Hey guys! So, I'm back, and giving you more of this fanfic. Sorry that it took me so long to come around to your point of view!Hopefully you'll like what I've decided to add to this story.
Chapter 12
I heard a noise.
That in itselfwasn't unusual, but this noise was not what I was used to hearing in Azkaban.
The murder of the Longbottoms had landed Rodolphus, Rabastan, and myself in Azkaban. At the time I hadn't cared what had happened to me after attacking the two aurors, but now I was beginning to regret my actions.
When would our master come for us? He couldn't have died when killing the Potters. Even if he had, there were still the horcruxes. I couldn't wait for him to arrive and give me my reward for doing what he would have demanded of me.
Thoughts of Severus drifted through my mind constantly, keeping me from losing my grip on reality like Rodolphus and Rabastan had. Thoughts of Severus weren't exactly pleasant, happy thoughts, and concentrating on them allowed me to be less affect by the dementors than most other wizards.
Over the past several weeks the general feeling of weakness and depression had begun to fade from my mind. This evening, I found myself feeling almost as if I were back to normal. By no means was I feeling up to par, but I definitely felt much better than I had in a long time. I glanced over at Rodolphus and Rabastan who were also in my cell, and noticed that hey too had lost their dazed, somewhat glassy looks. It wasn't just my imagination. We were going to get out of here.
"Bellatrix," Rodolphus said quietly, looking truly alert for the first time in longer than I could remember. "How long have we been here?"
I stared at him in disbelief. How could he not know how long we had been in here?
"We've been here for a decade and a half, Rodolphus," I sneered coldly. "Weren't you paying attention?"
His eyes flashed and he smacked me roughly.
"Don't speak to me like that."
I rolled my eyes. There was a soft footstep outside the door, and I looked over, worried that one of the Dementors had heard the disturbance in our cell. I didn't feel the tell-tale coldness or sudden welling of sorrow, and that confused me a bit. My eyes narrowed slightly when I heard a whispered spell, and I stood up quickly, my heart pounding.
The door swung open, and I felt my heart leap when I saw who stood there. Severus. Just a few feet behind our Master.
"Master," I whispered, rushing over to him and flinging my arms around his shoulders. I kissed him sweetly, as was expected.
"Now, Bella, there is no need to pretend that your joy is for me," he commented in his high, cold voice. I smirked slightly and looked to the man standing behind him.
"But my joy is at least partially for you," I replied softly, still looking at Severus. "You, at least, have come to free me from this place."
My gaze moved quickly over Severus's face. He had changed. The years had aged him, and although he still looked wonderful to me, it was clear that he was not the young man he had been when I was sentenced to my time here.
"I must see to the others," Voldemort said quietly, stepping away from me. "Severus will lead you three out and to a safe apparition point." I nodded and glanced back haughtily at Rodolphus and Rabastan. They both jumped to their feet and rushed to the doorway.
Voldemort continued down one hall, and Severus cleared his throat purposefully. I lifted a brow and crossed my arms.
"Well?" I asked coldly, staring at him.
"Come on," he snapped, turning to stalk down a different corridor than the one our master had just taken. His robes billowed behind him in a truly menacing way, and I had to conceal a snicker. No matter what he did, I would never find him frightening.
"Out this door," he said quietly, holding open a heavy iron door.
I glanced at him once, before stepping out and shivering in the cold breeze.
"Why didn't you come for us sooner?" I demanded, grabbing his arm tightly, glaring up at him angrily.
"Because my assignments prevented that," he snarled, jerking his arm out of my grip.
"A likely story," Rabastan sneered, stalking up to stand beside me. "You're just a pussy."
Snape's wand was in his hand in seconds.
"Say that again," he whispered. "Just try it."
The look on his face scared me. It was the first time in my life that I had been afraid of Severus, and I didn't like it. Rabastan blanched slightly, knowing that he didn't have the power he would if he hadn't been in Azkaban. We all knew that Snape was more than a match for Rabastan and Rodolphus when they had all of their powers.
"Just take us to the apparition point," I said quietly.
We walked in silence for about ten minutes, before Snape stopped and nodded to Rodolphus. I took a slow, deep breath, and watched as Rodolphus apparated away, followed promptly by Rabastan.
I turned to Severus and looked up at him, feeling tears burn at the back of my eyes. I vowed that I wouldn't cry in front of him. Not now, not ever.
"You know, I thought that we were friends. I thought that you cared about me," I said quietly, trying to keep sorrow out of my voice. "But you left me in Azkaban for fifteen years." He stared at me silently before speaking.
"We were never friends, Bellatrix," he said coldly.
"No, we were something more," I snapped, kissing him deeply. "You just won't accept it, and you refuse to see that you are never going to find it with anyone else."
He stared at me for a moment before apparating away, leaving me alone. I clenched my jaw in frustration, biting back tears. I would not cry over him. If only he would admit to himself that he did have feelings for me! Why was he so stubborn about this? I had a very strong inkling that Narcissa was still with Lucius and that they had at least one child. Didn't Severus realize that he would never be with Narcissa?
I took a deep calming breath, and felt a long, thin hand come to rest on my shoulder. I looked up into the face of Lord Voldemort.
"My sweet Bella, you need only give me time to bring Severus around," he said quietly, leaning down to kiss me softly. "He is a stubborn, proud man."
I nodded, feeling incredibly tired. Voldemort gripped my arm tightly, and I looked up at him. He smiled his frigid and disquietingsmile,and let go of me.
"You know where you are going?" He asked me softly. I knew that he was asking only so that he would know where to find me when he had a use for me. I nodded, and he waited expectantly.
"To Narcissa," I replied calmly, looking up at him.
"Where did Rodolphus go?"
"I don't know, nor do I care," I responded frigidly, lifting a hand to my cheek. It was starting to bruise. "My sister will help me, and I will return to Rodolphus when I choose."
With that, I apparated to the Malfoy manner. I had a certain sister to visit.
A/N: Ok, so that's the 12th chapter. Feedback is, as always, greatly appreciated! Thanks for sticking with me while I went on hiatus. For those of you who commented earlier that I was updating really really quickly...that was only because I had the first 10 chapters written before I submitted anything. Now, I actually have to write chapters before I submit them, yikes! Anyhow, hope you're having very happy holidays!
