Chapter 4- Inner Circle
Lucius arrived home after the long night at the Black family estate. He was bewildered at Bella's sister. Narcissa Black was so different from the rest of her family. She was neither a blood traitor like Andromeda nor a controlling, sadistic death eater like Bellatrix. Instead, she was traditionalistic unlike Andromeda and fragile unlike Bellatrix. She was different. Lucius felt a searing pain on his left arm. He frowned, he didn't want to go, he wanted to stay and, and think. Think of the events that took place. He was a man who analyzed everything and that was how he planned to spend the rest of the night but the dark lord must not be kept waiting. He apparated at once to his master's side. The others were not there. It was only Bellatrix, Rodolphus and him. He was the last one to arrive, he sat down on his seat as what was customary. The dark lord looked down on him.
"Lucius," he croaked.
"Master,"
"Took too long, don't you think?" his sharp nails scratched Lucius' face. Lucius cringed.
"Pardon me, master. I'm not usually-" he was saying, averting his eyes, but the dark lord interrupted.
"Look at me." Voldemort bent down.
Lucius looked at him straight in the eye. He knew what the dark lord was doing, Legilimency.
"Ah," The dark lord grinned. "Lucius, I believe that is Bella's little sister in your thoughts. Bellatrix?" He looked at her, trying to strike some excitement. Bellatrix threw Lucius deadly glares.
"Now, now, Bella, you musn't be mad. Lucius is a fine young man, don't you think so? Would you want your sister in the hands of a filthy muggle or a mudblood for that matter? Sweet little Black girl." his tone was dark, rough, grim, almost mocking.
"My lord," Bellatrix answered. She was like a dog begging for approval from her master. "If this is about the bloodtraitor, I can assure you my sister and I were raised well! We, we have never spoken to the blood traitor ever since she stepped out of our house! Never master!"
He hardly gave her a second glance. "Assure that Bellatrix. Assure that."
"But I haven't summoned you to congratulate you for your wedding, Bellatrix, Rodolphus; or to interrogate you about your personal life, Lucius" His nasty smile changed to a serious frown. "I have summoned you three to serve the cause tonight, while the moon is still up. As you three may know, the killings haven't been acknowledged to come from me. The Ministry says so and so they ignore Dumbledore, it would be better to stay that way. The time is not now. But, there are others who try to, interfere. And you must see to silence anyone. Tonight, I ask you three to silence one very excellent halfblood wizard, he is in the running to be a head of a department, particularly the department of mysteries. Rookwood tried to recruit him, stupid act on his part and as such, he shall be punished. As what was expected, he did not come over to us and he now holds knowledge of this organization. You know what you must do. Go."
Indeed, Lucius, Bellatrix and Rodolphus knew what to do. They apparated at once to the house of the wizard while it was still dark. The sun would be rising in a few hours, they would have to make things quick. Lucius peeked inside the house through a window, it was dark. No one was inside.
"No one here," he said to the others. "perhaps, he isn't through with all the work in the ministry."
"We'd better wait here," Rodolphus sat behind a large rock opposite the house. The house was alone, separated from the other houses in the area. It was small, yet neat and Lucius estimated only a family of three could live inside.
Lucius walked away from Bellatrix who was eyeing the little house up and down. He sat next to Rodolphus who was contemplating the surroundings.
Lucius was about to say something when Bellatrix walked over to the two men. "I say we burn it." she proposed.
Lucius stood up. "Are you daft Bellatrix?! The fire alone would be enough to attract the other residents! Besides, there's no need killing more when we were only asked for one."
Bellatrix walked closer to Malfoy, while her husband sat watching them. Bellatrix traced Lucius' jaw. Rodolphus tried to act like he didn't mind but he wasn't altogether comfortable with what his wife was doing.
"Ooh," Bellatrix cooed. Her face was inches away from Lucius'. "Is the ever, so very brave, Lucius Malfoy finally going weak in the knees?" Bellatrix moved even closer.
