Candied Tongue

"Beware the candied tongue that laps at royal boots, and through its sugary slime conceals the black heart."

Bellatrix Black knew that she was beautiful. She had her family's aristocratic good looks: high cheekbones that invited shadows beneath shining black eyes, glossy ebony curls that cascaded past white shoulders. Her dark red lips stood out in her pale face like a rose fallen on snow. Her gloved fingers moved across the side of her face, mimicking its shape. Bellatrix could feel that she was beautiful, even if society hadn't dropped a few hints. She could have any man she wanted wrapped around her finger—and that was the only way she would take him.

She stepped onto the platform as the crimson train behind her belched smoke into the night. Tightening the fastenings on her cloak, she swept towards the line of horseless carriages. The one she climbed into was unoccupied, but as soon as she slid gracefully into the carriage, she felt it lurch gently to the side. She watched as a young man, his face hooded by rough stubble and the dark brown hair that fell across his forehead, lowered himself onto the seat beside her. His broad shoulders pressed into the back of the seat, and his head turned slowly to look at her. His profile, the patrician nose and defined chin, was outlined in the flickering torchlight.

He let his eyes trace from the heel of her boot up her leg. His gaze paused at the pale chest that gleamed above black silk and finally found her face.

"Took you long enough," Bellatrix said, smirking slightly. She hadn't decided if she meant the time it had taken him to find her carriage, or the time it had taken him to look her in the eye.

"I can't help it." Rodolphus Lestrange's voice was deep, and it grew lower as his lips moved closer to her ear. She let him kiss her once on the neck and then shifted her attention elsewhere.

"Is Lucius coming?"

The corner of Rodolphus' mouth twitched, but he nodded. "Narcissa's with him."

"My clingy little sister," Bellatrix muttered, rolling her eyes. She traced her lower lip with her finger, gazing into the black forest in the distance.

"You know," Rodolphus added, "she's going to figure it out sooner or later, especially if she and Lucius are that close."

"I know that," she snapped. "But I don't want her finding out now. She's too young, and she's too much of a liability. Besides, she wouldn't even be useful."

The dark-haired man beside her laid a calming hand on her shoulder, and she exhaled. Of all the men she had, Rodolphus was the only one who could try to pacify her without fear of being punished for his efforts—and with Bellatrix, even that wasn't a guarantee. But he was her rock, the only one who truly understood how trapped she felt at school. He was the only one who saw the havoc and destruction she could cause if her twisted mind was given free rein.

But no one could quite anticipate the extent of that warped psyche, not even Bellatrix herself.

The couple felt the carriage sway again as Lucius Malfoy placed a heavy boot on the step. Only a year younger, he was a stark contrast to the dark figures who sat wrapped in each other's shadows. His slim, pointed face was framed by blonde hair that seemed almost white, and his eyes were cold and grey. Lucius set himself carefully onto the seat and reached a hand out towards the door, where a girl who looked like a feminine version of himself moved to take it.

"Narcissa," Bellatrix said coolly, "why don't you find another carriage?"

Two pairs of grey eyes widened in her direction. "Bella," her sister whined, "you're always keeping me out of things."

Bellatrix's eyes glittered and narrowed slightly as she gave Lucius a look.

"Look, Cissy…" Lucius pulled his hand back and tucked it neatly into his robes. "I'll see you up at the feast, all right?" His voice was smooth and persuasive; he gave the distinct impression that his words were dripping out of his mouth, coated in honey and oil. "We just need a few minutes. Go sit with your friends."

"But—"

There was neither honey nor oil in Bellatrix's voice. "Cissy, I said go!"

Narcissa pouted and removed her foot from the carriage, finally letting it heave back onto its wheels.

Bellatrix closed the door, letting the latch click softly underneath her hand. She slowly removed her gloves, straightening each finger and smoothing the leather, and laid them on her lap. Rodolphus, who had watched the scene with Narcissa with faint amusement, took the opportunity to place his hand over her now bare ones.

"Is this really so important?" Lucius inquired, examining the threads of his scarf.

"No." Bellatrix restrained the satisfaction in her voice. Lucius was useful, even skilled, but he tried her patience. She enjoyed the moments when she could manipulate him for no reason at all.

Rodolphus smirked as the carriage shuddered and began rumbling up the path towards the castle. Across from him, Lucius sighed heavily and turned away, stretching his legs across the seat.

Bellatrix glanced out the window and began moving her fingers gently over her left forearm. Her fingernails bit into the flawless skin in absentminded frustration. Rodolphus caught the motion out of the corner of his eye and bared his unmarked arm beside hers in sympathy.

"Patience is a virtue, love," he whispered into her hair, tickling the back of her neck with his warm breath. "We'll get them soon."

-(Well, this is really just a prologue. The next chapters will be much longer, but I wanted to get this first scene out. This is the first time in a long time that I've actually done a story in a more conventional prose style, so I hoped you like it. Please read and review! I've already started the second chapter, but I'll be inspired to finish it that much faster if I have actual reviews making me smile. Thanks for reading!)-

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