A quick reaction to a call for help [private rp between Lucius, Severus and Rodolphus]
Wednesday, Nov. 26th; evening
After the unexpected message from Rodolphus, Lucius Apparated to the vicinity of the cottage where Snape taken Lupin. Lucius knew that Snape was not exactly comfortable around werewolves, and admired his fortitude in the matter. Perhaps the man took some pleasure in drugging and controlling the beast, thought Lucius as he arrived and began walking towards the rickety building.
He found Severus easy enough, pacing back and forth just a small distance from the building and with the trussed up and drugged werewolf close.
"Severus?" Lucius hailed him.
"Lucius. What are you doing here?" Snape looked drawn, but there was also a touch of surprise on his face. This was outside what they had planned.
"New developments." Lucius smiled. "Rodolphus contacted me. Bellatrix has been badly wounded, and he wants some assistance... Naturally, I told him that I would be with him shortly. Care to join me?" He looked towards the still form of the werewolf on the ground. "That is, if you think Lupin will be secure there."
"I brewed the potion myself, Lucius." Snape gave him a look of not too serious disdain. "And I'm sure he will be comfortable alone for a little while, although I have to be back again to see if I need to administer another dose."
"Certainly. I doubt this will take all night." Lucius nodded and gave Snape a warm look. "They are where our informants told us, at the Lestrange house. Here is our opportunity to see just how committed Rodolphus is to the Dark Lord."
Snape nodded. "There's been a slight unease around him for a while, and Bellatrix has taken out her aggressions on her husband more than once. If there is resentment or an opening to drive a wedge in, I think we should try to do so."
They Apparated to the Lestrange estate, and found a very agitated Rodolphus pacing outside the house, not far from the trees. The area was lit up by the flickering light of magical flames.
As he turned to pace back towards the house for what seemed like the millionth time, Rodolphus caught sight of his “saviour”. He couldn’t help running towards him, then stopped abruptly when he saw there was a second figure approaching in the dark.
“Lucius! Who have you -- Why did you bring Severus?” He looked at Malfoy accusingly. “You said you would help.”
"I will help, Rodolphus," Lucius replied in a slightly short tone. "And so will Severus." The dark-haired man merely nodded at Rodolphus. "Now, tell me what has happened," Lucius continued.
Rodolphus looked from one to the other, trying to discern any treachery. After a moment, he realized it was completely pointless: either they would help or they would betray him, and there was little he could do about it now. “Bella was attacked by a werewolf. I found her there,” he nodded to the circle of flames, “and saw the wolf flee.” He looked down. “Her wounds are beyond me.”
After a moment, he forced himself to continue, but could not look up “I cannot ask Our Lord for aid, or take Bella back to him like this; he would ask questions. There are . . . pets in the house. One is a pureblood.”
"A pureblood!" Lucius tensed slightly; could it be? They had lured Lupin to the area with the pretext of information about the Weasley girl's whereabouts. Perhaps it was Bellatrix who had taken her? It certainly fitted her games. "I see. Yes, well, the Lord would not be happy to hear about this. You did the right thing, calling for me." Lucius' eyes pierced Rodolphus' form. "It's not the first time you've had to clean up her mess, is it?"
Rodolphus clenched his jaw, then slowly met Lucius’ stare. “Since Azkaban, Bella has not been . . .herself. She requires frequent diversions, and she requires me to do what is necessary. There is nothing else I can do.”
He turned slightly away, gazing at the fire encircling his wife. “The Ministry debacle was the worst; our Lord’s displeasure completely unhinged her.” He looked back at both men, “I had hoped she was recovering, but our Lord’s refusal to use her skills has made her nearly as mad as before.” His voice cracking, he continued "I do not know how I will continue if she. . . if she worsens."
Lucius nodded; this explained a few things. "I understand. You've always been loyal, Rodolphus. Let me have a look at her?" He turned to Snape. "The pets in the house -" He looked back at Rodolphus. "They are in the basement, I presume?"
"Can you take care of them, Severus?" Lucius thought quickly. The easiest thing would be to kill them and dispose of them, but that might not prove the most advantageous course of action. Better to move them now, and figure out what to do with them later. "Move them to my dungeon, unconscious, and I will take care of them later." Snape gave a curt nod and walked briskly to the house.
Rodolphus nodded, relieved to have something to do. “She’s there, inside the circle. I’ll drop the flames.” He walked quickly to the circle and released the incantation. As Lucius came near her wounded side, he knelt at Bella’s head and watched for Lucius’ reaction.
