For the attention of Bellatrix Sekhmet, once scion of the Most Noble House of Black, who has claimed her own destiny,

In you I recognize one who is kindred: one who sees the world not as it is, but as it could be. The shackles of the past need bind us no longer when the Final Dawn breaks above the remnants of yesterday. It is therefore with great anticipation I present to you this invitation to dine with me on the morrow's eve, that we might share our visions.

I will await your exclusive arrival at the Riddle House, Little Hangleton, Yorkshire, at eight PM. Send regrets only with the return of the bird.

Oh, it's - pretty.

Bellatrix has never been so immediately enchanted by someone's handwriting before, and the art's lovely.

'Once scion' - that sets a weird feeling in her chest. Almost a glow. She finds herself grinning.

She doesn't have to commit to anything, of course, just. Sharing. Showing up, perhaps for a nice dinner. Risky, maybe, but what fun things aren't?

She'll need a way to Little Hangleton - she's never been, so doesn't have Apparition near, but she can bring a broom to the closest point she's got and have a nice fly over, maybe. Fay knows Bellatrix needs some time alone, so she doesn't have anything to cancel...

"You won't need to wait for a return letter," she tells the bird. "I'm going, of course."

The raven cackles a bit, dropping the wrappers it tore up into her trash, and then heads out with a jaunty caw.

Bellatrix laughs and wonders what she'll wear. Something elegant... Something new. Nothing like her family.

...She has about twenty-four hours to find a nice muggle dress, doesn't she.

Well, maybe she can meet Fay for lunch. Not a date, strictly business. She'll get some teasing about her mystery liaison, but, well, needs must, and Fay doesn't seem the jealous type. (Not that this is anything to be jealous of yet.)

At five in the afternoon the next day, Fay helps Bellatrix into her new outfit, courtesy of further drains on daddy dearest's account. Panty hose, smooth and silky - she puts those on herself, teasing Fay about not having gotten quite enough dates yet. Shiny black shoes with a low heel and a little bow on the front. A black dress with a layered, swishy skirt that falls above her knees, and a bodice with black lace and bloody red bursts of color. Hair cut to her shoulders then curled so it frames her face. No jewelry or makeup. Wand holster high up on her thigh, concealed by the skirt's volume.

She gives Fay a kiss on the cheek, laughs at further teasing about mystery dates, and Disillusions herself then Apparates a few dozen miles from Little Hangleton, broom in hand. She has enough time it'll be an idle flight over the countryside, even giving herself enough time to actually find the house. It's a scenic enough route, and Bellatrix approaches what her map is pretty sure is the town soon enough - now to see if she can spot the house without landing first...

The Riddle House is obvious, the largest in the area, standing lonely atop a hill overlooking the small village below. A sign at the gate confirms its identity.

The gate is rusted and creaky on its hinges, threatening to fall off if jostled too roughly. The grounds and house are similarly run-down and decrepit, overgrown with weeds and ivy climbing unchecked up the gutters.

Not often used. 'Abandoned spooky house' has a certain aesthetic, though hopefully the inside is a bit nicer. 

She lands near the front door and drops her Disillusionment, leaning her broom against the wall and then stepping inside. 

The inside is not much nicer, if the drift of leaves by the front door is anything to go by.

But after she enters, there's a soft, sourceless chime and the sconces by one of the interior doors flare to life.

She hums and walks over. Anything interesting behind the door? 

A sitting room! It seems to actually be in reasonable condition, shelves of books around the walls, polished hardwood floor, a pair of chairs face to face in front of a fireplace in which a small blaze flickers. The chair she can see is empty, the other has its back to her.

Oh, books. Automatically good taste, there.

She walks over toward the empty chair, glancing at the hidden one as she goes with a little grin on her lips.

There is a woman in the chair, pale of face and dark of hair. She wears robes that are close to black, though a shimmer of green can be seen in their depths as the firelight shifts and crackles. Around her shoulders is coiled a slender snake with scales that glitter like sapphires. She has a hand raised to tickle its snout, and it flicks its tongue at Bellatrix as she moves into view.

...Pretty.

(The only good thing about Slytherin was the snake aesthetic, honestly, and even her Housemates had a distinct lack of appreciation for that.)

"Good evening," she says.

"Good evening, Bellatrix. Won't you take a seat?"

She does, sprawling in the chair as improperly as she can while remaining mostly graceful.

"You know, I don't have anything to call you..."

She smirks, faintly.

"The journalists of Europe had mostly settled on referring to me as the Dark Lady, which is not an epithet I am opposed to."

"Oh? It does have a certain ring to it. Whatever did you do to earn that?"

"Oh, this and that. Grindelwald had made me his first lieutenant by the late stages of his war, which was quite an exciting time for... everyone involved."

She grins, surprised. "Sounds exceptionally exciting."

"And educational, for all his vision was sadly limited."

"And your vision's broader?"

"Beneath his fancy rhetoric, all dear Gellert wanted was to be at the top of the pile. Any systemic reform involved would be entirely incidental."

"Can't say I've ever wanted anything other than getting out of the pile. On top, on bottom - it's all so ridiculous. You're in the same mess either way."

She smiles.

"Precisely, Bellatrix. Vampire or werewolf or muggleborn, if one's name is not listed in the so-called Sacred Twenty-Eight, then you will never be respected, even as the noble families themselves wither and die."

A very pretty smile.

"And you're going to change that."

"I am. You have already seen the beginnings of the Final Dawn's work." Pause. "I understand you are a fan?"

"As much as I can be, with how dreadfully little the papers will publish."

"They have not yet accepted what is inevitable. In time, their shortsightedness will be corrected."

"Mm, I look forward to it. Though a front row seat wouldn't go amiss in the meantime..."

