A Bellamort Tale

Part 17

As the dark lord arrived at Malfoy Manor and became aware that they had let the 'boy who lived' escape, he was more than furious. In fact he was once again oozing out magic unconsciously, the force of his rage was that savage and primal, he couldn't hold it contained himself if he had tried.

Yet he didn't try. Seeing the Malfoys and Bellatrix before him, while Greyback cowered at his feet, his Cruciatus curse hit them with full force and the ferocity of it threw them all to the end of the room, before they screamed and cringed in pain.

Draco had landed with his face towards his aunt and seeing her writhe in agony reminded him of less than two weeks ago and despite his own body being in excruciating pain all over, he managed to speak to Voldemort.

"Please," he squeezed through gritted teeth, his breathing rigid, his arms and legs convulsing, his hands balled into fist so fiercely that his fingernails drew blood from his palms. "Please, don't hurt Bella even more. She was in so much pain when she gave birth to Delfini, please, whatever amount of torture you were planning for her, lay it upon me!"

The outraged wizard wanted to sneer at the boy, when he looked at the woman who had given birth a little more than a week ago, her face distorted in agony, yet just like then she didn't let a single sound come out of her mouth.

Seeing her like this made him sick and it didn't take long until he became aware that it was guilt which was gnawing at the walls of his stomach, eating him up from the inside and he released the new mother from the curse. Yet he couldn't just show mercy to her after such a big faux pas.

He started to grin his most evil grin as he walked to her and held out his hand, pulling her to her feet as she lifted one trembling arm towards him and steadied her by holding her against his body with one arm around her waist.

"The boy is right about that, Bella." He hissed. "For showing that much concern in a situation like that, a young man must have quite a bit of courage and strength inside of him, as well as a lot of compassion and love for you. So I deem you very fit for the task of finishing his punishment yourself, my dear. I will hold you and help you stand, while you carry out my orders. Start with your sister. Let me see how much Narcissa Black can endure!"

He cackled, a sound so devilish that the hairs on their neck stood up and they all just wanted to die at the very moment.

Not Bellatrix though. Being so in love with him, her madness only showing stronger in those moments of raw and untamed emotions after being punished because she had disappointed him, she pointed one of the many wands which were lying around after the fights, at her sister and then screamed with her eyes squeezed shut.

"Crucio!"

Narcissa shrieked in pain, her back arching convulsively, as if she was having a seizure, blood running from the corner of her mouth as she had bit her tongue when the curse hit her with all its power.

"You're a very good soldier, Bella!" Voldemort whispered into her ear. "Now it's Lucius' turn. For your sake, I have mercy with your little sister. Take your pleasure in punishing him for being so stupid and letting Harry Potter free his house-elf from the Malfoy's services, while at the same time losing a very important book that literally contained a piece of my soul. Do it non-verbally, I want to see him being hit without a warning."

The mad grin on Bella's face widened as she pointed the wand at her brother in law, at the same time lifting the curse from Narcissa, who just laid there, crying and gasping for air, trying to get over the just experienced pain.

The new mother focused all her anger on Lucius, reminding herself that this was all his fault, because it had been his house-elf who had caused all the trouble and all the disturbances for many years now. The ferocity of her rage hit the already shaking man out of nowhere and made him arch his back so strongly that just his heels, head and shoulders were still touching the ground. He screamed from the top of his lungs, his voice high pitched like that of a little girl and both, Voldemort and Bella, began to laugh at him, gloating over his agony with bliss.

"Go on for a little longer, Bella, will you?" He whispered into her ear, while turning towards Draco who hadn't dared to move for the last couple of minutes.

"Draco," he said, almost kindly, "help your mother to get up and tend to her needs. You've done well when you spoke for your aunt and even offered to take her punishment. Bellatrix, enough with Lucius now. I will let you rest for a while too. When you're better you can take care of Greyback. He's failed his master one time too often today. It's your decision what to do with him. You can either rid us all of his pathetic appearance or you can keep him in the basement for you to play."

Bellatrix frowned shortly, feeling the urge to torture the little cur too right now, but then she agreed with a smirk.

"I suggest he can tend to Lucius and help him upstairs to lay down. After that he will lock himself into the basement and start to work the Cruciatus curse in himself. Would this be to your pleasure, my lord?" Turning towards Greyback she said sternly.

"Imperio! You've heard what I said. Go and get Lucius into his bedroom, then go into the dungeon and start torturing yourself. You are not allowed to stop as long as you are conscious."

She looked at her master, waiting for his approval, while the werewolf crawled to the man with the long blond hair and helped him sit and soon stand.

"Your sick ways of torture are always a new inspiration, Bella. Now come. I want to see how Delfini is doing. Bella? Are you alright?"

The witch was so exhausted from today's events so shortly after giving birth at her age, with the affects all those years in Azkaban still had on her, that her legs had given in and she had almost passed out in his grasp.

He cussed angrily at his own stupidity and imprudence, letting out his anger on the only other human being he had ever felt anything close to affection for, who had given him the daughter he truly loved. He knew that he wasn't capable of loving her the way she loved him, but his feelings for Bellatrix were real, he loved her in the same way, he loved his daughter.

Now Voldemort picked her up bridal style and held her tenderly to his chest, before he apparated them into the best protected part of the house. The bedroom where not only the woman in his arms but also his tiny daughter lived in at the moment. He had laid the several wards and protection spells on the whole wing of the manor, had placed decoys and hexes at every possible point somebody could try to enter and harm the child or the mother.