or was I never really gone

Rodolphus Lestrange / watching the world crumble

[rodolphuslestrxnge-blog]

undxraviolxtmoon‌:

Rarely ever did Severus make demands of anyone, even more- he did not make a habit of banging on doors in search of people. This was a special circumstance, however. It didn’t take much speculation on who might have information on Remus’ attack. The ring-leader for more than one party always had an ear to the ground, and Severus was already suspicious of who might’ve turned his life into shambles. He stood in the cool evening air, both hands fisted. One rested at his side, the other banged against the Lestrange Manor door, all together impatient and virulent. 

“For fucks sake, Lestranges…” he muttered to himself, chest heaving. “It’s Snape, open the bloody door.”

@rodolphuslestrxnge

There was still an awful lot to catch up on, despite the progress made. Rodolphus had secured something of a better public imagine thanks to finding the cure for that curse that had tried to wipe them all out, and the horcrux that Reggie had killed himself for had been destroyed.

But they still needed more people on side, and for Evan to be less of a liability, and for Rab to forgive him, and for Skeeter to start being as useful as she’d promised. 

As the leader of The Revolt, Rod had a lot on his plate. But that did not mean he didn’t have time to be a gracious host. It had just necessitated changing out of his pajamas and into something more suitable, is all. 

“Snape.” He greeted, surprised by the visit but not to put out by it either. “Please, come in,” Rod stepped to the side, gestured to a coat rack, closed the door behind his guest, “to what do I owe the pleasure?”

[rodolphuslestrxnge-blog]

Home is Where the Horcrux is | Rodolpus & Bellatrix

It was risky, but Rodolphus was sure Voldemort must know he was alive by now. There was very little chance a Death Eater hadn’t told him the good news. So if he had been facing out and out execution it would have come by now. He couldn’t stand the idea of that bastard in his home, with his wife. He was worried what poisonous things would be whispered, what influence he might still hold over her.

That was the real reason he’d insisted on returning home so soon after the Lords visit, he didn’t want any sway to last too long, wanted to remind his wife of what had already been whispered between the two of them. He knew his Bella had the strength to pull off the plan they’d toyed with, but regardless he still wasn’t sure it was the best route. Certainly the safest one. If she continued to drag his name in public and appear loyal to the Dark Lord he’d have a wonderful insider and she would have no problem pulling the wool over his eyes.

Still. He didn’t like the idea of her interacting with him at all. It was beyond jealousy or worry, it was rage, rage that the monster who had twisted her mind was still in their lives. It was him who had pushed her so far as to orchestrate his death, it was him that had kept them apart for so long.

No more.

He lingered at the very edge of the grounds, hidden in the shadows until Voldemort had left their property. Not even having the patience to walk the gardens he apparated back to the house, finding Bella in the lounge they’d long ago assigned for death private meetings. “So?” He stepped across to the liquor cabinet and poured a generous few glugs of fire whiskey into a glass, “did he have anything interesting to say?”

@the-huntress-warrior

[rodolphuslestrxnge-blog]

cultivatedperfection‌:

“Sickle for your thoughts?”

“They’re a little pricier than that, I’m afraid.”

[rodolphuslestrxnge-blog]

arthurweasleyx‌:

“S–So…” He paused for a moment clearly hesitant to ask the question. “How was your Halloween? That storm was nasty, eh?”

“I stayed home with my wife, to avoid the rain.”

[rodolphuslestrxnge-blog]

cultivatedperfection‌:

“You – sit. I need someone to taste whiskey with me,” 

“Not an offer I’ve ever said no to.” Rodolphus smirked, taking the seat across from her, “is this for wedding booze?”

[rodolphuslestrxnge-blog]

Weaving Ever Closer | Rodolphus & Bellatrix

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rodolphuslestrxnge‌:

the-huntress-warrior‌:

Bella’s hands trembled, quaked, as she slowly smoothed down the fabric of his shirt. Pulled him close, kept him near. Still feeling his body heat, to ensure he was real. Whole. Him. Though her eyes finessed the power to burn hotter than any ember, she was tired after the last few months of contemplating the sordid and twisted path her life continued down. Exhausted, to the point where reality seemed to warp and show her things that didn’t exist. Although the young wife longed for sleep, she tried to rebel from it. She knew her nature well, she knew the possibility she could wake up and immediately bolt the man who caused her heart to skip a beat. Her conscience was split into two, to drop it all and retreat to Her Lord, the world she knew, or create a new one with him. 