"We will see." She stands smoothly, revealing herself to be taller than Bellatrix by a head or so. "Come, the food should be ready. You can tell me more about yourself while we eat."

Why are all the pretty girls taller than her. This is unfair. (Maybe she can talk the Dark Lady into some muggle-style heels...)

Bellatrix stands, brushing down her skirt a bit. "Lead the way."

To the dining room, which is also in good repair. A house elf wearing a tasseled cap and a mismatched pair of wooly socks has just finished setting two places at the head of the table.

"Will Miss be needing anything else?" he inquires.

"No, thank you, Dobby," she responds. "I will call you when we have finished." The elf nods and disappears with a crack.

She grins at the house elf, then, after he leaves: "I like a woman who practices what she preaches," she says with a little laugh, before taking a seat.

"Dobby has negotiated for a wage and one day off a month. The other elves think he is quite insane, but he seems happy enough."

"Sanity's overrated."

"Quite."

"So, what's for dinner?"

Some of Bellatrix's favorites are on offer, as they take their seats.

"You really did your research on me."

"The first impression is always the most important."

"I feel very impressed." She sips at her drink, grinning at the woman over it. "Wine and dine me, flatter me, show me you're willing to go out of your way to tempt me, let me know you have excellent information, that you can spy without me noticing... Could make some women uneasy."

"Only those who feel they should fear me."

"I'm not one for fear."

"So I see."

Heh.

"So, what did you want to know about me?"

"Tell me," she says as she passes a morsel of meat to her snake, "what it is you most dislike about the current government of wizarding Britain."

She hums. "Well, it's a government, formed by wizards, with British culture... But if I had to name one thing - it's honestly as much cultural, though a lot is enshrined in law. I hate the nepotism."

"It's utterly ridiculous," quick grin, "Though maybe convenient, that one or more of the Black seats in the Wizengamot will go to me if the right people drop dead without remembering to disown me first. It's ridiculous that there are family seats. Fake democracy and the trappings of a monarchy we don't even consider ourselves subject to are not a very appealing combination. Have one ruler with an heir of their choosing if they can't swing immortality, or let all the people have a say. None of this half and half false compromise where the commons are told they can elect a Minister who'll just pander to the noble houses anyways."

"So if you had your way, what would you replace that with?"

Shrug. "A government that'll leave me alone. But if I had to participate - I'd rather something led by one person I trust, with advisors covering specialties. No nepotism, no acknowledgement of blood family as a thing elevated above everything else. That'd require a lot of legal changes and probably some experimentation, but 'the government runs on merit, not family' would be a start. Advisors and department heads and everyone are chosen for talent, loyalty, and personality - no doormats who'll let their superiors walk over them with no questions asked."

"That would be ever so much more efficient. Even if" she laughs, "not many of the current system would survive such changes."

"Hardly a sacrifice."

"One that all members of the Final Dawn should be willing to make. It pleases me that you do not hold this as an objection."

"Almost the opposite."

"Which of our reported actions has pleased you the most thus far?"

She shivers a bit, wiggling subtly. "Hard to pick just one... Though that Wizengamot member you tore to bloody pieces was the first I heard of, and it's remained rather fascinating. The papers didn't show anything other than blood splatter, sadly."

"Ah, yes. That would have been Fenrir Greyback. He is quite understandably upset by the legislation around the werewolf registry and the persistent tendency to treat him and those like him as having no sort of human intelligence or worth at all."

"An eminently reasonable complaint."

"Indeed. Though as to your complaint about the lack of descriptive pictures, blood spatters were all that was left. Whether the man was atomized or merely eaten, Greyback declined to specify."

She laughs. "Can't argue with that. Though the tabloids might appreciate some more dramatic fodder."

"The movement is young, yet."

"A good point."

"What sort of dramatic fodder would you suggest?"

"Well... The reported targets so far have been obstacles, certainly, but no one so notable they'd have significant defenses - or would ignite a major uproar alone. Perhaps, though, a prominent wizarding family, known as the bedrock of many a political campaign - never politicians themselves, but the people choosing the politicians. Traditionalist, ancient, one of the Sacred Twenty-Eight, connected with everyone... And one by one, all their vaunted security measures failing, every adult member dead in their homes - rather gruesomely torn apart, perhaps. Bodies left for the tabloids to gawk at. Maybe a mysterious disappearance to spice things up - followed by the body's discovery sooner or later, of course. And all the family's children so tragically orphaned, left with fortune and political power in their young hands..."

She tilts her head. "Dismantling such a confluence of wards would be no mean feat... Though certainly attention-getting."

"It's a bit easier if they give you a key, don't you think?"

"It would be. Do you wish to make that your audition?"

She hums, thoughtfully. "Well... Depends on how much you want to spread it out, I suppose, and if you'd rather my audition be a bribe or a test... There are eighteen adults with the Black name, spread across quite a few households." She takes a sip of her wine, grinning at the Dark Lady. "Hitting them all at once would be very shocking, though then there'd be no slow build of fear for the last to die..."

"Of course, you could give me just about any target, if you'd rather I save my more personal projects for later. Perhaps some pretty girl for my first, even - I'm rather afraid I got my looks through my mother's family."

"Is that your taste?"

"Yes."

"One of those to start then, as I find that I like you. Perhaps... one of your mother's cousins writes for the Prophet, does she not? Wrote a nasty little article about the corrupting influence of Muggle fashion the other week."

That startles a little laugh out of her - which doesn't really hide how her pupils widen a bit.

"I know the one."

Said cousin is closer to Bellatrix's age than her mother's - and looks enough like Bellatrix that they get frequent comments about it, jokes about swapping places.

"Any requests?"

"Something newsworthy. And don't get caught. I will be wanting to... take a full report after."

