Bellatrix awoke the next morning, her spirits high. Voldemort was fully dressed, sitting over her with a smile on his face, tenderly stroking her hair. She'd certainly never woken up that way before and she found that she quite liked it.
"Good morning, beautiful one," Voldemort said, leaning forwards and kissing her on the lips.
She smiled back, and sat up, "Good morning," she replied, and Voldemort loved the way her voice was thick with sleep still. He chuckled. "What's the plan for today?" Bellatrix asked, yawning.
"I have important meetings, I'm afraid," said Voldemort. He didn't look too happy about the prospect, but didn't comment on it at all. "So I suggest you get up and dress, and we shall have breakfast together."
Excited, Bellatrix jumped out of bed and began to get ready for the day. When she was dressed in a very fine set of black robes, she followed him to the smaller dining room. As they ate, they conversed lightly. As Bellatrix began to clear her plate, Voldemort spoke again.
"We shall meet again in here for lunch, but the Death Eaters will be staying for dinner as well, do you remember where the formal dining room is?" At Bellatrix's nod, he continued. "It will be served at seven, I will meet you in our rooms just before. For lunch, I shall meet you back here at one."
Bellatrix nodded, wondering what she was going to do all day if he was busy.
Voldemort stood, and held out his hand for Bellatrix to take. She hastily stood up, and took his hand, and followed him up every set of stairs there was in the manor, leading up to the very top. As they got there, Bellatrix noticed a spiral staircase. "Up there is the attic. Go up there and spend the morning looking through everything. I think you'll be interested in most of it. Choose whatever you like, and take it down to our bedroom." He leant forwards, and kissed her roughly on the lips, and then he was gone.
Slowly, Bellatrix climbed the staircase, her wand held in front of her. It began to get darker, so she lit her wand. At the top of the staircase was merely a door. Carefully, she reached out and opened it, half expecting something to jump out at her as she did. When nothing happened, she took a step over the threshold. The attic was huge, at least the size of the ballroom. Her wand light created shadows. With a flick of her wand, she made the candles suspended around the outside of the room ignite, and she was finally able to see the whole room.
There were large boxes and chests, covered in cobwebs and dust, large rails filled with robes and dresses. There were shoes, rows and rows of shoes and boots, for men and for women. In the corner, there were stacks of furniture, rich tapestries and rugs, now covered in grime and dirt.
Bellatrix gasped.
Carefully, she began sifting through the rails of clothes, picking up anything she liked. A purple velvet dress made its way into her collection, a silk Slytherin green dress following that. After a while, when she ran out of arm room, Bellatrix laid her collection down on one of the smaller boxes, and went to a nearby chest. It was filled with long cloaks, lace, and velvet, silk... Every material and colour in existence was in there. She picked out a black lace one, green velvet and purple silk, but knew whenever there was an occasion she needed anything for, she only had to come up here. After a couple more hours of looking through the clothes, she realised that it was almost one. She ran down the stairs and into the dining room, anxious to see Voldemort.
He was already seated, and pouring himself wine. He smiled as he saw her. "Hello, beautiful," he said, holding out a hand to her. She accepted it, and sat down next to him, taking the wine he'd given her. "How has your morning been?"
"It's been wonderful," Bellatrix replied, her eyes on his for a moment. She flashed a smile at him, and Voldemort felt his stomach lurch in the way it usually did when she smiled at him. "How has your day been so far?"
"Dismal," Voldemort replied, shaking his head. "Sometimes I wish that all of my followers could be as intelligent as you or Lucius are."
Bellatrix smirked at his last comment. "Such a pity they aren't," she said, her tone completely innocent. "Such a pity you'll have to wait for me."
"Not for long," he responded, ignoring her smirk.
Bellatrix finally caught his gaze, and held it, a smile on her lips now. "For too long," she said softly. She stood up, and leant over him, capturing his lips in a long kiss. "I suppose you have to get back to your work now," she said with a sigh.
"Indeed I do," Voldemort replied, also sighing, pulling her onto his lap, smoothing down her hair. "You're covered in cobwebs."
"You should consider cleaning your attic more often then," Bellatrix replied with a smirk, her arms around his neck.
Voldemort kissed her once on the lips, and stood them both up. "That's your problem now," he replied as they reached the door. He smirked over his shoulder as he walked down the corridor in the opposite direction to her.
