Realization

Disclaimer: I\'m just borrowing from JK, blah, blah, blah, you know the drill.

A/N: I couldn\'t resist playing with these two and their dynamic, I felt it in OOTP. Keep letting me know what you think, even if you think it sucks. Enjoy.
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“Master,” said Bella. “Master, may I speak with you?”
“Certainly, Bella.”
She rose from her kneeling position at his feet, guided by his long fingers that had reached under her chin.
“What is it, Bella?” he asked as he wrapped an arm around her waist and began to walk with her.
“Master, it concerns Potter.”
“Does it?” His voice reflected his interest.
Since her husband had received the Dementor’s Kiss in Azkaban for an ill-conceived escape attempt, she had become very comfortable with and accustomed to her Lord’s touch. His advances toward her only occurred when they were alone, but his favoritism was obvious to the other First Circle Death Eaters, as was his motive.
It had become apparent to both that they fit together very well. Voldemort was one of the most powerful wizards in the world. In his opinion, only Snape could stand beside him. But in the deep recesses of his mind, he knew Harry Potter could almost if not entirely stand beside him as an equal to both the dark wizards. However, he would never admit the seventeen-year-old was a worthy match to anyone. He held the opinion that Bella was the most powerful witch in the world, but he knew, like he did about Potter, that the Weasley girl and the mudblood Granger were almost, if not entirely her equals. He would never admit that to anyone either.
So, Bella held the place of most powerful witch, and him of most powerful wizard.
The only other man he would let near her was Snape. And the pair loathed each other, despite working some of the most powerful Dark magic together.
It was only natural for him to desire Bella. He was also becoming aware that she could and would bear him an heir. This was something he’d been desiring greatly since his return to his body. She was well aware of this and did not object in the least. She was only putting it off out of fear of conceiving with the most powerful wizard in the world.
“My Lord.”
“Please, Bella, we are quite alone, I assure you.”
“Tom,” she said, her voice shaking at referring to him as an equal. He still frightened her a great deal.
“You have no reason to fear me, dear,” he said. He stopped and turned her to face him. Fear was visible in her eyes. He did not want that. He may have been the Dark Lord, but he was still a man.
“I am sorry.”
“No need, dear.”
“I have come to discuss that which Snape holds.”
“I see. Please, continue.”
“As you know, I do not trust the Weasley twins. There is something unnatural about them. And I fear they may try to deliver her to Potter. They have never objected to him. I feel we can alter the plan and cause even more pain than he now feels.”
“My dear Bella, what do you have in mind?” He pulled her flush to him. Her eyes opened in surprise at this. She tried to ignore his breath on her neck.
She looked up into his eyes and continued, “Let me carry his child and you kill the girl.”
Voldemort started back at this, releasing her. This was the last thing he had expected.
“And why would you taint yourself with filth?” he spat.
“So that the child feels connected to me, and through me to you. So that there can be no mishaps. So we can ensure our leverage over that brat and his infernal Order. Is it not a good plan?” She looked slightly scared again.
“Bella. It is a good plan. But for now, I do not wish to enact it. Did I not say it was good? Do not look so down. We may use it in the future. For now, I wish for things to remain as they are. I wish his two guardians to die in his attempt to rescue the Weasley brat. Or, I should say, the Potter brat. Oh yes, he married her. How noble, right?”
He let out a harsh laugh. Hers echoed his in amusement.
“I see. He follows in his foolish father’s footsteps. You have noticed all the similarities, have you not? The physical appearance, the foolish actions, the base personalities?” she laughed.
He stepped closer to her and pulled her within an inch of him. This time she only smiled at him.
He nodded. “Yes. It is uncanny. Lily and Potter and Ginny and Potter. It is so fool-hardy. He does not understand, young Harry, the concept of history. Now, enough talk of the fools who seek peace and justice and equality for all. I must speak to you on more pressing matters.”
His lips twisted into a smile. Bella had to admit, he was becoming more handsome by the day.
This must be a shadow of what he looked like before the transformation, she mused.
“That is true,” he said. ”I am regaining my old appearance. Does it please you?”
She was startled by his words. Yet, she knew she wanted him to hear those thoughts and unconsciously left them unguarded.
“Very much, if it pleases you, Tom.”
Her use of his name in that voice seeping with desire startled him for the briefest of moments.
