Yes, a random story update. Just felt liking writing Bellatrix x Rodolphus again, and didn't see any point in opening a new story when this one was still out there…
Haven't updated in 2 years, I know that's bad, extremely bad actually if you keep in mind what the actual purpose of this story was supposed to be…
Anyway! This story never really caught on… But I'll give it another go, or at least another chapter…
No promises!
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There he was. In the library again.
Rodolphus Lestrange turned yet another page of another ancient book, and sighed. He was desperately trying to find an answer to his question, he was fed up with this work and just wanted to get it done.
Of course, it was fair. Bellatrix was doing her share of the work for the project, so he had to do his. But why had she have to talk to Professor Slughorn, and make the assignment worse? They could have been done by now!
All for a stupid love potion…
What would he do with it anyway? Give it to her? Why would he want to create uncontrollable lovesick emotions for her, when he wasn't even able to control his own?!
Rodolphus still didn't fully understand how he felt about Bellatrix… They barely talked, only about the work they had to do… But still, there was something about her… When they did talk, when she had to explain to him once again what the plan was, hidden behind all her irritation, there was something fascinating…
She really did know what she was talking about! She was smart!
''In the library again, my friend?'' Evan Rosier sat down beside him.
''You're here too…'' Rodolphus pointed out.
''Yes, but I'm here for a new assignment. Yet, you're still working on the same old thing…'' Evan knew his friend's homework took more time…
Rodolphus looked up, a bit distressed. He had completely forgotten about the new assignment they had got. Even more work!
Everybody else had already finished the potion. He and Bellatrix were only half way! They had almost finished the research, and now they could finally start the brewing process…
''Bellatrix is really keeping you busy… Silly little thing…'' Evan had never really been close to his cousins…
''You know, she really isn't that bad… She's quite interesting…'' ''Do you even talk to her? The real her, you know?'' Rodolphus suddenly asked.
Evan stared at him. He was taken aback.
''Lestrange, you don't actually like her, do you?'' he asked his friends.
''No. No, of course not.'' ''I'm just saying she's actually quite intelligent…'' Rodolphus turned back to his books.
He was such a fool…
XXX
Bellatrix Black was like a whirlwind. She strode through the halls of Hogwarts. Fire in her eyes, fury in her veins…
And looking for him…
He could already see her coming, without even turning around… He could sense her energy. It was a feeling of a fire, a fire washing over him, a sea of flames latching on to his body. Burning every little piece it could find…
She was angry.
Rodolphus slowly turned around, bracing himself for what was about to come. When he came to a full stop after his turn, he stared right into her face.
Her eyes almost burning through his skull.
''Lestrange! What have you done, you stupid imbecile!'' she shrieked.
''I-eehr-'' he tried to find a way out…
''You messed it up!'' ''I've just spent 2 hours on fixing your mistake! Time I could have spent on something else, instead of… You!'' Bellatrix poked her finger into his chest.
''You have fixed it?!'' Rodolphus couldn't believe what he was hearing!
''Yes, I have! At least I have a brain!'' she huffed.
''I'm not letting you near that cauldron again! You are not allowed to watch it on your own. Idiot.'' ''I'll do it'' Bellatrix took charge.
''Bellatrix, you can't do all the work on you own! It's an assignment for two!'' Rodolphus knew he would be in great trouble with Slughorn if he wouldn't participate…
''I know that.'' ''There's no way I would let you get away with this anyway… We'll watch the cauldron together tonight.'' ''No sleep for anyone!'' she snapped.
She swiftly turned around. Her hair slapped Rodolphus in the face in the process. She didn't care… She just stormed off.
Rodolphus didn't really care either. Rodophus just let the air escape his lungs. He had made it out alive.
He had already known she would be angry, but he had actually expected it to be worse.
He had ruined two weeks of good work, after all!
He couldn't believe she had actually fixed his mistake! How?! It had looked pretty bad… Merlin's beard, she was smart!
