Chapter 62. The Date. Part 2. Conversation and Truce
"Shut up," Bella hissed through clenched teeth, staring at Severus's smirking face. "How dare you insult and slander him?! You're dirt beneath his feet, nothing more!"
"Slander? I just stated facts about the half-blood, Tom Marvolo Riddle."
"Don't you dare."
"Apparently you already knew," Severus said, watching her face twist. He saw no trace of surprise or confusion in her eyes, and he knew he'd hit the mark.
Instead of answering, she tried to knee him between the legs, but he easily caught her leg and looked her in the eye with a challenge.
"I will kill you! Do you hear me?!"
How could he not hear her when she was screaming it in his face? Still, he kept his voice calm. "But I didn't lie to you. I swear on my magic. Do you think I took that interesting little thing off your neck for no reason?" At his words, she froze for a moment, and he didn't waste it. "Why do you think you stopped feeling those intense emotions, that veil of obsession when you were near him? Admit it. It's become much easier for you to think, and you no longer feel that madness. You don't want to throw Crucio left and right."
The woman swallowed. "You understand it yourself, but you don't want to admit it. Do you think I don't see this struggle in your eyes?"
"Admit it, Bella. All those feelings were imposed on you."
"Enough."
What do you mean, 'enough'? Telling the truth? Do you really want to keep following it blindly? He released her leg and gently brushed his palm over her cheek. All right, I will stop talking about this connoisseur of older women.
*I still can't do anything more for now. The artifact affected her for too long, and it will take much longer and much more delicate work. The main thing is that I managed to get the truth across to her. Eh. I feel like some kind of psychologist: first Regulus, now Bella. Soon I will probably have to counsel the entire Black family.*
Putting a cheerful smile back on, he picked up the dagger from the ground and offered it to Bella, clearly dejected, her mind now a battlefield. Take it, and let's go. We still have the whole day ahead of us. He pulled out a sheet of A4 paper. You know, I prepared for our date for a long time and even made a plan.
When she finally lifted her gaze to the smiling Severus, she simply didn't know how to react. Too many thoughts were spinning in her head, but, biting her lip, she took the dagger anyway.
"Let's go. You can think about the rest later, but right now we have a date," he said, tapping her forehead. He took her hand and led her toward the nearest restaurant. "By the way, it's your turn to ask questions."
"Did you plan this from the very beginning?"
"That's right. My turn: what's your favorite dish?"
"Lasagna. Why are you doing this?"
"Because I like you," Severus answered calmly, looking at Bella, who had recovered a little.
"What do you..."
"My turn. What animals do you like?"
"I do not have any particular preferences. What did you like about me?"
"Your character, your dedication to the cause, your appearance. You are not like those fools who think the magical world is a fairy tale. You understand its darkness far better than others." To Bella's horror, she found herself moved by his words. "Do you like strawberry cake?"
"Yes, I love it." She cut herself off, genuinely embarrassed now, and glared at Severus, who smiled brazenly.
"I will remember that. And do not worry, your lord will not hear our earlier conversation. I've temporarily isolated us from the outside world, but if you want, when you return, you can tell him everything. He'll put your favorite collar back on you, and you'll be the same as before. Or maybe he'll kill you, because you know too much."
They reached the restaurant at that moment, and after paying a little extra, they took a table on the second-floor veranda, with a beautiful view of the bridge they had just crossed and the city beyond it.
They placed their order. The waitress left, and Bella immediately pressed Severus with more questions.
"How strong is your teacher?"
"Very strong. He wouldn't last a second against the Dark Lord before being cut in half or turned to ash," he answered calmly. When he saw no surprise on her face, he understood she did not believe him. "What do you think about your marriage?"
"I'm only doing it for the family, to preserve blood purity, so I don't care who they marry me off to," she replied indifferently. "How many do you have?"
"I cannot tell you that. You will not reveal your organization's secrets to me, either."
"What is your relationship with the Malfoys?"
"Friendly. We have been friends since the first year."
At that moment, the smiling waitress returned, bringing a bottle of wine and two salads.
"Thank you," Severus said, and as soon as she left, he looked back at Bella, who was thoughtfully pushing food around her plate. "My turn. What do you think of me?"
"You're brash, audacious, and a self-centered egoist who ruins my mood just by showing up."
"I'm flattered. I'll try to be more gallant in the future," Severus drawled with a mocking smile, filling two glasses and handing one to her. "Here's to the rest of the day being as much fun as the beginning."
"Before we met," she added, taking a sip and looking at him with a twinkle in her eyes. He didn't react at all and took a few sips as well.
"That's much better already."
"Hm?"
"You started answering with barbs again. Still, I'm surprised you accepted so easily that they're trying to marry you off without your knowledge. I thought you were quite the rebel."
"Then you're bad at understanding people."
That is not so. If your aunt were the only one forcing you, you could simply refuse. I doubt she would even try, knowing your temper better than anyone. That means someone else influenced you: someone whose authority equals or perhaps even exceeds your aunt's. He popped a crouton into his mouth and watched her displeased expression. "Who could it be?"
