I have never been one to linger in the shadow. When I kill, I bloody my hand, my breath mingles with that of my victim, and I watch with morbid interest as the light leaves their eyes. But what fun is anyone once they are but a corpse. Forgive me, I do not mean that it isn't cathartic, however you mustn't misunderstand when I tell you I much prefer living people. Torture: that's my poison and I wish that I could tell you that I didn't crave the rush it brings every waking moment of my hollow, black, life.

I was standing in Malfoy Manor when I heard her calling for me: Lilith, shadow dweller, she that hides her talents in cryptic mind reading and muggle star mapping. She was calling my name and I winced at the desperation in her voice for I had a duty to fulfil. I couldn't come running into the arms of a woman who embodied my past, who knew my every weakness… and pleasure. The time for her games was over and had been ever since I realised that she was the only other person who had any power over the tenuous amount of fear and love that still rested in the recesses of my sick heart.

While I was spontaneously pondering how I might murder Lilith, a band of snatchers came bounding into the vast entrance hall of the manor, their demeanour, far too jovial for my liking. With them they carried two young men, and a myriad of valueless trinkets.

"Well, well" I spoke from the shadows. "What have we here?" I stepped into the cool evening light that fell in weak rays through the window to the right of me. I watched every soul in the room leave their body momentarily as their eyes captured my silhouette.

That's right. I smiled maniacally as they cowered in fear, even my own sister, left the room, for she knew she could not bear to witness what came next. She was an impossibly strong woman, but even she had dismissed me as excessively animalistic in my methods. I like it that way.

I had just crouched to the floor to look into the eyes of the boys that the snatchers had dragged in, when I heard Lilith's voice once again, more desperate now, begging for me to come to her. I swallowed and gritted my teeth, attempting unsuccessfully to block her out with occlumency. Then again, I shouldn't beat myself up for that, she was the most powerful legilimens known to wizard kind.

My musings were interrupted by the dim-witted voice of a snatcher, "Here," he blurted and he stepped forward and pushed the boys' wands in my direction, "we caught em' camping out in the forest they were-"

"How dare you address me like that. Filth" I shrieked and cast a body binding curse before the man had even began to reach for his wand. "Do you think" I started quietly then raised my voice in pitch and volume, "I very much care where you found them?" The snatchers stepped back, startled, their triumphant grins, morphed into that of fear. "Will somebody…" I began to circle the entire group of snatchers, occasionally brushing dust of their shoulders, or inspecting the trinkets that they carried, unnerving them with my proximity. I whispered, "…tell me why I have two snivelling teenage wizards, soiling the sacred ground before me?"

"Madame Black," a tall man addressed me, seemingly the ringleader of this unruly band. His face was cruel but cunning, not blunt or crude like the bludgers that he surrounded himself with.

"Well, don't keep us in anticipation. The floor is yours."

"I have reason to believe, Madame Black, that this boy is Harry Potter."

I turned on my heal and clicked my finger. "Draco" I called into the shadow, he stepped forward. "Draco," I smoothed his collar and lead him to where the boys were laying, trembling on the ground, "Is this Potter?"

Draco crouched before him.

Bella! You have forgotten me!

Lilith's voice burst through my occlumency barriers at full force, as though they were as weak as a picket fence, and echoed through my mind. Her voice boomed. Her rasping sobs, her pure, unadulterated rage, consumed my mind entirely, excruciatingly. I could see the Forest of Dean all at once flashing around me, she was moving at immense speed.

"Summon the Dark Lord" I whispered into Draco's ear, as though it were a prayer. I apparated out of the room momentarily.

When my mind had opened to Lilith's it was too late, the Dark Lord was there already, he was occupying it.

My Lord, what brings you to this place? Why are you causing her such pain? What have you said to her?

Bellatrix, look upon her, she is weak, alone, pathetic.

But my lord, you promised me that no harm would come for her as long as I stood by you!

Lilith stopped running and cried my name in a guttural scream.

You will return to Malfoy manor this instant, or I will tear your lover from the inside out. I will be waiting for you there.

The fury that boiled in my gut would have motivated me to crossed oceans for that witch. I would destroy myself in all the most painful ways to save her from her fate, a fate that the Dark Lord had been planning ever since he knew her to exist, for Lilith would bring the union of muggle and magic folk, she would bring the peace and beauty of light to a world dominated by darkness, flush us out, she uses dark arts for good, and that is unacceptable. To degrade our ancient crafts, to commercialise them, make them accessible to all the world.

My body began to tremble with hate as I remembered what she stood for, what she had almost convinced me to be the way forward all those years ago, I spoke with venom: I love, and will only ever love, The Dark Lord. I am devoted to him.

Lilith fell to the forest floor, slamming her fists into the ground and convulsing as though suffering unimaginable torment. She cursed the stars. Then, vast flames sprung around her, magic of a magnitude I had not before seen. The vision was blurred, her mind clouded and tears pricking her fierce eyes. I retreated, her powers, greater than I had ever seen, frightened me.

I returned to the green outside the manor and stared at the ground, numbed by the intensity of Lilith's emotions. It was not the first time her prediction had gone wrong and it wouldn't be the last. That was the only thing that ever unnerved her so, when she read the stars wrong.

I remembered, and I was never likely to forget, the pain of leaving her to face the stars, alone.