Last night it had been Rodolphus his turn to watch the cauldron. They had started the brewing process of the potion a while ago, but they had to keep a close eye on it. They had agreed on taking turns, every night they would switch. One night it was Bellatrix her night, and the other night it would be Rodolphus' , and last night it had been Rodolphus night.
Unfortunately, he had fallen asleep. And he had learnt the hard way that one just simply wasn't able to watch a potion while sleeping…
The liquid had turned completely black, while it was supposed to be transparent!
He hadn't even bothered to tell Bellatrix, he would be in trouble anyway, and she would find out soon enough… She had found out. But she had fixed it!
Rodolphus understood why she didn't want him to watch the potion anymore, but he hadn't expected her to want to watch it together… She had been avoiding him ever since that kiss… She was rather good at hiding, even when they were doing an assignment together…
Now, she wanted to spent the next few nights with him! Well, she had too… Rodolphus knew it was because she wanted to finish the project, with messing it up, but it was quite the change! From not talking at all, to late night meetings!
Maybe this would finally help him get close to her!
After his talk with Evan, the bet had drifted back into his mind. The longer this went on, the less Rodolphus knew how he truly felt. He couldn't really tell if this was about Bellatrix, or still about the bet…
Rodolphus hated feeling like this! He was a well-raised proper Pure Blood heir! Girls should be pining over him, not the other way around! Besides, two bottles of fire whiskey was better than the girl!
At least, Rodolphus could still try to win the bet. Then he would at least get something good out of this situation…
From not talking at all, to late night meetings…
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How Rodolphus Lestrange had been wrong… Well, technically he had been having late night meetings with Bellatrix Black, but things hadn't improved much…
It's was weird how a person could ignore you, while you were sitting right beside them!
She hadn't uttered a single word to him, except for instructions…
Rodolphus sighed, as he watched her work. His job was to hand her things, or to look things up in a book, but he wasn't allowed anywhere near the cauldron…
He was bored.
''Bella, you have to let me do something…'' he needed to work on this project to!
''Shut up, Lestrange. You've done enough already…'' ''You're useless'' she kept working.
''Well then…'' Rodolphus sighed again.
He was used to her insults. Everybody was… Everybody knew not to mess with Bellatrix Black…
He watch around the table. He could see that the tea they had got, to help them get through the night, had gone cold. He took out his wand, waved it around, and on the table where now once again steaming cups filled with hot fresh tea.
''Thank you'' Bellatrix mumbled, not looking up from her work.
''She speaks! She says 'thank you'!'' ''I can't believe my ears!'' Rodolphus was amused.
''I was raised well, unlike others…'' she answered annoyed.
Silence returned to the already deserted common room. Everybody else had already gone to bed, they were the only ones there… Just like every night, finishing their project…
''So, we're almost done, are we not?'' Rodolphus spoke again.
They had been working for almost 28 days, it should be about done…
Bellatrix didn't answer. She was getting annoyed. He should just stop talking. She knew the deadline was getting closer…
''Do you think it works?'' he continued.
''It better! Or I will have to kill you, for falling asleep that time!'' ''It would be your fault!'' she snapped.
Rodolphus smirked. She was all fired up. He knew how get her attention, look at him instead of that cauldron.
He emptied his teacup in one big gulp, ignoring how the hot liquid actually burnt his oesophagus.
''Aguamenti'' Rodolphus rinsed the cup out with water.
Before Bellatrix could even ask what he was doing, he plunged the cup into the cauldron, obtaining some of the liquid.
''Let's test it, what do you say?'' ''A little taste, my dear Bella?'' he smirked.
Bellatrix looked at him. He couldn't be serious?! What was he playing at?! Rodolphus took advantage of her state of bewilderment and snatched her wand away, now fully in control.
He got closer to her with the cup.
''Lestrange, you wouldn't!'' he wouldn't force her to drink it, would he?!
What was she afraid of? That it would actually work? It would mean they had brewed the potion correctly… It would also mean that he would find out how she felt… How she actually quite liked him, found him unusually interesting… The first boy who was genuine to her, he could be downright rude, but honest…
He could never know…
Suddenly, Bellatrix remembered what he had said to her during their last proper encounter… ''Go out with me''.