"Enough," Bella demanded coldly, clenching her fork.
"All right. Then let's not talk about work, or at least try asking those questions more indirectly. By the way, how do you feel about movie theaters?"
She tilted her head, puzzled.
"Do you mean theaters?"
"Have you really never been to a movie theater?" Severus asked, surprised, even though he had only recently discovered the wonder of them himself.
The original Severus had never visited places like that, mostly because of his alcoholic father. In his past life, however, Severus didn't refuse such things, and just two weeks ago he'd gone with Nagini to see "The Outlaw Josey Wales." Watching Muggle films on a big screen with popcorn was pure pleasure. The film itself hadn't been bad, even if some moments had been unclear, and the fact that the real Severus had lived among commoners until the age of eleven didn't help him much.
So the fact that Bella had never been to a movie theater, even though she had the means, genuinely surprised him.
"We're going today. Whether you want to or not, you're getting away from this aristocratic stuffiness for a bit."
"Then you'll answer several of my questions and swear on your magic that you'll tell only the truth," she said, issuing an ultimatum. He laughed sincerely at that, because she pleased him more with every passing second.
After all, even after he had, in a sense, shattered her worldview with the truth about the Dark Lord's bright image, Bella had still managed to pull herself together quickly and continue with her task. Not everyone could force themselves to smile in such a situation.
"I swear on my magic that I will not lie in response to the next three questions, unless I consider them beyond the pale," he said, pulling out his wand and waving it with a smile. When she saw the faint flash, she squinted slightly. "Ask."
"How strong is your organization compared to ours?"
That is easy. If we wanted to, one evening would be enough to get rid of you all," Severus answered calmly. Deep down, Bella felt genuine shock, because she could tell he wasn't lying, even as she tried to keep her face composed.
"What are your plans?"
"To make money. It's no secret that we signed an agreement with the Ministry of Magic."
"Are you going to enter the war?" Her last question came out oddly, with undertones of anxiety, because at that moment the mark on her arm began to burn, and the Dark Lord's voice echoed in her head, forcing the words out.
"No, we are not interested in that. You can kill each other for all we care. Just don't interfere with our affairs, and we won't interfere with yours either," Severus replied with a smile, noticing the change in her, and the mark. "But we aren't going to join you either. I hope we understand each other, Lord Voldemort. And I won't cut off the potions I supply to Lucius and Bella, provided I can continue spending time with Miss Black and you don't interfere with us."
For a few seconds, silence hung over the table, until Bella finally nodded once, biting her lip.
"My Lord accepts your condition, but wants to speak with your teacher. Is that possible?"
I doubt it. Not long ago, he left the country to search for some herbs. He ordered me to contact him only in the most extreme circumstances," Severus said, shaking his head regretfully. "Although there is one way to draw him back." A notebook appeared in his hand. He tore out three sheets, ran his palm over them, and drawings of three different plants appeared, their properties listed beneath. "If you can obtain these, I should be able to contact him."
Bella took the pages and scanned them, but recognized none of the plants, despite having been an excellent potions student in her time.
"My Lord says he will have them found."
"You will have to search far and wide. I scoured the entire Restricted Section at Hogwarts and found mention of only one. Even twenty wizards would not suffice to retrieve it, given the creatures dwelling there, so I advise extreme caution." But whether they could find anything at all remained to be seen. Feeling the mark on his arm fade, Severus looked up at the displeased look on Bella's face. "What did he say?"
"To be more courteous with you."
"And that is all?" Severus asked, giving her a challenging smile as he looked at the nervous Bella, her fists clenched.
"To fulfill any of your requests, whatever they may be."
"I see, then." At his grin, she swallowed, expecting the worst. "Every week I demand a date, and you will behave as you did before. Meekness does not suit you at all."
At his words, she stared at him in surprise.
"Did you think I was only interested in your body?" he asked with a challenging smile, tossing another crouton into his mouth. It had lost its crunch to the sauce, but it still tasted quite good.
"Is that not so?" Bella answered dryly, looking at him with unkindness.
"If I only needed your body, you would have lost your virginity long ago." His palm rested over hers, and, smiling warmly, he looked straight into her eyes. "I need all of you."
She snatched her hand away and turned her gaze sharply aside, embarrassed perhaps for the first time in her life by a man other than the Dark Lord.
"You have no chance."
"We'll see about that. We still have plenty of time before your wedding." And if I don't make it in time, the Lestrange line will disappear. A steely glint flashed in Severus's eyes, and for a moment the playful smile turned into a grin.
As if sensing the change, Bella looked at him again, but, strangely enough, she noticed nothing.
Did I imagine it?
"Here's the second course," he said, looking at the waitress carrying their lasagna. "Let's finish quickly. By the way, what genre do you like: comedy, romance, adventure, fantasy, or something else?"
"What?"
The movie's still on. Today you're mine until this evening. I told you, I've got everything planned.
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