Part One: This House No Longer Feels Like Home

Chapter One: Whatever It Takes

The Dark Lord was gone. He would return, of this Bellatrix had no doubt. She would help him return. The Longbottoms would give them the information they wanted eventually.

She stepped out of the bedroom and closed the door on the screaming, which ceased with the click of the lock thanks to the silencing spell that had been placed over the room. She and her fellow Death Eaters had all the time they needed, though she suspected the Longbottoms would succumb to insanity before too much longer.

A soft, indistinct cry drew Bellatrix down the hall toward a closed door. She cautiously opened it, her wand held at the ready.

A nursery. She relaxed, lowering her wand. A crib stood in the middle of the room. A baby, no more than a year old, stared up at her. He fussed, letting out another small cry.

Without thinking, Bellatrix spun the mobile hanging above the crib with one hand, gently taking his tiny hand in her other while shushing him softly. She had done this with Draco a hundred times before on nights when Narcissa had Floo called her, desperate for help, please, Bella, just a few hours, just a few hours of sleep. Once Bellatrix had snapped that the house elves could take care of Draco, and Narcissa burst into tears.

"I want him to know you! I want him to know his family, to know he's - " Narcissa cried, unable to finish.

Bellatrix had never brought it up again. She had wondered silently at times what Narcissa was so afraid of, but now Bellatrix knew. The Dark Lord was gone, and while Bellatrix had faith he would return one day, it could take years or decades. The only future awaiting her was Azkaban or a life on the run, should she be unsuccessful in finding the Dark Lord. How old would Draco be when the Dark Lord returned and freed his faithful? Would Lucius escape a fate in Azkaban, or would Draco lose his father and his aunt; Narcissa, her husband and her sister?

A door opened and closed down the hallway, and footsteps approached the room. Bellatrix drew away from the crib.

Rodolphus Lestrange glanced into the nursery. "Ah, there you are, my dear." He sauntered over to her and peered into the crib, placing a hand on her hip. "Of course we'd find you here."

Bellatrix slapped his hand away, bristling. "What's that supposed to mean?"

Rabastan Lestrange cleared his throat from where he stood in the hallway with Barty Crouch Jr. "Rodolphus, you shouldn't tease your wife so." He gave Rodolphus a significant look that told Bellatrix he knew his brother had not been joking.

While Bellatrix and Rodolphus worked well together as Death Eaters, there was no affection in their marriage. It was a respectable pureblood marriage as was expected of her, and nothing more. She admired his devotion and ruthlessness in service of their Lord, but he had the unfortunate tendency to believe he had more freedoms with her than she allowed. Rabastan had more than once come to his unknowing brother's aid, redirecting conversations before Bellatrix hexed him.

Rabastan turned to Bellatrix. "The Longbottoms know nothing about the fate of our Lord."

Bellatrix frowned. "We must keep looking then."

"It should take the Aurors several days to work out who is responsible," Rodolphus said. "We can gather information and meet back at my manor in two days time."

"These were Aurors," Barty said, "and very well liked people. They will dedicate all their resources - "

Bellatrix scoffed. "What resources? The Ministry is in shambles." She took a step toward Barty. "Unless you are suggesting that the Dark Lord isn't worth the risk?"

"No, I would never - "

"Good." Bellatrix smirked. "Now, I would like to have a little more fun before we leave."

The next night, Bellatrix Apparated outside the gates of Malfoy Manor, which swung open before her as she approached them and clanged shut behind her. She strode briskly up the pathway through the front gardens, her duster billowing out behind her. The front door of the manor opened under her touch much the same way the gates had.

She closed the door quietly, knowing Narcissa would have put Draco to bed hours ago. She made her way through the silent mansion, the clicking of her boots and the rustling of her skirts the only sounds she heard until she approached Narcissa and Lucius's favorite sitting room. The fire crackled pleasantly, and Lucius and Narcissa sat in front of it, each with their own glass of wine. They looked up when Bellatrix entered.

