Disclaimer: J. K. Rowling owns Harry Potter. I don't.
Meeting Up
By Abigail M. Brickler
Setting: During Voldemort's first rise to power, the Marauder Era…
He had been being too melodramatic about the pain—about what it would feel like to have it imprinted on him. But it wasn't that bad at all. Just a minor, temporary burning sensation, and that was it. The tall, handsome, thickset man with black hair and grey eyes looked down at his left arm, where now rested a skull with a snake protruding from its mouth. It had briefly burned black and was now turning to a dull pinkish red.
"May you uphold your vow of faithful and loyal servitude," came the high, cold voice of the wizard who had branded him with the Dark Mark. "Do not disappoint me."
"I shan't, my lord," said the man.
He gave a small, obsequious nod and then left the long line of those who had decided to meet Lord Voldemort in the Great Hangleton Cemetery where he was recruiting and inducting people into the Death Eaters.
"Good to see you out here, Lestrange!" called another man.
"Thanks, Mulciber! Same to you!" the man called response.
The whole time he'd been there, he'd been running into fellow former Slytherins, former Hogwarts classmates and friends. He even saw his younger brother Rabastan.
"Lestrange!" called yet another man.
"Hello, Avery!" the man answered.
"All right there, Lestrange? You joining?" said Evan Rosier.
"Just did, Rosier—just did," the man replied, coming over to Rosier and the thin, hooked-nosed man with sallow skin with whom Rosier had been conversing.
"Why, Rodolphus Lestrange," said Rosier's companion, who was none other than Severus Snape. "How very nice to see you here. But are you quite sure you are up to doing the Dark Lord's bidding?" he added in a voice as oily as his hair.
Rodolphus was trying to think of a response without giving Snape the satisfaction of knowing he'd angered him. He eyed Snape superciliously for a moment, then opened his mouth to respond, when, at that moment—
"Whoa—down, Snape. I am sure master Lestrange will rise to the challenge admirably," came a lofty, condescending female voice from out of the shadows as a tall woman with sleek, shiny black hair and heavy-lidded eyes stepped out from behind a large, monumental tombstone. It was Bellatrix Black.
Rodolphus was surprised to see her, but he was quite happy to. He'd fallen for her at some point during their Hogwarts days—it'd lasted so long that he couldn't even recall exactly when it had started—the feelings he had for her had always just been there. Every now and then he would feel guilty for never having said anything to her, and suddenly, there she was—and as beautiful as ever. She was smiling mysteriously.
"Thank you for the vote of confidence, Miss Black," Rodolphus said, bowing politely to her. "May I inquire as to what such a lovely lady as yourself is doing here?" he added, approaching her and kissing her right hand in a gentlemanly fashion.
Bellatrix responded by pulling up the left sleeve of her black robes. She, too, had been branded with the Dark Mark—she, too, was now a Death Eater.
"Excellent," Rodolphus said. "He needs you."
Bellatrix's enigmatic smile broadened.
"I thank you," she said. "So—he speaks to me at last," she added. "Did I intimidate you while we were at Hogwarts?"
"Well—"
"Well at least you're over it," Bellatrix interrupted him.
"Yes," Rodolphus agreed, knowing he couldn't argue that. "So—so you do remember me, then?"
"Don't be absurd, of course I do," Bellatrix said.
"I'm glad," Rodolphus said.
"I'm glad that you remember me, too."
"So, what do you do? Do you have a job?" Rodolphus asked her.
By this point, Snape and Rosier had left the scene.
"I completed Auror training successfully," Bellatrix responded. "But I am not employed by the Ministry. I consider myself an activist—that's what I've always wanted. You see, I don't sit around waiting for what I want—I go after it. After I help the Dark Lord take over, and the only order is the Dark Order—then I'll work for the Ministry. And you?"
"I completed Hit-wizard training, and my goal is the same as yours. I, too, am an activist. You believe in the domination of the Dark Order and of the pure-blooded wizard race, I trust? And you, like me, have chosen to dedicate your life to ensuring that that happens?" Rodolphus said.
"Exactly," Bellatrix said in a soft, subtly earnest voice. "And I will have all the power and renown I could ever want, and Muggles and contaminated non pure-bloods will submit to me like the inferiors they are. I want to help make our world the way it should be," she added more audibly.
"So do I—that's exactly what I want, too," said Rodolphus eagerly.
"Do you not give a damn who tries to stop you because you'll dispose of them all? Will you do whatever you have to do to make sure you achieve your end—injure, torture, even kill? Do you not give a damn what the authorities do to you? Are you prepared to go to Azkaban, even sacrifice yourself—are you willing to do anything and everything for the cause of the Dark Order?" Bellatrix asked him.
"Yes," said Rodolphus without hesitation. "I go after what I want, as well."
"Excellent," said Bellatrix.
"We're exactly alike in that sense," said Rodolphus. "Do you hate all non pure-bloods: half-bloods, Mudbloods, half-breeds, Squibs, and Muggles? Do you hate blood-traitors?"
