Brick after brick, lawn after lawn, house after house, Rodolphus and Bellatrix continued stealthily through the darkness. As they approached the street-lamps dimmed into a mere mist of light. Studying her surroundings, Bellatrix was distracted by the mundane appearance of everything -- No house was varied from the next, the lawns all were carved into a green Eden and the rose gardens glistened in the soft moonlight that trickled down upon them.
Neither had said another word since Bellatrix's sincere outburst only five minutes earlier. Silence radiated between them, hanging in the air like their unsaid words and anger. Above, in the dark midnight sky, clouds began to congregate towards them, eerily staring down, as if hiding valuable secrets from their eyes. As a chill breeze swept down between them, their robes flowing behind them, Rodolphus opened his mouth and spoke, "You shouldn't have come here."
Appalled and bewildered, Bellatrix glanced up at him, with a smirk crawling up the left side of her face, "I shouldn't have?" Stopping suddenly, Rodolphus grabbed her shoulders, yanking her closer to his face so that they could stare at each other in the darkness.
"No. You don't understand what you've gone and troubled yourself with, do you Bellatrix?" He hissed, spitting out her name through gritted teeth, his hands clenching down into her skin.
"Presumptuous aren't we." Cooed Bellatrix, the corners of her mouth twisting into a grin, eyes sparkling beneath his groggy stare. "What makes you so sure I shouldn't have come, the Dark Lord seemed pleased to have one loyal Death Eater at his side."
"How dare you." He gasped, his voice low, placing his mouth directly next to her ear. Bellatrix could feel the soft moist air from his mouth, breathing down upon her neck, sending a shiver down her spine. With a rough shove backwards, Rodolphus removed his hands, her shoulders aching from his grip. "It's this house." As they moved upwards towards the doorframe, which was painted a brilliant red- the color of blood- He mumbled, "Artinicia."
As he broke open the lock silently, Rodolphus took his chance to place his hand on Bellatrix's back, shoving her into the living room. Managing to remain balanced, Bellatrix glared back at him, "What spell did you just make?" Glancing wildly at her own body, she expected it to distort itself painfully.
"We were invisible on the street, I removed the curse." He muttered, his voice harsh and demanding, "Pathetic." Were his last words before they heard a rummaging up a long winding staircase. Rather quickly, the pair hid in the shadows of the wall, their black robes concealing their white masks, for they needn't see, only hear.
"Honey, do you see anyone?" A woman beckoned, her voice drifting down the staircase.
"No, must have been those darned cats!" An older man muttered, his voice agitated, and both Rodolphus and Bellatrix could hear him stomping back up the stairs, his feet sliding upon the carpeted floor.
"You take the husband, I'll take the wife, you aren't strong enough for a magical being." Rodolphus stuttered, his face mere inches from her own. After only a meager nod, he to continued up the stairs, his feet a mere pitter patter against the carpet, barely echoing on the walls.
Moving up after him, Bellatrix paused in front of a large collage of photos. Eyes moving downwards, she studied them. Each one held smiling faces, containing an effortless glee and happiness. Towards the center was the largest photo, which tempted her eyes, as they grazed over it. A wedding photo. The woman, a lovely blonde haired beauty, much like Narcissa, was kissing a heavier-set man with short cropped hair. Their arms were entwined, clutching together as if they were silently being torn apart. It was a passionate photograph that oozed of love and loyalty, and it sent a pang of guilt into her heart. It was at the prompting of Rodolphus though, who had reached the top of the stairs, that she scurried further and faster till she was behind him, her breath upon his back.
Down the hall one door was open, light flooding a mere foot around it, disappearing in either direction until complete darkness ruled once more. Moving like a train, their hips connected together, Bellatrix's hands unconsciously grasping the back of his robes, they stopped beside the door, peering in. The silence that they found within the bedroom, where a man sat with his newspaper in front of his face, his wife silently sleeping beside him, seemed to prompt Bellatrix and Rodolphus to assume they had yet to hear them again.
Bursting through the door, Rodolphus turned down the light, leaving only the moonlight to see with. Their white masks seemed to glow in the shadow, as the man scrambled to his feet, shouting to his wife to run, disapparate, to leave while she still could. Bellatrix could see the sleeping body jolt upwards, eyes frantically searching the room for an escape. Rodolphus was on her in a second, with a mere murmur, "Imperio" the woman hardened. Back straight, hands clasped in her lap, eyes wide with shock and wonder, she resembled a statue.
In pain and agony the man scrambled towards his wife, hands grasping and clawing at her clothes, but she would neither move nor acknowledge him. "Please! We didn't do anything!" He moaned, his voice drowning into the night sky. Glistening, Bellatrix gritted her teeth, wand pointed at the man, whose hands were placed high in the air innocently, "Crucio." Screaming reverberated in the tiny room, bouncing off the walls back to her ears, a song of pain. Moving roughly in the bed, the entire frame shaking with his tossing, he fidgeted and moaned. With the slightest flick of her wrist, Bellatrix removed the curse, watching as the man slumped to the floor, breathing heavily, his eyes closed in pain, sweat dripping down his face and pooling on the soaking carpet.