Narcissa leapt from her chair, snatching the Daily Prophet off the coffee table between the chairs and shaking it in her hand, hissing as she stormed over to Bellatrix, "Bella, what have you done?"

Bellatrix shrugged. "They refused to tell me what I wanted to know."

"Bella..." Narcissa's voice softened, her eyes watery. "The Aurors will be even more intent on finding you. You have to be careful. You shouldn't even be here, it's too dangerous for you - "

Bella placed her hands on Narcissa's arms gently. "It will take them days to figure out who is responsible. I will be long gone by then." Narcissa's face crumbled, and Bellatrix pulled her into a hug, rubbing her back soothingly. "I would like to see Draco before I go."

Narcissa pulled back, wiping at her eyes and nodding. "Yes, yes, of course. He's in the nursery."

Bellatrix squeezed Narcissa's arm reassuringly. She strode over to Lucius, who had remained in his chair watching them. Placing a hand on his shoulder, she leaned over to murmur to him, her hair blocking her face, "Do what you must to stay out of Azkaban, Lucius. I will not have my sister and nephew left alone."

Lucius nodded, and Bellatrix strode out of the room and up the stairs. She crept into the nursery and over to the crib. As if sensing her presence, Draco opened his eyes.

Bellatrix picked Draco up, smiling. "You've gotten so big," she whispered. Draco fisted a hand in her hair. "No, no, we've talked about this." She gently freed herself and he grasped her hand instead. Her smile widened. "Much better."

Bouncing him slightly, she kissed his forehead. "Your Auntie Bella has to go away for a little bit, but I'll be back as soon as I can. I have something very important I need to do. Be a good boy for your mother." She whispered conspiratorially, "And a pain in the arse for your father for me."

Draco giggled, and despite knowing it impossible, Bellatrix liked to think he understood.

"Auntie Bella loves you, Draco," she said, her smile fading. "I'll be back as soon as I can." She gave him another kiss on the forehead. She was about to set him back in his crib when she heard something downstairs. Footsteps and Narcissa's voice shouting, "Wait, you can't - "

Bellatrix shifted Draco to sit on her hip, her other hand drawing her wand. She hesitated a moment. Should she put Draco in the crib? No, her family had many enemies. She refused to leave Draco alone and undefended.

She went out into the hallway. "Cissy?" she called, "what's - "

Aurors charged up the stairs, Narcissa and Lucius right behind them. Bellatrix raised her wand, holding Draco tight against her. The Aurors stopped. Bellatrix's eyes swept over the group. Most the Aurors present were young, perhaps fresh out of training if the way they stared at her was any indication: like terrified children pretending to be brave. One of them glared at her with hard eyes, though the effect was diminished by how red and watery they were. Still, an emotional and inexperienced Auror was dangerous when she held her nephew in her arms. She cursed herself. She should have listened to Barty. She should have left Draco in his crib.

The lead Auror, an older man with grey in his hair, stepped forward. "You're under arrest for the torture of Frank and Alice Longbottom, Mrs. Lestrange. We already have your accomplices. You have nowhere to go. Surrender peacefully." He nodded toward Draco, and Bellatrix held him closer, taking a small step back. "No one wants your nephew to get hurt."

The young Auror who Bellatrix kept an eye on snorted. The lead Auror glared at him. Bellatrix curled her body slightly around Draco, noticing the way the young Auror's eyes hardened, his hand gripping his wand tighter until his knuckles turned white. The lead Auror must have sensed it too because he held up a placating hand toward Bellatrix and whispered sharply, almost so quiet that Bellatrix couldn't hear him, "Jenkins, go downstairs."

"No," Jenkins said through grit teeth. "She tortured them. Until they lost their minds. She's sick. She deserves to die."

"Jenkins, no - "

Bellatrix easily deflected the curse. Narcissa screamed, and Draco wailed, and the young Aurors panicked, slinging spells at her while the lead Auror shouted for them to stop. They were uncoordinated and unpredictable and outnumbered her six to one. Perhaps she could have taken them easily at another time in another place, but with Draco in her arms and her sister behind them, it was all Bellatrix could do to deflect their spells. She clutched Draco to her chest.

