“ monsters are real , and ghosts are real too .
they live inside us , and sometimes , they win . ”
it was an irish ditty he whistled . something old . traditional . rabastan couldn’t quite remember the name , but it lived rent free in his mind ; like an earworm , carrying him through the day atop several musical notes .
he would sing , but the lyrics evaded him . that and rodolphus once kindly informed him that he sounded like a dying pig on a hot summer day .
so he whistled , shaking the giant tin bucket as gasoline splashed about . he moved to the tune , holding the container in place before the melody picked up again , and then emptying its contents with a bob and tilt of his head . he walked around the room ( or maybe danced was the right word ) as he covered the ground with enough gasoline to burn for days .
“ please , ” a weak voice muttered .
rabastan paid it no mind . the song was still going and the bucket wasn’t empty yet .
a crash was heard behind him as irish men , burly in size and tiny in mental capacity , rummaged through the house . galleons upon galleons were stashed in the small cottage , proving to be worth more than ten times what the land they stood on was worth .
they stuffed bags filled with money , quite literally cleaning house .
“ please , ” the weak voice cracked , sobs escaping his mouth as he pleaded .
the brown haired criminal was raised to believe that begging was a tool used only by the pathetic and weak . lestrange men never asked . they never pleaded . they simply took . so when a voice would raise an octave , or someone would adopt a widened expression like that of a puppy , he wanted to cringe . it was pitiful .
and yet , even under that stern belief , he knew he had begged before . recalled it quite clearly , really . but never for his life . rab only begged for things worth begging for .
and this man’s life clearly wasn’t worth the snot-infested sobbing .
“ jesus . wish you weren’t so repetitive there , bud . ” he responded , cigarette tucked neatly behind his ear as he tossed the bucket carelessly to the side . being mindful to step on the areas of the floor without gasoline , he practically skipped to the bloodied man who remained tied to a chair in the middle of the ransacked room .
rabastan moved as if he had endless energy , but he couldn’t have been more exhausted . he was worn down to the very marrow of his very fatigued bones . the job always left him feeling like that . empty . absolutely depleted . missing any hint or spark of whatever humanity he could scrounge together on his best day . it was hard not to feel that way when he lived a monotonous existence filled with nothing but violence , manipulation , and the ever sharp dagger plunged in his back by his own family members .
frankly , he could not care less about the man drenched in gasoline , crying for his life as if it meant anything to begin with .
“ i’m sorry i tricked you , i didn’t “
“ ah ah ! “ rab admonished with two wags of his calloused finger , moving to press the digit against the man’s lips . “ i think it’s adorable you thought i didn’t know . you’re a smart man , so give me credit for being a clever one too . ”
the man , ulrich , shook in his seat . it was a nasty combination of being cold from the liquid and of being terrified of , well , the lot of it . he looked as if he wanted to speak , but he couldn’t bring himself to chance it .
“ go on , ” rabastan encouraged , albeit with slight irritation .
“ if you knew , why didn’t you ... ”
“ why didn’t i stop you ? ” he finished for him . “ gold fucking star , ulrich . didn’t i say it ? didn’t i tell him he was a smart guy ? ” rabastan turned toward a large blond man who had recently stuffed a bag to the brink with galleons . following a grunt , he swung the bag over his shoulder and gave a stern nod .
“ sure did , boss . told him to his face , you did . ”
“ i did . ” he nodded in agreement before turning back to the man in the chair . “ and you really are , i mean wow . aside from your proclivity for crossing the wrong people , that was quite a business plan . i watched you for months , workin’ your ass off and getting nothing but top grade results . and i really appreciate it ... you makin’ all that money for me . ”
the man froze , suddenly aware that the brilliance of his betrayal was only because rabastan had allowed it . the younger lestrange son covered up his tracks , giving him the opportunity to run his business without a single hitch . had oisin or rodolphus known ? he would have been dead within hours . and the money ? nonexistent . rabastan saw the potential in him and he wanted to push it , to see how far he could take it . and even with the theatrics and the threats , he knew there was a possibility that ulrich would survive . he just needed to want it enough .
“ now i get to kill you , steal your hard-earned fortune , punish your loyal followers , and sell all your merchandise . and who knows , ” he paused , taking a moment to remove the cigarette from behind his ear and place it between his lips , lighting it nonchalantly before finishing his thought . ” maybe i’ll fuck your wife too . ”
smoke cascaded from his mouth as he leaned forward . “ c’mon now , give us a kiss . ” he muttered with a wicked smirk before transferring the lit cigarette to ulrich’s lips . all they needed was a loose bit of ash to fall on his person , or anywhere in the room really , and it would be game over . “ enjoy . it’s my favorite brand . ”
taking a stand and walking toward the front door of the house , he motioned for his men to follow . the windows had been boarded up , so the shift from complete darkness to bright sunlight caused his features to contort drastically . fuck , he muttered under his breath before walking down the steps .
a sound emerged behind them , a small gust of wind tickling his back as he made it to the sidewalk . of course , the wizard could make an educated guess . short styled tufts of chestnut hair canted to the side as he turned , quietly appraising the house as it was being slowly engulfed in flames . ulrich hadn’t lasted very long .
“ that’s a shame , ” rabastan sighed in disappointment , the edges of his lips curled downward to showcase a frown . part of him wanted the man to survive , if only to preserve whatever clever ideas he had stashed away in that head of his . regardless of the betrayal , even he had to admit ulrich walsh had a talent for what they did . it was a waste .
“ i would’ve eaten the goddamn cigarette . ”
he watched the fire before him , entranced by the anarchy of it all . by the way the flames shifted and danced . he felt like a fire himself . he was becoming unhinged ; unresponsive ; like chaos in human form and he desperately needed someone to drench him in water , if only to smoke out the real him . but the real him was hidden in a cluster of flames and soon he would be just like ulrich : ash and dust and regrets .
“ give it time and put the fire out , then take the money to o’sullivan . he’s got the books and he’ll compare . ” rabastan wiped a spec of dust from his black coat before flipping the collar up , protecting his neck from the harsh winds he would feel after disapparating . things were about to get very cold for the younger lestrange man .
“ you’re not joining us ? ”
“ no , ” he replied quickly , shoving his hands into his pockets as he turned to leave . “ i have a funeral to get to . ”
