victorious | au
1992, October
The war had been. Nearly ten years had passed since The Dark Lord struck down Dumbledore and the last of the Order of the Pheonix had been destroyed. But still, those years upon years of combat had touched them all. Even the victorious. The man Rodolphus saw staring back at him from the mirror was not the man he had been in his youth. Curse damage and ritualistic castings had changed him. Gone was his dark hair and bright blue eyes. He could charm his appearance, of course, to look as he once did...but what was the point in that? It wasn't as if he was any less handsome this way.
His energies could be turned to more useful things. He was the premier wandmaker for the regime--blending both his passion and his career within the Department of Mysteries to create even more powerful conduits. He'd done more for wandcrafting in the last decade than most wandmakers managed in their entire lives. No surprise then, that he held the honor of being the Head for that segment of the Minstry.
Voldemort rewarded his faithful and the Lestranges had never wavered from their devotion to the cause. How could they? Theirs had been just and right. It was only noble and good to embrace both the Dark and Light sides of magic--only by exploring and understanding all facets of magic could a wizard ever truly call himself a master.
Rodolphus certainly pursued that title, though it was not as important to him as what his wife had made of him twelve years ago. Bellatrix had not bore him a son, but instead a daughter. One he thought he would care nothing about. What a fool he had been, blind and ignorant to the perfection that would be distilled in that tiny little body. Polaris had stolen his heart, though, wrapping her around her little finger right away.
It was bizarre to have the castle so quiet now. With their daughter off at Hogwarts, it was just the lord and lady of the house and their staff living in the main house on the Lestrange Estate. Adjusting to life without their daughter there with them would be difficult for Rodolphus. There were difficult subjects that needed to be broached with Bellatrix that he did not look forward to. The matter of proper heirs---male---for both the Lestrange and Black lines needed to be addressed.
But how to convince his wife to bear him two sons?
He hadn't a clue...
Wine would surely help. Wine always helped. Decanting a bottle of the finest Syrah he could find in the cellar, Rodolphus demanded his wife's location from an elf. The creature was quick to tell him that he could find Bellatrix in her study. He let himself in without knocking, the crystal decanter and two wide goblets levitating behind him. It was nearly teatime, but what Earl Grey could compete with a spicy, rich glass of red?
"It is time for a break, love. Have a drink with me." Rodolphus did not ask, but neither did he order. His tone made the words an invitation, as he settled himself down into his usual oversized chair. There were some purist men who tried to keep their wives under their thumb; Rodolphus was not that man. He had no insecurities in respect to Bellatrix's power and independence. If he had wanted a weak wife, he would not have married the Black.
@strange-lestrange