Author's Note: Written for…

Daily Weird Prompt Challenge. Prompt: Voldemort's reaction to Bella's love confession

Love

"I want to stay here forever," Bellatrix murmured against Tom's neck. She was curled around him in bed and he had a lazy arm draped over her. He hummed in response even though his mind had long-wandered to more important affairs.

"Don't you wish we could spend every evening here, together?" she tried again, catching his attention with a fingernail trailing over his bare chest. It gave him chills and he stilled the hand easily.

"If only things were that simple," he answered cryptically, rolling onto his side.

He felt the bed shift as Bellatrix sat up with difficulty. She'd been having trouble getting around for the last few weeks.

"I love you," she said quietly. There was a long stretch of silence afterwards and Tom thought he'd probably misheard her. "Master, please. I think … I'm in love with you."

Tom sighed, slipping out of bed and pulling on his robes. If he wasn't going to get any sleep he might as well do some work.

"Say something," Bella demanded, watching him from the bed.

"Love is irrelevant," he answered quickly, angrily. This was exactly what he didn't want from the situation. He hadn't thought to worry with Bellatrix. She was pure and, until recently, betrothed. She of all people should have understood how unimportant love was.

If he was being honest with himself – and Tom had learned long ago that it was best to be dishonest whenever possible – his aversion to her declaration had more to do with his incapability to love rather than his disbelief that such a thing existed.

Hadn't he been told years and years ago the effects of a love potion would have on a child conceived by one? He would never feel love, and Bellatrix was wasting her time if she expected it from him.

"I can't love you." He refused to look at her, to see the hurt. Emotions were messy and complicated and he wanted to remove himself from them as quickly as possible. "I'm going out."

"No, wait."

"This discussion is over, Bellatrix," he growled, glaring at her. His expression softened minutely when he saw the pained look on her face as she held her stomach. "The child?"

"It's coming," she confirmed.

:-:

Tom left Bellatrix in the care of a house-elf. It was an old elf that she'd brought from home, and the one he'd decided that would care for the child until it was old enough to learn from him.

He stayed dutifully in the corridor outside her bedroom, guarding against anyone who dared intrude, and close enough to assist should problems arise. He smiled to himself as the hours went on and his plan came closer to being fulfilled.

"My Lord?" the elf squeaked from behind the door. Tom hadn't bothered to remember her name.

"Is the child well?" he asked.

"Yes, sir." The elf emerged from the room with a bundle of cloths. Tom knelt to examine the small face peeking out from them. "She's perfectly healthy, sir. As is her mother."

The child was pushed into his arms suddenly. Tom's immediate reaction was to hand it back to the elf – he had no intention of handling the child, after all – but the infant whimpered and opened its eyes. He hesitated for a moment before tightening his grip on the baby and standing with her. Something had changed but he struggled to pinpoint what exactly.

Everything became foggy as Tom stared into his daughter's eyes. He was aware of the elf talking, of Bellatrix calling out. Someone was tapping his shoulder. In the back of his mind the incomplete plans of an assault begged for attention. With an overwhelming jolt, he realized that he didn't care about any of it.

A/N:

First off, I just want to thank everyone who's reviewed and favorited and followed this so far. I kinda suck at replying, but thank you SO MUCH. :D

I hope this chapter was okay. I'm not sure the ending conveyed what I wanted it to, but I'm impatient and I just want to get to the next chapter already!