Bellatrix Black

I heard I lost my self control. 25 • Slytherin • Obliviator • Death Eater

[rodolphus-lcstrangc-blog]

Enmity | Rod, Bella & Alice

[bellatricks-b-blog]

rodolphus-lcstrangc:

the-alicelongbottom:

It was irrational to be worried for Frank– he was safe, she was not.  It was irrational for her to worry about him walking in on them.  He was at the Potters with Neville.  He had no reason to suspect that she was in trouble, that she needed him.  No one knew she was in trouble because she hadn’t had a chance to get a Patronus out before they had taken her wand from her.

Rodolphus was right– she certainly wasn’t going to beat the two of them, but she should have put up a better fight.  Because she hadn’t she was a quivering mess on the kitchen floor, too weak to even lift her head from the cold tile.  She felt her eyes getting heavy, but she wasn’t going to let the pain pull her under.  She fought against the feeling, her bleary eyes on Rodolphus.  He was a blur of color, her vision fading in and out, but she knew it was him.  “If I h-had my wand this would be–” she paused to catch her breath, “a very d-different story.”

She didn’t know why they thought she’d talk.  Not only was she an Auror, she was also a member of the Order.  People trusted her not to talk, and she would rather die than break that trust.  “I suspect,” she whispered, her voice getting quieter and weaker with every word. “v-veritasserum would be in p-play if information was your goal.  Even if I had the answers you w-want I wouldn’t be telling them to you.“  She closed her eyes and bit down on her lip, ready for another douse of pain that she was sure was coming.

@rodolphus-lcstrangc

“But you don’t have you wand,” Rodolphus cut her harshly. “You lost it already.” He hated when people started a sentence with the word ‘if’. Here he did not give two cents about her words but generally the sentences were good for nothing, retrospective wisdom. A way to kick the wounded.

He was getting frustrated at the situation, patience at situations like this had never been his strongest suit. With stakes this high, he did not want to prolong the sticky situation they were in. “Veritaserum? That’s a good choice, I’ll remember it the next time,” he agreed with her stiffly. Usually he tried to get his hands on the potion before going extracting information but there certainly had not been enough time for that and getting information was not even the main goal of their mission. It would have been a cherry on the top to him.

“Very well, have it your way.” The yellow light once again erupted from his wand and he passively watched the curse hit Alice. If she wanted to stay quiet, she would face the consequences. And he was not very forgiving. He searched for an eye contact with Bella; what would they do? They could easily get rid of Alice there and then, one enemy less to worry about but it would also mean more work for them. “What do you suppose is a fitting punishment for her?” He was genuinely interested, he trusted Bella to know exactly what she wanted to do.

@bellatricks-b

Bellatrix picked up on Rodolphus’ frustration, and she too became equally annoyed. They could easily go at this all night, but it did not mean Alice was going to speak - in fact, Bellatrix knew it was guaranteed at this point that Alice would not talk. They shouldn’t have needed the help of Veritaserum; they never did when they confronted other members of the Order in the same manner. Usually, by now, they would’ve spilled everything they knew. 

She let out a sinister laugh as the yellow light hit Alice, watching her writhe in pain. Finding eye contact with Rod, she nodded, letting him know to continue - show no mercy. Alice had talked back to them, withheld information - and Rod and Bella both knew that they could not go back empty handed to the Dark Lord. They need to get something. Even the smallest detail would’ve been sufficient. “More!” She yelled in a giddy voice, like a child. Her laughs echoed the room until Rod turned to her and asked what their next steps should be.

Looking straight into Alice’s eyes, locking into it she set her expression in the most stone cold one she could. “Kill her,” she said. It was a bluff; but only Rodolphus knew that - or so she hoped. Killing Alice would not be beneficial to them, it would create more of a problem. But the threat was put out there, and Bellatrix knew the reputation she had - hopefully this would work. 

@the-alicelongbottom​

[bellatricks-b-blog]

luciusmalfx:

“I have another plan,” Lucius said, looking up at her. “I mean, to help the cause. It doesn’t involve my fighting, and I think it could still… Well it would be a big change.” He looked down at his hands, knowing the only other person he’d brought this up to was Victoria, but he felt like Bellatrix of all people would appreciate it. “Since the death of my parents I’ve been thinking, someone has caught on to Muggle traits. Where must they have learned that? It couldn’t have been from us, outside in the wizarding world. No, it had to be something else. And then I realized… Hogwarts. It’s Hogwarts that teaches our young witches and wizards.”

Figuring she had gotten to what he was talking about, he eagerly sat forwards, clasping his hands together. “I could rewrite the rules of Hogwarts. It’s closed, for now, but it will reopen. And when that day comes I plan to have a safety tactic in place. One that favors the right way. The way it should have been. And, I’ll have plenty of evidence as to why we need to purify the castle for now. I think the Dark Lord would be quite pleased if the minds of our youth were being taught the right ideas.”

Bellatrix raised her eyebrows, intrigued. A plan? She could feel her ears perk up to listen, like some dog waiting for the next command from its owner in order to receive a treat. She shook her head, “hold on,” she said, her index finger pointed up in front of her. “I’m sort of following - but you’re going to need to elaborate. What sort of Muggle traits?” 

