Interrogation // Glass Snake.
Title: Interrogation
Rating: PG-13
Word Count: 1,272
Characters: Augustus Rookwood, Rodolphus Lestrange, Rabastan Lestrange, Ron Weasley, Bellatrix Black
Prompt: 008. Blood
Summary: When the Slytherins suspect that the Gryffindor Marauders are planning something unacceptable, Augustus and the Lestrange brothers take steps to find out what it is.
Warnings: Alternative Universe of lumos_founders, set around their fifth year... oh, and it's disturbing.
Disclaimer: I do not own any of these characters, they belong to J.K. Rowling.
The blue haired teen studied his nails with a disinterested air despite the fight that was going on right in front of him. Not that it was truly much of a fight, it was more of an administered beating. Another teen was holding the arms of a bruised Gryffindor behind his back while his mirror image pummeled him. "Think that's enough now, Rod," Rabastan Lestrange, the one holding the Gryffindor, remarked. "He can't even stand up on his own anymore."
"Just one more," Rodolphus said, jabbing his fist into the Gryffindor's stomach. The boy groaned and fell to the ground when Rabastan released him, arms wrapped around his stomach. "There you go, Augustus, I think he might actually answer your question now."
Rabastan kicked the Gryffindor in the side, snickering when he whimpered. "If he can remember how to speak at all," he said, crossing his arms across his chest. "Best to be asking before he faints or forgets why he got the beating in the first place. I still say that I should have been allowed to set him on fire." Rodolphus laughed from his position at the door, making sure that no one else tried to interrupt.
Augustus clicked his tongue as he walked forward, rolling the Gryffindor over with his foot. "You already burned him once, Rabastan, try to be more civilized in how you go about this. It's hard to get scorch marks out of robes, blood is much easier and tears can be mended. Now, Ronald, try to pay attention. That's it, look at me, very good. Now I'm going to ask you some questions and you're going to answer me, or I'm going to let the Lestranges play with you some more. Do you want that?"
Ronald Weasley licked his split lips, eyes darting towards where Rabastan was standing. He shook his head.
"That's what I thought. Now, tell me what those silly Marauders of yours are up to."
"Don't know," Ron croaked. "We're not really - aahhh!" Rabastan had knelt down to grab hold of Ron's flaming red hair, tugging it upwards until the Gryffindor was on his knees as well. "I don't know!" Rabastan gave another tug, several hairs coming out by the roots. "I DON'T KNOW!"
Augustus tsked at Ron, smiling as he sighed. "Ronald, Ronald, Ronald, do you really think I can believe that? You're related to quite a few of them, including the two sets of twins. If you just cooperate and tell us what you know then we'll make the memories of this go away and you'll never have to think of it again."
"That's not what you told us!" Rodolphus interjected, taking a step forward. Augustus shot a glare at him, smile not fading, and the taller Lestrange swallowed hard before stepping back again. It was well known that Rodolphus was not truly afraid of anything, except maybe Bellatrix's temper, but no one except for Tom Marvolo could stand up to Augustus's glare.
"Do you really want him to remember us beating stars into that red head of his?" Augustus drawled, picking at the front of his robes. "I don't think that Tom would be best pleased if we ended up in detention, or expelled, for this little activity." Rodolphus muttered but he did not say anything else and Rabastan released Ron's head. The Gryffindor slunk to the floor, his arm twitching a little. "Come now, Ronald, you must know something. We can hurt you much, much more."
"I. Don't. Know," Ron wheezed, earning another kick from Rabastan. "You're going to break my ribs!" Rabastan simply shrugged and aimed his next kick for Ron's stomach instead. "How many times do I have to say it?!"
"Hold him up again, Rabastan," Augustus said. He patted Ron on the cheek when he was hoisted to his feet, not minding the blood that attached to his formerly clean palm. "You don't seem very afraid of the Lestranges and I, Ronald."
"Not-"
Augustus slapped Ron across the face, his smile never wavering. "Don't interrupt me again, Ronald. Now this could get much worse for you. You know who Antonin is, don't you?"
Ron's eyes widened further and his face paled so much that his freckles practically seemed to glow. "Antonin Dolohov. Everyone knows who he is."
"We could get him to come ask you... or maybe your sister. But we don't have to involve Antonin, in fact I'd rather not. He's a little unstable ever since his mother passed away." Rabastan and Rodolphus snorted, exchanging glances. Augustus was not fully sure if either one of them fully grasped how much the death of his mother had affected Antonin, but they would one day. Or maybe they just did not think that Augustus truly did not want Antonin to come and help out.
