It was the day of his wedding, and Rodolphus had barely gotten any sleep.
How could he? It was the day that would change his life forever, a day that he would marry the woman he loved, an enigmatic woman who always played her cards so that he could never tell whether or not these feelings were requited. But there was no use in those games anymore, was there? They were to be married in an hour. Whether she would like it or not, they would have to live together, they would have to do their pure blood duty of conceiving children together...
A horrible thought struck Rodolphus. What if their children were not born out of love? What if she never did grow to love him? What if she spent the rest of her life unhappy, all because she was wedded to him? He had been so confident a day ago, but that confidence was fading away.
Rodolphus took a deep breath and rung the elf bell that hung in his room. Jukie quickly scurried in, and as soon as she saw Rodolphus's weary expression, she drew back with a gasp. "Is Master ill? Does Master need tea?" she squeaked nervously.
"I'm not ill, Jukie, but I will take some tea."
Jukie nodded, and before Rodolphus knew it, she was back in his room, setting the tea tray down onto his desk. She snapped her small, spidery pink fingers, and disappeared into thin air.
Rodolphus carefully poured tea leaves into his cup of black tea, and spun the tea around with a silver spoon. Soon, the tea leaves began to take a serpentine shape, and Rodolphus recognized the shape to be that of a viper...
A cloud of bubbles floated to the top of the tea, and took the shape of a heart.
Rodolphus sighed with relief. This meant that he and Bellatrix would be bound by their pure blood heritage, right? She would grow to love him for their shared cunning and ambitious nature, the very traits that had placed them in the House of the Snake?
Rodolphus smiled to himself, his self assurance restored, and got into his wedding robes. They were a dark green, so dark they were almost black, with silver embroidery in the shape of ravens. Ravens were the animals on the Lestrange family crest. As well as ravens, the silver threading on Rodolphus's robes were also sewn into the shapes of skulls and various plants.
After an anxious morning of getting ready that seemed to simultaneously feel like a day and a second, Rodolphus, Rabastan, and their parents Faustine and André packed into the family's winged carriage, concealed reluctantly from Muggles by an Invisibility Charm (this was done reluctantly because of traditional pure blood families' disdain for the Statue of Secrecy), and headed for the wedding venue. Both the ceremony and reception were to take place at Black Manor, Bellatrix's family home.
Black Manor was, in honor of the surname of the family who inhabited it, black. It was built with polished black stone, and had tall, looming cone-shaped spires. A black iron fence guarded the mansion, as well as the contrasting white roses covering the courtyard. Rodolphus had visited the manor twice before, but something about that day made it seem more beautiful than ever.
The carriage swooped down and landed gently on the ground, just outside of the gate, which had been swung open to admit guests. Thankfully, the Lestranges were the first to arrive. A late groom could not be afforded.
Waiting for the ceremony to begin felt like forever. It took two hours for every family to arrive, but at last, all of the seats of the Blacks' dining room, which had been converted into a ceremonial space, were filled. Rodolphus stood at the front of the room by the altar, which was occupied by Judge Yaxley of the Ministry's court. As customary for Wizarding weddings, the ceremony was to be presided by a judge, and in this case a very high ranking one, well suited for a wedding of proper pure blood society.
The hired symphony started to play, and Bellatrix, flanked by both of her sisters, walked down the aisle. She looked simply breathtaking. Just as it was tradition for Muggles to wear white on their wedding days, it was tradition for witches to wear metallic colors, and Bellatrix had chosen pure silver. Her glimmering robes were adorned with a nine-foot train that floated ethereally behind her, and her large tiara, silver with emeralds and onyxes, made her look a head taller. Butterflies entered Rodolphus's stomach.
The ceremony felt like a blur. In a bizarre, dreamlike state, Bellatrix and Rodolphus exchanged vows, kissed, and watched the crowd politely applause. She then turned to him and smiled gingerly, and ignoring the curtness of his bride's gesture, Rodolphus realized that he had never been more in love in his life.