Year Five, Part Two
"I only had a chance to test the entrance to the Chamber tonight," Draco wrote, the words appearing on the parchment in Ginny's hands. "But I was able to imitate the Dark Lord's Parseltongue well enough to gain entry. Once the castle has fallen back into its regular rhythm, I will be able to do more."
"I'll tell him," she replied, "But you'd better have more news than that in a few days."
"I will. In the meantime, I can tell you that there's a new Defence Against the Dark Arts professor. Professor Lennox, he used to teach at Beauxbatons."
She paused for a moment, staring down at his message before shrugging.
It was definitely useful to know that.
"Ok."
"I ran into your brother and Granger during the train-"
"I don't care," she wrote, interrupting his sentence in the middle.
"But I di-"
"Did you kill him?"
"No. But I was careful to not allow him to become suspicious of me."
"Good. If you did something as dumb as that, I'd fuck you up. Go to sleep, Draco. And find out something useful tomorrow."
"I will."
Ginny heaved a sigh as she folded up the parchment and placed it, along with her quill, on her bedside table.
She had a feeling it would be a while before Draco had anything truly useful to report.
"Did you see this?" Bellatrix asked, holding up the paper and tapping the enormous purple advertisement.
Ginny nodded glumly, grabbing another piece of toast before the terrified house-elf cleared away the plate.
"Weasley's Wizard Wheezes," Bellatrix said, shaking her head. "It really is a pity. They seem like they might actually be intelligent."
"They are. They just never use their brains for anything that matters."
Sighing, Ginny dropped the bread on the floor, the sight of the elf scurrying to pick it up not even raising her spirits.
"It would be nice to have something like that," she said. "If there wasn't much more important things to worry about. When the war's over, we'll need things to keep kids entertained. But they shouldn't be bothering with stuff like that now."
She sighed again, absently tapping her fingernail against her necklace.
"I guess it's better than them fighting us. This way, maybe I won't have to kill them."
"Maybe not. Have you heard anything from Draco today?"
Ginny pulled the parchment from her pocket and gave it a quick check.
No new writing had appeared.
"Nothing really. He said he'll be going down to the Chamber during lunch, and that he should have a chance to start figuring out the enchantments then. He keeps sending me these pointless messages about Hogwarts. It's like he's begging for my attention."
Bellatrix cackled, throwing back her head and shaking with her laughter.
"Isn't it obvious," Bellatrix said once the throe had passed. "He wants to fuck you. He saw you and me and now he wants to get involved."
At Ginny's expression, Bellatrix started laughing again.
"But-but I showed him he doesn't have a chance! He knows I'm much better than him! I put him under the fucking Cruciatus!"
"That's probably why he wants you so badly. Because if you give in to him, it means he's worth something. Maybe if he does manage to kill Dumbledore, I'll let him fuck you as a reward."
"You wouldn't!"
Bellatrix's smile took on a predatory edge, her eyes glinting coldly.
"Would it really be so bad?"
'She's just joking, she's just doing it to get a reaction.'
"Probably not," she said slowly. "He's definitely not the worst looking guy out there. He's actually a bit cute. It could actually be quite nice."
"Aaaaw. Does my little pet have a crush on Draco? You want to fuck him, is that it? I'm not good enough for you? Is that it? You think a man could do you any good? Is that it, you worthless little bitch?"
Her jovial feelings vanished instantly, panicked alarm replacing them, her blood suddenly running cold.
There had been no humour in Bellatrix's voice, no hint of a joke.
"Bella, I-"
As quick as thought, Bella's hand shot across the table, seizing Ginny by the throat.
"I own you," Bellatrix hissed, her nails biting into Ginny's skin just around her jugular. "You are nothing without me!"
"Just...a...joke," Ginny rasped, struggling uselessly against Bellatrix's iron grip. "You...started...I...just…"
As suddenly as she had grabbed her, Bellatrix let her go.
Ginny flopped back in her chair, huffing and gasping for air, her heart beating like a bongo drum.
"I'm sorry, pet," Bellatrix said. "You know I just love you so much, I can't control it when you say such hurtful things."
