Chapter 12

...True love is like ghosts, which everyone talks about and few have seen.

~Francois de La Rochefoucauld

Assassin's Hideout
Liverpool
Mid January 2000

Davin was thoroughly exhausted, both physical and mentally. The fight with the entire MMTF and Tom Riddle took it's toll on his body while the death of his friend, Sirius Black, weighed heavily on his mind. After apparating away with Bellatrix, he took a portkey and planned on apparating five more times to throw off any followers. But he could only manage two apparition jumps before deciding to go to the safe house in Liverpool.

As soon as he appeared in the hallway, Davin dropped to the ground panting. He groaned in pain from the cracked ribs and the four inch gash across his chest that Riddle had dealt to him. Davin pointed his wand at the gash and cast a spell to close the wound. But stopping the blood was the best he could do for now. He tried to get up to clean himself and apply non-magical first aid but he couldn't move. He laid his head on the floor just so he can catch his breath. But what started as a five minute break turned into an hour long coma.

He awoke with a start as dreams of the battle prompted him back into consciousness. He vividly recalled Sirius telling him to 'enjoy his cousin' right before the death curse connected to him. Thinking of Bella, he looked at his feet and was relieved that she was still knocked out. He was still unsure of how the upcoming conversation was going to play out. 'Hi, I'm Davin. I previously strung you up half naked in Sirius' office and I have been killing your boss' closest friends and allies. Oh yeah, I love you!'

Davin rehearsed several lines he would say to her and scrapped most of them. After a minute, he finally got off the cold floor. He levitated Bella to his bedroom and laid her on his bed. He used his wand and scanned his future girlfriend for tracking charms. He dismantled a total of seven; each on different pieces of clothing and one on Bella's ear rings.

Then he gingerly took off his shirt and stood in front of the mirror in the adjoined bathroom. After he healed his ribs and the gash, he started wiping the blood off with a wash cloth.

Bella slowly awoke in a soft bed and wondered if she had been dreaming. The blonde haired assassin, the one she had been dreaming about, had come for her. When she finally opened her eyes, she realized that she was not in her apartment. Startled, she silently got out of bed and reached for her wand. If it wasn't for his injuries and possibly his feelings for Bella, he probably would have secured it. Luckily for her, he didn't even look.

She heard the faucet running in the nearby bathroom and aimed her wand in that direction. She peeked through the opening real quick before sticking her head around for a longer look. The man she had simultaneously been dreading and dreaming of seeing again was topless in front of the mirror. She took a moment and gazed at his muscular frame and noticed all the scars that crisscrossed his back. Through the reflection of the mirror, she could see his face as he wiped the blood off of his chest.

Davin was so preoccupied with cleaning his wounds that he didn't even realize that he was being watched until the hairs on the back of his neck stood up. His eyes darted to the mirror where he caught sight of Bella...with her wand pointed in his general direction. He was caught like a deer in headlights! All he could do was stare at the woman he had longed to see. They stared into each others eyes waiting for the other to make the first move.

Slowly, Davin raised his arms in surrender. "I'm not going to hurt you", he tried to say using legilimency.

Bella, however, had other plans. She quickly raised her wand and sent a stinging hex at Davin's back. When he didn't even flinch or show any sign of pain, it only fueled Bella's rage. She thought of when he had her hanging like a pinata in Sirius' office and sent a more powerful stinging hex.

The power behind the spell pushed Davin into the mirror hard enough to crack it. A trickle of blood started running down his forehead when he was hit with another. "That's for humiliating me! That's for kissing me without my permission!"

Hexes were hitting the assassin left, right, and center until he fell to the bathroom floor facing the irate witch. He couldn't bring himself to lash out at her. Hell, he wasn't even sure he had the strength to fight again so soon after the battle.

"And that's for kidnapping me!"

Davin took in all the abuse, he figured he had deserved it. When he wasn't hit with another spell he chanced a look at Bella. He noticed the tears streaking down her face and guilt took a stronger hold of him. Without warning, Bella tossed her wand aside and started to kick and punch at Davin's prone form. "Why won't you say anything", she screamed. She hit him a few more times before sliding down the wall to the floor next to Davin.

Davin sat back up and propped himself on the opposite wall. "Say something damn it", she said to him. Davin just opened his mouth and showed her his missing tongue. He wiped the blood out of his face and tried to stand back up. Bella, thinking that since he let her beat his ass and therefore couldn't be a threat, let him. She continued to sit on the bathroom floor, her eyes never left the assassin. Again, she looked over the numerous amounts of scars and curiosity demanded her to ask, "did your masters do this to all of you?"

