A/N: Thank you all for your reviews ^^ I'm pleasantly surprised no one tried to lynch me over Bellatrix/Dora but thanks lol you'll be happy to know this chapter is a bit shorter then previous. Enjoy chapter 13 ^^ bit of Tonks/Harry action for ya'll :P and the return of Bellatrix Lestrange.

Disclaimer: The world of Harry Potter and the original storyline are not mine; they belong to J.K. Rowling.

Read and Review if you enjoy it please ^^ I'll try update soon.

Chapter 13: Lust and Guilt Entwined

Tonks

Unsurprisingly Tonks found she didn't get much sleep that night, between remembering her first kiss and the events that followed with Harry, between reliving her aunt's erotic yet disturbing rendezvous with her secret muggleborn female lover, and upon recalling Morgana's final words. She had stirred from her slumber countless times due to panic attacks, hot flushes and the occasional wet dream.

Tonks's eyes shot open as her body and mind again reacted strongly from her latest dream, pulling her back from the dream world, her body was slick with sweat as her chest rose rapidly to accommodate her fast and heavy breathing. She couldn't recall fully what the latest dream to awaken her was about but glimpses of bare flesh and soft lips pricked at her subconscious, sending sparks down her body and right to her core where the images stirred her already aroused body. Digging her fingers in the sheets in an attempt to stop herself satisfying her body's needs, she laid her head to the side and looked out the window, dawn had only just begun to break and with a groan Tonks forced herself to sit up in her bed crossing her legs as she did, hoping to quell the fire burning between her thighs. The feel of a cool glass –like surface rolled up against her leg as she manoeuvred her body and rubbed along her thigh, doing nothing to dull her aching desires. Reaching down Tonks pulled out the dormant Black Memoirs which she had apparently fallen asleep with.

'Without Bellatrix, the boy who lived will die... Why did you have to drop that bombshell on me Morgana...?' A frown formed across Tonks's brow as she stared at the lifeless gem, of all the things she had learnt of the past week or so, that was by far the most disturbing and pressing. To think that you-know-who's most loyal and faithful follower, his best lieutenant held Harry's fate in the palm of her hand. But is she really that devoted to him and his ideals? Tonks was no longer certain of that, would someone as fanatical still wear on full display, a token of their dead lover, who by all accounts is the very sort of person you-know-who and his followers despise with such pure hatred? Does Bellatrix Black still exist under the persona of Bellatrix Lestrange? 'Is that why Morgana is showing me the memories of Bellatrix when she was still... What... Innocent? Less Insane?' But why Tonks, why her of all people? Surely her mother was a better candidate for this task?

Tonks gave a long drawn out sigh, 'Because I'm in the Order and close to Harry, the only Black who is.' Or at least that was the only logical reason Tonks could come up with about why Morgana had chosen her, it seemed rational even to her but if she was right or not... Tonks had no way of knowing for sure and just like before, she had been left with more questions than answers.

With reluctance Tonks swung her legs out of bed and slipped her feet into a pair of slippers before summoning a bathrobe, she deposited the Black Memoirs back into the depths of her trunk and picked out what she was going to wear then headed off to one of the shared bathrooms. With a yawn and a stretch she stepped into a long marble corridor that served as the hub for the Gryffindor girls bathrooms, either side of the corridor were countless oak doors that led to medium sized bathrooms. Yearning for a long warm soak in the bath, Tonks hurried down the corridor for the door that had been assigned to her dormitory, each door was magically sealed and would only permit entry to those that used the dorm the bathroom was paired with.

The bathroom contained a large tub built into the centre of the floor, big enough to accommodate all five girls from her dorm if required; dressing rooms with red and gold curtains were at one side of the room with a couple cubicles and private showers opposite if desired. Sinks and mirrors sat on top and between wooden sideboards and there was a long bench along the back of the room under the window. Putting her stuff on the bench Tonks began to fill the bath then went to get ready, she pulled a towel around her and shed her bra and underwear, Tonks picked up her bathing outfit then paused for a moment, pondering... 'I'll be done before anyone is even up...' She bit down on her lip and dropped her outfit back on the bench before heading to the baths edge.

Tonks tapped the waters surface with her foot, satisfied with the baths temperature she had a quick look around before letting her towel slide down and stepped nude into the water, submerging herself shoulder deep in a galore of bubbles as she sat on one of the underwater benches. "Ahhh..." Tonks moaned out in delight as the warm water engulfed every inch of her body, gently washing away all her stress and worries, albeit if only temporarily. Reaching out for a sponge, Tonks began to scrub and massage her body humming quietly to herself as she stretched and arched her body while letting her hands do their work. She let herself slip further down so the water just tickled at her chin, closing her eyes she allowed her mind to drift to thoughts of Harry from the night before as her hands started to pay more attention to her more personal and intimate needs, one hand freely spent a large amount of times rubbing bath products into her breasts while her other worked on relieving the pent up sexual frustration between her thighs.

