MERRY CHRISTMAS EVERYBODY! Happy Holidays!

Chapter 5

How To Make A Long-lasting Deal

Fred and George came jumping in the kitchen. "It's ready!" one of them, either Fred or George, announced.

"Get out of my way little pests!" spat Snape kicking them out of his way as he entered the kitchen. He held up a phial with a light blue colored liquid in it as if his whole life depended on it.

Mrs. Weasley wiped her hands in a towel and looked at it suspiciously. "Is this what Albus was talking about?"

Snape took his eyes from the phial and replied curtly: "Yes and please woman take those sons of yours away from me! They almost broke the phial the last time!"

Molly narrowed her eyes dangerously at the two 18 year olds. "What did you two do?!" she demanded moving in.

Fred grinned broadly with an innocent look. "Nothing we swear!"

"Just nearly overturned the cauldron," George said with the same smile.

"-Put wrong ingredients in the potion-"

"And gave me a shower with hot water," added Snape with a glare that could stop a werewolf to his tracks.

"That's accidental!" Fred and George said in a unison.

"I don't believe it's going to have any effects on you Severus," Molly said frowning.

"No thankfully. One has to drink it to make it work," he said.

"Good, then call the others for the meeting. Dumbledore said it must be done as soon as possible," she answered going out of the kitchen.

"Can you imagine how Snape would look like if he bounc…oh damn!" Fred started whispering to George but now that Mrs. Weasley had left Snape took out his wand warningly.

"Come George these people don't know how to appreciate some good humor," Fred said, faking an offended tone.

((((Voldemort's Headquarters))))

Rodolphus was striding down a corridor in order to change shifts with Malfoy who had been guarding the main gates. Then it seemed as if the floor under his feet moved and he slipped hearing the noise of paper crumpling.

He rose to his feet again picking up the newspaper on which he had slipped. He read the main page which said: "FINANCIAL TIMES"

What in seven hells was going on? This was a Muggle newspaper. What could it be doing there? He opened the first pages of it and to his utter surprise he saw in the house advertisements with some ads circled. Who wanted to buy a house? Voldemort? He wouldn't be looking in a Muggle newspaper… A Death Eater? All of them had their own houses.

He folded the Financial Times and put it in his cloak's inner pocket forgetting about it for the time being.

Strange things had been going on lately. One more was added when after dinner he was heading to his room when he heard voices coming out of his Master's chambers.

"Bellatrix seriously now can't you just stop?" he was asking in an exasperated voice.

"No I want MORE!" she exclaimed angrily.

"Have mercy on others woman!"

"I demand MORE!" she insisted stubbornly.

"Haven't you got tired of this?" Voldemort asked with a sigh.

"No! I want to live my life!" she shouted.

Rodolphus had his eyebrows raised so much that they almost got lost in his hair line. Really strange things were going on….

And he had to find out what all these were about. So the first thing he did the next morning was grab Bellatrix after the meeting and take her aside.

"What do you want?' she asked annoyed.

"What is this?" he inquired angrily gripping her hand with the ring.

"A ring? Perhaps?" she replied sarcastically.

"I can see that. Who gave it you?" Rodolphus snarled, pissed off as it was.

"Oh….getting jealous Rodolphus?" she asked with an evil smile turning around to leave but his grip became stronger.

"No, just curious! Are you going to tell me or not?" he asked his flashing with anger.

"No."

Then Rodolphus decided to follow a different method. "Okay then I will tell everyone your and Master's little secret," he said innocently.

"What secret?" she asked with a frown and then seemed to understand, "don't you dare!" she shrieked.

"Why not? I mean, you're going to marry soon and I don't think I'm the only one who heard that night of fight yesterday!" he said laughing.

Bellatrix gave him an odd look of clear confuse with her jaw hanging. "What?…" Then she finally got what he meant. "Oh that! Sweet Merlin you're so stupid!" she said cracking up to insane laughter.

Rodolphus looked at her feeling utterly baffled. "What happened?"

"So…" Bellatrix walked around Rodolphus highly amused as if he was her prey. "What do you want to know?" she asked.

"Everything," he said eagerly.

"Right. Let's begin with the time when I joined the Death Eaters…" she started saying.

"What's that got to do with this?" he asked.

"Will you let me tell my story or what?!" Bellatrix half-yelled extremely annoyed by his interrupting her.

Rodolphus sighed tiredly and fell silent. Once Bellatrix made sure she had his attention again continued:

"When I joined the Death Eaters, Voldemort had a serious problem with lack of incredibly faithful servants that would set an example for the other dark wizards. So we made a deal," she said with a grin enjoying the fact that she knew more than Rodolphus.

"I would behave like his most loyal Death Eater so as to urge the rest of you to do so and he would be rewarding me!" she said happily adding with a tone full of distaste and disgust, "not the way you may think pervert!"