"Sorry," Ginny whispered, massaging at her throat and ashamedly looking at the table.
"Just try not to do so in the future, and we'll be alright. I love you dear. I don't want to hurt you for nothing."
"Draco says that he has begun working on the enchantments in the Chamber," Ginny reported. "He says that they appear newer than those on the rest of the castle. He believes, and I think he may be right, that Dumbledore placed them there after Potter discovered the Chamber, four years ago."
The Dark Lord nodded, tapping his chin with one slender finger.
"What has he said about the timeframe of dealing with them?"
"He was very hesitant to be pinned down, my lord. He said that he doubts he'll be done by Christmas break, and that was all he would commit to."
The Dark Lord sneered, lipless mouth twisting into a terrifying expression of displeasure.
"Inform him that if he is not done by the winter break, he will be spending it at Hogwarts. And that his laziness will earn him my displeasure."
"I will. My lord, I was thinking...maybe, if Draco hasn't finished by then, over the winter break we could bring in some of the other Slytherin students."
His hand tapped against his armrest once before rising and spinning, motioning for her to continue.
"I was thinking of people like Nott and Parkinson, whose parents are with us. If we bring them in, then we have extra sources of information about what's going on in Hogwarts, and when the time for the attack comes, they can help us."
He gave a soft, sibilant hiss, the snake at his feet rising and slithering out of the room at the sound.
"Yes. When next they are here, you will discuss this with Nott and the Parkinsons."
Behind her, the door to the Dark Lord's study opened.
At his gesture, Ginny hurriedly moved to stand beside his throne-like chair.
"Yaxley. You have news to report?"
"I do, my lord," Yaxley said, striding in and glancing at Ginny before returning his attention to the Dark Lord.
"First, and most importantly: three bills have been laid before the Wizengamot, to be voted upon next Tuesday. One of them, a bill that all Wizengamot votes regarding their fight against us should be kept secret, is of little consequence. The others, I am afraid, are not. Hector Montgomery has suggested the other two bills: One would allow the forced Veritaserum testing of suspected Death Eaters, and for the testimony thereof to be admissible as evidence, while the other is a return to the laws Barty Crouch passed, to allow Aurors the use of the Unforgivables and the like."
The Dark Lord's hands tightened around his armrests, the snake on the floor raising its head and hissing at its master's near-invisible rage.
"I do not believe either of those two will pass," Yaxley hurriedly added. "Too many of the Wizengamot are afraid, not to mention the others who are either allied with us or are under the Imperius. Nevertheless-"
"Tell me of this Montgomery."
"He is one of the most outspoken of our enemies in the Wizengamot. He is a half-blood, and during-"
"Does he have children? A wife? Siblings?"
"He has three children, my lord. Two daughters who are in Hogwarts, and a six year old son who attends Muggle school. His wife-"
"Next Tuesday, you say," the Dark Lord mused, gazing out the window into the dark, rainy night. "How fortuitous. Inform Greyback of this, tell him I want the son turned. There will still be two days from the end of the full moon until the vote takes place. During that time, Montgomery and his wife will be killed. You will then bring me the results of the votes once they have taken place."
"I will, my lord."
"What other news did you have?"
"The Order of the Phoenix, along with the ministry, have begun giving self-defence classes for everyday witches and wizards. Of course, it will take them a great deal of time to be able to face any of us, but it still makes them think that they can fight us."
"Watch them," the Dark Lord said, "and in a month or so, we will kill their most promising student. Let that stand as a warning to the rest of them."
"Of course, my lord. Furthermore, several of the wireless networks and news publications have begun exhorting their readers and listeners to take part in these classes and to fight against us. So far, it has only been rags no one takes seriously like the Quibbler-"
"Inform me when any of the major ones are doing so."
"Of course. In good news, I have managed to have one of Pius Thickness' secretary's assistants placed under the Imperius."
"The time will come," the Dark Lord said coldly, making Yaxley writhe under his stare. "That placing the assistant of an assistant under the Imperius will not be a cause of great celebration. Do better, Yaxley. Leave me."
