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Post by Bellatrix Black on Oct 14, 2008 22:51:21 GMT -5
Bored of spying on children, Bellatrix decided it was as good a time as ever to send Mrs Morley a letter. The letter not so politely requested Claudia's presence at The Rusty Nail, very early in the morning. Bellatrix figured meeting so early would guarantee fewer people at the bar. And she was right. There was only one other patron, an old man slumped over the table after too many drinks, snoring loudly. Bellatrix sat as far away from any possible eavesdropping ears as she could.
She sat in a booth in the back that was in desperate need of a good scrub and some new upholstery. The hood of her blackest cloak was up over her hair, showing only her face which she kept tilted downward toward the table. Her attire was typical of Knockturn Alley and would ensure that she didn't stand out in any way.
The topic of discussion tonight would center around the information that Bellatrix, with the help of Lucius, had discovered regarding Claudia Morley's parents, and what sort of things Claudia would do to keep her secret safe. Bellatrix was sure she could use this information against Claudia to benefit her and her friends.
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Post by Claudia Morley on Oct 14, 2008 23:16:28 GMT -5
Claudia despised the Rusty Nail. A dirty, disgusting, roach infested hellhole it was, only good for the darkest of dealings. So it was only fitting that Bella should summon her here. She knew the spoiled little twit hated her, and she was sure that, whatever she wanted, a big part of the appeal was to make her squirm by forcing her to appear in such a dreadful place.
She moved quickly through Knockturn Alley, clad in a black cloak with the hood up over her head. Her blond hair was slicked back into a tight bun, and she wore a black veil over her face, making her look like a widow in mourning. She wore no makeup except for vivid red lipstick, which added to her mysterious appeal.
She entered the filthy pub, stepping gingerly inside with her spiked heels. A quick glance around showed her no one but a sleazy-looking bartender, a drunk passed out in one corner, and another figure dressed similar to herself in another corner. It was to this person that she slowly walked. Pulling up a chair, she produced a handkerchief and dusted the seat before sitting down across from Bellatrix. "You summoned?" she said icily.
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Post by Bellatrix Black on Oct 14, 2008 23:43:06 GMT -5
The woman was such a snob, dusting off the seat. She would have laughed but it would ruin the effect of Bellatrix having the upper hand. She tried to mimick Lord Voldemort, knowing just how intimidating he was. Bellatrix stayed quiet for a while, watching Claudia silently. She inhaled as she leaned back, stiff and upright in her seat. "I'm glad you decided to meet with me. It saves me having to hurt the Dark Lord by telling him of your deceit."
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Post by Claudia Morley on Oct 15, 2008 16:08:24 GMT -5
Claudia was unflappable. She was not going to let this little girl intimidate her. All she had succeeded in doing was imitating Lord Voldemort. And while imitation was the sincerest form of flattery, she highly doubted that the Dark Lord would see it that way. Her actions were presumptuous and self-important.
Claudia leaned forward with her elbows on the table and her hands steepled in front of her face, which was still frozen into a calm expression. "My deceit?" she repeated smoothly. "I have no idea what you're talking about."
She had no proof of anything, and Claudia was not about to let this girl see her sweat.
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Post by Bellatrix Black on Oct 16, 2008 23:05:02 GMT -5
Claudia was older and had more experience in playing dumb, which she was doing perfectly. If Bellatrix had just been calling her bluff, and not really known the truth about the liar Morley, she would have thought Claudia innocent of anything. But that wasn't the case. Bellatrix would not play into her little games. "No idea at all? So you're simply here for the company then? I'm flattered." She considered pulling out the folded sheets of parchment in her pocket, Claudia's Hogwarts admission forms. But she would wait to see what Claudia did first. How far could she get without showing Claudia proof? How worried was the old hag?
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Post by Claudia Morley on Oct 16, 2008 23:18:06 GMT -5
Claudia's face remained impassive as she silently accepted the papers from Bellatrix. It didn't take her long, however, to figure out what Bella was referring to. Her admission papers. Damn. And she thought she'd had all these burned. Isaac was supposed to destroy all records of Claudia Feigenbaum. She was Claudia Morley; no one was supposed to remember anything before that.