Small shiver. "I'll be sure to impress, then."

"And I suppose you will need to know how to cast the mark, as well... If you have finished eating?"

One last sip, and: "I have."

Outside, then.

She draws her wand, long and light-colored. "The motion is thus," she demonstrates. "And the incantation is Flammentre."

Hers, then - rather notably long, a dark ruddy wood, carved with twisting vines.

Copying the motion perfectly, pronunciation exact: "Flammentre."

The snake and sun erupts from her wand.

"Very good."

She ducks her head a bit, grinning. "I like magic, even if school's too easy."

"You have a talent for it."

"Thanks."

"My friend's been telling me I should ditch Britain and get a higher degree somewhere decent..." Grin. "Though I'd have trouble picking a specialty."

"Formal education is overrated. One can learn as much or more through an apprenticeship."

"Seems it would allow more personal instruction, especially."

"And a more closely tailored curriculum."

"One could actually move at their own pace."

"The benefits are myriad, it is true."

Fond smile. "Have some master of the craft lined up for me?"

"Perhaps." She smiles. "It would depend on the successful completion of your audition."

"Perhaps I'll put in a bit of extra effort, then."

"An exceptional performance would deserve an exceptional reward."

"You're going to get me trying harder than I ever have before, at this rate."

"That is the idea, dear."

She laughs. "You're very good at it."

A quiet chuckle. "I know."

Grin.

"After my audition... Should I come back here?"

"No, this place is disposable. I will find you."

"I'll look forward to it, then."

"Until we meet again, farewell."

"Farewell, Lady."

She turns and goes back inside, leaving Bellatrix alone.

She grins, goes to fetch her broom, and Apparates back to her hotel room. 

It's late, and she needs to plan, and she's had enough wine to give herself a little thrill, so she forces herself to wind down and go to bed rather than running off to torture her cousin right away. 

She pulls out a thin notepad first, where she's written every spell she's ever thought could be used creatively, or is outright considered dark - and plans.

The next day - she doesn't seek out Fay, it's not like they're talking every day or anything, and there's a wild energy pulsing in her chest -

She Apparates to her cousin's front door in the middle of the day, when her cousin will be at work - her cousin's house isn't fully rural, so she'll have to think about sound, but it's shielded from sight by high fences. Her cousin's wards are nothing exceptional, just a burglary alarm - Bellatrix isn't keyed into this one, but it's easy enough to subtly unweave.

She finds her cousin's single house elf first, frees the poor creature and erases just enough of his memory he won't be able to identify her. She checks the house for other surprises, makes sure there's no guests or pets, casts temporary silencing wards at the corners of the house. Then -

Bellatrix makes herself comfortable in the living room and waits. 

Her cousin gets home about an hour later, apparently not noticing the dismantled alarm. (She really does look nearly exactly like Bellatrix...)

The woman stops when she spots Bellatrix, eyes widening. She recovers quickly though, with a light, "Bellatrix Black. It's been a while - you could've sent an owl ahead, you know."

Bellatrix laughs. "That'd ruin the surprise, though."

That earns her a small smile and a curious look. "What sort of surprise, cousin dearest?" she asks, almost idly, then calls for her house elf - frowns when nothing happens, calls again -

And doesn't even notice Bellatrix's spell before her limbs are locked, body frozen. "The fun kind of surprise," Bellatrix says, almost purring. "For me at least."

That gets her a half scream - the modified spell doesn't freeze the vocal chords - and a "What is the meaning of this?"

Bellatrix laughs, raises her wand -

And with a thrill, casts the Cruciatus for the first time ever. 

It's an extreme start, of course, and she cuts it off after a few seconds of her cousin spasming against the petrification - cancels the petrification, and her cousin falls to her knees, crying -

(Would Bellatrix look like that? Hopefully it'd take more to get her sobbing, but...)

She wants to impress, wants to push her boundaries - she floats her cousin into the air, and carefully slices her clothes off. Bellatrix has done simultaneous spells before, even ones requiring this much finesse to not cut her prey too soon.

Her cousin's started cussing at her - Bellatrix yanks her wand away, holds it up in front of the woman - snaps it into tiny fragments and sets those on fire to her cousin's enraged yell. Bellatrix laughs and goes to proper work. 

Cutting spells and bone breaking, carefully controlled fire - cleverly applied ice -

The best graduates of the combined Charms, Transfiguration, and Defense NEWT path can weave two silent spells at once. Bellatrix promised her best effort - she does three, pushes herself to four - cuts too deeply on one pass, and with her heart beating hard she weaves in a fifth spell for healing.

There's absolutely no way she could do this in combat - she has trouble maintaining all of these as it is, and she drops her prey to the ground, cancels all her ongoing spells.

She dives into her cousin's mind then, shivers at the pain and fear. Last night - Bellatrix wondered if she can do any sensation with the Cruciatus if she focuses right. 

So, she sets to test, shivering at the second hand backlashes of every searing pain, roaring pleasure, unpleasant numb static. 

Her cousin's barely coherent by the end, no matter how much Bellatrix heals her. The living room is painted with her blood, her body's bruised, limbs at odd angles. Bellatrix's heart is beating faster than it ever has before, her face flushed, her skin sensitive. 

She cuts out all her torture spells, watching her cousin sob for a few minutes as Bellatrix shivers and tries to get her pulse under control, tries to think how she wants to finish this - what expression she wants on a face so similar to hers as its owner dies -

A moan rattles in her chest. She heals her cousin most of the rest of the way, flips her over on her back, and kneels straddling her chest. Her cousin's face is bloody, and Bellatrix gently cleans off all but a few traces of it -

Then wraps her hands around her cousin's neck, settles into what's left of her mind, and begins to squeeze. 

