Corvus oculum corvi non eruit

Rodolphus Lestrange, Editor-in-Chief of the Daily Prophet. Always the smartest man in the room.

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Unexpected Consequences

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remuslxpns‌:

“Oh, well isn’t that charming?” Remus asked sardonically with a raised smile. “I am sure your kidnapping is quite in season and I would have a better conversation with my other cellmate than I am having now. If we are going to talk about minds, then should we discuss how slow your attempt at memory charms are?”

Perhaps Remus should not have acted on such spontaenous thoughts when he saw Lestrange alone in an alleyway. This wouldn’t have happened if Remus didn’t touch, or better yet, go near Lestrange. It might have been better for both of them if Remus had just stupified him from afar. 

“I’m not in the mood to be giving thanks to someone who broke into my flat and ruined my morning,” Remus stated evenly, keeping his stare as he took a sip of his drink. It wasn’t poison, but drinking with Lestrange was just the same, his face wincing as it was sent down his throat. 

He didn’t need to tell Lestrange that the extensive amount of veritaserum had burned his throat and made him confess to Juniper about being a werewolf. She was a clever girl and would have discovered it anyway, but Remus could distinctly remember waking up in his flat, having a feeling of what happened but not being able to place anything. 

If Remus was going to be in the proximity of a death eater’s flat whom he currently had no understanding for or respect, then he would take advantage of it where he could. He would apparate before there was another chance Rodolphus could do anything to him, learning from experience this time around. 

“You think all the werewolves dying would solve all your problems? How does it even effect you, may I ask? If you think you’re the only one who has ever tried to undermine me because of that then I have to disappoint you.” It wasn’t the first time someone had incinerated something, but with the people he trusted, none of that had ever been raised heatedly. “Primal instinct?” Remus drawled out in an echo, his lips smiling at Rodolphus’ intent on making Remus into some raving creature. “I would appreciate the chance to wake up in my flat and not have someone come to torture me. I would appreciate never seeing your face ever again by creative means or otherwise. And I would appreciate you minding your own fucking business or are the hours at the Daily Prophet really dull enough for you to take an interest in me? I wouldn’t know how journalism works these days, but I only use it for starting fires. Seems the only good service it does to the general public.”

Rodolphus scowled. “Even I’m not perfect, wolf,” he muttered. It was true; his work with the memory charm could have been better. Really he should’ve just called Maura, but he’d intentionally left some of the memory in-tact. He just hadn’t realized he seemed to have missed a spot. 

Rather than comment on Lupin’s “wrecked morning” Rodolphus focused on his expression after he took a drink. There was no accounting for taste, apparently. 

“Of course it wouldn’t solve all my problems. But it would certainly make me feel better. It would make the world a safer place. Or do you enjoy being what you are? Would you choose it? Somehow, I don’t think so. Perhaps it’s a pity you were inflicted with the curse, but it doesn’t exactly matter anymore. Those who treat you ill are doing what any self-respecting witch or wizard should.”

The little speech was delivered with calm confidence, as though Rodolphus was merely commenting on how cold it had been that morning. 

One of his eyes twitched when Remus mentioned using his paper to set fires. He was very aware that general sentiment for the Daily Prophet was generally polarized between those who trusted its every word, and those who believed it was all propaganda and lies. To be fair, rather a lot of it was propaganda and lies, but that didn’t mean that no effort was put into it. It took rather a lot of effort to do more than just tell the truth. 

“I’m afraid that other people’s lives are, quite literally, my business,” he pointed out dryly. “As for never seeing you again- no promises, but I can say I’m certainly disinclined to do so. We wouldn’t be having this conversation at all if it weren’t for you. Believe me, I’ve learned all I need to know about you.” 

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Cat Problems

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jasperthetenderhearted‌:

Jasper actually couldn’t help the intake of breath at the sight of the two cats. He did love cats, he really did. Sure he didn’t have any of his own but that was mostly because they would upset the bees. Forgetting the bees just wouldn’t stand.

“What a beautiful critter!” He said, immediately stooping down to let harnessed cat smell his hand. “Oh, you are a pretty kitty, yes you are! Yes, you are one of the prettiest kitties. What’s your name, pretty kitty? I know, it’s so hard you can’t go chasing all the birds, I am sure you would kill them all, yes you’re very strong and ferocious, yes you are.”

It occurred to Jasper that he hadn’t actually looked up at the owner of the cat. He didn’t really recognize the other man. But he felt like probably should. “Hi, sorry. Err, I feel like I should know you? What’s your cat’s name?”

