Work Text:
There are multiple upsides to laying siege to wizarding Britain.
War, for one. Bella's insides tingle at the thought of all the bloodshed to come. All the filthy Mudblood rats who'd be stomped under the heel of her blood-slick dragonhide boot. All the funny little people her Lord would let her play with if she stayed good.
Control's another good one. Bella loves the stench of it—the lightning-rod shock running down the backs of the no-good very-bad can-she-kill-them-yet-she'd-be-so-gentle half-blood wizards and witches in the streets when they catch sight of her, the metallic tinge of piss and fear as they scurry out of her path. Within the Dark Lord's manor, too, the Death Eaters fear her. They cower, they simmer, they stifle, they burn. With every hurried glance away and every lowered gaze, Bella's enjoyment of life grows incrementally more enjoyable.
With their side on top again where they belong, the Dark Lord can rule as king, and she, Bella Druella Lestrange, would be his rightful queen.
The only downside to this new arrangement is that… well, the Dark Lord doesn't always treat her like a queen.
He won't treat her like scum, either.
In fact, lately, the Dark Lord hasn't done her much treating at all.
And Bella would crawl on her knees through mud for her master, oh, she'd do it with a smile and a "please, pretty please," but his inattention is an indignity she simply cannot abide.
So in retaliation, after a good few days of deliberation, Bella steals his pet snake.
"Here, hissy hissy!" she hums gleefully as she undoes the last locking ward on Nagini's gigantic cage. "Come to Auntie Bella! Don't be shy; we're just gonna have a bit of fun. You like nosy little rats, don't you?"
There's a squeak and a rustle outside the entrance to the Dark Lord's quarters as Wormtail, frightened little rodent that he is, darts out of sight and flees down the staircase. No, Wormtail won't tell on her. He doesn't have the guts. And the rest of the Death Eaters certainly don't dare keep tabs on her—wherever she goes, they always make sure they're safely on the other side of the manor. She's all alone now—just her and this preciously protected piece of her lord's soul. Pretty, pretty snake.
Bella smirks to herself, pleased by these developments. No one to disturb her. Now if only she could coax the pretty snake out of its deadly dark corner.
"Come on, little hissy. I don't bite! You certainly do, but I like that. Don't you want to be let out to play?"
The deadly dark corner lets out a grumbly hiss, and out from the gloom emerges two beady black eyes and a set of gleaming fangs. Nagini hisses again and coils backwards, the dark green of her scales gleaming a shiny black in the dim light.
"Go awayyyy, ss-sssmelly human. I don't sss-speak sssmelly huuman."
Bella grins and reaches out to pet the snake's pointy head. The snake flicks its tongue in warning and feints a strike towards her hand. Bella giggles.
"It'ssss alright," she hisses back, reaching out for another pet. "Maybeee you can't ssspeak ssmelly-y humannn, but I can ssspeak tessssty ssnake."
If Bella wasn't already crazy, she'd dare to wonder if the snake had just rolled its eyes at her.
"You arrre no ssspeaker, ss-smelly huuman," Nagini hisses, "You s-sspeak through a mouthful of pebbless. You sshould ask my masssster for lessonss."
"He's my master," Bella snaps instinctively. Then calms herself and adds, this time with a little pride, "I taught myself Parseltongue just by listening to Master speak. If you taught me how to speak the right way, I'd be as good as you. Will you teach me, pretty snake?"
Nagini's tongue flicks again in distaste. "Only if you s-swear to ssssstop attackinng me with your ridiculousss human limbss."
Biting back a squeal, Bella pulls back both her hands in a gesture of surrender, eyes wide with delight. "No more pets. I promise. So you'll teach me? You will? Oh, I'm going to get you so many rats."
Nagini lets out a hissy sound of consideration. "Huuumans are better. Bigger and tasstier. Bring me humansss."
Grinning, Bella takes a step back from the cage so that Nagini can slither out. "Why bring them to you when I can take you out to feast instead? Come with me, and you'll get all the filthy humans you can eat. It'll be fun! I've always wanted a ladies' night out, but none of the ladies like being friends with me. You'll be perfect."
Nagini cocks her scaly head in confusion. "Masssster has forbidden me from going outside. It is not safe for his soul. Mussst protect it."
Bella pouts. "But aren't you bored? Master's been away at the Ministry for weeks and I'm bored. It's not fair that he's busy being everyone's Dark Lord. Not fair that we're left behind. He was our lord first. We deserve fun too."
"I missssss Mass-ssster too," Nagini reluctantly confesses. "And I am hungry. I already ate all the ratss here."
Slowly, the snake slips from the cage, coiling its way around Bella's dragonhide boots and up her form-fitting robes till its head pokes out in front of her stomach. The strength within its coiled body is enough to crush her bones, and the pain is delicious.
"Let's pay Snapey a visit at the castle, little hissy," she decides after giving it a quick thought. "Lots of little humans. Plenty of food for you. Maybe Snapey will even let us play with some of them."
Nagini lets out a sceptical sibilance. "The oily one?"
"Yessss," Bella hisses back, gleeful at the concurring opinion. Even the snake agrees that Snape is a no-good very-bad can-she-kill-him-yet-she'd-be-so-vicious slimy blood traitor. Why her Lord cannot see it yet, she simply does not know. "Snapey's been left sitting at the top of his little toy castle for too long. It's time to pay him a visit and see what he's up to. Knock him down a staircase or two. Maybe play Headmaster for the day. What do you say, pretty snake?"
The snake winds its way further up her body till they're face to face. The gleaming eyes excite her. They look ravenous.
"Wellll, smelly humannn," Nagini replies jubilantly, "lead the way."