Davin regained his wand and slowly brought it to his new wounds so he wouldn't spook Bella into giving him another ass kicking. Tapping his head and pointing his finger at Bella's, Davin tried to convey that he could perform mind magic. Hoping she got the hint, he opened himself to her mind. "No", he said quietly with legilimency. Seeing her flinch gave him a good indication that she 'heard' him, so he continued.

"When I was younger, I was a right cheeky bastard", he chuckled. He continued when he realized that she didn't smile, "being a part of the shadows means that you have to remain silent at all times when you are in the field. It took a long time and a lot of pain before I learned that lesson."

When the last cut closed up, Davin put his wand away and sat back down. They sat in silence for a minute before Davin mentally said, "I'm sorry for all that stuff by the way. Especially the part where you were tied up with your...your..." Davin turned a wonderful shade of red from embarrassment when he envisioned Bella's breasts.

"You mean when you had my tits to the wind", Bellatrix said helpfully.

Davin turned yet a darker shade of red before he cleared his throat. "Yeah. We wouldn't have let that happen if the other Aurors didn't start blasting the hallway. We aren't like that at all."

"So why did you kiss me", Bella demanded. The thought, and the sweetness of the kiss if she was honest with herself, plagued her thoughts and dreams. God help him if answered wrong!

"I recall you kicking my ass then too", Davin smiled. "Up until that point, nobody other than Harry, could match me in a fight. Then, through the bloody nose and swollen bits, I remember seeing this strong and beautiful woman hanging helplessly in Sirius' office. Looking every bit the warrior princess. Like I said, we really would have covered you up. But I was transfixed...and Harry was fighting alone..." Davin looked down in shame as he started to confess to this woman he had only dreamed about. "I felt drawn to you...I still feel drawn to you. I couldn't help myself...and afterward...I remember feeling free! I smiled, really smiled, for the first time in a long time."

"I knew from the beginning that the Emperor was using you as bait. I've watched Harry and his girlfriend and the way they look at each other." Davin was having a hard time gathering his thoughts. He wanted to explain to her how he had thought of her every moment since they met. But, for some reason he couldn't get it out right. "We weren't raised in a loving environment.", Davin showed Bella more scars as he said smartly, "obviously. But if he learned how, then maybe...you know? I thought that I might be able to have those same feelings with you. To feel free again. That's why I went into the trap willingly. To me...you were worth fighting for!"

When Davin finished, he looked down in shame again. He had said too much. Thoughts of her rejecting him or laughing at him started to cloud his thoughts. "Sorry", he apologized, "maybe I made a mistake. Sirius told me how foolhardy I was the night before."

"Don't be sorry", Bella said softly. The look she gave Davin gave him hope! He might have a chance he thought elatedly. "So Sirius knew of your plan? Where is he so I can smack him around too", she smiled.

But Davin didn't smile back, he flinched instead. "Sirius was killed by the Emperor." Since he had knocked her out in the beginning, she was unaware of how much he went through to get to her, so he told her. "After I stunned you, the whole law enforcement building came down on me. It took all I had to come out on top. I was dragging you to the the wards when the Emperor came and attacked me. Sirius seen how bad I was and decided to help out. He looked a right mess too...I don't know how he did it with all of his injuries but he...", Davin choked up again, "he didn't make it."

Bella teared up for a few minutes thinking about her 'larger than life' cousin. "I'm going to miss him", she said. Davin agreed but remained silent.

"You've mentioned Harry...that wouldn't be Harry Potter would it?"

"Yeah, only he just found out his last name a few months ago. Our leader tasked Harry and I with finding Albus Dumbledore. Sirius was a known friend so we decided to go undercover and talk with him. That's when you came in. It must have helped because Sirius recognized Harry and gave him a location for a portkey to Dumbledore's location."

"You found him", Bella said incredulously. "We've been searching for years...I can't believe Sirius knew all this time."

"Yeah, Harry and I couldn't believe our luck. We thought the assignment was going to take at least a year!"

"So what happened", she asked.

For the next thirty minutes, Davin told Bella how Dumbledore had informed Harry of his parentage and helped him come to the realization that their leader was his parent's murderer. They talked awhile about the Bowes Castle attack. Bella apologized for her part in it. She admitted that Tom had made a lot of snap judgments with (what she realized now) very little information. She also realized that she probably didn't help Riddle's decision to attack Bowes castle since she was in an emotional turmoil the day he questioned her. If she just allowed him to view the memory of their encounter in Sirius' office, the Emperor might have acted differently.

Bellatrix tried to explain how chaotic that fight had been. "I didn't know what was going to happen when Tom walked up to the church. After he destroyed it, I was in a haze for the rest of it. You know, when it seems like your looking down on yourself doing stuff, and you think...is that me?"