She was surprised to say the least; putting the two and two together, and coming up with this plan. She may have doubted Lucius in the past, but as of right now, that was not the case. “And you think that they would let you rewrite the rules of Hogwarts? When they’ve already been set in place for centuries?” She didn’t mean to sound condescending, but it was quite the idea. She just wasn’t sure he had fully thought it out. “Lucius, I am all for this - I am on your side,” she said affirmatively. “I’m sure many will be onboard for this, even The Dark Lord - but then you’ve got the members of The Order who would fight against this. What are you going to do then?”

[bellatricks-b-blog]

vicselwyn:

“It doesn’t surprise me that they treat them so well,” Victoria said, with a smirk. “The Order has a habit of taking pity on the weak. They pick up the ones who wouldn’t have purpose otherwise,” she said. “Mudbloods, blood traitors, werewolves…” She sneered at the last one. She thought the army of Mudbloods and blood traitors was laughable enough, but once she heard Lupin was a werewolf, she knew they had really stooped low. Werewolves could certainly be useful if they were used in the right way, like they had attempted to do with Lupin at Hogwarts. She knew werewolves could be used for absolute destruction if necessary, but the Order was using Lupin as brain power, for Merlin’s sake. They really didn’t know good resources when they had them.

“It just shows their incompetence,” Victoria says with a laugh. She looks down at the knitting on her lap. She was going to make a sweater, but she had barely even begun. It seemed so trivial now. She placed it aside. “It wouldn’t surprise me if we don’t have to do much for us to win this war,” she said. “They’re practically tearing themselves apart already.”

Bellatrix mirrored Victoria’s smirk. “They do take pity on the weak”, she said. It was truly pathetic; Hogwarts prided itself on raising strong witches and wizards - not weak ones. There were no weak witches or wizards in Pure-blood lines, it was unheard of. 

“You know he would want to make sure everything was bigger and better; the more fear the better,” she said, referring to ‘he’ as Voldemort. Ever since there was a locator spell put on his name, those around them feared to utter his name, referring to him as ‘he who must not be named’. Bellatrix would yell ‘Voldemort’ from the top of the tallest tower in Hogwarts if she could - she had nothing to be afraid of. “What do you mean? What have they been doing?” She asked, her brows furrowing in confusion. Could they really be doing the job of the Death Eaters for them? It would take away from all the fun.

Enmity | Rod, Bella & Alice

[bellatricks-b-blog]

rodolphus-lcstrangc:

the-alicelongbottom:

She wasn’t quite as weak as they seemed to think she was– they had gotten her wand.  There was no beating them, at least not in the traditional sense.  But she could prove to them that strength wasn’t a trait exclusive to those who ran in their circle– she could prove to them that strength came from a knowledge that you were on the right path.  Strength came from having something to fight for; and beyond her family, she knew that her cause was right.  She knew that she was fighting for the side of the light with the Order.  That alone was enough to keep her holding on.

Somehow Rodolphus’s constant, short doses of pain was more agonizing than the lengthy spells.  She didn’t know how long it took before she was still on the floor, no longer able to struggle to get up.  Each jet of light hit her like a kick to the ribs, her body ramming into the cabinets behind her.  When the curse finally lifted she lay still, whimpering quietly.  She reached out with a trembling hand, grasping for something, anything she could use to pull herself away from the line of fire.  “F-frank c-can take care of himself,” she whispered, her voice breaking over nearly every word.  She was trembling, sweat beading on her pale face.  “H-he doesn’t need me to take c-care of him.”  She was trying to convince herself more than them.  She would– she would protect him with her life, but she didn’t need to here.  He could take them if he kept a hold of his wand, but she doubted he’d walk in on them unless he got wind of something wrong.  “I don’t d-deal with the c-cases beyond t-the original scene.  I don’t know anything about the M-ma–” she cut off as the pain in her body reached a new level of agony.  “Malfoy’s,” she gasped as she could speak again.  “but I doubt that’s why y-you’re really here either wa-way.”

She felt Bellatrix’s wand against her shoulder, and for a moment she felt a flash of fear, but she pushed it down.  She wouldn’t succumb to their threats.  She wouldn’t be weak, not here, not when it counted.  Frank was better than that.  He knew better than that.  He knew better than to respond to threats– she wasn’t sure they couldn’t provoke him if they chose the right method, but she certainly wouldn’t confirm that by her reaction.  “Y-you can t-try,” she whispered, her tears and sweat mixing together on her clammy face.  She hadn’t ever known agony like this before, and she wasn’t sure how much more she could take.

@rodolphus-lcstrangc

Rodolphus refrained from reacting to Bella’s retort, they couldn’t start bickering in the Longbottoms’ house. He just did not understand why she had to use such tone considering the current situation. He crossed his arms and kept his mouth shut, ignoring her completely. It was easier said than done though because he had a good sharp reply on his tongue.

Rodolphus admitted that aurors were skilled, Frank most certainly as he was a revered employee, but Rodolphus still could not see himself losing to someone as mousy as Frank. Alice’s words did not concern him in the slightest, it was almost amusing to see her try to convince them. Much more amusing to see her spirit about to break. “I believe you said that you were capable of taking care of yourself, it certainly does not seem like it.” He was enjoying this far too much: throwing Alice’s own words back at her while she lay on the floor. “If you don’t think we’re here for answers, what do you think we’re here for?” he inquired slightly curious. Could she really think they’d take an unnecessary risk just for the sake of getting their revenge? She could not be that stupid.

