Ch2. Bellatrix

As Thomas looked at Bellatrix, his head quickly snapped back to the Reaper, his gaze morphing into an accusing glare.

"What?" The Reaper asked innocently. "You picked her so I kidna-, ... summoned her."

"I did not pick her." Thomas deadpanned.

"Oh? Ara, are. I made a slight mistake, then, ufufu." The Reaper bashfully waved his hand around and then put it on his cheek with a gleeful smile. "You should not have stated her name out loud alongside the word 'choose', ya know? I love my job! Loopholes everywhere, ufufufu..."

"You will just have to deal with it." He returned Thomas's deadpan stare as Bellatrix looked at the two men in front of her with uncomprehending disbelieving eyes, musing that not being the most insane person in the room for a moment was a quite refreshing experience as Thomas banged his head on the table.

"Miss Black, come and join us, please." The Reaper called to her.

Bellatrix approached and the second she was close to the table, a chair materialized, startling her.

It was then that Thomas got a good look at her.

She was a right mess! Her hair dull black, filled with grime. Her aristocratic high cheeks were sunken, most likely from hunger. Her face looked as if it was a skin draped over her skull. Her deep black haunted eyes looked at everything around warily. Her distraught eyes gave away a lot about her. If one looks too much into an abyss, the abyss looks back, and her abyssal dark pits were as if sucking the light from the room. She clearly stared way too much into the darkness to not be affected.

Thomas thought, his thoughts sounded like some ideology shit Dumbledore liked to spout about light and dark but... he felt the description fit.

Bellatrix was dark. There was just no other way around it. But the spark of fragility in her soulless eyes made even Thomas pity the woman.

Her body was clearly starved as her petite form tried to huddle closer to itself, a small shiver going through it even though the room was quite warm.

"Now, Miss Black," The Reaper started but stopped himself when he spotted the inquisitive look from both of his 'clients' "ah, she died so her marriage to Rudolphus is a moot point..."

"I died!?" Bellatrix shrieked.

"Yes," Reaper continued in a slightly annoyed voice at her interruption. "I kinda killed you off. Was not even that hard, you see. Dementor overexposure, cold environment, the torture aurors put you through as some petty revenge, your weak starved body and deranged mind... voila, it did not even take an ounce of strength to give you a weak heart attack capable of ending your pitifully wasteful existence. The year you spent in Azkaban was not very kind to you, dear." He ended with a concerned and kind voice, making Thomas snort while Bellatrix just looked wide-eyed at him.

"Is that why I feel... saner?" She asked, still baffled.

"Well, yes. The marriage contract was a part of what drove you bonkers. But not really. The Dark Wonder was quite a good resourceful Legilimencer and wanted you to be especially loyal you see. He worked YEARS on your mind, bit by bit, a session after session, to ensure your undying, and even dying loyalty to him and only him. Didn't you feel it? You would kill all the Death Eaters if he ordered it. No matter how many pure-bloods you killed, you would never complain. You would even... kill your own family." The Reaper said, giving Thomas a meaningful look as he saw a proverbial light bulb go off above his head.

"Right." Bellatrix hung her head in defeat.

"I really believed in the pureblood cause, you know. As a proper Black..." Her voice broke as she said 'Black' and became completely emotionless. "But when I was ordered to kill a six years old muggle girl I knew it was all a pile of hippogriff shit. I killed her nevertheless though." She lightly said with a one-armed shrug. "I was Black and Blacks didn't shy away from murder. I just... didn't see any gain in killing muggle children. It did not further the blood supremacy at all. It was but unneeded cruelty and a pitiful show of power." She ended quietly as Thomas's eyebrow couldn't get higher at the show of unexpected humanity.

"Well, the effect of this office does wonders! Who knew..." The reaper showed another amused smile. "This room took away all effects of your mental conditioning or any mental impairment you suffer from and induced a calm and collected state. Well, this suddenly-gained 'sanity' will cease when you leave here, Miss Black. It would, of course, be a little better since the Marriage Contract," He snorted derisively. "the Lestranges completely changed it an hour before signing, by the way," Bellatrix's eyes bulged out and her jaw hit the floor at the new information since she spent days reviewing it with her family in order to be sure there was no trap in it. "had many clauses ensuring your loyalty to them and especially the Dark Lord."

"Anyway. You were chosen by Thomas here," He pointed at Thomas, ignoring his agitated 'I did not choose her!' as he continued. "to be his pe-, ahem, companion." He nonchalantly corrected himself.

"Huh?" Bellatrix looked at Thomas with dead eyes. "Okay."

"Wait... what do you mean 'okay'!? Shouldn't you vehemently protest? Tear this office in rage? Woman, you are a Death Eater! Get your shit together!" Thomas ranted as he looked at her as she just shrugged, her lips curling in an entertained grin.

"I expect there would be some 'mental' correction, to be fit to the task, awaiting me so complaining is utterly pointless." She stated bluntly, not mincing her words.

"Oh, such a joy finally talking to someone sensible!" The Reaper clapped his hands happily. "Yes, dear. I can't have you return to your old mentality, no matter how much I like the chaos you would cause. Which would naturally happen if I didn't tweak your mind a little. But this is sadly a wish-fulfillment for Thomas so... I have to keep myself on a tight leash and make you more, hmm, easier to manage, I guess. Can't have you killing everyone around for no reason."

"Also, the 'coven bond'," He gestured quoting marks in the air with his fingers. "can't be established unless it is out of your free will. And while I can not make you accept it, I can rearrange your mind enough to choose to accept it quite happily by yourself." A childish smile bloomed on his face as he winked at her teasingly. "Yet another incredibly useful loophole."

"Do it then." She closed her in resignation eyes with a slight smile as if she relished her sanity.

The Reaper waved his hand and Bellatrix went rigid for a second before relaxing. She opened her eyes and they were still the same dark pits but when she looked at Thomas, he stiffened.

Just now, her eyes softened in undescribable devotion as they landed on him. He was about to open his mouth when he heard the Reaper talking.

"I said I will rearrange her mind and I meant it literally. I can not erase nor add to it. Only change. She is still the same Bellatrix who walked through that door." He pointed to the door as he patiently explained what just occurred in a surprisingly serious tone. "I took a great deal of her murderousness, some of her insanity, her complete obedience, and loyalty towards Tom Riddle that was nurtured through years, and changed it to a single simple devotion towards you, Thomas. Now, simple emotions are the best. They are almost primal. She will never betray you. Her loyalty to you will be much, much stronger than what Tom ever managed to inflict upon her and she will be easier to handle."

The Reaper took a deep breath as he saw the conflicted look of Thomas and smiled to himself.

"Do not be so down because of it. Look at her. No. I mean it. Look AT her."

Thomas obliged and his eyes again drifted at Bellatrix. He stopped short at her happy expression. While she still looked as if she just experienced the holocaust, she was gushing in giddy childish happiness and peacefulness. It was almost... adorable.

Wait... adorable? Where did that come from?

He tilted his head.

"Ah, you noticed, good." The Reaper nodded again. "The bond is a two-way one. You will find her more to your liking the more you spend with her. I can't have you treat her as a slave, you know? She is for all purposes yours and with the change would not mind doing literally ANYTHING for you. But you WILL fall in love with her. Hehe, do not give me that look. I know your heart inside-out" The Reaper rolled his eyes. "I know you did not find her that repugnant and was attracted to her image even before. What put you off is already removed from her so..." He winked, making Thomas groan loudly and Bella's smile widened.

"Anyway, let's talk about the bond..."