Candied Tongue
"Beware the candied tongue that laps at royal boots, and through its sugary slime conceals the black heart."
Bellatrix, despite her placating words to Rabastan, waited until the last possible moment to speak to Rodolphus. Three days before the Hogwarts Express was due to take students home for Christmas holidays, she approached him as he was about the enter the Slytherin common room.
"Rodolphus," she called quietly, trying not to attract the attention of their fellow students. A few curious boys did a double-take, and one confident fourth year girl went so far as to pause mid-stride and stare openly at Bellatrix as though she had sprouted a second nose. Bellatrix took a menacing step forward, casting a glare around the corridor, and the younger students scurried away in fear.
Rodolphus stood by the rusticated stone wall, motionless and incredulous. "I'm sorry," he finally said in a sarcastic tone, "do I know you?"
"Darling, please don't be stupid," Bellatrix sighed, inspecting her manicure.
He laughed coldly. "Darling. Don't give me that, sweetheart." He crossed the hallway in a few short steps and planted his feet firmly in front of her, arms crossed over his chest. "You haven't acknowledged my presence on this earth in almost a month."
"You were being an idiot," she replied simply. "I wasn't going to put up with you."
He looked away, gritting his teeth in frustration. After a few deep breaths, he turned back to her and slowly said, "Bellatrix. Listen to me. We were both idiots, all right? I provoked you; I shouldn't have done that. But you've been holding this grudge for far too long."
Bellatrix's jaw dropped. "Don't you dare say this was my fault. You weren't… worthy of me anymore. You weren't worthy of what we're about to do."
"For fuck's sake, Bellatrix!" he shouted, and then froze. They both stood in silence, jaws clenched and fists shaking in rage. She was staring at him, unable to speak or move. Never, in all their years of betrothal or dating, had he cursed at her. Not a single foul word had passed his lips in her direction, despite all their arguments. He had been brought up to abhor the idea of using rude language in the presence of a woman, especially one such as Bellatrix Black. He had lost his temper; more importantly, for a moment he had lost sight of who he was, and who the Lestranges were.
What concerned Bellatrix the most, however, was that he had forgotten who she was. "How dare you be so vulgar?" she fumed. "If Rabastan wasn't making me speak to you—"
"Rabastan?" Rodolphus was instantly distracted. "He wrote to you?"
"I told him to come see me."
"When was this?"
Bellatrix tossed her hair, a satisfied smirk twisting across her lips. She had regained control. "It didn't concern you."
Rodolphus put a hand on her shoulder, digging his fingers into her skin more than was necessary. "Clearly, it did concern me," he corrected, "if he told you to get back together with me." As he said the words aloud, his brow furrowed and the look in his eyes shifted to one of uncertainty. "He told you to get back together with me," he repeated. "You're not even doing this of your own accord?"
She wrapped her fingers around his wrist and tried to pry his hand from her shoulder, but his grip was too tight. "Rodolphus." He glared at her, and she growled again, "Rodolphus. You're hurting me. Let go."
Smirking in an uncanny impression of Bellatrix, he answered, "Not until you tell me if you really want to be with me."
She sighed in exasperation and hissed, "I'll never be the soft-hearted romantic that Narcissa is, all right? If that's what you signed up for, you're going to be disappointed." She paused, staring up at the ceiling, and took a sharp, frustrated breath. "I won't be with you just because someone told me to. I want to be with you, Rodolphus, but not as a girl that you can control and order around. I am my own person, and you'd do well to remember that."
Rodolphus slowly smiled. "That's my Bellatrix," he said, squeezing her shoulder gently.
She slapped his hand away with such abruptness that his grip was loosened. "I'm not your Bellatrix," she said acidly.
He bit his lip and nodded. "Of course." He bent and kissed her cheek chastely, his lips lingering by her ear. She felt his hot breath against her skin as he whispered, "I'm sorry."
She looked up at him from beneath dark lashes and slid her hand up his chest. She grasped his silver and green tie and pulled his face town to hers, kissing him slowly. He was hesitant at first; his lips moved against hers with the uncertainty of their first kiss. Soon, however, she tugged impatiently on his tie, and he was quick to match her aggression.
After a minute, Rodolphus pulled away. Bellatrix cocked one eyebrow and waited for him to speak.
"I want you to know," he finally said, tilting her chin up so that he could look her in the eye, "that Rabastan sent me a letter this morning." He glanced around the empty corridor before continuing, "He's asked the Dark Lord to meet us."
