June '73: Utter Disappointment: Narcissa, Rabastan & DE’s

[Lord Voldemort]

June 1973
seating chart
posting order:
voldemort - narcissa - rabastan - bellatrix - lucius - alecto - amycus - rodolphus

These sorts of events got old quickly, the dinner parties that the high class purebloods enjoyed. It would be far simpler to simply go to the houses of those he was interested in, as they would surely not deny him entrance to their homes. After all - telling him no was a one way ticket to an early and unfortunate death. But young blood was always needed, and this was the easiest way to acquire it. It had worked in the past and there was no doubt it would work again.

The first event had given him Bellatrix and Rodolphus, and promises of a future for them that didn’t involve the elder Lestrange being a part of their lives. It had also given him Amycus Carrow, although that hadn’t taken hardly any convincing with how mad the man was. The next group had included Lucius Malfoy (with an ego far too big), Alecto Carrow (her obsession with Bellatrix had been easy enough to use), and Andromeda Black.

Andromeda had been a disappointment.

This year only offered up two new faces to his table, Rabastan Lestrange and Narcissa Black. He had no doubts in the youngest Lestrange, for surely he hated his father as much as the older Lestrange did. But what he knew of Narcissa was only through the minds of those closest to her. And it seemed that the Black family was mostly full of pathetic children, other than Bellatrix.

Taking his seat at the head of the table, Lord Voldemort scanned those already present. Soon their honoured guests would be here, and the evening could begin.

[Narcissa Malfoy]

Narcissa had been awaiting this invitation for years.

Ever since Bella and Rodolphus had been introduced to the Dark Lord, she knew that the honor would be bestowed to her in time. Just like it had been given to Annie. The young woman dressed carefully, wanting to appear elegant and older than she was but not as if she was trying to do so. Their home was quiet, her parents taking care of their own affairs as she primped, and it was as she wanted it. She hadn't shared news of this event to any of her loved ones, not even Bella or Lucius. Needing to control the story, Narcissa had to know how it went before giving the news, after all.

But she was nervous, forcing shaking hands to steady themselves as she slid on her gaudy family ring. Father will make me a new one, a better one, a pretty one, after tonight. Surely if she did well this evening, Father would be pleased enough with her to follow through with her longstanding demand request. It was the "doing well" of the evening, though, that concerned the Slytherin.

She had doubts about the Dark Lord, and she knew she shouldn't.

But how could she blindly follow him after seeing Bella, Rodolphus, and Lucius do so? And be put in harm's way for it? She valued her life, her body, her mind - she wasn't about to throw herself into service that she had no control over. But in valuing her life...she knew she couldn't disobey. The trick of tonight would be to show him that she could, and would, be useful in her own way. Because the cause was worthy, but the means to it...He will love you. Everyone does.

With one last look to her invitation, Narcissa quietly left her room and went to the nearest fireplace. To her disgust, she had no other option but to Floo to this meeting; as she was not yet of age and hadn't been to his residence before, apparition was out of the question. And so she stepped inside and, after a bit of a tumble through the Network, was shortly landing in what she hoped was the right location. The tall blonde cleaned herself up with a number of spells quickly before looking around for signs that this was Death Eater headquarters. But the sign she found was not one she had anticipated. Or, even, one that she had any desire to see.

"Rabastan? What are you - " Her disappointment was masked by a glowing smile as she stepped towards her brother-in-law. Her younger brother-in-law. "I wasn't expecting you, darling, do forgive me," she continued with a light laugh, giving the boy an air-kiss before trying to appear as if she still maintained the upper hand. "Where is that elf?" Thankfully one appeared and, after bowing so low its nose brushed the marble floor, they were led to the dining hall. A very occupied dining hall, Narcissa found out after her smirking fellow opened the door for her. Father? Narcissa was aghast; everywhere she looked were some of her most trusted, and some of her worst liked, and it took all of her practice of composure to keep a semblance of calm and beauty when she wanted to scream at the lot of them. How could Father not give her warning? How could Lucius not tell her he'd be here? How could Bella not clue her in to the grandeur of this affair? You didn't tell them you were invited, they may not have known. She had handled herself at dinner parties before, to be sure, but the shock of this was hardly fair at all. Warm smile intact, blood boiling despite her want to believe the best in her beloveds, Narcissa strode in ahead of Rabastan to greet their host. "Thank you for the invitation tonight, my Lord," she said, meeting cold eyes with chilled ones of her own as hands were extended, her begrudging kiss given to his ring. Her only solace was that there was an empty space between her father and Lucius, and Narcissa took it gracefully as soon as she was able. "Fancy seeing you all here," she said lightly as Rabastan by his father, no kindness left in her tight smile as she turned it on her family and her love. Was this not supposed to be her night? How was she supposed to make an impression half-way down the table from the man she was supposed to impress?