Moaning and purring, her fingers gentle rubbed at her womanhood with increasing pace but it wasn't enough, just over two weeks in Tonks's mind was far too long to be deprived of any sort of relief. Biting her lip, she decided to take a leaf out of her aunt's book, something that should have revolted her but for now… Tonks couldn't care less as she slipped a pair of fingers deep inside herself and moaned out loud as she began to satisfy herself most vigorously. "How did I ever cope back then?" She muttered to herself as she thought to her real days as a teenager, throwing her head back she moaned out loud as her hips started to convulse and buck, meeting her fingers each time they hit their mark.

"Aimée!" A startled voice yelped out from by the door.

Jumping up in shock and horror, Tonks quickly sat up in the bath and looked over to the door blushing furiously to see a flustered Hermione who quickly averted her eyes upon seeing Tonks's bare chest. "I… Er…" Tonks looked away and stared down at the water's surface, cursing her luck as she tried to think of a way out of this awkward situation. "So.. Erm… You're up early…"

"Erm… Ye… Yes… Bad idea it seems…" Hermione sounded almost as embarrassed as Tonks felt, the younger witch was still refusing to look in Tonks's direction while clutching her stuff closer to her chest. "Are you… I mean… Have you… Got anything on at all…?"

"Err…." Tonks found herself blushing even harder. 'Fuck…' "Erm… Could you… Could you turn around for a second?"

Normally Tonks wouldn't have cared for another girl to see her topless, but bottomless too? And with what her aunt got up to with another witch still fresh in her mind? Frankly Tonks rather the similarities between her aunt and herself didn't go that far. Hermione who got the underlying meaning of Tonks's request, quickly turned away while Tonks pulled herself out of the bath and wrapped her towel quickly round herself before then grabbing her clothes and heading for the nearest changing room rather hastily.

She got changed into undergarments quickly while still blushing hard as and pulling on a plain white blouse and a pair of skinny blue jeans. Tonks waited in the changing room for some time, too embarrassed to leave and face Hermione and if that wasn't even the worst part, due to Hermione's bad timing she hadn't been able to finish what her hands had started, leaving her worst of then she was when she woke up this morning. "I thought Prefects had their own private bathroom?" Tonks huffed while still hiding in the changing room, hoping some light hearted chit-chat would defuse the awkward tension.

"We do… But I didn't fancy walking all that way this morning, too cold this time of morning… Although now I'm kinda wishing I did." Hermione replied quietly from somewhere beyond the curtain.

'This is stupid… I shouldn't feel ashamed; it's no big deal really…' She thought to herself as she leant up against the changing room wall, shaking her head and sighing, Tonks grabbed her stuff and pulled back the curtain. Hermione seemed to have gotten over her shock enough to have slipped into the bath but still refused to look in Tonks direction as she made her way over to the sideboard and began to fill a basin with hot water, then began to wash her hair. "So… Why are you up so early this time of morning then?" Tonks tried to ask casually as she poured water over her platinum blonde hair.

"I could ask you the same question… You're usually the last one to wake let alone be up." Hermione's voice retorted defensively in a quiet tone of voice from behind her.

"I err… Didn't sleep much, had some… Vivid dreams, so decided to get up early and freshen up." Tonks's attempted to sound as innocent as possible as she pretended to pay her hair much more attention than she actually was.

"So I saw…" Mumbled the brunette in a voice that was barely more than a whisper which made Tonks think the reply was more to herself then her. "I've got an essay to finish for Ancient Runes tomorrow."

"I see, and how much have you done so far?" If there was one topic guaranteed to distract Hermione and cut through the awkward tension in the room, it was schoolwork.

"13 rolls of parchment." Hermione flashed a small smile, clearly proud at herself.

"Right… And how much did your Professor ask for? Tonks had seen how busy and carried away the brunette got with her homework, sometimes doing double the required about just because she could.

"5…" She replied with a frown, looking like she was preparing to go on the defensive over her devotion to school work.

"I think… You may have done just a tiny bit more then you're expected to do." Tonks gave a short laugh, she'd never admit it to Hermione, the brunette didn't need the encouragement but Tonks admired how hard she worked. But she also felt ashamed as a witch from magical backgrounds, that Hermione felt the need to work twice as hard, do twice as much, trying to prove herself to others that muggleborns were just as good.

