Bellatrix woke up, and realized someone was holding her. She swiveled her head around, and gasped. It was Tom, sound asleep. He was only a few inches from her face, and she could see his chest rising up and down. In that moment he looked so vulnerable, not at all like the powerful, tough man she had come to know. She liked this side of him, because it gave her higher hopes of him loving her back. She smiled, and kissed his cheek before he could wake up.
Little did she know, Voldemort was already awake. His cheeks reddened when she kissed his cheek, and his heart started beating so fast he wondered if it could jump out that very moment. Bellatrix was unaware of this, and had turned her head back to sleep more, trapped in his strong grip. He waited for about 15 minutes so it didn't seem suspicious, and then "woke up."
She smiled at him, and they got changed into what they would be wearing for the day.
"Bella!" Narcissa called, "Come open the presents with us!"
"One moment! I just woke up!" she replied.
She quickly combed her hair, took a quick shower, and brushed her teeth. When she was finally ready to start her day, she smiled at Voldemort once more, causing his heart to thump. He very stupidly smiled back.
"Merry Christmas," Tom said.
"Merry Christmas," she replied, grinning.
"So, do you have a gift for me?" he joked.
"Oh yeah, I prepared it before the dinner yesterday," she said. Tom was taken aback, not expecting that.
Bellatrix opened a drawer in her bedside table, and took out a neatly wrapped present in crimson wrapping paper, complete with a big, glittery silver bow. She handed it to Tom, excited for his reaction.
"Open it!" she told him.
He did what she said, and unwrapped the beautiful paper as gently as he could, trying not to tear it. He gasped when he saw what it was. Helga's cup.
"H-how did you get this?" he asked, curious. He had been longing for this for months.
"I have my ways," Bellatrix replied, giving him a sly grin.
"Thank you so much, you know me so well," he said, truly touched in that moment.
"But please don't create any more horcruxes after this one," Bellatrix warned.
Voldemort frowned. "I need to become immortal!" he protested.
"Tom, listen. Horcruxes are very dangerous to make, and you may get hurt. Your soul will literally be broken apart, which will make it impossible to love. You simply can't give another part of you to someone if you make any more horcruxes."
"First off Bella, I can protect myself. You don't need to worry about me getting hurt. Second, why do you care if I can't feel love? Love is for weak people."
At this, Bellatrix felt tears trickling down her face. Voldemort looked at her in horror. He didn't mean to make her cry.
"BECAUSE I LOVE YOU! LOVE IS NOT WEAK! IT CAN BE POWERFUL!" she screamed at him. The tears were really starting to come down.
How could this man she had admired so much, the only person she ever felt that way towards, not care about love? To say love is weak, her feelings for him were weak. It was like him saying he would never love her, and that may be what he was trying to point out.
Voldemort stared at her again in horror. He knew he loved her too, but he couldn't allow it. He couldn't let it happen. Quickly, he put a silencing charm on the door, and walked up to her.
"Bella, I'm the Dark Lord. I can't feel love or give love. I was born under a love potion, and my soul is split up. It simply cannot happen."
"But it can!" she sobbed.
Out of embarrassment of her confession, Bellatrix turned away from Voldemort to avoid looking at him. She knew from the beginning she shouldn't love the Dark Lord. She wished she never knew who he was, only knowing him as the mysterious, handsome man in the Forbidden Forest. She cried harder. Tom couldn't bear to see her cry.
He knew he loved her. But still, that wasn't enough to let him express it. He was too scared. In trying to be strong and powerful, he had let himself become even more vulnerable, not being able to express his feelings. He believed so strong that he couldn't love, even though deep down he knew he could.
"Bella! Come down and open your presents!" Andromeda called.
Bellatrix looked at Tom sadly. She wiped off the tears from her face and walked past him, refusing to look at him again, producing fresh tears again. She quickly wiped them off again, and pretended she wasn't crying. She opened the door and walked down the stairs.
Tom watched her go, with a deep feeling of regret in his heart. He let the woman he loved go. More, he let her cry because of his own fear.
He was determined to fix this. Tom conjured up a gift he had been meaning to give to her, modifying it a bit, and made it appear under the tree for Bellatrix to find later, along with a letter. He hoped it was enough to make her forgive him. He gave a sad sigh, and apparated away.
Bellatrix slowly trudged to the Christmas tree, Andromeda and Narcissa already there. They were waiting for her so they could all open their presents together, an unsaid tradition since they were toddlers. Bellatrix's morning already ruined, offered her sisters a forced smile, not wanting them to be suspicious. But both of her sisters were very insightful, and instantly knew something was wrong. They chose not to say anything, and pretended they didn't notice.
They first opened the gifts from their parents. Bellatrix received wedding decorations, to her annoyance and anger. Narcissa received a beautiful emerald tiara, and Andromeda received a baby blue summer dress. Next was the Lestrange family. Again, Bellatrix received more preparations for her arranged marriage while her sisters got gowns and jewelry to add to their already enormous closet.
They opened a few more gifts, until one remained. There was no label or anything, just a beautiful, small silver gift bag with dark green tissue paper sticking out. Andromeda and Narcissa stared at the gift curiously. Suddenly, words materialized onto the bag.
To Bellatrix, it read, in glittery writing. The words dissolved as sudden as it had appeared.
Bellatrix opened it, suspicious it was from the Dark Lord. Who else would it be from? There was a velvet box, which she cautiously opened, not knowing what to expect. Inside the box was a diamond charm bracelet, with small delicate charms hanging. She saw an emerald snake charm with ruby eyes, a Crucio charm (she laughed at that), a peridot Slytherin charm, and the last one. It seemed to be a small version of Tom and Bellatrix hugging each other. They were both in a perfectly mixed diamond, emerald, and sapphire, and when Bellatrix looked at it again, it morphed into them kissing. She smiled. It was the most beautiful bracelet to exist. She noticed there was also a letter inside the bag, and carefully picked the delicate parchment up.
Dear Bella,
I'm really sorry for being so ignorant of your feelings towards me, and for acting the way I did. I was so caught up in believing I couldn't love, not realizing that my feelings towards you is love. I really hope you forgive me, and that you like your gift.
Please meet me at the small hidden meadow in the Forbidden Forest at midnight, where we first met. I would like to apologize in person.
I love you.
~Tom Riddle
Bellatrix smiled yet again when she read the letter. She already forgave him, and had already planned an excuse to meet him at midnight.
Narcissa and Andromeda were staring at her curiously. That was the first time they had seen her sister smile after getting a present, even stranger that her mood instantly brightened after seeming so sad a few moments ago.
"Who's it from?" Narcissa asked.
"No one," Bellatrix quickly replied. Narcissa frowned in confusion, but knew she wasn't going to get an answer out of her.
Andromeda, who had seen the whole exchange last night, was really suspicious. She guessed it had to do with that man she saw earlier. Again, she chose not to speak.
Bellatrix gently slipped the charm bracelet on her wrist, and raised her arm up, admiring the beauty. The delicate bracelet looked stunning against her pale, delicate skin. That simple piece of jewelry was enough to make Bellatrix look like royalty.
I will never take this off, Bellatrix thought to herself. The charm bracelet glistened in response.