Bellatrix's eyes widened, and she put a hand to her mouth. Her fingers trembled as she asked, "And will he?"
Rodolphus grinned and kissed her. "He will," he whispered, taking her left hand in his. He slid his fingers up her sleeve and traced the tender skin of her forearm. Bellatrix shivered under his touch.
"I love you," she breathed. It was not the first time she'd said those three words to Rodolphus, but it was the first time in weeks, and something felt different about it this time. Perhaps it was because it was the closest she'd ever come to truly meaning it, and he was well aware of this.
"I love you, too," he said quietly, resting his chin on the top of her head and pulling her close against his chest.
Bellatrix stood in silence, and then squirmed slightly and pulled away. "Don't use foul language around women," she said haughtily. Her hand lingered on his arm for a moment, and then she swept away down the corridor.
Lestrange Estate appeared even more ornate than Bellatrix had remembered, but perhaps that was because Mrs. Lestrange had already ordered the house elves to decorate the mansion for the annual Christmas party. The bare-branched trees glittered with lights that reflected off of the thin, crisp layer of snow that covered the wide lawn. Thick garlands hung from the iron fence and framed the impressive doorway; imposing statues squirmed in their bonds of tinsel, looking vexed. A twelve-foot Christmas tree towered over the front parlour, hundreds of shining baubles tinkling softly from its branches.
Bellatrix and Rodolphus had been home from school for several days. Bellatrix was in a guest bedroom, painting her nails, when a tentative knock came on her door.
"Come in," she said airily, finishing the last stroke of polish on her thumb. The door creaked open to reveal a wrinkled old house elf with a faded rag tied around his scrawny waist. He was twisting his fingers together nervously, winding and unwinding a bandage around his wrist as he shifted from one foot to the other. Bellatrix's former civility vanished. "Speak up, vermin," she spat. "What is it?"
"Miss Black," the creature whispered, "her ladyship wishes to see you in the library."
'Her ladyship', of course, was Mrs. Lestrange. Although of no real nobility, she and her husband insisted that all their servants refer to them by such deferential names. It was a practice that had died out in many of the ancient families, but it pleased Bellatrix that she and Rodolphus would be inheriting house elves who still answered to the old ways.
"Then I shall see her," Bellatrix said impatiently. "Why must you act so anxious?"
"Oh, Miss—he is there as well—with frightening snake on his arm—"
"Who?" she demanded, her eyes widening in anticipation. "Who is here with a snake on his arm?"
"The other young Master—"
Bellatrix stood from her stool and kicked the house elf aside, ignoring his howls of pain. She descended the steps hurriedly and strode across the front hall. She paused in front of the library door to smooth her hair before turning the handle and pushing the door open.
"Bellatrix," came a cool, female voice. "I trust you've met my elder son, Rabastan."
Bellatrix stepped into the room. A woman was reclining on a dark red chaise longue in the center of the library. Her blonde hair, swept up in an elegant French twist, was beginning to grey, but her dark eyes were still piercing as they held Bellatrix's gaze. She kept a loose grip on a book with one hand while waving the other towards the far corner of the room. Bellatrix took another step forward and dipped her head respectfully to the woman before looking in the direction that she had indicated. Rabastan stood in the corner, the finely carved bookcase beside him casting strange shadows across his sharp features. He nodded at Bellatrix and crossed his arms over his chest as he leaned nonchalantly against the wall.
"We've met, Mother," Rabastan said softly, his eyes never leaving Bellatrix. His stare made her uncomfortable, and she tore her gaze away to look back at the woman on the chaise.
Alcyone Lestrange beckoned Bellatrix towards her and gestured to another chair. Bellatrix sat down and glanced cautiously between mother and son.
"Rabastan tells me that you have a special interest in our Christmas party this year," Alcyone began, her tone deceptively light. "Namely, some of our guests."
Bellatrix nodded slowly, unsure of how to respond.
Alcyone continued, "We've already spoken to Rodolphus about this."
Bellatrix's eyes flashed. They had spoken to Rodolphus before her. They considered his involvement with the Dark Lord more important than hers. They believed he cared more than she did. Mindful of her future mother-in-law's presence, she suppressed the desire to claw Rabastan's eyes out and took a few deep breaths to calm herself. She gripped the arms of her chair, her knuckles turning white, and quietly replied through clenched teeth, "I assure you, this is as important, if not more important, to me."
