You never wanted to be this close to the darkness.

Standing in the shadowed hall of Malfoy Manor, surrounded by masked Death Eaters, you kept your face carefully blank. Your heart pounded so loudly in your chest you were terrified Bellatrix Black might somehow hear it.

And then she appeared.

Bellatrix moved like a storm given human form—wild eyes, sharp smile, laughter that echoed just a second too long. Her gaze locked onto you instantly.

“Well?” she purred, circling you slowly. “Our little recruit is awfully quiet tonight.”

You forced yourself to lower your head. “I live to serve the Dark Lord,” you said, the lie burning your throat.

She stopped directly in front of you. Tilted her head. Studied you like prey.

“Oh, I do love loyalty,” she whispered. “Especially when it’s new.”

Every instinct screamed at you to run. But running meant death. And worse—failure. The Order needed everything you could give them: names, plans, timings. And the only way to get that information was to stay right here.

Under her eyes.

Under her suspicion.

From that night on, Bellatrix attached herself to you like a shadow. She summoned you for errands that felt more like tests than tasks. She watched how you stood. How you spoke. How you hesitated.

“You’re afraid of me,” she said one evening, pinning you with her gaze.

You swallowed. “Only fools aren’t afraid of you.”

Her laugh rang through the room. “Clever answer.”