Lucius went with Rodolphus and looked down at the mauled woman. The wound was indeed quite terrifying, and Lucius was faintly surprised that Bellatrix wasn't dead yet. Then again, she always had been a stubborn and strong-willed person.
He sighed deeply and knelt on the ground, wincing slightly as he felt the sticky wetness that could only be blood seep through his clothes. These robes would need a double or even a triple cleaning charm after this. Well, the house elf would take care of that. Lucius carefully pushed the torn fabric away from the gaping wound and looked at it, inwardly pleased with the work the werewolf had done.
"Rodolphus..." Lucius looked up at him. "She is dying, from what I see on the ground, she's lost too much blood as well." He sighed and pinched the bridge of his nose with his clean hand. "What was she doing out here, alone?"
Rodolphus sagged. Hearing someone else confirm the seriousness of her condition took what felt like the last of his hope. "I don't know," he said dully, looking down at Bella’s pale, unconscious face. "I was downstairs. I - needed a moment, after she was done with me. She was going to wait upstairs, until I was done with the pet, she said." He raked a hand through his hair, speaking more agitatedly "She wasn’t supposed to do this! She should have been fine, after what she . . . I only healed myself, and the girl. It only took a moment." He looked at Lucius "She could be healed, though, couldn’t she? If you really wanted to? What would I have to do, Lucius?"
"Don't be a fool. Rodolphus, she was bitten by a werewolf." Lucius held Rodolphus' gaze, as if trying to imprint this message into him. "She hasn't been right since you got out of Azkaban, and I doubt that becoming infected with Lycanthropy will have a favourable effect on her sanity. How will you manage then?"
Rodolphus reared back as Lucius‚ words sunk home. The knife wounds still oozing on his back where the healing charm didn't reach were painful proof that Lucius was right. Bella as a werewolf would be an unimaginable horror. He looked down at her bloodless face and tried to imagine life without Bella. She had been there for those eighteen years of hell, mad and screaming, but she had never ever given up; knowing that she was still fighting had given him the will to survive when he had none.
But he had given her his undivided devotion and attention. He'd cajoled her when she was petulant, placated her when she was raging, and pandered to her every whim. And when that wasn't enough, he had willingly given his blood and pain as a sacrifice on the altar to her sanity.
Lucius didn't have to use Legilimency to see that Rodolphus was turning things over in his mind, that he was trying to resolve the situation that he had been plunged into. And since the man didn't outright demand that Bellatrix was saved, Lucius knew that they had been right about him. He was loyal, but perhaps more out of habit than from conviction.
"Rodolphus. There is nothing we can do for her, and if she survives she will be a liability. The infection might heal her, yes. Becoming a werewolf will probably take care of the damages, but what will she do? Can you control her? Could you ever control her, Rodolphus?"
"You are a loyal man, and I like that. It has been painful to see you waste your loyalty on fanaticism, when I could have good use for you." Lucius let his eyes warm up to the man kneeling on the other side of the slowly dying woman. "But I have not talked to you because of your wife's zeal... her fanatical and dangerous devotion."
Lucius spoke softly. "I can give you something to do, Rodolphus, help you take your mind off this... nightmare. I can give you a way to pursue our cause without madness." He used his smoothest, silkiest voice, uttering words to soothe, to tempt, to win Rodolphus over. "It would be the right thing to do..." How pale the man looked in the moonlight; shock was probably setting in as well. Had he loved the mad, raving Bellatrix? Despite everything? Lucius didn't know, and didn't try to
find out, and rose to his feet again.
As Lucius spoke, Rodolphus' instinct for survivial slowly won out over his ingrained loyalty to Bella. The outright offer was more than he expected; Lucius already had more than enough information to force him. That he had not done so suggested respect and sincerity. If Lucius would take him, he would be far better off than with a werewolf for a master or fending for himself in the ranks.
Decision made, the Slytherin in him moved on to covering their tracks. "I won't just leave her here. It's too risky; someone might find her and revive her enough to ask questions."
"No Auror would use Necromancy to revive her and find out what has happened. They abhor the Dark Arts. I will help you to mask our presence here and throw the Ministry into a different line of investigation."
Rodolphus nodded, then moved to Bella's uninjured side and laid down beside her on the cold ground. He gave a lingering kiss to her cool, unresponsive lips, then quickly rolled her to her side, and pressed against her back, slipping an arm under her neck. From a distance it would have appeared that they were making love.
Her black hair fell across her face and streamed into the puddle of blood. Fast as a thought, Rodolphus whipped his knife from its sheath, wrapped her limp fingers around the hilt, and guided it to slit one wrist then the other. As the rest of her life's blood joined the growing puddle, Rodolphus slowly rose to join Lucius where he still stood on her other side. Only when he was quite, quite sure she was dead did Rodolphus allow himself a small smile.