Bellatrix smiled, and headed upstairs to choose her dress, and to get ready.
x-x
Voldemort appeared at the door of the bedroom just as Bellatrix was applying her lipstick. She stood back from the mirror, and turned to face him. "What do you think?" she asked, smiling at him. Voldemort swallowed lightly.
"Nice," he said quietly, and took a step towards her. Nice was an understatement. Her dress was white, a plunging lace bodice and long A-line skirt, fanning out with lace and silk to a short trail at the bottom. With white shoes, her brown hair curled around her shoulders and down her back, her eyes black and her lips blood red, she looked like the perfect fallen angel. Voldemort was shocked; he'd been expecting a sultry red or wicked black, not pure white. It certainly suited her.
"Thank you," she replied smirking, looking back to the mirror, knowing she looked far better than just nice. Voldemort strode towards her, and spun her back around to look at him.
"You look like an angel," Voldemort whispered in her ear. "And I desire you above any other woman I have ever seen." Slowly, he pulled back from her, and kissed her hand. As she turned back to the mirror, he noticed a diamond choker on the table next to her make up. He picked it up, and put it around her neck, looking at her in the mirror. She smiled; her eyes on his in their reflection.
Voldemort stripped off his dirty robes and pulling on the clean set. Bellatrix glanced at him in the mirror, and smiled. The robes were plain black, heavy velvet, tailored tightly at the waist, dropping down in long, fluid lines. "Don't you have better things to be looking at?" Voldemort asked her, smirking as he finishing buttoning the robes up.
"Not really," Bellatrix replied lightly, walking slowly towards him, her hands against his chest in a very seductive manner. "You look so very handsome, that is all."
Voldemort chuckled and kissed her hard on the lips. "And you are very beautiful," he said, squeezing her hands in his own tightly. "Are you ready?" At Bellatrix's nod, he gave her hands one last squeeze, and led her out of the room towards the grand staircase. "You'll be sitting next to Lucius and myself, I thought you might appreciate knowing someone," Voldemort continued conversationally to Bellatrix as they descended the steps.
"It shouldn't be a problem anyway," Bellatrix responded with a smile. "I can dazzle anyone with my wit."
"I am certain of that," Voldemort said quietly, but he was smiling down at her.
"Before we go in there," Bellatrix said, nodding to the closed door of the formal dinning room they had reached, in which she could hear people talking behind. "How much do they know about us?"
"Nothing, Bella," Voldemort replied with a smile. He reached down and tapped her lightly on the ass. He lent over her, and whispered into her ear. "You'll have to act like you're scared."
Bellatrix laughed lightly. "You'll be lucky."
Voldemort smirked at her as he opened the door and walked in, followed by Bellatrix who was also smirking as she entered, mostly because she could feel the gaze of every man in the room on her. As she sat down at the top of the table, she noticed that even Lucius was staring at her. "Gentlemen, for those of you who do not know, this is Bellatrix Black, my protégé, who will be staying with us for a couple of days before her return to Hogwarts."
"How are you, Lucius?" Bellatrix said, half wishing she wasn't sitting next to him. It meant she would have to be civil to him. "Enjoy life away from school?"
Lucius looked up at Voldemort for a split second before looking back at her. "Well enough," he said coolly. "Prepared for your exams?"
Bellatrix shrugged lightly. "I do not see much purpose in them, but yes I suppose I am prepared."
"And how is your sister, Narcissa?" Lucius continued. Bellatrix could tell he wasn't that interested, but she supposed he felt compelled to ask.
"Heartbroken," Bellatrix said, smirking slightly.
"Oh?" Lucius asked, raising his eyebrows at her.
"It's nearly the end of the school holidays and she still has yet to be invited out by her intended." Bellatrix grinned as Lucius glared at her venomously.
"As a matter of fact," Lucius said, picking up his glass of wine. "I am taking her out tomorrow. But I am sure that you are exaggerating, Bellatrix, when you say her heart is broken."
Bellatrix laughed. "You don't think she actually wants to marry you, do you?" she asked coldly.
Lucius scowled at her and turned back to his meal. Satisfied, Bellatrix looked back to Voldemort with a grin. The Dark Lord shook his head and poured Bellatrix a glass of wine. "How long until you return to Hogwarts?"
"In five days," she replied with a sigh, and suddenly realised that wasn't very long at all. She'd only be there until tomorrow afternoon at the latest, and then Voldemort would probably be too busy to spend time with her.
"Better to get it over with," Voldemort replied, his voice quieter now.