Rodolphus’ touch soothed her, and she leaned her head against his touch to get a better view of his eyes. The second he spoke of Evan, she drew in a sharp breath. Another spark of anger, betrayal, the fact that Evan knew her husband was alive and well and didn’t come to her. “Of course, your accomplices, I presume? How long have they known- how did you-” A normal soul would take time to accept the past, admit mistake, move forward, but Bellatrix was never normal. “I want you to stay with me.” she demanded softly, heavy-lidded gaze fluttering over his fine features. “Somewhere we can forget it all for a moment - where we won’t be seen. Though I’m still the mourning widow. The Dark Lord visits me often. I can guarantee he has eyes and ears in the least expected of places… Possibly even at our home. But I need to see, I need to have all of you.” Despite herself, her lips twitched, fighting back a haughty smirk despite the whirlwind of feeling. “Run with me somewhere before I change my mind.” She half teased, her low voice raising almost playfully as she pulled him in for a kiss.

Rod’s hands settled again, resting at her hips as she tugged him closer still, following where she put him. He had no urge to get away, there was no part of him already facing the treeline- he knew what his decision was, it had always been her. They’d gotten the mark together, and though Rodolphus had never confessed it she drove him towards that more than his mother, who while disappointed would’ve probably not put up too much of a fight if her second born did not head straight for the same life that had already killed her first child. But Bella, she’d been eager.

His brows knitted together, hands curling tighter around her. “I didn’t have any accomplices. I planned and executed everything myself. They found out only a short while ago, after my return.” He frowned at the thought of Voldemort in his home, visiting his wife, whispering poisonous things to her. “We’re buying a new home, and we won’t be telling anyone where it is.” Rod told her, heaving a sigh as he ran his thumbs gently along the dark circles under her eyes. “Somewhere quiet, without his influence, so you can make your own choices and we can be together.” 

Rodolphus matched her smirk with a playful one of his own, taking hold of her waist to pull their bodies against each-other. as they kissed. How he’d missed her lips in their long separation.Regretfully they did have to part again eventually, but with his self-awareness shoved aside, displaced by her kiss, his hold at her waist remained more possessive, arms folded around her. “Did you have a destination in mind?”

[theblackxbird-blog]

New Beginnings || Andromeda and Rodolphus

[rodolphuslestrxnge-blog]

theblackxbird‌:

@rodolphuslestrxnge

The owl had come as a slight surprise to her, teacup poised in her fingers as she lifted it towards her lips. The sweet smell wafting into her senses before a rapping at the window startled her out of her thoughts. With a soft hum, she set the china onto the table, standing to make a quick stride across the room. Grabbing a treat from a small bowl she opened the glass and held it out to the owl, before untying the note and sent the creature on its way once again.

The witch made quick work as she skimmed the message.

“Andromeda,

I’ve arranged a house for you, the address is 3402 on King Street Drive, please meet me there at 3 pm today so we can be sure it is to your liking.  

Regards, Rodolphus.”

The words struck her deeply as she discarded the tea to make her way towards her room. Quickly she showered and dressed in a way that was presentable yet elegant in a way. With a once-over in the mirror, she added her purse to her outfit and headed out the door. With a pop she apparated to the location, calling out in greeting once she arrived. “Hello!!?”

It’d taken Rodolphus a little longer than intended to put together everything for Andromeda’s care- the account and the house- but life had been hectic and he’d been keeping tags on her anyway, to ensure she didn’t talk while he made the necessary arrangements. 

He’d been at the house himself for the afternoon, to ensure the interiors and gardens were all well maintained- he’d kept everything fairly simple in style, figuring if Andromeda wanted to she would add her own flare to the place, far be it for him to assume how she might like to decorate.

Rod was coming back around from the gardens when she arrived and he gestured towards the front door, heading in that direction himself and meeting her there. “I trust you should find the place enough to your liking for now, but I could take you around to show you where everything is if you’d prefer.” He held a set of keys out to her. “I have a second copy for myself, and the necessary details to access your bank account are in the ground floor office.”