[Rabastan Lestrange]

If Rabastan had it his way, he would have a one-on-one conversation with the Dark Lord lasting approximately three minutes. In those three minutes, Rabastan would express his readiness to dedicate himself to his stated causes in whatever means the man in charge deemed best. He was not about to be a servant, for surely he would gain his own voice after proving himself, but he knew that he would start low. If Rodolphus and Bellatrix had had to put in their years of labor before starting to rise, he had to too. But he would do it on his own. Thus he chose to Floo to Headquarters instead of side-along with his brother or father, steeling himself for a night of polite conversation. He would be given time with the Dark Lord, surely, but would have to exercise patience to get there...It will be worth it.

And so it was with unexpected amusement that he soon found himself face-to-face with Narcissa Black. Her shock was parallel to his, but while she tried to hide her disgust with pleasantries, Rabastan allowed himself a laugh. At least she's good for something, he thought as he fell into step after the elf with his vapid housemate. "Did you think this was a private dinner? Narcissa," he tsked, grinning in spite of her blanched face before holding the door for her. Rabastan felt that it was out of respect for Cygnus and Bellatrix that the girl had been granted an invitation, much more so than her "merits." He knew she was not fully a fool, despite her clear lapse in judgment about the course of her evening. But she would have no place within the ranks; she would breed with Lucius and, should miracles exist, produce an heir for the Malfoy family that was more worthwhile than either of its parents. Rabastan, though...As he walked towards the Dark Lord, not sparing glances to his family, Rabastan knew that he was meant for much more than that.

He exchanged a firm and proper thanks with their host after Narcissa retreated, and took the space left for him between his father and brother. It was a shame, really, that Carrow was still stubbornly at his sister-in-law's side - and a thorn in his brother's - but tonight wasn't about marital differences. Tonight was about proving, once and for all, in whatever way it took, that he was the only appropriate choice for the Dark Lord. And as he saw, letting himself feel a slight spark of pride, he was the only representative from his year at Hogwarts. Yet, Rabastan reminded himself. He was entering his fifth year in the fall, and so he knew he was young to be considered; but there was no space left for Crabbe beside his father...That spark of pride growing, Rabastan turned to the host with rapt attention as the night began.

[Bellatrix Lestrange]

Bellatrix could remember the day she was introduced to herthe Dark Lord like it had only happened yesterday. Her and Rodolphus had been the youngest people in the room, seated by their father’s as a room of old men spoke about politics. But Voldemort had wanted her their opinion. He had spoken of the many injustices against the purebloods, he’d given her a choice of a future. That had been seven years ago now, and she had dedicated her life to the cause as soon as she’d stepped outside the walls of Hogwarts.

This summer dinner with their Lord had become a regular occurrence, with special invitations being extended to those deemed worthy. It was a test, a chance to prove loyalty. An invitation was a honor - it was truthfully the event of the season, one most wives didn’t bother to attend. Her own mother was decidedly absent this evening, as she had been seven years ago. But this summer was different, because her sister had been invited. And after the utter embarrassment that Andromeda had turned out to be, this was a chance for redemption for the Black family.

The chatter around the table died quietly as the doors opened, and Bellatrix smiled at her sister. Narcissa looked...well, Bella wasn’t entirely sure what to think. She had been waiting for Cissy to come and see her, and yet Narcissa had never officially told Bellatrix about her invitation. That had been a sore spot as the evening approached, because didn’t Narcissa trust her? Her gaze flicked to Rabastan and she offered him a smile as well, her brother-in-law long ago having secured a spot in the circle of those she cared for.

As her sister took her seat, Bella didn’t miss the tone behind the words. Had Narcissa truly not realized the extent of this invitation? If things went well, the blonde sitting across from her would be given the honor to join their ranks. It was necessary that tonight went well, for all of them. “You look wonderful Narcissa,” Bella professed lovingly, meeting Lucius’ gaze with a pointed look. “Isn’t she magnificent Lucius?”