"I know, but it's such a fascinating topic!" Hermione said cheerfully as her eyes lit up with genuine interest.

"It must be, if you've done that much extra. What's it on?"

"Ancient writings dictating about the dark witch Morgan le Fay and the Kingdom of Avalon." The fascination in her tone of voice was clear, the same fascination that was filling up Tonks as her curiosity was peaked.

"Really?! That is... I mean I would have thought that's more history then runes?"

"Normally, but some historians believe Avalon has no place in official history due to the lack of historical facts on the subject, they believe runes belonging to an ancient language is not enough to confirm the existence of Avalon despite the common belief that Morgan le Fay was Queen of a Kingdom by that very name and-."And that's how Tonks found herself roped into nearly an hour long lecture on a centuries old debate between historians about the mystic kingdom, by the end of it Tonks wished she had kept herself hidden away in the back of the dressing room and if it hadn't of been for random chunks of information about Morgana and Avalon that seemed relevant, she would have just legged it.

Hermione was still droning on about it even after they had left the bathroom and headed back for the common room. "And personally... I think it's unfair that people refer to Morgan le Fay as a Dark Witch, especially when compared to Dark Witches and Wizards of recent times. She never started that war; she was just the one who finally rallied a fighting force against the Muggle King, her father. Just because she... Harry! Ron! What you two doing up so early? We don't see you usually till lunch… " She yelled out in surprise when she saw the two boys warming themselves by the fire. "I'll give you a copy my essay when I'm done so you can have a read." Hermione said to Tonks then headed to meet up with the boys.

Tonks gave the back of Hermione's head a dark glare and scowled. 'After an hour of dull drivel… You finally get to something I would have loved to hear and you get distracted… I bet bloody Morgana is in hysterics over this.' With a pout the Tonks followed Hermione over to Harry, her mood promptly lifted when they made eye contact and he gave her a grin. Picking up pace she glided over to him and wrapped her arms around his waist, planting a small kiss on his cheek. "Morning Harry, Ron."

Harry as expected blushed a Gryffindor red at the public display of affection but took Tonks by surprise when he responded in kind but this time placing a kiss on her lips. Ron as well as a few others in the common room whistled and cheered as Harry snaked his arms around Tonks waist and pulled her in close. "Morning Aimée, Hermione." Harry said cheerfully after breaking of the kiss. "You smell great Aimée."

"Oh Harry…" Hermione said with a sigh and a sound followed that sounded suspiciously like the brunette face palming herself to Tonks, who was already giggling at the compliment. "I take it, it went well last night?"

"Oh yes! Err that is, yes I think so, we both really enjoyed it… Well I know I did and I think Aimée did too?" He replied in a somewhat bashful tone as he beamed down at the blonde in his arms.

Tonks grinned and nodded up at Harry before kissing him lightly. "Yes… I stumbled in on how much Aimée enjoyed it." Hermione said teasingly as she glanced away, her cheeks glowing pink as Tonks's eyes widened.

"Hermione!" Tonks hissed as her cheeks too burnt with embarrassment.

"Huh? What do you-"

"Nothing!" Tonks snapped quickly, cutting Harry off and scowling at Hermione who chuckled nervously still looking away, Harry gave Ron a confused look who just shrugged as they both looked between the two witches.

"So what did you do? Mione wouldn't tell me what you had planned." Ron said with a scoff, folding his arms and looked slightly annoyed that he hadn't been let in on the secret.

"Mione?" Tonks asked with a confused look, her eyes moving back and forth between Ron and Hermione.

Hermione sighed and rolled her eyes. "A pet name Ronald decided to christen me with, which if I remember right, asked only to be used in private."

"Oh, ooops yeah… Sorry Mio… Hermione." Ron replied going slightly red, and before Hermione could have a go at him, Tonks and Harry started to laugh.

"Aww don't be so harsh Hermione, I like it. If you take out the O it spells mine." Harry said after he finished chuckling. Hermione's eyes widened as she turned pink, looking at Ron with her mouth wide open while he smiled sheepishly at her. For such a smart witch, she seemed to have overlooked that hidden meaning, perhaps she never thought Ron was capable of something so adorable and sweet, even Tonks was surprised.

Tonks led Harry to the sofa where they took a seat, or to be more precise, Harry took a seat and Tonks took his lap. Besides them Ron and Hermione had done the same, which surprised Tonks further, public displays of affection between the two were rare. Once all four were comfortable, Harry and Tonks took it in turns recalling the events of the previous night while the other found small ways to distract their partner while talking. In the end Tonks won their little discreet teasing contest, when she happily felt how aroused Harry was as she shifted about purposely on his lap.