If he would give her the potion somehow, he would know her true answer: she would give it a shot.
Rodolphus kept getting closer. Panic. Bellatrix didn't know what to do!
''Lestrange!'' She smacked the cup out of his hand.
It had been the only thing she could think of… He had her wand, she only had her hands!
The potion had flown around the room, and the cup had stumbled underneath the table where the cauldron was currently resting on…
''It was just a joke, Bellatrix!'' Rodolphus laughed.
''I'll be taking your tea, not that my cup is under there…'' he got her cup from the table and took a sip.
''Just pick it up.'' She demanded.
''Fine'' he put his tea down, and got down under the table, to pick up the cup.
''Tell me the truth.'' She suddenly said, when he got back up.
''What?'' Rodolphus was confused.
''I put some in your tea while you weren't looking… Let's see it works…'' Bellatrix grinned.
Of course, she hadn't! She couldn't have Rodolphus telling on her to Slughorn, she needed to pass this class! Blacks didn't fail!
She just wanted to see his reaction, she couldn't wait to see the shock on his face!
''What?! Why?!'' exactly the reaction she'd wanted.
''To get back at you! Should learn not to mess with me, Lestrange!'' Bellatrix grinned.
''It was a joke…'' she had expected him to be more upset with the situation…
''Come on, tell me! You can't help it now anyway…'' ''What do you, Rodolphus Lestrange, truly think of me?'' she grinned again.
She was done having to deal with his weird behaviour towards her, being kind, trying to be charming, to being an arse… Let's see how far she could take this game…
''I- I-eehr…'' ''Fine.'' ''I like you.'' ''I think you're smart, beautiful, and I think you are rude to everyone just so that you don't have to show your true self, but I see it. It deserves to come out. You keep people at a distance, because you are scared. That there is even a possibility to somebody likes you, but it is possible, because I like you, because you deserve it. Yes, even you.'' He ended his speech.
Bellatrix stared at him, now the shocked expression was on her own face!
''I-I-… I didn't put anything in your tea…'' she stuttered.
She was taken aback. That was an understatement. She really hadn't expected him to say all that, just because he was under the impression that he had to speak the truth because of the potion… Was this the truth?!
Rodolphus Lestrange, and his blunt honesty.
''I know.'' He suddenly seemed extremely calm.
Rodolphus had known all along. He knew Bellatrix would never keep her good relationship with Professor Slughorn in jeopardy. She was his favourite. You needed a teacher on your side, for when you would get into trouble…
''You just needed to hear.'' He simply said.
The two stared at each other. Silence. But this silence was different, not the silence of before… This wasn't about ignoring each other, they were fully focussed on one another!
Bellatrix shot forward, planting her lips on his. Rodolphus flew back by the force ,to the other side of the sofa they were sitting on. He wrapped his arms around her nonetheless. Once again, they shared a passionate kiss, that wasn't appropriate for their age!
Behind them a sound slowly got louder. The cauldron was boiling, bubbles popping up.
Bellatrix immediately pulled away. Had her impulsive actions just ruined the potion?! She hadn't been paying attention to the liquid… What was happening to it?!
Suddenly, Rodolphus' arms reached to the liquid, and his hand dropped something in.
The bubbles stopped coming, and the liquid turned transparent. Just as it should be…
''Wh-Wha-'' Bellatrix stared at the cauldron.
Had Rodolphus Lestrange, the idiot who had ruined the potion in the first place, did something right?!
''I do read a book from time to time, Bella'' ''It was the last ingredient… Let it come to a boil, add, and done.'' He quoted the instructions of the book he had read the other day in the library.
They were finally done… He had finished it.
''Good night, Black! Sleep, you need it.'' He winked at her.
What did he mean by that?!
The charming boy got up and walked up to the boys rooms…
Bellatrix Black was left behind, more confused than ever…
Had she just done that?! Had he just done that?!
What in the name of Salazar Slytherin had just happened?
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Long chapter, so time does pass rather quickly in this chapter I suppose, got a bit carried away…
Definitely not 100% satisfied…