Lucius did not answer. "Is it because, hmmm. Let me think." She drew back from Lucius and made a thinking gesture. "Oh! Is it because of my sister? Little Cissy? Whom you hardly even noticed before? Huh, Malfoy? Remember her back then? Well, she's none of your business hear me?"
"What is your obsession with controlling things, Bellatrix? I am most certainly not trying to in anyway endanger your sister, we are just acquaintances, what's your problem with that? What's your problem with me even talking to her?"
"My problem is you. Merlin Malfoy, you're a death eater for goodness sake. Cissy would just get in trouble because of you!"
"I know that's not the reason because if it were, then you wouldn't be a death eater yourself."
"AGHHHHH!"
"Stop it Bellatrix. We're on a mission."
"The man's not here yet, is he? Well, instead of sitting there, waiting, why not talk? And settle things. Right, Rod?" she shot her other half a deadly look. Rodolphus stood behind his wife.
"You know what Bellatrix?" Lucius sneered. "You may consider yourself beautiful, people might, but I find it surprising you actually got Lestrange here to marry you."
"Malfoy!" Rodolphus screamed. At the same time, Bellatrix shot her enemy an unforgivable. Lucius ducked.
"Hear me straight you slimy git. Don't you ever set your foot anywhere near my sister. Don't even think about it you prat!" Her voice was loud enough for people to wake up miles away and run to the wizard's house. Rodolphus from afar, saw lights turning on, heard the doors being opened.
"C'mon," Rodolphus held both Lucius and his wife's hands and apparated them out of the area. They landed in a stream where they could still see the wizard's house and the mob surrounding it. Bellatrix slapped him hard on the face.
"You prat! What was that all about apparating us here? They're filthy muggles! We could have held ourselves out there!"
"Bella, you really have to learn to tone down." he whispered.
She slapped him again.
"Imagine, first night as a married couple and here you two are. Fighting. How many slaps did you get tonight Rodolphus?"
"Shut it, Malfoy." Rodolphus said.
"Just proving a point."
"What point." Bella turned to Lucius. Lucius did not even hesitate.
"That you're lucky your sister did not turn out like you." He sneered.
"Crucio!" Lucius wasn't able to duck this time. The pain ran through him, crushing him from the inside.
Rodolphus disarmed Bellatrix.
"Stop acting as if you're children will you? Look, there he is. The people are leaving, he's there!" Rodolphus pointed to the tiny house.
"let's go." Lucius muttered.
Lucius and Bellatrix were to kill the man while Rodolphus made a barrier to block the sounds, the shrieks that would come. Lucius knew when Bellatrix had her prey in front of her, she would take time playing with it rather than devouring it at once. Lucius didn't have time for this. Bella's favorite spell, the cruciatus curse was used on the wizard multiple times since she disarmed the man. The poor fellow couldn't even talk, simply because Bellatrix never gave him a chance to.
"Just kill him, will you?" Lucius impatiently said. They still had their masks on. Bellatrix stopped the curse, not out of compliance to Malfoy but a bright idea hit her. She haven't done Fiendfyre in a while. That would be fun. The man was an excellent wizard, indeed, a short time of recovering while Bella lowered her wand and he was able to mutter out,
"Who are you? What have I done?"
"The first mistake you committed is picking the wrong side." Lucius kicked him. "Are you aware that soon enough you're going to be appointed the head for the department of mysteries?"
"Sadly that won't happen anymore," Bellatrix again used the cruciatus curse on him. There was a blood-churning scream that came from the man.
"No matter how hard you scream. No one will hear you, halfblood. This place is blocked!" Bellatrix laughed, her face was lowered down on the man's. The wizard's eyes were almost popping out of fear rather than the pain he felt searing through his skin, through his soul.
Lucius pulled Bellatrix back. "That's enough Bella, kill him now."
"Let's have a little more fun, like old times. How about some fiendfyre? Won't that get the spirit racing?"