"Yes and yes," Bellatrix answered. "I wouldn't even look at them if it were possible."
"Neither would I," said Rodolphus. "How did you learn about the Death Eaters?"
"I was in Knockturn Alley the other day, and I saw a sign up in the window of Borgin and Burke's," Bellatrix answered.
"That's how I found out," said Rodolphus. "Didn't you just feel like it was the exact answer for achieving your goals? I did."
"I did, too… God, I can't wait to learn the Dark Arts. I can't wait to start my life as a Death Eater, as a Dark Side activist. It's going to be so exciting!"
"I wholeheartedly agree…There should be more women here—I admire you."
"Oh, they'll jump on the bandwagon once they realize that it's the intelligent way to go, I'm sure," said Bellatrix. "Still, the length of that queue is encouraging," she added, nodding at the long line of wizards waiting to join the Death Eaters.
"It is… You know, I heard a rumor that Dumbledore is starting up some sort of resistance movement," said Rodolphus.
"Ha!" scoffed Bellatrix haughtily. "Good luck with that! The decrepit old blood-traitor—he won't get half as many people as us! Who wants to fight for the losing side? What a waste of time and energy! The greatest wizard of the age—what utter rubbish! If he was the greatest wizard of the age, he'd support the Dark Order!"
"And stop admitting non pure-blood filth into Hogwarts. You know, when Lord Voldemort takes over, that mad old fool is done for. I don't know if the Minister can be swayed or not," said Rodolphus.
"Fuck the damn Minister!" said Bellatrix ruthlessly. "He's as good as dead anyway! All the Ministry bastards and bitches are! If they were the slightest bit intelligent, they would quit while they're ahead!"
Rodolphus already knew that he was still in love with her.
"Voldemort definitely needs you. Your attitude… I love it…" he told her.
"Well, he needs you, too. Somehow I just know your mindset is the same as mine," said Bellatrix.
"It is," said Rodolphus. "I'd murder the Minister myself if it meant Voldemort could have a clearer shot at victory."
"So would I," said Bellatrix.
"We could murder him together," said Rodolphus, half joking.
"You're on," Bellatrix said in the same way.
"I hope I get to the inner circle—become high-ranking, you know? Then I could do more."
"That's what I hope for."
"You'll get there."
"You will, too."
"We are so much alike, you and I," Rodolphus then said, looking in her eyes.
"We are exactly alike—Rodolphus," she said, deciding then that she wanted to begin calling him by his first name while returning his gaze.
"That we are," Rodolphus agreed.
"So, is there a Madam Lestrange in your life?" Bellatrix asked him.
"Yes," Rodolphus answered, "my mother."
"Cute."
"Oh, you found it amusing."
"Touché."
"No, there isn't," said Rodolphus. "So do you have any suitors vying for your hand?"
"None worth mentioning," Bellatrix replied in disgust. "Why is a worthy pure-blood man so difficult to come by these days?"
"Not all of us are a disappointment, you know," Rodolphus said.
"I know that," Bellatrix said, taking the hint.
She then nonverbally lit her wand and checked her watch. It was two o'clock in the morning.
"Well, I'd best be off," she said. "It's been a pleasure, Rodolphus."
"Likewise," Rodolphus returned. "Goodnight, Bellatrix."
"Goodnight."
He signed contentedly as he watched her Disapparate.
Six months later…
Rodolphus and a few other Death Eaters were preparing to leave for a late night assignment Voldemort had given them. A large portion of the Death Eaters were gathered at the cemetery.
"I'm going now," Rodolphus told Bellatrix.
"Good luck," Bellatrix said.
"Thank you," Rodolphus said, kissing her hand and holding it close to him. "Will you wait for me?"
"Yes," Bellatrix answered, stepping closer to him.
"Brilliant," said Rodolphus.
He then leaned in to kiss her, but she placed the fingertips of her free hand upon his lips and took a step backward.
"After you come back—maybe," she said mysteriously, stringing him along. "Goodbye."
"Goodbye, Bellatrix," Rodolphus said with slight reluctance.
He and his mission partners Disapparated.
An hour later, they all returned, and Rodolphus went over to Bellatrix.
"We were successful," he told her.
"As I knew you would be," she said.
"There's something I need to say to you," said Rodolphus.
"What is that?" asked Bellatrix.
Rodolphus took her by the hand and lead her out of the cemetery.
"It's none of their business," he explained.
"So what is it you're just bursting to tell me?" Bellatrix asked him as they joined hands.
They stood face-to-face.
Rodolphus stepped closer to her.
"I've been very much attracted to you ever since our Hogwarts days. And six months ago, I realized that I still am," he said. "I love you, Bellatrix."
Bellatrix rested her hand on the side of his neck.
"Call me Bella."
"Bella," Rodolphus repeated, resting his hand on the side of her neck.
They then stepped closer to each other and kissed.
THE END