaky Cauldron, her companion dragging her back slightly, though he tried to keep up. Her brain finally catching up with her body, she realised she could not reach the comparative safety of Room 5 with Lucius in tow and for Cissy's sake she couldn't leave him in the state he was in, even as he stumbled and nearly brought them both down. Finally, she stopped and said, "we'll have to apparate back to the manor".
"No…" he rasped out, "need a floo first" and gathering his strength, they hurried the rest of the way to the pub.
This could not be happening, this could not be happening, she paced to and fro, trying to think. Her Lord had given her the cup years ago; told her to keep it safe, that it was important to him, if Potter now had it, what did that mean? The accomplices, was Hermione still with him? The blood traitor? Were they laughing about it even now? Laughing at her? No, whatever else happened, she knew deep down that the mudblood was hers, didn't she? There was no time for this now, the Dark Lord would not suffer without making sure those around him did so as well.
Lucius meanwhile grabbed some floo powder and threw it into the fire, "Headmaster's Study, Hogwarts" he said, hoping he was there. "Severus, meet me at the Manor quickly" he said, poking his head through, heedless to the danger. Only then did he turn to Bellatrix and grabbed her as his knees gave way.
They met him at the gates "Potter's broken into Gringotts" Lucius said, "you must get Draco away from here".
Snape merely nodded and grabbed the arm that Bellatrix was not using to hold him upright and between them, they helped him back inside the manor, the few death eaters still around, too surprised to challenge them.
"Draco, you are to go back to Hogwarts with Severus, now" Lucius said as they burst into the room.
"No" Narcissa said loudly as they both looked up from where they were sitting, huddled on the library sofa.
"Cissy, he must" Bella argued, "Gringotts has been broken into, Our Lord's temper is..." even now she could not say it, "wizards were falling Cissy" she hissed, "he was killing those loyal as well as Goblins!"
"No" Narcissa said again, clinging to her son.
Severus looked at her for a moment and then said calmly, "You are already forbidden from leaving the Manor. What do you think He will do after this? You need to get the boy to safety!"
Narcissa looked at him, then at her husband and finally at her sister and at this united front that she had never thought to see, she realised the truth of their words. "Draco" she said calmly, "go with your Godfather".
"But mother…" he began as she pressed him to her, then pressed her wand into his hand.
"Go, quickly".
Draco looked at her face and tried again, "no mother, I can prot…"
"Go" she said, cutting him off, then hearing a door slam open nearby, added "now". Severus grabbed the boy's arm and hurried him out of a side door, into the room beyond.
Bellatrix looked on as Lucius made it across the room to Narcissa's side, then a voice from the entrance growled, "Madam Lestrange, I was so hoping we'd meet again" and turning quickly, she watched as Fenrir Greyback came into the room, followed by a group of snatchers.
"Stay where you are" she said, pointing Hermione's wand at him.
"I think you should do the same Bellatrix" Rabastan said coming in behind the snatchers, Avery and Flint behind him. "The Dark Lord won't protect you now" he sneered. "You will give up that wand to us, or suffer the consequences".
Bellatrix raised a brow and calmly walked across the room, putting herself between them and her sister and brother-in-law, never once taking her eyes from those standing by the door. "Three-to-one? You'll need better odds than that Rab, even with the zoo you appear to have collected" she said defiantly.
Greyback snarled and jumped across the room as Rabastan sent a curse heading her way. She deflected it but turned to Fenrir too late to prevent him from backhanding her across the face and staggered backwards before regaining her balance. Lifting the wand, she felt him grab her arm as Narcissa pulled Draco's old copy of the Monster book of Monsters from a shelf. Pulling it enough to loosen the binding, she hurled it at the werewolf. It attached itself to his back with a particularly ferocious bite and he jerked backward, trying to get it off him.
Lucius saw the rest of the snatchers start to move around the side of the room, trying to get closer and with all the strength he could muster, swung up a chair to use as a weapon and went to hold them as near to the door as possible.
Freed of the necessity of dealing with them, Bella smiled nastily at the death eaters, who were now down to two. Flint, deciding he wasn't as stupid as he looked and didn't want to die this young, had backed slowly out of the doorway and away, while the other two weren't looking.
There was the sound of curses and unforgivables, being sent and being deflected, then there was noise from beyond the room and the running of many feet, before a voice they recognised as Rookwood's but could not see, yelled, "The curfew's been broken, Potter is in Hogesmeade".
Lucius turned his head to look at the doorway and a snatcher, taking his chance, kicked his legs out from under him. "Come on Rab", Avery yelled, "you know what will happen if he escapes again!" and as Bellatrix turned to help Lucius, they took their chance and left the room unharmed. Greyback, who had finally removed the book and torn it in half for good measure, had no desire to take on Bellatrix without back up and promptly followed the death eaters, leaving the rest of them to her mercy.
#~~~#
Lucius had just taken an empty glass of firewhisky from Narcissa's still trembling hand, an hour or so later, when his arm started to hurt as much as the rest of him. He looked at Bellatrix and knew she was feeling it too. The Dark Lord had summoned them again and he definitely wasn't happy. Unwilling this time, to leave Narcissa defenceless at the manor, he stood, put down the glass, took hold of his wife's arm and nodded once at Bellatrix, then all three disapparated to the uncertain fate that awaited them.