The man kept on shaking his head as if to say, 'please, no.'
Bellatrix was about to use fiendfyre when a bright idea hit her.
"Wait." She said.
"What now?"
"Stand." Bellatrix told the man. The man didn't move. "Stand if you don't want to die." the man tried to stand despite the pain.
"Good. You're good enough. Despite being a filthy Half blood." her voice turned to a sickly tone on the last two words.
"What are you doing Bella?"
"He hasn't gone over to Dumbledore's side nor ours nor the ministry's which is to ignore since you haven't told anyone yet about Rookwood, have you?" the man shook his head again.
"Which obviously means you are a man of yourself. You choose what is right for you, don't you?" the man didn't know how to answer.
"Oh please Bellatrix. Let's just get this over with." Lucius raised his wand. But Bellatrix disarmed him. "No, Malfoy. We can make use of him."
"I beg your pardon?"
"The dark lord needs more eyes in the ministry. Don't kill him, the dark lord shall decide." At that moment, Rodolphus decided to go in.
"Everything alright? What's taking so long?"
"Your wife here, wants to bring this filth to our master."
"What?" Bellatrix bound the man in ropes and suddenly apparated him to the dark lord, leaving her companions.
"You shouldn't have married her, Rodolphus. You'd end up mad in no time."
"She's my wife Lucius. You shall not speak of her that way, hold your Tongue."
Rodolphus removed the barriers surrounding the house and then apparated with Malfoy to their master's side where they caught Bellatrix talking to You-know-who with his back turned behind.
"And, and master," she was saying. "This could be an opportune moment for you to have more eyes in the ministry. To make use of him as long as he has use, he is excellent but not brave master, he won't have the courage to defy you."
The dark lord slowly turned around.
"I see your point Bella and I agree." he smiled. He went over to where Bellatrix was seated and pat her head like an owner patting a well trained dog.
"I've taught you well," Rodolphus could just vomit at the way his wife looked adoringly pleased at herself. Not even one day as husband and wife and he found a lot of things to make himself cringe about Bella, one for that matter, is her adoration towards their master, her obsession that was driving Rodolphus insane in his seat that very moment.
"You two."
Lucius and Rodolphus looked at their master.
"You were of no use to me tonight and I have a hunch why. Bellatrix here though, has proved worthy to be part of my inner circle. You shall go unpunished but this, you shall remember, you love-sick fools. Love makes the heart weak. Do what I ask you to do and you shall be rewarded. Go."
The three apparated to Rodolphus' new home with Bella. Lucius looked around, it was a nice place.
"You may go now, Lucius." Rodolphus interrupted. He was irritated, both at his friend and at his wife.
Lucius eyed his somewhat friend curiously. "Alright, good night."
"Malfoy, fine. You just met her now. Just, just stay that way."
"Bellatrix," Lucius said. "Sorry to inform you but you can't control me nor your sister." And then he left just in time before Bella's death curse could hit him.
"Bella? What are you up to. Did I hear you just allow Lucius to befriend your sister?"
"It's okay, Roddy. I'll be dealing with Cissy that way Malfoy has no choice."
"Well, I don't understand what you're so worried about. They just met at your wedding."
"But did you see the look in Malfoy's eyes? That was something different and the dark lord even pointed it out too. Who could resist Malfoy. That's what I'm worried about since I know it's certainly not Cissy, she's had a crush on him since I don't know when!" She screamed. Rodolphus pretended not to hear this. Did she just say Malfoy was irresistable? "Well," He tried to say. "You resist Malfoy, maybe Cissy's like you." He wished she would agree that she didn't find Malfoy ever attractive. Merlin, she's married to him! How could she say that in front of her husband!
"That's because I find Malfoy pathetic. He's working so hard to be in favor with the dark lord. Pathetic. Simply pathetic. I never liked him, never did, never will. He's always my competition Roddy. YOU of all people should know that." Rodolphus Lestrange couldn't hide his relief. He smiled."