Bella paused before telling Davin how devastated she was after the fight when she seen the burnt and mutilated bodies lying about. Even more so when she seen the bodies of the children. "I'm so sorry Davin. I didn't know he was going to use Fiendfyre, it was all so terrible."

Davin teared up a little, but accepted Bella's explanation. It didn't excuse her involvement, but it wasn't like she had much of a choice. She is soldier, just like he is.

With that said, they moved on to current events, Davin asked if she was mad at him for killing Lucius, Karkoroff, or McNair. Surprisingly, Bella laughed, "I've never been really close to any of them except Tom. From the start, I've always believed that he was right and the direction of our society needed to change." Bella paused a moment to gather her thoughts, "I still think he is right even though I disagree with the way he became Emperor. The night I blackmailed Harry's grandfather...I've never been so scared in my life. I made him think that I was sadistic enough to kill an infant just so Tom could get votes to win the muggle election!"

"Well, I don't think Joseph cares anymore. I mean, he is probably still pissed that his daughter and son-in-law were killed and Harry was raised by someone else... but that was on Father Jacobs. Not you."

"How would you know", Bella asked curiously.

"Well, Harry and his grandparents were reunited just last week. He told them all about our childhood and stuff. They are really nice people, I can't see them holding a grudge for so long."

Bella nodded her head and they descended into a short stretch of silence. With their stories told, neither one knew where to go from this point. After about five minutes, she finally called Davin out, "so Mr. Kidnapper", she smiled, "what do we do know?"

Davin drank in her smile, then thinking about it," I just realized that I never really introduced myself. " Davin smiled as charmingly as he could, "My name is Davin...and I love you!"

...Without reflection, we go blindly on our way, creating more unintended consequences, and failing to achieve anything useful.

~Margaret J. Wheatley

Imperial Center
Hours after the battle

Tom paced back and forth as one of his aides gave him an after action report. "FORTY...FORTY DEAD!", he hollered. The aide cringed as the Emperor's outburst. The air suddenly became thick and heavy with magic. "BELLA'S BEEN KIDNAPPED, AN ENTIRE CITY BLOCK DESTROYED, AND ONE OF MY LEAD INVESTIGATOR'S BETRAYED ME!"

"It is possible that Investigator Black was under the Imperious Curse", she said timidly.

Tom stopped pacing long enough to look at the young woman. 'It was a possibility but we will never know for sure', he thought. "That's good", he told her, "we'll tell the Daily Prophet that he was cursed and aided the assassin. At least we can stop them from questioning the department's loyalty."

"But we must plan for the worst. Black was present for the war council meetings. Hell, he even suggested a landing point. It might be safe to assume that those landing zones are compromised. I'll have to get the Generals together and plan another strategy."

Tom started pacing again, this time thinking of a plan. "The city block can easily be repaired; such is the beauty of magic. As for the dead...we need to paint this assassin more as a wayward patriot; as much as it pains me to say it. This is the second time they attacked right in front of a government building. The assassin's never said anything about a motive...maybe we can suggest their malcontent with the American embargo? We'll tell the public that they kidnapped Bella in order to push us into a deal to end it. Then I'll indulge the public with the world's refusal to work with us. Along with a monument for our dead that screams 'unity', maybe we can use this as a fire starter to boost approval ratings when we go to war!"

"Sir, what happens if they come out and disprove your 'suggested' motive? It might do more harm than good", the aide said.

"For any normal person, yes, you would be correct. When Julius Caesar was murdered, Brutus and his cohorts eloquently spoke to the masses and convinced them that they had Rome's and the people's interest at heart and feared for it's safety from tyranny. However, when Mark Antony spoke to the assembled crowd, he persuaded them otherwise which resulted in a war that eventually ended up with Octavius Caesar as Emperor. Moral of the story is...he who speaks last, and speaks well, usually garners more sympathy for the cause."

"However", Riddle continued, "this is not a normal situation. This assassin is not likely to walk up to the prophet for an interview or a debate. For one, now that we have his picture plastered all over the place, people will know how dangerous he is and call the Aurors. Two, he seems to only be coming after me and personal friends of mine because of the incident in Bowes."

Riddle sat heavily in the plush red chair behind his desk, "poor Bella. Has the tracking charms had any results", he whispered.

"No sir, the Aurors believe the charms have been canceled. They were investigating an area in Liverpool but lost Bellatrix's location not long after they arrived."

"Poor Bella", Riddle whispered again. She was his most devout follower. Losing her drive to get things done will sorely be missed. It was sad to say that he didn't hold any hope of her survival. Tom sat silently long enough that the aide cleared her voice, "will that be all sir?"