Bellatrix shrugged and continued to eat. She still didn't see the point in going back at all. She spent the rest of the meal listening to Voldemort's conversations with the man opposite her, and his conversations with Lucius, wondering when she would begin to understand what was going on, and what the Dark Lord was planning in this early stage of his takeover.
"You seemed quiet, beautiful," Voldemort said to her as they got into bed together for the second time.
"There's a lot to take in," Bellatrix responded. She smiled slightly. "I'm sure you'll explain everything."
"When you've finished Hogwarts." Bellatrix was sick of hearing those words. She turned over in bed with a sigh. "I know, Bella, it's not easy." There were fingers in her hair, massaging her scalp. "But it's not even a year. Nine months."
"I don't want to go back," Bellatrix whispered into the darkness of the room. "I'll miss you so much."
Finally, Voldemort turned her head to look at him, and placed a gentle kiss on her lips. "You'll see me at Christmas. I promise that." He paused, and then added "I know for certain I will wish to see you." Bellatrix merely made a non-committal sound in the back of her throat, but she did roll over into his arms all the same. "Good girl."
"Don't patronise me, you git," Bellatrix said sleepily. Voldemort chuckled, and squeezed her tightly into himself, and kissed her hair. He'd never let anyone speak to him in that way before, but with Bella... He couldn't help himself.
Merlin help him.
x-x
Bellatrix returned to her parents house the following afternoon, a sulky expression on her face. This was the last place she wanted to be, there were now four days left of her holidays. As she walked into the parlour, Narcissa was seated by the fireplace, reading. She looked up. "I was expecting you back sooner," she said, snapping the book shut, and Bellatrix felt the urge to slam her face inside of it.
"Father knew how long I would be."
"That's not what I meant," Narcissa said. Bellatrix scowled. Narcissa was actually wearing a white dress with high heeled silver shoes and pink lipstick, ready for her outing with Lucius. "I was expecting this important man you were staying with to have thrown you out."
Bellatrix was about to turn away, when she realised just what Narcissa had said. "You mean Father didn't tell you who it was I have been with?" She couldn't hide her smirk as Narcissa realised she'd given that fact away. "At least one of the Black girls can be trusted with our reputation." She turned and walked out of the room, and headed towards the upstairs sitting room her Mother and Father usually resided in.
"Ah, Bellatrix, you're back," said Cygnus as she entered the room. With a grin, Bellatrix kissed him on the cheeks, and then Druella, and sat down.
"Yes, I've had a brilliant time," Bellatrix responded. "Mother, the Dark Lord has a whole attic filled with the most beautiful clothes, and he's given the entire room to me." She smiled happily at her parents, but Druella was tight lipped, as usual.
"Did you sleep in a guest room?" she snapped, and as Cygnus sighed in annoyance, Bellatrix realised this topic had already been debated between her parents. Druella turned to Cygnus. "I've told you, I will not relax until she has a ring around her finger."
"I trust the Dark Lord, and I trust Bellatrix," Cygnus said firmly. "Now enough on the matter, I want my dinner." As they walked down the stairs, Bellatrix noticed Lucius stood at the bottom of the stairs.
"Good evening, Cygnus, Mrs Black," he said, bowing his head respectfully. He pointedly didn't look at Bellatrix, which amused her greatly.
"Hello, Lucius," Cygnus replied. Bellatrix smirked at him.
"Is Narcissa ready yet? I have a reservation for us." Bellatrix realised that this was the reason that her sister was so dressed up.
"Of course, I shall go and fetch her," said Cygnus and Druella followed him into the parlour, leaving them alone to glare at each other.
"Narcissa does not know where I have been for the last couple of days, I'd appreciate it if you could keep that to yourself tonight," she told him quietly.
Lucius merely smirked. "I have my own orders, you know."
"And I am sure they match my own." Bellatrix smiled sweetly as Narcissa came into the hallway. "I was just saying, it will be odd with no Lucius at school this year."
Narcissa laughed coolly. "I'm sure it will." She turned stiffly back to her family. "Goodbye, Mother, Father." She nodded coldly to them, and then turned, taking Lucius's arm and walking through the front door.
Bellatrix chuckled as the door closed. "Narcissa isn't happy, is she," she said.
Cygnus smiled grimly. "She'd better behave tonight. We need the Malfoy's on our side, I hope she doesn't frighten him away."
"Seraphina always wanted Lucius to marry Narcissa," Druella said, her voice cold. "Abraxas will not go against his dead wifes wishes."
Bellatrix was relieved to hear that. She really didn't even want to be in the position to have to marry Lucius.