[rodolphuslestrxnge-blog]

Spells and Secret Organizations | Rodolphus & Evan

[rodolphuslestrxnge-blog]

oceaneyesrosier‌:

The moment of apparition was a mild discomfort; not uncommon but for an already tightly wound stomach, it wasn’t kind. His eyes shut tightly for a moment, palm braced on the post of Rabastan’s bed. He listened silently as Rod went to tapping on the walls, sounding much like a mouse dancing around on wood. Rendering Evan useless at this point in time wouldn’t have been hard, he was already clinging to the edge of his rope. Holding on for Rabastan. For Rodolphus. For the cause and family he’d committed himself to. He couldn’t self destruct on account of his own actions anymore. 

He attempted to gather his resolve and stifle the panic in his chest at both Rab’s sickness and Rod’s silence. After a moment of calm observance, he joined in on the hunt, careful as he shifted the bed with the weight of his own body to check behind it for hollow spots in the walls. What could he even say? He was struggling to keep his own thoughts in order, had been for months. After finding nothing, he settled for checking floorboards with his feet at Rodolphus’ suggestion. “Probably. Seems more likely than the walls.” The old wood creaked beneath him but he found nothing around the edges of the room. He hadn’t yet bothered to check beneath where the bed had been. 

“Now that Cygnus is dead, I’d like it if we could revisit how to kill our fearless leader. The longer we wait, the harder it will be to get to him. He needs to be vulnerable…and I think we need to find other Death Eaters that will be willing to switch sides.” Evan was attempting to hide everything that bothered him now, perhaps finding something else to focus on aside from the twisting blade in his chest would help. 

“I already have an idea of who I’d like to recruit.”

Evan was probably sick. But then-- when wasn’t he? Moody or drunk or drug addled. Rod couldn’t remember the last time he’d seen Rosier exist for a decent period of time without something altering his mind or body. He tried not to let the thought distract him. There was time to work on that, after they figured out a way to make sure the wizarding world wasn’t killed off by an old curse. Fix immediate death threat, then get back to trying to get on top of all Evan’s addictions. 

It was good to hear him talking strategy at least, as Rod paced around the room trying to find a spot that echoed too much to be just wood and concrete. “I agree, despite recent tumultuous times we do have something of an advantage right now. In terms of making him vulnerable there is something I’m working on. I’ll share more on that at a later date, with everyone.” Telling Evan about the horcrux meant telling him how it had come to be found, and again, Rod couldn’t do that right now. “Recruitment, eh? I like the sound of that. I’ve been considering Talkalot myself, who is it that you-” 

The unfinished question hung in the air, like the echo of the floorboard underneath his foot now. From the markings on the floor Rod could tell it was a spot that had been hidden by the bed. He tapped again to be sure. Echo.  He pulled out his wand and stepped back a few paces, gesturing with his free arm for Evan to move back a little too as he aimed his wand on that precise spot, muttering “bombarda.” 

The wood splintered and some scattered around the hole he’d created. Stepping closer Rodolphus could see a skinny staircase made of stone. Too dark to see to the bottom of it. “...The catacombs don’t extend this far through the house.” He paused only long enough to cast a lumos charm, and then he was making his way down, to whatever mystery room had been hidden beneath his brothers.

[rodolphuslestrxnge-blog]

Team Building | Rodolphus & Alecto

[rodolphuslestrxnge-blog]

fraternallycarrow‌:

A good place to start. Alecto didn’t need anymore prompt. She looked at the locket, bringing her wand up, pointed at it. The wood felt at home between her fingers, rightfully placed where it should always be. It was a constant in Alecto’s life. Something never changing. The only comfort she had of recent. As of almost a month ago, she stood, entirely alone in the world – her greatest love unable to be near her, her best friend caught up in the trauma which had splintered her bones, self-destructive, living in a cabin she’d built with her boys, their memories haunting her as vodka swam in her veins. She stood with nothing but a need to unleash hell. Upon anything other than herself and those she loved. 

A crucio would do nicely, to start.

The brunette gritted her teeth, rolling her shoulders. With the slightest of movements, she flicked her wrist. “Crucio,” she uttered. The words pushed from her lips with quietly, bitterly, but held the force of a gale behind them. They cut the air like a blade set to take life. They pierced like ice, cold and vacant. 

Though technically an unforgivable Rod felt that was more for the pain it caused, rather than the real power or even how dark it was perceived to be. On the scale of things you could do to people, making them endure a little bit of burning pain for a while was not an entirely torturous thing. Simple, direct. More of the body than of the mind. 