She stands over the corpse at the end, shaking slightly. 

"It's Bellatrix Sekhmet."

She turns, casting the symbol of the Final Dawn, huge and bloody, on the living room wall. 

And then she Apparates out - several places, stopping to throw off Apparition traces - 

To her hotel room last. She ends up shivering in the shower, no matter how hot she turns the water, heart still pounding, pupils dilated, breathing heavily. 

(She's never felt this high.)

She settles in to wait once she's clean. 

There's a knock on the door to her room a few hours later.

She grins, closing her notebook - recording her experiment results has not settled her excitement at all.

And she goes to open the door. 

"Hello, Bellatrix. May I come in?"

"Of course, Lady."

She steps aside. "I don't have too much in the way of hospitality in the room right now, sadly, but there's some very nice room service if you'd like a bite to eat."

"No thank you." She takes a chair and gestures to the seat opposite her. "We will not be wanting interruptions."

"Alright."

She sits, grinning at the Dark Lady. "Got my results in already, did you?"

"In the broad details. but I want a more personal recounting. You are familiar with the concept of a Pensieve?"

"Yes. Very convenient for watching a memory from all the angles. Not as intimate as mind reading, since you don't get someone's thoughts usually."

"Very good. Now I want you to bring the memory of your attack to the front of your mind, as though you were going to draw it out." She waits a beat for Bellatrix to do so, then meets her eyes-

-and pulls.

Bellatrix feels as though she is experiencing the attack once more, all her thoughts and emotions, the sights and textures and smells, the spells she wove- And she can feel the presence of the Dark Lady watching, the heavy weight of her observations, noting each frisson of delight that ran down her spine as she pulls at Bellatrix's memory like a ball of taffy, stretching out the high points to take every details and folding it back over to revisit pieces-

-and then she is released.

"Ah."

She's shuddering, she realizes, heart back to pounding -  leaning forward, eyes wide. 

"Ahh," she sighs. "That was a fine kill."

Small whine.

Then, collecting herself, "It was."

"Miss Bellatrix Sekhmet," she says. "I name you now a member of the Final Dawn. Congratulations."

"Thank you, my Lady."

"And," she says, "it would be my very great pleasure to take you... as a personal apprentice."

"I'd love that."

"Then kneel before me and pledge your loyalty."

- She's never been the sort of person to kneel, she swore to herself once she'd never bow her head -

She's so incredibly worked up right now, there's something odd in her head, the Dark Lady is so pretty -

Bellatrix slides out of her chair, kneeling at the Dark Lady's feet, looking up at her with wide eyes, heart pounding. 

"I swear to be loyal to you," she says, breathless. "I swear to perform any task you set before me." Her throat feels dry, and she licks her lips. "I swear to be yours only."

"I accept your oaths and I will teach and guide your growth for so long as you do honor them." She reaches down to cup Bellatrix's chin in her hand. "My dear Bella."

She sighs a little. 

"Thank you, my Lady."

"Come, sit next to me."

She does so - there isn't really a chair next to the Dark Lady, so she sits on the arm rest unless directed elsewhere.

She puts an arm around Bella and pulls her into her lap.

She giggles, resettling herself and turning to look at the Dark Lady.

"Do I get another reward?"

"Perhaps... First, though, a lesson." With her wand in her other hand, she brings up a small-scale image of Bellatrix's kill. "What was done correctly, and what was not."

She flicks her wand and the scene rewinds to Bellatrix's entry. She walks through her actions step by step, critiquing each aspect, offering praise where warranted, and challenging her to come up with alternate methods or spells.

She listens attentively, asking questions at a few points - and thinking through her Lady's challenges. She knows a lot about magic already, and she's actually already spotted some of her issues and thought up alternatives. She fairly quickly brainstorms reasonable - or at least exceptionally creative - ideas for the issues she hadn't spotted herself.

Such a clever little Bella.

The hand she has on her wanders slowly downwards over the course of the lesson.

That's a little distracting. 

It's an important skill, to be able to think clearly under pressure.

Though if it's truly too distracting, they'll just have to change topics.

She'll try very hard to focus. 

That's good, she likes persistence.

(Pinch.)

Wiggle! And a little gasp in the middle of a tangent about tandem spells. She gets back on track right away, though. 

Oh, that's a lovely little wiggle. Let's see if she can make her do it again...

It is very easy to make Bellatrix wiggle, though she gets quickly better at continuing to talk while wiggling.

Ah, already she is learning so much.

When they get to the ending, she decides that a practical demonstration of technique is in order.

Oh?

She pushes Bellatrix onto the floor, and kneels down on her chest.

! Whine! 

(And a bit of a shiver too.)

Most wizards disdain physical methods when magic is available, but there is always a certain appeal to doing things this way. The key to effectiveness here is in intimate knowledge of anatomy. The lungs, here and here (she traces them out), and the diaphragm... Position the bulk of one's weight properly, and the victim will already find their breath restricted.

Mmmm!

She's definitely struggling to breathe, but manages to gasp out, "Mm, and I was - keeping my weight too much on my knees - "

(Whine.)

"A common beginner's mistake, dear Bella. Then the hands..." she drags hers up to Bellatrix's neck. "Here, and here. Feel the pulse on either side." Light squeeze.

Mnnnn.

"I see... Let's you, mmm, restrict blood flow - nnn - not just - crush the windpipe - "

"But be cautious. Too much, and your victim will fall unconscious before you have finished."

"A - ah - a careful balance."

"Just so."

She bends down to kiss Bellatrix as she increases the pressure with her hands.

Mmmm! Kiss, and a small wiggle as her hands rise to grip the Dark Lady's thighs. (Definitely not trying to throw her off, though.)