“And does this make you desire me, Bella”
“Very much, if it pleases you.”
“It does. So, you wish me to return to my old look?”
“Except the eyes,” she said, touching his face.
This startled him further. She had never touched him before. She had never refused his ministrations, but had never made a move to touch him first. He had in the past put her hand upon his own face. But she had never done so of her own accord. He took this as a good sign.
He may have been the darkest, most powerful wizard in the world, but he would never move on her without her consent. He despised rape. He thought of it as weakness. He would only take her as a lover if she was totally willing and he would only let her bear his child if she was totally willing.
“And why would you wish my eyes to stay this way?”
“They make me feel the power in you. And I cannot imagine looking at you without them, Tom.”
She said this softly, almost tenderly, and Voldemort felt the power of her words penetrate his soul. He reached down and cupped her face in his long-fingered hands.
“Why did I not get you first?” he asked softly.
“If you want the truth, which I’m sure you do, you terrified me then. And Rodulphus promised to protect me. I was seventeen. I was foolish. You were twice my age and had so much power, I thought it better to follow you than to pursue you. I was always drawn to you. But you terrified me.”
“And now?” he asked, leaning over to whisper in her ear.
“”Now, you hold me as your equal. And you incite more desire than anything else,” she whispered back into his ear.
He pulled her flush against him again. He looked down into her eyes. They were filled with passion, but still held a hint of fear.
“I won’t hurt you,” he said gently. “I’m not all evil.”
“I know,” she whispered.
A patronus shot up to her. She recognized it as Snape’s. She pulled away from Voldemort and it whispered something. She straightened up and it vanished.
“Potter, the fool, has broken into Snape’s house. I told you we should have killed that blood-traitor the Weasleys call a mother.”
Her air had changed swiftly from desire to ferocity.
“Bella, my dear, calm yourself.”
“Calm myself?!” she erupted. “That Potter brat knows who has his dear little blood-traitor! It’s not like we prepared for this! We didn’t have the time to clear out Snape’s house! How am I supposed to calm myself?! There’s information at Snape’s that could ruin the plan!” She was breathing heavily, and further enraged by Voldemort’s calm sneer. “What are you sneering about?”
“Potter is a fool, a predictable fool,” he answered simply.
“Fool or not, him at Snape’s is not a good thing. It’s a terrible thing. You know that Wormtail owes him a life debt,” she spat.
“Is that what you meant by clearing out Snape’s house?” He looked amused.
“Yes!” she shouted.
“Potter doesn’t have it in him to torture or kill. You need not worry,” he said calmly, stepping back toward her.
He made to resume their earlier closeness, but she backed away from him.
“No,” she said.
“No?” he asked, anger flickering in his eyes for a moment. “Fine, go see for yourself. Do try to kill at least one of his guardians while you’re there, please,” he teased.
“No, I’m going to kill that worthless rat.”
“Bella,” he said warningly. “I have use left for the worthless rodent.”
“What use?”
“Don’t bother yourself about it,” he said playfully. “If you go, you destroy one of his worthless friends. I would prefer you to dispose of the mudblood. She is growing quite tiresome. She is too intelligent for her own good.”
“Fine,” Bella spat. “But I will be the one to kill the rat.”
“No, the werewolf gets that pleasure,” he said.
The fire in his eyes scared and thrilled her at the same time. She did not argue with him. She merely approached him, leaning into him.
“Why?” she whispered, looking into his eyes.
“Because it is part of an elaborate plan I have been developing. I will not tell you now. If you wish to be at Snape’s in time to kill the mudblood, you should make haste.”
“And what if I wish to stay with you?” she asked, running a hand up his arm to his shoulder. She used her grip on his shoulder as leverage to put herself on eye-level with him.
She looked deeply into the fiery red pits and leaned forward to kiss him.
He pushed her back when she was an inch from his face.
“Go,” he said. “Make me proud.”
She gave him a submissive look, but put disappointment in her eyes.
He didn’t break, and she knew he wouldn’t.
She looked into his eyes, showing him her annoyance at the orders they both knew it was too late to carry out. Then she turned and was gone with a loud popping noise before he could start berating her for her lack of servitude or begin his ministrations once again, as he knew he would prefer to do as opposed to punishing her.
I am giving her too much license. I know I’ll regret this, he thought as he stared at the spot she had just vanished from.