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Bellatrix had always been rather paranoid, or prepared and alert as she liked to think it. From storing caches of sweets and valuables as a child, to having multiple safe houses across the globe as an adult, Bellatrix made sure she would never be without options.
The one she and her beloved babe had spent the last few weeks in was probably he favourite, in that she had never visited it before since making it. While most of her hidey-holes were stocked enough to last a few days and meet every basic need, this was her last and best safe house and its provisions reflected this. It was so far underground as to be ridiculously protected, and utterly inaccessible through any means save apparition and portkey, which were of course warded against any save her. That it was under a fidelius charm and every other protection she could imagine made it possibly the most secure location on earth. No living being save her knew of its existence, not even her master.
Now she was sharing it with another. Her master's slayer no less. And it was possibly the happiest time in her adult life. Maybe even better than her childhood too.
The cavern was fully furnished with rich carpet and beautiful wood panelled walls lit with magic, fresh air wafted in from minuscule portals wherever she liked. At the moment she was indulging in some sea breeze. The far wall and ceiling were recently enchanted to act as a magical window to whichever scene she willed; right now it matched the slight salt tang by showing the rolling sea, complete with calming sounds.
Bellatrix was lounging back in a soft armchair that rocked back and forth as she held the sleepy babe to her chest. The month spent here had been a dream and she wasn't sure it was worth waking. The last few years had been tiring and draining in more ways than one, and this quiet time filled with leisure and rest had soothed her body and soul.
The pleasure and joy brought by her precious babe might have influenced her decision to stay longer than a couple days slightly. Maybe more than slightly.
It was just so addictive! Never would she have imagined so small a being could draw such power from her. Within days she was capable of wandless magic more complex than she had thought possible. Transfiguration and conjuration, without a wand? Never had it been thought realistically possible and yet she had done it within moments of meeting him. From there it had progressed to the point that she only needed her wand for the more powerful, complex or directed third of her spells.
And the growth of her magic! It had grown by nearly half again, with no signs of stopping. Incredible spells that had always eluded her reach or utterly drained her now became almost easy. She would train until exhausted of all power then wait until the beautiful boy was hungry again, and be fully rejuvenated before he fell asleep with that darling satisfied smile.
She was almost tempted to try vanishing her milk from his stomach to get him hungry, but she sadly concluded it was better not to risk it. Even if it worked perfectly, which it wouldn't, she would likely end up in an eternal high feeding him constantly until she starved to death. And yet the thought still tempted her! Such was the potency of its pleasure.
So time passed. She trained, experimented, read from her massive library, ate from the stored food and relaxed during the many hours while the babe slept. When he was awake, she fed him as often as she could, enjoying each and every exquisite session. When he was full and not sleepy, she delighted in playing childish games with him. Accidental bouts of magic marked his nearly every waking hour, and she would laugh and croon soft encouragement, whispering lovingly of power and blood and glorious victories to come.
She had attempted to study his curse scar, how could she not? He was the only person to have survived the Killing Curse! It felt of the dark and broken power and something more, but then her precious had began crying and flinching away from her hand, so she stopped immediately and promised him and herself that she would leave it alone for now. It wasn't like it was hurting him, it tasted benign which was odd enough for dark magic.
The smallish area had been magically expanded several times to accommodate their lengthened stay. Two rooms became three became many. A shared bedroom, bathroom, training room, basic potions lab, sitting room, play room and library soon became their new home.
Harry's second birthday went by mostly unmarked, for he was much too young for any of the types of presents she would, or could, give him. So Bellatrix spent the day and the next week fulfilling virtually every immature whim he had. So not much of a difference from normal after all. They played slightly more often and she read him more books while he sat in her lap, stroking his little fingers through her hair or following her finger on the pages. Small charms and transfigured toys held his amusement a little less now, but she was growing very adept at giving little light shows for him to chase after on his miniature broom. It was his favourite toy by far.
Everything was simply perfect in their nice little hideaway.
Still, eventually reality made its ugly presence felt. The stored food had never been meant to last so long, and even with all the will in the world it couldn't be stretched indefinitely. Memories and concerns of some others, especially her sister Narcissa, began subtly worrying their way through to her. With the Dark Lord gone, for now at least, Lucius might be in Azkaban, leaving her sister out in the cold. Well, Cissy would never be so foolish as to be without options. Lucius was cunning enough besides. But still.
And what of Rodolphus? Surely he would be tearing the world apart looking for her by now, baying for her blood. It might be best to do something more permanent about that. The Ministry would be after her, too, and when they got their act together it was capable of astounding magics. True, they rarely achieved anything of real worth but the power their authority wielded in the old magics was dizzying. Traces, Taboos, Laws, real, binding Laws not their petty rules, and myriad other types and forms of magic that would be virtually impossible for anyone else became so simple for them. It was incredibly lucky that they had either lost, forgotten, or didn't want to use them, or the war would have been over within days.