Rabastan grinned toothily, his teeth glinting from the dark corner. "We know, Bellatrix. I've heard your frantic tirades of allegiance. I would ask that you please refrain from such outbursts at the party. The time will come for you to pledge your loyalty."
Alcyone shifted on her chaise so that she was sitting up and adjusted her robes. "I don't pretend to be naïve about what your generation is doing, Bellatrix." She pulled back her left sleeve to reveal a pale, creamy forearm that was unblemished. "I may not bear the Mark that my husband and son do, but I know what they fight for and I support them. Your mother, Druella, and many other women of my class will ignore what they know to be true, though they support the same ideals." Her eyes glittered in a manner not unlike Bellatrix's. "I, on the other hand, am proud of what my sons are doing for the cause."
The taunt did not go unnoticed. Every pureblood family of worth knew that Druella and Cygnus Black's greatest shame was their inability to produce male heirs. Bellatrix pitied her parents, but fervently hoped that their propensity for having daughters would not be passed on to her. She chose her words carefully. "My hope, Mrs. Lestrange, is that you will be as proud of your grandsons as you are of your sons."
Alcyone nodded and relaxed back into her chaise. "Rabastan will speak to you in more detail, as he knows more about what you will need to do. I simply want you to know that I know what you are doing, and that you have my complete support. This Christmas ball is as much an opportunity for you and Rodolphus as it is a social gathering."
Bellatrix stood and glanced at Rabastan briefly before turning back to Alcyone. "Thank you, Mrs. Lestrange. It's an honour to have your support in this endeavour."
Rabastan came out of the shadows, his head bowed, and offered his left arm to Bellatrix. She placed her hand gently on the proffered arm, mindful of the sensitive Mark that she knew lay buried beneath the sleeve. He led her from the library as Alcyone returned to her book.
Once in the parlour, he directed her towards a chair and came to stand in front of her. He planted his feet firmly on the floor and clasped his hands behind his back. She crossed her legs and leaned one elbow on the arm of the chair, placing her cheek against her hand, and waited for him to speak. He tilted his head slightly to the side, and with his face suddenly in the light, she could see a thin scratch on his cheek, still caked with dried blood.
"What happened to your cheek?" Bellatrix asked with no real concern.
Rabastan replied shortly, "There was an incident. If you join us, you'll have to accept that they same will likely happen to you."
"I will gladly bear any scar for the cause," she fired back. "Fear will never be an issue."
He raised one eyebrow and smiled. "Neither will dedication, I take it. That was a clever comment to my mother about her future grandsons. It's reassuring to see that you've decided that my brother serves for more than sex." Rabastan smirked and added, "Oh, that's right. You two don't have sex, do you?"
Bellatrix had the grace to blush. "Rabastan. Please. You're the one who's always worried about presenting the proper face to the world. Shouldn't you have a little more propriety?"
"Not when it affects me," he returned. "I apologize for being blunt, but it has to be said. If you're… occupied with Rodolphus, you're not distracted by other men. Men like Antonin Dolohov."
Her nostrils flared slightly, and her eyes hardened. "I am not distracted by Antonin," she said coldly. The fact that Antonin had told Rabastan about their almost-tryst in the Forbidden Forest bothered her; then again, he had made it quite clear that he was not one for keeping secrets. "There is nothing between us," she said firmly. "Besides, I recall you saying something about accepting that Rodolphus and I would be unfaithful to each other."
"Not if it distracts either of you from your work for the Dark Lord," Rabastan warned in a voice that seemed to be holding back barely concealed rage. "And I don't want you distracting Antonin, either." He began pacing back and forth across the room. "Listen. Did you know Aura Yaxley while you were at school?"
Bellatrix nodded. The girl had been a few years older than her; she was known for being loose, but memorable for little else.
Rabastan continued, "The Dark Lord tortured her last year because she was sleeping with Lucius Malfoy's older brother." He paused in his march and turned to stare at Bellatrix. "They were distracted by the affair and got clumsy in their work. Eventually, their lack of focus would have hurt the Dark Lord, and he knew it. They were both tortured. Brutally. Have you ever felt the Cruciatus Curse, Bellatrix?"