Rodolphus walked closer to the two women and studied Alice’s face. He simply arched an eyebrow as he watched Alice try to gather some strength. “Alice, be polite and give us the answer we need. I’m certain you have some viable information that would benefit us greatly, we do have lives to get to.” As the conversation shifted back to her husband, Rodolphus sighed deeply. Surely Frank could be broken but it was much easier to extract information from one person who was alone. People got more moral when there was someone witnessing their shame. “Do we really need to go that far? Do we really need to get Frank here? I’m not sure if I can stand listening to that fool’s screams.” He leaned just slightly towards the floor. Locked his eyes with Alice’s. “I’m sure neither can you.”

@bellatricks-b

Between the tense moment Rodolphus and Bellatrix shared, and the agonizing pain Alice was in - Bellatrix momentarily tuned out, scenario’s spinning in her head. Alice’s screams were loud enough for someone to notice; and if there was someone creeping by the window to check up on her, and they saw Bellatrix and Rod - well, the confirmation that they were Death Eaters would be out to the Wizarding World by tomorrow morning. They would have to hurry, there wasn’t much time left to get answers without being caught. With that being said, Alice was holding up much better than Bellatrix had anticipated - she was quite the fighter; a true Auror. If only they had been on the same side, Bellatrix might have rooted for her. 

“Ugh, enough with the stuttering! Bloody hell!” Bellatrix said in an annoyed voice, her face contorted in an expression that relayed disgust. She knew the stuttering was due to Alice being in pain, but she had just wished that she would shut her mouth. “The next time you open your mouth, it better be for answers,” she spat at her. 

Rodolphus’ presence beside Bellatrix made her stand up, her wand still pointed. She stood straighter, exuding as much confidence as she possibly could. When Rodolphus contradicted Bellatrix, a hint of annoyance passed through her. Of course she didn’t want Frank there, it would require double the effort, and Bellatrix was in no desire to work hard tonight. She simply said it so that Alice would talk; but she still stood her ground. “Nothing worse than a man’s screams,” Bellatrix added, rolling her eyes. She watched as Rodolphus leaned closer, a smile tugging on Bellatrix’s lips. “Come on, tell us what we need to know-”, she hissed, hoping Rod’s technique would scare Alice more than Bellatrix’s did. 

@the-alicelongbottom​

[bellatricks-b-blog]

luciusmalfx:

Lucius nodded, smiling a bit at Bellatrix. Strangely enough, this was the first time he’d ever felt close to her; that’d he ever felt like he had some sort of connection with her. And he felt bad about his answer to his next question. Looking down at his hands, he sighed, running his fingers through it. “We haven’t exactly had the conversation yet,” Lucius said, looking up at her, shaking his head. “But with the attack on Hogwarts… Look, that’s my livelihood. Having a son makes you think differently about these things, and while I know it wasn’t you that attacked the children it’s still…” Heartbreaking, he thought to himself.

“I still believe in the cause,” he said, firmly looking up at her. “I just think, for right now, I need to focus on protecting my family. Protecting Cissy and Draco. It’s always been my main priority and… Right now I think I can do that best by being at home.” He looked up at her, eyes widening as he realized he’d been perfectly candid. “And at work, I can still help where I can. I just don’t want to be on the field, as of right now. That may change… I don’t know. I need to be there for them, Bellatrix. If the Dark Lord really needed me out in the field, I’d answer the call. But until that day… Too much has happened for me to be there, I think.”

Bellatrix remained quiet as she listened to Lucius speak. This wasn’t a light conversation where she could interrupt freely, she had to really listen to take it all in before responding. One wrong answer, and this could blow up in her face. She finally felt that her and Lucius were connecting; the last thing she wanted to do was sabotage that. She let out a small sigh of relief when he told her that he didn’t believer that she would harm any children. 

“I understand,” she said, her voice small. But, she really didn’t. She didn’t have her own children, she only had a nephew. Everything she saw about parenting and how much different life gets when you have a child was through her sister and brother in law. When you have a family, everything else around can seem small and unimportant. “You should bring this up and mention it to the Dark Lord in the next meeting,” she paused, “although I don’t know how well he’ll handle it.” In an odd way, she felt betrayed; she couldn’t explain why. It was as if they were saying goodbye to being a Death Eater - moving on with their life, expecting no consequences to follow just because they put themselves on a brief hiatus. It didn’t seem fair to Bellatrix - she knew she would be putting in double the work with the two of them gone. 

[bellatricks-b-blog]

Amelia took good care not to overreact as Bellatrix made the tip of her wand light up. In the end, that’s all it seemed to be. Light. They weren’t going to have a fight just yet, it seemed – and it was odd. While she trusted Death Eaters to play with their victims, they usually did so after announcing what they were there for, no waiting involved. That’s what she presumed anyway.

Her forehead scrunched up into a frown. Being in the neighbourhood was a very poor excuse for showing up on her doorstep, in Amelia’s opinion. But, seeing as she hadn’t sensed any movement nearby yet… Scratch that, Bellatrix Lestrange wanting to talk to her in a personal manner, with personal questions about her well-being had seemed implausible until it was happening. She had troubles figuring out whether the other woman was being insane, she herself or the whole situation in general. Then again, there was Bellatrix’ quite forced smile, and somehow Amelia was sure it would be more cruel if the other were there to attack her.

