Chapter 35

Revelations and Revolution

Rodolphus lay in bed mulling over the days events. Things had certainly changed since yesterday at this same time. His wife was now the one with the power and he was in the crosshairs of Lord Voldemort. Not an enviable position at all. If only that Healer had kept his damn mouth shut. Rodolphus made a mental note that the man needed to have a tragic accident in the very near future. He rolled over and looked at Bella. She was in a deep slumber, obviously dreaming of something good since she had a faint smile on her lips. Dreaming of the Dark Lord taking her away from me he thought bitterly. Damn him to hell, he gave her to me and now he wants her back. But Rodolphus was not keen to give up what he felt was rightfully his; she would never be in another's bed if he had his way.

He glanced over at her wand, which was now on her bedside table, things were definitely going to be interesting.

Bella was trying to suppress her laughter as she slyly flicked her wand. A moment later, a velvet throw pillow hurled itself at Rodolphus's head. He calmly looked up from his Daily Prophet and, with a flick of his own wand; Bella's chair tipped forward and she tumbled onto the hearthrug, laughing hysterically. Rodolphus came and stood over her as she tried futilely to subdue her laughter.

He smacked his wand in the palm of his hand, "You are such a naughty little girl, I think you need to be disciplined"

Her laughter turned to a wicked smile as she rolled onto her back, put her hands above her head and cooed,

"I'm at your mercy, do with me what you will"

Rodolphus sat on her, straddling her waist. He slowly slid his hands up her arms until he was pinning her wrists to the floor. He just brushed her lips with his and she craned her neck, wanting more. He pulled away, whispering,

"I don't think so"

Bella whimpered slightly "Please kiss me" She was wriggling, trying to free her hands from his grasp.

Once they had decided to stop trying to kill each other, Bella and Rodolphus had come to realize that they actually had quite a bit in common. Both were unforgivably cruel, fiercely dedicated to the pureblood cause and both had insatiable appetites for physical pleasure.

"That sounds an awful lot like begging to me," Rodolphus teased as he gently kissed her neck.

As he moved his lips down towards her cleavage, Bella moaned. His rough stubble against her soft skin heightened her desire and she arched her back, urging him on. They didn't even bother to go upstairs, their lust so overwhelming that they made love on the floor, bathed in the flickering light of the fire. Hours later, as they lay exhausted in each other's arms, Rodolphus smiled to himself. Bella was at long last starting to fall under his spell and it had nothing to do with magic. He had the ability to be charming and romantic but it had been so long since had needed those skills he had almost forgotten how effective they could be. It had taken a while but his persistence and eye for opportunity was finally paying off.

It had only been about week after Bella's trip through the window that Narcissa announced that, at long last, she was expecting a child. And though Bella had been very happy about the news, Rodolphus was surprised to find her crying a few days later. The loss of her own baby had affected her more profoundly than either one of them realized. Rodolphus saw this as an opening to show his wife that he was capable of compassion towards her and, in her vulnerable state, she welcomed it. He had held her in his arms until she cried herself to sleep. She had awoken the next morning to breakfast in bed and a husband who, for the first time in his life, felt deep regret. But there was another feeling that drove him even more. It was lust. That first morning that he woke up to her in his bed she had kissed him in her sleep. A sensuous kiss, full of heat and desire, a kiss like no other he had experienced before. It was the longing for that kiss, and what went with it that made Rodolphus work so hard to win the affection of his distant wife. After weeks of romantic dinners, expensive jewelry and beautiful clothes, it turned out to be an unexpected moment that brought the reward that he so desperately sought.

Bella had been sitting on the floor of their bedroom in front of the fire. She was staring silently into the flames hoping to see the face of her Master. Rodolphus sighed quietly to himself, how could he expect to compete with a man whose scope of power was limitless? The man that had been in Bella's life since she was a mere child; made her the woman she was today. As he turned to leave her alone, Bella broke her silence.

"Do we have any more of that wine left that we had with dinner tonight?"

Rodolphus stopped "Yes, would you like me to bring you a bottle?"

Bella turned and her husband could see the loneliness in her eyes, "Will you share it with me?"

He gave her a warm smile "Of course, I would like nothing more. Be right back"

When he returned, he sat down beside her and poured the wine. They sat in silence for several minutes and then Bella muttered bitterly.

"Why do all the men in my life abandon me?"

Rodolphus took a deep drink from his glass before he answered her.

"I don't know Bell, maybe they think you are so strong that you don't need them as much as they need you. Maybe you make them feel too vulnerable. Or maybe they are all fools and don't really know you at all"

"Lord Voldemort knows me. He knows me better than any man ever has" She replied.

