It was nearing one in the morning as Lucius lounged on the silvery silk settee facing the roaring fire that fought fiercely to keep the chill out of the opulent room. He had been reviewing several extremely boring chapters of A Force of Magic, The History of the Ministry of Magic, finally tossing the book lazily onto a stack by the foot of the small ornate sofa. Lucius gave a sigh of exhaustion as he rubbed wearily at his burning eyes and ran a hand absently through his thick brilliant blond hair.

Narcissa had curled her head into his lap hours ago and fallen asleep without a word, her even relaxed breathing comforting Lucius as he worked. Glancing down into her pale sleeping face the smallest hint of a smile stole across his mouth as he dragged a soft fingertip teasingly along her rose petal lips. His smile grew full as Narcissa turned her beautiful face toward him her eyes still at rest and parted her lips delicately releasing the softest moan from her full mouth. Lucius smoothed her masses of silken silvery hair tucking the stray bits away behind her ear suddenly feeling desperate to kiss her but unwilling to wake her for his own selfish purposes even though he knew that he would be warmly received.

Much to his own chagrin, he had let himself fall in love with his future wife and had to work very hard at keeping his true feelings from anyone who might consider this a weakness. He had known all of his life that he, being the only son of Asher Malfoy, would be affianced to one of the three daughters of Caesar Black. Caesar and his father had been longtime friends and business partners and were rarely out of one another's company. After the death of Caesar's brother, Dominic Black, Asher had taken on the responsibilities of all of the business matters that were normally handled by the three of them not to mention caring for the families of Dominic and Caesar as well as his own.

It had taken Caesar a painfully long time to recover from the loss of his brother but through it all Asher had stood by him diligently guarding all that they had worked for over the years. There was nothing that Lucius would not have done to please his father and accepted his fate to marry one of the Black daughters without complaint. Although Lucius had known Narcissa, his entire life there had never been time for him to actually acquaint himself well with the particulars of her personality so things had been awkward between them once there engagement had been decided.

Lucius had not wanted his feelings for Narcissa to become complicated as it was much easier to wed and produce heirs and still be able to focus on the importance of his position with the Dark Lord without having those emotional attachments that his father deemed necessary. It was all to clear to Lucius that these were the things that would be used against a man. It seemed better to Lucius not to love as his father had loved his mother for even God himself had no respect where love was concerned and had snuffed out her young life through the birth of her first and final child. Lucius frowned at this thought as he continued to stroke and study Narcissa. It was already to late, he knew that even now before they were joined by marriage that his heart would be irreversibly broken if something were to happen to her.

Lavinia Crawford-Pennington had been only seventeen when she married Asher becoming immediately pregnant only to leave Asher eight months later with the heir he required and an eternally empty place in his heart. His father had filled his life with Lucius and his work and had never faltered from either one even after Lavinia's sudden death. Lucius knew these stories well for they had been suffocating him from the time he was very small. The stories had not only made him mindful of the burden that his existence had put on his father but also of the shoes he was to one day attempt to fill.

Lucius gritted his teeth suddenly feeling the annoying twinge of a dull throbbing pain that had been plaguing him for hours. Pulling back the sleeve of his sweater he looked again at the murky hint of the mark that resided on his forearm rubbing at it in discomfort and noting the raw feeling that seemed to be growing since he had last been forced out of pain to check it.

As he studied the mark on his arm he began to get the breathless, feeling that something was not right. He had been so wrapped in his studies that he had ignored the irritation as had become necessary since Bella had acquired her mark having thoughtlessly thrust Lucius in to agonizing pain through her slightest emotions on many occasions.

Knowing her emotionally unstable nature, he had done his best to ignore their connection but nothing could make him ignore the suddenly frantic feeling that he felt in his heart as he began to submerge into the cold aching weakness that was calling to him. He gently lifted Narcissa's head and placed it lightly on a soft velvety pillow draping a thick cottony blanket trimmed in satin about her and smoothing back her hair one last time before turning toward the door. Once he had thrown his wooly house robes on, to help fend off the chilling cold of the underground corridors of the Slytherin dorms, he pulled the door closed quietly behind him. Lucius strode grumpily down the hall to Bella's dorm room.

