c o n s u m e

rodolphus lestrange all ashes and stardust

[requiemdelirium]

Week 0; November 23rd - November 30th 1978

Monday November 23rd

Idly pursuing personal pleasures.

Received an invitation to dine with the Notts; left it unanswered.

Tuesday November 24th

Evaded the house during Narcissa's visit to allow the sisters to catch up.

Received notice of a task; spent time preparing.

Embarked on the mission late with Bellatrix; resulting in combat. 

Wednesday November 25th

Returned from mission in the early hours; spent some time recovering.

Journeyed back into muggle London after rest; resulted in the killing of an obtrusive muggle couple.

Encountered Rosier on returning to Diagon Alley.

Thursday November 26th

Meeting with Crouch.

Friday November 27th

To avoid Priori Incantatum following the murder of the muggles, spent the day pointlessly charming, de-charming and altering things around the house.

Saturday November 28th

Complained about restlessness. 

Visited Knockturn Alley for something to do; returned empty-handed.

Sunday November 29th

Written correspondence with Macnair and Mulciber.

Monday November 30th

Idle

[requiemdelirium]

Disorderly | Diagon Alley | November 25th, 1978

[xrosier-blog]

Watching the other man was certainly a curious waste of time; what Rodolphus had come to Diagon Alley for was beyond him… though why he had chosen such an obvious spot to wash his hands was what struck him as odd. Surely the other man was noticeable by now - both Lestranges had made quite the name for themselves, each in their own right. Whether it was solely talked about within the ranks of the Death Eaters or not, Evan wondered why the elder man risked exposing himself for the sake of personal hygiene.

"I should’ve brought soap," he responded in jest to the other man’s irritated tone, a smile flickering across his mouth. "Shame it couldn’t get rid of the smell." Playing with fire was something that Evan was dangerously acquainted with, something that had gotten him into trouble far too many times to count… though he enjoyed it too much to give up. After all, taking risks was what had caused the Dark Lord to look upon him favourably - to show a certain stupidity that others would naively call courage. Had it not been for the injuries he’d suffered the previous day (though the woman volunteer had been quite helpful in getting him discharged earlier that morning) Evan would’ve perhaps gone for another snide comment, though instead he kept his mouth shut, eyes trained on Rodolphus’ features like a hawk.

Tilting his head to the side he glanced towards the people that walked the alley around them, completely oblivious to their presence. “Speak fer yourself, Lestrange. I’m quite enjoyin’ the miserable atmosphere that’s hanging over ‘ere. I thought that would be your style.”

With his eyes focussed on the man before him, Evan’s hands could do as they pleased - absently they tapped against his leg, the wand occasionally digging into his thigh here and there. He always had his wand out; whether necessary or not, it was just the sheer essence of uncertainty that he loved to tease out of people. Was he going to do something or not?

[requiemdelirium]

At Evan's comments, Rodolphus unconsciously narrowed his eyes. "Careful," Rodolphus warned. His voice was stone.

Pushing himself away from the wall, Rodolphus turned his back on the larger part of the street and focused his attention on Rosier. An unmistakable challenge was plain in the other man's eyes, though Rod had long since picked it up from his voice. It was every part of him; from the drawn wand to the wry smile and it made Rod's jaw twitch with frustration. The man was all but asking for a punch, yet he hung just out of reach. Rod wondered if he would be so confrontational if he did not have so many people to hide behind.

"I'm sure. Your smile is evidence," he pointed out, gesturing with one hand to Evan's grin before moving his arms to fold securely over his chest. While the other man was all nonchalance, Rod squared himself up - reacting to the challenge as much as he was capable.

"Supposedly you're quite the triumph. It would be a shame if your impeccable wit got you into genuine trouble. Though from the look of you, it wouldn't be your first tight scrape." It was all sarcasm to mask genuine contempt; all an attempt to rid his system of anger in any way he could, though words were no substitute to a good hex.

[bellacktrix]

call it our home | Nov 25, 1978 | Bellatrix & Rodolphus

There was a certain exhaustion that came after missions Bella was incredibly fond of. It was a weight in her bones, that could almost be considered an ache, and slowness in her step, as she limped on sore feet, connecting her to the extremities of her body. Bella felt alive, was high with it, as she was every time. She was sure her companion could see the manic grin that sat oddly on her face, but it wasn’t one of her major concerns. Rodolphus had seen much worse of her, as she had of him. 