The news that Aimée and Harry were now somewhat dating had travelled fast and had already arrived at the to the Great Hall by the time the couple had made their way down to breakfast, they were greeted with whistles and sniggers from some while other casted looks of burning jealousy aimed at both of them as they sat down. While Harry was being praised by some of his fellow male housemates, Tonks wore a feigned smile, a sense of guilt and the taste of bile had arisen in her from the pits of her stomach after their brief good morning exchange and had grown increasingly worse each time Harry smiled at her or whenever their hands touched briefly at the table.

Tonks casted a quick look over at the staff table and met the gaze of her stern head of house, Professor McGonagall was shaking her head and sighing deeply to herself. The Professor didn't attempt to hide her annoyance, which did nothing to subdue the nauseating sensation doing summersaults inside her. 'She'll have words for me later I'm sure.' Pushing the guilt back deep down, Tonks tried to help herself to abit of breakfast but one cute and innocent look from Harry was enough to quell her appetite. Even grinning back at Harry was enough to earn a sharp stab at her heart. 'This is going to be harder than I thought… Karma… I had a wonderful time last night, or at least with Harry I did… And now I'm paying the price…'

In an attempt to drag her mind away from her guilty feelings, she engaged in casual innocent conversation with the trio and the others that sat around her, and she did so until the morning post arrived including the morning editions of the Daily Prophet which she saw had a picture of Bellatrix on the front page, when the paper landed in front of her. Grimacing, Tonks hesitantly undid the twine; she unfolded the paper and began to read the front page.

TERROR IN BASINGSTOKE

In the late hours of last night, Aurors were summoned to the rural muggle area of Basingstoke in Hampshire where they found the Dark Mark high above a housing complex. Muggle fire-fighters as well as law enforcement were already on the scene and were dealt with by Obliviator's after the fire had been quelled. Upon entering the buildings, Auror's discovered nine bodies which were burnt beyond recognition, as well as no less than thirty-seven injured, eight of which were critical and had to be sent directly to St. Mungo's Hospital.

One of the muggle victims, who was able enough to talk to the Aurors, told of a group of dark robed people wearing masks (Death Eaters) who 'appeared' out of thin air and began setting fire to things wherever they pointed. "They pointed some kind of sticks, like wands from some kind of fairy-tale… Lights shot out of the ends, red flashes, green flashes… People were screaming withering in pain when the red lights hit them, others dropped dead when the green ones hit them… The people in robes were laughing… Laughing! At people screaming in agony! One sounded like a woman, a woman cackling, shirking at the top of her voice, cheering and acting all merry as she made… She made my wife dance while she screamed…"

After gathering other statements, the victims were treated for their wounds and minds were altered accordingly, although some had their minds severely addled from prolonged exposure to the Cruciatus Curse and will be staying at St. Mungo's for a non-disclosed period of time. From the statements Aurors are led to believe that the infamous Bellatrix Lestrange, 47, was the Death Eater who led the attack…-

Tonks threw the paper down in disgust, not wanting to read anymore as the embers of her dying hate flickered back into life slightly. 'With all that I had seen and heard about her recently… I had almost forgotten… How much of a monster Bellatrix Lestrange is… What am I to do?'

"That bitch will get what she deserves one day." Harry's voice came coldly from besides her; Tonks had to quickly bite on her tongue as she almost felt the urge to defend her. 'She can't… Not if what Morgana says is true, if you want to live, to have any hope of beating You-Know-Who, we need her… Morgana… What exactly do you think I can do about this?'

The sound of silver striking crystal repeatedly resonated loudly across the hall and most heads turned to look towards the source of the sound, Professor McGonagall stood up from her seat at the staff desk and amplified the sound of her voice with the tip of her wand. "May I have your attention please." The deputy's eyes scanned the pupils with stern authority which was enough to silence most the hall and bring the remaining students to a quiet murmur. "Thank you. As you may have seen posted around the school, an upcoming duelling tournament for those in year 5 and higher will be starting this week. For those interested in taking part, you will be able to sign up on a list that will be put up in your common rooms later today. That will be all." The hall erupted with the sound of excitement the second McGonagall took back her seat as students gossiped loudly about the upcoming event.

The trio was no different, even Hermione looked somewhat excited about the approaching tournament. 'I wonder if I would be allowed to apply… Or if McGonagall would subtly hint for me not too…' Tonks was probably one of the few who didn't look overly excited about it, although the others that weren't were busy moaning about not being old enough to enter. Tonks on the other hand may be too old to enter, if there was a prize for winning then surely it would be immoral for her to compete? And the last thing Tonks wanted to do was add to the growing collection of sickening guilt, shame and deceit that clogged up her throat every now and then. 'Perhaps… I should just… Come clean? To someone, anyone… Not Harry… Not yet… Maybe when we are closer, not too close… Just closer, close enough that he'll… Like me? Enough to understand why I went along with it… But if not Harry… Who? Who could I trust to bear the burden with me till the time is right?' Tonks eyes shifted between Ron and Hermione, wondering if either of them would help her.