Well, add in a few competent leaders too. But the potential was there. No wonder the Old Families had tried so hard to prevent it from forming when it became clear they would have so little actual authority. But by then it had been too late. Blinded by the potential of controlling the Wizengamot seats, none imagined the possibility of the seats being taken from them. But they had. Seats now went to those qualified and picked by the now empowered Minister, before being put to a vote by Wizengamot itself. Since the Minister could propose anything with ease and veto anything else just as simply, he had huge powers in the Ministry without taking into account anything else, let alone emergency powers.
Which all went to say that if they got their act together, she and her precious one would be discovered. She would have to get in contact somehow and either prevent such a thing from happening or be forewarned.
Even so, several more months went by as she procrastinated and lapped up every moment of pleasure. Food supplies were almost gone but it was Harry's development that finally made her acknowledge something must be done.
He was beginning to speak.
Technically he had spoken something like her name some time ago, but 'Billelleck!' wasn't exactly the way she wanted to remember her name. He still tripped over her full name, but he had been calling her Bella for some time now and it made her, surprisingly, exceedingly happy. Simple words were added to his vocabulary which seemed to grow far too quickly. He needed a proper primary education and she didn't remember enough of her own to feel confident about taking it entirely in her own two hands.
Which made her think of schooling. Which made her think of Hogwarts. Which made her have some sort of mild panic attack before she calmed herself down by offering her breast to the nuzzling boy and smiling as he happily latched on.
Of course he had to go to Hogwarts, virtually every decent witch or wizard went to Hogwarts. The education there provided a solid foundation for further studies, and its library by itself made it well worth it. And the opportunities for alliances were not something to forget, either. No, Harry would go to Hogwarts. As much as Durmstrang might posture and show off—to those in the right families, of course—it's dark arts classes, it was a lesser school.
Besides, she grinned to herself as she rocked back and forth gently, as if he would need any external help there! Not when he had her. She'd have to come up with some way to be near him for the seven years...
Bah, Hogwarts was years away and they had more pressing matters. Their food—well, her food since he had touched nothing but her milk and magic—was down to a weeks supply at most and that was already magically duplicated to the brink. They needed food, current information about the Ministry etc and maybe even some means of partially re-entering society. At least she was not widely known to be a Death Eater, outside of the pesky Order, unless someone had given her up.
Of course someone would have given her up, damn them. But what could she do? She still bore the Dark Lord's mark, faded though it was. Bellatrix pulled up her sleeve and scratched at it angrily, muttering under her breath.
"Bella? What dat?"
Startled, she stopped and looked up at the voice. Harry was waking up on her lap and eyeing the ugly tattoo for the first time. She had never shown him before, even when they bathed she would cover it with charms, glamours, cloth, anything. Somehow it just felt wrong to have been marked by the man who had tried to kill her precious. But how to answer?
"Bella?"
His voice had her explaining before she fully considered her answer. "It's a mark that a bad man put on me so he could find me wherever I go. I don't know how to get it off, but we are safe here my love. Don't worry about that."
Bellatrix watched his wonderfully bright green eyes frown as though contemplating matters beyond her ken, and then he moved a little clumsily forward as if to see it better. She allowed his curious little hand to wander but gasped as she felt her mark flare at his touch. Eye truly wide, she watched his face form a mask of concentration as he wiped his sleeve down her arm, as if to brush off mere dirt. Then she saw him smile that beautiful satisfied. As if all were once more right with the world.
"Harry?" It came out breathless and beyond confused.
He smiled again, beaming up at her and waved his cute little sleeve. "I gots'd it!"
If she had not already been sitting down, she would have fallen over. There, on his sleeve where it had no business being, was the Dark Mark. Specifically Her Dark Mark. Each had little things that made them unique, and that was definitely hers. She looked down at her arm, not daring to breathe, and saw for the first time in over a decade nothing but smooth, flawless skin. She was no longer a Death Eater.
"Harry! How did you do that?" He seemed to know that she was just surprised, not angry despite her raised voice, and smiled again waving his sleeve around.
"I wipeed id off!"
Of course he did. Two year old Harry Potter wiped off a Dark Mark with his fucking sleeve. Just like that. Incredible.
Perhaps she should say something about mortality? Maybe he'd kiss it better! Or the next diaper would have a Philosopher's Stone in it! Ha! Take that, Flamel! Still giggling slightly, she kissed her beloved's forehead.
"Well done, Harry! Such a clever boy my love is, so clever and strong. Thank you, my love. This helps us lots! But you have to keep this a secret, just for us, yes? We can't let other people know about our secrets, they're ours. Can I take your sleeve, Harry? I want to lock the bad mark away. Is that ok?"
He nodded in all the right places and held out his sleeve for her to take, exceedingly happy with himself for making her so happy. Maybe she had other marks he could wipe away too? Maybe he'd ask her tomorrow to space them out!