But perhaps body was the better was to go for this situation. This was a part of Voldemorts soul, sure, but a monster like that would take considerable effort to impact mentally. An effort that perhaps the two of them alone could not manage. 

But, the body was a little easier, and this at the very least must serve to be some kind of warning to the man. An alarm of sorts triggered internally. You’d feel a crucio to the soul, even after tearing that piece off.

Alecto’s anger was so visceral, yet so easy to direct. She wasn’t the river that carved out the valley. She was the grass that grew with the rivers aid. A war-dog, even under his command. It was good to have an arsenal. Even Rodolphus felt a shake inside his own self at the sight of the destruction. He flicked his own wrist too. “Crucio,” the incantation leaving his lips much more softly, his chin tilted down, a slick and cool tone. 

It felt good, action, anger, the fight. “Think of something else. What else can we do to him.” He egged her on.

[rodolphuslestrxnge-blog]

Recruitment Drive | Rodolphus & Lucinda

[rodolphuslestrxnge-blog]

lxcxndatlkalct‌:

A better host than she’d ever be, the very thought of guests in her own home perished every aspect of her less than welcoming personality. Charming as she could be, having her space encroached on bothered her more and more with every passing day. Time to herself was a vast irregularity. Everything about it, despite her interest, left her a little uneasy. Rod’s departure from the fold of death eaters not something that was talked of lightly among them. Pressing the tips of her fingers in against the dip of her neck beneath her ear, almost a passing effect of her burning need for the man to get on with it left her muttering to the house elf before he disappeared. “How is your brother? I heard he succumbed to the curse rather quickly, passed out in the street.” The ferocity of the younger lestrange wasn’t lost on her, as intent as his brother on many things; she’d come to appreciate them both just as much as the other. 

The second offer of the seat beside him she took up, tucking her legs beneath her in much the way her nanny had once taught her was proper. Bits and pieces instilled in her for lack of her own mothers presence along with that of her father. Humorous, that the etiquette Lucinda exuded would have been learnt from something as lackluster as the help. “We’ll see.” It seemed ironic, that he’d offered her power and all she’d truly clung to was a life of her own, not tied to the wants or needs of another man – and yet here he was. She had little interest in becoming tethered to another. “About as much as anyone does..– Your grand speech got you executed. Quite the fuss, you left many people utterly distraught after that.” She noted quietly  “Though I’ve never been one to take things at face value, and your wife hasn’t been among those distraught, difficult to believe, not everything adds up — even less so with you sitting here.”

He was the man of the family, and that was a role Rodolphus took more seriously than most people realized. He was the Lestrange representative- and not only that, but he respected Lucinda too much to be a bad host. Besides he liked having guests, growing up the house had always been so quiet, especially after father was gone. He wanted to make the place brighter, for his most prominent memories of it to be happy ones.

Rodolphus tensed up a little at talk of his brother, taking a sip of his drink before replying. “He is... Not in the best shape of his life, but I’m ensuring he is well taken care of.” Whatever protests Rabastan might make it was not something the elder brother would budge on- he needed professional care right now.

Her summation of his death made him smile a little- she was frank with her words and astute in her observations. “Not that it needs stating, but clearly, I was not executed.” Rod sets his glass down on the table, clasping his hands together- he didn’t want to waste time, his or her own, but it felt odd to be sharing this. “It wasn’t me who made that speech.” He shares, “It may have looked and sounded like me, but it wasn’t. See, there is a project I have been working on in secret for quite some time, and I had my concerns that certain people would not approve of it, so I put measures in place to ensure that I would survive any backlash. When my wife found out about this project of mine she went immediately to Voldemort with it, and he was far from happy.” Rod rubbed at the back of his neck, wondering again if all this was wise but knowing he might as well push through to see her reaction. “He was the one who ordered I be killed. What I’ve been working on, it had the potential to... Derail his plans, shall we say.”

[rodolphuslestrxnge-blog]

Weaving Ever Closer | Rodolphus & Bellatrix

[rodolphuslestrxnge-blog]

the-huntress-warrior‌:

Bellatrix wasn’t a woman who allowed people to make her feel anything other than what she’d wanted to feel. Satisfaction. The rush of adrenaline. Submission. She claimed them all, and when she didn’t get her fix, she took it, consumed it wholly, greedily, without a second’s pang of guilt. It’s how she was raised, growing up. Witnessing how her father handled her and her two younger sisters with such vicious rage. Such possessive habits. Any vulnerability, any passivity within her was cut out of her, a self inflicted pain intended to make her stronger. She wouldn’t fall victim to her human emotions. Not anymore. She would never be like her mother. She would defy the means of a perfect pureblood housewife, she’d strike respect, fear, desire, or chaos in anyone who dared to cross her path. The young wife was now a wildfire, thirsty to burn it all. The power to dominate the situation, to get what she wanted, what her warped mind thought she deserved and was owed. 

