Bellatrix brought her paintbrush up onto her canvas and moved it in short little strokes to make the top of a wave. She stared out toward the sea smiled a little, knowing she'd got the colour just right. The sea today was jade green, and the sky was crystalline blue with milky white around the sun. Bellatrix had sketched a Cornish palm on the left side of the painting, but she hadn't even begun to fill it in yet. She'd been out here on the lawn of The Reverie for three hours now, sketching and painting, and her hand was cramping up badly. She wasn't accustomed to painting, so the angle of the easel and the grip of the brush were taking their toll on her wrist. She cleared her throat and dipped her brush into the sea foam green paint on her palette, bringing it up to the canvas to fill out more of her wave.

"Painting the sea. My goodness; you certainly mixed the colours up perfectly. That sky looks lovely."

Bellatrix whirled round in the dining-room chair she'd brought out here, and she flew to her feet as Lord Voldemort came stalking down the path that led to the lawn. He'd been at Malfoy Manor for the last few hours, Bellatrix knew, but he'd evidently finished his work. She smiled at him and gestured toward her painting, declaring,

"It's not exactly advanced work, filling in a cloudless sky painting ocean waves, Master."

"But that palm you've sketched is perfect," said Voldemort, walking up to her easel. "Well done."

"Thank you," she murmured. She was embarrassed then, for she had splatters of paint on the khaki-coloured apron she wore, and she glanced down at her messy hands. She'd tied her curls up on top of her head so the wind wouldn't blow them into her eyes whilst she painted. She was a disaster. She tipped her head and said,

"I've finished for today, I think. I want to let this bottom layer of blue and green dry before I add more dimension to the waves and start on the palm tomorrow. I need to clean up."

"Allow me," said Voldemort smoothly. He flicked and waved his wand a few times, and suddenly a series of events occurred. Bellatrix's open palette snapped shut, the lid protecting the paints from drying out until tomorrow. Her brushes were all Scoured clean and dry. Her apron and hands were washed with magic, as well, and her apron untied itself and folded. All the supplies, from the palette to the painting and easel, went soaring into the sunroom, and Bellatrix watched as they neatly arranged themselves in the corner of the space. Voldemort flicked his wand again, and her apron went flying in there and landed on the divan. The chair soared inside and disappeared, evidently going back to the dining-room. Bellatrix laughed a little and shook her head as she pushed a few stray strands of hair out of her eyes. She murmured at Voldemort,

"Your magic is strong and powerful, My Lord."

"Putting away painting supplies? That's nothing," Voldemort said, throwing up one eyebrow. He looked around and noted, "Beautiful day. I've been stuck in an office for hours. Shall we have lunch out here?"

Twenty minutes later, they were seated at the wrought iron table on the patio, with plates of salad and crab cakes before them. They had glasses of white wine, too, and as Bellatrix took a sip of hers, she stared out at the beautiful ocean she'd been painting all morning and declared,

"This place is positively stunning. I can see why the Malfoy men brought their mistresses here. I certainly wouldn't mind being brought here as a mistress."

"You'd be a mistress, would you?" Voldemort looked surprised as he speared a bite of greens. He chewed them, swallowed them, and asked, "You'd be the kept witch of a married wizard? I can't see that in you, Bellatrix, playing second fiddle to someone's wife."

She laughed a little. "No. You're right. I'd become entirely too jealous. I much prefer being the prophesied necessary one to my master and serving him by painting badly at this amazing house."

He gave her a little quirk of a smile at that, and he took another sip of his own wine. Then he dabbed at his lips and informed her,

"Lucius Malfoy goes back to school tomorrow. Easter holiday is over. I don't expect results from him immediately, but he's going to begin strategising. Planning. Coming up with notions on means to the end. I have confidence in the boy's enthusiasm, if nothing else."

"Lucius will grow to be a very good soldier for you, My Lord," Bellatrix said assuredly. "He is as devoted to your cause as I am. Of that I am certain. You can trust that he'll work very hard at the task of killing Dumbledore. He'll see it done. I have confidence that it will happen sooner rather than later."