She swallowed hard, feeling the old scars on her right arm throb. "No. But Rabastan—"
"I said listen. Aura Yaxley is hanging onto her sanity by a thread. She's been bedridden for months; she broke her own wand to splinters and tried to kill herself with them. She'd be better off dead. Malfoy… well, he's stronger; he fared better. The Dark Lord banished him for a year. Put a Fidelius Charm on all his information—which, by the way, is incredibly taxing for any wizard less powerful than the Dark Lord—and made himself Secret Keeper. Malfoy's off in Hogsmeade or some such place, biding his time. I heard he's been trying to gather information to present when he's allowed back in. Trying to get back in the Dark Lord's good graces." He gave Bellatrix a hard look. "The Dark Lord doesn't have good graces, Bellatrix. He either tolerates you, or disposes of you."
Bellatrix had been fidgeting in her seat through Rabastan's speech. Finally, she stood up. "That's fascinating, Rabastan," she said sarcastically, "but it's irrelevant. I'm not distracted. Antonin's the one you should be worried about; he was willing to give me information for a quick one-night stand."
Rabastan laughed darkly. "I know. It would have been useless information, but the inclination to betray is there nonetheless. He is not yet a true Death Eater."
It was the first time Bellatrix had heard this phrase, these two words that would be both her making and her undoing. Even then, before she truly knew their meaning, she felt their weight in her heart. They floated across the air from Rabastan's lips; they reached her ears and made them tingle. She suddenly shivered. "Death… Eater?" she repeated.
He smirked. "Merlin, Bellatrix, the things you don't even know…." He stepped towards her, placing a hand on her shoulder, and pushed her gently back into her chair. "Death Eaters are the Dark Lord's followers, those who truly believe in and do his work. They are his closest associates and his most valued supporters. A number of them will be at Mother's Christmas party in a few days; you'll be meeting them then."
"And Rodolphus?"
"He'll be on the same level you are," Rabastan laughed, "so there's no need to be jealous. Your initiations will be separate, however."
Bellatrix instantly said, "I want to be first."
Rabastan shook his head. "It's up to the Dark Lord. You'll have to ask him." He laughed again. "Although I wouldn't suggest that tactic."
She stood again, crossing her arms over her chest. "Is that all, Rabastan? I have things to do."
He frowned, but moved aside to let her pass. Feeling a draught, she tightened her arms, pushing her chest over the top of her black lace top. Rabastan's eyes almost drifted, but he caught himself and looked intently at the window instead.
She chuckled softly. "Oh, Rabastan… you'd better heed your own advice. Don't get distracted."
He grabbed her arm in a viselike grip, his eyes boring into hers. "Pull a move like that at the party," he warned in a deadly whisper, "and you can forget about meeting the Dark Lord."
Bellatrix wrenched her arm from his grasp and pursed her lips as he strode angrily out of the parlour. The Dark Lord would see the value of her femininity; she knew he simply had to. If she could coax information out of Antonin Dolohov with a few kisses, she could be invaluable in fighting for the Death Eaters. The thought of working alongside them sent shivers up her spine.
"Death Eaters," she breathed aloud, feeling the words burn on her lips. She vowed then and there that she would become the best among them. Smiling to herself, she walked across the room and came to stand at the foot of the enormous Christmas tree. She traced one of the delicate glass ornaments with a careful finger. It brushed another ornament and tinkled softly. She silenced both and examined another, a flat crystal oval cut with intricate designs that glittered with every movement. Shimmering, iridescent words were etched into its surface, changing magically every few seconds. At first it said, "Alcyone—with affection on our tenth Christmas—Arrakis". The ornament's second message displayed, "We love you, Mother!—Rab and Rod". Arrakis was Mr. Lestrange. Bellatrix hadn't seen him since she'd been there; he was likely off on business for the Dark Lord. Rab and Rod, of course, were Rabastan and Rodolphus' childhood nicknames.
"Pretty, aren't they?" came a deep voice from behind her.
Bellatrix started, knocking the beautiful ornament from its branch. She watched it fall, bracing herself for the inevitable crash, but it never came. The crystal bounced gently on the carpet and came to rest, unscathed, next to a large pile of elegantly wrapped presents. She picked it up and glared at Rodolphus, who stood in the doorway, chuckling quietly.
"You startled me," she admonished. She put her hands on her hips and pouted.