"Aimée?" The soft caring voice of Harry came accompanied by his warm breath that breezed against her neck as he lent in close to her. "Something bothering you?"

'Until then… Time to keep the pretence up.' Tonks sighed and let her gaze fall to the paper sitting in the middle of the table. "Was just thinking about that article in the Daily Prophet… Was wondering if that's what happened to my father."

Harry's arm came up around her shoulder and gentle pulled her into his side, letting her head come to rest on his shoulder, a gesture that should have been comforting, but instead left Tonks feeling hollow. "I'm sorry… I won't pry, but if you ever want to talk about it… I'm here for you…" His voice was gentle, quiet and full of understanding; he of all people would know how Aimée felt. Harry's kindness unfortunately didn't dampen the empty feeling that she was feeling, if anything he was, by no fault of his, making it worse and the sympathetic eyes of both Ron and Hermione added to it even more.

Tonks could feel herself beginning to choke up, her chest tightened and her eyes began to swell as tears formed behind them, not because of her lie, but because she was lying, because it all was a lie and right now she didn't feel able to cope with the burden of her deception. Tonks was never one for rules, but right now she fully understood the golden rule of undercover work; don't get involved, don't let it become personal. But she had already broken that rule from the start, before even accepting her assignment, a part of her was already involved and it was already very personal. 'I was doomed from the start… I guess this is why McGonagall and others stressed I don't become any closer than I should…'

Biting down on the inside of her cheek and digging her fingers into her thighs she forced back the tears and somehow managed to suppress her despair, searching deep for that part of her, that selfish and lustful part that could for the time being, enjoy Harry's embrace and allowed her mind to focus on a different subject. Tonks composed herself, she'd have a different sort of relief later in private, somewhere she could break down and wallow in her misery, somewhere she could hate herself for what she's doing and plan how she can climb out of the hole that she had been digging, 'By the end of the day… Hopefully, I'll have something in mind…'

"I know… Thank you." Tonks finally replied rather dryly. "So… Will you three be signing up?" She asked in a more cheerful tone, the trio getting the hint, let the subject change slide and happily started to banter about the tournament.

Tonks listened intently to the conversation, the teasing, the boasting, all of which lifted her mood more than she expected it would as she smiled at them. A flash of light momentarily blinded her, looking up towards the source she saw young Gryffindor boy with a camera standing behind Ron and Hermione with a big smile on his face. "Hi Harry! Is this your new girlfriend?" The boy chirped.

"Hi Colin… Erm yes. This is Aimée." Tonks turned to look at Harry as he replied, he too was blinking rather rapidly as he recovered from the blinding flash.

Seeing a chance to poke fun and lighten her mood, Tonks feigned a pout. "New girlfriend? Almost sounded like that's a regular occurrence! Something you want to tell me Mr Potter?" Tonks teased with a stern tone of voice but for once Harry didn't fall for the bait and instead laughed, placing a quick kiss on her lips, but not quick enough to avoid being caught on camera. 'Ohhhh I so hope that doesn't end up on the front page of the Daily Prophet...'

Bellatrix

It was the following Tuesday night. Bellatrix was sleeping peacefully, almost angelic like on the soft bed with only a thin blanket covering her bare flesh. A sharp knock downstairs caused Bella's eyes to snap open almost instantly, her hand clenched tightly on her wand which she had been sleeping with. "Get rid of them." Bella hissed but she got no reply, with a low growl she sharply rammed her elbow into the side of the sleeping barmaid besides her and sent Rosmerta tumbling out of bed, she hit the floor hard and let out a yelp in pain. "Get. Rid. Of. Them!" Bellatrix repeated in a slow deadly tone of voice whilst ignoring the maids whimpering.

Not needing to be told a third time, Rosmerta quickly pulled on a cloak to cover herself up then ran downstairs. It wasn't long till Bella heard a door open and voices talking lowly, despite knowing full well that the blonde was too afraid to try anything funny, her paranoia still made her somewhat anxious. Wishing she had reapplied the Imperius Curse as a precaution, Bellatrix forced herself out of bed and grabbed the nearest robe before she then crept behind the door without making a single sound. The voices didn't die down and soon two pairs of hurried footsteps started up the stairs, cursing the blonde under her breath, Bella readied herself to pounce into action.

