This is a Partner work, PotterxPie has written the Bella parts and I wrote the Roddy bits. Enjoy! ;)
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"So don't ask me where I'll go, 'Cause, frankly, I don't know, And I don't give a shit." – Teenagers, Hayley Williams.
Rodolphus was a proud man and he didn't tolerate cheek. But when it came to her he found himself making exceptions. He let her sass him and let her win when they practiced dueling (Slytherin forbid she should find out). There was just something about her. The way her hair fell in black curls down her back, the way her voice made you believe that you were inferior, and her eyes. Everyone said she had black eyes like coal but they didn't look close enough, her eyes were the darkest sort of brown like dark chocolate just DARING you to lose yourself in them (something he often did).
Focus Roddy. The ball, you want to ask her to the ball. Focus.
"Bella," God, her name just FLOWED from his lips, "Bella, come to the corridors with me for a minute, will you. I need to ask you something."
Bellatrix was the kind of woman you didn't want to cross the wrong way. The sort that, should you get on her wrong side, she'd hex you and jinx you until you went crying home to mummy dearest. This was something she took pride in.
Though she was cruel and sadistic, her family was everything. Should anyone shame the Noble and Most Ancient House of Black, it would not be her. Now, Bellatrix Black was what people called, 'The Sadistic Bitch that would more than likely become the first female Death Eater,' and, to be honest with herself, it was a name she rather enjoyed. The Dark Lord was everything she could ever want.
But, of course, like the good little pureblood she was, she would of course marry Rodolphus. It was what her family would want, and of course, it was tradition. So she would. It didn't mean she had to love him. It just meant they acted like they did, and she had his good, pureblood little kiddies.
Eugh, kids.
That was a thought Bellatrix would rather not think of. Poop and diapers and…Eugh. No. They could…Adopt. Or not have kids. Narcissa and Andromeda could carry on the family line, and she was sure Rabastan could do the same. Probably. Though she had her doubts about him.
At this current point in time, however, Bellatrix and Alecto Carrow were having a rather heated debate about whether or not indeed Alecto and Amycus were going to end up marrying each other. Their relationship was rather unhealthy.
"Bella?"
That was neither Narcissa nor Andromeda's voice. How dare anyone call her Bella, unless she approved of it. That called for a jinx.
Bellatrix stood up and turned in one fluid movement, wand raised, poised like a predator about to strike. Her nostrils were flared in anger, and, let's face it, Bellatrix had some issues that she really needed to address.
Before she jinxed the poor sod's face off, she realized it was Rodolphus, unfortunately. To jinx him would be something like domestic abuse and so she lowered her wand.
"It's Bellatrix, Roddy. Bellatrix. My mother gave me a name. Use it. How many times do I have to tell you this?" She explained, as if talking to a small child, boredom enveloping her tone.
And, to be honest, no. She'd rather not. She was about to convince Alecto that at that last party, Alecto had indeed got too friendly with her brother. But the moment was lost, and, again. Thank you, Rodolphus.
Bellatrix sighed, assuming her normal I-Could-Care-Less stance and flicking some curls over her shoulder.
"Really, Rodolphus, I'd rather not. Can't you just ask me here? The only people around are…" Well, Alecto had run away, and all who were left were some impressionable first years. Bellatrix glared at them, and muttered 'Boo!' and they squeaked and ran.
"…No one. Really, Rodolphus."
"Well, Bella dearest, I think you have told me exactly 248 times and counting. And don't worry, you all but convinced Alecto that inbreeding was the way to go. About my question; I wanted to ask you to the Yule Ball. So, Bellatrix would you care to go to the ball with me? No, rephrase, you don't care to but will you? I know that we've been paired by our parents but I would like to spend some time with the woman I have to marry. Like talking about how to hex the Gryffin-bores into oblivion, I heard Molly Prewett is afraid of snakes, we could work with that."
"Roddy," Bellatrix hissed, "I told you. It's fucking Bellatrix. Get. It. Right," She growled, anger rising. She had serious anger problems, for starters. Perhaps she was mentally unstable. Perhaps 'perhaps' was an understatement. But, either way, she could still tell that their eventual marriage would end in him sleeping on the couch. Permanently.