Rodolophus must’ve studied her well, took in her every twisted and chaotic nature, growing up, when she swayed with him, and when his moves were tender and gentle, delicate, soft, she moved into him further. But in the back of her mind, Bella couldn’t shake the sting of paranoia that was duelling with the way he made her head cloud over, her knees go weak. Her head, her heart at odds, struggling to find an immediate resolution. She kissed him hungrily, relishing the feeling of his heat, his staggered breathing, she could sense his pulse racing alongside hers, towards some sort of ruin or happiness, like a steam engine. The moment their lips parted, and her shaking fingertips stayed stuck on his jaw, fingers cupping him to keep him near, she squeezed her eyes tight and let out a sharp sigh. His words made her falter, her heartbeat caused her to shiver. She paused a beat, then leaned in and kissed his temple, the overwhelming emotion urging her to do what Bella did best- something rash. Either curse him, curse something, wreck one of their fineries in the home, or pull him into somewhere for the night, all to herself, and forgetting that by morning, she could very well run from their situation. Or the Dark Lord himself could find out.

“Where’re you staying?” She asked, hoarse. voice. “Where’ve you been? Who knows?” She leaned into his ear, kissing just under it before she whispered, “And where will you be tonight..?”

Rodolphus tried not to play puppet master in the manor of Voldemort. Granted, there had been recent occasion wherein people had not known his true movements or motives, but in those circumstances he had done all the bidding himself, had not roped anyone else in just to let them take the fall should things have gone wrong. There had been secrets, yes, covert missions. But he had never planned for the Revolt to live in darkness forever, and he still didn’t.

Bella knew where he stood now and that felt like a big step in the right direction; could hardly create his new world without her by his side to make it perfect. He encouraged her towards him, yes, knew that the closeness of their relationship offered him a certain advantage- he knew how to sway her, knew she still struggled to accept their connection as a strength instead of a weakness. He could prove it a strength here- together, they could do what the Dark Lord struggled so much with.

His fingers traced light and delicate, down from her hairline over the contour of her cheek, to the line of her jaw, eventually settling to curl around her neck gently. “I’ve been at Lestrange manor these past few weeks.” Rodolphus admitted softly, “Rabastan knows, Evan knows.” She didn’t ask for a complete list, and there were other questions he could answer that would serve to distract. “Tonight I can be wherever you want me, darling.”

[rodolphuslestrxnge-blog]

Sell Your Soul to the Devilishly Handsome | Rodolphus & Andromeda

[rodolphuslestrxnge-blog]

theblackxbird‌:

Andromeda had a knack for pissing everyone off with ease. It wasn’t something she prided herself in much, instead she used this trait when appropriate. She honestly watching sure how anyone could love her sister. Not now anyway.

“I was merely curious about what you considered problems, Rodolphus.” Her voice was cheery as she placed a teabag into a mug and poured some water into it. “I agree. You have given me a generous compromise, but can you blame a girl for trying?” Her voice was innocent as she reached for another mug and looked upon his face again in silent asking. “I will accept your offer.”

Perhaps it was a trait the Black sisters shared. Certainly, all three did have their own unique way of ruffling his feathers. Andromeda was ever the betrayer, Narcissa always so uptight and poised, Bella... A woman who could ruin him with a look, if she were ever so inclined. 

“And I’m curious as to what exactly you think it is this obtuse, air-headed act will get you. I’m one to suffer idiots gladly.” Rodolphus snapped, snide and tired of the turn this morning had taken. He wanted to get out of this house, out of these clothes. Back to his life. “I don’t want any bloody tea.” He sighed, straightening his jacket and preparing to leave. “Expect details on the house and bank account to reach you in due time. I don’t suspect we’ll require any further communication on the matter.”