"I admire that confidence." Voldemort used his fork to cut a bite of crab cake, which he ate slowly. He cleared his throat and told her, "I like your confidence in me, Bellatrix, and I like your devotion. I am actually quite sorry to have pulled you out of service in order to keep you here. You were, without question, my very best foot soldier and my most skilled interrogator. I shall miss having those skills from you at my disposal. It is not to say that your service here - fulfilling the prophecies - is not critically important, because it is. But I know full well that you'll miss torturing people and blowing things up, casting curses in battles. I know. I'll miss that from you, as well."

Bellatrix felt her eyes sting, but she took a quick bite of arugula and frisee and set her fork down. She shrugged and said as lightly as she could,

"We all must serve you where we are needed. Lucius Malfoy is needed to assassinate Albus Dumbledore from inside Hogwarts. I am needed here, to fulfil the prophecies. I must be near to you and be wholly and entirely yours. And that is my service, which I shall complete with pleasure, Master. Any service to you is a pleasure for me."

He pinched his lips and sipped his wine, staring out at the sea. He just stared for a long while, and Bellatrix wondered what he was thinking. He finally set his wine glass back down and said,

"If you and I are to be in such close quarters for so long, Bella, I should like to know you better. I feel as though we are still rather strangers, you and I."

Bellatrix's cheeks went warm. She didn't feel like he was a stranger. She'd had sex with him. She'd ridden his lap until they'd both finished. She'd slept beside him, curled up against him. She'd whispered to him in the night. She'd danced with him. He was her master. How were they strangers? But she just nodded and asked,

"How shall we remedy that, My Lord?"

"I shall ask you a question to get to know you better, and you'll answer it. Then you'll do the same to me. Let us simply know one another more… more intimately," he suggested, and Bellatrix felt her skin prickle even in the warm air. She gulped and nodded again. Voldemort stared into her eyes, and she was suddenly struck by just how dark and piercing his gaze was. She flushed hot as he asked,

"What is your favourite childhood memory?"

Bellatrix curled up her lips and answered at once. "Meeting you."

"Meeting me?" Voldemort looked intrigued. "D'you mean that time in 1960 when Tom Riddle came visiting Cygnus Black III for dinner?"

"You told tales of your travels on the Continent," Bellatrix said excitedly. "You said you were going back there a few days after visiting us. You told us about dragons, and trolls, and… oh, you were so thrilling. I was thrilled. Cissy was too little to much care, I think. Andy was rude, I remember. But I was fascinated by you. Absolutely fascinated. And after dinner, in the parlour, you whispered to me that your name was… was…"

"Lord Voldemort," he finished proudly, and Bellatrix smiled wistfully. She held a finger to her lips and said,

"Hush, little one, you said. It's our secret for now."

"Yes, I remember." Voldemort sucked on his bottom lip and scoffed. "How young I was still then. What, thirty-three? Time flies. I did go back to the Continent for some time after that, before coming back for good."

Suddenly Bellatrix was very aware of the age gap between herself and Lord Voldemort. She was twenty years of age now, and he was forty-five. A quarter century fell between them in lived experiences. Bellatrix felt like a silly little fool all of a sudden. It was her turn to ask a question, she realised. She swigged down some wine and asked,

"What was your favourite subject in school?"

Voldemort smirked a little at the odd question and jerked up one shoulder. He tipped his head and seemed to consider his answer. Finally he said,

"Defence Against the Dark Arts. A strange reply, I know. But it taught me more about the Dark Arts than any other subject in school did. Charms… I could have taught myself all that material from spellbooks, and I mostly did. Herbology was just an excuse to learn which plants intoxicated you. Transfiguration was obnoxious, since Dumbledore was teaching and he despised me to my core. Potions was all well and good, but it's not every day one goes about potioneering. So I'd say Defence Against the Dark Arts. There I learnt the foundation of the Dark Arts that I would later learn for real on the Continent."

"Where did you learn Legilimency and Occlumency?" Bellatrix asked, knowing she'd broken the rules and had asked two questions in a row. But Voldemort told her,

"They came very, very easily to me. Legilimency is a skill that comes only to those with a natural predilection for it. Occlumency is more easily acquired. Would you like me to teach you sometime?"