"Stop!" she shouted. "I'll surrender, just stop!"

Bellatrix wondered who had the brilliant idea to send a team inexperienced Aurors after her. Spotting the look on the lead Auror's face, she realized with a sinking feeling that they had not expected to actually find her here. This was a trainee group finding itself faced with a threat they were not prepared to handle. She could use that, could pretend to surrender and once Draco was out of harm's way, Bellatrix could dispatch them with ease.

"Stop!" she shouted again. "I surrender! Stop!"

That got through to most of them, but Jenkins didn't care, firing off a rapid succession of spells that Bellatrix blocked with ease until he sent a reducto at the wall beside her. Bellatrix barely deflected his first spell, and with no time to block the second. She instinctively twisted her body, shielding Draco from the debris. She did not see the spell that sliced the back of her wand hand, forcing her to lose her grip on her wand. Another spell slammed into her side, sending her flying down the hall. She managed to hold onto Draco.

Bellatrix then saw several things at once: Narcissa's pale, bloodless face, eyes wide with terror as she screamed, wand pointing at one of the Aurors; a beam of moonlight hitting the carpet coming from the full length window behind her; her wand lying far out of reach; the lead Auror swinging his wand toward Jenkins; and Jenkins beginning to mouth familiar words that made her blood run cold.

She rolled Draco off of her onto the floor as she scrambled to her feet. She had to get away from him fast, had to have Jenkins pointing nowhere near him -

"Avada - "

It was suicide but it was all Bellatrix could think to do: she had to get out of the manor, had to get away quick before her family ended up dead from crossfire and panicky Aurors. She sprinted down the hall.

"Kadavra!"

Bellatrix crashed through the window. A jet of green light shot past her into the night, just barely missing her, and she felt a surge of relief: the spell hadn't hit Draco. She was out of the manor, her family would be safe -

And then her stomach dropped as she fell, her whole body burning from shards of glass embedded in her skin. The ground rushed up to meet her. She hit the grass with a sickening thud and a crack, the impact driving pieces of glass further into her stomach. The pain blinded her. For a moment, everything was black and silent. Then she heard voices, distantly. Coming from...above?

"Crazy bitch!" Slightly awed.

"JENKINS, I'LL SEE YOU THROWN INTO AZKABAN. WHAT THE FUCK WAS THAT?"

"SHE DESERVED IT. SHE DESERVES EVERYTHING SHE GETS."

"SHE HAD A CHILD, YOU COULD HAVE KILLED HIM - "

"WHO CARES? HE'LL BE JUST LIKE THEM ANY - " The voice cut off abruptly.

"Shut up! Not another word out of you until we get back to the Ministry. You three, get away from the window. Go see if she's still alive."

"She can't be, not without a wand - "

"GO CHECK. DO YOUR JOBS FOR ONCE."

A baby crying. A woman screaming her name. Draco and...Cissy? Bellatrix groaned. Had she passed out? She shifted, trying to lift herself off the grass. Stars exploded behind her eyes, and her vision went black for a second. She forced herself to stay conscious, even as every movement caused glass to tear and slice through her skin and muscles. Once on her feet, she stumbled toward the maze garden. She could slip between the bars in the fence and hide in the forest.

She just needed some cover...

No one, not even her sisters, knew she had become an unregistered Animagus. She had hoped it would be of use to the Dark Lord, but she had only mastered the transformation recently and it was not a shape as well suited to subtly as she had hoped.

She made it into the maze and around a corner before she heard, "Bloody hell, she's gone!"

"She can't have gone far, look at that blood. Hurry!"

Bellatrix shifted into a black wolf, forcing herself not to yelp as glass ripped through her with the change. Her left wrist, which had gotten caught under her awkwardly when she landed, was definitely broken. But even in blinding pain and hopping on three legs, she knew the maze better than they did and could squeeze through the hedges toward her goal. Panting, she slipped through the bars of the fence and into the forest beyond.