The barmaid's voice travelled up the stairs, telling the visitor they couldn't go up there. 'Whoever it is, will enter first. Unlucky for them.' Gripping her wand tight she waited, and the second a blur of colour stepped into the room Bellatrix was on them. Utilizing her fast relaxes, Bella quickly disarmed the visitor then pushed them up hard against the wall, her wand jabbed forcefully at the point under her visitors chin then pulled down their hood.

"Good to see you too Bella." Narcissa said with an uncomfortable groan.

"Cissy?!" Bellatrix quickly released her sister from her grip; her face for a brief moment was unable to hide her shock and surprise before giving her little sister a sly grin, then turned her attention to the barmaid.

Rosmerta had barely entered the room when the back of Bellatrix's hand caught her hard across the face and sent her reeling against the wall. Before the barmaid could batter an eyelid, Bella had moved forward and grabbed a large tuff of the blonde's hair and yanked back hard, causing Rosmerta to cry out. "Sister or no sister, I gave you very specific instructions!" Bella hissed and pulled harder on her hair, making the blonde cry out even more. "If I say let GET RID OF THEM! I mean GET RID OF THEM!" Bellatrix kept pulling hard as she shirked out each word. "Fail to follow my instructions again, and you'll be very, very sorry my pet." With that Bellatrix threw Rosmerta down on the floor who whimpered on her hands and knees as she stared down. "Make yourself useful; fetch me and my sister a strong drink." Not wanting to be punished again, Rosmerta scurried to her feet and quickly left the room.

Bellatrix tilted her head and admired the barmaid's rear as she left the room, a mischievous grin played about her lips before turning her attention back to her baby sister and pulled the taller witch awkwardly into a short stiff but loving embrace which Narcissa cautiously responded too. "I wasn't expecting you Cissy."

"That much is obvious." The younger sister remarked in a regal tone with a hint of disapproval, rolling her eyes at her eldest sibling as they ended their little bout of sisterly affection.

Bellatrix snorted slightly but decided to stick to the issue at hand rather than rise to her sister's jab. "What are you doing here?"

"Not what you're doing here that's for certain." Narcissa eyes had caught sight of the heap of torn raggedy clothes that were lying on the floor besides the bed, her nose further wrinkled up in disapproval and her frown deepened.

Bellatrix feigned a pout and pretended to drop her gaze as if she was ashamed at what she had been doing. "Don't give me that look Cissy, I'll have you know fourteen years builds up quite the appetite… And even a common wench is better than Rodolphus." Lifting her head Bellatrix shrugged as she met her sister's gaze, desperately trying hard not to laugh at her little sister acting so grown up. 'I've missed a lot in fourteen years… She's so changed so much; lil Cissy is all grown up… I suppose that's to be expected, being left in the care of that slime ball Lucius without me to help guide her.' "Plus it's convenient." She added with a more serious note.

"Convenient?"

"Business and pleasure in one package." Bella practically purred out her second motive for staying in the barmaid's bedroom, pulling a face as cute and innocent as a kitten to match her tone.

"Please stop, I'd rather not picture my sister… Engaged in such activities." Narcissa for the best part still retained her composure as her eldest sister tried to catch her of guard but still winched at the comment as if mental images had just flashed before her mind.

Pouting for real this time and determined to kick her sister of her high horse, Bellatrix decided to try another tactic. "Since when did you become such a prude? I remember a certain young teenager asking me and… And…" She froze for hardly a second, but a second was long enough for a twinge of pain and lose to grope at her heart and she quickly diverted from what she had nearly spoke out loud. "Asking me about how best to satisfy-"

"Bella!" Narcissa squealed out in embarrassment as her cheeks flushed pink as she looked away towards the door, hoping the comment hadn't been overheard. Bella grinned in victory as the ice queen composure of Narcissa Malfoy that she had become so well known for, was momentarily shattered and for a few moments the image of a young innocent naïve Cissy stood in her place, all wide eyed with cheeks painted pink.

Narcissa relaxed slightly and looked upon Bellatrix with soft and almost sympathetic eyes after likely just having realised what Bellatrix's traitor of a tongue almost let slip. Bella recognised the new look her sister was giving her, it was one especially reserved for one of two subjects and was used whenever the topic drifted even remotely to either of them, like just now. 'I don't need her pity or sympathy! I'm long since over her… That… That mudblood…' Bellatrix thought bitterly, despite her master showing her the light and putting her on the right path, both subjects still caused her heart and mind to betray her, crying out deep inside her in despair. 'Bloody Dementors! Their fault I'm confused all over again!' To say she was confused was an understatement to say the least, after fourteen years reliving the two worst days of her life, coupled with her master's words of wisdom, had sent her already broken mind, heart and soul into further disarray and insanity.