Bellatrix's mouth fell open. She nodded vigorously and exclaimed, "Oh, yes! I should like to learn anything and everything from you, Master! All the skills you'll teach me!"

"Well. We'll save that for a later date," he said. He sipped his wine again and pointed out, "It's my turn to ask a question. What's one accomplishment you completed that made you smile with pride?"

Bellatrix grinned broadly as a memory of a burning building flared inside her mind. She stared at Voldemort and told him,

"It was that time that I successfully used Fiendfyre on the house where four of our enemies were hiding. I remember the smell afterward. I remember the screams. I remember casting the Dark Mark into the sky above the shell of the house. You were so proud of me. You… you touched my shoulder and smiled at me, you were so happy with me."

"You feel pride at the memory because of my reaction," Voldemort pointed out. "Your own happiness about it all hinges on how happy you made me."

Bellatrix shrugged and nodded. "These last few years, Master, my entire existence has been wrapped up in you."

He seemed deeply affected by that, somehow. His eyes shifted, and his lips parted a little. He ate the last of his crab cake, and he muttered,

"What's your favourite drink? Lemonade?"

Bellatrix startled. She nodded and remembered the night before, telling him about lemonade and cookies. She said softly,

"Yes, I quite like lemonade. And you, Master?"

"Gin," he said simply, raising his eyes to her. "Gin mixed with all sorts of things."

She laughed a little, and he finally smirked a bit. He set down his fork and asked,

"Would you like an animal here? A cat or something? I can get you one easily."

"A cat." Bellatrix felt oddly emotional all of a sudden. She blinked quickly. "My parents always forbade cats in their house. My father's allergic, you see."

"Ah. Yes. I remember at Hogwarts he had quite a time with the other students' cats." Voldemort quirked up his mouth.

Bellatrix nodded. "But I've always wanted a cat. A black one with short silky hair. A male one. That's my dream cat, anyway."

"And what would you call this cat?" Voldemort asked.

"Maelstrom," Bellatrix answered immediately. Voldemort gave her a very knowing look and said,

"You've thought long and hard about this, about having a cat, haven't you?"

"Paints and a cat. You'll spoil me rotten, My Lord," Bellatrix complained, but her eyes welled heavily. "I couldn't accept -"

"Staying here in this house languishing away whilst all the action happens out there? I'm surprised you can accept it. But because you are a very good girl, accepting it the way you're doing, I think we can arrange for some painting supplies and a cat. It really, truly is no trouble. I wish for your happiness here, Bella. If you're to fulfil the prophecies, then I want you to be happy doing it. I do not wish for you to go mad in your confinement, nor for you to lose your adoration for me because of all this."

"I could never," Bellatrix whispered, but Voldemort smirked a little and suggested,

"How about I Transfigure my features and go to Diagon Alley, eh? No one will know it's me. I'm quite good with Human Transfiguration, thanks to Albus Dumbledore. I'll find you a cat and bring it back. It won't take me long."

"Oh, Master," Bellatrix tried to protest, but he was already standing from the wrought iron table. He nodded at her and made his way down across the lawn, down toward the rocks and the Apparition Point. Bellatrix watched him disappear into a black blur, and once he'd gone, her heart hammered inside her chest.

"Oh! Oh, my goodness! Oh, it's a little tiny kitten!"

"Mrow!"

"The only black shorthair they had was nine weeks old," Voldemort informed Bellatrix, passing over the miniature cat. It was a solidly black with shining green eyes, and as Bellatrix curled it into an arm, it meowed up at her again. Voldemort assured her, "He's a male. Call him what you like."

"Maelstrom!" Bellatrix exclaimed, and she held him near to her. She set him down on the ground, and he immediately set to exploring, running about the sunroom and chasing the shadow of the sea glass wind chime that was hanging just outside the door. Bellatrix laughed a little to see the inky black kitten playing, and she turned to Voldemort. Very much on impulse, she threw her arms around his shoulders, embracing him, and she whispered,

"Thank you."