Mentally having calculated a conclusion for the current situation, Amelia lowered her wand hesitantly, making sure to keep it in her strong grip just in case. “Fine,” she eventually answered, her eyes still marred by the frown. It was an impudent lie, but did Bellatrix really expect Amelia to lay out her heart in front of her? “But I have trouble understanding why you would want to know how I am.” That’s what she thought about most people approaching her nowadays. Ever since Edgar had died, most were treating her like she was made of glass, leaving none of their words untouched by concern. They also made sure to bother her more than usual with their worried hearts, not understanding the stone walls around her own left no place for flowers.

Bellatrix was silently pleased with herself when Amelia lowered her wand. Fool, she thought. If Bellatrix was in a mood tonight, she could’ve easily attacked Amelia for doing something so foolish - but tonight, Bellatrix held back. She simply wasn’t in the mood to torture another witch tonight. “You work alongside my husband, he speaks fondly of you,” she started, a bit of a white lie in the sentence. Rodolphus had only mentioned Amelia once or twice, and referred to her as ‘that Bones witch’, making Bellatrix giggle.

“You’re also friends with my sister, Narcissa. So, anyone on good terms with the man I love, and my sister... well, they’re on good terms with me,” she concluded with another forced smile. Bellatrix did not trust many people, thus allowing her to have little to no friends. She had hoped that she could eventually make new friends, and by finding people whom her family already knew and somewhat trusted - it seemed to be the only route. 

She didn’t know much about Amelia’s brother, Edgar; other than the fact he was on The Order of the Phoenix and recently passed. “My sister mentioned your brother’s passing...my condolences. What was he like?” 

It wasn’t uncommon for Bellatrix to ask how the deceased were during their lifetime. Many people are in vulnerable states when they reminisce on memories, and sometimes end up telling the other person a little too much. Bellatrix was hoping that would be the case with Amelia. 

[bellatricks-b-blog]

vicselwyn:

Victoria was confused to say the least. It was hard to get answers amidst the confusion of war. It seemed like they were the ones in power with what had happened at Hogwarts, but they still couldn’t dismiss the deaths of Gallus and Antonia. It might be a smaller threat, but someone was after them. What was to say they wouldn’t go after the rest of them one by one?

Bellatrix had hardened with age. Most of them had out of necessity. It wasn’t easy to be a Death Eater. It tested everything you were; everything you had. Victoria remembered when Bellatrix had first joined the Dark Lord. She was much like a young Victoria, full of promise and eager to learn. But following the Dark Lord tested every part of your being. Victoria knew all too well that Bellatrix had become cruel not just out of a want to feel powerful, but of a necessity to protect herself. Seeing her softer side surprised her. She was offering condolences, and not in a backhanded way, but in a completely sincere manner. 

“I did,” Victoria answered, feeling slightly guilty. She had received all the notes, but had replied to none. Alexander’s death not only broke her, but it embarrassed her. How must it look to the others that one of their own died of a Muggle ailment? “It’s funny,” she said, drily. “I look up to him my whole life. He’s my role model. And then he goes and dies.” She laughs. “But not in battle. Not for the service of the Dark Lord. But for something Mudbloods somehow knew how to help.” 

Bellatrix remained silent; she never knew what to say when it came to discussing death. She learned over the years that her silence was the best answer. “Perhaps it would have been easier if Alexander had died in battle,” she said quietly. 

A small scoff escaped Bellatrix’s lips at the word ‘mudblood’, almost with a sense of pride. She remembered first hearing it used outside of her household from Victoria, and it stuck with her since then. Regardless of what science says: that there does not appear to be any difference in the magical power of Muggle-borns compare to those born half-blood or pure-blood; Bellatrix would argue differently. She could smell their dirty blood from a mile away.

“I am sick of the Order treating Mudbloods like rare and great creatures. Thank God this war has begun - and that we are on the winning side.”

[bellatricks-b-blog]

nrcissamalfcy:

The safety of Draco and Lucius had always been her priority —- she never would’ve expected that even that wasn’t enough, for now Lucius was hurting in a way she didn’t know how to stop. “But that’s the thing, Bella, I don’t even know who I’m supposed to be protecting them from. The Malfoys were not only elite, but also incredibly bright. They should have been well protected, and yet, they weren’t.” Cissy’s brows furrowed in frustration. She was accustomed to having things fall perfectly in place around her. A reassuring touch of an elbow, or a warm smile to the right person could almost guarantee her what she’d wanted. Despite her efforts, however, her mind couldn’t connect an answer. 

“Not knowing has been eating Lucius inside. My own mind is the least of my concerns right now. What you can do to help, is provide me with answers, so I can ease my husband’s pain, but I’m sure you don’t know anything that could help.”

Bellatrix shook her head, not in a disagreeing way, but more in a way of disbelief. Her sister was right; many families who were considered elite had some of the best protection spells casted on their houses, their persons, and sometimes even on themselves. Her family was like that; they felt it was insulting to have a spell protecting you when you can easily train and protect yourself. Bellatrix had never had a protection spell on her; but now, as a Death Eater, and with the war, she was starting to feel that it would be necessary to cast one. “We didn’t need protection spells for a long time,” she said reminding her sister. “Maybe the Malfoy’s thought the same? This definitely came from out of nowhere and blindsided them.” 

She let out a sigh. “Fine,” she said shrugging. “I guess you should know that I went to see Victoria Selwyn.”

