Everyone who does evil hates the light, and will not come into the light for fear that their deeds will be exposed.

John 3:20 (NIV)

The Lestranges were not religious by any stretch of the imagination, but at the same time it was a verse that Rabastan had stumbled upon when going through the many books that were kept on the family manor. The words stuck out to him. It was a simple truth, one that he simply could not argue with. Anyone who did not want their deeds known usually waited till night to perform them. It made sense; light exposed things, revealed the truth. Thus it was no surprise to him that yet another action and another deed was being done in the dead of night.

Rabastan walked the dark streets with a few of his fellow Death Eaters. Bellatrix was leading the way. It was enough to make his eyes roll. What right did she have to be so presumptuous? She sullied the name Lestrange. A woman was not supposed to be the head of a family. She wasn't even a born Lestrange! His poor idiot sap of a brother was more interested in sex than the honor of the family. While Rabastan could identify what made the woman pleasing to the eye, he saw no reason to go stupid and to fawn over the woman. It disgusted him, particularly when the woman would boldly and publically throw herself and her affections to the Dark Lord. She played at being his lover. The Lestrange brothers were the laughing stock of the Death Eaters. It caused ire to burn with Rabastan as he walked by the side of his brother while Barty seemed to follow after her almost like a lost puppy.

Rabastan clenched at his wand as he watched the younger man trip over himself for her. What was it about his fellow man seeming to lose all common sense when it came to pair of long legs and sizable tits? Crouch was only there to try and impress Bellatrix who seemed to absolutely love the attention. Really though, it was of no matter; she would have her comeuppance soon enough. The idea of it created a very placid look on Rabastan's face, making the anger he felt fade. His steps slowed down as the four of them finally reached their destination.

"Rabastan," hissed Bellatrix gesturing to the door.

He gave the woman a blank look before he moved toward the door. He had with some regularity taken to the duty of breaking any doors they were seeking entrance to. He had a knack of breaking security with nigh a sound. Silence was his particular skill set. When this idea to come to the Longbottom residence was hatched, he had stressed the need for it. It was fool hardy and asinine to be here. These Aurors didn't know anything about the Dark Lord. Rabastan knew exactly what happened, or at least felt like he knew exactly what happened. Yet here they were all because she insisted upon it.

With a few complex waves on his wand the door swung open without a sound or scratch on it. Rodulphus gave an approving smile and nod. He moved forward till Rabastan stopped him by holding up a hand. He stepped forward himself to just inside the threshold, careful not to step beyond it. He waved his wand once more and there was a soft gust of wind that pushed out of the house causing his robes to billow behind him. He then motioned everyone forward as he walked inside very careful and light with his footsteps. He had done this enough times through the course of the war that this was second nature to him.

With a third wave of his wand Rabastan knew exactly where the occupants of the house were. He turned to the others and pointed above him. The two Aurors were asleep. This gave them an edge in capturing them. A return nod of understanding came from his brother as Bellatrix gave a roll of her eyes and pushed past the two of them. Barty followed along like the pathetic dog that he was.

Rabastan gave his brother a knowing look. He wasn't a man of many words, and knew that his brother could read him. They had grown up close; Rodulphus was always pushed forward as the mouthpiece for the family while Rabastan remained in the background, silent and hardly noticed. He liked it that way; he was happy not having all the focus and attention. There was a freedom to be had in the silence and near obscurity, while Rodolphus in turn relished the attention. The older gave the younger a shrug as if there was nothing to really be done about Bellatrix's actions.

That, of course, is what Rodolphus thought. Rabastan, however, was doing something about Bellatrix. He had the perfect plan on how to remove the stain on his family name and get the woman out of his and his brother's life. They would cease to be Bellatrix, Rodolphus Lestrange and his brother. They would return to being Rodophus and Rabastan Lestrange or the brothers Lestrange. They had a family fortune and name to maintain, and it was simply waiting for them now that this war was at an end. They could pick up the pieces and move more covertly against those with less than pure blood. He had considered for a time that the Dark Lord might have been a bit too forward in his moves. If it were up to him, things would be done covertly and subtly. Let the way of Muggle-living go out with a whimper rather than a bang.

Yet, now was not the time to plan the future, there was still yet a present to get through first. Bellatrix was a loose cannon, as was Barty, but aimed in the right direction they could be of use and do just as he wished of them. Without a sound, the four Death Eaters moved up to the stairs. Bellatrix's fingers wrapped around a door handle - the wrong one. It was fortunate that she had looked back and could see Rabastan point to the correct door. Barty beamed brightly at the door, his teeth glowing in the dark hallway before he opened the door for Bellatrix. She entered leading the way in with the Lestrange brothers bringing up the rear.

Rabastan and Rodolphus had barely entered the room when Bellatrix shrieked out "Crucio!" at the sleeping Alice Longbottom.