Rodolphus glared into the flames, as if daring his Master to appear and defend himself.

"The Dark Lord fears you Bellatrix, you are his weakness"

Bella gasped, "The Dark Lord fears no one, especially not me!"

He put his hand to her cheek "My dear, beautiful little girl, you are so intertwined with him that you do not even see it. He loves you Bella, probably from the first moment he laid eyes on you. You have power over him and he fears that. Fears it so much that he gave you to me, sure that I was incapable of loving you, sure that I could yield a power over you that he could not"

Bella shook her head, "No, he does not fear me, he can't" Her voice broke "Why can't he just love me, why?"

It was at that moment that he knew, knew that he falling in love with this woman that he had tried so hard to despise. He knew because it nearly broke his cold, pitiless heart to see her cry over a man that didn't deserve her. Rodolphus took her face in his hands and looked deep into her tear-filled eyes.

"Because he is not capable of that kind of humanity, he never will be. He will always be just beyond your reach. He is a coward. Not willing to take the risk of loving you completely. I am more than willing to take that risk"

"He will kill you, Rodolphus," she whispered.

"I don't care" was his reply as he kissed her with just a gentle caress of his lips. She pulled back slightly, eyeing him suspiciously.

"Why are you doing this? Why now?"

He took the wine glass from her hand, set it aside and held her left hand in his. The firelight made her diamond wedding rings come to life, sending glittering rainbows dancing around the room.

"You are my wife and I want to be your husband. You are too young and beautiful to pine away for a man that will never be able to fulfill your every desire"

Bella looked back into the fire. She knew Rodolphus spoke the truth. Lord Voldemort could never be the kind of man she needed but she wasn't sure if Rodolphus could be either.

"Do you even know what I desire, Rodolphus?"

He looked her straight on and replied, "You desire my undivided attention, my devotion, my companionship, my passion, my love, my soul"

Before she could reply he leaned in and kissed her again. This time she did not pull back but parted her lips and drew him in. There was a part of her that wanted to resist, to continue to hate him, but it was so hard to say no to a man that had such passion, such unbridled desire. Plus, it didn't hurt that he was so incredibly handsome. She ran her hands up his chest and around his neck, pulling him closer. It was the kiss he had been longing for. Bella was surrendering herself to him and it was extraordinary. Rodolphus had never had any sort of emotional attachment to a woman before and was nearly overwhelmed by his desire to pleasure her. A terrible thought was creeping to the forefront of his mind, what if he wasn't a good lover? It had never occurred to him that he would ever need to please a woman sexually, it was their job to please him and that should have been good enough. Now, with this beautiful, young girl in his arms, he wanted nothing more that to give her what she wanted; what she needed. His fears were soon put to rest as Bella was quite skilled at getting what she wanted from a man and she was pleasantly surprised that he was more than willing to take her direction. Hours later, both lay exhausted, but energized at the same time. If there was such a thing as sexual soul mates, they had found each other. And thus, their relationship had found a common ground on which they could build upon.

In the next several months as Bella and Rodolphus continued explore all that marriage had to offer, other more sinister events were beginning to unfold. The Ministry had upped the ante in its hunt for Voldemort and his sympathizers. Raids were becoming more frequent and many Aurors were just as vicious as the Death Eaters they sought. Bella could tell Rodolphus was worried and that, in turn, made her very nervous.

"Rodolphus, you are so late. I was starting to get worried, is everything alright?"

He had just come home at nearly 11:30 at night and looked as if he had been in a fight.

"No Bell, everything is far from alright" He sighed as he poured himself a very large scotch. "Aurors are everywhere, a damn bloody nuisance they are"

When he sat down, she laid her head in his lap and he began to stroke her hair. For some reason this always soothed him, running his fingers through her soft tresses. Bella closed her eyes and waited until she could feel the tension in his body subside. Once he had relaxed somewhat she dared speak her mind.

"You need my help. The Dark Lord must know, just as well as you do, that I am wasted just sitting in this house. Let me come with you, let me fight by your side" Bella sat up and gave him that look of staunch determination that told him it was useless to say no.

"If that is what you wish love, but be warned, it is dangerous. More dangerous than it has ever been"

Bella took his hand and put it to her lips, kissing it softly "I'm not afraid of a little danger darling. I'm married to you after all"

Rodolphus chuckled "That's true. Now come up here and give us a kiss"

Bella giggled as she sat up, climbed onto his lap and pulled the black ribbon that held his hair back in its sleek ponytail. She loved his long hair. Actually, she loved many things about her husband. He had changed so much; it was hard to believe that he was the same man that had nearly killed her a few months ago. She loved to curl up in his lap and feel his strong arms around her, loved the way he would gaze at her affectionately when he thought she wasn't looking. She was couldn't help herself, she was falling in love with him and she knew he was in love with her. She could always tell by the way a man kissed her. A kiss fueled by love was different than one fueled by lust alone.