[rodolphuslestrxnge-blog]

Spells and Secret Organizations | Rodolphus & Evan

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oceaneyesrosier‌:

Evan was used to Rodolphus’s anger and how it manifested. He’d seen enough goblets crushed in the man’s fist, after all. This was not new, not uncommon, and he appreciated that in all of their years knowing each other, Evan had never been on the end of Rodolphus’ anger that might cause him to raise his hand. So he looked, and looked, and hunted until he was sat in the middle of the chaos, dodging shards as another bookshelf was blown apart, scanning pages until his eyes grew tired. 

Something about the pause Rod had when he’d mentioned Regulus had caused a twinge in his chest. Ocean eyes lifted to watch the elder male as he dug, focused intently to find if he was lying. He wasn’t, but he wasn’t telling the entire truth either. And for that, Evan felt a bit of gratitude. There was a reason behind it, certainly. A soft sigh fell from his lips; frustrated more or less over the fact that the counter hadn’t been found. 

“I know,” the sorrow and strain in his voice was evident. Rabastan had meant so much more than he’d ever bargained for. And here they were- at the cusp of losing him all due some brave muggles with guns and too much power. And an Evan Rosier that felt powerless was infinitely more dangerous than most would give him credit for. To take away his power meant to take away everything that he stood on. And for that alone, they would pay. 

“Then we’ll find it. It can’t be here, you’ve blown apart the whole bloody room. Let’s try another. Rabastan’s perhaps?”

Funnily enough, this far into his life the only person to have ever been on the receiving end of this anger was his father, the man who’d given it to him. Violent spells had their place of course, he’d been in many a battle during his time as a death eater- pain and injury for the sake of advancing their cause was not quite the same, he used a much more methodical approach. This was barely even an approach at all, just movement fueled by fear and pain. 

Perhaps the endangerment of Rabastan’s life was the only thing that could really motivate this kind of anger- it was what had initially stirred it after all, and family was his highest value. Though who he considered family had expanded since childhood. Rab wasn’t his only brother these days. 

Rod really was trying not to lie so much- concealing your identity for months, faking your death, then concealing your identity again? It could really make you crave some good old fashioned honesty. But he knew Evan, and he knew there was a far better time and place for him to find out about what had happened to Reggie. Telling him now would only render him useless, and they’d have even less chance of finding the cure for this, even less chance of finishing what Reggie had died for.

He kicked at a pile of useless old books and sighed, running a hand through his hair. “Fine. Rab’s room. But we have to actually fix that one when we’re gone else he’s got nowhere to sleep.” Too impatient to walk so far Rodolphus strode across the room to put a hand on Evan’s shoulder and just apparated them both through the house. Before doing any damage he tapped at the walls one by one, ear pressed against them. “Nothing hollow, so if it’s in here it’s... Under floorboards, maybe?”

[rodolphuslestrxnge-blog]

rblcstrange‌:

Everything seemed to blur, his eyes watering against the light that sifted through the things he saw, the things he heard barely making any sense. Passing moments of silence used to piece what he could together as he wrapped his hand around his brothers wrist. Fear trickled in beyond the recesses of what he thought he could feel. Of course he’d been reckless, over and over again, and death didn’t scare him; a necessary evil in this world, but the unknown; not knowing what the hell was happening to him, that bothered him beyond comprehension. 

Closing his eyes against his brothers honesty, he could have laughed had it been any other moment, that now he chose honesty. The open book splayed out between them that seemed to be closed for so long. “What do you mean.. this has..– before?” When? And how the hell had none of them ever heard about it? Some mysterious curse, a fucking plague on the magical world..” You jus..– you just have to…” A heave of lungs, a reach for air and his body snapped against the curse working in against his system. The world swam and all he saw was black. Rab pitched forward into his brothers hold on him, none of it seemingly enough to keep him upright any longer, every ounce of motor control he might have had an echoed reality that he could no longer comprehend. He could have called out, he could have screamed for his brother to stop the spinning in his mind; the rapid desperation he felt for something as simple as oxygen as his lungs burnt in such a dull way that he wasn’t sure he even felt it. Weakened hands slipped free of  the hold he had on his brother arm, everything disappearing right through his fingers as hues rolled into the back of his head. A moment later, his skull cracked against the cobbled stone at their feet with a sharpened crack of bone.

They were similar enough in that regard- the not knowing was torture. For two boys given answers by their family, eventually even those they didn’t want to hear. Knowing was half the battle. Knowing Rapheal had been killed for betraying the cause made them cautious. Knowing Voldemort was a half-blood made them angry. When you didn’t know you couldn’t decide how to feel, how harrowing or desperate a situation really was.

