Soooo I cannot express my sincerest apologies enough for leaving this fic for so long. I'm so sorry for those of you who read this when I first published it and have been awaiting its end. I've been much more active this year and am working through each of my old fics and finishing them (along with starting new ones). So here is a very belated update to this story. I will be going back through this fic and others that were written a long time ago to edit, seeing as I am now nearly 23 and my writing has evolved (at least I hope it has haha)

Anyway, please read, enjoy and please do review!

Bellatrix Lestrange had given every ounce of her being to her Lord. She had joined him the moment she had left Hogwarts, she had near enough begged her fiancé to agree to take her to him. Rodolphus had been involved with The Dark Lord already, though as a woman he deemed it to be inappropriate for her to join in the fight. Though after many fights and a lot of convincing Bellatrix had convinced Rodolphus to take her to The Dark Lord.

She could still remember that first meeting. The effort she had put into looking just right that evening, the excitement running through her body, the thrill as he agreed to let her prove herself . . . Now Bellatrix Lestrange had been a Death Eater for nearly ten years and at 28 years old she had embraced the evil, sadistic, beautiful Slytherin side of her.

The woman was currently strewn across her bed, a thin sheet covering her in the summers heat. The raven haired witch traced circles on her pillow as she pondered what she was going to do with her day. She had spent the previous evening running the streets with her comrades in a small muggle village. Oh the mayhem they had caused. There was so much blood that when Bellatrix had gotten home to bathe she turned the water the colour of thin blood.

Giggling at the memory Bellatrix stood up, wincing ever so slightly at the pain shooting up through her arm letting her know her master needed her. With a broad smile she ran over to her wardrobe, pulling out one of her best low cut, black corseted dresses. She slipped on the garment, tightening her corset so her breasts nearly spilled over the top of it. She smirked as she walked out of her manor and towards the edge of the anti-apparition wards she had in place. She couldn't help but notice that Rodolphus had not been called from his lack of presence at the apparation point.

With a crack Bellatrix Lestrange disappeared, turning up infront of the Riddle house with a smirk on her face. She was definitely the only one called that night. She slowly walked up to the building, letting herself I and walking the staircase to where she knew her master would be waiting for her.

As she entered the main hall Bellatrix dipped straight into a bow, so low she was near enough kissing the stone floor.

"My lord." The dark witch purred.

The sound of Lord Voldemort slowly stepping towards her sent chills down her spine, she didn't move an inch until she was commanded to.

"Rise, Bella . . ." Voldemort almost sounded bored as the witch stood to face him.

He inspected her coldly for a few moments, walking around her once as he set his cold glance across every inch of her body before he stopped in front of her again.

"Bella, Bella, Bella . . ." The way he said her name sent shivers down her spine as she watched him intently "I take it you enjoyed yourself last night?"

Bellatrix couldn't help but smirk at the memory of the blood bath "Yes, My Lord, thank you . . ."

"Hmm . . ." Voldemort reached out, hooking a long cold finger under her chin. A smirk passed his lips as he could almost feel the emotions he stirred in the young woman. He let his thumb stroke her cheek as he continued to speak "Tell me, the Auror you were sent to capture . . . The reason you were in that village . . . What happened to the mudblood?"

Bellatrix froze, she could feel the gentle caress of her lords thumb turning into a cold hard grip on her chin "M-My lord . . . Dolohov, he-"

"I do not wish to hear excuses, Bellatrix. You were in charge of that raid, therefore any occurrences on that raid were solely placed on you." Voldemorts gaze hardened, he roughly released his grip on Bellatrix, not missing the small whimper she held back "So tell me Bellatrix, what happened to the Mudblood?"

"M-My Lord . . . He was killed- He fought with Dolohov and they- the house was almost destroyed. Dolohov got out but the Mudblood died in the rubble . . ." Bellatrix looked to the floor, she dared not look at her lord, she had failed him.

"So you failed me, Bellatrix." Voldemort drew his wand from the folds of his robe, raising an eyebrow.

"N-No my lord! I never-" Bellatrix was cut off as she watched her lords wand raise to her chest, her eyes bulged wide at the sight of it.

"Crucio." Lord Voldemorts voice was nothing more than a hiss as he cursed his most loyal servant.

Bellatrix tensed for a moment before falling to her knees. Her fists clenched, her teeth gritted together, every part of her body tensed but she would not scream. The powerful witch doubled over, her head pressing into the cold stone of the floor as an inferno of pain raged inside of her. This wasn't the first time she had been tortured by The Dark Lord and it would by no means be the last. Her entire being felt like it was being slowly twisted, pressed and stretched, pain racking her body.

She knew not to scream though-it pleased her lord, how she was strong enough to not show the weakness of giving in to such a meaningless release as screaming. She had screamed the first time, the first few times in fact. Her training in such dark torture was intense and involved her 'learning the power' of the unforgivable that had soon become her favourite form of torture. She felt the pain release her.

That was when Bellatrix Lestrange realised she had spread out on the floor, perspiration clinging to her face. Her breathing was laboured and her voice felt weak as she watched The Dark Lord kneel beside her, pushing her hair out of her face with the tip of his wand.

"Oh Bellatrix, poor Bellatrix . . ." Voldemort cooed to her like a small child "I know you would never intentionally fail me, you are faithful . . ."

"Th-Thank you, My Lord." Bellatrix croaked, not daring to move from her position on the floor.

"You do deserve to be rewarded for your loyalty, but you must learn the lessons of failure as well." Lord Voldemort stood, beckoning the young woman to stand as well. "Come."

Bellatrix followed wordlessly as she followed her lord to his bed chambers. She was used to this, the torture, the pleasure, the pick and mix of emotions The Dark Lord portrayed. The man had her wrapped around his little finger and she knew it, she loved it. She would die for him, do anything for him . . . Bellatrix Lestrange probably registered in some part of her subconscious mind that her Lord did not help her rapidly declining levels of sanity but she did not care. She was his to serve him, his 'Most Faithful'. She relished in the way Lord Voldemort played with her sanity.