Title: Sweet Victory
Author: scarletladyy
Prompt: "Some must cry so that others may be able to laugh the more heartily." -- Jean Rhys
Pairing: Bellatrix/Hermione
Word Count: 1,450
Rating: R
Warnings: Voldemort Wins AU, graphic torture and violence
Summary: Bellatrix had always known that victory would be sweet, but owning Potter's Mudblood is sweeter than she could ever have imagined.
Author's Notes: Written for hp_darkfest 2012. I'd like to say a massive thank you to my beta, stgulik, for her wonderful work.

Blood runs down the Mudblood's dirty chest, shining brightly in the candle light. It's a wonderful sight, Bellatrix thinks, and she can't help but stare at it. She watches it slowly seep over the scars on the hip, then down the bruised and damaged leg until it slows just above the knee.

"It's time for another incision!" Bellatrix chants, not wanting the fun to end so soon. She takes her dagger and slices a thin cut on Granger's face; the further up the body the wound is, the farther the blood has to travel. All her cuts are light at first; she doesn't want her pet to black out just yet. She watches, her eyes wide with glee, as the blood falls into the Mudblood's open mouth, and laughs heartily at the twinge of discomfort displayed on Granger's face. "Don't you like the taste of yourself, little one?"

Granger doesn't answer. She shows no recognition that Bellatrix even asked her a question. It's been this way for weeks now. Granger put up a good fight for many, many months, but the longer she's been in Bellatrix's care, the weaker she's become. It didn't take long until she couldn't physically fight. A couple of weeks after that and the glares disappeared. Now, all she mostly does is scream when the pain grows too much, and cries when she absolutely can't help herself.

Forcing Granger to show she's still alive is what Bellatrix enjoys the most. She almost misses the fight in a way; her toy is growing positively boring. She knows Lucius and several other Death Eaters want a crack at her, but until Bellatrix has squeezed every drop of fun from the girl that she can, Granger is going nowhere.

"Shall I use the kitty, little one?" Granger doesn't speak, but she visibly stiffens. Little rouses her these days, but the kitty—a cruel cat o'nine tails—certainly can. Bellatrix loves the pretty patterns it makes upon Granger's skin, and it is one of the few implements that causes the screams. "Yes, I think I shall." It's been at least three weeks since she last chose the whip; she'd preferred the dagger of late. She could use the knife on Granger's back, but then she wouldn't get to see her face, and unless the cut is exceptionally deep, Granger wouldn't make a sound.

With the whip, Bellatrix can't see Granger's expression, but she can hear her blood-curdling scream, and so can everyone else within the manor. Narcissa begs Bellatrix to use silencing spells, and has even come down to the cellar to cast them herself from time to time, but Bellatrix doesn't think it's much fun if she's the only one who can hear them. She enjoys taking her Mudblood to the Death Eater's parties; likes showing her off and proving she's got full control. She also likes teasing them all, gleefully exclaiming how she's the only one that can have Potter's Mudblood whenever she wants.

Potter himself is long dead; he didn't last long in Lord Voldemort's hands, and the Mudblood's little boyfriend, Weasley, is close to it himself. He's property of her brother-in-law, Rabastan Lestrange, and she's actually surprised Weasley's stayed alive as long as he has. Mind, everyone says that about Granger, too.

Bellatrix strolls over to the toy box in the corner of the cellar, selects the cat o' nine tails, and walks leisurely back. She'll enjoy showing off the marks it makes when she attends Dolohov's do on Friday, and knows that for Granger, recollecting the event will be almost as painful as reliving it. Granger always has a look of disgust, shock and horror on her face whenever Bellatrix talks about how her injuries were caused. In fact, Bellatrix wouldn't get half as much satisfaction out of retelling the tale if Granger didn't react so.

"How many today, pet? How good do you think you've been?" Again, no answer. Bellatrix cackles and picks a number out of the air. "Twenty. Kitty can give you twenty licks tonight."

