bella-donna-trixsoblack:
Her chortle was equal parts wicked and amused. If Rita only knew the truth of her words. No, hers and Rods friends were certainly not good. Not in terms of morality. But she suspected most, if not all, would be a good lay, at the very least. “Good, no, but handsome. And, really, what more do you need a man to be?” If tonight’s excursions were rooted in pleasure, what was morality compared to stamina and creativity? Bellatrix would prefer a good fuck over a good person. She was fortunate that Rod was not good, but great in his every characteristic.
Simpering, if Bella had a tail it would have been swishing in delight as she watched Rita tap her chin and consider the groomsmen. “Oh, how thoughtful of you, Rita,” she agreed, considering Rabastan and how the two might play. “Rab certainly does deserve a reason to smile tonight beyond having a beautiful new sister in law. And I know you will be more than able to put him through his paces.”
At the topic of Evan, Bella cocked an eyebrow. “I had heard he was enjoying himself. But ‘spoken for’? By whom? What do you know?” She didn’t soften her demand with a grin, but there was sharp mischief in her narrow eyes, a plotting hunger that felt familiar to their traded secrets from years ago.
Bella hummed when the subject changed to Fenrir and his witch. The polyjuice had done wonders to make him appear more human, like he was just another aristocrat in a sea of notoriety. The truth was that he was still feral under that sheep’s skin, and all that kept his leash taut was his sense of loyalty to Rod. It was a miracle he’d kept from killing anyone, and she suspected that his witch played a large part in that, too.
“I believe so,” said Bella in answer to Rita’s musing about having seen Arielle around. “Though I’ve had rare occasion to speak with her, so I’m afraid I’m not the best resource for information.”
She didn’t know whether or not Rita would interpret that as encouragement to investigate further and, frankly, she didn’t care. Rodolphus had sworn that he and she would protect the witch from harm, but they couldn’t very well protect her from the world. If she was to be with a man like Fenrir then she would have to learn to protect herself. Rita’s tenacity was sure to be the least of what would threaten her during this war. Call it a trial run, and out of Bella’s hands.
Her thoughts were broken up by a cough of laughter. “He’s what?” She tried for an innocent expression, to pretend as though she actually hadn’t known, but Bella threw her head back and laughed again, positively tickled.
Gus, would be afraid of Rita. The woman was relentless, and the man had secrets upon secrets upon secrets. Bella, who considered herself to be a close friend of his, knew that even she was only aware of a fraction of his trove. “You must take full advantage of that, Rita. Please, for me, hound him as much as you’d like. With my blessing.” Of course she’d paired them together on purpose. Bella had planned everything about tonight with purpose.
“Oh, you could handle him,” replied Bella a little wryly at the topic of Annie. Was she setting Rita up for failure? Well, she had nothing but confidence in her friend’s ability to face anything and anyone, even Antonin Dolohov. She had her doubts whether Dolly would give into the morsel that was Rita if she presented herself to him but, if he did, she was sure they would both enjoy themselves. So long as Dol Face didn’t break her friend.
Lips pursed, Bella amended, “Best not to risk it, though, hmm?”
She strolled up to Rita and took her hand, lifted it to her mouth, and kissed her knuckles before guiding the blonde to the door. “Come,” she said, unlocking and opening it so they could start down the hall back toward the festivities. “Let us browse the faces of these handsome men and beautiful women. I insist that you enjoy yourself, even if I have to arrange it myself.”
“Yes, and while it would be pleasure to add you to any family, the pleasure I offered him would be of an entirely different kind,” she replied with a satisfied smirk. Rita knew she was more than capable of making any man--or woman’s--night a memorable one. But he was too young for her, and really, Rita didn’t want to mess with family, just in case Rodolphus was not as kindly inclined towards her as his new wife was.
“Spoken for for tonight, darling,” Rita replied smoothly. “He told me as much when I...interrupted them,” she smirked, knowing how Bella would understand and appreciate the image. “She was a pretty blonde thing.” Though that could be said for many of the women there tonight. “I said I was sorry, but,” she shrugged, not the least bit apologetic. “He was quite put out.”
Rita could understand why. Her photogenic memory helped her replay that moment multiple times, even if her brain had only seen and processed it in the moment. Not that there had been all that much to see before Rita had so rudely made her appearance. She did not mention that he had initially switched his attentions to her. Knowing Evan as she did, Rita was quite sure that had all been a game to him.
“I wonder how she and Rodolphus’ cousin met,” she mused. “I haven’t seen him around, have I? He has a face I would remember,” she grinned, wicked thoughts obvious as they danced across her open face for Bella to see. She supposed it wasn’t all that important. A girl from the Ministry was hardly unusual tonight.
She was not fooled for a minute by Bella’s look of innocence. There was still the twinkle of mischief in her eye that indicated that Bellatrix knew exactly--or had at least suspected--how much Rita annoyed Augustus.
“Oh, well if it’s at your blessing,” she said dryly. As if she wouldn’t--and hadn’t--been pursuing it already. Her hunting of Augustus Rookwood had been going on for some time now. She had started off with wanting to know more about his department, but it had turned into an additional personal challenge for her. “I can throw it in as another wedding present,” she laughed.
“I appreciate your confidence in my...abilities, dearest,” she laughed, patting Bella’s cheek. Rita was not inclined to make a fool of herself in front of Antonin Dolohov, though. Were she ever to actually need him for anything, she didn’t want his memory of her to be sullied by anything less than professional. He was the head of an important Ministry Department after all, and therefore not someone she wanted to piss off--without reason. And as attractive as he was, as fun as Rita was sure he might be, pleasure was not a good enough reason when she could find it elsewhere.
Rita laughed, shaking her head. She was almost disappointed that their private time together was at an end, though obviously she couldn’t be selfish and keep the bride from her own wedding. “As kind of an offer as that is, my love, unless you are indeed offering to arrange it yourself--” here, she paused, to let her eyes roam over her friend’s ivory clad body with a suggestive look, “I think I can manage.”
She didn’t need anyone arranging anything for her. Bella had done enough just by getting Rita’s foot in the door. “I am, of course, open to suggestion, though.”