"Goodbye, Bella."
Lucius sent Rodolphus back to the house to help Snape with the pets and When Rodolphus had left, Lucius lingered a moment. With a quick, non-verbal charm, he healed the knife wounds. It wouldn't do to let the Aurors see that the werewolf was not the only killer around. He erased the imprints of his own shoes and knees, and used his wand to trace the intricate symbol that would let an investigation find the magical imprint and signature of a certain Remus J. Lupin, werewolf at the scene of the carnage.
When Lucius was satisfied that neither he nor Severus could be tied to the scene, he too went to the house to have a look at this pureblood pet of Bella's. If indeed it was the Weasley girl, it would perhaps be better to leave her here for Severus to pick her up the next day. Perhaps even in the morning.
~*~
Lucius joined Rodolphus and Snape in the basement. It seemed like Bellatrix had been busy in collecting her little toys. Five girls and three boys. However, one girl had been found to be dead, and Snape suggested that she had perhaps been in captivity the longest. She apparently showed the most signs of neglect and injuries.
The rest had been put to sleep without seeing the face of their 'saviour', and Snape had already side-along Apparated a most of them. With a cruel curl of the corners of his mouth, Snape held up the door to one cell and indicated that Lucius should have a look inside.
There, curled up on the not too clean floor lay a red-headed girl in her teens. Lucius nodded slowly and arched an eyebrow as he exchanged a look with Snape. They had been given a gift, indeed. They had found the missing Weasley.
"Return here tomorrow and pick the girl up. Take her back to school and you will return as a hero... Dumbledore will adore you for it." Then he lowered his voice so that only Snape could hear him. "Take some of the blood from Bella's body and smear it on Lupin's hands and face... That would remove his doubts as to his actions. They make such a mess when they are feeding, werewolves."
Snape returned the smile, amused by the comment. "Indeed they do. No manners at all." He nodded at Rodolphus on his way out. "My condolences."
Lucius returned to Rodolphus' side and put his hand on the man's shoulder. "I think it's best if you come with me... We will procure an unmarked owl and send a message to the Ministry that there has been a murder. Then we will have a drink and you will go to bed. In the morning, we will find a way to make certain that you will not be in trouble with the Dark Lord for things that Bellatrix have done."
After the unexpected message from Rodolphus, Lucius Apparated to the vicinity of the cottage where Snape taken Lupin. Lucius knew that Snape was not exactly comfortable around werewolves, and admired his fortitude in the matter. Perhaps the man took some pleasure in drugging and controlling the beast, thought Lucius as he arrived and began walking towards the rickety building.
He found Severus easy enough, pacing back and forth just a small distance from the building and with the trussed up and drugged werewolf close.
"Severus?" Lucius hailed him.
"Lucius. What are you doing here?" Snape looked drawn, but there was also a touch of surprise on his face. This was outside what they had planned.
"New developments." Lucius smiled. "Rodolphus contacted me. Bellatrix has been badly wounded, and he wants some assistance... Naturally, I told him that I would be with him shortly. Care to join me?" He looked towards the still form of the werewolf on the ground. "That is, if you think Lupin will be secure there."
"I brewed the potion myself, Lucius." Snape gave him a look of not too serious disdain. "And I'm sure he will be comfortable alone for a little while, although I have to be back again to see if I need to administer another dose."
"Certainly. I doubt this will take all night." Lucius nodded and gave Snape a warm look. "They are where our informants told us, at the Lestrange house. Here is our opportunity to see just how committed Rodolphus is to the Dark Lord."
Snape nodded. "There's been a slight unease around him for a while, and Bellatrix has taken out her aggressions on her husband more than once. If there is resentment or an opening to drive a wedge in, I think we should try to do so."
They Apparated to the Lestrange estate, and found a very agitated Rodolphus pacing outside the house, not far from the trees. The area was lit up by the flickering light of magical flames.
As he turned to pace back towards the house for what seemed like the millionth time, Rodolphus caught sight of his “saviour”. He couldn’t help running towards him, then stopped abruptly when he saw there was a second figure approaching in the dark.
“Lucius! Who have you -- Why did you bring Severus?” He looked at Malfoy accusingly. “You said you would help.”
"I will help, Rodolphus," Lucius replied in a slightly short tone. "And so will Severus." The dark-haired man merely nodded at Rodolphus. "Now, tell me what has happened," Lucius continued.