Well. That wasn’t the reaction Rodolphus had expected. Absolute adoration colored the young man’s features as he knelt down, eyes wide, so that Michael could sniff his hand. It was as if he hadn’t even heard Rodolphus speak. On the one hand; this was precisely the reaction a person should have around his cats. On the other hand, he loathed being ignored. 

Michael was purring up a storm and seemed to be attempting to lightly gnaw the man’s finger off, presumably in a gesture of misguided affection. He was so stupid. Rodolphus loved him. 

When Rodolphus was finally given the attention he should have commanded at the outset, he looked down with a wry expression. 

“Rodolphus Lestrange, Editor in Chief of the Daily Prophet,” he said, succinct and to the point. Always nice to get acknowledged. “The one trying to eat your finger is Michael. This is Gabriel.” He gestured loosely to the cat cradled in his arm, whose head was swiveling wildly. Being deaf and blind had never stopped Gabriel from finding people and demanding attention, and since this man hardly seemed like a threat anymore Rodolphus saved himself some trouble and set the other cat on the ground so he could drunkenly stagger towards the stranger. 

“And you are?”

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Cat Problems

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beaterjones‌:

Gwen had been running late all day. 

         Running late to meetings, running late to practice, it seemed like no matter how fast she moved through her day she couldn’t catch up. There were few things in the world that spiked her anxiety more than the peering eyes on you as you entered a room late. In all of the hustle and bustle she had found herself skipping lunch. She had been walking briskly down the street, hair bouncing on her shoulders. Eyes looking forward, but mind elsewhere entirely. 

        The voice pulled her from her trance and she stopped - FROZEN - as she looked over at him with the utmost concern. Her gaze firstly went to the cat in his arms, confused to how she might have run into it. Tilting her head a little, “Goodness, are they all right ?” She asked, looking down toward the howling cat on the leash. Ah, that had been been the one she nearly harmed.  Gwenog knelt down to get a better look at it, offering a hand as a peace offering. She tucked a loose curl behind her ear, twisting her lips to the side. “I’m sorry if I caused you any distress, I was a little distracted.” 

        Gwen stood to their full height and looked over at him. “If there’s something I can do to atone for my carelessness, please let me know.” She said lightly. The man certainly seemed like he was having a rough day. When the number of cat’s in your possession outnumbered the number of humans she had to imagine it was a difficult time. 

“Clearly,” Rodolphus sneered, when the woman said she was distracted. Contrary to his ire, though- and to his great annoyance- Michael was not bound by such scruples. The birds were immediately forgotten in favor of getting attention from the woman who’d almost stepped squarely on top of him. He was purring audibly, straining against his leash so he could rub against her hand, and occasionally chirping for more attention. 

Despite the fact that Gabriel was deaf and blind, he always knew precisely when there were people around, presumably thanks to a keen sense of smell. He began to squirm in Rodolphus’ arm, meowing plaintively. 

“Are you- really?- oh my- god,” Rodolphus finally let the squirming cat leap from his arms and onto the ground, where he immediately raced to where Gabriel was, fluffy tail straight up in the air like a white flag, and headbutted straight into the woman’s knee. 

God, his pets were morons. This was why he never took them out in public. 

“You can pay more attention next time,” he growled. A migraine was beginning to form between his eyes. “And now, you can kindly get out of my way and go torment someone else.”

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themalcolmgreengrass‌:

Having kidnapped and forced information out from Alex about Order members and their whereabouts had been such a successful ride. In the past month, Malcolm had eliminated more threats than he reasonably thought possible. There had been the Fortescue girl who had been given up so openly by Alex, but he had not been the one to do her bidding just the messenger. But the most recent flat demolition had been strictly for Sirius Black, another name from Alex.

It really had been rewarding to watch the media frenzy of the man who was disposed at the Potter wedding, leaving everyone wondering what happened. Malcolm was proud of himself for doing so much and leaving little fingerprints to trail after him. It had been such a good job and thought he would make the Dark Lord proud. 

Malcolm opened up a bottle of wines, smiling at the satisfying pop of the screw and raised the whole bottle. He was smug and had every reason to be so. Seeing the flames lick at that flat and leaving the notorious Black son with nothing had been such a pleasing feeling. Rodolphus had mentioned once or twice about his roommate who was a werewolf but Malcolm thought it was as good as knocking two birds with one stone. They both deserved what they got. “And hopefully another good month! Cheers, my friend. I promise to include you on more things it is so much more fun to celebrate.”