She wandlessly sliced the sleeve off without his skin so much as feeling a breeze and made a show of levitating it into one of the higher chests. The second it was out of sight she banished it a more secure location in her study, but he didn't need to know that. He had started toddling around and getting into everything, no point in risking it. Then she waved her hand in a very showy gesture to 'regrow' his sleeve, to which he laughed and applauded with those tiny hand of his.
"I think something like that deserves an extra meal, it must have taken a lot out of you my love. What do you think?"
He didn't need to think about his answer at all, and soon he was dozing again, full and content in her lap.
Well that changes things, she mused, idly stroking his hair and thinking late into the night.
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Very early the next day, Bellatrix had made her decision. She would visit her sister Narcissa, now before she lost her nerve. It was so strange that she seemed to have so much difficulty leaving this place, but she knew the real reason. She could not take Harry with her this time. For the first time since she laid eyes on him, she would be leaving him behind. Even if only for a time. So she steeled herself and rose from her bed.
A soft caress lulled the still sleeping Harry into a deeper sleep, he would not wake up until she returned. After a small breakfast and an abbreviated ablutions run, Bellatrix donned her favourite duelling clothes followed by a long hooded robe to hide behind. A small sigh escaped her as her complicated portkey spell finished with a small glow around one of Harry's old dummies, and then she was gone.
She appeared right on the edge of the Malfoy wards with her wand drawn but held low, and quickly stepped through the invisible barriers. Sighing inwardly with relief when everything appeared alright, she continued forward towards the back of the manor. Her left hand made subtle gestures in front of her as she went, testing the wards and path in front of her for anything malicious or out of place, more out of habit than any sense of wrong.
Soon she reached the manor and found herself at a loss. What should she do now? She had expected something to have happened by now. Surely she couldn't simply walk in? Where were they?
Oh. Of course.
Cissy had always been a clever one. And very subtle, too.
"I claim entrance by right of blood." Her silver knife bit into her right forearm, healing the wound seconds after it caused it. Bellatrix let the blood flow down to her palm and trickle onto her fingertips before she used her fingers to draw her personal mark onto the door. The blood seeped from her arm into the building without leaving a trace behind. It worked.
The door sprang open granting her entrance to the manor, and she strode in as proud as ever. If Narcissa had used blood magic it meant things were dire, yet not so dire as to resort to truly dark magics. The manor was warded against intruders, letting visitors think it abandoned, yet the wards were keyed to accept blood relations or those who could claim allegiance and swear it on their blood. Not the move of the truly desperate. Things were not so bad, apparently.
"Cissy! Come out already! Surely you do not mean to leave your dearest older sister out in hall? Cissy!"
Then with a small pop appeared a hurried looking house elf. Bellatrix stared at it without recognition, the Malfoys had always kept more servants than most thought necessary. This included the at least half dozen diminutive creatures.
"M-mistress Malfoy will be with you shortly. Would Mistress Lestrange like food while she waits?"
Ahh, she remembered him now. "No, thank you Dobby. How are you liking your service of this house?" It was obvious from his small shakes and half-hidden bruises that Lucious was abusing him, proving once more that he was unworthy of her sister. Still, Cissy was able to take care of herself and her choices were her own.
Early life had taught her the usefulness of house elves. Kreacher had been of great use in sneaking her out and in smuggling her the more dangerous texts, amongst other things. How the wizarding world underestimated them continually confused her, the creatures had unusual power that bypassed many magical laws; one only had to learn their own laws and limits and then much became possible.
She watched as amazement came over the poor creatures face and he began to ramble about how bad his master treated him, interspersed with various attempts to punish himself that she prevented easily with her magic, thus winning him over even more. Now she was no longer simply Mistress Lestrange, but Kind and Gracious and even Good. Such pitiable creatures.
She listened and made appropriate sounds of commiseration and agreement, until it was time for her next move. This was so much easier than winning Kreacher over, this Dobby must be truly starved for affection.
"If I manage to get ownership of you from your current masters, would you like to come serve my house instead?"
His answer came just as expected, if a little more violently happy. Well. He would certainly be a loyal and willing servant. Maybe she should find out what became of Kreacher, two was better than one after all...
"Bella! Where have you been!?"
Dobby faded from view as Narcissa entered the room, still dressed in her shimmering silver nightgown that went so well with her hair. She was utterly beautiful, a perfect mirror of Bellatrix herself, fair to her dark. But on closer inspection she was tired and drawn, dark circles beneath her eyes and a dimness to her skin that went beyond any level of exhaustion Bellatrix had ever seen in her sister.
"Cissy, what's wrong? Are you ill?"
A negative hand motion. "I'm fine, but with everything going on and baby Draco, sleep has been hard to come by. But what of you? Where have you been all this time? I thought you had died!"
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