Her eyes hardened, and she looked up at Bella with an expression of pure hatred. "And just what do you intend to do about this?" she said, her voice calm but frigid.
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Post by Bellatrix Black on Oct 19, 2008 22:01:34 GMT -5
Bellatrix smiled, glad Claudia wasn't making this too difficult just yet. "That depends on you. I could slip it to The Prophet. Or I could just keep it nice and safe, locked up tightly at the bottom of my closet." She waved the bartender over and ordered two shots, then waited for the drinks to arrive and the bartender to leave before continuing. She knew there could be no interruptions while wandering ears were in the vicinity. "Or I suppose I could let Lord Voldemort have a peak at it. But no...you wouldn't want me to do that now would you?"
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Post by Claudia Morley on Oct 19, 2008 22:09:38 GMT -5
"Or I could just take this from you and modify your memory," Claudia said through her teeth. "Or I could just kill you. I assure you, the bartender won't even bat an eye."
There was a flicker of fear behind her eyes, though, and after a moment, she let out an exasperated sigh. "But I'm willing to hear you out. What do you want from me to keep this quiet?"
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Post by Bellatrix Black on Oct 19, 2008 22:25:03 GMT -5
Bellatrix was not bothered by either of her threats. Lucius knew the truth as well and if Claudia had modified her memory Lucius would set things straight. And because of Bellatrix's new semi-relationship with Lord Voldemort, she knew Claudia would not get away with killing her. Of course Bellatrix didn't want to die, not now, but somehow knowing her love would avenge her death made it less frightful.
She took time to swallow her shot quickly then slid the glass to the edge of the table. "Just a few favors. Firstly, I think you've had plenty of time being the 'top dog' in Voldemort's circle. I wouldn't expect you to turn down any mission he gives you, that would be suicide. And if you're going to die I'd rather it be on my terms." She gave a short laugh but didn't bother to imagine the glorious day when Claudia Morley died. "A little self-sabotage wouldn't be too complicated for you, I don't think."
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Post by Claudia Morley on Oct 19, 2008 22:31:51 GMT -5
Claudia shot her a venomous look. What a loathesome girl she was... so overinflated with her own sense of self-worth. "Self sabotage?" she repeated, as if the words scorched her tongue. "And what, precisely, do you mean by that? I presume you have some sort of idea?"
She gripped one hand on the edge of the table, while the other slowly inched toward her wand. She didn't like allowing this girl to have the upper hand and she meant to even the odds.
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Post by Bellatrix Black on Oct 19, 2008 22:42:00 GMT -5
Claudia's rigid posture and hard face gave Bellatrix an odd combination of feelings; anxious, scared, thrilled, and satisfied. Each one battled with the other but in the end satisfaction won over. Claudia was considering her. "Well I'm not so high up in His ranks that I would presume to know all of the missions granted to you. The only one that comes to mind is the attack on Hogsmeade. I believe that's the attack you were planning the last time we met." She sneered at the memory of their fight which left her perfect body scarred. And no matter what Claudia might think of her, she was not one to tattle to her master. Which was clearly the only reason Claudia was still allowed to run the attack. If Lord Voldemort knew about that...
"A few minor mistakes would be lovely. I'll keep the details of that up to you. The mission, of course, must be completed, but a stern talking to from our master would make your secret a little more...well, secret."
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Post by Claudia Morley on Oct 19, 2008 22:56:32 GMT -5
Well, if that was all she wanted, Claudia could probably manage that. In fact, the attack was already complicated enough that even without deliberately "slipping up," there was a very good chance something would go wrong anyway. Such an attack, with so many participants and variables, would be very difficult to pull off smoothly under the best of circumstances.
"Fine," she said, her smooth, girlish voice sounding clipped and hard. "I'll do what you want. Am I to assume this won't be the last 'favor' you require from me?"
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Post by Bellatrix Black on Oct 19, 2008 23:23:45 GMT -5
"I knew you'd know better than to assume that was all I wanted. In fact, I do require a bit more assistance in my day to day. I'm so swamped with all the work I do for Lord Voldemort. How do you do it all with that big mansion of yours?" She was fishing for information and hoped Claudia would supply what she wanted.