She shifts her grip slightly to achieve a knockout instead of death.

Her pulse is skyrocketing either way, throbbing under the Dark Lady's hands. Her expression doesn't seem able to decide whether to be scared or excited, apparently settling on 'thrilled.'

She's struggling harder and harder to breathe, chest pushing in vain up against her Lady's weight.

Her grip on her Lady's thighs weakens, and then her hands start sliding down as her eyelids flutter and she gasps for air she can't get. It takes her a few moments after her body goes mostly limp for the last of her consciousness to fade.

Such a pretty, clever girl.

She stands and levitates Bellatrix over to the bed. And then orders room service while she waits for her to wake.

Room service is more prompt than Bellatrix's return to consciousness.

The food is fresh, well made, and they seem to already have an idea of Bellatrix's tastes.

Bellatrix does stir shortly after it arrives.

"Hello, Bella dear. There is food, if you feel up to it."

She wakes up, mumbling a bit - her throat hurts so much. 

Still, she pushes herself up, grins at her Lady, and, voice hoarse, "Something to drink, first? Milky." 

(Fortunately, 'drinkable yogurt' was on the list of foods Bellatrix apparently likes about the muggle world.)

"Here you are." She sends it over with a negligent wave of her hand.

She rearranges her (possibly excessive) pillows with a small wave so she can lean back against them while she sips.

"Thank you for the lesson."

She... Is possibly threatening to have complicated emotions about how thoroughly and quickly she submitted now that she's more 'cozy' than 'incredibly worked up,' but she can do that later. It was nice. It felt good. She still feels really good, and the Dark Lady is still really pretty and still makes Bellatrix's heart flutter, so.

"You are quite welcome. It is good to have an eager student."

Heee. "You're a very good teacher."

She finishes arranging the tray of food and floats it with her as she joins Bellatrix on the bed.

"Do you wish healing for your throat?"

She leans into her Lady, humming.

"I... No. I want to keep feeling it."

She brushes her shoulder. "Very well. You have but to ask."

"Okay. Thanks."

Soft hum.

She begins eating.

She grins, eating a bit as well.

The silence gives her mind a bit of time to turn over today, though, and - she's always thought best out loud anyways...

"You know, I've never - thought of myself as. Submissive. Or - someone who'd ever behave."

"Perhaps you just needed to meet the right person."

"Maybe I did."

Snuggle. "Today's been - the best day of my life."

"So far."

She giggles.

She strokes Bella's hair.

She sighs happily and snuggles into her Lady.

Pat pat.

"I have found over the years that the only people who have no more surprises left to discover about themselves are dead."

"Infinite surprises does sound quite fun."

"Then you had best keep living."

"I intend to." Grin. "Though staying safe isn't always fun."

"I said not one word about 'staying safe', dear Bella."

She giggles. "I've been told recklessness trades off against lifespan before," she teases, "Though it does seem to me that's only a problem if you're incompetent."

"That is true of most things."

She grins then kisses her Lady.

She approves of this initiative.

Giggle.

Kisses are so good. Very wiggly Bellatrix.

This seems like an excellent time for Bellatrix's second lesson: what her Dark Lady likes in a kissing partner.

Mmm, it seems learning to please her partner is a very motivating sort of lesson. Bellatrix is exceptionally attentive.

Very, very good.

Prettiest lady.

Yes indeed.

Heeee.

She yawns a bit, snuggling, then: "Mmm, I should ask about meeting your other servants..." Tiny cat-like yawn.

"Time enough for that tomorrow."

"Yeah."

"Thank you for today, my Lady."

"It has been great fun."

She nods, grinning, and kisses her Lady again.

"Goodnight, my Lady."

"Good night, dear Bella."

She drifts off to sleep with a contented smile on her face.

She watches her new apprentice sleep for a little while, before gently disentangling herself.

Time stops for no one, after all, and many things require her attention.

When Bella wakes, she'll be at the desk, writing.

She doesn't sleep long, but does lay in bed for a little bit, cozy, before getting up and stretching.

"Good morning."

"Good morning, Bella dear. Are you an Animagus?"

"Yes."

Shrug as she leans against the desk.

"I'm not registered. I'm..." Shrug. "Iffy about my form."

"What is it?"

She bites her lip...

And turns into a small black cat.

"Aren't you cute?" she coos.

She squints suspiciously at her Lady.

(...Emotions are less overwhelming as a cat, but also she dislikes this form because it's cute... But... She really likes the Dark Lady...)

Mrrrr.

She laughs and swings around to present her lap to Bellatrix. "Come here, pretty girl."

She hesitates briefly...

Then jumps up, chirping at her Lady. 

Ear scritches.

"This is a very useful form, you know. Small, stealthy, cute..."

Oh that feels unfairly nice.

Purrrrr.

"See? Not so bad."

Bliss kitty.

Pretty kitty, pretty girl.

She seems happy to lay in her Lady's lap, purring, for a while, even once her Lady turns to other matters. Still, she gets restless eventually, standing and stretching a bit before jumping down.

"Today I though we might meet some of the other adherents of our cause, if you are amenable."

She flows back to human, smiling. "I am, yeah."

"Good. There are several cells, each acting mostly independently. I of course guide overall goals but cell leaders have a large amount of discretion. It helps keep everyone happy."

"Of course."

"And if they don't know each other, that keeps one defector from pulling down everyone, right?"

"Well noted. Yes, that is another benefit of the system."

Grin.

"Am I going to be folded into a specific cell, then?"

"I would prefer to keep you close."

"I'd like that too."

She's trying for 'flirty teasing,' though that might come out a bit more starkly honest than she'd intended...

She pulls Bella in close for a kiss.

Kiss!!!

Good girl.

