By that morning's post news of Bella's little adventure that night had spread throughout the wizarding community. While muggle authorities remained clueless it was as clear as the dark mark that hung above the blood soaked church that it was one of the dark lord's many followers. Bellatrix remained blissfully unaware of the fact that her most recent crime was already plastered on the front page of the Daily Profit until she skipped into the dining room for breakfast with her family. She was still far too happy to be able to convincingly hide her glee from anyone, as long as she hide the true cause of her happiness all would be alright.
"Good morning!" she spoke as she took her usual seat at the table, a full plate already sitting in front of her. There was not even time to take a bite before her clearly hungover brother in law spoke.
"Good morning Bella," he said casually enough tossing her his copy of the Daily Prophet. "You wouldn't happen to know anything about this, would you?" Lucius spoke as Bella's eyes moved down to the folded paper on the table next to her.
She opened it up casually hiding her sick smile behind the yellow pages. "Looks like someone had a Happy Christmas," she laughed setting the paper back down and turning her attention to her food.
Lucius eyed her suspiciously across the table but was unable to push the subject further as Narcissa had begun talking about Draco and his lack of school for the spring. Bella had not really been tired until she ate, then the reality of only getting a few hours rest had hit her. She managed to scarf down her breakfast and escape the dining room without further interrogation. She quickly climbed the stairs to her room, pulling off her robes and climbing into her empty bed. Only now did her bed truly feel empty. Spending so many years alone, she had forgotten what it was like to have that kind of closeness. She curled up in her covers and drifted off to sleep, knowing that she would see her master in her dreams.
As she slept Bella thought her heard her master's voice, so far away at first. Then it was if he was whispering in her ear, so close yet so far at the same time. Images of crowded shops and busy London streets flashed through her head before she was startled awake. Her window had popped open letting in the icy winter air from outside. She wrapped herself up tight in her covers, reaching for her wand and slamming the window shut with a flick of her wrist. She sat upright in her bed, trying to remember what her master had said, but it grew fainter as the moments passed. She knew that it could not have been a dream. Was her master encouraging her out of the manor? She had been hidden away here since her escape; safe from the icy prison she had been held in for so long. Though as the months had passed this manor had to become like her prison. Her master was fully in control of wizarding Britain. Could it be that she was truly safe now? She felt safe, safer than she had felt since his first rise to power. A wicked smile played across her lips, she was truly free now.
She practically flew out of bed, throwing on her robes and grabbing her winter cloak. She threw open her door, looking up and down the hallway. Draco had to be lurking around her somewhere. Suddenly she wished she had paid more attention the last few weeks he had been home. She snuck off down the hall to Draco's room. It was on the opposite end of the manor from where her sister and brother-in-law's room was. Though it had been an awfully long time since she had any need to look for him there. When she finally made it there she tapped softly on his door.
"Draco," she hissed, hoping that he was in there. Moments felt like an eternity before her striking young nephew creaked the door open. He looked puzzled, Bella, after all, was not the family member to usually come looking for you. She smiled wickedly at him, "Get your cloak, we are going out," her voice commanding and slightly terrifying. After all she was not just his aunt, she was the master's right hand.
He looked at her slightly puzzled for a moment before finally turning to go get his cloak. She followed after him, she did not want to wait long then she needed for their little adventure. As soon as his cloak was in his hand Bella grabbed his arm and disapparated away. The next moment they were standing in an alleyway on a busy London street.
Draco's eyes were wide, "What are we doing here?" he asked looking around as he threw his cloak around himself.
"We, my sweet little nephew are going to have some fun," Bella replied with a sick cackle. "Normally I would have taken Rodolphus and Rabastan with me, but I do not think my husband is too fond of me at the moment." The amusement of her husband's inferiority clear on her pale features.
She swung her cloak around her and pulled the black hood up over her head, quickly hiding her features in shadow. Moving close to the old brick alley wall she worked her way to the sidewalk, looking around briefly before turning back to Draco. She often forgot how young he was, but she had done a good enough job with him that hopefully this would, at least, make for a good training exercise.
"How well can you fly? I know you have been practicing," she asked quickly as her sick plan began to formulate in her head.
"Pretty well, why?" Draco asked looking so small in the cold alley.
"We are going to collapse Tower Bridge! Let's go," she shouted excitedly as she took his arm and flew off in a cloud of black smoke.
Thankfully Draco was doing alright keeping up as Bellatrix flew through the icy London air. Her wand was out as they approached the crowded London Bridge, packed with muggles busy after a long day shopping. She cackled as she shot bright sparks at the bridge's supports. Draco quickly followed her lead as they zoomed around the old stone bridge. Quickly snapping the steel reinforcements and blowing chunks out of the center of the road. It did not take them long to break the bridge sending the muggles into the icy water below. Once they had caused enough chaos to satisfy her she reached for Draco's arm and disapparated back to their family's manor.
Safely back in Draco's room, she unclasped her winter cloak and hung it over her arm. Draco seemed a little stunned, but he handled this impromptu outing rather nicely.
"Our little secret?" she hissed at him not turning and leaving until she was sure he was not going to run off and tell his parents.
Narcissa would lose her mind if she knew that Bella had snuck her precious son out to destroy a muggle bridge on Boxing Day. Draco was thankfully a good nephew and would keep his mouth shut if his dear Auntie Bella asked him too. She would never admit it, but she was pretty proud of him.
Bella skipped downstairs to the library softly humming that stupid muggle rhyme about London Bridge falling down. She was not sure where she knew the song from but it was stuck in her head now. Bella had been very fortunate to have had little contact with muggles, so it was very hard to say where she would have picked up such a tune. She was feeling too triumphant to even care that it was a muggle song. Today she left the manor of her own accord. Today Bella was as free as she had ever been. Wand still in her hand she flung the double doors open as she walked into the dim library. She stopped dead in her tracks when she saw Nagini curled up in front of the roaring fire. She looked around quickly, her wand still tightly gripped in her hand. Turning around and spotting her master standing in the corner of the room, a book open in his cold eyes looking right through her. Slightly stunned her eyes immediately dropped from his gaze as she bowed.
"My lord, I didn't know you were in here." She spoke quickly hoping that he would not be too cross for her barging in here.
"It's alright my dear Bella. In fact, I was hoping to run into you down here," he hissed softly. Bella's heart skipped a beat, as it always did when her master wanted her.
"What is it master?" she asked curiously, her deep eyes looking into his now.
"Good job today in London," he said ever so casually as Bella momentarily froze. It was always a shock when she knew her master was keeping tabs on her.
"Thank you, my lord," she said bowing her head. When she raised her head back up Voldemort was standing in front of her.
"I have big plans for you, my most loyal lieutenant." She smiled at his words, holding back the urge to wrap her arms around him.
It had only been last night that she fell asleep in his arms, and it was hard to be so close to him and act like it had never happened. She knew better, but it would never stop her from wanting him.