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Post by Claudia Morley on Oct 19, 2008 23:38:02 GMT -5
Claudia narrowed her eyes again. "The work I do for the Dark Lord is none of your business, nor is how I accomplish it. My estate practically runs itself, and it is not a distraction from my duties to my Lord." She paused a moment, raking her eyes up and down Bella's face as if scouring it for answers to questions she had yet to ask.
"You think he's ever going to love you?" she said, abruptly changing the subject.
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Post by Bellatrix Black on Oct 19, 2008 23:51:40 GMT -5
She wasn't expecting this turn of conversation. It stopped her dead in her tracks, she couldn't even think of what her next demand for Claudia was. "Excuse me?" she said shrilly.
((OOC: Too short, I know. Sorry.))
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Post by Claudia Morley on Oct 20, 2008 9:33:20 GMT -5
The look on her face and the sound of her voice told Claudia that her words had hit their mark. Her lips curved upwards into an icy smile. Yes, she recognized the symptoms in the girl. The eagerness to please, the desperation to be at the top of the heap, the utter conviction that she, above all, was "special" in his eyes. She recognized it all, because she felt it, too.
"I love him too, you know," she said almost sympathetically. "More passionately and deeply than a child like you can understand. It's why I'm doing this. I live to serve him; I'd give my life for him. But I know better than to expect him to feel the same. I expect nothing from him, but will give him everything. Can you say the same?"
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Post by Bellatrix Black on Oct 20, 2008 18:37:41 GMT -5
Answering Claudia's question could be incriminating. And it would also be pointless. For all the feelings Claudia felt for Lord Voldemort, Bellatrix felt too. But unlike Claudia, those feelings were not unrequited. Lord Voldemort loved Bellatrix back. She didn't need to bother with not expecting anytging because she already had what she would want.
"I love my master. And I love my Rodolphus, you know, my fiancee. Those kinds of love are completely different. Just as the way I love the Dark Lord and you love the Dark Lord are completely different." That was true. She doubted Claudia was capable of the kind of love Bellatrix had for Lord Voldemort. Which was why Claudia did not expect anything in return. Well, that and the fact that she was a lying, deceitful, old hag who leached on to power any way possible. "I suppose its a good thing you don't expect anything in return. Because you couldn't possibly be loved by anyone with half a brain."
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Post by Claudia Morley on Oct 20, 2008 23:42:47 GMT -5
Claudia only smiled. Seeing Bella get rattled was enough to warm her cold, icy heart. "I may be... well, you know what I am, now that you've seen those files. But I am still human and I do have a heart. And I love him. You can doubt it all you like. But I love him. And he'll tire of you when he realizes that your love won't make him feel fulfilled. Because it's not love he craves, it's power and immortality. And I'm helping him gain the latter. And unless you can say that, your meaningless contributions to his cause will be forgotten along with your youth and beauty."
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Post by Bellatrix Black on Oct 21, 2008 0:17:33 GMT -5
"You won't be helping him much longer Morley. All I have to do is show him these papers and you're finished. So unless you'd like a nice dirt nap, I'd shut your mouth and get back to the real topic of discussion." She hissed her words at Claudia, barely able to contain the fury threatening to burst out of her. Bellatrix would not believe anything that woman said. She's a liar, she reminded herself, trying to gain back control of her emotions. "Now, I know that mansion of yours must have more than one elf running it. I think you could spare a single house elf." She was no longer being pleasant about her demands. She wanted an inside peek into Claudia's history with her husband, and perhaps a few other choice secrets. And the help around the house would be nice too.
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Post by Claudia Morley on Oct 21, 2008 23:00:00 GMT -5
Claudia's smile slipped from her face as Bella's patience wore thin. She had known it would happen, and she didn't expect to retain the upper hand for very long. Still, it had been sweet to throw it back at her. If only she had some kind of proof that Bella's devotion to her master was more than just a pathetic crush on a powerful man.
"That's all you want?" Claudia said, somewhat dumbfounded. She wasn't expecting something like that. "Fine. You can have the use of one of my elves. Is that all you require? Or are you planning to throw some other demands at me when I least expect it?"
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