"Ridiculous girl never gives me a moments peace!" He hissed in a whisper to himself sneering as he eyed the door, the draining ache in his wrist becoming sharper as he neared. Through his anger at being disturbed Lucius surpassed the pleasantries of an announced visit and commanded Bella's door open with the password that he had bestowed the day that he had sealed her in for Rodolphus.

"Pravesh", he said forcing the door open to pitch darkness.

The dim torch light from the hall did nothing to brighten the room and fearing being seen entering a female students dorm room at such an hour, not to mention the sister of his slumbering fiancée, Lucius quickly stepped in to the room pressing the door closed. He could feel the strangest sensation of eerie desperation and thought that he could hear low breathy whispering making him uneasy. The room was freezing as Bella had left the window swung carelessly open allowing delicate flakes of snow to drift silently in covering the sill and falling into darkness from the moonless sky above.

"Lumos" Lucius ordered his wand, slightly unnerved at the fact that Bella was lurking in the shadows and not reacting to his forced entry. The dim glow from the tip of Lucius' wand revealed what looked to be the sleeping form of Bella loosely tangled in her sheets. Lucius stood feeling momentarily relieved to find Bella asleep in her bed and undisturbed by his presence. He grinned as his foot hit against something hard and heavy on the stone floor. It was an empty crystal decanter which had been drained of it's contents.

"How predictable." Lucius grumbled bending to pick up the decanter but noticing the liquid spilt all around it. Dipping his fingers into the pool he rubbed them together then touched them to his tongue his expression going stark as he brought his wand down to light the glistening floor.

"No!" Lucius yelled as he grasped at Bella's dangling arm slipping on the liquid and crushing the crystal decanter unintentionally as he pulled himself up on the sopping wet bed.

"Lumos!" He said flicking his wand at the torch on the wall causing a warm flickering light to engulf the chilled room forcing a gasp from Lucius' lips at the sight of Bella.

Her lips pale and without life as she lay deadly still, her skin cold and the color of snow intensified against the blood drenched bedding all around her. Lucius' hands shook as he grasped her arm to find gash after gash carved into her wrist some trickling streams of blood while others had begun to heal, the small, serrated blade still gripped lightly in her hand.

"What have you done?" Lucius demanded franticly as he tried to pull Bella's heavy stiff body forward sensing that she was still alive. Bella's head lulled back and her eyes cracked slightly.

"Go away Lucius. Can't you see that I'm busy?" Bella said nonchalantly in barely a whisper. Lucius dropped her back to the soaking red-black pillows at a loss for what to do. He could smell the brandy emitting from every pore of her body as she hit the sheets and grinned faintly.

"I tried and tried but I can't even seem to get this right." She said weakly lifting her shredded wrist for a moment from it's resting place in the sheets wet with crimson, then unable to hold it out any longer let it drop limp against her. Bella breathed a heavy sigh as she adjusted her head to the side and closed her eyes the image of a sleepy child dropping off into dreams, only Bella was falling into oblivion. Lucius' heart thudded in his chest as he pressed his large hand over a gaping laceration on Bella's neck causing her blood to spill out through his fingers as he again pulled her forward grabbing her desperately by the face.

"Bella! Snap out of it! You must stay awake! You can't do this to me!" Lucius ordered angrily, intense fear in his voice as he tried to lift her. Terrors flowed through Lucius' mind: his father's disappointment, Narcissa and Gwendolyn's heartbreak, Caesar Black's anger and the wrath of the Dark Lord.

"You stupid, selfish girl! Lucius bellowed, his hands shaking as he gripped her frozen body tightly against him feeling her hot blood spill down his chest.

Lucius' eyes shifted swiftly to the window as he heard the flutter of wings and saw the regal falcon, Vishnu, swoop through the open window and land on the solid mahogany footboard of the bed. The bird hissed at Lucius, it's cold black eyes biting into him as he clung desperately to Bella. Vishnu dropped a small silver cylinder on to the bed and then stood inspecting the scene. Lucius released one hand from Bella, her long curls slipping forward as he did, and freed the tiny scroll of parchment from it's container, on it written only four words.