Bowing, Yaxley made a hasty departure.
"You will serve me better than those," the Dark Lord suddenly said, gleaming eyes focusing on Ginny in the gloom. "Won't you?"
"I will, my lord."
"Already," he whispered, "you are shaping to be my most loyal, my most trustworthy servant. Once you have killed Dumbledore, you will have proven it. Ah, the glory you will reap, the honour you will have earned. I will teach you of magic that even the most powerful have forgotten."
He smiled, his eyes seeming to grow and fill her entire field of vision.
"You enjoy flying, do you not? I will teach you how to fly without need of a broom. I will teach you to make the world tremble at your very name. If you only continue to serve me as well as you have."
Trembling, the prospect filling her with wild joy, Ginny managed to whisper: "I will, my lord."
Bellatrix's hand continued its slow journey down Ginny's back, the nails tracing sensuous patterns into her skin.
"And then," Ginny continued breathlessly, still shaking with joy from the Dark Lord's pronouncement. 'He said that I'm his most loyal, Bella! He said I'm his most trustworthy, most loyal servant, and he said-"
Bellatrix's hand seemed to turn into a claw, the nails becoming talons and pushing against her hard enough that Ginny could feel the skin breaking.
Ginny moaned, arching her back and raising her hips as she was pressed into the soft mattress.
"What else did he say?"
Had Ginny not been caught up in the excitement of sharing her wonderful news, she would have noticed a sudden ice entering Bellatrix's voice.
"He said that he'd teach me magic no-one else knows! Bella, he said he'd teach me how to fly like him, without a broom! I can't believe it, he just-"
"Wonderful," Bellatrix said, and the harshness in her tone caught Ginny, snapping her out of her reverie. "We should celebrate. I have an idea. Get on your knees."
'Something's wrong. Something's wrong.'
"Bella, what's-"
"Get on your knees. On the floor."
Slowly, her happiness evaporating into a cloud of anxiety, Ginny got up and followed her instructions, kneeling on the thick carpet.
'I've upset her. Merlin, I'm such an idiot, I made it sound like he trusts me more than her.'
"Bella, you-"
"Hush, love" Bellatrix said, standing up herself and beginning to make her way over to Ginny.
As she approached, Ginny's intimidation began to vanish. Bellatrix was smiling, her eyes sparkling, her swaying hips and breasts grabbing Ginny's attention and pulling it down to the small tuft of dark hair escaping from her panties.
Bellatrix reached her and reached out, seizing a handful of Ginny's hair and pulling her head up.
"You're my good little girl, aren't you?"
Ginny nodded, her mouth suddenly dry, a glint in Bellatrix's eye sending fear rushing through her.
Something crashed into the side of Ginny's head with the force of a racing bludger.
A nauseating pain shot through her head as she was thrown to the ground with her ears ringing and spots dancing in front of her eyes.
"LIAR! ARROGANT, LYING LITTLE BITCH!"
The room spun around her, shards of pain stabbing into her brain at Bellatrix's furious shout.
Dimly, she could make out Bellatrix shaking life back into her hand.
"B-"
"SHUT UP! SHUT UP! SHUT UP!"
She didn't even think of fighting as strong hands seized her and pulled her back to her knees.
"What," Bellatrix asked in a quiet, dangerous voice, "do you have to say for yourself?"
Blinking madly, Ginny shook her head softly, the dots slowly vanishing.
"Bella, I don't-I didn't mean-"
Bellatrix's arm flashed again, catching her on the left side of the head this time.
Again, she fell, ears ringing and cheeks burning, frustrated, confused tears turning the dots in front of her eyes into diamonds.
"I don't know what's wrong," she cried, pushing herself onto all fours and shaking the hair out of her face. "Bella, I promise, I don't know what you're talking about!"
Silence.
Ginny stayed like that for a few minutes, fighting down the nausea that the pain in her head had brought on and keeping her eyes tightly closed until her vision had returned to normal.
When it had, she looked up to find Bellatrix standing just in front of her, staring at her with a sneer.