Humming to fill the silence, Bella continued to walk down the cobblestone path. In the night like this, with the majority of the nasty little vermin tucked snugly in their beds, she could almost see the beauty in this muggle town. It was disgusting, still, with dirt, grime, and some kind of oil so deeply ingrained in the cracks of the pavement, she felt she had stepped into Knockturn Alley, but she could almost see it in the way the lights were like stars. Wasn’t that a muggle thing to do, creating their own stars? Her family had been named for the stars, born into it, generation after generation. It was laughable that they would even try.

The thrum of adrenaline was beginning to fade, but Bella refused to pout. Stopping abruptly and turning towards Rodolphus, she felt her grin starting to fray at the edges. With a look from his head to the tips of his shoes, she couldn’t help but snicker. She knew she looked far worse, as she always did, and was even more sure she had blood running down her arm from something that hurt on her weary body, but the half-snide, half-fond comment left her mouth anyway. “You’re probably just itching to go home, aren’t you, darling?” 

With a shrug, she turned back in order to keep walking towards the alley they would hopefully apparate home in. Her legs were shaking under her slightly, and Bella stopped, staring at her boots in shock. Keeping her panic concealed, she looked back towards her husband. “I think I might need to sit down,” she said, as calmly as possible. It was only after she said it that she realized how off it had sounded, having something so genuine leaving her lips. “My head’s in a bit of a whirl, I think, from all the fun. You may have to go ahead without me, dear.”

[requiemdelirium]

There was a fever in a successful mission that Rodolphus could not deny, though it manifested deep within him. It was a wave of triumph of - something. Unlike his wife and many others of their ilk, he did not wear sadistic glee like a badge of honour, though he had been known to let things slip when things got carried away. Personally, he found returning home to be something of a disappointment. These streets only reminded him of how far they still needed to go before victory was theirs. At home there was little in the way of power - if one excluded his dominion over a couple of waif-like house elves. Even that was shared with Bella. Not that he minded.

Walking with her like this was a curious thing. They could almost be out for a late night stroll as man and wife were it not for the fresh bruises that decorated their skin. Yet Rodolphus was never entirely comfortable by his wife's side. There was always an apprehension as though he were constantly performing. When she turned to face him with her eyes aglow and some teasing comment on her tongue he felt that mix of fear and excitement within him again. From the way she turned on her heel, it made it clear she was not truly interested in his response, and so he did not bother her with one.

When she came to another stop, Rodolphus instantly understood that something was wrong. It came over her in an instant, but he felt a simultaneous pang in his stomach. His wounds were aching muscles and throbbing bruises - a cut along his cheek and one or two others on his arms - barely skin deep. As he closed the space between them in one slide and placed a hand on her arm to steady her, he felt the wet blood that clung to her sleeve, and looked up at her with concern. Amidst his concern, he gave her a narrowed look that made it apparent he had no intention of leaving her alone.

"Will the floor do?" he asked, not wanting to wait until a bench appeared. Courtesy of the late (or perhaps early) hour, there was seldom a soul around to see them, though Rodolphus remained aware of Bella's pride. All the same; need's must. He hoped she would be compliant for a change. "Where's the cut?" he added, when rolling back her sleeve produced no results. Unless something disastrous had struck her, the wound would be simple to heal, though her faintness continued to alarm him.

[msalisbu]

[requiemdelirium]

Disorderly | Diagon Alley | November 25th, 1978

[xrosier-blog]

Days off were few and far between; when not being called upon for a mission by the man he still loathed to call master, Evan was lumped with jobs at the ministry that required his full attention. Of the two, he still wasn’t entirely sure whether it was the bloodstains on his hands or the simple paperwork that he had to file away that irritated him more. Given the choice, he was certain that he would not have to bother with either.

Violence had run rampant within the snatcher ranks, though Evan’s approach to murder had been marginally different in that he rarely laid a finger on someone without good reason. It was so much more satisfying to talk a person into doing it themselves. Until recently he had not been bothered whether anyone noticed, though his self worth had been increased tenfold on that fateful night when the Dark Lord had approached him personally and given him a proposition. One that built Evan an ego far too high for someone of his age and lack of experience. Either way, mocking those who tended to use more conventional methods of murder more than perhaps was necessary.

Wand in hand as it always was, he strode down the centre of Diagon Alley completely undetected by those that roamed around him. Invisibility in broad daylight was something that Evan took multiple small pleasures in - a smile whenever someone purposely looked away from his sunken eyes pressed against his lips, an inaudible chuckle escaping whenever a mother called a child away from him. Though it was no secret that he was dangerous, the ambiguity as to just how was what amused him so greatly - nobody knew what he could do to them, and yet they weren’t stupid enough as to find out how.

