Rabastan spent the rest of the day dreading the evening. He sat in the library and stared out the window, wishing that he had the nerve to run away. He wondered idly whether the Dark Lord would take him in, should he show up at his flat that evening and beg to stay there forever. It would be less miserable than living with Andromeda and having to pretend to feel any warmth for Bellatrix.

But he couldn't leave Andromeda, not in the state she was in. She would have to go back to her father…

Rabastan shuddered at the thought. No wonder she drank. He could hardly blame her for that, even if he didn't like it…

The sun was setting by the time Andromeda stepped into the library. Her face was expressionless, her eyes dull.

"They're here," she said flatly, and Rabastan struggled to his feet and trudged out of the library after her.

Bellatrix and Rodolphus were at the door, Bellatrix wrapped in a beautiful dark coat and looking at Rabastan with a strange little smirk on her lips. He eyed her warily and she turned away, looking up at Rodolphus, who was resting against the wall, hunched over with his arms crossed across his chest. He straightened when he saw Rabastan and took half a step towards him. When he stepped into the light, Rabastan saw dark circles around his brother's eyes. He looked as if he hadn't slept in days.

"What a pleasure to see you, Rabastan," Bellatrix said, slipping her coat off and tossing it carelessly over the back of a chair. Rabastan could not help but notice that the dress she was wearing was inappropriately low-cut and her corset laced particularly tightly so her breasts near spilled from the top. He wanted to reprove her and tell her to put her coat back on, but the words stuck in his throat.

"A pleasure," he echoed at last, spitting the words out with some distaste.

Bellatrix stretched her arms out wide, then rested one hand lightly on Rodolphus's shoulder and looked at Andromeda expectantly. "Aren't you going to invite us into the parlour, Andi, darling?"

"Of course, of course." A blush was rising on Andromeda's face and she indicated that they should follow her. Bellatrix followed her sister quickly, but Rodolphus hung back at Rabastan's side.

"You look ill, Rodolphus," Rabastan murmured, trying to keep his voice down.

Rodolphus's lips twitched into a small, rather forced smile. "I don't believe you've ever had occasion to tell me that before, Rabastan – I normally tell you that you look ill."

"Have you not been sleeping?" Rabastan pressed.

"Bad dreams." Rodolphus looked down and clutched Rabastan's hand tightly in his. "I… but never mind…"

Rabastan resisted the urge to ask more, to press his brother for further information about what had been troubling his dreams, to search for an opportunity to help his brother for once. He was so used to being comforted in his sickness that it would have been something of a pleasure to be able to sponge his brother's brow and tell him that he would be well soon…

He shivered a bit and shook off the thought. He could not – would not – entertain such thoughts while he was supposed to be having dinner with Rodolphus and Bellatrix. Particularly Bellatrix – he did not like the way she looked at him, and she already knew far more about the personal details of his life than he would have liked her to.

"Rabastan, Rodolphus?" Bellatrix was leaning out of the parlour, looking back up the corridor at them. "Aren't you coming?"

"Of course," Rodolphus said, and he quickened his pace and left Rabastan behind.

Rabastan followed hesitantly, and when he reached the parlour, Bellatrix and Andromeda had taken one sofa and Rodolphus was sitting rather uneasily on the other. He joined his brother, taking care not to get close enough to touch him.

"How are you?" Bellatrix asked. She was not being as conscientious about staying away from Andromeda as Rabastan was from Rodolphus, he thought – her foot kept brushing against Andromeda's leg.

"We've been well," Andromeda said quietly. "As well as can be expected. We- we really should eat- we can eat here, if you like," she added. "I'll have the house-elves bring the food up here."

"Fine, fine," Bellatrix waved her hand airily. "You must know that we're here because we want to see you two, not because we're hungry."

Andromeda snapped her fingers and a house-elf appeared. She ducked her head to speak to it, and Rabastan let his eyes flick to his brother. Rodolphus was sagging into the corner of the sofa, looking quite miserable.

The house-elf disappeared with a crack, and a moment later, returned with a platter balanced on each hand. It set them down on the table that ran between the two sofas, keeping his head down all the while, then Disapparated again and returned with two more platters.

"Bring some wine as well," Bellatrix ordered, and it nodded and appeared once more, a few moments later, with two bottles of wine and four glasses.

"That will be all," Andromeda told it quietly, and it gave one more nod before making a final exit. There was a moment of tense silence, then Bellatrix poured wine into one of the glasses, right to the brim, and drank it back in a single, sickening gulp. She took up her fork and began to pick at her food. Andromeda balanced hers on her lap to eat and Rodolphus picked at his from the table in the same manner as Bellatrix. Rabastan didn't touch it – he didn't feel the slightest bit hungry.