“And such tasks are better managed with friends,” Rodolphus added pointedly. He was skeptical about Malcolm actually keeping that promise, so he’d have a close watch on him in the future, but it was good to hear out loud. Having rogue elements was a surefire way to drive Rodolphus beyond reason; consequently, Malcolm was frequently a point of stress. He looked forward to lessening that. 

He sipped his wine, giving Malcolm a few more moments to bask in the glow of victory before rudely bringing him back down to earth. 

“You have so much promise, Malcolm,” he said, leaning slightly against the back of his couch, glass in hand. “And you’ve done excellently. But now is not a time to be making risks based on sentiment.” 

Another moment, this time simply for dramatic effect, and for Malcolm to realize that the tone of the conversation was changing. 

“We need to talk about Andromeda.”

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Domesticity

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bellxtrixls‌:

Bellatrix was the perfect pretender when it came down to it. She could pretend to be innocent while she shifted odds in her favor. She could pretend to be straightforward and caring while manipulating her next victim. Pretending was her strong suit, and persuasion was her game - but the moment her opponent was determined as Rodolphus, all bets were off. He knew her tricks all too well.

It was simultaneously the most frustrating and exhilarating part.

She was tempted to tell him to make her shut her mouth. It was one of the things she liked, making him lose his temper to punish her. It was something she took pride in, but it meant taking it further each time - hence the new curtains, some new furniture…

When her back pressed against the wall, wrists on either side of her head, she gasped. Her wand was her new target. She had to get to it, or else she would be figuratively dead in the water. There would be no good fight, no great struggle, and it would be a pity of a waste. In order to get her way, she let her legs go limp - he could either hold her up by her arms, with no chance of getting her wand, or he could let her go to avoid her falling into his legs.

Bella’s gasp was gratifying; she clearly hadn’t expected him to move so quickly. Besides, he could be honest with himself: Bellatrix was a beautiful woman, and the sight of any beautiful woman pinned against a wall was highly enjoyable. These exercises with Bella were more than just a way for her to let off steam. Having to catch her was like trying to grip a deadly serpent with your bare hands; when you finally managed it without getting bitten, the euphoria accompanying the accomplishment was second to none. 

He wasn’t prepared for her to go dead in his arms, however, the sudden rush of weight allowing gravity to free her from his grip. He moved back instinctively before realizing his mistake, and went for his wand.

Casting a quick binding spell he continued to move back, unsure if he’d reacted quickly enough to catch her, or if things were about to escalate. 

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andromedaablackk‌:

“The threat came with a calling card, please don’t insult my intelligence otherwise. It was her and that was all the proof I need. I just don’t know who would help her and how they found out where I live. Now my own home isn’t safe.” andromeda casually left out the part where she had moved into a small cottage away from the city with Ted. It was safer especially if they decided to start a family one day. 

“well you’re not alone in that, almost no one from pureblood society speaks to me anymore and that includes family, so.” Andromeda shrugged her shoulders. It was definitely a sore spot for her but Ted was worth it all. “I’ve had to do a lot of cutting ties these days.” she said sadly. It was starting to wear on her and as much as she hated to admit, Rodolphus was right. “I’ve done a pretty decent job at that don’t you think? I’m still here? To the dismay of your life.” she crossed her arms over her chest a slight frown on her lips. 

“I won’t be seeing Malcolm any more - I’m rarely in town now a days. Just quick trips and we no longer speak through letters so you can rest assured i’ve cut the tie. Just - please look out for him.” 

Ah, sweet irony. Rodolphus was rather proud of his work on that one. Creating the enchantment that would kill the rat at just the right moment had been tricky, but clearly effective. Andromeda didn’t deserve to feel safe in her home; it should never have been her home at all. She belonged with her sisters. With him. She should be sharing their glory but instead she’d thrown her lot in with the ill-bred rabble, a diamond buried beneath a hill of coal.

“It isn’t too late to come back, you know,” he said, with uncharacteristic softness. “They can be your family again. You wouldn’t have to fight anymore.” Her comment about his dismay was cutting, and his expression grew cold. It was true; he’d rather have seen her dead than willingly love a mudblood, but then, that was true of any sane person. Andromeda knew her choices were a death sentence, and Rodolphus had no pity for her. 

At last he was inclined to believe her, if only because she asked him to watch out for Malcolm. The fondness in her voice was unwelcome- she had no right to worry over him, she’d chosen her lot- but Rodolphus still inclined his head slightly. 

“Be sure it remains that way,” he cautioned. “This is an example of me looking out for him. We take care of our own.”

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valentinanottt‌:

Normally Valentina wouldn’t have thought much about a visit from Rodolphus, but normally she hadn’t just been released from Azkaban and while Valentina knew that she’d been lucky, she also couldn’t help but feel wary. She’d been arrested because of a death eater running their mouth, she didn’t want anyone wondering if Valentina had helped earn her release by doing the same.