"I did not think anything!" he claimed innocently.

"Not as if you ever think!" she retorted.

"What is your reward anyway?" he asked still curious to learn the whole story.

That made Bellatrix flash an evil smile. "Money of course! Do you know how much he has? He's rich I tell you! He sold his father's manor and got millions of galleons!"

Rodolphus stared like a fish out of the water. "M-m-money?"

"Of course! Well to tell the truth after I'm done with him he won't be that rich but I will have bought the house that I want!" she stated excited with her plan.

Rodolphus' mind was going around everything he had heard. "I demand MORE!"; "Haven't you got tired of this?"; "No! I want to live my life!", the Financial Times…

Bellatrix watched him, amused, her arms folded in front of her chest. She raised an eyebrow. "So?"

"I never thought about it…" he muttered still deep in thought.

"Yes I'm really proud of my plan!" she said and then a shadow fell upon her face. "Don't you dare tell anyone about it…" she threatened.

Finally Rodolphus had the upper hand in things. "Or what? Are you going to k…" he made to say arrogantly but she interrupted.

"Oh I haven't forgot your little secret Rodolphus. I can still put an advertisement for you on the lonely hearts section of the Daily Prophet!" Bellatrix replied.

Dammit, if Bellatrix was good in something that was blackmailing. He sighed. "All right. You keep my secret and I keep yours. Promise?"

She nodded. "Fine," and with that they shook hands.

((((Grimmauld Place))))

Dumbledore smiled widely at the summoned members of the Order that waited for him to say anything. The Weasley twins waved at him cheerfully from the other side of the table. They were allowed to take part in the meeting as long as they had helped in the making of

the precious potion.

Dumbledore greeted them too with a nod of his head. "I expect your collaboration with Professor Snape went excellent."

Snape gave him a look as if he had said he was going to marry Voldemort while the twins started talking together.

"Yes indeed!"

"We had our little conflicts but you know these things happen often in important projects as this one!"

"Like the one where he almost threw you out of the window, George?" asked Fred naturally.

"No, I think he had drunk too much wine then…" he answered thoughtfully.

Molly shot daggers at the Potions Master who simply ignored her and handed Dumbledore the potion. "This is what we made Albus. I hope it works," he said.

"Oh I'm sure it will Severus," Dumbledore replied a spark of confidence in his eyes. "When can you administrate the potion?"

Snape frowned as he thought about it. "We can't just give it to all of them at once. It will be too suspicious. One by one all of them will drink it," he said.

Dumbledore smiled. "Excellent!" He turned to the twins with a curious look. "I really wonder how did you manage to get the goat's boggie…?"

The twins' faces formed into a serious look. "You don't want to know sir. Trust us…"

((((Voldemort's Headquarters))))

"Dinner is ready!" chirped Rookwood from the dinning hall.

Soon all the Death Eaters had gathered. Voldemort sat on the head of the table and then his followers took their seats. Bellatrix glanced at Rodolphus to make sure he wasn't talking to anyone about her secret. Next to her someone was fidgeting.

"Can't you stay still Snape?" she asked annoyed and then narrowed her eyes. "What are you doing there?" she demanded as he quickly put something in his pocket.

"Nothing at all!" he said with an innocent smile.

Bellatrix was still filled with suspicions but she turned to her plate. She wrinkled her nose at what was inside. "Who made this?" she demanded.

"Me! It's my specialty! Mashed potatoes…" said Rookwood proudly.

"And banana pie," everyone else finished for him.

"But today it has some special kind of light blue sauce…" Bellatrix added trying not to throw up.

"Blue sauce? I've never thought of that!" Rookwood exclaimed snatching her plate.

"NO!" Snape shouted and bolted up.

Everyone turned and gave him an odd look. Voldemort surveyed him with his scarlet eyes. "What no Severus?" he asked dangerously.

Snape blinked at him. "No….no…no…err…poor Bellatrix might be hungry!" he said suddenly.

Bellatrix raised an eyebrow suspiciously but Voldemort seemed satisfied with his answer. Snape glanced at her feeling a bit anxious. Then his eyes fell on Rookwood that gobbled her food and he cursed himself silently.

At least one of them got the curse and that was a relatively good start.

So...the first Death Eater struck by the curse! Poor Rookwood! Thanks again for the reviews! It's the best Christmas present I could get!

BellatrixLestrange9: (stares) You know where this is going?

Elladora Riddle: (beams) Thanks a lot! Although I don't really deserve it.

Alicia: Glad you like Snape pulling her hair. I was seriously thinking about Wormtail's toe nails but decided it would be better for everyone's mental health not do so.

jaylynn snape: She won't become friends with them! don't worry about that!

And remember what I told you about the best Christmas present....(glances at the "review" button)