The opportunity to fight came sooner than she had expected. The next night Rodolphus came running into the library and grabbed her hand.

"Come on! Do you have your wand?"

Bella nodded and they disapparated on the spot.

When they arrived at their destination, Bella was shocked to see they were outside of the Dolohov's house. The front door was swinging backing forth in its frame, dangling by a single hinge and a large picture window was broken out. They were too late.

"Oh God, Lizzie!" Bella cried out as she ran towards the house. Once inside it was even more obvious that a serious battle had played out. Burn marks scorched the walls where deflected spells had ricocheted, paintings in broken frames lay trampled on the floor and the air was electric with spent magic. McNair met her in the hallway.

"Bella wait! Don't go in there" He tried to grab her arm but she jerked away yelling, "Get off!"

As she walked through the doorway to the dining room she stopped dead in her tracks. Antonin was on his knees cradling his wife. She was covered in blood; her eyes open in a blank stare. Antonin looked up from his grief and Bella could see that Lizzie's throat had been slashed by a broken piece of glass that now lay on the floor next to them. This was not happening, not to Lizzie. Bella wanted to scream but no sound escaped her lips, she was paralyzed by shock and anger. She knelt down in front of them and pushed a lock of Lizzie's hair back into place. Her hair was always in a perfect bob, always.

"What am I going to do without her, Bella?" Antonin sobbed, "She was my whole life"

"Who did this Antonin, Who?"

"Fabian Prewett murdered my wife in cold blood"

Bella nodded, still too stunned to even cry yet. "He will pay"

Antonin grabbed her arm and growled, "He is mine, Bella. Promise me that you will leave him to me"

"I promise," She vowed.

Lizzie's family had come that evening for her body and to make tentative funeral arrangements while Antonin's father had arrived to console his son. It was nearly dawn by the time Rodolphus and Bella finally headed for home. Bella began to undress and as she slowly unbuttoned her robes she noticed Lizzie's dried blood on her hand. Lizzie, who never cursed a living soul, never was a Death Eater, whose only crime was falling in love with one, was dead. Rodolphus, who had been watching Bella, pulled her into his arms. Tears came slowly at first but soon turned to gasping, desperate sobs as she mourned her childhood friend. Hours later, after Bella had finally fallen into a fitful sleep, Rodolphus lay awake. It was apparent to him that the Ministry was taking a harder line on its eradication of Voldemort and his followers. He also knew that Bella and himself were bound to be prime targets. Antonin had a well-protected house but was still attacked. This made Rodolphus very uneasy. Could they be next? He shuddered at the thought of coming home and finding Bella murdered. He curled up next to her and vowed to do all that was in his power to keep her safe from harm.

The funeral of Lizzie Dolohov was held in an ancient church in Cumbria. St.Peters in Heysham village is a small Saxon church first consecrated in the year 976 complete with a cemetery full of intricately carved Celtic headstones, some dating back to the Viking settlers. Bella stood on the site of the ancient burials that overlooked the sea, silently pleading for solace. She had hoped that the spirits of wizards and warriors long gone would give her the strength to face what lay ahead of her. Not just the funeral, but also the fight for power that she had been training for nearly half of her life. The salty air whipped her black hair back from her face as she walked towards the edge of the steep cliff. Tumultuous waves crashed against the rocks below with a brutal fury. Bella knelt down, picked up a handful of pebbles and tossed them over the edge, watching as the unforgiving sea devoured them. Suddenly someone grabbed her arm and pulled her backwards. It was Lord Voldemort. If Bella thought she had been given a fright, it was nothing compared to the look on her master's face.

"I wasn't going to jump" she assured him.

"Of course you weren't, I was just worried you might lose your footing, that's all" Voldemort lied unconvincingly.

Bella smiled affectionately at him for a brief moment and then threw herself into his arms and began to sob.

"Lizzie's gone and she never hurt a soul, it's not fair"

He held her small, shaking frame close as she shared her sorrow with him, trying to soothe her with promises of revenge.

"My beauty, they will all pay. As a matter of fact, you will help me bring down one of the blood traitors who is pivotal in the war against us. We will show no mercy to those that dare defy us"

Bella sniffed and looked up at her Master.

"I have no mercy left in my heart for any of them"