Upon seeing a familiar face pass him in the street unnoticed, Evan’s grin became a wicked snarl. He chuckled to himself and began to follow the man, trailing a few feet behind him in order to keep his footsteps unheard, though something in Rodolphus’ expression told Evan that he was already preoccupied. As he observed, he watched his fellow Death Eater wash something from his hands and chuckled, leaning against the patch of wall beside the fountain. "Blood on your hands, Lestrange?"

[requiemdelirium]

With the other man standing so close, it was naturally not difficult to spot him, though precisely what emotional response Rosier's presence was supposed to generate remained uncertain. There was barely more than recognition in Rodolphus' expression as he eyed the other man; recognition and a twinge of embarrassment. On the other hand, Rosier's eyes were a mess of emotions, none of which Rod was pleased to see in someone apparently beneath him on the food chain. It was humiliating to consider how long he had been the subject of Rosier's humoured leer. After so long, being laughed at was not something Rod took well to. Had they been anywhere else, he might have challenged the man more and asserted his position. Yet, bold as Rod was, he was not so stupid as to tempt a scene in the middle of such a busy street.

In response to Rosier's question, Rod lifted his hands to eye level for the other man's inspection and gave him a droll look. "Not anymore," he assured him. A smirk would have framed his words nicely, though none followed.

"We don't belong here," Rodolphus pointed out and turned his back on the fountain to look out at the street again. While many passersby were well dressed and, indeed, some of them showed clear signs of the good breeding and impeccable stature of purebloods, others all but boasted of their low birth. Rod took no joy in lingering here.

Rodolphus cast his eyes over the other man again and lingered on his drawn wand. An eyebrow quirked at the curious gesture. While it may be innocuous for most, for gentlemen such as themselves a drawn wand hinted at an intention to cause trouble.

[beardmodel]

Dimitris Alexandrou - Book

[requiemdelirium]

Disorderly | Diagon Alley | November 25th, 1978

As if the urge had not been bad enough following his last mission, that foray into the heart of muggle London had only made things worse. Even now, back on the cobbled streets of Diagon Alley as he returned to safety, Rodolphus still felt filthy. His hands were held before his body to keep the imagined dirt from staining his clothes, though the action did nothing to calm his nerves. Stoic as he strove to appear, his insides quivered and threatened to come up his gullet.

As he passed the many coloured shop fronts it occurred to him that it would take only a second to dart in and wash his hands in the bathroom. In his distracted state he had not been processing the passersby or any detail of his location, though he recognised he would probably require some sort of eating establishment to find a decent sink. If desperate, he could return to the Leaky Cauldron, though after thirteen separate violent or otherwise unpleasant incidents there, it was somewhat ridiculous to consider even passing through amicably. A tea shop caught his eye as he passed, though one look at the twee decorations that lined the window front turned him off the idea. One quick glance at the shop's name - Rosa Lee's Teabag - was all the confirmation Rodolphus needed. Such a place would not suit his needs. Besides, he was under the impression that the Romani woman that owned the place would be no friend of his.

While it was supposedly a simple solution to his problem, his inability to find anywhere suitable drove him into a further state of distress. Truly, he believed, it would have been better to simply power through to somewhere more hospitable. Had he not been so unfocused, he could easily have apparated. Aguamente would also have done the trick, were he not so loathe to touch and contaminate his wand.

His salvation came at the hands of a wall fountain; some curiosity of the age old architecture, decorated with a little cherub boy that appeared most indignant at Rodolphus' intrusion. Using the flowing water, Rodolphus violently scrubbed at the already clean skin of his hands, already feeling the pressure that had sat on his shoulders begin to lift. To finish, he brought a cupped handful of water up to his face and splashed his eyes and cheeks, letting out a long sigh. Resting his hands on the stone sides of the fountain and continuing to ignore the cherub's protestations, he took a few moments to regain his composure. Yet as he stood, he grew increasingly aware of eyes upon him, and it occurred to him how very embarrassed he ought to feel. In a swift movement, he turned his head to search for the onlooker, ready to challenge their judgement.

[requiemdelirium]

Amras

Has your family ever done something that ended up hurting you?

It is natural for aristocrats to be detached in the raising of their children, and for Rodolphus nothing was out of the ordinary there. While his parents oversaw his upbringing, the vast majority of the practical work was carried out by staff and nannies so devoid of personality that Rodolphus had little choice but to mimic them. Hence, he grew to be a singularly inexpressive boy, shaped entirely by the traits of his parents that had filtered down through the ranks. 

Personally, Rodolphus feels no resentment towards his family - even Rabastan. Though many siblings grow to despise each other, Rod never actually minded his younger brother. Likewise, he was never conscious of his parents’ role in his emotional disfigurement.

