A Bellamort Tale

Part 1

After a meeting at Malfoy Manor in the morning of the twenty-second of December, Voldemort entered Bellatrix' bedroom, the uncontrolled magic that was oozing out of him, due to the anger he felt after having to keep the malicious woman from leaving the Manor, slammed the door with a thud against the wall.

The witch jumped to her feet with a start, wincing as she expected pain or at least him yelling at her. Feeling dizzy instantly, she quickly sat back down on the bed taking a firm hold on the mattress with both hands.

The dark wizard had noticed the short display of weakness and that instantly calmed him down. While Bellatrix gazed at the floor, not sure what had gotten him so enraged, Tom Riddle sat down beside her, the remaining human features of his face distraught.

She flinched when he laid his cold, pale hand on top of hers, but as his touch stayed gentle she immediately relaxed and carefully looked up into his red eyes.

"My lord," She asked him hoarsely, her voice trembling, "How can I be of your service? Whatever made you so angry, I will gladly take care of it."

He couldn't help it but smirked at her suggestion. That scared the woman even more than when he glared down at her angrily.

Voldemort's grip around her fingers tightened. Then he did something he very rarely allowed himself to do. He let his shields drop and kissed the back of her hand, while letting out a long sigh.

"I know that you want to go out there with the other death eaters. But I would worry about you all the time and that could lead to me making mistakes with terrible consequences. And I haven't even thought as far as you or the child getting hurt somehow. And your latest reaction showed that you aren't capable of leaving here and attacking somebody without being in a much bigger danger because you can't stay on your feet."

She frowned but didn't dare to object.

"You're of course right, my Lord. I'm just very bored being inside all of the time, while I would want to be out there to serve you."

Unnoticed by both, she had rubbed her already showing bump with the free hand. As the wizard now looked down and realised what she was doing, he narrowed his brows, a question forming inside his head. Bellatrix was so similar to himself, yet she was caressing her own skin to show affections to the child growing inside of her.

The witch tilted her head, about to place her arm elsewhere, when he caught her wrist and brought it back in place.

"Allow me one question, Bellatrix."

"My lord, I would gladly allow you a thousand."

The smile he gave her was the closest to a real loving one he could manage. It still was more of a grimace, but the much younger female knew him well and understood.

"Just tell me, do you love this child?"

Bellatrix gasped.

"Of course my Lord. How could I not. It's not only growing inside of me. It's your child and as you're the greatest and most terrifying wizard of all times, I would even do so if it was growing in another woman's womb." She tried to explain her actual emotional condition.

He sighed again, then looked almost embarrassed, as he posed another question.

"Would you be willing to open your mind a little bit for me to let me see what it feels like? You were so kind and let me take part in your feelings one of the times we were close, so I would be able to understand. Now I would like to know what it feels like to love a child of your own."

Bellatrix hesitated for a short moment then she asked him timidly.

"My Lord, without being disrespectful, would you allow me to touch you and move your arm a little?"

The way she had posed this request made Lord Voldemort laugh.

"Considering that you're carrying my child and that it wasn't planned to create an heir to both our position and superior skills, I dare say, you don't need to ask for permission to touch me. And I'm serious, Bellatrix. You out of all people are allowed to touch me without asking or having to endure the punishment for that. Why did you start to cry now?"

She took a couple of deep, heaving breaths, then wiped her eyes angrily as she grunted.

"Ignore the crying, I can't help it at the moment. But may I suggest a different approach? Here, try this!"

And with that she placed the dark lord's palm on her stomach, seemingly bewildering him with that.

"What's that supposed to..."

Without hesitation or even being aware that she was reprimanding her lord, she hissed.

"Oh, just shut up, hold still and wait. Just a minute ago it felt as if this child was playing quidditch. There, feel!"

She moved his hand slightly to the left, where he immediately felt a strong kick to his palm and gasped. Bellatrix subconsciously laid her own hand on top of his and started to caress the back of it gently.

"Now just feel your own feelings. I've done a bit of reading, as it's the only thing I can do to spend my time at the moment and I figured out, that despite not being able to feel friendship or love of a romantic kind, due to your mother's way of making your father fall for her, you are very well capable to love your own blood. I will grant you access to my own feelings to compare, as you have demanded, my Lord!"

For almost half an hour they sat there just feeling and breathing with their eyes shut, none of them talking or even moving.

Eventually the dark lord spoke.

"Did the book really say, I was capable of loving my own blood? Because I felt nothing when I killed my father and grandparents to let my disoriented, mental uncle take the blame."

Now it was Bellatrix who laughed.

"I am very sorry, but the thought I just had reminded me of my own rotten family and how I give a shit about most of them!" She then blurted out. "That you're capable of loving someone doesn't mean you have to!"

Looking pensive for a moment he nodded absentmindedly and turned to face her. Bella's smile faltered as she noticed his still puzzled expression and she carefully approached the matter.

"My lord, I can see that there is still something bothering you. I would never dare to think I might be able to understand the dark lord's thoughts, but maybe speaking about it already will offer you a different view on it..."

He kept his eye contact with her as he explained.

"It's too early to speak about. I did feel many things, too many to give any of them a name. I need to explore those emotions and get to know why they are there. It's confusing me. But as you so generously offered your help, if I'm going to try and further explore those strange feelings, I will have to spend the night here with you."