Sheer luck and quick thinking is what kept Frank from reaching his wand as Rabastan was aware enough to petrify him. It was too close of a call in Rabastan's opinion considering if Belatrix had simply taken a moment to think. Incapacitate first, and then torment; it wasn't that difficult of a concept to grasp. The count was four against two, meaning a confrontation would be heavily favored for the Death Eaters. Frank and Alice Longbottom were not to be underestimated. They were skilled Aurors and would have given them a run for their money if given the chance to fight. Not to mention, it was far better and easier to eliminate the possibility than allowing for one, even if victory was ensured.

Rabastan rolled his eyes as Bellatrix lost herself in the torment of Alice, who writhed and screamed in pain. When the spell finally lifted there were still cries that pierced the air, though not their victim's. She, of course, was racked with sobs, but these cries were coming from the other room.

"Someone shut that thing up," snapped Bellatrix. In the brief interim after the first curse, Alice had started to claw for her wand, but Bellatrix sent it fly with a flick of her own.

"You actually think you are going to save your wee little baby?" there was a harsh mocking tone in Belatrix's voice. "Tell us where the Dark Lord is!"

A fresh wave of screams were elicited from Alice as Bellatrix unleashed a new round of the curse. Barty moved to go for the door, as directed.

"We'll see to it," said Rabastan, as nodding his head toward Frank Longbottom who was still petrified. He knew enough of Barty to know that the man would take that as an open invite to do as Bellatrix was doing to Alice.

"Remember to get his wand out of the way," added Rabastan as they left. He did not trust the younger and overly eager Death Eater. Rodolphus gave his brother a look. Rabastan had just spoken more than was usual for him, and volunteered to do something. Rabastan was known not to mince words; he rarely if ever spoke up. He would simply do and go unnoticed. Yet here he was speaking up.

The two brothers left as more shouts and yells pierced the night, almost drowning out the cries of the baby who was across the hall. There in a pram was a small boy not quite a year old; he struggled to stand at the rail sobbing for its mother, a woman who was not going to come. Rabastan sneered at the wet mess and waved his wand causing the child to fall back with a soft thud. The baby was out cold and had dropped like a rock. What did he care for it? Dead or alive did not matter to him. What mattered was getting out of there before the other Aurors arrived.

"We need to leave," said Rabastan turning away from the unconscious baby to look as his older brother.

"NEVILLE! NEVILLE!" Alice shriked before her words were cut off once more with yet another Cruciatus. Bellatrix could be heard once more making her demands to know what had happened to their Dark Lord.

"You know we could have used the baby to help break her," remarked Rodolphus walking to the unconscious child, whose chest almost imperceptibly rose and fell indicating that it was still alive. He reached out as if to take it.

"I don't give a damn about it." Rabastan stepped closer to his brother and slapped his hand away from the child. It was rare for Rabastan to be so bold and belligerent toward his brother. It earned him a warning glare.

"Careful brother. I am still the eldest. You do not need me to give you a lesson in respect."

"Respect?" asked Rabastan glaring at his brother. "What happened to self respect? You are letting a woman lead this family brother."

"I have told you to leave her out of things," Rodolphus spoke in a low defensive tone.

"I have."

"You just brought her up."

Rabastan rolled his eyes. "I have left her out of our escape."

"What?"

"Aurors are on their way. We need to go."

"It is not possible. Neither of them was able to set off an alarm."

Another scream pierced the night, causing a brief pause in their conversation. This it was time Frank.

"They didn't have to."

"One of your spells didn't go right."

Rabastan remained mute. All of his spells were perfect. In truth, he had informed the Aurors himself of where Bellatrix would be and when she would be there. He had planned this from the start. Still he wasn't going to correct his brother; the man had foolishly attached himself to that snake of a woman. It didn't matter to him that the Longbottoms had to suffer for him to get what he wanted. All that mattered was getting Rodolphus to leave with him.

His brother started to move out of the room to the one that held Bellatrix and Barty. The moron was going to warn them. Rabastan grabbed his brother's arm to stop him, using actions rather than words once more. He would have Apparated on the spot but it was not easy to Side-Along Apparate someone who didn't want to leave. It was clear Rodolphus did not want to leave.

"You idiot!" cried out the older of the two brothers wrenching his arm away. This was not quite going as Rabastan had hoped or planned.

"We need to leave now!" reiterated Rabastan as he followed his brother trying to stop him. He needed him to see reason. They were better off without Bellatrix. The Aurors would be there in seconds if not already there. Unfortunately, he had underestimated his brother's devotion to the woman, and lunacy that went with it.

Rodolphus didn't even make it out of the room. His body collapsed to the floor as he was hit by a stunning spell. Rabastan knew it was the end. Instead of making a fool of himself, he stood stock-still, hands exposed. This was a lost battle, and he rather favored being alive and in prison than being dead. Rabastan glared at his brother before he went down himself, petrified. The Aurors rushed into the other room, to attempt to capture Bellatrix and Barty.

In the end, Rabastan got what he wanted. Bellatrix was caught and imprisoned. Yet there was a price involved with getting what he wanted. The price was his own freedom and that of his brother. No longer would he be able to walk in the light as he had hoped. Rather he found himself suck in eternal darkness, forced to relive the memories of this night over and over again, punctuated only by the screams of the woman in the cell next to his. Screams, form which no pleasure was derived, as they only seemed to match his own.