Rodolphus moved across the room and stood beside her. He turned her gently towards the tree and pressed his chest against her back, wrapping one arm around her waist. He used the other arm to guide her hand towards the tree, and together they carefully replaced the ornament. She turned slowly in his arms and stood on her tiptoes to kiss him. He tightened the grip on her waist and deepened the kiss, parting her lips with his tongue. After a few moments, he started to pull away, but Bellatrix snaked an arm behind his neck and kept his lips locked against her own.
Once she was satisfied, she said, "Rodolphus, why didn't you tell me that your mother and Rabastan had already spoken to you about the Death Eaters?"
He looked down, taking a step backwards, and cleared his throat. "I'm sorry."
Bellatrix pursed her lips in disappointment. She had hoped that Rabastan hadn't mentioned 'Death Eaters' to his brother, and that she would have the edge in knowing more than he did. What bothered her more, however, was that he had been told the Death Eaters, perhaps for days, and had told her nothing.
"Rodolphus," she repeated, "when did you know?" When he did not reply immediately, she grabbed his wrist and dug her freshly painted nails into his skin. The polish was not yet dry, and left bright red streaks on his skin that looked like blood.
"It was only this morning!" he protested. "Bellatrix, I swear—I was going to tell you—Rabastan made me promise not to say anything until he and Mother had spoken to you—"
She pressed harder with her nails, and he groaned in pain. She stepped closer and put her face up to his, staring at him with cold, gleaming black eyes. "Listen to me," she hissed, "and listen well. If someone tells you something, anything, you tell me. Immediately. I want to know if either of your parents says something. I want to know if Rabastan, Antonin, Amycus, anyone tells you anything. If a Death Eater looks at you, I want to know. If a Death Eater sneezes, I want to hear about it before someone even says 'Bless you'. Do you understand?"
Rodolphus nodded wordlessly, his eyes wide. Anxious to offer reparations, he quickly said, "My father will likely want to meet with me when he comes back from his trip. I'll ask him to let you come with me."
"You'll tell him I'm coming with you," Bellatrix corrected, finally releasing his wrist. He rubbed the raw marks with his other hand and winced.
"I'll tell him," Rodolphus repeated, pressing a hesitant kiss to her forehead. "I love you," he added, sounding like a guilty puppy.
This time, Bellatrix did not reply. She pushed him aside and strode out of the room. When she reached the doorway, she paused and looked over her shoulder. "I like that ornament," she said with surprising calm. "The crystal one. I want one for Christmas, but nicer." She put on a fake smile and added, with sickening sweetness, "Get it for me, will you, darling?"
She blew him a kiss and slammed the parlour door behind her.
-(It's really disconcerting when I look at the number of unique visitors a chapter has gotten, and there are zero reviews. That means that quite a few people made it all the way to the last chapter, which takes a while, and decided that it wasn't worth it to let me know what I'm doing right, and what needs work. The story won't get improved without your help, and if you read all the chapters, I'm assuming that you were at least entertained and would like to see the story continued. I obviously don't write this story for money; I write it because I hope that some people, somewhere in the world, will get enjoyment out of reading it. And I'll never know if anyone enjoyed it if there are no reviews. I really didn't want to give this speech, but the apparent lack of interest makes me want to discontinue it. I don't write for reviews, but if you have the time to leave a thought or two, it really means the world to me, and I reply to every single signed review.
ANYWAY. I'm so glad I got this out when I promised (I did say June, right?). I'm not entirely pleased with it; it's mostly a filler chapter, but it was starting to run long and I knew I was at the right stopping point. The next chapter will be more exciting, I swear, and we'll finally get to meet some new Death Eaters. It's such a relief to be able to call them that now; I had been so careful not to use it up to this point.
Speaking of Death Eaters, thank you to the six people who voted in my poll--your help was greatly appreciated. Rabastan came in first, which is part of the reason that he plays such an important role in this chapter (the other part is that he makes me weak at the knees). Second place was a four-way tie between Antonin, Lucius, Severus, and Regulus. I'll be sure to get them all some solid screentime (Get it? Because you're looking at a computer screen? Har har....). Anyway, thanks again for voting!
I'm so excited for the next chapter that I'm going to get started writing it right away. I'll try to have it up before I go to Europe, but since we depart on June 24, that may or may not happen. If I can't get it up by then (that's what he said), I'll get it up in early July. Thanks for reviewing, especially to my most loyal reviewers--Jacalyn Hyde, Attraversiamo, xoxLewrahxox, and silver and rubies--who are awesome people and deserve cookies and hugs. Thanks for reading!)-
-(Click the button!)-