She hadn’t, but Valentina had handed over information before and the last thing she needed was scrutiny on her after her release, be it from the Ministry or the death eaters.

“Snatched back from the maw of the dementors. I know people that would kill to be in my position,” Valentina admitted with a sigh. “I’d been planning on a bath and a drink, but we can move on to the drink part.”

While Valentina would have preferred not to see anyone for a while, Rodolphus wasn’t the worst person that could have come over, at least. “Have the kids been driving you crazy without me?”

Rodolphus wondered if Valentina had ever gotten a glimpse of her former fiancee during her stay, but even he wasn’t cruel enough to ask such a thing. 

“I can leave,” he offered simply. “After such a long time in the dark, though, I suspected you might need company. I would.” An easy thing to say when he’d never experienced it for himself, and never would. He pulled a fine bottle from his robes and set it on the nearest flat surface. “It’s why I came prepared.”

He glanced around at the space; a thin layer of dust, stale air. The sense of a place abandoned. “Was your house elf repatriated? I’d be happy to offer one of mine; you shouldn’t have to do everything yourself.”

He hadn’t stepped any farther into her space, cognizant of the fact that she might ask him to leave, which was perfectly acceptable. When she called their peers “kids,” however, he knew that she was doing better than she looked. That was a spark of Valentina he was grateful to see. 

“The start of the Hogwarts term means that Walden is finally paying more attention to his work than his wife, which is appreciated. Sirius Black and Remus Lupin should soon be on the street, thanks to Malcolm- I’m supervising that one, he’s on thin ice. The younger ones are... still young.”

He pointedly didn’t mention Bellatrix, who was always driving him crazy and didn’t seem inclined to stop any time soon.

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Spa Day

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valentinanottt‌:

“Siberia sounds perfect, far more creative than Timbuktu,” Valentina agreed, one corner of her mouth quirking upright. “Look at it this way, Rodolphus. How much better would you sleep if you weren’t worried about your family causing a scandal and how much time would you have if you weren’t clean up the messes of toddlers that don’t have any idea of propriety?”

Or getting away with a crime, to put it in a more blunt term. It seemed like the ones that were actually capable of doing damage had no idea how to do it sneakily and that when they were sneaky, they were too scared to do anything too useful.

“Mister Lestrange,” Valentina responded, matching his expression. “We both know you’d be in far more pain if I wanted to wound you.”

Walking in, Valentina went from being amused at Rodolphus to feeling exasperated at the state of the death eaters. Not that she particularly wanted them to be effective or to win, but really, that was disgraceful. “I’m not sure about you, but when I was nineteen, hiding in bathrooms wasn’t what I was doing. You were nineteen when the war started, weren’t you?” She asked, not remembering just when his birthday fell.

“A fair point.” Rodolphus’ duties to the Dark Lord and the Daily Prophet were sufficiently stimulating, but family and the antics of other Death Eaters were the primary cause for his lack of sleep. It seemed that with every step forward they took a step back, which was good in the sense that Rodolphus didn’t actually want Voldemort to have competent loyal followers, but it was bad in the sense that Rodolphus needed him to win the war.

“To his credit, though, Malcolm has been more efficient than usual. He managed not only to identify but apprehend Alastor Moody’s husband. Though the effect was somewhat dampened when I found out he’d been keeping the man in his dungeons for a month, seemingly with no inclination to tell anyone about it.”

At Valentina’s comment, Rodolphus gave her a cold smile. “And I am very much aware of that, Miss Nott.”

He was a formidable wizard with an array of dark curses in his arsenal, as well as physical strength, but Valentina was an auror. It was literally in her job description to overpower people like him. If it ever came to a confrontation, there was a reasonable chance that Rodolphus would not walk away from it.

“Somewhere around there,” Rodolphus said. Britain’s definition of when the war “started” was different from his own. “I took the Mark as soon as I graduated.” Per parental expectations, and his own growing sense of ambition. “How old were you? To be fair to the girl in question, though, she seemed level-headed enough. It was simply difficult for her to conceive of the idea of fighting against her family, a weak but understandable excuse. We should find her a more useful place; she’s too intelligent and skittish to be a foot soldier.”