"You don't know? You don't know? YOU DON'T KNOW?"
"PLE-"
Instinctively, she raised a hand to block the kick, but Bellatrix deftly side-stepped, aiming for Ginny's side instead of for her face.
The force of the blow sent Ginny flying onto her back, a sickly ache shooting through her ribs.
"Ple-"
"YOU THINK YOU'RE BETTER THAN ME?"
As Bellatrix screeched, she slashed her wand through the air, making a large gash open in Ginny's thigh.
"I DON'T!"
Shrieking with wordless rage, Bellatrix dropped into a squat beside Ginny and began to slap Ginny's face from side to side, punctuating each whack with a hissed exclamation.
"I own you! You're nothing without me! You're mine! Worthless! Useless! Slut! YOU! BELONG! TO! ME! I OWN YOU!"
Ginny began to sob hysterically, curling into a ball and trying to turn her face away from the onslaught, horrified shame overshadowing the physical pain and erasing all thought.
"I WAS SERVING THE DARK LORD BEFORE YOU WERE BORN!" Bellatrix shrieked, making Ginny rise into the air and crash to the ground with a wave of her wand. "AND YOU THINK YOU'RE BETTER THAN ME? HOW DARE YOU?!"
"I DON'T!" Ginny screamed, another cut appearing on her leg, "I DON'T! BELLA, PLEASE! I DIDN'T MEAN IT LIKE THAT!"
"LIAR! CRUCIO!"
Perfect agony wracked her, a thousand red-hot knives stabbing into her every inch of skin, her bones feeling as if they were twisting beyond the breaking point, her head feeling as if it was caught in some enormous machine, something that would squash it to dust.
There was nothing but pain, nothing but pain and the knowledge that her mind would vanish in a haze of torment and that even death would be infinitely preferable to this hell.
And then it was over, the sudden surcease of the torture as pleasurable as anything she had ever experienced.
She was lying, twitching, on the carpet, with bloody puddles having pooled under her leg.
"I-I didn't mean it like that," she sobbed, "B-Bella, I didn't! I know yo-you're better than me! I-I was just saying what he said! He was just-just saying that to-"
"To compliment you," Bellatrix said softly, walking over to Ginny and dropping to sit on the floor beside her.
Gently, Bellatrix scooted over and, cradling Ginny's head in her lap, began stroking her hair and neck and making soothing noises.
"I don't think I'm better than you! I don't, pl-please, Bella-"
"What are you?"
A ray of hope lit up in Ginny's head, the gentleness of Bella's voice reaching into her and promising that everything would be all right.
"I'm nothing. I'm nothing without you. I-I'm nothing without you. I need you. You-you made me what I am."
"And what else are you?"
"I-I'm a-a Death Eater, I-"
Bellatrix was shaking her head, a beatific smile pulling at her lips.
"You're mummy's little girl, aren't you?"
"I-I am."
"What are you?"
Ginny hesitated, just for a second.
"I'm mummy's little girl."
"And you've been quite the naughty girl."
Sighing, Bellatrix began to stroke Ginny's cheeks, running her fingers over the bright red palm prints.
"Do you know how hurtful it is," She asked, "When you say that sort of thing to me? How can you be so cruel to me? After everything I've done for you, you should be grateful enough to at least think before you talk."
"I'm sorry, Bella," Ginny said, "I really-"
"Don't interrupt, love. This isn't the first time. There was what you said about Draco, and now this. It's like you don't even care how you make me feel. And then you wonder why you make me so angry."
"I do, I-"
Bellatrix's fingers tightened on her face, nails poking just below the eye.
"And you know the worst thing you do? You've made me love you. Now, if I treat you the way you deserve, I'll feel guilty. Do you know when the last time I felt guilty was?"
Bellatrix sighed again, a deep, heartfelt, and almost mournful sound.
"You deserve to be punished," she continued. "But I find myself not wanting to hurt you. I think it might be best for me to take some time away from you, love. I think-"
"No!"
Ginny shot bolt upright, the negation springing to her lips without thought.
"No?"