[bellatricks-b-blog]

flamingbones:

The soft tone of the woman in front of her did nothing to relieve Amelia’s posture of its tension. Indeed, now that she knew the source of the noise, her muscles did the opposite of relaxing. Bellatrix’ words were obviously meant to be soothing, in whatever twisted way, but they only sent a shiver down the ginger’s spine. Her fingers gripped her wand more tightly, not quivering or lowering it even an inch. If anything, her green eyes became more intense, focused, determined as well.

She had suspected Rodolphus – and eventually Bellatrix, too, thanks to her utter and obvious insanity – to be a Death Eater ever since she had started working with him. Not merely suspected, no, actually Amelia was quite sure the couple was part of the organization terrorizing all of Wizarding Britain nowadays. Mentally, she got ready for a nasty fight. Bellatrix turning up on what practically was her doorstep couldn’t be a coincidence. They were coming to get her. The thing was, Amelia wasn’t going to let them do that.

“What are you doing here?” she asked, her voice pure steel. She wasn’t going to play their games either. Her eyes were locked with Bellatrix’, trying not to flick around in the darkness to look out for others but still trying to recognize any movement in the area. Pretending she had the situation under control gave her a semblance of that very feeling. Amelia knew her dueling skills to be excellent. But, those were people who were fighting, murdering and getting away with it every day. She wasn’t going to let her guard down in the face of darkness.

Bellatrix muttered, “lumos” under her breath, watching as the tip of her wand lit up. There was no point in being engulfed in the darkness, speaking to one another with such hostility. Bellatrix had come with her hands up, practically - she wasn’t here to insinuate an argument that would further escalate into a fight. 

“I was in the neighbourhood,” she replied with a shrug. While that wasn’t a lie, it certainly did have room for suspicion; Bellatrix wouldn’t blame anyone who thought of it as odd. “I was passing by, and I saw you - I thought I would say hi, maybe catch up, see how you were doing, all those things,” she said with a bit of a forced smile. “So, how are you?”

She could tell that Amelia wasn’t very comfortable with the notion of Bellatrix standing in front of her, asking her questions as if they were close friends. However unbeknownst it was to Amelia, Bellatrix was being genuine for once. There was no manipulation on the agenda for tonight. 

[rodolphus-lcstrangc-blog]

Enmity | Rod, Bella & Alice

[bellatricks-b-blog]

rodolphus-lcstrangc:

She watched as Rodolphus snapped her wand, but the action barely registered with her– she was too well trained.  In the midst of a battle-type situation you don’t dwell on what goes wrong.  You remain two steps ahead until you find something that goes right.  She wasn’t sure that this was going to come out in her favor, but she wasn’t about to give up.  She would keep trying.

When the second Crucio hit her in the chest she was certain her pain couldn’t get any worse than that– she was sure that the fire that was consuming her body was as agonizing as it would get.  That was until the third curse hit her.  Her screams were so loud it was all she heard– it wasn’t like she was making the noises any longer… it was as though they had become a part of her.  Her body spasmed and jerked around on the cold tile, desperate to find some kind of relief from the agony.  The screams and the pain were all she knew.  She couldn’t convince her mind to look past them.

When it finally lifted she collapsed against the cabinets, curled up in a ball.  She could see a flash of the cheery yellow and her heart lurched when she remembered painstakingly painting them last spring.  Her whole body was shaking, trembling like the lone leaf remaining on a tree.  Her hands were balled up into trembling fists as Bellatrix spoke to her, the sharp edges of her nails digging into her soft skin.  She was content to ignore her, to let her talk until she mentioned Neville and Frank.

At her husbands name she tried to push herself up off of the floor, but her arms gave away almost immediately.  She struggled to get up again, not one to give up.  “Y-you keep t-talking like I’m going to t-tell you anything,” she whispered, her voice breaking off in a pained gasp.  

@rodolphus-lcstrangc

Finally. Finally things were starting to go to his tune. Alice was no threat, she was on the floor squirming. She was at their — his — mercy. He watched Bella start taunting her. Sometimes Bella had a way with words, she was capable of drawing anger out of people. It was annoying to be on the receiving end of it but now he watched in slight amusement as Alice grew truly upset for the first time that night. 

The Cruciatus curses had done their job, the muscles in Alice body must have been screaming at this point. The curse was truly scary; not only did it inflict immense pain, it tired and ruined the victim both mentally and physically. Rodolphus could remember the way his muscles had refused to work and how his legs had given out after a harsh punishment. It was truly a miracle he had made it home so quickly that evening. He had lain on the hardwood floor of his house until Bella had come help him. So simply put, he knew that Alice could do only a little at the moment, much less once they tortured her more. 

He sighed loudly, letting the women in the room know that Alice’s attitude was getting on his nerves. He shot a quick Cruciatus curse at Alice, lifted it off almost instantly and did it again. And again. And again. Small doses of pain were worse because the body did not numb to the pain as quickly and the curse had more force on impact. At this point people were more than happy to tell him whatever he wanted to know, but of course little Mrs. Alice Longbottom had to make the night even harder. “Alice, I’d really like to know what you know of the Malfoys but I understand if you don’t know. Like Bella, I believe your husband will be willing to share everything once he gets here. You can just make things easier for him if you just spill now.” 

Bellatrix kept watching as the Cruicatus curses continued to hit Alice’s body; there was no stopping Rodolphus, he was in his own world. She often saw this side of him when The Dark Lord carried out orders; his eyes would seem to glaze over, and he was a different person. It wasn’t odd for Bellatrix to see that, in fact she loved seeing that side of him - to her, he was a true man when he became like this. 