Bring her to me

At reading this Lucius jumped into action sending Vishnu from his judgmental assessment to tear back through the window and into the inky night sky snow swirling from the sill as Vishnu passed. Lucius scooped Bell from the bed and grabbing a hand full of floo powder roughly from the canister on the nightstand he wrapped his cloak about himself and Bella stepping into the fireplace and stating loudly, "Kaala Mahal"

A burst of flame encircled them, Lucius holding Bella tightly to him, then went dark and cold as he stepped out into a wide dark chamber. Lucius could not see movement anywhere through the darkness and he had begun to feel panicked now that his sweater was soaked through with the blood that had drained from Bella's wounds.

"My Lord!" Lucius called out, his voice echoing through the wide hall, his eye unable to focus on anything but the thick darkness, still Lucius stepped quickly into the open space of the room without hesitation.

"My Lord please! I have brought her to you! She needs your help!" Lucius tried to hide his fear but his voice trembled as he cried out feeling the stillness of Bella, the warm rush no longer flowing down over him causing Lucius to shudder knowing that no amount of magic could bring Bella back from death.

"My Lord please she has no more time!" Lucius screamed turning in the dark hall ready to break into tears of sick frustration then hearing the scuff of hard soles on the stone floor, Lucius swung around to face his Dark Lord. He stood only an arms length away suddenly illuminated by several black flickering candles hovering silently about them casting frightening light over his smoothly hansom and unamussed face. Lucius sucked back his shock with a deep gasp, gripping Bella to fight his own fears. The Dark Lord stood gazing at Lucius, his cold eyes stabbing through the dim light as they fell on the tangled girl laying in Lucius' arms.

"Did I not request that you watch over her?" the Dark Lord's voice came in a low menacing growl. Panic stricken at this line of questioning Lucius began to stammer his explanation.

"I..I..My Lord…she was…" Lucius could barely speak, his throat ceasing uncontrollably.

"SILENCE! You imbecile, how can I trust you to guard my interest when you can not even speak coherently?" the Dark Lord spat, a sneer of disgust crossing his cold face as the candle light flickered madly with his words.

"Release her, she will address me herself." He said darkly his voice again quieting to the soft dangerous tone as he eyed Bella's limp form.

"But My Lord, she cannot…" Lord Voldemort's eyes slashed back towards Lucius, a ragging fire caged within them.

"If you speak again, boy, I will leave your father without an heir!" they stood in the thundering echo of the chamber locked at the eyes.

"Now set her down." The Dark Lord said again, returning to the low commanding tone. Lucius let Bella's bare legs slip from his grasp and hearing her naked feet smack lightly to the ground he released her backing away slightly. He remained close enough to catch her in a swoon, as he was sure that she would be unable to stand for more than a moment on her own. To Lucius' surprise Bella stood solid and unwavering in front of her Lord, her slashed neck and wrists no longer draining the blood from her body.

Lord Voldemort looked on her with cruel eyes but there was a hint of satisfaction in the way he set his jaw as his eyes poured over her bloodied state. She was dressed in nothing more than a long thin black satin nightgown that clung seductively to her hips and breasts. She stood with her chin high and her back straight as though she were hung from a string, her eyes barely open.

"Explain this." He said plainly, his voice still angry but his eyes soft as he looked on her.

"I wanted to die." Bella answered bluntly.

"Yet you're not dead." Lord Voldemort said in a light taunting voice with an expression of hateful amusement on his face.

"No." She said, her lids lifting to reveal her dim green eyes returning dull disdain, "Not yet."

Voldemort's amusement vanished as quickly as it had come and Lucius watched in silence, fearing that he would strike out at Bella and kill her for her disrespectful attitude.

"If you wish to bleed my darling, you have but to ask." His voice was calm but his manner was intense as he stood over Bella crushing her with his eyes until she submitted by casting her gaze down at the floor. The Dark Lord in a swift flurry of black robes snatched Bella roughly by the arms and forced her to turn and face Lucius who shook as the focus came back on him once again.

"I feel that you two pampered children need to be reminded of where you stand in MY world." The Dark Lord said with his eyes burning into Lucius and his spiny grip tearing at Bella's soft shoulders. He bent his head, a wicked grin on his face, his eyes still locked on Lucius as he lulled sweetly into Bella's ear. "And who better than I to do the reminding?"