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Groveling, By Any Other Name

[zahishafiq]

editor-in-strange‌:

Keep reading

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Rodolphus could have purred when Zahi allowed himself to melt into the touch. His silken hair wound through Rodolphus’ fingers, worn long the way Zahi knew he preferred. Then Zahi was leaning back, their bodies flush and Zahi;s ass slotted neatly against his hips. There was power in the position; Rodolphus clothed and unruffled, Zahi completely naked and leaning into the subservient position. The heady rush of it all went straight to Rodolphus’ cock, which he was sure Zahi could feel. 

He brushed Zahi’s hair away from his neck and pressed a kiss to it, then bit down softly. “Hm. Apology, punishment… perhaps we should think of it as a… renegotiation,” he purred. It was true; beneath simple pleasure were complicated webs of power play, revenge, broken and forged and flexible agreements. This thing between them had never been as easy as Rodolphus wanted it to be, but in Zahi’s absence he’d finally admitted to himself that if it had been, he would’ve tired of it by now. 

No, he was back for the push and pull. The fight of it. Because Zahi was beautiful and Rodolphus knew he’d never allow himself to be owned, so, paradoxically, Rodolphus’ impulse to cage him only grew. Most of the time this was a frustration; right now, it was a gift. 

A low groan escaped Rodolphus’ lips when Zahi ground back against him. It spoke to his considerable restraint that he managed not to thrust his hips forward, desperate for friction, for the phantom of his cock against Zahi’s ass. He wanted to take Zahi as he always did, but he refused to be the only frustrated party in this scenario. He wrapped an arm around Zahi’s waist and circled his thumb lightly over the skin, pointedly ignoring the chance to dip lower near his cock. 

He leaned down, and whispered sensually against the shell of Zahi’s ear. “Get on the bed. On your stomach.” 

 It was with regret that Rodolphus moved away from Zahi, circling around so he was closer to the end of the bed. He took a moment simply to admire Zahi’s bare form again, eyes uncompromising as they swept up and down and devoured him. Then he pointedly took off his shoes and socks, and began to roll up the sleeves of his white dress shirt, though otherwise he made no move to undress further. He looked back at Zahi as he bared his forearms with efficient tucks of the fabric. His eyes held a dark promise, waiting for his lover to comply.

The last movement he took was to pull out his wand and summon a small crystal vial of oil from his wardrobe, allowing it to settle in the palm of his outstretched hand.

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Cat Problems

Rodolphus loved his brother. But in that moment, he was also supremely angry, because Rabastan was directly responsible for the two ridiculous creatures that Rodolphus had found himself in possession of several weeks ago.

Gabriel and Michael were nearly identical fluffy, cream-colored cats, with scattered grey markings to tell them apart. As far as Rodolphus could tell by now, Gabriel was blind but fairly competent. Michael, on the other hand, was an absolute moron to the point where Rodolphus didn’t understand how he’d survived as a kitten. And of course, they were inseparable, so when Rodolphus had to take Gabriel to the animal healer, he had to take Michael too. 

It turned out that Gabriel had swallowed a string, and while it had been taken care of, the blind cat was more than a little groggy from the necessary potions, so he was cradled in Rodolphus’ arms as he stepped out of the building. Michael, on the other hand, was on the ground and straining against the end of his harness, wailing very loudly at not being allowed to chase every bird that darted overhead. 

"Excuse you,” Rodolphus snapped, quickly nearing the edge of his rope after little sleep and a whole morning spent in a healer’s office. “You nearly stepped on my cat. Watch where you’re going.”

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Rodolphus watched with great satisfaction as Remus Lupin and Sirius Black’s apartment went up in a burst of flames. He wished he could stick around to see the look on that annoying werewolf’s face; alas, he and Malcolm had done what they came to do, and there was no use in taking a further risk. 

They reconvened at Lestrange Manor, having doffed their masks and robes, and Rodolphus had the house elves open one of the better wines from the cellar. Madonna purred and wound between his ankles as he raised his glass to Malcolm. Might as well give the boy a moment to enjoy his success before Rodolphus killed the mood. 

"Congratulations,” he said. “On your recent victories.” 

Not only had he managed to apprehend Alastor Moody’s husband- Rodolphus was still annoyed about being kept in the dark but it was, objectively, still impressive- but he’d gotten the definitive names of certain order members. Sylvanie Fortescue was dead, and they’d just left Remus Lupin and Sirius Black homeless. It was quite a lot of chaos in a short period of time.

@themalcolmgreengrass

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Unexpected Consequences

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remuslxpns‌:

If Remus could simply have turned away and gone about his day he wouldn’t be confronted with a rather large headache that ironically looked like Rodolphus Lestrange. “Oh, I thought you wanted to know the whole backstory.”