She felt a surge of triumph as she hobbled deeper into the forest. The sounds of Aurors yelling in panic pierced the night air. After several minutes, she collapsed, unable to go any further. Too tired, too much pain, too much blood loss. Not far enough away to be safe, and any moment the Aurors would figure out she was no longer on the grounds. They would find a blood trail leading straight to her.

Bellatrix closed her eyes, trying to think.

Now what?

Narcissa shoved her way through the group of stunned and screaming Aurors, feeling Lucius following on her heels. Bile burned the back of her throat. This can't be happening, this can't be... She scooped Draco into her arms, checking him over. Lucius pressed against her side. Face pale, his fingers fluttered over Draco's face and limbs, as though wanting to check for injuries but afraid to touch. Draco wailed but aside from a small cut on his forehead, he was unharmed.

Narcissa sobbed in relief. He was safe. Bellatrix had kept him safe. Bellatrix...

Had jumped out the second story window.

Narcissa pressed Draco against Lucius's chest. "Bella," she gasped, and Lucius took Draco, arms trembling, fumbling a bit to hold him right. "I have to check..."

"Go," Lucius said.

She sprinted to the remains of the window. Leaning out, her eyes locked on a dark figure sprawled on the grass. Bits of glass sparkled in the dark around Bellatrix's body, in her hair, on her back. She lay completely still.

Narcissa rushed the past the Aurors, nearly tripped down the stairs in her haste, and flung open the front door. She rounded the back of the manor when she heard one of the Aurors exclaim in surprise and saw them rush into the maze.

Bellatrix was gone. Narcissa should have felt relieved, but... She held her wand out in front of her. "Lumos." The grass was dark and slick with blood. Narcissa felt cold. She had to do something. There was so much blood...

She couldn't remember going back inside the house or entering the Dining Hall. She couldn't go after Bellatrix herself but... "Pinky."

A house elf appeared. "Yes, Mistress?"

"My sister is injured. Gather supplies from my private stores and find her. Make sure she's safe. Tell no one about this, not even my husband."

"Understood, Mistress."

A sharp pop startled Bellatrix, and she yelped in pain.

"Mistress Bellatrix?" asked a squeaky voice. "Is that you? Oh dear. Mistress Narcissa said you is badly hurt. She sent Pinky with potions."

Bellatrix crawled out from under the bushes, unable to stop the whine of pain that escaped her throat. The house elf turned wide eyes on her, clutching a large bulging bag to her side.

Bellatrix shifted. "It's me." She spoke through gritted teeth. Fresh blood spilled from her wounds.

"Oh dear. Oh dear, oh dear, oh dear, what trouble you've gotten yourself into now, Mistress Bellatrix." Pinky took one of Bellatrix's hands between her tiny ones. "The Aurors will be here soon, Mistress. It's not safe to move with you like this, but there'll be no time to fix you up otherwise."

Bellatrix gasped for breath, forcing herself to stand. "There's...we can't move now. There's a...a river not far from here. I could hear it. We need..." Stumbling further into the forest, she hoped the river wasn't too far. "We can use it to..." She clenched her teeth and bit back a scream. "To...cover our tracks."

The house elf watched her with worried eyes but obediently jogged beside her. It felt like ages before she heard the sound of rushing water, and a moment later she stumbled upon the river. It wasn't large, but it was enough. It would cover her tracks, making a logical end to the trail of blood she left. In her weakened state, even her sudden disappearance would make sense: she had tried to cross the river, or maybe walk along it, and stumbled or lost her footing, fell into a current she was too weak to fight and was swept away.

Hissing in pain, she shrugged out of her jacket, balled it up and tossed it into the river. Hopefully it would end up far downstream. Waterlogged and desperate, she had managed to struggle out of her coat...

Bellatrix steeled herself, holding out a hand to the elf. "Do it."

A small hand wrapped around her fingers, and she felt the familiar sensation of being squeezed through a tube. It lasted only a second, but when they arrived wherever they were, Bellatrix screamed through her teeth, collapsing on the ground, driving pieces of glass further into her side.

