Bellatrix and her Master

The Death Eater

July 1970,

In the living room of Black Manor, an unusual astonishment adorned the faces of each of its occupants. The eyes of Narcissa, Andromeda, Rabastan, Sirius, and Regulus were fixed on the couple standing before them. Only Rodolphus, standing facing his wife, seemed to be in the grip of great anger. He held Bellatrix's arm in his hand, the sleeve pulled up to the elbow revealing the Dark Mark in broad daylight.

"Since when have you been in his service?" he spat out angrily.

Bellatrix met his gaze defiantly, briskly pulled her arm away, and pulled down the sleeve to cover her tattoo. She shot a dark look at her ten-year-old cousin Sirius, who still looked at her arm with a mixture of surprise and horror. It was his fault that the Concealment Charm keeping her mark hidden had stopped working: the young boy had found it amusing to distribute Zonko's hats to Bellatrix, Narcissa, and Andromeda, hats that changed the hair colour of those who wore them. Bellatrix had found it quite funny, noticing Narcissa's red hair, Andromeda's blueish hue, and her own bright green until the magic enchanting the hat interfered with her own Concealment Charm. As Bellatrix removed her hat, her sleeve had slipped, revealing the Dark Mark. Rodolphus had immediately noticed it.

"Answer me, Bellatrix!" he exclaimed again, his eyes almost wild.

"You can ask the Dark Lord yourself," Bellatrix replied coldly.

"What's that?" innocently asked Regulus, before grabbing his cousin's arm to inspect the tattoo design.

Annoyed, Bellatrix roughly pushed him away.

"It's pretty," remarked Regulus, unfazed by Bellatrix's reaction, "what do you think, Sirius?"

The boy just shrugged without replying. Bellatrix turned to her two silent sisters. Narcissa seemed pensive, continually alternating her gaze between Rodolphus and Bellatrix. Andromeda, on the other hand, looked at Bellatrix with a heavy heart. Rabastan let out a slight chuckle.

"I don't see what the problem is," he said, "everyone should join the ranks of the Dark Lord! I myself became a Death Eater last week..."

Andromeda gasped in surprise. She seemed shocked by this new revelation but quickly turned her gaze back to her sister.

"Bella..." she whispered, her eyes filled with sadness, "do you realise what this means for you? For your life?"

"Of course I do... It has always been my greatest wish."

"But-"

"I'm not implying it's a bad idea," Rodolphus interrupted, "but I could have been informed! I am your husband after all!"

"You are my husband because the Dark Lord ordered it!" retorted Bellatrix fiercely. "I would never have married otherwise! I will obey no one but him!"

"What? Since when are you a Death Eater, by Merlin?" demanded Rodolphus, "did this happen before our marriage?"

"Yes, Rodolphus, before..." admitted Bellatrix with a venomous smile, "I was his before I was yours."

In every sense of the word, thought Bellatrix with amusement. The wording chosen by his wife did not leave Rodolphus indifferent. He looked at her with astonishment.

"How could I have missed that... You're never there during our meetings! You've never been summoned before me..."

At these words, Bellatrix felt her heart beat faster.

"He didn't want me to say... I don't think I'm the only Death Eater he's trying to hide given the masks we use. Which probably means I've just made a mistake..."