It was not the best form of a sentence but his focus was centered as he was being pulled into air and when his feet found ground he nearly collapsed. The chuckle was crisp and Remus all but glanced up instantly to bare his surroundings. “I would really beg to differ-how is-is kidnapping me not jeopardizing any sense of danger?”

Anytime he was apparated without caution-which wasn’t many, Remus’ stomach began to feel nauseous and though the feeling wilted, he was still fixated that they were no longer in the debatable streets of Diagon Alley anymore. Instead, they were somewhere he didn’t know where, a reasonable sized flat for someone with a rather large ego. The drink being offered to him he could easily obliterate with just his gaze. But, it was a drink nonetheless, something that seemed perfectly needed now. “The last time you handed me a drink-handed is a mild word for that…but you poisoned the last one.”

It was ridiculous for the man to think that being pushed up against a wall was almost as bad as being on the other end of an unforgivable. 

“I barely assaulted you. Your better at playing devil’s advocate than you are at playing a victim,” Remus said dismissively, glancing around the flat. “And yet we are not in public anymore which is hardly my doing. So I restate my question, what do you want?”

It could have been perfectly excused that the cat was rubbing against Remus’ pant leg because of more than just one reason. For one, Rodolphus might not have been the best owner for the creature and wanted any human company besides his. On the other hand, the cat could possibly smell Firebolt on him from this morning. There was also Remus was a creature himself and he found that some animals sensed that and either were repulsed by the scent or favored it.

“Oh, certainly not. You know us werewolves…always trying to steal intellectual property.” Remus let the words hang and inflicted with a biting tone that hinted that Rodolphus’ property was not intellectual at all. “Several flats, you said? Real estate must hate you.”

Rodolphus gave Lupin an unimpressed look as the young man lashed out, obviously disoriented. “Please, if I’d kidnapped you, you’d be in chains in a cell, not standing in my kitchen,” he scoffed. “Keep up, Lupin. Merlin, your mind is slow, considering that quick mouth of yours.” 

He couldn’t help a grin at Lupin’s obviously nauseous look, and he took a smug drink. This wasn’t how he’d wanted his day to go, but he could at least enjoy the unexpected events while they were unfolding. 

“Again, if I’d poisoned you, you’d be dead.” He took another pointed drink, still standing ramrod straight with a single hand resting against the counter, held loosely around his glass. “I simply expedited our conversation. In the long run, I spared you a good deal of physical anguish. You’re welcome.” 

It was true. Veritaserum was expensive to obtain and a devil to brew, but it saved Rodolphus the long, messy work of having to torture information out of people. Unlike his brother and others such as Walden and Amycus, he preferred not to exert too much effort, or make a mess. 

He left the other full glass on the counter, not caring if Lupin took it or not. He already knew that the werewolf lacked all notion of civilization and manners. He wasn’t very bright, either; Rodolphus had opened and poured the bottle right in front of him, and was drinking from his glass. There hadn’t been an opportunity to poison it. Really, was it so much to ask that people these days have manners?

Rodolphus pet Gabriel absently, shifting the cat in his arms slightly while he ignored Lupin’s questions. Honestly, listening to the werewolf talk and talk was beginning to get annoying, and Rodolphus didn’t appreciate the continued sass. 

“Several manors,” he corrected lightly. “As to what I want- well. I’d like all werewolves to drop dead, for one. Especially those who don’t mind their manners. Hm. I’d like to be Minister for Magic. I’d like my secretaries to start putting in an actual two weeks’ notice before quitting. I’d like to not be attacked in the street. There you have it. That’s what I want. Now, what in Merlin’s name do you want? Or were you acting on primal instinct when you decided to shove me into a brick wall?”

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andromedaablackk‌:

Andromeda rolled her eyes. “Capable? Hardly, she had someone do her dirty work and she wasn’t subtle at all. I knew she was behind it. Rather distasteful if you ask me.” It felt odd to fall into comfortable conversation with Rodolphus as if they were still old friends. She dropped her shoulders slightly relaxing in his presence. If he had wanted to kill her, if he was stalling for something it would have happened by now. 

Andromeda pursed her lips together not sure if he wanted to smile or frown at his compliment, or what sounded like the beginning of one before he once again reminded her that she had chosen the wrong side. “I’m not indulging him.” she was. Andromeda didn’t know how to turn off her own affection for him but it had sobered her up when Rodolphus had confronted her and the fact that he knew - Andromeda couldn’t bare to think of what would happen if someone else found out that wasn’t so friendly towards Malcolm. “

how did you even find out Malcolm and I were still friends, still in contact?” she asked narrowing her eyes at him her voice hush. “I try to limit it as much as possible you know? I’ve seen the mark on his arm I know what it means for him to be caught seen with me. I’m trying to let go.” Andromeda let out a huff, what would you have me do?