The tiny glimmer of fight that had been left in Ron seemed to flee and he slumped back against Rabastan, who sneered and shoved him back down to his knees. "They're going to try and steal Riddle's snake."
Rabastan kicked Ron in the small of the back, sending the redhead sprawling in front of Augustus. "No one calls him that," he said by way of explanation. "You'll refer to him as Tom, Weasel."
"Someone's coming," Rodolphus hissed, stepping out into the hall. Not half a minute later he was shoved back in ahead of a tall girl with snapping black eyes. "It's Bellatrix."
"I can see that," Augustus said calmly. "What are you doing here, Belladonna?"
Bellatrix's eyes flamed but she did not hex Augustus for using the annoying nickname he had given her back in second year... they had already had that little fight. "Tom is starting to wonder if he should let the Carrows have a turn," she informed Augustus and the Lestranges. "Or perhaps Dolohov, though we don't want this ginger dead. Are you almost done or should I go tell the Carrows to come have a go?"
Rodolphus gave Bellatrix a sullen look, Rabastan's was bland and Augustus's was amused. "Ronald just finished telling us that these Marauders are going to try and steal Tom's snake. Isn't that right, Ronald?" No response came from the redhead on the floor.
Rabastan bent down and lifted Ron's head by the hair, making a sound of disgust as he looked up at the others. "He's fainted. I told you we should've gone for Potter."
"I doubt Potter would've given in near as easy," Augustus said as he drew his wand and knelt down next to Ron's unconscious body. "Obliviate. There, now he'll just think that he passed out in the courtyard. Which is where you'll put him Rabastan... after Esmeralda cleans him up and Heals those bruises." Rabastan nodded, grunting a little as he hoisted Ron up, slinging his arm around his shoulders so that it looked like the other teen was just leaning on him.
"That's a sight," Rodolphus chortled as his twin left. "My brother and a ginger, arm in arm. Funny, isn't it Bella?"
"Hilarious," Bellatrix drawled. Rodolphus bowed in response and offered his arm to Bellatrix, who took it. The two of them followed Rabastan, Rodolphus saying something that actually made Bellatrix laugh.
Augustus used his wand to siphon up the blood that Ron had left on the floor before pocketing it and leaving as well. Someone had to tell Tom that the Gryffindors were going to try and steal his snake. Not just any snake, either, but one that had become a sort of mascot to Slytherin house. And that simply could not be allowed, especially not when this had been Augustus's first successful interrogation.
Title: Glass Snake
Rating: PG
Word Count: 1,546
Characters: Rodolphus Lestrange, Bellatrix Black, Augustus Rookwood, Lucius Malfoy + most of the Slytherins
Prompt: 049. Temper
Summary: First Bella loses her temper at Rod, then Rod loses him temper at Tom, Alecto loses her temper at Rod, Antonin tries to dissect a chair... it's a vicious cycle for one birthday party!
Warnings: Alternative Universe of lumos_founders.
Disclaimer: I do not own any of these characters, they belong to J.K. Rowling.
"I'm not doing it."
"Oh yes you are."
"And what in bloody hell makes you think that I'm going to listen to you?"
"The fact that I know what's going on and you, my dear one, don't."
From behind the door came the sound of a glass shattering against a wall. "What did you just call me?!"
"Stop throwing things at me you insane woman!" There was another crash.
"I'll throw things at you whenever I damn well please!"
Augustus laughed as he opened the door, ducking to avoid the vase that went hurtling past to strike the wall in the corridor. "I think that was my vase, Belladonna," he declared as he picked up a piece. "Yes, that was mine. Why are you breaking things?" His answer was another vase, but he managed to catch this one before it broke. "Belladonna, if you throw another one of my cases I'm going to get angry at you." She paused with a vase held aloft. "That's better."
"Thanks, Rook," Rodolphus muttered, rubbing at a red lump on his forehead as he glared at Bellatrix. "I think she was trying to kill me for real this time."
"Just because he can call me some silly name doesn't mean that you can," Bellatrix snapped, setting the vase back down on the shelf next to Augustus's jade cats, which she had not even thought to throw. She placed her hands on her hips, looking remarkably similar to her younger sister in that posture. "Rodolphus seems to think that he can tell me what I will and won't do."
