Being pushed off the edge of the bed and onto the floor in her dream was what woke her from her fitful sleep causing her to sit up abruptly. Her hair was tangled as she tried to brush it out of her sleepy eyes with shaking hands. She hissed as she pulled the hair taught to break up the knots before giving up and flinging her legs out from the covers and standing up.

Whump. His fist connected with her eye, making her cry out in agony and water. She felt around the puffy skin and winced when she pressed her gentle fingers against her shattered eye socket. "Get. Out." She muttered. Her voice nearly dead but holding just enough venom to make him turn his back to her.

"I don't have to do anything you say you petulant wench." His voice was flat. Holding no emotion for her. And to think he loved her!

Snapping back to reality, she realised the time. Only 3 o'clock in the morning. She only got into bed half an hour earlier.

"Not getting enough sleep. That's what my problem is." She muttered to herself before walking to inspect her body in the full length mirror. The moonlight streamed in through a small window above said mirror and bounced off her pale skin, bleaching it to an eerie, deathly white.

The scars, both old and recent, showed up, scar tissue shining against the dull tones of her own skin. She looked at her eyes. They were bloodshot and puffy from lack of sleep and the bruising under them was worse than it had ever been. Her eyes then drifted to her hair. Tangled and wiry on her head. She hadn't been able to maintain it properly with her head in such a state of disarray. Then she looked at her lips, bitten to shreds and constantly bleeding, scabbing and cracking…

She looked awful.

"You won't leave me. After all. Who else would ever want your sorry little butt? Hmm?" He gripped her arms and dug his fingers into her skin. With one set of fingers still biting into her flesh, nails drawing blood, he snaked his hand up her arm, down her body and gripped a breast which he also squeezed hard. She cried out and he withdrew his hand only to bring it down again in a violent and painful punch. She screamed which then resulted in him letting go of her and slapping her, shoving her to the floor.

"Don't cry you weak, pathetic little bitch. Now get out of my face and Never threaten to leave me again."

Bellatrix ran the bath and slipped her slight frame into it, lathering her painful skin carefully. She knew it was only a matter of time. She gently massaged the shampoo into her hair and scalp and closed her eyes.

Bellatrix's head was under the scorching water. She couldn't breath and she was burning. She couldn't escape the pain. The heat seeped through her eyelids and scalded her eyes, she felt the need to cry, but the tears wouldn't come.

He pulled her head above the water and threw her at the sink.

Catching herself, she ran the cold tap and drained the hot water and splashed it on her reddened, scalded and blistered face. The heat was burning deeper than just her flesh, it felt like the heat was slashing at her bones too.

She screamed.

She washed the soap suds away with the flashback and started to massage the much needed, scented conditioner into her hair, she ran it down to the ends of her hair and thoroughly washed it out. She wrapped a towel around her long hair to soak up the water. She, in a daze, pulled on a black dress, black flats and a little bit of makeup.

Without even so much as a second thought, she apparated to the cottage and opened the door on Hermione cooking croissants with jam.

"You look rough." Hermione noted.

"Yeah, well, this is what very little sleep does to you." Bellatrix sighed and sank into the much worn sofa in the front room.

"On the plus side, your hair looks a little more tamed now." Hermione handed her a croissant and stared at the door behind which lay the dress she so desperately wanted to wear.

Bellatrix saw her longing stare, popped the last of the croissant in her mouth and stood up, took her arm and marched her into the room, demanded she put the outfit on while changing into something similar herself.

Luckily, she changed quicker than the poor girl did and she had a flashback.

His eyes were dark as his hands began to creep up her leg, under her clothes. "You know I love you don't you?" Came his raspy voice.

Without hesitation "Yes, and I love you too." She answered.

His touch was soft at first but soon turned into a vice like grip, around her neck. Just before she blacked out, he let go so that she was dizzy, confused, disoriented. He kissed her, immediately violating her mouth without even waiting for a response off her. Her was rough, bruising her lips with his and her jaw with his fingers. His tongue darted in and out like a snake as she gasped for breath. He bit her lip. Not sensually, but to cause pain and break through the skin to draw blood. So when he let go and carried on with is snake impressions, she made a split second decision and bit through the end of his tongue.. But she didn't consider the consequences…

Coming around again, she stood in front of the mirror wearing a little black, but mostly chain, dress and her black stiletto heels. She shook her head wearily and barely registered Hermione walking out from behind the changing curtain.

The night passed in a blur. They were in a Spanish nightclub somewhere, but Bellatrix just stood out of sight and let Hermione enjoy this night. She knew, deep down, that neither of them had long left, Bellatrix was simply living to look after Hermione, but when Hermione was gone, there would be nothing left for the twisted broken woman standing in the corner…

She walked around a few times, eyes wild searching, Hermione was nowhere. Then Bellatrix's dark mark started to sear and she knew what had happened. She had been taken by them. That was it. It was all over for her.

"Nobody will want you unless they need some, and are willing to pay." He whispered in her ear. She couldn't reply as she was gagged, tied up and blindfolded.

She heard someone else coming into the room and the bed springs creak. Then someone slapped her backside and she tried not to scream.

Then someone pushed into her. Granted they were only small, but it wasn't where she was used to… And tears slipped from her eyes silently. When the dirty, cheap twat left the room, he took out her gag, ripped off her blindfold but left her tied up.

He screamed at her. "NOBODY WANT'S YOU!" And her slashed at her back with a knife.

Tears were slipping silently from her eyes as the memory flashed in front of her eyes. Her makeup ran down her cheeks and she cast a notice-me-not charm on herself and walked into the toilets.

In a daze and without thinking, attempting to ignore the increasing pain in her left forearm as the Dark Lord grew angrier at her, she pulled a knife from her bag, walked lithely into a toilet cubicle and leaned against the door. She removed the charm and whispered to herself. "I loved you Remus. You were my wolf."

A young lady of about twenty was at the sink fixing her makeup when she heard a bang, like somebody stumbling into a cubicle and turned to see bright red blood seeping under the door congealing in black hair and ran out screaming in Spanish for someone to fetch help. But it was all too late.