“If she doesn’t know of the Malfoy’s?” Bellatrix rolled her eyes, looking at Rod. Was he truly that naive? Alice worked for the Ministry as an Auror, and she had the highest form of regard in the Order; it would’ve been blasphemy if she didn’t know anything. They both knew Alice had something to say, and no matter how long it took to get it out of her, they would continue to torture her until she gave up. “How’s Frank? How’s little...”, she paused, grinning, “Neville?” She watched for Alice’s reaction, a sense of pride in herself knowing she could rile her up that way. It was just too easy. Bellatrix continued to hover over Alice as she tried to push herself off the floor; an impossible task under the Cruicatus curse - Bellatrix had seen Rod try when he too was under the curse. 

“Where is Frank? Hiding away in the Ministry with Neville?” She laughed, “Neville - what an odd name.” She added, scoffing. “Maybe we can speed up the process of him getting to you faster, hmm?” She said, poking the end of her wand into Alice’s shoulder as she tried to get up once more.  

[bellatricks-b-blog]

vicselwyn:

It sounded ridiculous when Bellatrix said it out loud. As much as they had their differences, Victoria definitely didn’t expect Bellatrix to attack her at all, and especially not in her own home. While Bellatrix was quickly rising through the ranks, Victoria still had the respect that came with age and years of dedication that Bellatrix hadn’t quite earned yet. Victoria loosened her grip on her wand, but still didn’t remove her hand. It wasn’t that she didn’t trust Bellatrix; it was that she didn’t trust anyone. Especially not recently.

She nodded as the younger mentioned Gallus and Antonia Malfoy. Lucius’s parents had been quite a present force for most of Victoria’s life. They had almost been like parents to her after her own had died. She wasn’t as close with them as she was with Lucius, but their deaths still hit her hard. She had been grieving more for Lucius than for Gallus and Antonia in a way, because she knew how he must be feeling at the moment and she didn’t want him to ever feel like that.

Victoria resisted the urge to scoff at Bellatrix’s slightly condescending sentence. Of course she knew what had happened at Hogwarts. She had been thinking about the Malfoys’s death a lot lately. It was definitely intentional, unlike Alexander’s which was just an unfortunate accident. But she didn’t have any concrete answers. Lucius had undoubtedly been searching for answers himself, but Victoria had come up with nothing. “We might be,” she admitted, not really wanting to say it out loud. The fact that Alexander, Gallus, and Antonia had all died so close together was definitely cause for alarm. Could she be next? Could Lucius? Narcissa? “But if it’s anyone in the Order, I think we have that covered,” she said, with a ghastly grin. “They’d be foolish to attempt anything now.”

Bellatrix’s heart stopped when Victoria uttered the words that they might indeed be in danger. This was her biggest fear. She could handle walking around with a target on her back on any given day, but now there were targets on the backs of those she cared about and loved. She had seen how ruthless some members of The Death Eaters were - killing anyone who got in their way, including children. Bellatrix had begged The Dark Lord to give orders to not harm children, but he dismissed her immediately; as if she was the gum stuck to the bottom of his shoe. 

She let out a sigh. “I had hoped you were going to give me a different answer,” she said. At the mention of The Order, Bellatrix nodded. She had paid a visit to some of those in The Order, giving them quite the scare. “Well, they typically cover for their own; so unless we’re really poking and prying, answers might be a bit harder to come by. Especially in the wake of everything,” she said. She thought about how many casualties the war had taken, and it was just the beginning. She had also remembered that Victoria’s brother had been killed recently as well; from a ‘heart attack’, of all things. “I don’t know if my condolences reached you,” Bellatrix began, referring to the Owl she had sent, “but I am here to tell you in person, I am offering you my sincerest condolences about Alexander.” She gave her the smallest of a smile, letting Victoria know that despite their differences, they were members of the Sacred 28, they were Death Eaters, and they were all connected through the House of Slytherin.

[bellatricks-b-blog]

nrcissamalfcy:

Seating herself on the stool beside her sister, Narcissa folded her arms upon the bar, observing her all too familiar mannerisms as she placed another order. In so many subtle ways, Bellatrix was not so different to Andromeda. From the little inflections in her tone when speaking, to the gentle crease between her brows when thinking. Although it had been a long while since Cissy had last spoken to their sister, Bellatrix was a constant reminder of what they’d both lost. Rarely did she bring herself to Bella with any problems, and yet, there they were. 

“I’m holding up much better than he is,” the blonde replied, though she wasn’t specifically asked. Cissa shook her head gently, unsure of her following words. “My question isn’t so much about why my in-laws were targeted, but more about who would attack them.”

Bellatrix raised an eyebrow, of course that was what everyone’s was wondering, but things like this sometimes worked back asswords; it was easier to find out why, and then follow with who. 

“I think your biggest concern should be if your family is safe. Let Lucius handle the how and why.” She said, trying to level her voice to be as reassuring as possible. “What can I do to get your mind off of all this?” She asked, smiling at her sister. There were nights when Narcissa lived at home, and Bellatrix would come stumbling through the door after a summer night out, piss drunk and angry - often time hexing anyone in her way. Narcissa would be the one to clean her up and get her to bed - never scolding her for her mistakes. It was as if Narcissa understood why Bellatrix acted out at times, and instead of judging her, she provided her comfort and care. Now that they were older, it was time for Bellatrix to help her sister out.