"That's not smart, Rod," Augustus remarked.
Rodolphus glared at him, hand firmly atop his new lump. "We were having a good time and then I suggested that she go down to the common room with me and-"
"You did no such thing," Bellatrix interrupted. "I was actually letting you kiss me and you pulled away before declaring that we were going down to the common room." Her hand started for the vases again but then she noticed Augustus and stopped.
"I-"
"Don't talk to me, Rodolphus," Bellatrix sniffed as she placed her hand on his chest and pushed him aside. Augustus bowed her through, giving Rodolphus a sympathetic look.
"She's impossible, you know," Rodolphus growled as he and Augustus started down the stairs after the cursing Bellatrix.
"I know."
"Her temper is like a dragon's."
"I know."
Rodolphus kicked at the stone, glaring as he muttered, "I don't want anyone else."
Augustus clapped the dark-haired boy on the shoulder. "I know that too." Ahead of them there was a loud shout of HAPPY BIRTHDAY, BELLA! followed by laughing and the sound of corks being popped. "Maybe she'll understand why you tried to get her down here now."
"D'you think?"
"I certainly hope so," Augustus said as they emerged to find Bellatrix being lifted up onto a table by Amycus and Rabastan while Andromeda (someone must have let her, Antonin, Andreas and Esmeralda into the common room just for the party) passed her a large glass of firewhiskey. "Because otherwise you're going to get hammered again and really, Rodolphus, you are not attractive the morning after a party if you don't make it back to the dorms."
"What took you so bloody long?" Lucius demanded, an already tipsy Narcissa singing quietly to herself. "Andromeda was fit to be tied and I think - yes, Antonin's gone and made Hugo faint again. That's twice already! He'd best watch out or Aina's going to kill him."
"Our charming lad here tried telling Belladonna what she had to do," Augustus laughed, accepting a glass of something from Astoria. Somehow Rodolphus had gotten ahold of a full bottle of firewhiskey and the look in his eyes said quite clearly that he intended to finish it on his own. "She decided to start throwing things, hence the gorgeous lump on his head."
"You can't tell Bella what to do, Rod," Narcissa said, shaking a finger at him. "I thought you were smarter than that."
"It seemed like a good idea at the time," Rodolphus growled as he dropped into one of the chairs, taking a long gulp from the bottle. "I mean... she was happy! Then she wasn't."
"She looks happy now," Draco said as he popped up beside his parents, nodding towards the table where Bellatrix had been lifted. Tom had just handed her a small box and her face had positively lit up. "Best go make sure he didn't give her a ring or something, we all know what she'd say."
"Shut up, Draco," Augustus advised as Rodolphus jumped up, shoving people aside to get to the table. "Rod's not exactly stable, you know."
"And what's that, Tom?" Rodolphus asked, his words not even a little slurred despite the half bottle he had already downed.
Tom gave Rodolphus one of his indifferent looks. "My gift for Bella," he replied simply, his voice so quiet that only those near him could hear. Tom very rarely raised his voice.
Rodolphus reached over to Bellatrix and plucked the small box from her despite the sharp slap his hand received. He snorted and looked at Tom with disbelief plain in his now red-rimmed eyes. "A glass snake?!" He dropped the box and held the small thing aloft, his laugh echoing in the now-silent common room. "This is what Bella got so delighted about? You get her something that you could find at any pawn shop and she turns into a girl at Christmas but me, I could give her a golden ring with the biggest diamond in the world and she'd probably do this to it!" And with that he hurled the glass snake at the floor, eyes stinging from what felt strangely like tears. Then he saw Alecto coming at him with her wand aloft and everything turned black.
"I think he's coming around," Rabastan said. "Yep, look at that, he's waking up!" Rodolphus opened his eyes to find a circle of faces staring down at him.
"Whaa?" he muttered, trying to sit up and failing miserably. His entire body felt slightly wiggly.
"I wouldn't try moving if I were you," Rabastan advised. "Alecto... well, she jinxed you good."
"You deserved it," Amycus declared, holding an empty bottle. "Breaking Tom's gift like that. Bad form, mate. You should be happy Alecto got to you before he drew his wand." He must have been drunk, he was using Augustus as a post.
If he had been the sort to feel sorry for his actions then Rodolphus might have felt sorry for what he had done, but all he felt was another flash of anger as he remember how happy Bellatrix had looked when Tom gave her that silly little glass snake. "If I had given her something like that she would've stuffed it down my throat!"