"Please, Bella, please, don't leave, please! Punish me, please, hurt me, I want you to, just please stay with me! Don't leave me!"
Bellatrix seemed to be turning the idea over in her head as she sat there chewing at her lip thoughtfully.
Tears were pooling in Ginny's eyes again as that terrible fear gripped her, that horrific knowledge that she would be alone, a feeling as if someone was gripping her heart in an icy fist and was about to squeeze.
"Please," she begged, "Please, mummy, please. Punish me. Please, hurt me as much as I deserve, please! Just don't leave me!"
With a look as if she were making up her mind, Bellatrix nodded.
"For you, love. And you know, the Dark Lord did praise you. Maybe you deserve a reward as well."
Before Ginny could ask what Bellatrix meant, the older witch had seized her in a tight kiss, her hand shooting down to Ginny's crotch in a flash and rubbing at her clit.
Ginny began to moan, the sudden switch in sensory input from pain and fear to pleasure and comfort sending a wave of ecstasy through her.
"And now," Bellatrix whispered, raising her wand and placing its tip against Ginny's forehead, "for your punishment. Let's see if I can make you come before I lift the curse. Crucio!"
"How many of your friends are in the house?" Bellatrix asked, waving her wand in front of the Auror's face. His enormous, frightened eyes tracked it, moving from side to side as if he were watching a tennis match.
He looked young, probably Tonks' age, if Ginny had to guess. He also looked terrified.
Which wasn't surprising, given that he had been captured by two of the most feared Death Eaters and was currently being interrogated in a garden shed.
The shed belonged to the neighbours of Ginny and Bellatrix's current target, one Winston Barton.
Winston Barton was a member of the Wizengamot, and he had made a very foolish decision when he'd chosen to vote for giving the Aurors extra powers.
"We'll let you live if you tell us," Ginny said lightly, "Promise."
"And if you don't," Bellatrix added, "We'll force you to tell us and then kill you anyways. You know who we are. You know what we've done. You want to live through tonight. Personally, I'd rather you didn't tell us straight away, but dear Ginny isn't so fond of the sight of blood."
From her position behind the Auror, Ginny stuck her tongue out at Bellatrix.
"Please tell us," Ginny whispered into his ear, leaning over him and letting her hair brush over his head. "I'd rather not hurt you."
"Just-just the one! Just Larson!"
"And you were the only one outside?"
"Yes!"
Ginny and Bellatrix shared a glance. After a moment, Bellatrix shrugged, nodding towards the bound Auror.
Ginny walked forward, drawing her wand and letting him see her.
"You-you said you'd let me go."
"You're a piece of worthless shit who works for the Ministry and betrays everything magic should stand for. Of course I lied. Sectumsempra!"
His chest split open, cuts that looked more akin to axe-wounds than anything else appearing and spurting thick torrents of blood across the room.
"Just to show you that I don't mind the sight of blood," Ginny said, raising her voice to be heard over his gargled cries.
Bellatrix was on her a second later, her mouth latching on to that spot on Ginny's neck that always made her twitch, her hand snaking into the back of Ginny's robes and squeezing her ass.
"When we've killed these traitors," she whispered, "you're going to beg me to let you come, aren't you?"
Ginny pressed up against Bellatrix, stretching her neck and rubbing her side up against Bellatrix's.
"Yes, mummy."
"And if you're a good enough girl," Bellatrix purred, "maybe I'll even let you cast the Mark. Come, pet. Let's have some fun with these blood-traitors."
Slowly, her breathing returned to normal, the ecstatic sensation that had flooded her and overwhelmed all else vanishing.
Beside her, Bellatrix flopped onto the bed with her arms splayed out, her breasts heaving as she panted.
With the fading of her bliss, the worm of disquiet returned to gnaw at her mind.
'I have to ask. She won't get upset if I just ask.'
"Did you mean it?" Ginny asked, steeling herself in case she was wrong and was upsetting her lover with the question.
"Did I mean what, love?"
Ginny swallowed, forcing her apprehension away.
"W-what you said to Mulciber earlier, when we barged in on them. That if he's good you'll let him watch us."