[bellatricks-b-blog]

luciusmalfx:

Lucius shrugged his shoulders as she waved her hand and then managed a small smile. “If you need to talk to someone,” he said, not continuing after that. He knew she would know what he meant. And he would keep his word, if she needed it. He may not trust Bellatrix, but Bellatrix could trust him. 

“Curses and blessings really,” Lucius mumbled, flipping through some pages. “I highly doubt that, though. Although, it was a good theory. The people in my family are occasionally… well, crazy, for lack of a better term. But I doubt they’d kill my father. They know they’d have to answer to me afterwards. And that locket will be going to my son.” He sighed, running his hand through his hair. “If it was someone in my family, though, they wouldn’t be hanging low. Malfoy’s aren’t cowards.”

Bellatrix couldn’t help but smile when Lucius said that some members of his family were deemed ‘crazy’ - she knew all too well from first hand experience what that was like. His son. She always wondered how Draco would turn out. Would he be as driven and confident as his father, or kind and gentle, like his mother? She also wondered if he’d follow the family’s footsteps and become a Death Eater, working under The Dark Lord. She knew all of this was far away, but there was no slowing down time. 

“I’d drink to that if I could,” she said with a reassuring nod. The reason Bellatrix liked the Malfoy family was because they bore similarities to the Black family. “I sincerely hope the locket is recovered,” she added. Losing a family heirloom was almost like losing a piece of the person it was passed on from. “Lucius, can I ask you something?” She said, biting down at her bottom lip. “The war... there were some attacks on children...” her voice trailed away. She hoped that her brother in law knew that she would never harm a child - “are you and Cissy still on our side?”

[bellatricks-b-blog]

Of all the Dark Lord’s followers, Bellatrix Lestrange was the one she got along with the least. Bellatrix was the most unpredictable. Victoria had the rest of them beneath her thumb; they looked up to her, practically worshipped her. Bellatrix did when she was young too. Victoria had been a mentor to her as well and she taught her everything she knew. Bellatrix, however, didn’t think that was enough. She took all she learned from Victoria and added to it, and while Victoria knew that many of the other Death Eaters still looked up to her, the Dark Lord’s attention turned to Bellatrix, and Victoria could never forgive the young woman for that.

Victoria’s hand closed tighter around her wand. She always had it within her reach, especially lately. It wasn’t that she planned to use it, especially not towards Bellatrix; at least, not unless she absolutely had to. Victoria had taken the charms off her house because she felt quite safe lately. The Dark Lord was quickly rising to power; Hogwarts had been destroyed. They were very much the more powerful side at this point. She believed is also had to do with Alexander. Since he had died, she had been much more apathetic. The few pleasures she had in life felt worthless. She had been pulling away from those she normally interacted with. Which was why it was strange Bellatrix was at her home. They almost never called on each other personally, not unless it was regarding business. The older woman was curious as to what she could possibly want from her. “How about you just let me know up front why you’re here,” Victoria stated. “It will make this much easier for the both of us.”

“Oh, but that’s no fun,” Bellatrix said a small pout forming on her lips. There was a reason she had come here, but she wanted to have some fun with Victoria before explaining herself. Her eyes moved to Victoria’s hand and she smirked. “Do you really think I’m going to come into your home, a fellow Death Eater’s home, mind you - and attack you?” She let out a laugh, and shook her head. She knew the reputation she held; unpredictable, neurotic, and merciless. With that being said, she wouldn’t attack another Death Eater, regardless of how well (or not well) they got along. She stepped back from the stairs, the wood creaking under her weight. 

Crossing her arms over her chest, she sighed. “I’m here because of Lucius’ parents,” she said bluntly. She knew that Victoria and Lucius were close, so she had hoped this had gotten her attention. 

“They passed away - I’m sure you know what happened at Hogwarts,” she added. “Anyways, they took his mother’s locket, it was a heirloom...not a big deal,” she said, shrugging. “I know you’ve been doing this for a while now, and I want to know if we are at threat, or better yet - who did this to his parents?” If her own life, and the lives of those she cared about were at danger, Bellatrix was ready to raise hell.

[vicselwyn]

Victoria often sat on her porch when the day was nice enough. She didn’t want to stay inside with nothing to do all day, but she also never seemed to have enough energy to go out. Going out was draining; she had to keep up appearances and she always risked running into the wrong people. If she stayed on her porch, people had to approach her, and people did not often approach Victoria Selwyn unless they had been invited to do so.

She used to knit sweaters while she sat on the porch, but since her brother died, she had no one to knit for anymore. She hadn’t knit in months. She sat almost completely still, looking out at the sleepy neighborhood she lived in. All the houses were occupied by well-to-do families which was just to her liking, and they were just far enough that she didn’t feel too close to anyone. Victoria never liked being close to much of anyone, not unless she was above them. 

Someone must have been feeling particularly adventurous that day, because as she was drifting off to sleep from looking out at the expanse of land in front of her, she heard a creak on the first step as someone put their weight on it. “You’re lucky I removed those charms and hexes,” she said, cooly. “I’ve been quite sympathetic lately.”

[bellatricks-b-blog]

Bellatrix hadn’t anticipated sneaking back into Lucius’ office to scan the papers he had shown her earlier, but she couldn’t help it. It was in Bellatrix’s nature to be impulsive, and to have the answers to many things she didn’t want the answer to. Luckily, Lucius hadn’t caught her; she had slipped in just as he had stepped out to use the washroom. She was quick to scan the papers, she knew what she was looking for. Originally, when Lucius was explaining the stolen locket to her, Bellatrix’s eyes were focused on a name on a different page; Victoria Selwyn.  