"You're not Tom," Augustus pointed out. He was grinning broadly and motioning at Amycus's hair, which Rodolphus noticed for the first time was a brilliant shade of violet.
"Yeah, otherwise I wouldn't have been snogging her up in my room before the party I planned!"
"You planned this?"
That was when Rodolphus realized that his head was not on the floor like the rest of his body, but resting on something soft. Tilting his head as far back as he could manage he found that he was looking up at Bellatrix. "If I say yes, are you going to smother me?"
"No."
"Then yes, I planned your party and all I got was a vase thrown at my head." Amycus actually giggled at, leaning more heavily on Augustus whose grin had gotten, if possible, wider. "I think Amycus needs to go to bed."
"I think we all need to," Rabastan declared, standing up and herding the other boys away before Bellatrix could reply.
"Everyone else leave already?" Rodolphus asked, not even attempting to move.
"Cissy and Andi passed out on the couch with Esmi and that cat of hers," Bellatrix said with a shake of her head, twirling a piece of Rodolphus's hair around her finger. "I think Adreas left at some point, he might have been sober enough to make it back to Ravenclaw Tower. Antonin... actually, I think he's in your bed. Malfoy had Crabbe carry him up there after he tried to dissect the chair."
"Sounds like quite a party I missed."
"Oh no, you were part of it." Bellatrix sounded far too amused. "The Carrows used you as a table for their drinks and for awhile there you had a handsome mustache."
"Sad to hear I missed it... but I'm glad you enjoyed your party." He glanced to the side and noticed several shards of colored glass. "No one cleaned that up?"
"We were busy keeping Alecto from killing you. And it shattered really well, the pieces were too small," Bellatrix sounded only a little angry, mostly she sounded sad and that caused a slight twinge of guilt.
"Sorry I broke your gift," he muttered.
Bellatrix shrugged. "I know why you did."
"Are you sorry too, then?"
"Hardly."
"Good, that would just be wrong." Rodolphus grinned up at Bellatrix. "I have a present for you too."
"Give it to me tomorrow, I'm comfortable like this."
Rodolphus decided not to argue.
Rating: PG-13
Word Count: 1,272
Characters: Augustus Rookwood, Rodolphus Lestrange, Rabastan Lestrange, Ron Weasley, Bellatrix Black
Prompt: 008. Blood
Summary: When the Slytherins suspect that the Gryffindor Marauders are planning something unacceptable, Augustus and the Lestrange brothers take steps to find out what it is.
Warnings: Alternative Universe of lumos_founders, set around their fifth year... oh, and it's disturbing.
Disclaimer: I do not own any of these characters, they belong to J.K. Rowling.
The blue haired teen studied his nails with a disinterested air despite the fight that was going on right in front of him. Not that it was truly much of a fight, it was more of an administered beating. Another teen was holding the arms of a bruised Gryffindor behind his back while his mirror image pummeled him. "Think that's enough now, Rod," Rabastan Lestrange, the one holding the Gryffindor, remarked. "He can't even stand up on his own anymore."
"Just one more," Rodolphus said, jabbing his fist into the Gryffindor's stomach. The boy groaned and fell to the ground when Rabastan released him, arms wrapped around his stomach. "There you go, Augustus, I think he might actually answer your question now."
Rabastan kicked the Gryffindor in the side, snickering when he whimpered. "If he can remember how to speak at all," he said, crossing his arms across his chest. "Best to be asking before he faints or forgets why he got the beating in the first place. I still say that I should have been allowed to set him on fire." Rodolphus laughed from his position at the door, making sure that no one else tried to interrupt.
Augustus clicked his tongue as he walked forward, rolling the Gryffindor over with his foot. "You already burned him once, Rabastan, try to be more civilized in how you go about this. It's hard to get scorch marks out of robes, blood is much easier and tears can be mended. Now, Ronald, try to pay attention. That's it, look at me, very good. Now I'm going to ask you some questions and you're going to answer me, or I'm going to let the Lestranges play with you some more. Do you want that?"
Ronald Weasley licked his split lips, eyes darting towards where Rabastan was standing. He shook his head.
"That's what I thought. Now, tell me what those silly Marauders of yours are up to."