Riddle didn't even look at her, "yes. Just call a war council meeting for tomorrow. Cancel all my other appointments", he said sadly. "I need some time alone."

"Yes sir", she replied before copying the notes she took and leaving it on Riddle's desk. She briskly walked out and quietly shut the door behind her. For the rest of the day, Tom sat at his desk drinking liquor and staring out the large windows of his office. Melancholy had gripped his heart as he thought of all the friends he had just lost. Again he cursed himself for acting against the assassin's guild. He should have just confronted them about Harry's existence but the thought of their capabilities scared him. He would never admit it out loud, but in all the countries he had studied magic and even the power he himself commanded, the skill the assassins have showed unnerved him.

He had heard stories about them and some of their deeds. That was why he sought them out when he wanted to blackmail Joseph Evans...which felt like a lifetime ago. People who got in their crosshairs ended up dead, plain and simple. 'And poor Bella', Tom thought sadly, 'she is paying the price for my mistakes as I just sit here.'

The next day, Tom met with his war council and altered a few of the plans. Mostly just landing zones

that Sirius might have known about just in case he was a traitor. He later held a press conference about the attack and mourned Bella's kidnapping as well as the death of forty law enforcement officials. He told the country that the assassin was attacking to provoke them into a deal to end the embargo. Tom asked the country to be patient while he tried to get the ICW to see reason. Overall, it went well. The Emperor just hoped that the blond haired menace would remain silent until the war started. Then he could blame his attacks on subterfuge.

...Friends are the sibling God never gave us...

~Mencius

Evans Cabin, Canada
January, 30th 2000
One week after Bella's kidnapping

It had been a few days since he his grandfather had shown him the Daily Prophet depicting Davin's attack and Sirius' death. Harry couldn't really say he felt a lot of sorrow for Sirius Black as he had just met him a few short months ago. He rather enjoyed the man's personality though, always quick with a joke and constantly smiling.

Lilliana was distraught though; Sirius was like an uncle to her. For the past few days, Harry just held her until she cried herself to sleep. Since he had no real clue on the inner workings of the female psyche, like most men, it was all he could do. And for the most part it worked so he happily stuck with it.

That evening's meal was dedicated to Sirius' memory. A huge feast was prepared and everybody sat together telling stories about their lost friend. Tears were shed and memories were shared late into the night. Remus, who took Sirius' death the hardest, shared many stories about their time with the Potters at Hogwarts. Their little gang of Marauders caused a massive prank war with the Slytherin house during their seventh year.

Ever since reading the article, Harry had been expecting his pager to ring. Davin was supposed to call it to let Harry know he was alright. The Daily Prophet mentioned that Tom Riddle had injured him, so Harry hoped his friend was just recovering. But then he wondered what Davin had in mind for Bella while he recovered. He wondered if his friends 'prize' was worth the risk. When those thoughts came up, they continued to spiral downward as he wondered what was going on.

He pictured a tired and bloody Davin being killed by the woman he wanted to profess his love too. Then he pictured Bella using the same torturing methods they had used to find out information on Harry's location. At times, Harry had to stop himself from running to Britain to find out what the hell was going on!

On the first of February, Lilliana entered Harry's room to find him packing. Harry looked at her apologetically, "I'm sorry love, he'll be gone for almost a month now and I still haven't heard anything."

Lilliana, to Harry's surprise, wasn't mad though. "Honestly, I'm shocked you waited this long", she said as a matter of fact. "I'm getting worried about him too." She moved towards Harry and hugged him. "When do we leave?"

Harry smiled into her hair, "I guess WE will leave in the morning. That way we can get a good nights rest because I don't know what we'll run into back home."

They broke off a minute later to continue packing when a knock at the front door echoed throughout the cabin. They stopped in their tracks and looked at each other. They heard everybody greeting someone downstairs in a boisterous fashion. "Could it be", Lilliana asked. A second later they heard Bill Weasley holler Harry's name. "I sure as hell hope so", Harry said running out of his room and down the stairs.

By the time he arrived, everyone else in the house came to see what the commotion was as well. Standing in the foyer, looking like a million galleons, was his long awaited friend.

"Brother", Harry said grabbing Davin by his forearm as a type of handshake before pulling him into a manly hug. "Lilliana and I were just packing to jump the pond and check up on you!"

Davin smiled, he expected nothing less from his best friend. "I would have paged you but my phone got smashed. Then it took about a week to finally bypass the Americans to get here."

