She woke beside him and just lay in silence for an hour.
She felt the warmth of him through his pyjamas. She felt his breathing, slow and steady, beneath her chest and arm. He sighed every now and then and pet her hair, and at long last he murmured,
"Go home and tell your parents I shall be there for dinner at seven."
"Yes, Master."
Bellatrix pushed herself up onto an elbow, and Voldemort rubbed at her arm with his fingertips. He blinked once and then whispered,
"Perfect."
"My Lord," she demurred, bowing her head. She smiled weakly and reached down to stroke at his close-cropped beard. "I want to kill for you again. When can I do so?"
"Bella." He reached to cup her jaw in his hand and muttered, "Soon. We'll do it together. We'll take out some Muggles together."
"That sounds like great fun," Bellatrix grinned. Voldemort shut his eyes and let his lips part.
"Go home," he said again. "I'll be there at seven."
"What if Andromeda is there?" Bellatrix asked. Voldemort smirked.
"I hope she is."
Andromeda, as it happened, was a dissolved mess in the sitting room when Bellatrix got home. Her parents gave Bellatrix quite a look, for she showed up hours after leaving work, in a rumpled uniform, her hair down, and it was obvious where she'd been. Still, they were relieved to hear that Voldemort was coming for dinner. Druella began to fret about the cleanliness of the house, barking orders at the House-Elf to pick up and dust.
Bellatrix went upstairs and changed out of her Mediwitch uniform. She put on a black sundress and flat black satin shoes, combing through her curls and leaving them loose. She thought about applying makeup, but instead she left her face plain. She didn't want to look like she was trying too hard to impress him. If he wanted her, he should want her because she'd killed for him, not because she had nice lipstick.
"It's five minutes to seven!" exclaimed Narcissa from the doorway of Bellatrix's room. "Do I look all right?"
She held her hands out, and Bellatrix smirked at her little sister. "He's not coming to judge our family, Cissy. He's just coming as a guest, to discuss his plans for wizarding Britain."
"I am not staying," Andromeda hissed from behind Narcissa. "I won't dine with that Pureblood fetishist."
"Pureblood fetishist?" Bellatrix repeated, raising her eyebrows. "I think you're just upset about the Muggles and their son going on holiday."
"They've been killed!" Andromeda shrieked, and suddenly Druella's voice called from downstairs,
"Andromeda Black, if you don't want to stay for dinner, then leave."
"Yes, do leave," Narcissa said, a bit harshly. "You'll just ruin the meal with your crying."
"None of you understand!" Andromeda whined. She stamped her foot and whirled, and Bellatrix heard her feet clamoring down the stairs. The front door opened and slammed shut, and Bellatrix shrugged at Narcissa.
"She's just distraught because her Mudblood's gone."
"Bellatrix," said Narcissa carefully, stepping into Bellatrix's room, "you don't know anything about what happened to the Tonkses, do you?"
"Why would I know anything?" Bellatrix asked dully. Narcissa chewed her lip and said,
"Because Papa thinks that he - Tom Riddle, Lord Voldemort - had something to do with these attacks. And you know him so well. Have you got any idea…?"
Bellatrix studied her sister's face and then stoically shook her head. "No."
"Girls! Downstairs! Now!" shouted Druella from the bottom of the staircase. Bellatrix laced her arm through Narcissa's and led her little sister down the broad stairs. Just as they were reaching the bottom, there was knocking on the door, and Bellatrix froze. The House Elf rushed over to open the door, and Bellatrix chomped her lip. The door opened, and Lord Voldemort stood there in black cotton and wool robes. He was simply but elegantly dressed, and it looked like he'd trimmed his beard and hair. Bellatrix remembered doing that for him, cleaning him up and neatening his body for him. She shivered at the memory of taking care of him, of talking to him whilst he slept.
"My Lord," breathed Bellatrix as Voldemort stepped into the house. "Welcome to our home."
