Chapter 34: "For The Greater Good"
{A/N: The Move's been canceled so here's to the start of more uploads...-S.S.}
{A/N: The Truth about Dumbledore in small doses...short chap}
My Thanks To All My Readers And Reviewers...Enjoy-S.S.
Unknown Location, Wizarding World...
Bellatrix LeStrange's eyes hardened as she stood on the edge of the rocky cliff as the breeze blew by lifting her messed hair. She had not known why she had agreed to this meeting, she had nothing to say to the party that requested such a stance. The Derange witch folded her arms across her chest clutching her wand readily. Piercing blue eyes met her gaze but she could see passed all the pleasantries. There was only one reason she had been here and it was for revenge against those that had taken her son's life. The soft white of Albus Dumbledore's robes had been quite the interesting contrast to her own tattered black ones.
"Why should I trust anything you say old man?" asked the deranged witch annoyed.
"Because, I can give you what you want more than anything." said Dumbledore.
"And what is that?" asked Bellatrix intent on playing hard ball.
Dumbledore simply regarded the deranged witch with the familiar twinkle in his blue eyes.
"Severus." he said still watching her closely.
Bellatrix simply behaved as if it meant nothing even going so far as to chuckle at the prospect.
"And why in the world would Snape be what I want more than anything?" she asked playing it cool. "That insolent half-blood is of no consequence to me."
Dumbledore simply smiled.
"Come now Bellatrix." he said still in a pleasant manner. "You and I both know that you are in love with my Potions Master."
Bellatrix had suddenly become enraged by the callous possessive comment.
"SEVERUS DOES NOT BELONG TO YOU OLD MAN!" she shouted irate.
Dumbledore continued to smile in his usual pleasant manner.
"You seem to carry a lot of emotion for a man you claim to care nothing about." he said.
Bellatrix drew her wand and advanced on the older wizard who seemed to have not a care in the world. She started casting hex after hex only to seem them all deflected with little to no effort or movement.
Out of breath and out of her depth in the way of battle, the deranged witch was reduced to glaring at the older wizard.
"Are you finished?" asked Dumbledore.
"I hate you." said Bellatrix angry. "What you do to him is wrong and you're allowed to get away with it just because your a goody goody Gryffindor to everyone else but I know the real you...your a sick and manipulative as they come."
"Of course you do." replied Dumbledore. "But I've upheld my end of the bargain have I not?"
"You didn't have to ruin his life." said Bellatrix. "I said I would get you the information and I will..."
"I no longer require information Bellatrix." said Dumbledore at last cutting the pleasantries. "What I want is for you to work on Severus."
The deranged witch shook her head. Had she not agreed to help this arrogant prat against Voldemort for the sake of her family then she would have already walked.
"Why now?" asked Bellatrix. "You were the one that arranged that Merlin awful marriage to the Mudblood."
"It was a necessary move." replied Dumbledore. "But Severus will need to be welcomed back into the fold soon...and that is where you come in."
"You want me to seduce him." said Bellatrix.
"Precisely." replied the Headmaster of Hogwarts. "Only this time...you must ensure that Severus does not stray from you."
"There is a hell for people like you." said Bellatrix. "Will you stop at nothing for control of him?"
"We all do what we must to serve the greater good." replied Dumbledore. "Neither you or Severus are any different...I simply need him to remember his instructions and getting a bit of revenge for the sake of your murdered son isn't too bad a deal."
"What you do to him is despicable." said Bellatrix. "Sometimes I wonder whom the real dark lord is."
Dumbledore narrowed his blue eyes at her.
"We do what we must for the greater good." he said. "I am in no way like the dark lord...I am simply offering the two of you a way to atone for your many sins."
"Using Severus and breaking his heart is not atonement." said Bellatrix.
"Since when do you care?" asked Dumbledore. "You've been about self gain throughout this entire ordeal."
"He's the father of my child." said Bellatrix. "I never intended to hurt him..."
Dumbledore didn't seem to care about her feelings on the subject.
"Spare me the sentiment." he said growing impatient. "You are to seduce Severus and ensure that his marriage to Miss Granger ends promptly."
Bellatrix glared at the Headmaster.
"You will get yours old man." she said angry. "And I hope I'm there to see it."
Dumbledore remained unaffected by her implication.
"One could always hope Bellatrix." he said before parting. "You will get him back by any means necessary."
Without another word he apparated away leaving the witch to wallow in her disgust. She had wanted Severus for herself for so long but she wasn't willing to part him from his young wife just for Dumbledore's gains. Still, she knew she had no other choice but to comply. If only for the sake of her nephew and younger sister.
"I'm so sorry Severus." she said sadly. "But I have no other choice."
With another crack of thunder, Bellatrix made her way back toward Malfoy began to work on her plan to lure Snape back into her bed and destroy his marriage to Hermione Granger.