And all this time, I've been hiding
It was the summer after fifth year and Azalea Potter was absolutely miserable. She had been the cause of her godfather, Sirius Black, dieing. She was in the kitchen washing the Dursley's dishes by hand, the muggle way, when she dropped a plate in the sink, cracking it into pieces.
Vernon, her uncle, thundered into the room at the sound at once.
"FREAK! HOW DARE YOU BREAK MY FINE CHINA!"
He grabbed her by her long black hair and dragged her out the back door.
"Get out and stay out, like the freak you are!"
Rodolphus Lestrange paced in his flat. He kept feeling a sense of danger, that wasn't his. He felt a tugging feeling that was leading him somewhere he didn't know.
It was a quarter past ten p.m. and it was very dark outside. There was no moon, nor stars in the sky that night. He followed the feeling to Little Whinging, Surrey. The feeling led him to a dark street with all the lights out, but he didn't need light to see. He cast a lumos and followed the pull, where it led him to a house with screaming coming from it.
"GET OUT AND STAY OUT LIKE THE FREAK YOU ARE!"
This piqued his interest, and he walked towards the house. At the edge of the property he felt wards, which was odd for a muggle house. A wizard must live here then. He cast a disillusionment charm and cautiously snuck up the side yard of the driveway towards the house's backyard.
There, he saw a whale of a man hitting on a small petite girl, where he backhanded the girl, hard, before he stormed back into the house. He moved closer to investigate, as he was bored and had nothing else to do.
When he got closer, he could make out more details of the girl. She had wild black hair and killing curse green eyes. He was so busy gazing at the girl that he didn't see the twig before him until it was too late.
At the sound of a twig snapping off in the distance, she whipped her head around to look where the sound came from.
He cursed himself for not thinking to cast a silencing charm on himself. When she finally looked away again, he snuck closer and grabbed her from behind. The mystery girl flinched away and freezed. Then he brought his hand up to her neck and accidentally touched her bare skin. She froze. He froze. The soul mate bond solidified between them, a pleasant warm feeling in both of their chests. He gently squeezed her neck, pulling her head back to rest on his shoulder. He loosened his hold on her waist so as to not restrain her anymore but to hold her softly. Rodolphus lowered his head to nuzzle Azalea's temple softly and sensually.
He whispered in her ear,
"Hello little soulmate, I finally found you at last."
She didn't know him, didn't recognize his scent or voice.
Azalea stuttered out, "Wh-who are y-you?"
"My name isn't important right now. What's important though, is are you okay? Did he hurt you? Did the filthy muggle lay his hands on you other than tonight?"
"No more than usual. My godfather just died and he was the one who protected me from them. But he's dead and it's my fault so I deserve this I guess."
"You absolutely do not deserve abuse. No one does. I'm sorry for your loss, what was his name?"
"His name was Sirius, Sirius Black." she choked out trying not to sob from the mere thought of him passing.
Rodolphus froze at that. Sirius Black? Could that be the very same Sirius Black that was his wife's cousin? That would make this girl... No it couldn't be. That would make this girl Azalea Potter, the wizarding world's beacon of light, their savior.
He didn't know how to respond to that. His wife had killed her godfather. She was indirectly the cause of this abuse to his soul mate. Oh god. His wife. He would have to do something about her. He just met his own soul mate. What would Bellatrix say about Azalea? If she found out, she'd kill her without a question. She was that insane.
Well, I guess I have to dispose of my wife, he thought to himself.. She won't be missed much, perhaps only by her sisters. He let out another deep sigh, the breath flowing across her ear and hair, cousin gher to shiver in the strangers arms.
Azalea didn't know who this man was, but she felt absolutely warm and safe in his arms. She felt loved and protected, not something she was ever used to feeling. Why did she feel so safe?
Wait a minute. What was it that Hermione was spewing about in fourth year? What was it that she said? It was something about a soulmate bond. How you would touch them, and feel that special spark. If this man was her soulmate, why was he here? Where did he come from? If he was able to find her, would others be able to find her too? Were the wards that protected her still there? Were the wards even working?
"Who are you?" she asked again.
His scent. She had smelled it before but she couldn't place it.
"Let me see you, please? Will you remove the disillusionment charm? I promise not to run away or scream or anything." she pleaded with the stranger.
"Maybe in a bit." he replied, "Let me savor this moment a little bit longer."
Azalea turned in his arms to face him, she could feel him. She could feel his body. She ran her hands up his chest to find where his neck was, and wrapped her arms around it.
"Why do I feel so safe in your arms?" she murmured into his chest.
Rodolphus felt a sense of smugness and protectiveness at the fact that she felt so safe with him, after just meeting him. His arms tightened around her waist drawing them closer together, bodies and fronts pressed snuggly together.
He let out a forlorn sigh. There was no more delaying this. She would find out who he was eventually, he could not hide this from his soul mate forever.
"Fine. Let me remove my disillusionment charm." He said with his eyes closed. He knew once he removed it, she would run. It was the only logical reaction to who he was, Rudolphus Lestrange, death eater extraordinaire and a Azkaban escapee to boot.
Once he removed it, he stood very still, as if that would hide him away from her sight. She took in a sharp inhale, and her eyes widened at the sight of such a beautiful man. But she recognised him from somewhere, somewhere not good
"It can't be... It honestly can't be. My mate can't be Rudolphus Lestrange..." she muttered to herself.
At her near silence, he opened his eyes to reveal an icey blue color. She took a minuscule step backwards and he frowned. She was afraid of him all of a sudden now that she knew who he was?
He stepped towards her, to follow her. He reached out to place his palm against her cheek, the one that was injured, and sent some of his raw magic to aid in the healing of it, so that the bruise that formed was vanished and the tissue soft and pliant again.
The sense of his magic caused Azalea to shiver. She thought to herself,
'Why do I still feel safe, in the bloodsoaked hands of Rodolphus Lestrange? I've known that he did horrific terrible things, why am I not afraid for myself?'
She looked up into his cold blue eyes that still somehow held a hint of warmth and asked,
"Will you hurt me?" as she nuzzled the hand on her cheek.
"Never. Absolutely not. I will never lay a hand on you."
"Do you promise?" she whispered.
"I promise." he whispered back and kissed her gently but passionately.
When she gasped, he deepened the kiss further.
She thought to herself, "All my life I've been hiding, but I don't think i have to hide anymore,"
And all this time, I've been hiding