Pulling back, Lord Voldemort's intense gaze relaxed as he let his grip on Bella soften to delicately stroke his fingers along her bare back and shoulders, sending chills to shake Bella at her core. He seemed momentarily engulfed in touching her skin, his face resting placidly above her head, his eyes closing as he breathed in the sweet scent of her hair. Then letting his eyes slowly role open his focus still transfixed on Lucius Lord Voldemort dragged his fingers over the thin straps of the nightgown, catching them and pulling them so that they slid down her arms. The gown fluttered away from her pale skin catching low on her hips exposing her small round breasts and the lean line of her stomach to be licked by the quivering candlelight. Bella's eyes were closed but there was a look of humiliated anguish about her, her Dark Lord studying the reactions of his two young leaders. Lucius stood like a solider, the rapid rise and fall of his chest betraying his solid facade as he kept his eyes locked to his Dark Lord's, refusing to look on Bella's beautifully bared torso.

Without warning, Lord Voldemort grabbed Bella by the back of the neck thrusting her roughly into Lucius who stumbled back catching her quickly and wrapping his arms about her shoulders and head to prevent her from collapsing. Bella held to Lucius tightly, hiding her face in his chest in silent terror of what would come. Lucius waited in silence holding Bella's trembling body and looking to his Lord for direction. Lord Voldemort ran his fingers gently over the silken black goatee at his chin and suddenly let a thin smile over take him.

"Lucius. Do you know what bagh nakh means?" The Dark Lord asked sounding as though he were a professor giving a lecture at Hogwarts. Bella's grip on Lucius tensed at hearing the words and Lucius absently stroked her head to calm her.

"No my Lord, I do not." He answered cautiously.

"Of course you don't, why would you know anything besides what they teach you at that overindulgent school of yours?" He said in aggravation turning his back on Lucius and walking into the darkness, the room falling suddenly still and silent.

"Sir?" Lucius' voice shook in a whisper, cold waves of unknowing terror crashing through him as he glanced around at the pitch darkness encircling the muted area of light that flowed weakly from the floating black candles. Lucius felt for a moment that he should run in search of the large fireplace that he had entered from but he had completely lost his bearings in his search for the Dark Lord.

"Wise choice to stay put." Lord Voldemort whispered into Lucius' ear his breath cool against Lucius' feverish skin causing him to flinch violently with fear. Just as Lucius heard the voice at his ear he saw the Dark Lord appear from the shadows again directly in front of him. His veins pulsed completely bewildered crushing Bella to him, now an object for a shield instead of a scared little girl.

"The bagh nakh is an ancient weapon used in hand to hand combat throughout most of India and Southeast Asia. It's often been used as a tool of assassination. It leaves what look like the marks of a tiger on a victim." With this the Dark Lord raised his hand displaying a glinting object made of what looked in the dim light to be silver rimed in gold. Lucius starred at the vicious weapon gripped comfortably in his master's hand, shinning, five-inch claws protruding from between each finger. An odd calm had descended upon the Dark Lord as he study the brilliant weapon switching his gaze back to Lucius to continue his lesson.

"This, Lucius, is the bagh nakh. It means tiger claw, and while it's not terribly effective against an armored opponent, the bagh nakh is devastating against flesh."

Lucius remained still and unresponsive but he could feel Bella breathe deeply and then release slowly bracing herself for what was to come. With a light grin, the flames from the candles reflected against the black of his eyes, Lord Voldemort commanded Lucius.

"Lift her hair for me Lucius. Let me demonstrate to you the brutal power of the bagh nakh, as well as show you what happens to those that constantly test me."

Lucius gathered Bella's hair slowly and carefully into a thick mass, which he held against her head the two of them standing in an odd codependent embrace. Before Lucius could ready himself his master thrust the razor sharp claws into the soft skin of Bella's shoulder where only minutes earlier he had run his fingers in gentle caresses.

Lucius' eyes grew wide as his stomach churned at the site of the claw tearing through Bella's supple flesh, the skin parting in five deep and jagged gashes to release a flood of crimson that splashed as it hit and spattered on the stone floor. Bella's body had relaxed and Lucius wondered if she were conscious any longer, as she had not made even the slightest sound as her flesh was mercilessly ripped.

