The Search Is Over,
Chapter 90, Kreacher Is Worth Four Elves
The next day, Kreacher and Regulus visited the Lestranges. They wanted to catch up after being away for months. Regulus also had a favor to ask as well. Wanting to give the family time to have dinner, the two took their time arriving. The day started leisurely enough with an hour or so spent in bed together before rising. After sharing a long bath, Kreacher accompanied Regulus to feed, then they apparated to Raven's Nest. Rabastan opened the door in a black bathrobe with a brandy glass in one hand.
"Well if it isn't our favorite little freaks! Come in," he said, standing back and ushering them inside.
"Hello Rabastan," Regulus said, trying not to smile.
"We wanted to catch up, considering we've been away for months."
"We got the gifts you sent from Greece and Bulgaria," Rabastan said, flashing a quick grin.
"Thanks."
They'd sent books from Bulgaria and pagan antique art from Greece. Regulus and Kreacher had shopped for themselves, and picked up similar items of interest for the Lestranges, Kereston, Millicent and the Snapes as well as Albus.
"We're glad you like everything," Regulus said with a smile.
"We're all hanging in the library," Rabastan said, leading the way in that direction.
"I'd offer you a bit of brandy, but as you can't drink it, I guess that leaves more for me."
"Who is it, Rabastan," Bellatrix's voice called from the library.
Rather than answering, Rabastan ushered Regulus and Kreacher in ahead of him.
"Hi, Bella," Regulus said warmly.
"Rod! How is it going?"
"Bloody good, literally," Rodolphus said with a pleased chuckle.
"Working for Black Ops is brilliant. We get to torture, and kill, and sometimes we get to torture and kill!"
"It is nice having a job that allows one to take the edge off," Bellatrix cackled.
"Did you prats enjoy your vacation?"
"We did, actually," Regulus said, settling onto the loveseat beside Kreacher while Rabastan flopped across from them in an armchair.
"Kreacher enjoyed such a great variety of food," Kreacher enthused.
"We have gotten to travel a bit ourselves for the Black Ops work, and as we're in heavy disguise, it's easier to move about unnoticed," Bellatrix said.
"So we've eaten in France and Mexico while you were gone."
"Also we tortured in France and killed in Mexico while you were gone as well," Rabastan added with a smirk.
"So pleased you like your new line of work," Regulus said dryly.
In spite of himself, his lips twitched in amusement, though.
"We remember well that we owe it all to you, little cousin," Rodolphus said fondly.
"Oh it was nothing, and I owe you that and more," Regulus professed honestly.
"I did come to beg a favor as it happens, but rest assured I'd ask even if I wasn't the one to help you out of prison. It's rather a family matter."
"Oh it isn't about Lucy Malfoy is it," Bellatrix asked.
"We so detest dealing with him."
Regulus chuckled.
"I am pleased to be able to say no. It's about a house elf. We need one."
Kreacher spoke before the Lestranges could and his words caused Regulus's jaw to drop.
"Kreacher was rather thinking four would be best."
"Four elves? What in the hell do you need with four elves? What are you going to do to them," Bellatrix demanded suspiciously.
"You aren't like going to have some sort of giant elf and Regulus orgy with them, are you," Rabastan asked.
"Because..."
"Gods, don't be nasty, Rabastan," Regulus exclaimed, glaring in affronted disgust at the youngest Lestrange.
"It isn't like that! Kreacher and I aren't like that, a fact of which you should be well aware! I don't have some sort of bloody elf fetish. It's just Kreacher...He and I..."
"We're good. We don't think you have an elf fetish, and we certainly don't need to hear anything about you and Kreacher on a personal level," Rodolphus hastily assured.
"Poor Bella gets triggered as they say. Rabastan didn't mean anything."
"Well how the hell should I know," Rabastan defended himself.
"So if it's not an orgy, and thank the gods for that, by the way, what the fuck do you need four elves for?"
Kreacher shrugged.