"So, we have the werewolves, of course, the vampires, selkies, centaurs... I am also in talks with the giants and goblins, but the former are naturally isolationist and the latter reluctant to disrupt the present balance of trade agreements without more solid evidence of benefits for them."

"Giants might also be hard to bring in for a guerilla campaign, they're very obvious... Goblins would be very useful as subtle allies, though. They wouldn't even need to fight for you, just tell you something of other people's finances, alliances..."

"Though all of those can be detected if wizards get paranoid about creatures. Werewolves and vampires are a bit harder, but skilled Aurors could start harassing anyone interacting with the magical world... People like me are good agents for going into Diagon Alley and all, but..."

Hum.

"Are you reaching out to muggleborns? Squibs, even, especially ones from pureblood families? They're often disowned or marginalized, but they might know stuff, and they could help agents hide in the muggle world..."

"A few, yes, but progress with those groups has been slower. That was something I thought you could help with, actually."

She nods, thoughtfully. "With a lot of the magical creatures, you can fold in existing groups - though then you also get the 'they want to be independent' thing, and risk them being more loyal to each other than you... But with muggleborns you don't really have networks to co-opt and you have to recruit individually..." Pause. "I think. If the muggleborns have a secret network they haven't told me about it."

"I doubt it. There would be societal effects that are not present."

"True. Friend groups do exist, and there's any political lobbies, but - they're not secret networks stretching out over all of the muggleborns or anything."

"What we are mostly interested in is the younger generation, whose beliefs have not yet calcified. People you would know from your time at school."

"Graduates only, or do you also want to court current students?"

"Graduates will be most immediately useful, but I don't expect this will be over even in the next few years."

She nods. "Guess we can focus on recruiting graduates while spreading sympathy among the students, then - my sister Andromeda might be willing to do that, and Narcissa probably wouldn't be opposed but she's pretty much the most apolitical person ever. And my cousin Sirius just finished his first year, and he's already taken up with blood traitors."

"How forward-thinking of him."

She laughs. "Pretty sure it's mostly spite right now. But he's twelve. He'll grow into it."

"Of course he will, with a fine example like you to look up to."

She laughs. "And with an excellent reason to appreciate our work. Maybe I'll frame his parents' obituaries as a Yule gift, even."

"Perhaps anonymously."

"That'll make him curious."

"People are more willing to do things when they believe it is their own idea."

She smiles. 

"Yeah."

Pause. "Though... When people do that to me I feel - a bit manipulated. And. If there's something you want me to do - I'm yours. Just tell me."

"I promise."

"Thank you." Kiss. "My Lady."

Smirk.

"Now, shall we go meet people?"

She laughs. "Can I change and eat breakfast first?"

"If you like, I suppose."

Smile. "I'm assuming you don't want to show me off in my pajamas..."

"You're stunning enough I could show you off naked."

"Mm, sounds fun."

"Perhaps in the future. For now," she flicks a hand at Bella, "off you go."

She giggles then goes about getting ready - room service for a quick breakfast with coffee, shower, change of clothes... Magic makes things a bit faster, fortunately, and soon she's kissing her Lady's cheek and saying, "I'm ready, my Lady."

"Very good." She holds out her arm for Bellatrix to take. "I shall Side-Along you."

She takes it. "Alright."

And off they pop.

The first stop is Fenrir Greyback. The werewolf pack lives in an old, run-down church in the middle of a forest and seem to be quite close with each other. Next is Lady Darkvein's vampire coven, at home in the undercroft of a castle in Cornwall. Thence to the far northern coast of Scotland, for an hour on the rocky beach with a tribe of selkies. And to finish off the day, dinner at a muggle restaurant in London with a couple of her old friends.

Meeting people who her Lady would call old friends is the most exciting part, honestly. Bellatrix isn't very good at good behavior, but she makes an earnest effort to be charming.

The friends are perhaps slightly too nervous to notice Bellatrix's slight indiscretions, but a more-or-less good time is had by all.

...Nervous is a good look on people.

(She flirts with her Lady a lot, too, shifting more to smirking at their companions as the dinner goes on. Enjoys her food, too, she's going to have to sample all the muggle restaurants...)

(This has the happy side effect of making the others nervous of Bellatrix as well.)

And after, the two of them can adjourn to Bella's room.

(Happiest side effect.)

"You've got good taste in people."

"You think so?"

"Well, there's me, and your servants seem competent enough.. Appropriately awed..."

"They've known me long enough to know my power only grows."

"That's more exciting than nerve wracking," she purrs.

"A matter of perspective, perhaps."

"Well, others have no taste, then."

She laughs.

"Come here, dear Bella."

She obeys, grinning.

Kiss.

"How far are you willing to go for me, Bella?"

Kiss!

"Anything you want to do to me's okay. I - don't want my sisters harmed. It'd make me sad. But... Anything and everything else. As far as you want."

"Anything I want?"

Wiggle.

"Anything at all, my Lady."

Kiss. "Take your clothes off, dear Bella. You won't be needing them the rest of the night."

"Yes ma'am."

She does, aiming for 'sensually' and landing halfway between 'seductive' and 'extremely horny teenager.' She's naked remarkably quickly, grinning at her Lady and shivering.

Then follows a demonstration of how to maintain four silent spells at once and still have concentration enough to move your own body.

Not that Bella's likely to be able to pay particularly much attention to the behind-the-scenes details of this, of course. Stabbing and slashing sensations, unseen burning irons, and the way her body bends and contorts itself under the brush of her Lady's hand.

She screams, writhing for her Lady even when under her own control, chest heaving, heart pounding. She starts crying at some point, in between yelps and moans and screams. 

(She is paying absolutely no attention to the technical details, sadly.)