“Knowing and having proof are two different things,” Rodolphus pointed out. He agreed that it had been rather on the nose, but then, there was no particular reason for subtlety. “Personally, I find your life choices distasteful.”

When Andromeda seemed to relax, something complicated unwound in his chest. On the one hand, it was nice to see that she still at least trusted the minimum measure of his word- that he wasn’t there to hurt her. On the other hand, she was a filthy traitor and she’d deserted them, so he shouldn’t have cared about anything she did or didn’t do. 

“I’m not even going to dignify that lie with a response,” Rodolphus said, when she claimed not to indulge Malcolm. His eyes narrowed when she spoke so boldly, though- specific questions, specific comments. He’d at least been stepping around saying the issue out loud. “Trying and succeeding are two very different things. Don’t speak to him, don’t see him, don’t send him any messages. He can whine all he wants, but if you care, you’ll cut him off completely. Focus less on indulging a simple friendship and more on keeping yourself alive, perhaps.”

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Groveling, By Any Other Name

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zahishafiq‌:

Keep reading

Rodolphus felt Zahi shiver against him, and knew that the other man was finally caught. 

His hands were bruising and his mouth demanding. It spoke to how long it had been since he got this kind of release, that he was dropping his normal composure so quickly. When Zahi gave in and arched against him he moaned into the other man’s mouth, his cock half-hard already and pressing against Zahi through their clothes, the movement providing a devastating friction. 

As much as he was unwinding, though, Zahi seemed to be struggling similarly. The push and pull that existed in their past encounters was rapidly falling away here, dust before a primal hunger that neither would admit to out loud. If Zahi’s reactions were anything to go by, it had likely been some time for him as well, and Rodolphus felt a measure of pride and possessiveness swell in his chest. 

When he grabbed his wand he started to bring his other hand up to wind around Zahi’s neck, prepared to steer them both to the bedroom, but suddenly the space before him was empty, the warmth gone, as his fingers closed around cold wood. 

He caught sight of the expression in Zahi’s eyes and clenched his jaw, empty hand coming to his side to grip the counter with white knuckles. Apparently Zahi hadn’t taken quite the leave of his senses as it seemed, and he was about to make up for their momentary fit of passion. 

The sight of each button coming undone was the sweetest agony. He could look but not touch, yet in the looking there was still a sense of power. The fact that in this moment, the sight was his and his alone. Though he couldn’t appreciate it until Zahi finally broke the heated gaze between them- the challenge, the smug knowledge that he had some measure of control over Rodolphus. 

Eventually, however, his gaze roamed appreciatively over Zahi’s form, desire and pride evident in his expression as he traced well-muscled shoulders, a lean waist, down the v of his hips to the dark hair around his cock. And then, of course, Rodolphus had a tortuously lovely view of his ass as Zahi walked away.

 Eyes slipping closed, Rodolphus took several deep, measured breaths before muttering the spells that would keep the cats at bay. Then he slid his wand back into his sheath and stalked down the hallway, pulling off his jacket as he went and rolling up the sleeves of his crisp white shirt to reveal toned forearms. 

When he stepped into his bedroom silence fell, the ambient noises- and inevitable yowling of the cats- disappearing so it was just the sound of their breathing, all of it bathed in the light of the softly-gold candles of the chandelier. 

Rodolphus reached out and threaded one hand through Zahi’s long hair, settling it on the back of his neck. “Nice performance, lover,” he murmured, pressing a kiss to Zahi’s shoulder. “But I believe I owe you a punishment.” 

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Bodies and Bad Plans

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themalcolmgreengrass‌:

His words carried the right reaction that he wanted and he tipped his chin at Rodolphus for any countering words. The attack on the wedding had not been his idea but was eager enough to follow it through as best he could. It also served as the ideal place to drop a body which Malcolm was happily pleased about. 

“Is it not?” Malcolm asked with a feigned sense of interest. It was not the best time to be discussing their wives but Malcolm allowed the question to hang between them to prod Rodolphus. 

When the conversation turned to Alex, the body Malcolm had carried with him, he smiled down as if receiving a grand award of appreciation. It really had been a successful opportunity and had not told anyone-something else he was quite proud of. 

The seething tone from Rodolphus made his eyes roll skyward, not knowing how else to explain what was happening. 

“Told no one-I told you at the Ministry event last month. Sometimes I like to do things alone without someone breathing down my neck. Heavily.”