"Kreacher just thinks that four would be better. Not all elves are as accomplished as Kreacher, and rather than unrealistically expecting one to live up to his standards, he figures four can perhaps manage it with a bit of hard training."
"You retiring or something," Rabastan asked.
"I have freed Kreacher. I would have done some time ago, but when I originally tried, he got so upset that I left off for the moment. Then everything happened around Voldemort and...I wasn't here," Regulus explained.
"Okay, great but four," Rabastan asked incredulously.
Kreacher frowned, and Regulus interceded quickly.
"I want Kreacher to have whatever he wants, and if he feels he needs four elves, then he does."
"He's creating a little monster," Bellatrix murmured with a chuckle.
"We were hoping you were aware of some family members who have extra elves, like children or what have you," Regulus said.
"If they would be willing to pass them on, we shall give them a good home."
"We can check into it," Bellatrix said.
"We'll have to check several Black and Lestrange branches to get you four, though."
"And we won't be letting anyone who is willing to pass one over in on the fact that you'll be getting three more lest they refuse outright," Rodolphus said with a laugh.
"The two of you are weird, do you know that?"
Regulus arched his brows.
"Coming from you, Rodolphus, I can only say pot kettle plus I beg to differ. Compared to you lot, we're quite dull."
"Dull and weird do not have to be mutually exclusive," Rodolphus retorted.
"Isn't that Uncle's ring, Kreacher," Bellatrix asked, pointing to the black flash on Kreacher's left hand where the dark diamond glittered.
"Yes," Kreacher said.
"Master Regulus gave it to Kreacher."
"We...Well we had a sort of commitment ceremony," Regulus said.
"We'd have invited you but we didn't think you'd care...considering all your snide comments."
"You're probably right, but it would've been nice to have been invited all the same," Bellatrix sniffed.
"So like, as you're free now and as close to married as you can get, why the fuck do you still call him your master," Rabastan asked Kreacher, perplexed.
"Kreacher feels comfort in the familiarity. Master Regulus was always Kreacher's happy place, and he sees no reason to change that memory by altering the way he speaks."
"He probably uses it for kinky shit," Bellatrix snickered and Kreacher's lips curved into a grin as his cheeks briefly reddened.
"Perhaps," he admitted.
Regulus glanced around the room in open discomfort, wishing for a subject change with all of his heart. He very much disliked the fact that Kreacher still insisted upon calling him Master Regulus, and in part he suspected that was why the elf still did it.
"Narcissa paid us a visit yesterday," he told Bellatrix quickly.
"She mostly came to thank us for helping you out. She is very fond of you, you know."
Bellatrix's usually sharp eyes softened as her expression became nearly sentimental.
"That's nice. I think I'm touched."
After a moment she nodded decisively.
"Yes, I am."
"Did she ask you a lot of weird questions about your vampirism," Rabastan asked.
"She's not the sort," Bellatrix said.
"That would be rude."
Regulus nodded.
"I suppose she seemed sympathetic about it, but she was polite."
"It's going to be odd for you in society, Reg," Bellatrix said carefully.
Regulus felt his stomach flip in discomfort because Bellatrix was actually trying for tact. That meant it was probably going to be bad.
"I'd stand by you and dare anyone to shun you or even cause you discomfort, but I'm not exactly allowed to be a part of society now. Not that I shall miss it as it was all rubbish the three of us would rather avoid, but you never seemed to hate it as much. So I am warning you that it may not be the same for you now."
Regulus nodded, not quite knowing what to say or even how he felt about it. Vampires were rather on the darker fringes of things, but he'd never heard of one having traditional magic or coming from a prominent wizarding family, so perhaps he'd foolishly expected better for himself.
"It's alright, Bella," he told his cousin gently.
"It doesn't really matter. I have Kreacher and that's all I've ever truly cared about when it comes down to it."
That was true. He did care for his family name and reputation, but more importantly, he cared about Kreacher.
"The three of you are the only society I need," he added with a grin.