"Bella," he said quietly, and his eyes met hers. He stared at her as Druella and Cygnus rushed up to him. He kept looking right at Bellatrix as Druella said nervously,
"Hello, sir. Thank you so much for coming to dine."
"My pleasure, Druella. It's been a long twenty-five years since we were all at school, hasn't it? Here's some wine."
He finally tore his eyes off of Bellatrix and passed over a bottle of Elf-Made wine to Druella.
"Thank you kindly, sir," Druella gushed. "Do come into the dining room. Here. Serve this with the meal."
She shoved the wine at the House-Elf, who nearly toppled over from the force of the wine being thrust into its arms. Bellatrix and Narcissa followed Druella and Cygnus toward the dining room, and Voldemort asked from behind them,
"Is Andromeda joining us tonight?"
"Erm…" Cygnus sounded embarrassed. "Andromeda's rather… off. You see, she had something of a shameful attachment to the Mudblood who vanished. Ted Tonks."
"An attachment?" Voldemort asked lightly as they walked into the dining room. "What sort of attachment?"
"She was dating him. Seriously," Narcissa blurted, and Cygnus and Druella shot her harsh looks. Voldemort sighed and licked his lips, pulling out the chair at the head of the table.
"That is shameful. But at least the boy is gone now."
"A relief," Cygnus said seriously. He and Voldemort locked gazes for a moment, and then Voldemort said quietly,
"I wouldn't tell you if I knew, Cygnus."
Bellatrix gulped. Narcissa looked afraid. Druella cleared her throat and sat, and the others did the same. Suddenly bowls of seafood stew appeared on the table in front of each place setting, and Voldemort picked up his glass of wine that had filled itself.
"To the Black family," he said. "Old friends and new." His eyes went from Cygnus and Druella to Bellatrix. "May our friendships continue to grow."
"Hear, hear," said Cygnus. Everyone drank, and as Bellatrix sipped at her wine, she stared at Voldemort. She felt a little buzz inside her skull, and she knew he was in her mind. Suddenly an image was yanked forth - Bellatrix carefully using her wand to Scour Voldemort's body clean whilst he was in his coma. She sat beside his unmoving form and began to go on and on about Titus Malfoy. Voldemort sniffed at the table, and the buzzing sensation subsided.
"So," Druella said as they ate their seafood stew, "Do tell us, Lord Voldemort, what you have in mind for wizarding Britain. I hear from my daughter that you've got quite the ambition."
Voldemort cleared his throat and set down his spoon. He looked from Cygnus to Druella and then said,
"My vision for the wizarding world is simple, but won't be easy to attain. It all boils down to this. Witches and Wizards are the superior Beings, and those with the purest blood are the most superior of all. Mudbloods are thieves; their presence in our society is forgery. Their so-called 'magic' comes through wicked deception and duplicity. The falsehood, the trickery and the cheating of the Mudbloods must be eradicated from wizarding society."
"And how do you mean to eradicate the threat of Mudbloods?" asked Cygnus, frowning and folding his hands. Voldemort pinched his lips.
"Wand seizures. Registrations. Imprisonment of anyone who attempts to perform magic as a Mudblood. More than that."
"You would need the cooperation of the Ministry of Magic, wouldn't you?" asked Druella. Narcissa dared to chime in,
"With all the Rappaport's Law nonsense in America, this seems all reversed of what the Ministry is trying to do these days."
"We would begin by planting our allies in every Ministry department," Voldemort said tightly. "Eventually, the Ministry would be overthrown. Then our plans would be implemented, one step at a time. No Mudbloods at Hogwarts. A new department to track them. Promotion of the Sacred Twenty-Eight. Programmes to encourage Half-Bloods to marry and produce new, lesser Purebloods. All of it could happen. I'm confident."
"And you're the one to lead this charge?" Druella asked, a bit sceptically. Voldemort chewed his lip and then said in a low, sombre voice,
"You knew me in school, Druella. You know what I'm capable of. Do you doubt that I could achieve these aims?"
