Duty Calls.

[desire_of_nymph]

Title: Duty Calls
Rating: PG
Word Count: 2,079
Characters: Esmeralda Selwynn, Augustus Rookwood, Antonin Dolohov, Rodolphus Lestrange, Bellatrix Black-Lestrange, Druella Rosier-Black, Tom Marvolo
Prompt: 005. Spirit
Summary: Augustus and Esmeralda attend a party thrown by Rodolphus, filled with all of their old house mates.
Warnings: Alternative Universe of lumos_founders.
Disclaimer: I do not own any of these characters, they belong to J.K. Rowling.

Esmeralda brushed off her dress and turned in the mirror, sighing as she saw that she had indeed missed a button. "Aug!" she called, twisting a lock of hair to make it curl right. When she saw the dark-haired man appear in the mirror she continued, "I can't reach this button, will you get it for me?" As he walked over a calico cat twined around her legs, getting hair all over her gown. "Selene, you have to stop that."

"That cat of yours really should be dead by now, Strawberry," Augustus remarked as he bent down to scratch Selene's head. "How old is she now?"

Esmeralda sniffed. "A lady does not reveal her age."

"I was talking about the cat, not you. How old?"

"I'm not answering that question on the basis of I do not have to."

Augustus looked at her with a steely glint in his eyes which Esmeralda returned coolly. After sharing a house with the man for nearly thirty years she was one of the very few people who could take Augustus's looks without fainting, running away or doing exactly as he said. "Are you at least ready to go? I like being fashionably late, but if you spend too much more time in front of the mirror then we won't get there until the party is over. Even Tom will be there. If we're not then it will be taken amiss." He was one of the few who could still get away with calling Lord Voldemort that. It was hard to call someone the Dark Lord after growing up with them.

"I always feel so old at these gatherings," Esmeralda admitted as she put on her earrings. "All of our old housemates are so much younger than us now..." She did a little twirl. "Tell me I'm beautiful, Rook, and then we can go."

"You need so much reassurance, but you are indeed beautiful, Strawberry." Augustus reached out and took Esmeralda by the hand, turning as he did so that they vanished, leaving Selene to play with the bracelet Esmeralda had dropped.

The door opened to reveal an unshaven Antonin Dolohov wearing a suit that appeared to have gone through several of his infamous sessions. His eyes, usually dull these days, were bright for some reason. "You arrived a little too late tonight, Rook," he said with a smile, leaning in the doorframe. "Missed the big announcement and everything."

"Are you going to let us in or not?" Augustus asked, nodding at Esmeralda. "You cannot possibly think to leave a lady out in the cold."

Antonin thought about it for a moment and moved aside, bowing low. "One might be acceptable," he said as they started in. "But it is not right to leave two out there." He grunted as Augustus elbowed him sharply in the stomach and closed the door. "You really did miss the big announcement."

"My fault," Esmeralda said. "But do tell us what we missed, Antonin, I'd hate to be in the dark."

"Oh no, I wouldn't dare to spoil Rodolphus's fun," Antonin laughed, shaking his head and taking a long drink from the glass in his hand. Shimmering brightly around his waist was the knife he had named Lisa in honor of his mother, a knife which Augustus had seen used countless times, but Esmeralda had only seen once. She hoped to keep it that way and always avoided missions involving him if she had the choice based solely on his love for that knife. "Ah, to be in my twenties again and full of so much enthusiasm."

Esmeralda took her arm off of Augustus's and touched Antonin lightly on the shoulder. "Antonin, you never lack for enthusiasm. Just give us a hint." But Antonin only shook his head and walked into the main room, leaving Augustus and Esmeralda behind. "He used to be so much easier to manipulate."

"That was when he thought he had a chance with you," Augustus pointed out. "Ah, I see our gracious host and it looks as though he is completely wasted... but not his wife. And oh my." His eyes widened as he spotted Bellatrix and he nudged Esmeralda. "It looks as though our Belladonna has lost her girlish figure."

"Oh dear," Esmeralda murmured as Rodolphus came towards them, a broad grin on his face. He was definitely drunk - his sleeve was rolled up to reveal his Dark Mark for one - and there was also a bottle of Firewhiskey in his hand. "This really is like being back at Hogwarts again." Her mouth twisted slightly when she noticed a teenage boy who had most definitely been eighteen the last time she saw him. "Except, of course, for the vast age differences... at least some people are exactly the age they're supposed to be." Here of course she was referring to Druella and the others from the same time as herself and Augustus. She did not mention the ones who had not even been born yet, preferring not to think on the matter overly much.

Rodolphus stopped a respectful distance from them, even in his drunken state his eyes still held quite a measure of respect as he dipped a bow to them. "Augustus, Esmeralda, I am... delighted that you could make it." His words only slurred a little and Esmeralda began to suspect that he was not quite as drunk as she and Augustus had originally thought. "We were not sure you'd be coming, so I made the announcement without you."

Augustus's eyes were cool as he accepted a glass of wine from a house elf. "Have I ever given you reason to think that I would not keep an appointment, Rodolphus?" he asked, taking a sip.

"That's not what I meant," Rodolphus said quickly. "It's just... we thought that maybe you had another appointment to keep that was more important."

"And now you realize your mistake and will remember never to make it again. Correct?"