"Rabastan," Bellatrix said, and he looked up at her, daring her to ask why he wasn't eating. But she didn't say anything of the sort. Instead, she lay her fork down and poured herself another brimming glass of wine, then sipped it and met his eyes.

"Yes?"

"Well…" Bellatrix twisted a lock of her dark hair slowly around one finger. "You know, Rabastan, I heard something from my father the other night… something concerning you."

Rabastan felt as if a large stone had settled in his stomach. "Oh?"

"He said that you were with the Dark Lord that night – at a meeting." She had been reclining, but now she sat up, moving her foot away from Andromeda's leg, and she leaned forward eagerly, her eyes wide and searching. "Is that true?"

"Y–" Rabastan's mouth was dry and he swallowed hard. "Yes."

"And," she continued, "he said that you took the Dark Mark."

"What?" Rodolphus sat up straight at that and turned to Rabastan, looking surprised and perhaps even a little excited. "Rabastan, is that true? Oh, why didn't you tell- let me see." He reached out and took his brother's arm, and Rabastan flushed with a bit of pride when Rodolphus peeled back his sleeve and ran a fingertip around the Mark. "Oh, Rabastan…" His voice was full of emotion. "That's- oh, that's wonderful."

"So you did take it." Bellatrix stood from the sofa and leaned over it, inspecting it as if she had any sort of authority. "Well. If I had known, I wouldn't ever have bothered…"

"Known what? Bothered with what?" Rabastan could hear the veiled insult in her tone already, but he couldn't stop himself from asking. Bellatrix laughed a little shrilly.

"If I had known that anyone who went to bed with the Dark Lord could take the Mark, I wouldn't have bothered learning about the Dark Arts."

"Bellatrix!" Rodolphus cried, and Rabastan felt as if he would die of shame. His face burned.

"That isn't why he made me a Death Eater!" he said, but Bellatrix only snorted and laughed.

"Oh, isn't it? Why did he make you one, then?"

"I'm sure the Dark Lord saw a lot of talent in Rabastan–" Rodolphus began, but Bellatrix cut him off with a snort.

"He's only a little boy! He's too weak to fight, and he doesn't even have it in his blood – after all, he has you for a brother!"

"How dare you!" Rabastan cried. She could insult him all she wanted, but he would not allow her to say such things about his brother.

"Oh, aren't you both sweet and protective?" Bellatrix snorted. "But you both know it's the truth."

"Bella, please," Andromeda pleaded quietly, but Bellatrix paid her no mind. She sloshed some wine into a glass and downed it, then turned back on Rodolphus and Rabastan.

"So," she said, much more loudly than Rabastan thought necessary. "As you're taking advantage of your relationship with him, I think it's only fair that you should tell us about the relationship."

"Don't be crude, Bellatrix," Andromeda said, but again, Bellatrix ignored her. She moved close to Rabastan, until her lips were only inches from his ear.

"What do you do with your little lover, hmm, Rab?" she purred. "Does he make sweet love to you, all kisses and embraces like in a romance novel – or does he ride you like an animal?"

"Bellatrix!" Andromeda nearly screamed. "You can't ask questions like that!"

"Don't you dare speak to my brother that way!" Rodolphus shouted at the same time, reaching out and pulling Rabastan away from her. Bellatrix, unfazed, threw her head back and laughed.

"I'd suspect he rides you like an animal," she continued, brazen as a whore, and a particularly bold whore at that. "Does he, Rab, darling? Come on, tell us – does your lover fuck your brains out into his filthy sheets?"

"His sheets are not filthy," was all that Rabastan could think to say, and Bellatrix only laughed harder at that.

"Don't you think so? You Lestranges have such poor standards–"

"How would you know anything about his sheets?" Rabastan hissed.

Bellatrix quieted, and there was a moment of very tense silence before she began to laughing again, but not the mocking laughter she had been letting out seconds before. She was giggling coyly and almost gleefully.

"Oh dear," she managed, her eyes alight. "I suppose I oughtn't to have said… but they really are filthy, Rab – I wouldn't have touched them, but that I would never lower myself to be taken on the sofa where anyone could see…"

Rodolphus looked like he was about to be ill. He stood up slowly, his face as white as paper except for the dark circles around his eyes. Bellatrix looked at him, still giggling like a madwoman, and lifted one shoulder in a small, careless shrug.

Rodolphus turned and fled the room, and Rabastan followed him, his eyes stinging with tears and Bellatrix's laughter still ringing out from the parlour.