"Don't know," Ron croaked. "We're not really - aahhh!" Rabastan had knelt down to grab hold of Ron's flaming red hair, tugging it upwards until the Gryffindor was on his knees as well. "I don't know!" Rabastan gave another tug, several hairs coming out by the roots. "I DON'T KNOW!"
Augustus tsked at Ron, smiling as he sighed. "Ronald, Ronald, Ronald, do you really think I can believe that? You're related to quite a few of them, including the two sets of twins. If you just cooperate and tell us what you know then we'll make the memories of this go away and you'll never have to think of it again."
"That's not what you told us!" Rodolphus interjected, taking a step forward. Augustus shot a glare at him, smile not fading, and the taller Lestrange swallowed hard before stepping back again. It was well known that Rodolphus was not truly afraid of anything, except maybe Bellatrix's temper, but no one except for Tom Marvolo could stand up to Augustus's glare.
"Do you really want him to remember us beating stars into that red head of his?" Augustus drawled, picking at the front of his robes. "I don't think that Tom would be best pleased if we ended up in detention, or expelled, for this little activity." Rodolphus muttered but he did not say anything else and Rabastan released Ron's head. The Gryffindor slunk to the floor, his arm twitching a little. "Come now, Ronald, you must know something. We can hurt you much, much more."
"I. Don't. Know," Ron wheezed, earning another kick from Rabastan. "You're going to break my ribs!" Rabastan simply shrugged and aimed his next kick for Ron's stomach instead. "How many times do I have to say it?!"
"Hold him up again, Rabastan," Augustus said. He patted Ron on the cheek when he was hoisted to his feet, not minding the blood that attached to his formerly clean palm. "You don't seem very afraid of the Lestranges and I, Ronald."
"Not-"
Augustus slapped Ron across the face, his smile never wavering. "Don't interrupt me again, Ronald. Now this could get much worse for you. You know who Antonin is, don't you?"
Ron's eyes widened further and his face paled so much that his freckles practically seemed to glow. "Antonin Dolohov. Everyone knows who he is."
"We could get him to come ask you... or maybe your sister. But we don't have to involve Antonin, in fact I'd rather not. He's a little unstable ever since his mother passed away." Rabastan and Rodolphus snorted, exchanging glances. Augustus was not fully sure if either one of them fully grasped how much the death of his mother had affected Antonin, but they would one day. Or maybe they just did not think that Augustus truly did not want Antonin to come and help out.
The tiny glimmer of fight that had been left in Ron seemed to flee and he slumped back against Rabastan, who sneered and shoved him back down to his knees. "They're going to try and steal Riddle's snake."
Rabastan kicked Ron in the small of the back, sending the redhead sprawling in front of Augustus. "No one calls him that," he said by way of explanation. "You'll refer to him as Tom, Weasel."
"Someone's coming," Rodolphus hissed, stepping out into the hall. Not half a minute later he was shoved back in ahead of a tall girl with snapping black eyes. "It's Bellatrix."
"I can see that," Augustus said calmly. "What are you doing here, Belladonna?"
Bellatrix's eyes flamed but she did not hex Augustus for using the annoying nickname he had given her back in second year... they had already had that little fight. "Tom is starting to wonder if he should let the Carrows have a turn," she informed Augustus and the Lestranges. "Or perhaps Dolohov, though we don't want this ginger dead. Are you almost done or should I go tell the Carrows to come have a go?"
Rodolphus gave Bellatrix a sullen look, Rabastan's was bland and Augustus's was amused. "Ronald just finished telling us that these Marauders are going to try and steal Tom's snake. Isn't that right, Ronald?" No response came from the redhead on the floor.
Rabastan bent down and lifted Ron's head by the hair, making a sound of disgust as he looked up at the others. "He's fainted. I told you we should've gone for Potter."
"I doubt Potter would've given in near as easy," Augustus said as he drew his wand and knelt down next to Ron's unconscious body. "Obliviate. There, now he'll just think that he passed out in the courtyard. Which is where you'll put him Rabastan... after Esmeralda cleans him up and Heals those bruises." Rabastan nodded, grunting a little as he hoisted Ron up, slinging his arm around his shoulders so that it looked like the other teen was just leaning on him.
"That's a sight," Rodolphus chortled as his twin left. "My brother and a ginger, arm in arm. Funny, isn't it Bella?"
"Hilarious," Bellatrix drawled. Rodolphus bowed in response and offered his arm to Bellatrix, who took it. The two of them followed Rabastan, Rodolphus saying something that actually made Bellatrix laugh.