As suddenly as he had stopped, releasing the blades from the lowest point of Bella's back, the Dark Lord stabbed the weapon into her flesh again, this time on the opposite shoulder. Bella shuddered silently against Lucius who now knew that she was indeed conscious for this punishment. This time the blades were dulled from the attack and tore and snagged her pale skin wickedly.

Bella pressed her face hard into Lucius' chest gripping his sweater fiercely. Lucius had seen many gruesome acts carried out by his comrades and even himself but he had never had the threat of such a horrific punishment come so close to him before. Lucius had always resented the Black's for their easy lot in life. He had been devoted to the Dark Lord without question since the young age of eleven but knew that he would never be the Dark Lord's chosen warlord. Now holding Bella as she paid the price of being the Dark Lord's hand he realized that there was safety in his position behind Bella. She was literally his shield from the Dark Lord's wrath.

Lord Voldemort sighed in calmed satisfaction the rage drained from his eyes leaving dull indifference behind in its place as he thrust the claws from her back removing the bloodied blades only to have them evaporate into the blackness of the surrounding room. Glancing down, Lucius' body jerked with sickness at the sight of the wounds, he was now standing in a spreading pool of blood and was sure that Bella could not have survived this amount of pain and blood loss.

"I can assure you that she will recover Lucius." The Dark Lord answered Lucius' thoughts easily, "Have Severus tend to her. He is not master enough to prevent scaring but I am confident that he will be able to heal her. The scars will serve as the perfect reminder of what happens when anyone strays from designs."

"Of course master." Lucius answered obediently. Lord Voldemort seemed momentarily lost in thought as he gazed down at Bella still silent against Lucius, then stepping forward he stroked and kissed the top of her head.

"Why do you force me to such extremes, Bella?" Sounding frustrated and breathless, "You belong to me and I will not allow your death until I decide that you no longer serve a purpose to me…and I'm not sure that day will ever come." Then remembering that Lucius was still present and that he was not alone with Bella, his eyes grew dark and menacing.

"Leave, I'm done with you both." He said cruely, and turned to disappear into the darkness.

Lucius pried Bella from his grip only to catch her in a swoon not wanting to touch her destroyed back. Finally he removed his thick cloak and wrapped it gingerly about Bella then taking her in his arms he lifted her carrying her back to the huge stone fireplace which was now lit by several black candles. Bella was barely conscious the pain coursing through her body her loss of blood tossing her into a dream state where her master held her close to him wrapping her in his arms and pressing his lips to hers. Pulling back from her kiss he gazed down into her weak face stroking her cheek, a look of longing in his soft dark eyes.

"You must understand that next time it will be Sirius who will pay for your mistakes." The Dark Lord said in a soothing voice as he faded into blackness. Bella whimpered against Lucius for the first time, pained tears leaking from her closed eyes.

"We're almost there Bella, just hang on." Lucius answered his voice stressed and thin as Bella tumbled into haunted unconsciousness.

Lucius burst from the dissipating flames of the fireplace into the frozen quiet of Bella's dorm room. His heart pounding from the panic that he felt causing his mind to spin as he attempted to sort out his steps of action. His lip curled at the sight of the blood died sheets of the bed beneath the window where he had found Bella desperately trying to release herself from her existence. Lucius gently lowered her unconscious form to the rich, soft chenille blankets of Narcissa's un used bed, gingerly rolling her to her stomach and opting to leave his cloak hiding the gapping wounds of her back. Lucius could not bring himself to look at her mangled flesh again and knew that he should get Severus as soon as possible but the thought of leaving her caused icy fear to surge through him holding his feet to their place on the floor.

What if she wakes and I'm not here? He questioned himself uneasily, She might try it again and if I loose her…Lucius tried to swallow battling his dry throat feeling suddenly very week. A soft pitiful sound came from Bella as her consciousness continued to waiver between dream and reality. Lucius snapped quickly back to his senses at hearing Bella's tiny pained cry.

"It's okay Bella, I'm here." he said kneeling down stroking the dark curls away from her damp face. "You're going to be fine, I just need to go get Severus." Bella's face crumpled in pain, tears again flowing freely from her closed eyes.

"Sirius. Please Sirius." She cried quietly.