By this time, Rodolphus had killed the woman, who lay limply off the bed, her head sagging, pale and lifeless, arms sprawled out around her. "Finish it." Rodolphus muttered, moving around the side of the bed to where the man cowered on the floor.
"No." Bellatrix smiled, her voice carrying sweetly to his ears, like a phoenix's song upon the wind. "If you don't wish to have fun with your pathetic victim, don't prevent me."
Eyes aflame, Rodolphus sneered, his voice cold and raspy, and it held an eerie similarity to their Dark Lord. "Finish it Bellatrix." The use of her name added a hint of aggressiveness, and with a reluctant sigh, she murmured, "Avada Kedavera." And watched as the man fell limply to the floor, his eyes rolling to the back of his head, hands turned outwards in an awkward and disgusting position.
"I don't think he has tested your loyalty enough." Rodolphus spoke, taking a few steps closer towards her, a jovial laughter bouncing off his tongue.
"That isn't for you to decide, Rodolphus." Bellatrix cursed, hands placed haughtily upon her hips in an hostile manner.
"I think it is." And with a simple whisper, he sent Bellatrix to her knees, screaming in pain and torture. Sweat dripped off her scalp and into her long black hair, which slapped itself across her face, sticking against her forehead. Redness grew on her cheeks, her scarlet lips wide in shock and horror as shrieks came from the depths of her soul. As Rodolphus stared down at her writhing in pain, hair flying, hands clawing at the carpet in rage, he thought she looked beautiful.
The spell was over in an instant, leaving Bellatrix heaving on the ground, her chest moving up and down with each gasp for air. As it moved into her lungs though, a searing pain engulfed her. Wincing, her eyes moved upwards, her head tilting, aching as she did so, to stare at Rodolphus, who looked at her with interest, "Dare I test your loyalty again?"
"Please no." Bellatrix managed to get out, begging and groveling down at his feet. It was with no emotion or sympathy that he lifted her up, so that she rested against him, still moving feebly, her hands and legs too weak to sustain themselves. Her forehead rested tenderly against his shoulder, his hands resting on her hip, to maintain her balance.
Despite the passing cruciatus curse he had tolled her with, the moment they shared, huddled together, their victims lying only a few feet away, were filled with an unsaid love. In a soft, endearing voice, Rodolphus lifted his wand to the sky, so that the tip almost touched the low ceiling, he murmured, "Morsmordre." A green light shown out of the tip, penetrating the ceiling and roof, shining into the night sky, forming a slithering snake, which glided smoothly out of a skulls mouth- The Dark Mark.
Vaguely aware he had cast it, Bellatrix lifted her eyes to stare at him. He had a strong chin that was tilted towards his wand, which his brown eyes were fixated upon. Along his jaw-line Bellatrix could see hints of facial hair growing back, and wearily, she lifted her arm and rubbed the back of her hand across it. At the sudden feeling of a warm hand on his face, Rodolphus' head jolted back towards her, his eyes meeting hers with confusion. "Bellatrix." He warned, his voice a mere whisper though, watching as she rested her head back down. "Lets go." He added reluctantly, shoving her off his shoulder, watching as she stumbled backwards, grasping the wall to stay up.
With snake-like maneuvers, Rodolphus headed down the hall, not bothering to remain silent. Aurors would no doubt report to the scene within the next few minutes, and he knew the wrath his Lord would bring down upon them if they were caught. Walking out after him, legs shaking as she climbed down the stairs, came Bellatrix. Already her face had regained parts of color, her cheeks no longer white, her lips the purest crimson.
It was as she approached the door that she felt hands upon her shoulder, thrusting her against the wall. Shuddering, it wasn't until her eyes landed upon Rodolphus' distinct features that her heart eased, though the thudding still continued in her chest. "What are you doing?" Bellatrix snapped.
Rather then speak, his head moved closer to hers, tilting at the last minute. Soft warm lips hit hers gently, moving caressingly, sucking, pleading, wanting. Slinking her arms around his neck, she pulled him closer, their bodies molding together against the wall. It was with hesitation that Rodolphus pulled away, leaving her wishing for more- He could see the lust in her eyes. Before he could whisper an apology, she had disapparated, leaving him alone. Raking a hand through his hair, he heard the Aurors talking outside the house, staring up at the green mark in the sky. With a last glance out the window, he vanished.
Ooc: Please leave reviews, as I love them with all my heart! Just a warning, the "R" rating will come in to effect in the next few chapters, so if you think that this might not deserve this rating, you will soon find out why!