She uses her magic only to hurt, but perhaps Bella can find some pleasurable relief from the actions of her hands.

Just about every sensation's wringing different screams from her, but what little control over her own body she has is definitely being used to beg.

Probably even for more.

As she is most generous and kind, Bella can of course have more.

Mmmmm!!!!

Bellatrix doesn't pass out, but does seem to get overwhelmed eventually, limbs twitching without any real direction, breath heavy, expression dazed. 

She slowly steps things down and floats Bella gently over to the bed.

Bella recovers gradually, blinking more, moving her limbs a bit, and very quickly focusing on her Lady and smiling dreamily.

"Feeling good, are we?" she asks as she slips her robes off and slides into bed beside her.

Mmmm sleepy cuddles. Her limbs feel like jello but she can definitely roll into her Lady a bit.

"Yeah." Slow blink. "Was I good?"

"Yes, my dear Bella. You are a very good girl."

She wiggles, delighted. "I love you."

Hair pets. "I'm glad."

"Do you feel up to demonstrating that sentiment?"

"Yes, my Lady."

"Then come here and do so."

She wiggles over more on top of her Lady and sets to doing just that.

Most excellent good and pretty girl.

Wiggle! (Her Lady's good and pretty girl.)

All hers.

Yes.

After her desires have been pleasantly exhausted, she will allow Bella to sleep, if she wishes.

Sleeping's so boring, though, when there's so much to do...

(She is getting very exhausted, though.)

Perhaps then she will teach her a trick she picked up from the natives of the far north of the American continents that lets one do with a much diminished amount of sleep. It does, however, work best when one is rested to begin with.

Fond smile.

"Okay," she murmurs, snuggling in to her blankets some. "In morning."

"In the morning." Soft pets.

Yawn and snuggle and drift off to sleep.

She watches Bella sleep for a while before deciding that she will also indulge in a bit of a nap herself.

She's still up first the next morning.

Bellatrix stays in bed long enough to feel properly rested, even floating the room phone over to herself to order room service, before stumbling up, stretching, and getting ready just enough she feels human enough to go lean against her Lady.

(She's so sore, her entire body hurts even after a hot shower, every movement reveals another tortured muscle. It's wonderful.)

"Sleep well, dear Bella?"

"Yes ma'am." Kiss. "Thank you, my Lady."

"Wonderful. I have been thinking of what we ought to do today."

"Is teaching me to cut down on sleep on the agenda?"

"It is, yes. The ritual requires a salute to the sun at dusk and at dawn, with a variety of further incantations through the night. Not so much a problem in the polar regions, but we will need to rush you along a little, so the actual performance will have to wait."

"Alright. What do I do first?"

She waves her wand and a thin, leather-bound journal appears on the desk in front of Bella. "My notes on the process. Study them."

She nods, pulling it over to herself and settling in to read, an intent furrow in her brow. She reads quickly, even slowing down to absorb everything, and asks questions at a few points.

This version appears modified from the original, which was more to deal with psychological problems caused by the extreme variations in the day-night cycle in the part of the world. One of the original side effects was making it easier to stay up for long periods during the summer when the sun is present the full twenty-four hours, which she has seized on and expanded.

It's clever... She hasn't seen this style of magic before, of course, but magic's magic, and she picks up on some of the subtleties fairly fast.

She rereads her Lady's notes after finishing the first pass, silently this time, studying them in depth - and a third pass just of a few highlights, with questions about those.

She answers them, then takes the journal back and quizzes Bella about the ritual.

She remembers everything she's read - word for word, actually, but she acknowledges that quick memorization only briefly before explaining her own understanding.

That's good. She should further contemplate the nuances while they run their errands today.

Alright. What're those errands?

Gringotts, for one, assuming Bella doesn't mind taking her inheritance a bit early. After that, perhaps a practical lesson on wards. The hotel is unsuitable for long term residence without significant modification that would be disruptive to their regular trade. so they shall set up a place of their own.

The full inheritance will have to wait on her parents' deaths, and it might be mildly suspicious to kill them first even if it'd be very satisfying...

And she's not attached here at all - she'd been just catching some time on her own before seriously talking to her friend Fay about running off to the continent or even farther... Learning something more about wards sounds fun, though Bellatrix has had a bit of a wandering itch lately...

There will be plenty of that as they gather allies and further their cause, of course. But it is always useful to have a safe place to return to.

More convenient for storing books, if nothing else. 

And other valuable items.

Very well. They can go secret base hunting, then. 

Does she have architectural or location preferences? Within the Isles, for now, so they can keep a finger on the pulse of events.

...Hm, she's actually tempted to see if she can find a muggle book on architecture styles, her opinion on British wizarding architecture's mostly been 'ew no.' And on British architecture she's passed by in general, really, but there might be some stuff in less... London... Locations.

For where it's located - she likes being around life. But she also hates the neighborhood her cousin's London house is in... Possibly somewhere rural and isolated? With good views? And then she can Apparate to cities when she gets that itch.

Scottish Highlands?

Hm, possibly. Especially if there's a bit slightly less like Hogwarts' surroundings. 

They can go exploring for a suitable vista.

Sounds delightful.

Shall they go, then?

Sure. Lead the way.

They Apparate to a deserted bit of countryside. And now seems an opportune time to teach Bellatrix the trick of flying without a broom, actually. It is similar to Apparation, but one must envision herself physically passing through the intervening space rather than going from here to there directly. Useful for getting places you haven't seen yet, and it works with Disillusionment. There are also combat applications Apparition does not quite fill, as the risk of splinching oneself due to distraction is much lower.

Flying under her own power is, most importantly, fun.

There is that.

Giggle kiss.

Off then, across fen and loch and moor, to find a place that sparks her interest.