"Quite." Rodolphus took a drink from a bottle, holding it up for so long that Esmeralda briefly thought he was attempting to drown himself. It would not be the first time someone had tried something like that when Augustus took that particular tone. His voice was a little raspier when he continued, "As you've probably guessed from my wife's appearance, she's pregnant."

Esmeralda was at a loss for how to respond, but Augustus smiled and clapped Rodolphus on the shoulder. "Congratulations!" he said, clinking his glass with the bottle of firewhiskey. "When is she due?"

"Three or so months," Rodolphus said happily. "Twins, one boy and one girl."

"She never could be patient," Esmeralda said at last, though the idea of Bellatrix and Rodolphus's children was a frightening one. Especially when Rabastan already had his own running around. "Always had to know things right away."

"Some people never change," Augustus agreed. "Have you chosen names?"

"Yes," Bellatrix interjected as she walked up. Esmeralda studied her face, noting almost immediately that it did not have the happy glow that she had always associated with pregnancy. Druella had certainly had it every time she was pregnant. "The girl will be Marishka and the boy, Rostislav."

"Lovely choices, Belladonna. I am sure both of them will be quite lovely to behold." Somehow Augustus had gotten hold of Bellatrix's hand to give it a kiss and, despite the flash in her eyes, she said nothing.

"I could never get away with calling her anything like that," Rodolphus complained as he placed an arm around his wife's shoulders and had it removed almost as quickly. "See? Can't even touch her right now."

"Some pregnant women don't like to be touched."

"Thank you, Augustus. If you will excuse me, I must speak with Alecto and the Dark Lord." Bellatrix inclined her head before turning away, her walk definitely slower than it had been before. Rodolphus quickly excuse himself to join a small group that included Rabastan and Aurelia. Not a moment later Augustus was all but tackled by an excited Rosalind, who looked far too young to Esmeralda's eyes, so she excused herself after a quick hug. Augustus and Rosalind were far too hard to follow once they got to talking.

She was lingering near the drink table watching with fascination as Tom spun Alecto on the dance floor, his eyes gleaming strangely in the light, when Druella found her. "Darling," the other woman declared, taking her hands and kissing her on both cheeks. "It has been far too long. When did you arrive?"

"Not quite an hour ago," Esmeralda responded, smiling at her friend. "I always feel so old at these gatherings so I had to make sure I looked my best. Not that Augustus would have let me out of the house looking anything less." She smiled in his general direction, pointedly ignoring the glare that Druella threw at Rosalind. It was amazing how long old grudges could last. "I can't imagine how you must feel with two grandchildren on the way." Druella certainly did not look old enough to be a grandmother, at least not to Esmeralda's eyes.

"I feel quite pleased," Druella admitted. "I had always hoped that Bellatrix would have children before she turned thirty, or..." She left the sentence unfinished, not that it needed to be. They both knew that she was worried about the possibility of Bellatrix going to Azkaban, or even dying. It was a very real threat for most all of them.

Esmeralda reached out and squeezed Druella's hand. She did not know how it felt to worry about a child, and she was glad about that. It had driven her own mother to an early grave, worrying about her like she had. Not as early a one as Antonin's, but that was an unpleasant topic no one liked to discuss. "I'm sure they will be very... pretty children." The words 'good' or 'well-behaved' could not possibly be applicable.

Druella laughed. "Maybe they will grow up to be a little less extreme than their parents." Her tone said quite clearly that she did not believe it. "How is your life treating you?"

"You know I can't discuss most of it, even with you," Esmeralda said gently. Druella had never shown a true desire to join their ranks and that had caused a gap in their friendship.

"Tell me what you can."

"People live and people die." Esmeralda swirled the wine in her glass. "Selene is still alive, of course, that cat refuses to die."

"You would be inconsolable if she did."

"I wouldn't know what to do with myself."

"Do you still enjoy living with Aug?"

"Naturally. It may be a touch disturbing when he brings someone home and they don't walk back out..."

"He hasn't gotten over that habit yet?"

"I doubt he ever will. He prefers to act like a black widow spider. It always was one of his favorites."

Druella laughed again, shaking her head. "Ah, Esmi, I've missed you. I do not suppose that you would care to come over for dinner some evening?"

"Perhaps... if I do not have anything else I need to do." Her job came first, everyone who knew her knew that. "In fact, Tom is waving at me right now, I should go and see what he wants." She gave Druella a quick hug. "I'll be sure to say goodbye before I leave, Druella."

"I'm sure you will."

When Esmeralda stepped up to Tom, making a point to not look at his eyes. She had never quite adjusted to them being rimmed with red instead of a nice, deep brown and his skin had grown paler than anyone else that she had met. Not that any of that affected his presence, it had only grown stronger, and that was what truly mattered. "Was there something I could help you with?" Esmeralda asked.

"Ah, Esmeralda, good," Tom said. "I have a task for you. Alecto, could you find your brother? I want him to work with Esmeralda on something." Alecto nodded and turned away, her hand lingering a moment on Tom's arm. It seemed that some feelings did not fade despite the age differences. "Once I tell you and Amycus what you are to do, you'll need to leave immediately."

Esmeralda glanced towards Druella, who was now engaged in conversation with Bellatrix. "I need to say goodbye first."

Tom blinked. "Immediately, Esmeralda." His tone brooked no argument.

She sighed. "As you command."