[Lucius Malfoy]

While he was fond of parties, this was the one event per year that Lucius absolutely dreaded going to. There was nothing enjoyable about sitting next to his father while making polite small talk, or having the Lestrange the family make snide comments in his direction all evening. And since arrangements had begun between his father and Cygnus Black, it seemed Bellatrix has only amped up her hatred for him. It wasn’t his fault that the middle Black daughter had run off with a muggle, it was clearly something wrong with her. Besides, he was actually growing fond of Narcissa. The pretty blonde had similar interests to him, and now that they were in the first summer of their courtship he was positive things would be better.

And if not, it wasn’t his issue. It wasn’t as if Narcissa was his last option, he was a Malfoy. There were plenty of even younger pureblood girls to choose from, their fathers all here around the table. In fact, it was a proper shame that there had been no arrangements made for Euphadora Parkinson, she would have been a good option for him, from the little he knew of her. His options for marriage were endless - it was the Black family who needed this union.

Giving Alecto Carrow an annoyed glance across the table, he was pulled from his self-obsessed thoughts by the arrival of the guests of honor. It was a moment before his brain truly realized who had walked into the room, as he would have never expected Narcissa to be called here. It was as if someone had jinxed him, Lucius felt frozen in place as his eyes watched her walk across the room. What could she possibly bring to the table Bellatrix stirred him out of his thoughts, and he turned to flash Narcissa a smile. You didn’t tell me you were invited - how should I have known?! “More than magnificent Bellatrix,” he replied calmly, before lowering his voice to speak to Narcissa. “It’s good to see you, my love.”

[Alecto Carrow]

Alecto was ready to be entertained.

With her first year under the Dark Lord’s shadow - and under Bellatrix’s wing - completed, she felt at home sitting amongst the prestigious men around her. Well, mainly prestigious men. It was still unclear to her how Lucius had secured this spot, as in her mind he had performed nearly as poorly as Andromeda had at their first invitation. But the Dark Lord found him useful, evidently, as he was sitting across from her tonight. She anticipated that his beloved would be joining them, which was the main reason for her unhidden smirk as she waited. Narcissa was almost as useless as the Malfoy men were, so the pairing truly was picture perfect. The amusement, though, would come from the little girl trying to prove that she had value beyond a pretty face. If Alecto had her way, the night would be even more embarrassing for Narcissa than it had been for Andromeda. But she had kept her thoughts to herself, besides sharing with her brother, as she knew Bellatrix wouldn’t want her "only" sister to suffer. She cast her love a look of admiration between conversation, using adjusting the lay of her dress on her legs as an excuse to touch her. This last year had been her best so far, in many ways because of the woman beside her...

She was pulled from fond distractions in memory to the present as the room quieted and Narcissa glided in while Rabastan marched. It was a good surprise to see the young man, even though Alecto was hardly a fan of his brother. As a person, that is - as a Death Eater, Rodolphus was exemplary. With any luck, Rabastan would follow in his footprints. She drank as she watched the newcomers greet the Dark Lord so formally and take their seats, struggling to keep her laughter contained as Bellatrix and Lucius began to gush. Evidently, this was an attempt to put Narcissa at ease, as the thing looked terribly shaken already...

"Oh yes, Narcissa you are simply looking divine," she cooed in echo to the sister and the future husband, a sheen of malice in her eye. "But I can’t wait to hear what you have to share with us tonight! You must be so thrilled to take the floor soon. You did come with a plan of action ready, didn’t you?" The question was innocently spoken but was a joke in truth, and Alecto let out a sharp laugh at the sudden pallor of the girl's face. "Relax, I'm only teasing," she assured when she was able. "You won't make it through the night if you're that close to snapping, my dear. Breathe. You are surrounded by loved ones. Everything is going to be just fine." She snapped her fingers and an elf came running; with a point to the empty wine goblet in front of the younger blonde, Alecto lounged back to wait for their host's speech.

