a formula, a phrase remains, — but the best is lost.

[pureandstrange.livejournal.com]

Who: Bellatrix, possibly Narcissa and/or Lucius, and Rodolphus
What: definitely not posing for the cover of a romance novel
Where: the Malfoy townhouse
When: shortly after this
Notes: also open to anyone who might be around the Malfoy residence, if you are interested in viewing this trainwreck!
Warnings: silent agonizing, what passes for romance amongst Death Eaters, putting the fun in dysfunctional



After soliciting a location from Narcissa, Rodolphus takes a chance on Apparation; he does not know the city as well as he might, but he can be bold enough when it suits him, as it does now. This is, after all, the most important of things, as he ranks them currently. His priorities have, in the past, differed by one or two significant points, but those are for the most part removed now. Now there is just Bellatrix.

And Narcissa and Lucius, of course. Having startled no one but a few rather surly pigeons with his sudden arrival in the rather isolated Sobek Croix area, he is quick to knock, yet exhibits no impatience. Such things are of course unseemly but more to the point, it might annoy Bellatrix. It's not as if she's unaware of how he feels, so it's unnecessary to show it. He can't help even now touching the wand tucked into the specially made sheath strapped to his forearm inside his sleeve. It is the only part of her he's had for the past months, not counting the time he was mysteriously absent, which he has not yet calculated properly. He doesn't even have the memory of her death. He had been taken long before she had.

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[pureandstrange.livejournal.com]

Though he doesn't reach out to her, his eyes flicker a little when she moves nearer. It's practically the same thing, coming from him. His gaze also moves briefly to whatever she's gripping, but he doesn't inquire yet.

"The boy is alive. I have not seen him but he is alive." Rodolphus confirms, flat in his inability and unwillingness to shield her from this. "They desire nothing of me but my death — lying would serve no purpose."

What makes this terrible certainty so different from the last time's is, of course, his belief that this truly is it, that it's really over, but more than that, he actually desires it. If Voldemort rose again, he would immediately stand behind him and go wherever Bellatrix went, but Azkaban has done its work, as has time.

[wealone.livejournal.com]

"If you have not seen him," her words are clipped, but not in anger - rather, it sounds more like she's explaining one of the world's most obvious facts - "it doesn't matter. It doesn't matter, anyway.."

In that instant, her voice grows airy. A certain measure of delight finds its place in her features, lips ticked into a smirk that seems almost smug.

"Alive or not, our Master has not fallen."

This once, it isn't a matter of blatant denial, for her.

"I have proof." Her expression does everything to suggest that she expects nothing short of elation.

do not adjust your tv it's still me

[payglorytoashes.livejournal.com]

This being Rodolphus, he only disappoints. Elation is an alien world to which he has never been, and accordingly, nobody from that planet has ever landed on his face, either. So there's some confusion, some uncertainty, and some not insignificant concern, but he just looks back at whatever she's holding and — once more — buries the small, grudging disappointment of his altogether unrealistic hopes.