"Well don't just stand there, come and tell us what happened", Harry urged. He led everyone to the kitchen where his grandmother started preparing the kettle to make tea. Davin greeted everybody warmly before taking out a small stone bowl from his pocket. He sat it on the table and pointed his wand at it and enlarged it to four times it's normal size. "Instead of telling you and getting a headache from all the mental connections...how about I just show you!"

"What is that", Harry asked. He looked closely at the odd bowl and rubbed his fingers over the runes around it.

"This is a pensieve", Davin replied. "It holds memories and lets people view them. I can even project them out of the bowl like a television!"

Dumbledore looked at the pensieve closely, "a very expensive pensieve at that. Might I ask where you acquired such an item Davin?"

Davin smiled at the old man and answered back with one of Dumbledore's favorite phrases, "all will be revealed in good time." Dumbledore's eyes seemed to twinkle as he chuckled at the young assassin.

Davin pointed his wand at his temple and closed his eyes in concentration. Slowly, he pulled his wand away from his head with a silvery wisp of light attached to the tip. It seemed to float in the air for a second before Davin tapped it into the bowl. "I'm still getting the hang of pulling out specific memories so bear with me", he said before tapping the bowl with his wand.

After another tap, the room lit up with the memory of Davin's battle with the MMTF. Some watched with a mixture of awe and horror at the destruction the battle caused. Harry watched with pride as his brother fended off more people than he could count. Then when the memory reached near the end, they watched with tears in their eyes as Sirius slammed into the Emperor. The show ended when Davin apparated away with Bella.

Nobody talked for a second as they once again thought about their lost loved one. Finally, Sirius' best and last remaining friend from his Hogwarts days, spoke up. "You know", Remus said sniffling, "the old dog did say he was a hopeless romantic at times. And knowing him, he would have thought it was a great honor to help you find love."

Davin smiled sadly, "when I told him what I had planned to do, he called me a fool! Then, he laughed his ass off and we started planning. It wasn't a good plan, in fact it had a very low survival rate and you seen why. Sirius knew the risks better than I did but that didn't stop him. I owe him more than just my life."

After another moment of silence, Lilliana asked, "so what happened afterwards?"

Davin pulled out another memory and set it to project. This one contained the ass kicking that Bella gave him when he was in the bathroom. It stopped before their long conversation while they sat on the floor. "That's why I couldn't page you", Davin told Harry. "She beat my ass again and one of those kicks smashed my phone."

The room laughed at Davin's expense. Not in a mean, insulting, way. But after watching him take on a small army with minor wounds only to be beat up by a single, albeit combat proficient, woman was very amusing.

"I'd like to show one more", Davin said, "nothing else really happened other than trying to get back here." Davin concentrated again, closing his eyes really tight, before another wisp of silvery light was pulled out. For the sake of Harry's grandparents, he included Bella's confession about the blackmail incident. Davin watched their reaction for a hint of anger or resentment. He was relieved to see only acceptance. Rose would tell him later that she was actually glad for Joseph's retirement from politics. "I hated those two faced bastards with a passion", Rose told him humorously.

The memory faded to white before turning into a candlelight dinner between him and Bella. Davin intended on showing everybody her willingness to remove herself from Riddle's influence and to go into hiding. But, as Davin was concentrating on the memory, his mind must have slipped to what happened after that dinner!

He knew something was wrong when the pensieve didn't project the dinner clearly enough before merging to show the new lovers in a very heated moment of passion. Panicked, Davin waved his wand frantically trying to stop the show. To Harry, it was beyond funny how Bella's cursing coincided with Davin's. One in the throes of passion mimicking the terrified other almost like it was rehearsed beforehand.

"Oh shit", Davin hollered.

"Ooooh shit", Bella retorted.

"Fuck, fuck, fuck!"

"Oh fuck, oh fuck, oh fuck!"

Finally, for what seemed like an eternity to Davin but in reality only a few short seconds, Dumbledore waved his wand and canceled the memory. The loud cursing stopped as well as the groans of his bed frame. 'Serves him right for the Antsy Banshee incident', Harry thought laughing. In fact, he was the only one laughing. Other than Harry, the room was silent after viewing the memory, only this time it was out of embarrassment instead of mourning.

Harry had no such issues though. He finally managed to catch his breath long enough to ask, "so I take it that everything went alright?" Then he busted out laughing again.

The blood had drained from Davin's face. He looked at Harry in a petrified manner, "please don't tell her you guys saw that. My wounds have just healed."

Harry and the rest finally laughed out loud. "No promises mate!"

Later that evening, when Harry settled down and quit laughing, several of the group sat at the dining table to discuss Bella's admittance to Joseph's cabin. Davin and Bella knew that bringing her there out of the blue to a highly secret location would probably not end well. So she rented a motel room to stay while Davin vouched for her and showed everybody his memories.