"Shh, don't say that." Lucius pleaded in whispers touching his fingers to her lips, but her face relaxed once more as she dropped back into her nightmarish sleep. "I'll be right back just stay still."

Lucius jumped quickly to his feet rubbing his hands over his eyes and through his hair as he took a deep breath to center himself then turning on his heal he forcefully threw the thick wooden door of the chamber open and skid to a halt. Lucius' eyes went wide meeting the heated gaze of Rodolphus who immediately grabbed him by the neck slamming him roughly against the deep molded doorframe. A voice came from behind Rodolphus that Lucius knew the moment it hit his ears.

"How could you? Why my sister?" Narcissa cried loudly, rage burning in her bright green eyes.

"It's very bold of you to assume that you can have your way with my future wife! What, did you think that I would have nothing to say about it?" Rodolphus hissed violently only a breath away from Lucius' face. "Your father might get away with bedding every spoken for witch in the Wizzarding World but I can assure you that not even he will touch MY WIFE!"

Lucius gritted his teeth against Rodolphus' tightening grip and using all of his strength he was able throw the tall dark haired boy off, projecting him to slam forcefully against the stone wall of the dormitory hallway. Narcissa was frozen in disgust and horror as she looked on the blanched face of her beloved, a look of utter hatred overtaking Lucius' smooth face as he glared between the two.

"How dare either of you accuse me of ANYTHING! I have no time to waist on this but I promise you if you so much as lay another finger on me in your life time Lestrange, I will tear your heart from your chest with my bare hands." Lucius' eyes cutting to Narcissa suddenly. "And as for you my dear…" Lucius' voice was harsh and hateful falling quickly to pained disappointment as his eyes considered Narcissa, "you should know me better!" Pushing roughly passed them Lucius headed to Severus' dorm room.

"Where are you going?" Narcissa cried, shame pulsing from here heart as she began to feel desperately out of control.

"Stay with Bella, I need you to watch her while I get Severus." Lucius said dryly, the anger that he felt from the confrontation helping to steady his mind from it's former franticness.

Narcissa and Rodolphus both glanced at one another understanding from their lives as their father's children what it meant when the Alchemist was summoned during the dead of night. Lucius broke through Severus' door without warning, jarring Severus from his deep dreaming sleep.

"What in the name of…? Lucius! What is it now?" Severus grumbled scowling at Lucius through the darkness as he thrust his covers over his head hoping that he was just having a very real and very annoying dream.

"I have no time for this!" Yelled Lucius, his voice trembling as his frustration hit new levels. "Why have you all lost your damn minds right when I need you?" Severus quickly threw back the covers sitting up suddenly noticing the desperate sound of Lucius' voice.

"What's happened?" He asked soberly as he watched Lucius grabbing a gleaming cauldron from it's place on the shelf and filling it with several small flasks and jars of ingredients.

"It's Bella, you have to come now!" Severus jumped up with out a word pulling on his cloths, grabbing his mother's leather bound book and darting from the room after Lucius. The two boys entered Bella's room to find Narcissa kneeling by the head of the bed sobbing and holding Bella's face.

"Bella! What have you done?" Rodolphus stood silently over the far end of the bed gazing down at the blood stained sheets and the crisping river of drying blood on the floor below.

"Please darling open your eyes, tell me what's happened." Narcissa's voice commanded teetering on the edge of hysteria. Severus turned his gaze to Lucius, a look of intense concern on his face as the door was sealed.

"What happened to her? Did you find her like this? Had she done it herself?" Severus asked urgently. The sight of Bella's blueing skin and the gash across her neck just visible to Narcissa's eyes caused her to swoon back loosing her breath from shock. Lucius quickly swooped down to gather Narcissa and set her in the bedside chair gently smoothing her hair and wiping at her tears.

"Narcissa calm down, I won't let anything happen to her, everything will be okay but we need your help so please pull yourself together." Lucius said kissing her softly on her cheeks. Narcissa threw her arms about Lucius' neck gripping him tightly as she sobbed.

"I'm so sorry, I just assumed the worst, and I was so hurt, I had no idea…" her voice trailed overtaken by her weeping as Lucius pulled her close.

"It's alright, but I need for you to be strong now, do you understand?" Narcissa quieted and pulled away from Lucius nodding her head, tears still flowing from her eyes. Lucius stood facing Severus but addressing them all.