The two of them did not see eye to eye. Victoria had been the one to mentor Bellatrix when she first started out as a Death Eater. But, Bellatrix was a quick learner, and soon enough, she did not need the help of Victoria. She was doing things at a much faster pace than Victoria did in all her years working for The Dark Lord. Simply put, Bellatrix got the ball rolling. And thus, The Dark Lord noticed her for that, and praised her many times over.  She knew the woman had some detest towards her for that, but Bellatrix did not care. 

And now, here she was, walking up to Victoria’s house, who seemed to have dozed off, knitting yarn in her lap. She was somewhat surprised at how easy it was to walk up to the front porch. If it were Bellatrix, she wouldn’t have shut an eye until every single charm and hex was put on her house. A loose floorboard creaked under her weight, and Victoria’s voice gave her a tiny startle. Oddly, Victoria didn’t open her eyes - Bellatrix had the opportunity to get out of there as fast as she could. And yet, she stood her ground. “Oh, well then I should consider myself lucky,” she replied, sarcasm dripping from her voice.

[aidanxavery]

☔️ He felt like somehow he should feel guilty for what happened, the question was e didn’t and now he felt guilty for not feeling guilty, leading him to a tumultuous chain of thoughts and an abyss of metaphors and contraditions. The air in knockturn alley was freezing despite the sun that burned his face thorought the day, night had never been gentle with him and it had always aknowledged his sins; yet nothing had stopped him from trying and befriending it, being friends with the night seemed much more reasonable than spending hours admiring the sun.

He needed a drink but he didn’t want to drink so he stayed outside batling his own demons, divided between what’s wrong and what’s right, asking himself what was the right choice; people have died, part of it being his fault. “I really need a strong drink.” Severus spoke to no one in particular, despite noticing a new persence beside him.

[bellatricks-b-blog]

Bellatrix had found herself in The White Wyvern, the only decent pub in Knocturn Alley. After her encounter with Amelia Bones, Bellatrix had decided to retire for the night. Unfortunately, it was a restless night for her; and as soon as the sun began to rose, Bellatrix left the house. She had just come from a shopping spree at The Coffin House and The Spiny Serpent”, her hands full. There wasn’t anything in particular that she needed, yet, here she was with the bags weighing her down. She found an empty seat next to the bar, and dropped the bags with a clunk. Looking to her left, she realized she had sat beside Severus Snape.

“You and me both,” she said, sliding into the chair beside him. “You look rough, how was your night Severus?” She asked, knowing that he would catch onto the double entendre.  

[flamingbones-deactivated2017021]

A rushing, swirling noise. Then specks of orange and yellow filling her vision, before her green eyes completely adjusted to the dusk. Amelia landed on the paved Londoner street with a click of her heels, long ago having become used to the sensation of apparition. Her gaze found the bag she was carrying, peeking inside. The bottle of red wine was still where it should be, nothing broken or leaking. She wasn’t even relieved.

Mostly, she was just numb.

The young woman cursed the loud sounds her shoes were making as she walked to the door leading to her small apartment. She was positive this had been the worst week of her whole life. Nothing was safe – not even those few steps until home felt quite secure enough, she could still be ambushed after all. She had been cautious before. Now, with Edgar’s death, she was sure she was slowly becoming paranoid. Who wouldn’t be if their brother was killed by Death Eaters, if the Ministry wasn’t a fort of strength anymore like Amelia had once believed? The hidden grip on her wand was strong and ever-present nowadays.

They had been lucky enough to collect a body. Edgar’s funeral would be held in a few days and until then, his sister didn’t know how to pass the days but with work, grief and a bottle of alcohol or two. She felt empty. Everything she had so steadfastly believed in before… It was all shaking with doubt and darkness.

In the semi-darkness behind her, a noise reached her ears. The hand gripping her wand beneath her robes pulled it out in one swift motion, promptly turning to face whoever was there with a trained tip of her wand.

[bellatricks-b-blog]

After her night with Rodolphus at the Longbottom house, Bellatrix’s body was full of adrenaline. While it may have not gone as she had originally planned, she could still call it a successful night. Unlike Rod, who stayed at home, Bellatrix needed to get the adrenaline out of her system, and  wait until she was completely exhausted before going home. At times like this, a long walk seemed to do the trick. And if that failed, well, The Leaky Cauldron always had an open door policy for her.

She wasn’t paying attention to where she was walking, her mind was replaying what had happened a couple of hours ago. There were still so many questions. Bellatrix didn’t know what the fatality rate was, she figured she would find out tomorrow morning in the Daily Prophet. Lost in her thoughts, she had found herself in an unfamiliar area; dimly lit, but nothing eerie and menacing like the streets of Knockturn Alley. It wasn’t anything she couldn’t handle. 

Bellatrix hadn’t noticed the woman; she seemed to be engulfed in the shadows. The only light was the one coming from her wand. Squinting, Bellatrix recognized who it was. “Amelia, it’s me, Bellatrix,” she said softly. She knew Amelia had some ties with her family; Rodolphus had mentioned the two of them working together, and she knew she was friends with her sister, Narcissa. “Kind of a scary night to be out alone, isn’t it?” She asked.