"The fact you counted is sad. The fact you haven't taken initiative and begun to call me by my actual name instead of what you fancy as a cute little nickname is even sadder, because, if you call me Bella one more time, you shall find yourself a jinxed man. And, Alecto would figure that out anyway. You seen the way she and Amycus look at each other? It's revolting," Bellatrix muttered, anger making her voice higher pitched and her nostrils as wide as the entrance to the Great Hall.
It really didn't do wonders for her face, which was, despite what you might think judging on her personality, quite beautiful. And, of course, Bellatrix's was painfully aware of this fact. In fact, she enjoyed this. It meant that it was easy to get what she wanted, and she often exercised this fact. Like, for instance, now.
She managed to calm herself, and reduce her nostrils to normal size.
"A ball. Really, Roddy? How…Er. Nice. But, I'd, uh, rather not. I do not dance, or even spend time with people dancing. Mother often tried to force me into these rather painful experiences, to which I did not take to well. You'd be better off asking Cissy or Andromeda, really. I am the sister that does not dance," she explained, smiling a dazzling smile as though that would make the question disappear.
"So, I think, Roddy, the answer to that question is I don't dance or go to balls. But hexing some Gryffindor sounds fun. Forget Molly; What about Gideon and Fabian? I'm rather fed up of their flamboyant goading of Slytherins. It's about time they learnt a lesson, really, Rodolphus. Isn't Rabastan in their year?" Bellatrix said, forcing herself to be vaguely pleasant to the man she'd eventually marry.
"Yes," he sighed in relief, " I'll be honest and please don't be offended but I don't really want to go with your sisters anyway they're already taken, so I'll go spike the punch and jet. How about we mess with the Prewetts' heads? We could pull the same thing on them that you just did with Alecto and Amycus. Rabastan is, though a loyal Death Eater, also a very dull one. I made a plan of the head leaders on Dumble's side; the Prewetts, Weasley, and that Lovegood oddity. The Prewetts are not in control of their temper and very close to each other, so we could do what I just said. Weasley is not a big threat and we could turn them against each other because I've seen him eyeing the Prewetts little sister. Lovegood is easy, just invent a creature and point to the forest and the beasts will take care of him.
" The whole Order is so stupid, when we rid them of their new recruits the Dark Lord will be very pleased. When did you plan the next meeting? Lucius and I have invented a new spell that we wanted to present." He and Lucius were in charge of attacks and new tactics and spells. They had had a field day with their newest creation and were dying to present it.
Bellatrix had begun to lean against the back of an armchair, one arm lazily propping her up, and her other hand was floating somewhere in front of her face, where she was busy examining her nails. Bellatrix yawned before speaking.
"Oh, so you use me as a last resort? Because my sisters are already taken?" Bellatrix asked, still in the same lazy voice as normal. She decided to leave that for him to think on. Forget couch, she thought. Outside sounded for appealing right now.
And one thing was for sure. No way was she having his babies. She supposed they'd be rather dull, and…Well, still. Children.
She shuddered internally.
"Well, Roddy. How about I just curse everyone? That sounds more fun, doesn't it? And you know I'd do it. All I'd have to do is talk sweetly to Slughorn, and I'd get off like all I'd done was hand in an assignment late. You know he thinks I'm rather talented," Bellatrix said. Slughorn was one of those teachers who didn't perve on his students, but did, if that makes sense. Bellatrix knew that if she talked to Slughorn in a certain way, she'd be fine. She could hear it now. Oh! I'm sorry sir, I thought they meant to attack me. So I defended myself. So sorry!
"Oh, the next meeting. Perhaps Tuesday. No, make that Wednesday," Bellatrix said, standing up. If there was one thing about Rodolphus Bellatrix actually admired it was the fact he had the mark.
But she would soon. In three weeks, to be precise, she was getting her mark. She couldn't help but feel her stomach flip over in excited anticipation.