NOVEL FROG Chapter -10.
Chapter -10.
[Inside Bellatrix's room] [Bellatrix's P.O.V]
'What am I doing right now?' Bellatrix thought as she regained her composure, still resting her head on Theodore's shoulder while she sobbed.
Just moments before, she had been sorrowfully reflecting on how her entire family had disintegrated because of one person who had made promises that should have remained unspoken, held deep within their hearts, rather than being brought into the light.
But was it really his fault? He had managed to read them like an open book and manipulate their minds at will.
"No, this was entirely our fault; we had the mindset of narcissists, believing in blood supremacy when we could have achieved true power without resorting to such means," Bellatrix realized, acknowledging that perhaps the path she had chosen to dominate others was fundamentally flawed.
Despite wielding immense power, where only the most formidable wizard of the age could halt her progress, that person—whom she had trusted and wished to give everything to—might not have been trustworthy at all. He may have merely sought to exploit them, or those misguided believers in blood supremacy, for his own agenda, which, upon reflection, might not even have been ruling over wizardkind.
"Are you alright?" A soothing voice broke her thoughts, accompanied by a gentle caress on her head. She instantly recognized who it was but still felt the need to confirm, wondering why someone as foolish as herself deserved such care.
Slowly, she began to realize that perhaps she had been the one to hasten her family's demise, including her clever cousin, who had been the brightest of them all; he too might have followed the dark lord because her sister had pledged her loyalty to him by the time he graduated from Hogwarts.
With a torrent of unanswered thoughts swirling in her mind, she finally lifted her gaze to meet two eyes that regarded her with a trace of pity. However, instead of feeling comforted, her sadness deepened, as she believed she didn’t deserve such compassion. Just as she prepared to bow her head in shame, she found herself pulled into an embrace.
“You shouldn’t blame yourself; it's not all your fault. There are still many things you can change,” he reassured her gently. “Just take a moment to calm down and reflect, rather than placing all the blame on yourself, especially when you know it's not entirely true.” His soothing words wrapped around her like warmth, inexplicably comforting her.
Though she instinctively wanted to resist his embrace—having never even allowed her husband such closeness—she found the man's warmth to be genuinely soothing. Gradually, her sobs subsided.
Once she had calmed down completely, she couldn't help but inquire, “Why are you being so kind to me? Given that I have a cruel and sadistic nature, prioritizing my own desires above all else?”
She was all too aware of the reputation she'd earned by joining the Death Eaters; the newspaper articles detailing her actions ensured she understood that no wizard would likely sympathize with her. Yet, here was this man, showing her genuine kindness despite her dark past.
She needed to know why he was acting this way. It hadn't even been a day, but she was already feeling a connection to him and worried about the possibility of getting hurt if his intentions were ulterior.
“Why do I do this?” the man said, ruffling her hair. He paused briefly before continuing. “Because I believe you deserve another chance at life—one where you can live by your own rules, free from manipulation. Or perhaps it's simply because I’ve been feeling lonely and seeing you in pain made me want to comfort you—who's to say? I don't care about the reasons; I just felt compelled to be here for you.”
'What is he saying? And why is his heart racing so fast?' As she remained in his embrace, her cheeks flushed at his words, and the realization of his rapid heartbeat filled her with unexpected warmth.
“Could you let me go now?” she asked, feeling a sense of calm wash over her. To her surprise, he complied readily, which only brightened her smile. As she stepped out of his embrace and looked at his still unreadable expression, she leaned in and unexpectedly kissed his cheek. “Now, could you leave the room? I need to sleep and gather my thoughts.”
As she watched the man exit the room, her heart racing as if it might leap from her chest, she quickly tucked herself under the blanket in an attempt to fall asleep, and snoring heavily just moments later.
...
[Theodore's P.O.V]
"Should I have just said I wanted to mess around with her? That would have come off way too harsh, but why did she kiss me? It felt amazing, though." As he smiled while leaving the room, Theodore reflected on the encounter, only to be startled by Kreacher suddenly appearing in front of him, those large bulbous eyes making him feel as if he'd aged a year or two from shock.
"What do you want?" he asked, looking down at the small creature who was watching him intently.
"Young sir, the guest room has been prepared for your stay. Kreacher was waiting to guide you there," the elf replied, his voice tinged with excitement—perhaps just glad to have some human company in the otherwise deserted house.
"Thanks for that; I’ll be sure to commend you to your mistress Bellatrix," Theodore said, well aware of Kreacher’s desires and knowing how to win the creature’s favor or at least keep it from being hostile.
Upon hearing this, the nearly lifeless elf lit up with a rare smile and asked, "Will you really do that?" When Theodore nodded, Kreacher responded, "Then from today onward, I will treat Mistress Bella’s friend with the utmost respect and follow any orders you have."
Satisfied that he had achieved his objective with Kreacher more easily than anticipated, Theodore then realized he'd forgotten his luggage. He turned to the little creature and said, "Before you take me to the guest room, could you fetch my small suitcase? I left it by the fireplace."
**Bang**
Kreacher didn’t hesitate and disappeared, returning moments later with the suitcase in hand, which he handed to Theodore with a grin, saying, "Here’s your baggage, young sir."
With his bag now in hand, Theodore allowed Kreacher to lead him to the guest room. Just as the house elf was about to vanish after assisting him, Theodore stopped it, advising, "Kreacher, if you want your Mistress Bella to stay here for a while, I suggest you keep her existence a secret. If anyone finds out, including Narcissa, it could drive her away, and that would fall on you, which you wouldn’t want, right?."
Understanding that the elf might unintentionally let something slip, Theodore added a subtle threat, hoping to emphasize the point on the simple-minded creature.
Having conveyed his message, he closed the door abruptly in Kreacher’s face; it had already been a long day, and he was feeling exhausted and ready for sleep.