Augustus used his wand to siphon up the blood that Ron had left on the floor before pocketing it and leaving as well. Someone had to tell Tom that the Gryffindors were going to try and steal his snake. Not just any snake, either, but one that had become a sort of mascot to Slytherin house. And that simply could not be allowed, especially not when this had been Augustus's first successful interrogation.
Title: Glass Snake
Rating: PG
Word Count: 1,546
Characters: Rodolphus Lestrange, Bellatrix Black, Augustus Rookwood, Lucius Malfoy + most of the Slytherins
Prompt: 049. Temper
Summary: First Bella loses her temper at Rod, then Rod loses him temper at Tom, Alecto loses her temper at Rod, Antonin tries to dissect a chair... it's a vicious cycle for one birthday party!
Warnings: Alternative Universe of lumos_founders.
Disclaimer: I do not own any of these characters, they belong to J.K. Rowling.
"I'm not doing it."
"Oh yes you are."
"And what in bloody hell makes you think that I'm going to listen to you?"
"The fact that I know what's going on and you, my dear one, don't."
From behind the door came the sound of a glass shattering against a wall. "What did you just call me?!"
"Stop throwing things at me you insane woman!" There was another crash.
"I'll throw things at you whenever I damn well please!"
Augustus laughed as he opened the door, ducking to avoid the vase that went hurtling past to strike the wall in the corridor. "I think that was my vase, Belladonna," he declared as he picked up a piece. "Yes, that was mine. Why are you breaking things?" His answer was another vase, but he managed to catch this one before it broke. "Belladonna, if you throw another one of my cases I'm going to get angry at you." She paused with a vase held aloft. "That's better."
"Thanks, Rook," Rodolphus muttered, rubbing at a red lump on his forehead as he glared at Bellatrix. "I think she was trying to kill me for real this time."
"Just because he can call me some silly name doesn't mean that you can," Bellatrix snapped, setting the vase back down on the shelf next to Augustus's jade cats, which she had not even thought to throw. She placed her hands on her hips, looking remarkably similar to her younger sister in that posture. "Rodolphus seems to think that he can tell me what I will and won't do."
"That's not smart, Rod," Augustus remarked.
Rodolphus glared at him, hand firmly atop his new lump. "We were having a good time and then I suggested that she go down to the common room with me and-"
"You did no such thing," Bellatrix interrupted. "I was actually letting you kiss me and you pulled away before declaring that we were going down to the common room." Her hand started for the vases again but then she noticed Augustus and stopped.
"I-"
"Don't talk to me, Rodolphus," Bellatrix sniffed as she placed her hand on his chest and pushed him aside. Augustus bowed her through, giving Rodolphus a sympathetic look.
"She's impossible, you know," Rodolphus growled as he and Augustus started down the stairs after the cursing Bellatrix.
"I know."
"Her temper is like a dragon's."
"I know."
Rodolphus kicked at the stone, glaring as he muttered, "I don't want anyone else."
Augustus clapped the dark-haired boy on the shoulder. "I know that too." Ahead of them there was a loud shout of HAPPY BIRTHDAY, BELLA! followed by laughing and the sound of corks being popped. "Maybe she'll understand why you tried to get her down here now."
"D'you think?"
"I certainly hope so," Augustus said as they emerged to find Bellatrix being lifted up onto a table by Amycus and Rabastan while Andromeda (someone must have let her, Antonin, Andreas and Esmeralda into the common room just for the party) passed her a large glass of firewhiskey. "Because otherwise you're going to get hammered again and really, Rodolphus, you are not attractive the morning after a party if you don't make it back to the dorms."
"What took you so bloody long?" Lucius demanded, an already tipsy Narcissa singing quietly to herself. "Andromeda was fit to be tied and I think - yes, Antonin's gone and made Hugo faint again. That's twice already! He'd best watch out or Aina's going to kill him."
"Our charming lad here tried telling Belladonna what she had to do," Augustus laughed, accepting a glass of something from Astoria. Somehow Rodolphus had gotten ahold of a full bottle of firewhiskey and the look in his eyes said quite clearly that he intended to finish it on his own. "She decided to start throwing things, hence the gorgeous lump on his head."
"You can't tell Bella what to do, Rod," Narcissa said, shaking a finger at him. "I thought you were smarter than that."