Chuckling huskily, Bellatrix sat up and twisted, placing her arms on either side of Ginny's head and letting her hair dangle down.
"Of course I did. You liked it when Draco was watching us, didn't you? You found it exciting, having an audience, didn't you?"
'Did I?"
"Didn't you?" Bellatrix repeated, her voice gaining a slight edge.
"I-I did."
"Of course you did. There's a part of you that loves being a little whore. Maybe I'll even let Mulciber have you if he's lucky enough."
Bellatrix's smile only grew as Ginny's mouth fell open, an expression of shocked horror flickering across her face.
"Let him-"
"You love being a little slut," Bellatrix said, "that's why you didn't kill that Higgs boy earlier, even though you didn't like what he was doing. But it's alright. I'm here now, to make sure that you can get what you need in a way that you'll enjoy."
"I didn't kill him earlier because I was scared to do it!"
Bellatrix laughed again, straddling Ginny's hips and reaching down to seize her nipples between her thumbs and forefingers.
"No," she said. "You're a natural killer. I don't think I've seen anyone else as good as you at your age, other than me. You're a natural, and you could have done it earlier. But you didn't. Because a part of you liked what he was doing."
Ginny shook her head, images of what Higgs had done to her flashing before her eyes.
'I could have killed him earlier. But I was afraid. That's it. I didn't like what he was doing, not at all! I didn't!'
"Ginny, my sweet little baby. It's okay to admit that you liked it. It's okay to admit it."
"I didn't!"
Without changing her expression, Bellatrix twisted Ginny's nipples hard, tugging at them and making Ginny arch her back and let out a soft cry.
"You know I love you, don't you?"
"I do. Bella, I-"
"You trust me, don't you?"
"I-Bella, of course I do."
"You know that I only want you to be happy and to be the best you can, don't you?"
"Of-of course, but-"
"Repeat after me," Bellatrix interrupted, twisting her nipples even further. "Bellatrix is always right."
"Bellatrix is always right."
"Bellatrix knows best."
"Bellatrix kn-knows best."
Releasing her left nipple, Bellatrix ran her hand over Ginny's cheek softly before giving it a light slap.
"Mummy knows best. Say it."
"Mummy knows best."
"Mummy knows what's good for me better than I do."
"Mummy knows what's good for me better than I do."
"Good girl. Good girl. You let that Higgs boy treat you like a toy because you wanted to be one. And that wasn't good for you. He didn't treat you the way you deserve to be treated. You want to let Draco have you, and he wouldn't treat you right either. You can't make these decisions for yourself, love. You just can't. If I want to let you feel like a toy, I'll let Mulciber have you, and I'll make sure that he treats you right. Because I love you, and I want every part of you to be happy. But only if you deserve it."
"But I-"
Bellatrix slapped her again, hard enough to leave her ear ringing.
"Who knows best?" She asked patiently.
"You do. You do, Bella."
"Good girl. You're a little slut, aren't you?"
"I-I am."
"And if I decide that Mulciber can have you, what will you do?"
'If I don't do what she wants, she'll leave me. She'll leave me.'
"I'll do whatever you say," Ginny whispered, "Mummy."
"That's right, baby. You know, I think there's something you've forgotten."
Bellatrix leaned back, moving her hand down and running it over the scars she'd left on Ginny's thigh.
"What does this say?"
"Your name. Bellatrix Lestrange."
"And what does having my name carved in your skin mean?"
"That I'm yours. That you own me."
Bellatrix leaned forward again, to gently press her lips against Ginny's forehead.
"That's right. You're mine. I can do whatever I want with you. Because I own you."
Her hand shot out again, whipping across Ginny's face twice in quick succession before grabbing hold of her nose and twisting it until Ginny was sure it was going to break.
"I know best," Bellatrix hissed, "and that means when I tell you that you like to be a little whore, you don't argue! You don't argue!"
"I'm sorry! I won't do it again! I promise!"
"No. You won't. If you do, I'll carve what you are into your forehead for everyone to see."
As quickly as she had grabbed her, Bellatrix let go.