Malcolm’s lips quirked into a grin that he couldn’t hold back, thinking Rodolphus was being rather bold about his opinions now when Malcolm had the upper hand.

“I don’t need him anymore. I got some names from him. I plan on meeting Sylvanie Fortescue’s end soon and Sirius Black. Makes sense that they are both in the Order.”

Rodolphus’ eye twitched at Malcolm’s airy tone. Surely the other man was merely testing him. There was no way he actually thought this was an appropriate topic of conversation for the middle of a battle. Or any time, honestly. 

Rodolphus drew in a careful breath, nostrils flaring on the exhale as he looked at Malcolm coldly. “Now is not the time to test me,” he said simply. It took everything in him not to snap, but he didn’t want to deal with another few weeks of Malcolm’s petty behavior, as he had at the Ceilidh. 

Merlin, but Malcolm could be insufferable. “You said you had someone in your dungeon, not Alastor Moody’s husband,” he hissed, stepping closer, practically burning a hole through Malcolm’s head with the intensity of his gaze. “Did it never occur to you to seek a second opinion, perhaps? This is not an insignificant find, Malcolm.”

It was impressive, honestly- Rodolphus would need to get the full story from him later. But right now all he could think about was how Malcolm had had such an asset squirreled away for so long, and didn’t seem as though he was ever going to tell anyone about it. 

He’d have to remember those names. Still, he couldn’t believe that Malcolm believed he didn’t need Alex Church anymore. As if he wasn’t in possession of an incredibly valuable hostage! 

“We are going to have a long discussion about this later,” he said. “Specifically about lines of communication, and sharing assets.”

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luka-petrov‌:

Luka could feel something creeping into the back of his mind, a familiar pair of steps as if they were following them, but not seeing anything from the store front windows. He didn’t look behind him, knowing that the other man looked about to snap. 

“Ah - I think I know what it might be,” Luka said biting his lip. They didn’t have those here did they? Pogrebins couldn’t survive this climate, but it would get bad. They were pretty sneaky creatures and wouldn’t come out until they were despaired.

Luka couldn’t tell the other before he suddenly heard a yell in Russian  and his eyes widened. He couldn’t even tell you what he was saying, but Merlin he could tell you who it was. Yuri wasn’t here. He wasn’t here, but he could hear him yelling right behind him. Turning he saw the other charging forward walking behind him. Shaken, and nervous although he didn’t think the other could hear it. 

“You didn’t hear that did you? The yelling,” Luka said swallowing trying to push it down. “Nevermind. I think it’s a Pogrebin. I don’t know the English name for them. They were around the countryside.” He heard that they could drive someone to despair. “It’ll follow us until we collapse. I - there’s not much reason to keep moving until it comes in. It’s going to - drive us to despair either way but if it gets close to us we can hit it.” 

Rodolphus snapped his head in the man’s direction, eyes narrowing at the suggestion of knowledge. This whole situation just got more and more suspicious. “Care to enlighten me?”

He kept moving, expecting that they could speak and walk at the same time, but he was met only with silence. When he turned back his companion had a panicked look on his face, and sounded, quite honestly, insane. 

He raised a single brow, expression flatly unamused. “No, I didn’t hear anything.” The explanation deferred his judgement slightly, however. A pogrebin. He’d never heard of such a creature, but unless this man was spinning tales, then it was fortunate Rodolphus happened to be stuck with a Russian while they were being tailed by a creature native to that region. 

“Well. That sounds cheerful,” he scoffed, rolling his eyes. “Are you suggesting we sit and wait to be eaten, then?” Privately, he wasn’t sure they had any other options, really, since he couldn’t see a way through these illusions, but inaction made his skin crawl. 

Almost as soon as he said it, though, he heard-

“Rabastan?” he spun around in shock, but there was nothing there, even though a moment ago he would have sworn he heard his brother’s voice, the words unclear but the tone unmistakable. It was as though Rabastan was yelling from behind a wall, but all Rodolphus could see was the same indistinct maze of impossible alleys. When the voice came again he stepped forward, and swung his wand in a vicious arc, as if to blast his way through the illusion. Predictably, his spell, though powerful, fizzled out as soon as it hit the wall. Perhaps it affected the real world beyond, but Rodolphus couldn’t see it. “Rabastan!”

Perhaps his brother’s voice was a lie, especially given that his companion also seemed to be hearing things, and yet... he couldn’t take that chance. 

“How do we lure this creature out?” he snapped, whirling around to his companion.

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can't sleep (remus)

If only I could have seen the look on his face when he found his home in pieces. Ah, sweet retribution, and one of Malcolm’s better ideas.