"I don't know what happened to cause all of this but I got a very bad feeling and it drew me here to her. I found her there." Lucius indicated the bloodied bed with a slow nod all the while rubbing absently at the mark beneath his sweater. "She had slashed her wrists and neck…"

Severus' eyes widened as he dropped his book and dashed to Bella throwing Lucius' cloak back to reveal the deep jagged gashes down her back. Severus swallowed hard in silent and horrified astonishment as Narcissa tried to stifle her cries, Rodolphus only continuing to stare, a ghostly paleness washing over his olive skin.

"The Dark Lord summoned me to bring her to him. He was not at all happy with what Bella had attempted to do to herself. This was her punishment." Lucius' voice sounded as though it would break as he explained, trying hard to sound unaffected.

"So she is marked then?" Questioned Severus blandly.

"Yes." Answered all three in unison, causing Severus' jaw to tense before handing out orders.

"I need someone to get gauze, bandages, anything that we can cover the wounds with." Rodolphus shot into action without a complaint for receiving orders from Severus.

"Narcissa, I think that you should go lay down and try to rest." Urged Severus gently, receiving a defiant look from Narcissa.

"I will not leave her!"

"Listen, we will need you to be here with her once she is conscious but for now I must be sure that she is resting quietly I will need to administer a very strong draught to insure that she is still, it is better that you try to calm down until then." Narcissa bowed her head, wet tears falling from her eyes. Severus knelt and grasped her hand looking into her pale face.

"Narcissa, I promise you that she will be fine and as soon as she is awake we will come and get you…besides you need to figure out a way for her to miss her classes without arousing anyone's suspicions." Narcissa's eyes cleared for a moment and she nodded calmed by Severus' strength. After getting Narcissa settled Lucius returned to Bella's room to see that Severus had set up to brew a draught and was studying the small black leather book engulfed in it's contents.

"How is she?" Lucius asked, breaking Severus away from his findings.

"Does it seem to you that her wounds are appearing better than they were before?" Severus posed without answering Lucius.

"Better? What are you getting at?"

"Well, just look. You said that when you found her that she had cut her neck and wrists, right?" Lucius winced at how easily Severus was able to deal with the gruesome situation but Severus had fallen into the easy and comfortable routine of assessment and calculation. Severus gently raised Bella's thin wrist to be bathed in the light of the candle flickering on the nightstand.

"There is no way that this cut was open and bleeding only hours ago." Severus stated dragging a delicate finger over the nearly healed wounds. Lucius narrowed his eyes in disbelief.

"How is that possible?"

"There is only so much that I can explain about that but she will heal and quickly. I suspect that she began to notice this as well while attempting to bleed herself and that is why she has so many slashes down her wrists, finally opting to cut her own throat…" Severus broke off seeming disturbed by the thought of Bella trying so desperately to end her life.

"Do you have any idea what caused her to do this?" Severus asked concernedly.

"No, she and Narcissa had somewhat of a rowel this afternoon when they were out but nothing odd there."

"That can't be it. Did she say anything to you at all?" Severus asked, eyeing Lucius' reaction.

"She didn't say much of anything except that she wanted to die. And she started babbling on about her cousin…but that you need not repeat!" Lucius stood looking at the bloody mess about the room and sighed, "might as well get this fixed incase anyone decides to come for a surprise visit." He said sarcastically.

Severus sat gazing down at Bella's sleeping face his eyes darkening for a moment as he assumed Sirius' involvement in the incident, then shaking off his attachment he leaned forward to pour a sweet smelling, opium saturated elixir down her throat. Brushing his hand lightly against her cheek to check her body temperature, Severus sighed.

"Rest Bella, you are safe from him now."

It wasn't until the following evening that Bella finally began to slowly regain consciousness. The room had been stripped of all remnants of the horrific event and now glowed with the warming firelight and hummed with the steady soothing bubble of two small caldrons. A pewter caldron gurgled with a smoking violet potion, while another gold caldron swirled with a pearly clear draught that Severus never stopped watching.