Suddenly she realised what she'd done, and she started to pull away. But Voldemort wrapped his arms around her and held her close, and he murmured into her ear,

"I need you happy here, Bellatrix. If you're to fulfil the prophecies, then you must stay here and be mine. And if you're to do that, I want you happy. Does the little baby cat make you happy?"

Bellatrix pulled back from him and nodded. She glanced over her shoulder to where Maelstrom was rolling onto his back. She pulled out her wand and Conjured a little black rubber ball, big enough that he wouldn't choke, and let it fall to the ground. Maelstrom came dashing over and batted at the ball, skittering away on the tile floor. Bellatrix grinned up at Voldemort and nodded again.

"Yes, Master," she said contentedly. "The little baby cat makes me very happy."

Hours later, Bellatrix had taken a bath after dinner and had Scoured her teeth and braided her hair, and she was settling into her rainbow quilt bed with Maelstrom curled up into a ball at her feet. Voldemort appeared in her doorway in his typical black flannel pyjamas, and Bellatrix sat up straighter.

"Oh. You've… you've got the cat in here," he noted. "I expect you want to sleep with the cat, then."

Bellatrix frowned in confusion. "I beg your pardon, My Lord?"

"I just thought…" He trailed off a little and licked his bottom lip as he asked carefully, "How are you feeling?"

Bleeding, he meant. Bellatrix's lips parted. As of this afternoon, she wasn't bleeding anymore. She took a shaking breath and informed him,

"I'm feeling… very much better, Master. Entirely improved."

"Mmm." Voldemort glanced from side to side, and his fists clenched and relaxed at his sides. He finally said tightly, "Come to my room, Bella. I should like for you to… I want you to stay the night. And I want to touch you first."

Bellatrix climbed quickly out of the rainbow quilted bed, and Maelstrom stayed behind. The kitten had clearly fallen asleep. Ronky the House-Elf had seen to it that the kitten had eaten quite a dinner, and so his little belly was full and he was restful after much play. Bellatrix followed Voldemort out into the dark corridor, expecting that they would walk down to the black and white room together.

But suddenly he grabbed her shoulders and shoved her against the wall, and she yelped a little. He bent down and crushed her mouth with a kiss, and Bellatrix quickly opened her mouth and let his tongue in. She was surprised by the force behind his kiss, and she moaned a little as she reached up to hold his face. His hands searched her through her nightgown, pawing at her breasts and her ribcage and her waist. He held fast to her and ripped his mouth away as he declared,

"I did not expect to like you like this, Bellatrix."

She didn't know what to say to that. He liked her? He liked her? She stared up into his eyes in the darkness and whispered,

"I'm sorry."

He panted a little and licked his bottom lip as he told her,

"I want to make you happy. I want… I want you to be happy here."

Bellatrix nodded. "I am. So far. I mean to say… you've got us a House-Elf, and you've got me paints and a kitten, and you're kissing me, and I get to take meals with you. What more could I want?"

"But the very issue is that I actually care whether or not you are happy," Voldemort mused, "and I never expected to care about that. And now I care about whether or not I'm about to make you come in my bedroom, because if I don't, it'll be a failure. And I never expected these things to matter, Bellatrix. These things never mattered, you understand? Hmm?"

She stared right at him, at his angry shining dark eyes, and she stroked at his jaw as she reminded him,

"You are my entire world, Master."

"Yes. I know." He nodded crisply. "I know. You're a good girl, Bellatrix. A very good girl."

He laced his fingers through hers and turned, starting to walk toward his black and white bedroom. He glanced over his shoulder and said to Bellatrix,

"Come give me pleasure now, Bella."

Author's Note: Awww, she got a kitty cat. And he gave it to her. And she's painting! And there's an obvious lemon in the next chapter! And Voldemort is starting to get wayyyyyyy emotional around her. How long before he snaps and starts actually full-on falling for Bellatrix?

I hate to beg for reviews, but the last few chapters have been sparse on feedback given how many people are reading this story. I would be super grateful if you could spare a quick moment to let me know what you think. Thanks so much.