"It seemed like a good idea at the time," Rodolphus growled as he dropped into one of the chairs, taking a long gulp from the bottle. "I mean... she was happy! Then she wasn't."
"She looks happy now," Draco said as he popped up beside his parents, nodding towards the table where Bellatrix had been lifted. Tom had just handed her a small box and her face had positively lit up. "Best go make sure he didn't give her a ring or something, we all know what she'd say."
"Shut up, Draco," Augustus advised as Rodolphus jumped up, shoving people aside to get to the table. "Rod's not exactly stable, you know."
"And what's that, Tom?" Rodolphus asked, his words not even a little slurred despite the half bottle he had already downed.
Tom gave Rodolphus one of his indifferent looks. "My gift for Bella," he replied simply, his voice so quiet that only those near him could hear. Tom very rarely raised his voice.
Rodolphus reached over to Bellatrix and plucked the small box from her despite the sharp slap his hand received. He snorted and looked at Tom with disbelief plain in his now red-rimmed eyes. "A glass snake?!" He dropped the box and held the small thing aloft, his laugh echoing in the now-silent common room. "This is what Bella got so delighted about? You get her something that you could find at any pawn shop and she turns into a girl at Christmas but me, I could give her a golden ring with the biggest diamond in the world and she'd probably do this to it!" And with that he hurled the glass snake at the floor, eyes stinging from what felt strangely like tears. Then he saw Alecto coming at him with her wand aloft and everything turned black.
"I think he's coming around," Rabastan said. "Yep, look at that, he's waking up!" Rodolphus opened his eyes to find a circle of faces staring down at him.
"Whaa?" he muttered, trying to sit up and failing miserably. His entire body felt slightly wiggly.
"I wouldn't try moving if I were you," Rabastan advised. "Alecto... well, she jinxed you good."
"You deserved it," Amycus declared, holding an empty bottle. "Breaking Tom's gift like that. Bad form, mate. You should be happy Alecto got to you before he drew his wand." He must have been drunk, he was using Augustus as a post.
If he had been the sort to feel sorry for his actions then Rodolphus might have felt sorry for what he had done, but all he felt was another flash of anger as he remember how happy Bellatrix had looked when Tom gave her that silly little glass snake. "If I had given her something like that she would've stuffed it down my throat!"
"You're not Tom," Augustus pointed out. He was grinning broadly and motioning at Amycus's hair, which Rodolphus noticed for the first time was a brilliant shade of violet.
"Yeah, otherwise I wouldn't have been snogging her up in my room before the party I planned!"
"You planned this?"
That was when Rodolphus realized that his head was not on the floor like the rest of his body, but resting on something soft. Tilting his head as far back as he could manage he found that he was looking up at Bellatrix. "If I say yes, are you going to smother me?"
"No."
"Then yes, I planned your party and all I got was a vase thrown at my head." Amycus actually giggled at, leaning more heavily on Augustus whose grin had gotten, if possible, wider. "I think Amycus needs to go to bed."
"I think we all need to," Rabastan declared, standing up and herding the other boys away before Bellatrix could reply.
"Everyone else leave already?" Rodolphus asked, not even attempting to move.
"Cissy and Andi passed out on the couch with Esmi and that cat of hers," Bellatrix said with a shake of her head, twirling a piece of Rodolphus's hair around her finger. "I think Adreas left at some point, he might have been sober enough to make it back to Ravenclaw Tower. Antonin... actually, I think he's in your bed. Malfoy had Crabbe carry him up there after he tried to dissect the chair."
"Sounds like quite a party I missed."
"Oh no, you were part of it." Bellatrix sounded far too amused. "The Carrows used you as a table for their drinks and for awhile there you had a handsome mustache."
"Sad to hear I missed it... but I'm glad you enjoyed your party." He glanced to the side and noticed several shards of colored glass. "No one cleaned that up?"
"We were busy keeping Alecto from killing you. And it shattered really well, the pieces were too small," Bellatrix sounded only a little angry, mostly she sounded sad and that caused a slight twinge of guilt.
"Sorry I broke your gift," he muttered.
Bellatrix shrugged. "I know why you did."
"Are you sorry too, then?"
"Hardly."
"Good, that would just be wrong." Rodolphus grinned up at Bellatrix. "I have a present for you too."
"Give it to me tomorrow, I'm comfortable like this."
Rodolphus decided not to argue.