Chapter Fourteen - Obliviate

A/N - Another long chapter. So there. (?) Bit of a Bellatrix solo, mmmhmm.

They emerged from the chamber at three thirty am, to hear the heavy blanket of rain outside that was sweeping over Edinburgh.

The shrill sound of it seemed to seep through the thick walls and echo down the corridors. Bellatrix grabbed Snape's hand.

'Lets get out of here.' She shuddered. 'I have a feeling that I'm beginning to like Spinner's End a whole lot more than this place.'

Snape did not voice his thoughts that once the Dark Lord had the Horcrux back into his care, Bellatrix would probably be realeased from the company and hospitality of Spinner's End. He paused, listening to the sound of the rain pounding the walls, the laughter and music coming from the next room where an all-night-party and bar was in full spin.

'We can't leave now... not in this weather.' He shook his head, the rain so heavy it threatened to break the castle walls. 'It will have to wait til morning.'

Bellatrix stamped her feet impatiently. 'Can't we just disapperate?'

Snape openened his mouth to answer, But at that moment they were interupted by and pair of entwined lovers, clearly drunk, exiting from the bar. They held thier arms around one another, perhaps helping each other to walk stright, they were locked at the mouth and hip. One of them, a tall blonde man with femenin features and large, blue eyes, propping up a shorter, stockier man with long brown tresses and a square jaw. They stopped when they caught sight of Bellatrix and Snape.

'Well if it isn't pretty Bellatrix Snape!' One of them slurred. 'And Sevvy!'

Snape slid his injured arm around Bella's waist in what seemed a protective way.

The two men saw this and backed off, talking to one another quietly, then left without another word.

Snape turned to Bella. 'Listen, with your behaviour at the ball last night, I think that we have gained too much of a name for ourselves. If we suddenly dissapear in the middle of a stormy night without so much as an explination, people will be wondering where we are.'

Bellatrix shrugged him off. 'Does it matter?' She argued.

'Yes.' Snape answered simply. 'We want to keep as little a profile as nessesary.'

'You may want to.' She said indifferently. 'But the Dark Lord didn't instruct me to keep a low profile. In any case, I don't see how it will harm our sucess of retreiving the Horcrux.' She looked longingly at the door where the men had exited, then turned to Snape.

'I was going to get a drink from the bar.' Her voice lowered as she continued, 'You should take that Horcrux back to your... our room and put it some place safe.'

Her glanced shifted to the long slashes on his wrist where he had cut them to get past the fissure in the wall. 'And do get that fixed.'

Snape, surprisingly, did not argue, or even raise an eyebrow. He just stepped closer to Bellatrix, his breath icy on her face and seeping into her every open pore. He felt her breasts move with every intake of breath against his chest and smiled serenley, picking a spiderweb out of her tangled hair.

'Don't come back too late.' He kissed her softly. 'Or I might just come looking for you.'

And with that he spun on his heel and left.

Bellatrix watched him turn the corner before she made her own way into the bar.

It was packed with people, dressed more casually than they were at the party. People dancing drunkenly in the middle of the floor, people gathered around the bar, people making out in the corners, trousers unzipped and skirts hoisted up.

Feeling slightly alone, and noticing now that many heads in the room were turned to her, watching her intently, Bellatrix swept across the floor and made her way to the bar.

'Vodka and cherries.' She ordered. 'Put it on my tab.' The barman obliged.

As she sipped her drink, her mind spilled over. What had happened back there in the pit? Had she nearly just had sex with Snape?

It was inevitable... she thought. She hadn't had sex in weeks... and now that the Dark Lord had sent her on a mission with another man, it was unavoidable. But she could not shove away the thoughts that there was something else in that kiss, something that only made her crave more. She had hidden her feelings for Snape, but did they really extend this far? Were they really something more than superficial lust which Bellatrix knew, in her wizened years, to avoid? It had been growing on her for a while; though Snape had still remained a mystery to her. And this only made her want him more.

'But Snape?' She whispered into her drink. 'Snape?' And did he feel the same way? Or was he just looking for a quick fuck? as must as she doubted this, it nagged at the back of her mind. Sure, he had been patient with her at Spinners end, but he did tease her, infuriate her.

Two more shots of brandy, a vodka with orange and a gin with tonic and lemon later, Bellatrix suddenly became aware that she was pressed up against a wall, her skirts rolled up around her waist as a person she had never met before was nibbling her neck. Quickly she pushed the man away, her face flushed as she smoothed her skirts.

'What the fuck am I doing?' She asked him inquisitivley.

The man, tall and muscular, who must have been about half her age, informed her that they were having a bit of fun, before pinning her against the wall again.

She slapped him, he hardly noticed it. 'How dare you take advantage of me! I am a married woman!'

'If you're a married woman, there where is your wedding ring?' The man murmered into her ear, his hand tight around her left wrist.

Bellatrix was struck dumb. Of course, she had disposed of Rudolphis' ring as soon as she had witnessed his grisly death. She bit her bottom lip tentatively.

'Yes, well, I didn't think you were happily married, not even with that affectionate display in the ballroom.' The man continued. 'Poor old Sevvy, what he would do if he were here.'

Bellatrix closed her eyes. What Rudolphs would have done... probably beat her. But what Severus would have done...

'He would probably thrash you.' She said, a cruel smile playing on her lips.

The man threw back his head in laughter. 'That old man? Thrash me?'

Several people laughed; Bellatrix became increasingly aware that the music had stopped, all heads turned to her as the man drawled on, crushing her against the wall with an almost inhuman might.

'What does he pound you like? Or hasn't he a libido- no,wait, do you two even have sex?' his voice was low, and yet it echoed around the room. Several more people roared with laughter, more joining in as the man continued to mock her.

'And where is dear old Sevvy now?' he breathed. 'Looking up some other man's wife's skirt while you sit in the bar and drown your woes alone, by yourself? Looking for something to fix the lack of sex in your supposed marital life to that cold fish?'

'Stop this!' Bellatrix screeched. 'You don't even know the extent of it!'

With all her might, she pushed the man away.

Digging her hand deep into her pocket and drawing out a few gold coins, Bellatrix threw them on the counter. 'For the drinks,' she snarled at the barman, 'Though obviously I shouldn't have wasted my time.'

The barman looked puzzled for a moment, then held a coin up to the light.

'Hey!' He gasped. 'This is pure gold!'

But Bellatrix wasn't listening, she was marching from the bar drunkenly, the sneering faces swirling around her. At the door, she drew Wormtail's wand and pointed it at the man's chest. Several people held thier breath, Some looked utterly confused. What was this stick this woman was holding as if it were some kind of weapon?

'Touch me again,' She drawled to the man, 'And I will show you the meaning of a real wizard's beating! OBLIVIATE!'

She flicked Wormtail's wand around the room before pocketing it and exiting into the hall. It hadn't worked with her as good as her own wand, which she had weilded and perfected the dark arts with; but it had done the job.

Behind her there was a long, eerie silence. Then the music, laughter and dancing started up again as if she had never been there.

PR&R/rigamortis.