The moment his eyes met Bellatrix Black, Rodolphus Lestrange knew he'd make her his wife. He promised himself there and then she would be his, and he intended on leaving the imprint of his mind on her in that night alone.
He watched her for some time, from a distance. She was dancing with his younger brother, Rabastan. He'd told him all about her of course, from her cruel laugh to her sharp brown eyes that gazed upon one so easily, absorbing every last detail. He'd taken his time in approaching her, making his way from one side of the hall to the other where she sat at the bar, clad in a midnight blue dress, the sheerness of the arms and neckline giving the illusion of a good girl gone bad. Her hair had been pinned up, it was becoming messy and a fair few waves had fallen, but she didn't seem to care.
He watched her like an animal stalking its prey until finally he was stood beside her. She glanced to him and immediately double took. She said nothing, but her lips parted slightly on watching him and suddenly her expression softened.
He was a handsome man, only two years older than her. He had just turned twenty the past few days – he had dark hair and darker eyes, Bellatrix remembered well the whispers at school of the roguish, dangerous looking Lestrange brother. He had been aptly nicknamed by a small group of girls who stood well clear, as the Big Bad Wolf. But as he stood, his cheekbones sharp and his expression blank, he looked as if he had been crafted on marble by Aphrodite herself. He was certainly handsome, and he had only grown up more-so. He'd taken no interest in any of the girls at Hogwarts – he'd barely seen Bellatrix, save for the few occasions in the Slytherin common room, he'd always taken a keen interest in her.
She let a slight smile play the corner of her lips as she asked, "Rodolphus, am I right?"
He said nothing but nodded, looking her over as she smoked and offering her a seat at his table. She was relieved he hadn't asked her to dance, she hated dancing – only dancing with Rabastan because they were gossiping heavily while doing so – and they had gone together that year at the Yule Ball.
Now here she was before her, she was seventeen and heavenly. Her limbs were lean and toned, her skin a golden tan – but more than anything it was her eyes that made Rodolphus curious for the mystery that was Bellatrix Black.
"Shouldn't you be with your father?" he asked, taking a seat as he was handed two firewhiskeys.
"Shouldn't you be drinking with someone closer to your own age?" she replied, raising an eyebrow and taking the drink he offered her.
"This is my party; I can do what I like." He said rather honestly, watching her carefully.
"And what do you like Mr Lestrange?" she said calmly after taking a sip of her drink.
"I'm warming to a few things…" he said as he looked her over rather blankly, though his mind was wandering onto other such things like how quickly he would be able to rip at her dress if he dragged her out of the ballroom that very moment.
"Your brother has told me a lot about you – you certainly intrigue me." She said after a moment, turning to face him properly, one leg crossed over the other in the long dress. She exposing one heeled foot, the stilettos easily some 5 inches high, she ran her tongue along her lower lip, tasting the firewhiskey off her lips.
"Mmh?" he hummed calmly, his eyes moving from taking in the young dark haired witch to look for his brother, "And what has my delightful brother been saying about me?"
She might have been young, but she was incredibly in tune with her senses and her maturity was far advanced than other girls her age it seemed. Perhaps that was just her exterior – perhaps, and he was beginning to hope, she was a little girl on the inside.
"Well…" she said after a moment, watching his expression change only the slightest bit as he looked for his brother, "Rabastan seems to think that the only difference between you and I is that you're a man and I'm a woman."
Rodolphus paused before he furrowed his brow to the young girl slightly. He couldn't help but smirk only the slightest until he finally asked, "Why don't we make this party a little more interesting?"
He stood and offered her his hand. She barely hesitated and he was quick in escorting her out of the room with what he hoped was utmost discretion. Rabastan however, had his eye on two engaging in conversation, and after having just finished a conversation with his father, immediately had to follow the two out of the room. The door to the library shut behind just as he was approaching. His brother knew how to take everything he liked or wanted – and he hoped one of his closest friends would not be one of those things.
Rodolphus was not at all surprised as he watched the dark haired witch take a white line, which he split up quickly. She drank after, and the two found it easy to talk. Once she was past his blank exterior and hard stare – and when he finally smiled properly, he was interesting.
Their conversation drew out for a long amount of time – so long that Bellatrix hadn't even realised when Rabastan walked in on the two.
"Bella… Rodolphus." He said in a nod to his brother before he gestured to Bellatrix, "It's getting pretty late. Shall I take you home?"
Rodolphus said nothing as he looked over Bellatrix and the grandfather clock – it was coming to one in the morning, but the two hadn't felt it with the amount they had been drinking, smoking and consuming.
"I can make my own way home but I should probably stop my father from drinking all of your whiskey." she laughed as pulled on her heels which she had cast aside some time ago and stood.
Bellatrix was nonchalant in her manner as she looked Rodolphus over. She was far from a 'lady', and that was what Rodolphus liked about her. She acted more like a man than a woman – but she was pure woman in every way imaginable on the outside.
"Good night Rodolphus… good night Rabbie." she said kissing Rabastan's cheek and making her way out of the room, shutting the door behind her without so much as a backward glance at both of the boys whose eyes were fixed on her.
"Rabbie?" Rodolphus repeated to his brother, raising an eyebrow to his brother once the door was shut behind her, "How very… domestic."
"Keep away from her," he said flatly, "She doesn't need to be infected by your poisonous mind and words and… ideas."
"Well look," Rodolphus said as he stood to his brother, standing only a few inches taller but much bigger in muscle size than him, "Rabbie has a little crush. You think she'll fuck you if you try?"
"It's not all about sex, you know. She's my friend, I care about her. I know what happens when you get your hands on a girl. They just become something to fuck and when you get bored, throw away."
"I wouldn't ever get bored of a girl like that," he laughed coolly to his brother, folding his arms across his chest before he replied, "so what are you going to do? Marry her to keep her safe from me?"
Rabastan didn't respond for a moment, "that's exactly what I'm going to do."
Rodolphus couldn't help but be taken back by his brother's boldness. However, his expression quickly changed back and he scoffed as he turned to leave the room, "Good luck with that little brother. If you're not sick of being walked over by her after ten minutes of being married to her, I'll say congratulations."
Rabastan sighed as he watched his brother leave, thinking hard on how on earth he was going to convince a woman as volatile and dangerous as Bellatrix Black to marry him. It would be, after all, the only way to protect her from the wrath of his older brother, Rodolphus Lestrange.