Disclaimer: I do not own Harry Potter , or these characters, or even a rubber duck

Written for:

The Quidditch League Fanfiction Competition, Round 7 - Time for the Horcrux Hunt!
Position: Chaser 2 - Hufflepuff's Cup
Prompts: 6)(quote) "All that is gold does not glitter" ― J.R.R. Tolkien, The Fellowship of the Ring, 12)(colour) magenta and 14)(word) critters
Word Count: 1,299

The Birthday Challenge/Competition: April: Birthstone - Diamond is the birthstone. Write about something expensive.

This felt good to write as it's more like my old style, which I've kind of missed. I've never tried this pairing before, but it was fun to write, so hopefully it's okay! Enjoy!

Shadows engulfed the ancient house in which they had met, throwing eerie shapes across the floor. The walls were falling in and the roof had collapsed completely, leaving the room they stood in open to the dark, starless sky.

The Dark Lord would not normally have chosen such a place for his meetings. Cobwebs hung from every surface, and all manner of critters scuttled across the floor, their light footfalls magnified by the calm night air. If the wooden furnishings had ever been elegant, their appeal had rotted away over years of being exposed to the elements. None of this mattered though; for the purpose of this rendezvous point was not to be glamourous. The purpose of it was to be deserted and secretive and the last place anyone would think he would be. It was perfect.

"My Lord," Bellatrix purred, taking a step towards him. Her cloak hung loosely around her shoulders, revealing the tight corset she wore underneath. He supressed both feeling of annoyance and amusement, keeping his face as blank as a sheet. She wasn't exactly subtle when they were in public, and even those who weren't skilled at occlumency were aware of her desires, but when alone with him she would shed any pretence that remained. He was beginning to wonder whether meeting like this had been a good idea, but then again, there was no one else he could trust with this as much as her.

"Bellatrix." His cold voice was swallowed into the silence of the night, and even the walls seemed to lean a little closer to hear. "I need you to do something for me."

"Anything, my Lord. You know I would do anything that you needed, anything that you as-"

"Now is not the time for declarations of devotion and loyalty, Bellatrix." She shrank back from the harshness of his tone, as though it was a physical being, threatening to strike at any moment. "Now is the time for you to do the job I ask of you, and to do it well. I can't impress on you enough how vitally important it is that you do this properly."

She held her tongue this time, but he knew from her eyes, which had been locked onto his for the entirety of his speech, that she understood how crucial it was. He reached into his cape, withdrawing an oddly shaped item wrapped in a magenta silk cloth. His long, bony fingers slowly tugged at the material, a hint of gold reflecting in the dim light. The rest of the cloth fell back, draping over his hand, in which there stood a small, but beautiful, golden cup. Its handles were finely wrought, and there were jewels encrusted into the exquisite carving of a badger that adorned its side.

"My Lord," Bellatrix murmured, amazement creeping into her babyish voice. "Is that…"

"The cup of Helga Hufflepuff, yes." His voice betrayed no emotion, except perhaps one of boredom. "It has been in my possession for a number of years now, but its safety has become… compromised. I need you to place it in your vault at Gringotts."

"Of course my Lord, as you command. However," she bit her lip, cautious having already been reprimanded once already that night. "If you don't mind me asking, why me? Why now? There are many people who could look after it for you, people with safer vaults than me. I understand that it is very valuable, but-"

"All that glitters is not gold, Bella," he snapped sharply, his voice cutting through the night like a knife. "You think I want this looking after because of its value in money? The whole of Gringotts is under my control. This is worth more than mere gold, even worth more than its history. My life could depend on this cup one day. I need your vault, because no one would expect it to be there, not just because it is incredibly secure."

His eyes, which had been piercing hers all this time, flickered to the floor. He was no fool, he could see that she was angry, it radiated from her in waves. He desperately needed her on his side, who knew when Potter and his friends would work out what they were looking for? At least in Gringotts it would be safe, and with Bellatrix looking after it, it would be unlikely that anyone would even hear that a deposit had been made into her vault. So, as much as he knew he would hate himself for it afterwards, he took a step towards her.

"Most of all, Bella, I need it to be you." She looked taken aback by the softness in his voice, and a slight blush rose to her cheeks. Inside, he sneered at how gullible, how easy to manipulate she was. "You're the only one I can trust completely, the only one I would ever entrust my life to. I asked you because this is the single most important thing to me, so it only seemed right to give it to the most important person to me."

Bellatrix seemed to have recovered from her earlier shock, and took two confident steps towards him, until they were mere millimetres away. Voldemort resisted the urge to curse her, shout at her or even apparate away; he needed her to agree first. "Of course I will, my Lord. She took out her wand and a small knife, slashing the latter across her palm, her eyes closed in an expression that could be described as pain but also one of pure ecstasy. She held her wand in the uninjured hand, and drew it slowly across the cut. She always had been one for grand gestures.

"I swear, upon my life, that I will do all in my power to protect this cup for as long as it is in my possession." As she finished speaking, the blood on her wand glowed bright, before seemingly being absorbed into the wood. She healed the cut on her hand with a quick flick of her wand, and placed it carefully inside her robes along with the cup.

"Thank you, Bellatrix."

"You're welcome, my Lord. I am honoured that you chose me for this, and I swear to you that I will not let you down." Her eyes were black with lust from the close proximity, her chest heaving. He saw in her mind what she was about to do a split second before she crashed her lips onto his, rough and forceful.

In an instant, he had reached for his wand, and a moment later she lay writhing on the floor. He smirked above her, the pain etched into her face. Gasps of agony escaped her mouth, but he knew she would never give in to screams.

"You will never try that again, do you hear me? Next time I might be less merciful."

With a final spasm of pain, the curse lifted, leaving Bellatrix panting on the cold stone floor.

"I… I'm sorry, my Lord." The whisper barely escaped her lips, sounding bare and vulnerable, and the furthest possible sound from her usual haughty expression.

"I do not care for your apologies. We will speak no more of this. Now see that you keep that cup safe." He ended the emotionless comment by turning on his heel, and apparated quickly away.

Bellatrix shakily rose to her feet, still struggling for breath. She felt the pocket with the cup in, feeling the cold metal pressing against her hand. Knowing it was there, knowing that she would still do anything for her Lord - her master - she too apparated with a soft 'pop', leaving the ancient house silent and empty once again when a moment later the single tear splashed against the stone.

I nearly made Bellatrix seem... human *shudder* That definitely wasn't what I planned when I started out, but, hey, that's what they wanted to do so I let them.