[requiemdelirium]

Elladan. Wormtongue.

Have you ever failed to help someone you care about?

Deep down, Rodolphus does not wholly trust his own abilities enough to actually save someone. Likewise, his capacity for compassion only permits him to care for a select few people - the majority of which are perfectly capable of helping themselves. In truth, he is rarely there for those that might genuinely need his help. Emotional support and empathy are not great talents of his as words do not come naturally to him. 

Do you sometimes make bad choices for selfish reasons?

Rodolphus’ entire lifeis one selfishly made bad decision. It started in his youth and hascontinued into adulthood. If anything, his penchant for hedonism and terribledecision making has only increased the older he has grown. As a teenager, heasserted his dominance over others through mockery and occasional displays ofphysical violence, though it undoubtedly made him feel good. These days, hispoor choices tend to involve murder. Though Rodolphus stubbornly believes hisactions are for a good cause, his own personal gratification is certainly acontributing factor. After killing, he feels strong and is overcome by a sort of pleasure and euphoria he rarelyfinds elsewhere.Not all of his bad decisions are entirely selfish, of course. Often times, they are made with a sense of duty in mind, whether that be to his wife or to the dark lord.

[requiemdelirium]

An Insanely Detailed Ask Meme Brought to You by Tolkien's Characters

Frodo: What is your deepest wound, and do you still hurt from it?

Bilbo: When did taking a chance improve your life?

Samwise: Have you ever done something for a friend that you would never have done on your own?

Merry: Who would you swear loyalty to, or to whom have you already done so?

Pippin: Tell me about when you did something that no one thought you could do.

Aragorn: What is your heritage? Do you embrace or reject it?

Boromir: Did your father leave an impact on your life?

Gimli: Have you ever had an opinion about someone that turned out to be completely wrong?

Legolas: What has been your most unlikely friendship, and did it last?

Gandalf: Has your public appearance and ever changed radically?

Elrond: Do you have overprotective relatives, or do you fill that role?

Arwen: Did you ever make a decision your family didn't agree with?

Elladan: Have you ever failed to help someone you cared about?

Elrohir: Do you have siblings?

Galadriel: Would you consider yourself wise?

Celeborn: Are you content with being the less-popular one in a relationship?

Celebrían: Have you ever done something that took a turn for the worse that you weren't prepared for?

Haldir: Has your popularity ever changed unexpectedly because of something minor?

Éomer: What are the things you consider to be worth fighting the system for?

Éowyn: Have you ever overcome prejudice in a significant way?

Théoden: When have you been wrong but refused to see it?

Gríma Wormtongue: Do you sometimes make bad choices for selfish reasons?

Saruman: Do you want power?

Sauron: What is your greatest weakness?

Melkor: Has greed or the desire for material goods ever backfired on you?

Ungoliant: Are you proud of your children or younger relatives?

Shelob: Are you afraid of the dark?

Finwë: Do you come from a prestigious family line?

Fëanor: Does desire tend to blind you to the consequences of your actions?

Nerdanel: Have you ever ended a relationship because your partner was doing something you didn't agree with and you couldn't stop them?

Maedhros: What is the greatest thing you have ever lost?

Maglor: Do you believe in redemption?

Celegorm: Have you ever had a pet that impacted your life greatly?

Caranthir: Do you have a temper, and has it ever gotten you into trouble?

Curufin: What have you inherited from your family lineage?

Amrod: Do you have a friend or sibling that you have a special bond with?

Amras: Has your family ever done something that ended up hurting you?

Beren: Will you do anything for love?

Lúthien: Do societal norms exist to be broken?

Thingol: If you believe in luck, do you think you've had good or bad?

Melian: Have you ever had a significant other that was of a lower social class than you?

Eöl: Did you ever have a goth phase?

Aredhel: Is listening to other people something that is important to you?

Glorfindel: Have you ever taken on a challenge others have deemed impossible and won?

Thror: Do you value wealth?

Thráin: Do you consider yourself a selfish person?

Thorin: What have you lost that you wish to regain?

Balin: Are you older or younger than most of your friends?

Dwalin: Do you have any hobbies?

Fili: Do you have a good smile?

Kili: Have you ever suddenly been considered attractive where before you were just sort of there?

Dori: Are you a musician?

Nori: Is it common for you to notice things others have forgotten or missed?

Ori: Do you write or speak multiple languages fluently?

Óin: Would you consider yourself a superstitious person?

Glóin: Are you skilled at something most would consider unusual or esoteric nowadays?

Bifur: What is your most interesting injury, and how did it happen?

Bofur: Do you consider yourself an optimist or a pessimist?

Bombur: What is your relationship with food?