Rodolphus looked from one to the other, trying to discern any treachery. After a moment, he realized it was completely pointless: either they would help or they would betray him, and there was little he could do about it now. “Bella was attacked by a werewolf. I found her there,” he nodded to the circle of flames, “and saw the wolf flee.” He looked down. “Her wounds are beyond me.”
After a moment, he forced himself to continue, but could not look up “I cannot ask Our Lord for aid, or take Bella back to him like this; he would ask questions. There are . . . pets in the house. One is a pureblood.”
"A pureblood!" Lucius tensed slightly; could it be? They had lured Lupin to the area with the pretext of information about the Weasley girl's whereabouts. Perhaps it was Bellatrix who had taken her? It certainly fitted her games. "I see. Yes, well, the Lord would not be happy to hear about this. You did the right thing, calling for me." Lucius' eyes pierced Rodolphus' form. "It's not the first time you've had to clean up her mess, is it?"
Rodolphus clenched his jaw, then slowly met Lucius’ stare. “Since Azkaban, Bella has not been . . .herself. She requires frequent diversions, and she requires me to do what is necessary. There is nothing else I can do.”
He turned slightly away, gazing at the fire encircling his wife. “The Ministry debacle was the worst; our Lord’s displeasure completely unhinged her.” He looked back at both men, “I had hoped she was recovering, but our Lord’s refusal to use her skills has made her nearly as mad as before.” His voice cracking, he continued "I do not know how I will continue if she. . . if she worsens."
Lucius nodded; this explained a few things. "I understand. You've always been loyal, Rodolphus. Let me have a look at her?" He turned to Snape. "The pets in the house -" He looked back at Rodolphus. "They are in the basement, I presume?"
"Can you take care of them, Severus?" Lucius thought quickly. The easiest thing would be to kill them and dispose of them, but that might not prove the most advantageous course of action. Better to move them now, and figure out what to do with them later. "Move them to my dungeon, unconscious, and I will take care of them later." Snape gave a curt nod and walked briskly to the house.
Rodolphus nodded, relieved to have something to do. “She’s there, inside the circle. I’ll drop the flames.” He walked quickly to the circle and released the incantation. As Lucius came near her wounded side, he knelt at Bella’s head and watched for Lucius’ reaction.
Lucius went with Rodolphus and looked down at the mauled woman. The wound was indeed quite terrifying, and Lucius was faintly surprised that Bellatrix wasn't dead yet. Then again, she always had been a stubborn and strong-willed person.
He sighed deeply and knelt on the ground, wincing slightly as he felt the sticky wetness that could only be blood seep through his clothes. These robes would need a double or even a triple cleaning charm after this. Well, the house elf would take care of that. Lucius carefully pushed the torn fabric away from the gaping wound and looked at it, inwardly pleased with the work the werewolf had done.
"Rodolphus..." Lucius looked up at him. "She is dying, from what I see on the ground, she's lost too much blood as well." He sighed and pinched the bridge of his nose with his clean hand. "What was she doing out here, alone?"
Rodolphus sagged. Hearing someone else confirm the seriousness of her condition took what felt like the last of his hope. "I don't know," he said dully, looking down at Bella’s pale, unconscious face. "I was downstairs. I - needed a moment, after she was done with me. She was going to wait upstairs, until I was done with the pet, she said." He raked a hand through his hair, speaking more agitatedly "She wasn’t supposed to do this! She should have been fine, after what she . . . I only healed myself, and the girl. It only took a moment." He looked at Lucius "She could be healed, though, couldn’t she? If you really wanted to? What would I have to do, Lucius?"
"Don't be a fool. Rodolphus, she was bitten by a werewolf." Lucius held Rodolphus' gaze, as if trying to imprint this message into him. "She hasn't been right since you got out of Azkaban, and I doubt that becoming infected with Lycanthropy will have a favourable effect on her sanity. How will you manage then?"
Rodolphus reared back as Lucius‚ words sunk home. The knife wounds still oozing on his back where the healing charm didn't reach were painful proof that Lucius was right. Bella as a werewolf would be an unimaginable horror. He looked down at her bloodless face and tried to imagine life without Bella. She had been there for those eighteen years of hell, mad and screaming, but she had never ever given up; knowing that she was still fighting had given him the will to survive when he had none.
But he had given her his undivided devotion and attention. He'd cajoled her when she was petulant, placated her when she was raging, and pandered to her every whim. And when that wasn't enough, he had willingly given his blood and pain as a sacrifice on the altar to her sanity.
Lucius didn't have to use Legilimency to see that Rodolphus was turning things over in his mind, that he was trying to resolve the situation that he had been plunged into. And since the man didn't outright demand that Bellatrix was saved, Lucius knew that they had been right about him. He was loyal, but perhaps more out of habit than from conviction.