She lay down beside Ginny again, wrapping her arms around the trembling girl.
"I love you so much, dear. All I want is to keep you happy. But why do you have to upset me all the time?"
"I won't have it done by break. But I'm sure that it won't be more than a few weeks after that."
Ginny sighed, shaking her head and staring down at Draco's most recent announcement of his uselessness.
"Are you sure?" She wrote, "Because I'm going to tell this to the Dark Lord. You don't want to keep disappointing him, Draco. Even less than you want to keep disappointing me."
"I'm sure!" Draco responded almost immediately, the writing a tad shaky, "the castle will be almost empty over break, and we don't have classes, so I'll have much more time down there without being noticed. It won't be more than a few weeks after the break, I promise!"
"I hope you're right this time, Draco. We're all getting tired of your excuses. You're sure you're right about how many Aurors there are?"
"I'm sure. There's never more than five at a time here. I'll keep watch, of course, and make sure to listen for any changes."
"Good boy. Anything else?"
"Potter's up to something, with your brother and Granger following him too, of course."
She sighed again, wishing that she could just reach through the parchment and slap some sense into Draco.
"You've told me this about five times. We know they're meeting with Dumbledore, we know that Moody is sometimes there and that he's given self-defence classes to those idiots from the DA. We know that you've seen Black in the castle. Do you have anything to add to that? Or do you want me to go the Dark Lord and tell him you keep repeating yourself?"
Draco's reply was a long time coming.
"No. I'm sorry. I'll only say it again if I have something to add. How has everything been by you?"
Not for the first time, Ginny wished that she could just rip the parchment in half and burn the pieces.
Merlin, but a part of her was hoping that Draco would fail, if only so that she'd be able to hurt him as much as she wanted.
"Were you involved in any of the recent attacks?" He asked, when she didn't answer. "I'm sure if you were, you had fun. I really wish that I could be a part of everything, but-"
"Draco," she wrote, interrupting the non-stop flow of his writing. "Shut the fuck up. I'm not interested in fucking you, and even if I was, I don't think Bellatrix would be happy. Just do what you're meant to be doing and stop driving me mad with your constant bullshit!"
With a huff, Ginny folded the parchment again and put it away.
"Draco says that he won't be ready by Christmas break, my lord. But he says that since the castle will be much emptier and he won't have classes during the break, he'll have more time to work on it. He promised that it'll be done a few weeks after the break by the latest."
The Dark Lord made a soft noise that somehow managed to express his displeasure, the thunder rolling outside accentuating his quiet disappointment.
"He claims to be certain that there are no more than five Aurors in the castle at any time. I would think that Dumbledore has some members of the Order of the Phoenix hidden there as well, but he claims to not know if they are. If we do induct Parkinson and Nott, they can be an additional source of information about that."
"Has he anything further to say about Potter's meetings with Dumbledore?"
"Nothing, my lord, except that they are still occurring."
Hissing to his snake, the Dark Lord rose and walked over to the window where he stood, hands clasped behind his back.
"I fear Draco is proving as much of a disappointment as his father. It is a pity, truly."
He turned suddenly, affixing her with his burning gaze.
"You will be meeting with the Parkinson and Nott children. Make their places clear to them. Ensure that they can cast the Imperius. Their missions will be to cast it on students when we attack and set them to joining our forces. Before then, they will be double-checking Draco's information on Auror and Order of the Phoenix numbers in the castle. That is all."
"Should-should I not have them try to spy on Potter, my lord?"
He smiled, moving over to her and seizing her chin in a swift, lithe movement.
"They are not like you. Few are. I cannot trust them with a mission of such importance. The chances of them getting caught if they were to try and spy on Potter are simply too high."
"As you say, my lord."
"Soon," he promised, "we will enter Hogwarts. And I feel quite certain that you will be the one to kill Dumbledore. And then all will know you for the worthiest and best of our fellowship."
Her heart began to pound, a thread of anxiety spreading through the pure joy that filled her.
"After-after Bellatrix though, my lord?"
His smile grew, serpentine features twisting in cruel, beautiful amusement.
"Of course."