Dumbledore, Joseph, Lilliana, Harry, and several of the older Weasleys gathered around Davin as he plead Bella's case. "I know she has been working for him for a long time and that she blackmailed you and that she was there at Bowes Castle, but she has changed." Davin looked to Harry, "I used the rest of our Veritaserum. She is telling the truth."

Dumbledore raised a hand to calm to young assassin down, "it's not that we are doubting your word, but like you said, she has been with Tom for years. To defect so quickly raises a lot of red flags." Davin acknowledged that there was a lot at stake, so he wasn't really all that mad that they were being cautious.

"How about", Dumbledore continued, "you, Joseph, Harry, and I visit with her tomorrow. After talking for a bit, and verifying that she has indeed came to our side, and if Joseph approves, maybe we can invite her to the cabin."

"Has she given you any information about the Lestrange brothers", Harry asked.

"She told me about the army that they are leading in South America. She knows where the training camps are located, but as far as their location, she suspects that they moved to stage an attack on the States. She used to head the army stationed back home. She said that her command was relinquished to a General Smith who is supposed to lead them for the invasion of France. She was in the meeting for the Emperor's war council, so she knows what he is planning to do."

"But will that plan change when he learns of Bella's defection. I'm sure the general idea won't change much, but knowing where his armies will strike would be very helpful", Dumbledore said.

********oooo********

The next day, Dumbledore, Joseph, Davin, and Harry were having tea at the motel room with Bellatrix Black. Introductions were made, which was rather weird between her and Joseph, but the mood picked up after a twenty minute Veritaserum session. Dumbledore acquired more of the potion from his own stash. The first few questions were dedicated to her role as bait for Davin.

"You were intended to be captured by one of the assassins, is that correct", Dumbledore asked.

Bella's eyes were glassed over and unfocused; common effects of the Veritaserum. "Yes", she replied.

"If that is so, what fail safes were implemented in case you were successfully captured?"

"Tracking charms were placed on all of my clothes and jewelry. My ear rings were portkeys and I had a GPS chip surgically implanted on my right buttock", she said monotonously.

"What happened to these items?"

"I told Davin about all of them; he had already removed the tracking charms while I was unconscious. By the time I woke up, I figured the MMTF would arrive shortly after. So,after a short talk with Davin, I gave all of my possessions to him. He burned the clothes, flushed the ear rings down the loo with the GPS chip. Then we apparated several times before spending the night in a London hotel."

"Were there any other back up plans?"

"No."

"Do you really care enough for Davin to not to see him hurt or killed", Harry added.

"Of course. I have dreamed about him ever since that day in Sirius' office", Bella replied sounding a little less dull than before.

"And what of the Potters?", Dumbledore asked.

"I never wanted to involve the Potters but Tom was adamant that he needed Joseph Evans' votes to win the election for Prime Minister. He knew that Sirius was James' best friend. He had me use my family ties to Sirius to get to close enough to the Potter child to charm a copy of a stuffed toy; which I used to blackmail Joseph Evans."

Harry, and Joseph of course, knew what toy she was referring too. Harry recalled it when he unlocked his childhood memories that first night at Dumbledore's hideout. Hearing that Bella was the one that started the whole fiasco with his parents and grandparents made him a tad upset. He quickly squashed that feeling when he reminded himself that Tom, not Bella, was in charge and pulling the strings.

"I never wanted any part of it", Bella continued. Her eyes focused and her voice started hitching with a sob, "he told me that it had to be done and that I had to be convincing. I'm so so sorry...", she said before breaking down. It was obvious that the effects of the Veritaserum had warn off, but they allowed her to proceed without another dose.

A few minutes later she was able to continue her confession, "I later learned from Sirius that Lily found out about the blackmail and they were going to tell you", she said pointing at Dumbledore. "By that point, there was no turning back, so I informed Tom. I never, not once", she said looking at Joseph with tear soaked eyes, "thought he would involve assassins. He said that he knew of a way to get them to agree to a magical oath...he said he didn't want anybody to kill them!" Again, Bella broke down and apologized profusely.

Harry took pity on the woman, he still held some resentment from her past actions, but he realized that she was a pawn like all the others in Tom Riddle's game of power. He conjured a tissue and handed it to the dark haired beauty, "if it gives you any comfort, the assassin that was assigned to the task originally wanted an oath. But, he was caught and acted out of instinct. That assassin, Father Jacobs, raised me and treated me well. He taught me everything I know. He retired from field work after that mission and every time he was asked about it, he became morose and preached about the price failure. After his death, Davin made me realize that he treated me better than the others because he unintentionally murdered my parents. He trained me and mentored me as a sort of atonement for his failures."