"Rodolphus. There is nothing we can do for her, and if she survives she will be a liability. The infection might heal her, yes. Becoming a werewolf will probably take care of the damages, but what will she do? Can you control her? Could you ever control her, Rodolphus?"
"You are a loyal man, and I like that. It has been painful to see you waste your loyalty on fanaticism, when I could have good use for you." Lucius let his eyes warm up to the man kneeling on the other side of the slowly dying woman. "But I have not talked to you because of your wife's zeal... her fanatical and dangerous devotion."
Lucius spoke softly. "I can give you something to do, Rodolphus, help you take your mind off this... nightmare. I can give you a way to pursue our cause without madness." He used his smoothest, silkiest voice, uttering words to soothe, to tempt, to win Rodolphus over. "It would be the right thing to do..." How pale the man looked in the moonlight; shock was probably setting in as well. Had he loved the mad, raving Bellatrix? Despite everything? Lucius didn't know, and didn't try to
find out, and rose to his feet again.
As Lucius spoke, Rodolphus' instinct for survivial slowly won out over his ingrained loyalty to Bella. The outright offer was more than he expected; Lucius already had more than enough information to force him. That he had not done so suggested respect and sincerity. If Lucius would take him, he would be far better off than with a werewolf for a master or fending for himself in the ranks.
Decision made, the Slytherin in him moved on to covering their tracks. "I won't just leave her here. It's too risky; someone might find her and revive her enough to ask questions."
"No Auror would use Necromancy to revive her and find out what has happened. They abhor the Dark Arts. I will help you to mask our presence here and throw the Ministry into a different line of investigation."
Rodolphus nodded, then moved to Bella's uninjured side and laid down beside her on the cold ground. He gave a lingering kiss to her cool, unresponsive lips, then quickly rolled her to her side, and pressed against her back, slipping an arm under her neck. From a distance it would have appeared that they were making love.
Her black hair fell across her face and streamed into the puddle of blood. Fast as a thought, Rodolphus whipped his knife from its sheath, wrapped her limp fingers around the hilt, and guided it to slit one wrist then the other. As the rest of her life's blood joined the growing puddle, Rodolphus slowly rose to join Lucius where he still stood on her other side. Only when he was quite, quite sure she was dead did Rodolphus allow himself a small smile.
"Goodbye, Bella."
Lucius sent Rodolphus back to the house to help Snape with the pets and When Rodolphus had left, Lucius lingered a moment. With a quick, non-verbal charm, he healed the knife wounds. It wouldn't do to let the Aurors see that the werewolf was not the only killer around. He erased the imprints of his own shoes and knees, and used his wand to trace the intricate symbol that would let an investigation find the magical imprint and signature of a certain Remus J. Lupin, werewolf at the scene of the carnage.
When Lucius was satisfied that neither he nor Severus could be tied to the scene, he too went to the house to have a look at this pureblood pet of Bella's. If indeed it was the Weasley girl, it would perhaps be better to leave her here for Severus to pick her up the next day. Perhaps even in the morning.
~*~
Lucius joined Rodolphus and Snape in the basement. It seemed like Bellatrix had been busy in collecting her little toys. Five girls and three boys. However, one girl had been found to be dead, and Snape suggested that she had perhaps been in captivity the longest. She apparently showed the most signs of neglect and injuries.
The rest had been put to sleep without seeing the face of their 'saviour', and Snape had already side-along Apparated a most of them. With a cruel curl of the corners of his mouth, Snape held up the door to one cell and indicated that Lucius should have a look inside.
There, curled up on the not too clean floor lay a red-headed girl in her teens. Lucius nodded slowly and arched an eyebrow as he exchanged a look with Snape. They had been given a gift, indeed. They had found the missing Weasley.
"Return here tomorrow and pick the girl up. Take her back to school and you will return as a hero... Dumbledore will adore you for it." Then he lowered his voice so that only Snape could hear him. "Take some of the blood from Bella's body and smear it on Lupin's hands and face... That would remove his doubts as to his actions. They make such a mess when they are feeding, werewolves."
Snape returned the smile, amused by the comment. "Indeed they do. No manners at all." He nodded at Rodolphus on his way out. "My condolences."
Lucius returned to Rodolphus' side and put his hand on the man's shoulder. "I think it's best if you come with me... We will procure an unmarked owl and send a message to the Ministry that there has been a murder. Then we will have a drink and you will go to bed. In the morning, we will find a way to make certain that you will not be in trouble with the Dark Lord for things that Bellatrix have done."