It was late and Rodolphus and Narcissa, who had both spent the entire day tirelessly watching over Bella and fetching whatever Severus needed, had reluctantly gone to bed leaving Lucius and Severus to guard Bella through the night. To everyone's relief the wounds down Bella's back had completely sealed leaving what now looked to be angry scares, and the injuries that she had inflicted upon herself had all but disappeared. Although this was the best possible news Narcissa, Lucius, and Rodolphus were all terribly curious as to how it was taking place. Severus had successfully avoided the question numerous times but knew now that the others were gone his avoidance time had run out.

Severus kept his focus on a small smooth gray leather pouch that he had produced from his robes as Lucius stepped over to watch him. Severus dumped a few tiny saffron colored crystals into his hand then smirked at Lucius with a raised brow.

"Any guess as to what it is?" He questioned with out of character good nature. Lucius looked dully at the insignificant little shards in Severus' hand and shrugged his shoulders with out interest.

"Ever heard of a little something called the Philosopher's Stone?" Lucius furrowed his brow leaning in for a better look.

"You're a liar, there is no way that you could get your hands on something like that" Lucius said with a smirk but continued to eye Severus with sudden interest.

"And just how would you like to account for her miraculous recovery then, besides Flamel can be bought." Severus said in a confident tone. Lucius laughed.

"And exactly how did you buy Nicholas Flamel, I'm just curious." Lucius grinned, making Severus scowl.

"I didn't." Severus said flatly, "Your father did." This caused Lucius to go suddenly quiet at not being involved.

"Come on Lucius, Asher looks as though he could be your older brother before your father, the same goes for Caesar, you didn't seriously think that it was just good breeding, did you?" Lucius remained quiet as Severus dropped a single saffron crystal into the gold caldron causing the solution to turn immediately black and the swirl and fizz into a deep green color. Severus quickly extinguished the flame beneath the brewing potion as he continued to enlighten Lucius.

"I believe that the Dark Lord marked her with his blood and because of that the regenerative properties of the elixir have carried over into Bella, but when something this severe happens another dose is necessary." Severus dipped his wand into the draught stirring slowly as the contents changed to the color of blood.

"And you have never been tempted to try it yourself?" Asked Lucius his eyes locked to the swirling potion.

"I've never brewed it before." Severus answered nervously, "But no, I would not ever take it."

"Why on earth not it is a huge opportunity, it…"

"Because, Lucius, as with most truly great potions it is lethal. It must be introduced into a persons system in precisely the right way or they are destroyed from the inside out, and no I do not know how it is safely introduced, so don't ask." Severus answered beginning to become uncomfortable with the all to familiar greedy look in Lucius' eyes.

"Who knows how…your father?"

"To my knowledge the Dark Lord is the only one and he intends to keep it that way." Severus answered firmly , pouring a shot of the elixir into a small glass and walking it over to where Bella rested peacefully, now able to sleep on her back. Severus rubbed his thumb against Bella's bottom lip causing it to part and allow him to drizzle the draught carefully down her throat. Once she had finished it Severus dipped his hand into the open canister of flue powder taking a small amount between his fingers and sprinkling it into the gold cauldron causing green flames to shoot up a foot high and then disappear leaving the cauldron clean of it's contents.

The two boys starred at one another for a long moment before being interrupted by soft gentle words coming from Bella's lips, both boys darted to her bedside to find her eyes slightly open but clouded and watery as her words continued to flow steadily.

"What did she say?" Severus asked.

"Bella can you hear us?" Lucius whispered as not to startle her.

"We were talking about the love that's gone so cold and the people who gain the world and loose their soul." the words slipped from Bella's lips quietly and with almost no movement. Both boys looked at one another in confusion.

"When you've seen beyond yourself then you may find peace of mind is waiting there and the time will come when you see we're all one and life flows on within you and without you." Lucius' face turned to a huge smile as he looked at Bella.

"What's it supposed to mean?" Severus asked looking a bit bewildered.

"It means she's a George Harrison fan." grinned Lucius, who's spirits had lifted considerably.

"Who?" Severus returned. Lucius rolled his eyes.

"A little thing that happened a few years ago called the Beatles. Honestly Severus, there are things in the world besides books and potions." Severus flushed slightly and busied himself with checking Bella's skin for her temperature.

"I say you either give her more of your little opium sedative to quiet her or you and I take the remainder so that we are at least able to understand her."