Usually, anyway. Even knowing he was close to a cure didn’t make watching his little brother deteriorate any easier, too close to the pained stares he’d caught when their father would punish him.

“Rab?” He muttered, feeling more of his weight fall against his frame. Rod stumbled only for a second before he steadied himself, finding a firmer hold on his brothers’ arms.

“Rab!” He scrambled, hands grasping at nothing but air, his brother falling, failing, cracking against the ground. Rod was by his side immediately, uncaring of the dirt on the floor for once. He hauled up his brothers’ body and apparated them both, crashing into their home and laying him gently as possible sofa, house elf snapping to his side. “Healers.” He muttered, shaking Rab’s shoulders. “As many private ones as you can get, and as many as you can bribe away from Mungos.”

[rodolphuslestrxnge-blog]

Team Building | Rodolphus & Alecto

[rodolphuslestrxnge-blog]

fraternallycarrow‌:

Normally her pride would have devoured his words, a satisfied and thrilled smirk settling on her lips for the long-haul. Normally, that was. “Anything is better than stagnant, “ she replied, circling the rockery carefully, in thought. What would destroy this object? Surely something extreme; as was the meaning of making it in the first place. “And this will be massive to the cause,” she added. “Him thinking he’s invincible having split his soul and us slowly destroying him,” she murmured. That stirred something within her. Something other than lethargic apathy. It was welcome. 

Alecto crackled her fingers. “Start dark, go darker,” she said simply. “And if we exhaust those resources, I have an entire library on old, ancient, dark spells and curses to try,” she added. Daddy wasn’t always a gem, but his library was incredibly valuable and precious. The brunette dipped her head, her dark hair falling across her eyes. “Do you think a fragment of soul could feel the crucio curse?” she mused. She had her wand, poised, between her fingers, ready to hurl everything she had at it.

He was the puppet master, see, the man pulling the strings. Not that Rod’s magic wasn’t powerful- he was from a long line of pureblood Lestrange’s after all, he was more than capable with his wand. But it was his foresight that set him apart, his constant desire for more. Control, power, intelligence. The only worthwhile lesson his father had ever taught him was about gathering the resources to protect your own, and ever since destroying him Rod had found his own way to do that. 

Like he had done that first confrontation with Rabastan, Rod remained still while his company paced, his feet firmly planted while he stared down the cursed object. There was many a violent spell in his arsenal that could cleave flesh from bone, tear down walls. But he wasn’t sure if that was the right way to go here. Souls were tricky things. Slippery, ethereal. “We’re pulling the rug out from under him.” Rod agreed, chuckling.

“Certainly if there’s a library to rival that of the Lestrange household it could only belong to the Carrow’s.” He nodded. “I’m not sure, I can’t say I’ve ever met anyone else twisted enough to tear themselves apart in such a matter. It seems a good place to start though, if the locket does attempt to protect itself a crucio should be small enough not to warrant too vicious a response.”

[rodolphuslestrxnge-blog]

Sell Your Soul to the Devilishly Handsome | Rodolphus & Andromeda

[rodolphuslestrxnge-blog]

theblackxbird‌:

“You and I both know Bellatrix is quite the… Unlovable sort,“ the small witch chuckled darkly, her eyes meeting his, smirk cemented onto her lips. The likeliness of the affair was promising; she just hadn’t expected Rodolphus’ reaction to the proposition. One sentence seemed to shake the time bomb growing in the wizard’s chest. He was wrapped around her little finger for the moment- and it amused her to no end.

“What is it that you consider problems exactly?” Her voice was cheery as she fought back a giggle. “I am by no means a trouble maker, just curious is all, husband?” Her eyes rolled slightly at his ending words as a screech from the kettle sounded into the kitchen. “Tea?” She asked softly before she ducked under his arm as she went to fetch the teapot.

There weren’t many things Andromeda could’ve said that would have made him madder, but implying that he didn’t love Bella, that he couldn’t love her? That was one of the few. If she thought she had the upper hand here, she was wrong. You didn’t simply get the upper hand on a man who had managed to fake his own death, fooling even Voldemort. A man who had killed his own father years ago and gotten away with it. A man who’d started a rebellion under everyone’s noses and still hadn’t been discovered.