"I'm sorry Harry, I never meant...", Bella started.

"It's alright, we can't change the past. And while you did play a part in the plot, it was not you who murdered them."

Joseph watched as the conversation continued. He wanted to forgive the woman but that night she was in his study was forever etched in his mind. She also broke his pinkie finger twice and hexed him over a dozen times. When Harry moved to her involvement in the massacre of his old home, Joseph started thinking of a way to ensure her loyalty.

When the meeting seemed to be over, Davin walked around the small kitchen table to comfort his new girlfriend. Dumbledore, Harry, and Joseph stood up to confer in private about the next step.

"So what do you think Albus", Harry asked. "I mean, I can't say that I fully trust her yet, but it all seems legit."

"I believe so as well Harry", said Dumbledore, "but ultimately it is not my decision to make."

The two wizards looked to Joseph for his judgment of Bella. Then it clicked, he knew how to test her loyalty, but it would be dangerous on Harry and Davin's part to complete. "I am willing to forgive and forget, what happened was a long time ago and like you said Harry, she didn't kill my daughter and son-in-law. But, trusting her is still an issue with me even with her confession under the truth serum. I want to propose a plan that will ensure that she is on our side."

"What do you have in mind grandfather?"

"Right now, she is still considered missing. What if we have her contact Tom and say that she escaped and believes she is in Mexico. Tom might give her the location to the Lestrange brothers or have them come to her. If he does and we take them out...she'll be known as a defector AND two more of Tom's closest advisers will be dealt with."

"He will more than likely send the Lestranges, with soldiers, just to be safe", Dumbledore said, "but, as far as allegiance goes, she could claim the Imperious curse. Which Tom would accept given the long history they have together."

"I still like the idea of getting the Lestrange brothers though. I'm comfortable enough with her allegiance...well", Harry said rethinking his statement, "I'm positive of her loyalty to Davin. That's enough for me."

The three of them sat back down at the table and told Bella that they believed her. Then they told her about the plan to get the Lestranges. Surprisingly, she agreed without a moments hesitation saying that they were perverts. "We were in Dubai for a meeting with Tom a few years back. Afterwards, both of those bastards tried to seduce me. When that didn't work they groped at me. Then they tried to rape me!"

Davin's face turned red with anger after each point. Harry would bet money that neither brother would have lasted three seconds in that room if they were present. Bella noticed Davin's feelings and placed a comforting hand on his shoulder. "I easily fought them off...then I used a summoning spell on their testicles. So you can safely say that they are nutless!"

The table erupted in morbid laughter at the Lestrange brother's expense. Both Harry and Davin despised rapists with a passion. Before meeting Dumbledore, they both had several assignments on muggle baiters that had a history of raping non-magical woman...and sometimes men. These targets died in the worst way that the pair could think of.

After another hour of conversing and planning, Joseph gave his blessing for Bella to join everybody at his cabin. She thanked him sincerely before packing her toiletries and grabbing Davin's hand to await their departure. Seconds later, they arrived back at the cabin and made more introductions. Later that night, Bella had to tell her story again to the occupants during dinner. Everybody took Joseph's word that she had indeed turned her back on Tom Riddle.

********oooo********

Two days later, Bella was in Mexico City using a payphone to call Tom's personal cell phone number. After a few rings, he picked up and questioningly asked, "Hello."

"Tom! Oh thank heavens you answered the phone. It's me, Bella."

"Bellatrix! What's going on? Where are you", he asked frantically.

"I'm in Mexico City, in a little restaurant called Dulceria." Bella broke down into a fake sob, "he tortured me for days, Tom! I need help."

"Alright my dear, don't worry. I'll send help. But, how did you get away and what are you doing in Mexico?"

Bella cried harder, "I don't know! I woke up alone a few hours ago tied to a chair. When I got loose, I killed him with it and ran out of the house! The muggle police are looking for me because I'm naked and covered in blood and I don't know where my wand is... I took his wand but it doesn't work for me."

"Ok, calm down. Don't bring anymore attention to yourself. Go to the restroom and clean yourself off and cloth yourself the best you can, then call me back and I'll have something set up for you. Ok?"

Bella stuttered for a second, "o...ok. I'll call you in a few. Thank you Tom."

"No need to thank me, Bella. I'm just glad that you escaped!"

Instead of going to the ladies room to clean up, Bella walked over to the table she shared with Davin and ordered another mixed drink. She told him about the phone call and that the Emperor was going to make arrangements. "Hopefully, he'll be sending the Lestranges, I'm not sure", she said.