She likes... A lot of places, really, but she seems to have a special appreciation for soaring heights and dizzying views... You know what she wants, she wants an obnoxiously modernist house sticking out of a cliff, that sounds delightful.

(There do not appear to be any of these available.)

Fortunately, they are wizards, rather than merely ordinary house hunters. Transplanting a conveniently located hut is a simple affair. Transfiguring it to the proper appearance is less so, but she is up to the challenge. The wards they can anchor to the same keystones as the tranfiguration, using this certain configuration of runes common to both, which ties them together and makes the whole assemblage stronger than either piece would be on its own...

Not quite the work of a single day, but neither was Rome.

She's markedly talented at Transfiguration - and at creative architecture - and did exceptionally well in Ancient Runes, though the things her Lady is showing her are so far beyond anything Hogwarts teaches.

This is a delightful sort of project, especially getting into the detail work - stained glass windows, and elegant curls where the transmuted rock flows like water, and shelves and railings and furniture inside, all following a common organic theme. There's a little stream that turns into a tiny waterfall nearby, which Bellatrix encourages to grow a bit bigger, then picks up the 'waterfall' theme for much of the house, decorating in whites and greys and blues and greens. 

It'll probably be livable far sooner than Bellatrix feels like she's done messing with her artistic vision.

It is educational as well as enjoyable, so she sees no reason to force her Bella to halt.

Heeee.

(Probably she can work on some of these details over the course of several days, though, between other errands...)

After a certain point it may be helpful to approach some details with fresher eyes, yes. And they ought to begin working on the muggleborn in earnest, as well as plans for the Black family's demise.

Yeah. She can mess with it during idle hours.

For her family - she thinks probably take out her parents second... If they take out Cygnus and Druella Black (her parents) then Walpurga and Orion Black (her aunt and uncle, and her cousins' parents), then her cousins will probably end up with her uncle Alphard, who's safe to leave for last, she thinks. He's a Black and never opposes any of his family, but he's never been actively abusive to the younger generation. Or they might end up with Orion's sister, who married into the Prewetts and is mostly ignoring her birth family... And married out Blacks are less of a priority for her.

Her great-grandmother Violetta has the highest chance of entrenching herself if she knows she's under threat, and as the family matriarch her death would probably send the largest shocks down the family line... (Her husband's dead, but his younger siblings are all still alive - still, Violetta has a strong personality and has entrenched herself in a position of family authority even over her in-laws.) Then her parents, then her cousins' parents, then after that probably everyone they'd automatically inherit from - some of her distant relatives are probably already leaving some or most of their fortunes to their children who've married out, so them thinking to disown her is less of a problem to avoid.

She should also sketch out house layouts, daily schedules, and ward keys as best she remembers, so they can begin reconnaissance to confirm the details.

And if she has ideas about... poetic fates, those would also be welcome.

For her and her cousins' parents, she can also just visit... Especially if she does so before Violetta's death. She hangs out with her cousins decently often, and she can excuse visiting her parents' house by speaking to her sisters. Possibly even time it for while her parents are out.

Sadly she usually avoids Violetta's house... Still, she has a good memory of the place, and it's possible she can maneuver her parents into insisting on a 'family get together' to celebrate her graduation, which her great-grandmother would inevitably yank over to her house...

(Making sure her sisters and cousins are out of their houses at the appropriate times also needs to be juggled in there...)

For poetic fates - she'll think. Daydream a bit, even.

She has a good bit to work on, then.

The family in general is very fond of beheading their house elves once they get too old to serve... Seems fitting for the oldest generation.

How barbarous.

They'll need plaques to mount them on, of course. Perhaps with an inscribed plate detailing their crimes.

Of course. And just throw the bodies in the trash - still present if someone's curious how they died, but, well, it's not like they deserve anything better.

Delightful.

It will be.

Her parents... She'll want to plan that in a bit more detail. But she's feeling like significant use of the Cruciatus should figure in there.

Perhaps she would be interested in a book on varieties of muggle tortures?

...Oooo.

Yes please.

(Maybe some personal introductions beforehand. Just to make sure she has the right idea, of course.)

A craftswoman must know her tools, after all.

In and out.

(Wiggle.)

Speaking of which, she has a meeting with one Sidney Taylor, currently at the Ministry of Magic, courtesy of an introduction by her dear Bella. She's booked a private room at one of the nicer restaurants in Diagon Alley for dinner.

Bellatrix will start working on her family in the meantime. (Her Lady definitely has the more pleasant task.)

Necessary still, alas.

She arrives well in advance of the scheduled time, and discreetly brings the room up to her personal standards then takes the chair furthest from the door to wait.

Sidney Taylor arrives fifteen minutes early. He's dressed in a fairly conservative cut, dark blue robes with a faint shimmer. Nice fabric, good taste, perfectly uncontroversial. He's grown his light brown hair out the way more respectable wizards do, pulling it into a low ponytail. He examines the Dark Lady (and the lightly modified room) with an even expression except for a raised eyebrow when he enters, though he does almost immediately say, "I apologize if I kept you waiting, ma'am," as he steps inside. With a wry, almost self depreciating smile, "Work stops for no one, it seems."

"Not at all, Mr. Taylor. Diligence is a virtue, as they say. Won't you have a seat? Something to drink?"

He sits across from her. "Pumpkin juice is alright by me," he says.

She twitches her wand, and shortly a glass appears in front of him.

She takes her own water glass. "To your health."

He takes his, subtly (wandlessly and silently) casting a quick spell over it. "To your health."

Sip, as he studies her, then: "Bellatrix spoke highly of you, though she didn't give me a name."

"She had none to give. I have left such things behind me."

He hums. "You're an unusual woman, then. Most people cling very tightly to their names, here."