If Bellatrix isn't mistaken, she thinks she hears a sharp intake of breath from Granger. Granger's mind is still somewhat intact, and she knows perfectly well how much one lick can hurt, never mind twenty. It's not the most she's received, though. In the early days, when Granger fought relentlessly, Bellatrix must have given her over a hundred in one day. In comparison, twenty isn't so bad, but Granger's also fighting the pain of the dagger and the serious emotional torment of the situation too. Bellatrix knows that above everything else, Granger's attempting to keep her mind alive and as sane as possible.

Bellatrix thinks its a losing battle, but it's fun to see the Mudblood try.

"I know," Bellatrix says, an idea popping into her head. "I'll reduce it to ten... if you count them. Refuse, and I'll double it." It's a cruel game; she's forcing Granger to live in the moment, to participate in her own torture. When Bellatrix brings the whip back and strikes the first blow, she's not honestly sure if Granger's going to play along. She leaves a few more seconds between her licks than she normally would, waiting until the Mudblood ceases screaming, giving her a chance. But Granger remains silent. Bellatrix raises her arm back once more, deciding Granger has refused to play.

"One," Granger chokes out just before the second strike hits her thighs. It's so quiet that Bellatrix almost didn't hear it, and she demands the girl repeat herself once the screaming has stopped again. "One."

"Good girl," Bellatrix coos patronisingly. "And?"

"Two." Granger's voice is strained and unusual; it's nothing like how it used to be. It's raw and Bellatrix is sure it must be painful to speak. That's what makes it all the more fun. "Three, four, five." They're all screamed at the top of her lungs, for Bellatrix has stopped her leniency now. "Six, seven, eight, nine!"

Bellatrix takes a breather before the last one, moving around towards Granger's front. The last blow is always diagonal across her breasts down to her thighs. "Are you ready, pet?" Bellatrix smirks and eyes Granger intently, but Granger's gaze is firmly fixed upon the spot in front of her, in the same place it had been when Bellatrix had been using the dagger earlier.

"Get it over with!" Granger screeches, and Bellatrix pauses in surprise. Even the Mudblood seems shocked by her own outburst, and for Bellatrix, that's what makes it even the sweeter.

"Little Hermione Granger is in there, after all." Bellatrix runs a finger along Granger's face. The touch is so soft it causes Granger to shiver and bare her teeth like an animal. "Shame. I thought I'd managed to best you."

"You could never best me," Granger hisses, the fight returning to her all of a sudden.

The Mudblood's words infuriate Bellatrix, and she raises her arm and brings the whip down across Granger's breasts and thighs harder than she ever has before. The scream that emanates from Granger is ear-piercing, shrill and deafening, and the entire Malfoy family is at the bottom of the cellar's steps before it finishes.

"Bella!" Narcissa chastises, her face one of horror and pity. "What have I told you about silencing spells?"

Bellatrix can only let out a gleeful cackle. Narcissa never had the stomach for anything like this, but both Lucius and Draco look incredibly aroused by the scene before them. Of course, neither would admit that, or even act upon it while Narcissa is there, but Bellatrix knows these two men more intimately than anyone else. "Oh, calm yourself, Cissy. I'm going to take her out in a moment anyway."

"Where are you going?" Lucius asks as Narcissa storms back up the stairs with a heavy sigh.

"Knockturn Alley. There's an implement I saw in one of the shops the other day that I'd like to use on Granger." Apart from showing Granger off at Death Eater parties, Bellatrix loves nothing more than exposing the girl to the world at large after a particularly painful session. "Care to join us? I'm sure the Mudblood could do with the company. She seems rather... upset at the moment. Can't think why."

Draco sniggers and is about to speak when Lucius cuts him off.

"We can't. Another time, perhaps." Lucius grabs Draco's arm and practically drags him up the steps. If Narcissa weren't in the manor, Bellatrix is sure their response would have been different.

Bellatrix turns to Granger and spells her free of the manacles holding her up. Granger falls to the floor in a crumpled heap with a strangled cry. "It's just you and me, then, pet. You and me."