...Betrayal does so many different thing to people...

~Trai Byers

Tom Riddle's Office
Imperial Center

Tom flipped his cell phone closed and tried to think rationally. 'Out of all the others, Bella is the most capable of escaping', Tom thought. He sat for a moment pondering all the things that could have happened to her, but willful betrayal never entered his mind. He knew without a doubt that she would never turn her back on him.

'The assassin, however, is smart and very powerful. He has shown that he is usually two steps ahead, but that could have been due to Sirius Black feeding him information. It really isn't THAT improbable that Bella got the upper hand on the assassin. She is a formidable hand-to-hand fighter and he sustained several injuries on top of possible magical exhaustion. But how in the King Arthur's harem did she end up in Mexico?'

The Emperor continued think about the situation as he called his secretary through the office intercom. He had her send a cab to pick up Bella and take her to a local five star hotel for the night. He also instructed her to wire money to the room for Bella. While he waited for his friend's return call, he decided to err on the side of caution and contact the Lestrange brothers to go to Mexico and find Bella and to bring back the body of the assassin.

Tom's secretary called and confirmed the hotel room and Bella's cab as he was still formulating a reactionary plan. When his personal cell phone rang again he still did not have anything concrete. Now that his funds from Russia have been disabled, anything he did outside of Britain would need to be handled carefully. While he was still a billionaire, he didn't want to spend cash or gold unnecessarily in case it was needed for the war effort. Due to the American embargo and the ICW's ban from entering (or exiting) Britain, everything from smuggling goods to simple cell phones cost him millions. His war against the world couldn't start soon enough he thought.

"Hello", Bella said more calmly than before.

"Bella, listen. A cab is on it's way to pick you up and take you to a nearby hotel. Everything has already been handled. I've sent some money for you to pick up and use as you need. Tomorrow morning, I want you on a plane to Cancun!"

"Cancun", Bella questioned.

"Yes, Cancun", Tom reiterated. "We still have some contacts there that will be able to assist us in smuggling you back to Britain."

"How long will it take?"

"I'm not sure. I haven't worked everything out yet. Soon, I hope."

"Alright", she replied sadly.

The Emperor paused wondering if he should tell her about the Lestrange brothers coming to see her. "Bella, listen...I need you to tell me where the assassin took you. I'm going to have someone retrieve the body."

Bella stuttered a bit, "I...I remember running through an alley about three blocks east of this restaurant. I didn't really take note of anything else."

"That's alright, I'm sure they will find it. Just get to that hotel and relax until your flight, call me when you are in Cancun, ok?"

"I will", Bella said, "but Tom, I know they are busy with their division...but can Rodolphus and Rebastan meet me in Cancun. I really don't want to be alone right now!"

Tom, who knew of the Lestrange's past offenses against her in Dubai, thought that her request was peculiar. 'Either she is severely traumatized or something else is going on! For her to ask for them after what they attempted to do to her, and what she ended up inflicting upon them, was very strange.'

"Rebastan is closer", Tom said after a minute. "It will take Rodolphus at least two more days to get there. But, hopefully you will be on your way back home by then!"

Tom hung up the phone after Bellatrix agreed and voiced her appreciation. The Emperor had decided to send both brothers regardless. He called them immediately afterwards with strict instructions. Rebastan was going to meet Bella in Cancun with Rodolphus either invisible or under Polyjuice potion. If something was amiss, Rodolphus would have the element of surprise. Riddle also ordered an elite squad from Rastaban's division to investigate the place that Bella was held captive. If everything was as it seemed, the assassin will be dead and Bellatrix will be on her way home.

Tom hoped he was just being paranoid, but it is always better safe than sorry. Now that Bella had escaped, his plans for war could continue. He would still adjust the landing sites but the overall plan wouldn't need to be changed much.

The Emperor then turned his attention back to the other tasks he had before his friend's phone call. He was currently looking at new technology that would be released to the public. The non-magical people had already had them for a few years now but his researchers had recently perfected it's function in magical homes. A personal computer would certainly make life a little bit more easier. To push this new tech and to regain more of his people's favor, Tom fronted millions to have them sold cheaper.

He also had the most popular cell phones fixed so he could market them with the computers. These ones had small keyboards for something called 'texting' and chips in them to determine screen rotation. They also featured better internet features and network connectivity. While he spent millions for research and production, Riddle would make double what he spent in profits.

After writing the finishing touches of his speech for the event, Tom couldn't help having his thoughts turn back to Bellatrix and her current plight. He trusted her implicitly but something about the whole situation left him uneasy.