"I'm sorry, Mistress. It was the only way." Pinky pulled the string of the bag over her head, causing her ears to flop around as the string caught on them, and set the bag on the ground. As she dug around inside, she said regretfully, "It's not safe to give you anything for the pain yet. Not until I know what's wrong."

Bellatrix hissed through clenched teeth. Pinky helped her sit up. Tears slid down Bellatrix's face.

Pinky pulled out a cloth, folded it and instructed Bellatrix to bite down on it. "This will hurt, but it'll be over in a minute." She waved her hand, and every piece of glass in Bellatrix's body slid out of her into the air, slicing her anew. Bellatrix screamed and sobbed, her voice muffled by the cloth. Blood gushed from her wounds. The air above them shimmered and sparkled with glass shards and dust. Pinky snapped her fingers, and it disappeared.

Bellatrix's vision swam. Pinky plucked the cloth from her mouth. She waved her hand, and Bellatrix blinked against the cold night air on her suddenly naked skin. Only her underwear remained.

"Sorry, Mistress, but I must clean your wounds. First, drink these." Pinky pulled several bottles of potions from the bag. One at a time, she unstoppered them and helped Bellatrix drink them. "Blood replenishing potion...skelo-grow, for your wrist. Unpleasant, but necessary or else it won't heal right... This one will help you fight infections... One to heal your wounds... This will help you sleep...one more blood replenishing potion just to be safe..."

Once that was done, Pinky took a wet cloth from the bag and gently wiped away the blood from Bellatrix's skin. She started with her back, then laid her down carefully and cleaned her face and her front. She shoved the bloody cloth and empty potions bottles into the bag. Another snap of her fingers and Bellatrix was dressed again, though her clothes were still torn and bloodied.

"Nothing I can do about your clothes, Mistress. I'm sorry." Pinky patted her hand. "You should change back into your Animagus form. It will be safer and warmer for you tonight."

Bellatrix nodded. "Tell Cissy..." She frowned. Draco had almost died tonight because of her foolishness. "Tell Cissy...nothing. Tell her you couldn't find me. That the Aurors almost caught you, and you smashed the bottles by mistake. Get rid of the cloth. Wait, give her this." Bellatrix ripped her bird skull necklace off, snapping the chain. She grimaced. It was a present from her sisters years ago, like her leather jacket had been, and she had always taken good care of both. Cissy would repair it and the jacket, she reassured herself, pressing the necklace into the elf's hand. "Tell her this is all you could find. Say it was hanging from a tree branch, you cleaned it off, and that's where the blood comes from. It's safer if she doesn't know..."

Pinky trembled. "Pinky can't lie to her mistress!" She pulled at her ears in distress.

"You can and you will." Bellatrix glared at her sternly. "You are a Black family house elf first and foremost. As the eldest, my orders come before my sister's. Do you understand?"

Pinky nodded miserably. "Yes, Mistress Bellatrix."

Bellatrix lay back on the thick grass. For the first time, she wondered where she was. Groggily, she propped herself up on her elbows. They were in a large field not far from where a house stood. She couldn't make out any details in the dark.

"Where am I?"

"Some place safe," Pinky said. "Please, Mistress Bellatrix, change before you are seen. It will be safer."

Bellatrix rolled over onto her stomach and shifted. She felt some of the tension leave her body, knowing she would not be recognized, and the elf was right, the night did feel much warmer...

Pinky disappeared with a crack. Briefly, a light turned on in an upper room, and a woman opened the window. She seemed familiar somehow, but Bellatrix couldn't place it, not when the potions and the events of the last hour where making it hard to stay awake, dragging her head down between her paws against her will.

It wasn't safe to stay here, much less sleep here, but the night was warm with a calm breeze and the steady sound of crickets. The tall grass would hide her well enough. Strangely, the smells were comforting as well; the grass, the dirt, some familiar scent that she couldn't place but which reminded her of when she was young and would play in the garden with her sisters.

Yes, she would rest here awhile and let the potions do their work...