"Good work, Bella." The Dark Lord's voice was sleek and satisfied as Bella smiled and licked the Dark Mark on her arm erotically and he sighed out of her necklace in pleasure.
"We are done here and tonight you shall have your reward."
Bella's tongue flickered against her lips lavisciously and she moaned at the sound of his voice. Neither spared a glance for the boy lying spread eagled on the floor.
The Dark Lord smiled in his private chamber at the Riddle House and withdrew from the centre of Bella's necklace.
At the removal of his influence, Bella fell to the ground. Her head hurt and she was disorientated and confused. Why was Draco unconscious on the ground? Why couldn't she hear his breath? What had happened here? What had she done?
She frantically began to shake his shoulders. "Draco? Draco?" She was sick and frightened to the core. He hadn't been hit by a killing curse because she could feel the warm breath now that she was a little closer, misting against her hand, so why wasn't he moving?
She shook him harder and harder, screaming his name. "DRACO! DRACO!" But there was no response and she was all alone in the house. Suddenly his eyes snapped open and she sat up in relief. "Draco? she said more calmly.
He looked at her with a gormless expression and there was no recognition in his eyes. His right hand beat rhythmically against the carpet. Bella grabbed his hands and held them tight together. "Snap out of it, Draco. You scared me." He snarled at her and pushed her away and then his hand was beating on the ground again.
In that second it hit Bella; he had been tortured into village idiocy and then to her horror she remembered what the Dark Lord had said, "you will be rewarded tonight." But that meant… that meant she had done what the Dark Lord had wanted… in a moment of weakness she had killed Draco. Maybe not stopped him from breathing, but destroyed the person that was Draco. If the Longbottom's were anything to go by; he'd be an empty broken shell all of his life and all because of her.
Her sobs racked through her body and her sharp nails dug into the palms of her hand till she bled ruby drops on the ground. "It wasn't meant to happen this way," she whispered to the empty air.
By night time, Bella had composed herself for the night ahead. The Dark Lord would expect her to jump delightedly into his bed; after all he'd known she had loved no one but him over the years. Once but no more, she thought. If it took her the rest of her sorry life, she'd find a way to make him pay.
She felt the Dark Mark heat up on her arm and she shuddered at the hideous game she would have to play.
In the blink of an eyelid he was in front of her. "Do Lucius and Narcissa know?"
She shook her head, trying to look fawning. "They won't be back till late tonight. It's their wedding anniversary."
The Dark Lord smiled, placing a finger on her pale chin. "Good. All the more time for us, Bella." He trailed his finger down her neck till it rested at the hollow where her necklace rested. With a swift movement, he ripped it from her neck. His voice was softly seductive, most unusual for the Dark Lord. "There's no need for that anymore. You needed a little help to complete the task I set you… but now… now I want you to have all of your senses about you while I take you."
Bella chuckled throatily. Oh, how she hated to pretend she still loved this man! He took her by the hand, leading her to Cissy and Lucius' bedroom. She felt bile rise up in her throat. How dare he defile her sister's love with this meaningless lust?
Against the silky cool of the covers, he began to slowly unlace the ties of her black corset, kissing her all the while, red eyes gleaming. She wondered what she had ever seen in those cold, hard eyes. Power?
She sighed as he fondled her breasts. Or maybe evil had appealed? After all, she had been very young…
It had taken Lucius and Cissy awhile to work out what had happened… why they're previously able son was drooling across the carpet like a child, why he could no longer speak, why he didn't recognise them. Lucius had meted out enough torture in his time to know it when he saw it.
He'd put his fingers to his lips as Cissy sobbed. "It's Bella, I know its Bella. They'd had an argument the other day and you know how she punishes."
"Your own sister! Are you sure?"
"I'm sure," Cissy replied with a broken conviction. They'd tip toed into her room but there was no one there. At last they'd reached their own room. The door was slightly ajar. Lucius' mouth curled up in disgust when he saw the two bodies entangled on the bed.
The Dark Lord was asleep, but Bella looked up into Cissy's eyes, her face deathly pale, and her eyes bloodshot. Cissy's blue eyes were filled with tears as she asked, "why?"
"Please," Bella's voice croaked, "please listen, Cissy. He made me do it. I didn't even know what was happening. It was an enchantment."
"You expect me to believe that. You, you who has always loved him more than anything on this earth?" Cissy snarled.
Bella hung her head. Cissy had never seen her look so defeated. "Please," she whispered, "it's the truth.'
"I don't think," drawled Lucius, "after all, you are in bed with him. Hardly a sign of remorse, wouldn't you say?"
Bella's face streamed tears. "I had no choice. He would have killed me too."
Cissy was near hysterical. "I felt sorry for you, when you two argued, when he brought up Rodolphus, I made him apologise, and this is how you repay me?"
Bella shook her head helplessly. "I can explain everything."
Lucius drew out his wand. "I don't think I care to hear anymore of this drivel. Cissy?" But Cissy was there before him. "No, let me do this. For Draco," she screeched a look of pure insane, rage on her face. "Avada Kedavra."
Bella slumped over the Dark Lord, her body stiffened into a position of permanent shock. Without another word, Lucius put his arm around Cissy and led her back to where they'd found Draco. They didn't stop to wonder why the Dark Lord hadn't stirred once during the exchange.
"We leave now, before the Dark Lord wakes and knows what we've done." She nodded and in a second, al three were touching as they apparated into the wilderness.
The Dark Lord had sat up; the bitch had put a sleeping charm on him. He should have known she would crack. No one was his evil equal, no one! "BELLA," he roared but she didn't move. Oh, she could pretend to be asleep all she liked, but he'd have her in the end, wether she liked it or not.
It took him another couple of minutes to realise she was dead.
He looked at her coldly, dispassionately. "The Malfoy's I presume. No matter." He smiled mockingly at her body. "No one mourns the wicked, no one cries they don't return… farewell Bella. It was oh so pleasant knowing you."
And then he was gone, off to deal with the Potter problem and there was only silence in the Manor; an empty house and a body lying prostrate in a bed.
I hope everyone enjoyed my little tragedy.