Scowling, Bellatrix turned away and began to pace the room; anything to avoid her sisters damned sympathetic eyes. "Alright, alright. So what does bring you here then? And how did you manage to escape the manor unseen?" She knew her sister was being heavily watched, being both the wife and sister of convicted Death Eaters had put her, as well as her son, under a lot of scrutiny.

"Slipped out during shift changes, got roughly an hour to get back before someone notices…" Narcissa's eyes grew dark, clearly the attention of half a dozen Auror's was as unwelcome as the pity she had towards her sister. Their conversation was interrupted briefly by the return of Rosmerta who was carrying a tray with a bottle and two glasses, without being needed to be told, the barmaid kept her eyes low and passed the glasses too the two witches. Narcissa gave the maid a short nod to say thanks, whilst Bellatrix eyed her drink cautiously and brought the dip of her wand to it. After muttered a few quick spells and being satisfied the blonde hadn't tried to spike her drink, Bella downed it and caught the eyes of Narcissa who seemed bewildered.

"Just checking she wasn't being a bad kitten." Bellatrix said casually as she cocked her head to the side, looking at the barmaid as she spoke.

"You're too paranoid at times Bellatrix, she wouldn't be able to harm you under the Imperius Curse, you know that."

"Of course I do! But she's not under it, not right now." Bellatrix shrugged and helped herself to a second glass.

"What! Are you out of your mind Bella! You can't have her walking around of her own freewill! What if she tries something?!"

"That's why I checked… Besides she's under the influence when I'm not about and when I am… She's under my thrall." Bella stressed out her last word seductively, her tongue darting out to lick her lips as she eyed the maid's barely covered body.

"And when you asleep?"

"I slept in Azkaban for fourteen years; I'm used to waking up alert hearing the slightest sound, sensing the slightest movement… And besides, her wand has been confiscated. Relax Cissy, have faith in your dear old sister."

"Why? Why would you not have her under? What purpose does that serve?" Narcissa sounded almost hysterical, Bella couldn't blame her, Narcissa had a lot to lose by just being here associating with an escaped criminal. 'Trust me Cissy, have I ever led you astray?'

"Conversation for one… I don't know if you've tried to have an interesting discussion with someone under the Imperius Curse but if I wanted to talk to a brainless idiot I'd talk to my dear husband! Or some of the other cretins and cowards that snivel at the Dark Lord's heels, pretending to live a normal life, too scared to show their true colours until the Dark Lord takes control!" Bellatrix's voice had risen sharply, her tone laced with venom and spite as she referred to most of her masters supporters. It was no secret how she felt about most of them, including her dear sister's husband, she regularly made a point of it to their faces and being the snivelling cowards they were, would cower before her whilst trying to justify their pathetic existences all whilst her master laughed and praised Bellatrix's devotion.

Except for unfortunately Snape, the greasy haired filthy half-blood who lived comfortably in Dumbledore's pocket, whose well-rehearsed lines had him slither into a comfortable position at the Dark Lord's side, attempting to claim the spot as his favourite. 'The bastard half-blood! How dare that filthy spineless creature believe that he has earned that right! That title! MY TITLE!' Without warning Bellatrix dashed the glass she was holding at the nearest wall, causing both her sister and the barmaid to jump in surprise.

Narcissa who was used to Bellatrix's sudden outbursts, recovered quickly from her surprise and decided to pick up on the topic and hopefully steer it towards one that wouldn't result in Bella wrecking the room. "Hmm, from the looks of it I'd say it was more than conversation…"

Just as suddenly as before, Bella's mood shifted quickly again as she began to cackle, a sly smile formed on the corner of her lips. "You can blame her for that." Bellatrix said innocently as she gestured to the maid who looked away quickly, blushing.

"Oh?" Narcissa's eyebrows rose slightly as she glanced between both Bella and Rosmerta.

"Unlike… Others, I don't particularly enjoy a sobbing and unwilling partner in bed… It totally kills the mood." Bellatrix said casually with a flick of her wrist, dismissing the idea with barely a second thought. "No she, came onto me… Actually thinking about it, I think she most likely was trying to slyly get a hold of my wand, but instead ended up in bed with a Death Eater." Bellatrix said with a cackle as she recalled the other night.