[Amycus Carrow]

A year ago, he’d been anticipating this dinner. Knowing that his sister had graduated, and would be put to the test of the Dark Lord, he had been alert. Ready for his sister to join him in the real world, ready to be done living at home with their parents who lacked any sort of interest in what their children were doing. Sure, their father was always at these events, but he was more of a sympathizer than anything else. He couldn’t even imagine his father in the field. Amycus had done his time, and as of this summer, he’d been offered a better position within the organization. No more finding people to support the cause, now he was getting to hunt the people who opposed it. Those who were too loud, or too close. It was fun, especially in the times he got to work with Bellatrix or Roldolphus, two he considered to be his friends. Alecto had done well, and had worked hard this first year under the Dark Lord.

But they all knew who was invited tonight, even if some of the dimwitted ones didn’t want to admit it. Rabastan would be joining them, and their cause. He’d earned it well enough, and Amycus had respect for the younger man. Then there was Narcissa, and that was a joke. It had to be something the Dark Lord was just doing for a laugh. He couldn’t imagine Narcissa doing anything that might break a fingernail, let alone using her wand to take a life. And that was the kind of dedication they needed. Even using a wand was pathetic, in Amycus’ opinion. Sure, there were curses that caused pain. But causing that pain with your own hands, with a knife - that was the real thrill of it, wasn’t it? Magic was useful, but it didn’t have the same effect as watching a person struggle against you. The two in question soon arrived, both set to begin their final year at Hogwarts in September, and he was glad he could hide behind his drink so that his laughter at Narcissa’s evident shock wasn’t apparent.

Lucius looked just as surprised, and while Amycus didn’t blame him, it wouldn’t look good on Malfoy to let his future wife know he doubted her abilities. Bellatrix was trying to smooth any ruffled feathers, with Lucius following suit. But laughter did escape as Alecto chimed in, and he leaned forward on the table. “She’s right, no plan of action is needed. But you do know how to use a curse right? And brought your wand? It’d be terribly embarrassing if you can’t follow through with what will be asked of you.” He had no idea what would be asked of the recruits. It wasn’t always something done at the dinner, usually being asked to come this young was simply a way for their Dark Lord to gather intel on who was worth pursuing. But it was so hard not to tease the youngest Black, she was so young and stupid.

[Rodolphus Lestrange]

Dinner parties such as these had the potential to be rather entertaining just as much as they could go stale very quickly. It was far too early in the evening to determine which way this one would go, but Rodolphus was eager for it, nonetheless. Tonight, his baby brother was to take the mark, and Rodolphus was extremely proud. Prouder, it seemed, than their arsehole of a father who readied himself for the evening as if it were any other evening tea among old mates. It was the same as when Rodolphus had been given his own mark, inducted into the Dark Lord’s ranks with his father watching bored on the sidelines. At least Rabastan had a bit of proper family support tonight.

Their early arrival afforded Rodolphus the luxury of sitting apart from his father, opting to give the guest of honor a seat a wee bit closer to their host than him. Of course, that meant Rab would be stuck beside Reginauld for the duration of their meal, but better the young lad than he. The mild chatter that had rose as the guests filtered in and took their seats stilled as the doors opened and the newest recruits filed in behind a house elf. Narcissa Black looked nonplused at seeing the party gathered before her, whereas Rabastan appeared bolstered by the crowd. As the table unanimously turned their focus on taunting the young blonde about the evening’s possibilities, Rodolphus instead turned to his brother. “Shame you’ve not got yourself a little blonde bimbo to hang onto tonight, as Narcissa does,” Rodolphus said softly, teasing the young lad. Talk of Rabastan’s future was a constant in the Lestrange home, but Rod wouldn’t miss an opportunity to gently taunt his brother, especially when at the expense of Lucius Malfoy. He reached out and took his wineglass from the table, bringing it to his lips as he added, “if all goes well tonight, as I am sure it will, we may need to search a few pubs to find you someone to celebrate with later.” Rabastan was young for a Death Eater, but old enough that after a night such as this he should have the company of a pretty witch in his bed, if he wanted it.

Overhearing a bit of the other conversation, Rodolphus turned a large smile to his mate and added, “Oi, Amy, don’t go spoiling all the fun. She doesn’t need to know about the trials just yet.” He spared a smirking glance at Narcissa’s reaction before chuckling and returning to his brother who he felt should have been the one receiving the lion’s share of the attention tonight.
 
Tagged: Lord Voldemort Rabastan Lestrange Narcissa Malfoy , etc.