“I know your routine.” He reminded her, voice soft and deadly. “I know who you care about most in the world. All I have to do to make your daughter trust me is wear her fathers’ clothes. I know how to make people disappear.” He doesn’t move when she does, just pivots on the spot to face her. “I have tried my best to orchestrate a compromise here- a very generous one, might I add. Financial security, a home and future far beyond anything you could afford for yourself. What I ask in return is relatively simple. You just don’t tell anyone I was ever here. If you try to undermine me, if you tell anyone about any of this then I promise I will make you watch as everything you have built and everyone you love is destroyed. Do not test my patience. Take the offer, or I have other less savory ways of ensuring your silence.”

[rodolphuslestrxnge-blog]

Weaving Ever Closer | Rodolphus & Bellatrix

[rodolphuslestrxnge-blog]

the-huntress-warrior‌:

Bellatrix’s fierce, dangerous gaze settled on his, softening enough to let her pout slip a feline smirk without thinking of it, mirroring his own that etched across his jawline. “You’re as wretched as I am, though… You’re more fun to dig into, ‘cause I know you’d bite back. You always had to fucking bite back. Mutually fucked addiction, isn’t it, Lestrange? Toxic, and unable to curb the ache for that feeling?” She purred, winding her pale fingertips down to his waist.

She took her time to feel his sides, her hips rolled against him as the breeze hit the tree behind them, just to feel him near her again. To prove this wasn’t some twisted dream. Still, there was this gnawing, overwhelming rush that fell over her petite frame. Her eyes drank in the sight of him as he forced her to look at him. Her whole life, Bellatrix grew resolute in never letting someone make her feel so human. Perhaps that’s why she latched onto Voldemort’s influence – he brought out the beast within her, didn’t nurture both contrasting parts of her sordid soul. But Rodolphus – her lover, her enemy, her husband, her family – shook her to the core. 

Damn it all, damn him, curse him. With these words, these promises, these instincts, this temptation. He was alive, and the world was still turning, and though her duty remained stubborn in the back of her head like a leech, trying to suck out any part of her that would abandon it all and leave with him, she made the earth stand still in this moment. She’d delay proper thinking about all of this- this miracle or this curse- because he was clouding over all she’d grown to know over the past few months. His warm hand on her chin didn’t sting - it was soothingly warm.  Her dark, arched brows knitted together, her pulse thudded in her head, and as he spoke, she paused a beat. “You drive quite the bargain… Whilst I mull over your proposition, I need to just–”   Her low hiss of a voice was barely above a whisper, shaking yet remaining infamously silken, her gaze lingered on his, then moved down to his lips. “I need to steal something from you. I’ve had this habit of taking things, you know… But this time, it’s something I thought I’d never be able to steal from you again.” Her words grew hazy, and she drawled off the end of her thoughts. She abruptly tugged him in to feel his lips against her own, cursing under her breath before she collided with him, unprepared for that electric shock of sensation that was waiting to greet her when she kissed him. 

He watches the playful smirk dance across her face and feels a small victory for it, for so long he hasn’t had a chance to see her features fall like that, from anger to a smug and satisfied kind of peace. Hell, it’s been months since he even got to gaze back as she gazed at him, he’d take anger if that was all she wanted to give, he’d take anything. “It’s called love, darling.” He quipped with a shake of his head, tugging gently at a lock of her hair. “Or at least, that’s a far quicker way to phrase it. But perhaps addiction fits too, considering that the two of us have come back to each other again, despite everything that transpired.”

There weren’t many ordinary men who’d be so willing to take back a woman who’d tried to kill them, but Rodolphus had never been ordinary, and he didn’t believe she’d really done such things of her own volition.

He’d been so delicate with her, his touches light and easy to escape- because he wanted her genuine reaction, if it was her desire to step away from him, to leave entirely? He wanted Bella to be free to do so. Still he was immensely relieved that her only moves had been closer to him.

That control was lost when she kissed him, however, one arm winding tight around her waist and his other hand gripping at her hair. Lost in her immediately as he so often had been before. He steps closer too so there is no space between them, eyes squeezed shut against their reality, just the two of them kissing by a tree they carved their names into so long ago. 

Rodolphus doesn’t break away until he needs to breath, and even then it is the slightest of partings, his forehead pressed to hers. “You were never stealing that.” He tells her once he has caught his breath enough, “I have always wanted you to have it.”