Sorry this chapter is kind of short...but well, it's kind of a transitional chapter.
Chapter 17
My attention was wandering. Voldemort had already gone over the plans with Lucius, Severus, and myself so many times that I had the whole lay-out memorized perfectly. I began to think about more important things like what I was going to do about Lucius and Narcissa. What about Severus and that moment so recently?HadSeverus beenadmitting that he was interested in me now and it upset him that I wasn't being as demonstrative about how I felt for him? If he had, then that was exactly what I had always wanted. But now...I didn't want to hurt Lucius's feelings. He was my friend after all, and that was important to me.
"Bella, you know of my plans for the Ministry of Magic?" our master asked in his cool, high voice. I knew instantly that he was aware of the fact that I had not been paying attention to what he had been saying. Irritation swept over me, he thought I needed to pay attention to him saying the exact same thing that he had been saying since I had been released.
"Of course I do," I snapped, meeting his gaze squarely. I was sick and tired of everyone treating me as though I was mentally incapacitated.
His red gaze swept over my form and a sneer twisted his features. Too late I remember to use Occlumency, and he knew exactly what I was thinking about him and everyone else.
"You have grown quite...insolent, my Bella," he commented.
Regret and irritation with myselfflooded through my mind. Why couldn't I have held it together until I was alone? I closed my eyes briefly, knowing that something unpleasant was going to happen. Something unpleasant always happened when we were around our Master.
"I have not done so intentionally, my Lord," I replied, trying to sound as subservient as I could. "I am truly sorry that my manner has upset you. I hope you can be--"
"Crucio."
My eyes widened. He had never cast that spell on me. In only a fraction of a second, the force of the unforgivable curse hit me. I fell to the ground, screaming and writhing in pure, unadulterated agony.
"Stop!"
The shout came from the two men standing on either side of the doorway.
"Lucius, Severus, would you be punished in place of Bella?" He asked silkily, still holding me under the curse.
"Yes!" They shouted together.
The curse was lifted from me in moments. I gasped and lay trembling on the ground for only a few moments before I got to my feet shooting a glare of unmistakable anger and terror toward Voldemort. Nobody had ever cast that curse on me before. Nobody. I felt incredibly insulted by having my weapon of choice used against me.
"Hmmm...Severus, I think," Voldemort whispered. "Crucio!"
Tears sprang to my eyes as Severus was hit with the curse. I turned my face away after only a second or two, closing my eyes tightly and trying desperately not to hear the sounds of agony that he was making. When Voldemort finally lifted the curse, Severus shot me a glance of deepest anger, climbing shakily to his feet.
"You may go, Severus. Next time, allow my servants to be punished as necessary."
Severus nodded stiffly and walked from the room, robes billowing. He slammed the door loudly behind him, leaving Lucius and I alone with Voldemort.
"Now, Lucius, you would suffer for Bella?" Voldemort asked, his eyes drifting lazily to the tall figure of Lucius.
He nodded, jaw clenched tightly.
Nerves skittered along my spine when he didn't cast the Cruciatus Curse on Lucius. What was he going to do? What suffering could be worse than that?
"Why, Lucius, I never knew that your feelings for my Bella had not dissipated. I realized when I gave her to Rodolphus that you...had feelings for her, and I couldn't let your loyalties be weakened by having a wife for whom you truly cared. I should have known that you would always allow Bellatrix to weaken you, unless you knew what her true purpose as one of my Death Eaters was."
Confusion flickered across Lucius's face, and horror began to dawn upon my mind. I knew exactly what Voldemort was going to do to punish Lucius. The cruelty of his plan should not have been shocking to me, and yet it was. I should have known that he would do something like this, but I had hoped that he would show some sort of mercy.
"Master," I said quietly, looking over at him. "Surely there is a different--"
His gaze snapped onto me immediately.
"You would question my decisions, Bella?" The tone was deadly. I shook my head quickly.
"Speak up, Bellatrix," he snarled, advancing toward me.
"No, of course not, master," I said quietly, almost against my will. Once again, the Unbreakable Vow was going to be used to force me to do something I did not particularly want to do.
"I thought not," he whispered coldly.
Lucius looked at me, his eyes narrowed.
"Bella, what is he telling me?" Lucius demanded.
"Our Master had me take an Unbreakable Vow when I first joined our order," I said quietly, without looking to Voldemort for approval.
My head was snapped to the side by the force of the blow that Voldemort had delivered to me. I closed my eyes and took a slow, deep breath. I looked back at Voldemort, to see that he was clearly enraged by my statement.
"Did I tell you to explain the situation him, Bellatrix?"
"No," I said calmly.
"Listen very carefully to me, Bellatrix, you are walking on extremely thin ice. I am getting very tired of your insolence and childish behavior. If you should deliberately disobey me even once more, I will use that Unbreakable Vow for my best interests," he hissed at me. "Do NOT test me on this issue. Do you understand?"
I nodded, more frightened of him than I had ever been before in my life.
"Good. Now, my lovely Bella, show me just how much affection you harbor for me," he whispered silkily.
Almost of their own accord, my legs began to take me jerkily toward Voldemort. I swallowed convulsively, feeling tears in my eyes.
"Perfect, Bella," he purred, cupping my face in his hands.
"No," Lucius whispered, shock evident in his voice.
"Ah, and so the light of realization dawns on Lucius," Voldemort murmured against my lips. "Of course, that doesn't mean I should deny myself."
I closed my eyes tightly.
"Of course it doesn't."
I once again have to make a shameless plug: Please Review! Hope you enjoyed this chapter!
Dancer8428 -- I'm glad that you like Chapter 16! It was actually my favorite to write so far...maybe that's why you like it best? Because I really liked writing it, maybe? Anyhow, thanks for the review, and hopefully Chapter 17 wasn't disappointing.
Electra de Lioncourt -- Yay! Thanks! Haha, didn't mean to make you late for school!
Me -- haha, that is going to look really funny when I post this. Thanks bunches! I'm glad that you like it!