She had returned to the Three Broomsticks Inn during the middle of last week, largely for the purpose of planning her next move, using the Inn as her base of operations. But also to redress her wounds in peace without suspicion, her involvement in the activities in the Forbidden Forest had as of yet remained a secret. She didn't want to risk her unaccounted for wounds being linked to her failure and the barmaid had proved to be an adequate healer. Or as adequate as someone could be while under the Imperius Curse, someone under the curse lacked initiative which could prove useful during the healing process. This had proved to be the initial reason why she had temporarily lifted the curse, thankfully she wasn't as blonde as she looked, she understood the position she was in, the danger if she attempted to cross Bellatrix and remained subdued even whilst free of the curse.

She had stood bare chested in only her underwear in front of the fireplace where the barmaid carefully undid her bandages and tended to her wounds. Bellatrix couldn't help but notice how delicately Rosmerta's hands were around certain areas of her body and how the maid's eyes would drift regularly to Bella's chest. "See something you like my pet?" She asked a low devious tone which caused Rosmerta to blush and tried to look busy treating the next wound. "Turnabout is fair play kitten; you can look, as long as I can in return." For Bella her request was surprisingly tame and innocent, she was curious as to what was going on inside the maid's head which didn't take long to come to the surface, and looking was only the start of what the maid had wanted to do. The blonde had guts, Bellatrix had to give her that, had her actions been unwanted then she would have paid dearly… But fortunately for Rosmerta, she had gone without for a very long time and was more than willing after seizing control of the welcomed turn of events.

A sigh from her little sister brought Bella's mind back to currents affairs. "You asked Cissy, but I'm sure you didn't come all this way just to gossip about who I'm sleeping with, so again I ask you, why are you here?" Narcissa frowned and looked over at the maid, possibly trying to hint for privacy. "Don't worry about the wench, I'll wipe her memory if need be."

"Fine… Have you seen the paper today Bella?"

Bellatrix snorted in disgust rather loudly. "After the rubbish and downright lie they posted about me on the weekend?"

"Oh? You mean you didn't torture those Muggles and make that Muggle's wife dance?"

"Oh that I did do… Ungrateful muggle vermin, he should be on his knees thanking me! Greyback had originally wanted to do a lot more then make her dance, she got off easy… No I mean my age! They said I'm 47! I'M 46!" Bellatrix folded her arms and pouted as she sulked at the insult.

"Bella… You sure you're not 16? You damn well act it at times!" Cissy said in frustration at her sisters in ability to take things serious half the time, for such a feared dark witch, Bellatrix sure acted like a child at times.

"Well she defiantly has the libido of a 16yr old…" Muttered the barmaid in a low tone of voice and sounded suspiciously amused. Both Bellatrix and Cissy heads snapped at Rosmerta who went pale in fear from speaking out of turn. Her little sister gave the blonde a cold hard stare with her piercing eyes, but Bella couldn't help but give a small sly grin before cackling.

"Oh for god's sake!" Giving up with a scowl, Narcissa thrust a copy of the latest edition of the Daily Prophet into her sister's hands which Bella grudgingly opened up and scanned.

The grin faded from her lips, her features became cold and stern while her eyes focused hard on the brief article and picture before her. "Potter, the boy who loves!" She spat out as she read the articles title.

"I take it you've had no luck on that front?" Narcissa asked carefully knowing full well that Bellatrix would be all business now.

"Does it look like I have?! And what's more I…" Bellatrix growled and flicked her wrist, casting a privacy charm around herself and Cissy. "I lost the Black Memoirs! During that fight, I may have underestimated our dear niece… And they got lucky!" She hissed out, Cissy was the only one who knew of her involvement the attack on Potter and more important on their niece.

Narcissa grew as fearful as she was pale, she knew how important the loss of the Memoirs was, and the secrets it held which could destroy their family. "You need to get it back Bella." She said with barely a whisper.

"Don't you think I don't know that!" Bella shrieked in her sister's face, shaking with rage. "Our niece will have to wait for now; I must get the Memoirs back! Before Morgana reveals too much!"

Neither spoke for a few moments, the only sounds came from Bellatrix's heavy breathing. "How?"

Bellatrix didn't reply right away and instead walked over to the window, gazing out in the direction of Hogwarts. "Hmm… I'm glad you're here because I have a plan… When's the first Hogsmeade visit?"

A/N: Hope you enjoyed Chapter 13^^ On a side note, I've decided to split this story in two after much debate and this one will end roughly the same time as The Half-Blood Prince. Also I'm heavily considering giving this story a more... Gripping/Appropriate title. So if you have any suggestions feel free to let me know :) Thanks for all the feedback so far, I've already started slowly adding in some suggestions that mirrored my ideas :) Feel free to keep adding what you'd like to see as filler etc and you may see it slowly added in over the coming chapters :)

I'll try update soon, until next time!