"Not at all," whispered Druella. Her eyes appeared to well, as if she were remembering horrible deeds from their past. "I think you're remarkably capable."
"Well, I, for one, am all for this plan," said Bellatrix stoutly. "My Lord, I shall gladly do anything you ask of me to help see your vision come to fruition."
"I know," Voldemort nodded. "You are a good and loyal soldier already, Bella."
Druella and Cygnus looked a bit surprised, and Cygnus confirmed,
"You two met… when you were a patient at St Mungo's?"
"Bellatrix cared for me after an accident with a poison," Voldemort said, tipping his chin up. "She is a remarkable Mediwitch, your daughter."
The rest of the meal was completed in relative quiet, with little discussions here and there as Voldemort affirmed that he'd spent a good deal of time on the Continent, as Druella and Cygnus talked about their family. Andromeda didn't come up in conversation, because nobody really wanted to talk about her.
By the time chocolate mousse was served for dessert, Bellatrix felt her stomach fluttering. She'd touched Voldemort earlier today; she'd brought him to completion. She wanted him again, she thought. She wanted his hands on her once more.
"You'll be at the Averys' this Saturday, won't you?" asked Cygnus. "It'll be wonderful to get you back with everyone."
"The Averys'," repeated Voldemort, and his cheeks coloured as he coughed into a fist. "Erm… no, I didn't receive an invitation. Is it a wedding?"
"Oh." Cygnus looked abashed. "Germain Avery hosts a summer garden party every July. He has for years now. I'm surprised he didn't… I do beg your pardon."
Bellatrix stared wide-eyed at Voldemort, who was friends with Germain's cousin Rickard Avery. Voldemort cleared his throat. "No matter. I'll write to Germain and ask if I might come. Just to see all the old crowd… you know, since there have been some recent developments."
The bus attack and the disappearance of the Tonkses, he meant. Voldemort licked his lips, still looking a little embarrassed, and eyed Bellatrix.
"You'll be at this garden party, I take it."
"No, My Lord." She shook her head. "I have to work."
"I told you to ask for that day off," complained Druella. "This is an important social event."
"Patients don't stop needing care because there are social events," Bellatrix huffed. "I did ask for the day off. It was denied."
There was silence at the table then, and finally Voldemort said,
"It's no matter. Perhaps you could host a get-together, Cygnus. Avery, Nott, Mulciber, Crabbe, Goyle. Yaxley, Malfoy. The old gang. With me as the guest of honour. I would like to continue our conversation about wizarding Britain's future."
"I'll get something planned, sir," Cygnus nodded. Dessert was over then, and Bellatrix rushed to say,
"I'll show you out, My Lord."
Voldemort stood and stared right into her eyes as Druella said breathlessly,
"So good of you to come, sir. It was a pleasure having you."
"Thank you for dinner," Voldemort nodded, still staring at Bellatrix. She walked over to his side of the table and then led him out of the dining room. They reached the front door, having left the others behind, and he took her face in his hands. He gazed down at her and shrugged.
"You can't get off work for that damned party?"
"I tried, Master," Bellatrix whispered. "Madam Carte said no."
"Because if you could get off work," Voldemort hummed, "I could go with you. As your date."
"And that would do you well, wouldn't it?" Bellatrix asked. "It would allow you to mingle with your old friends."
"Friends." He narrowed his eyes. "They were my lackies. I want them back."
"I could Confound Madam Carte," Bellatrix said, "and convince her to give me the day off."
"Do it," Voldemort hissed. "I want to be at that garden party."
"Yes, Master," Bellatrix nodded. "Thank you for coming to dinner."
"Saturday," he said. "Come to my house before the party and we'll go together."
She smiled up at him, and his hands tightened on her cheeks. He glanced towards the dining room, making sure no one was watching, and then he bent and kissed her hard on the lips.
Then he drew away from her, taking a few steps back, and he Disapparated.
Author's Note: Thank you so much for reading. Please do review.