Rabbit Heart - Rabastan & Bellatrix

[Helena Goldstein]

Aug. 14, 1978
Portkey Office

This was it, her first day at a real job! She had sat children and cleaned the neighbor’s horse stall for pocket change, but she had never been employed. It felt such a grown-up thing to be doing, particularly since she was barely out of Hogwarts for two months now. But here she was, walking at a clipped pace down the empty muggle London street to the visitor’s entrance. Once she was properly settled she would use the floo, but she couldn’t have soot all over her clothes on day one! Magic never really got it all out. At the box, she slipped in with a glance up and down the street, picking up the phone with a steadying breath. She dialed, six, two, four, four... her finger hovered over the last number and Helena closed her eyes.

This is it.

Two.

‘Welcome to the Ministry of Magic. Please state your name and business.’

“Um...Helena Goldstein. Portkey Office.”

There was nothing more forthcoming from the invisible woman she seemed to be sharing a booth with. She shut her eyes tighter, afraid she had somehow been fired before her first day, but then the booth shuddered and moved and her eyes popped open, a smile springing to her face. It was just as thrilling as she remembered from the few times her father had taken her as a child. She sunk down into the earth, dropping and dropping until the Ministry appeared at her feet and the phone booth came to a smooth stop.

‘The Ministry of Magic wishes you a pleasant day.’

Helena glanced up at the disembodied voice, “Thanks.” she said as she open the door and stepped out. She was immediately assaulted by thoughts but the recently graduated Ravenclaw was used to this and it was nothing now to tuck them all behind her imaginary glass wall. She could still hear them, but she could also ignore them. Which she did as she made her way across the polished floor, past the fountain, and into the stream of people going through the golden gates. She was one of these people now, an employee. Following the queue to the lifts, where she had to wait, Helena occupied herself with the mundane thoughts of people’s day to day lives -groceries that needed picking up after work, memo’s that needed sending when they arrived to the office, sex- until it was her turn to board. Then all of her focus was back on her task: Make a great first impression and have a fantastic first day!

‘Level six.’

Glancing up in surprise, it was only seconds ago the doors had closed and now they were opening again! “This is me.” she said to herself, but the man in front of her stepped aside anyway. “Oh. Thank you.” Then she was out in the hall, the doors were closing, and she was alone. It was quiet in her mind and in the world. Helena looked one way and then the other but there really wasn’t much to see. Be brave. she told herself. So, she wasted no time in opening the door to the office and slipping inside, not giving herself any room to be nervous. She put on her best smile to greet her new co-workers. “Good morning. I’m Goldstein, Helena Goldstein.”

[Rabastan Lestrange]

Rabastan had had to drag himself to the office today.

Not that the Portkey Office was the worst place to spend the daylight hours, it did hold its moments of intrigue, and time with his sister-in-law generally proved amusing. But with the work he did for the Dark Lord being as engaging as it was, there really was no comparison. If the Quidditch World Cup wasn't coming up, he would've happily stayed in bed.

The Cup being the international logistical mess that it was and set to happen less than two weeks from today, Rabastan was shocked that their department head had decided now was the time to bring in someone green. A fresh Hogwarts graduate, presumably with as little experience with portkeys as he had had upon hire. With the coordination efforts needing to be more in sync than any project he'd worked on so far, he couldn't imagine the new employee joining them on it. Foreign ministries had to be looped in with local councils, there couldn't be any crossed wires, delays, or spontaneous departures, maps were ever-changing as the layout of the Cup was altered, all objects were going through the most thorough of inspections - he was proud of himself for a tidy desk, generally, but it seemed as though his in tray had magically doubled in documents over the last few days...

Ah. Right on time. Rabastan held in a laugh as the girl made her entrance - such a shining smiling thing. The Ministry being as it was, it would eat her alive.

He exchanged a look with Bellatrix - Bet she doesn't last the week. - and rose from his desk, arm stretched out in greeting. "Rabastan Lestrange. I believe you'll be starting in domestic travel. Bellatrix?"

[Bellatrix Lestrange]

Bella hated this. This job at the portkey office was boring, even if she did get to see her brother-in-law every day she worked. But even annoying Rabastan was not as fun anymore, now that she had been here for so long. She didn’t like being a housewife, she had tried that at first. But her dear husband's parents had still been alive then, and she’d been subjected to them all day. Getting a job as an assistant somewhere at the Ministry had seemed like the perfect break, and it allowed her to get away with her real love of being a Death Eater. Scoping out Ministry workers to recruit, or those to cast curses on that would benefit them later. She was at the top of the game, playing amongst the men who had thought her useless when she joined Lord Voldemort. She was feared by others, and she liked that.

But who was there in the portkey office to fear her? Rabastan already had the more important job, and the rest of the stuffy men who worked here weren’t worth scaring. “Rab,” she said with a sigh, “I’m bored, next level bored. We need something fun to do around here., that has nothing to do with Quidditch." She put down the magazine she had been pretending to flip through. Until Rab needed something from her, or a message came along for him, this was what she did. Read the same magazines that her dearest sister Narcissa read. At least it gave them something to talk about, besides how annoying Lucius was. There was of course, always work to be done, and she did sometimes help Rab with it when she wasn’t pretending to read magazines. Like today, there would be a new employee starting.

But then the doors opened, and the new employee walked in. Bella looked at Rabastan with a smirk, changing it to a hopefully charming smile as the woman introduced herself. A Goldstein! Pureblood, perhaps, but not one that was usually on the right side of things. Oh, how fun it would be watching the Ministry do it’s worst on her. She caught the look Rab gave her, and she had to hold back a snort. They were both thinking the same thing, and this “poor girl” knew nothing about it. At least Bella would try and have fun reading her girlish thoughts later. For now? “Domestic travel is it! I have a bunch of paperwork for you to fill out, it’s on your desk which is right here near mine. Are you excited for a fun filled day of work? It’s been very busy here you know.”

[Helena Goldstein]

You didn’t see that. They did not share a look.

It’s nothing.

“Nice to meet you Rabastan!” Sure she had done her research on all open positions before applying to the Ministry, but to see a name on paper and meet someone in person were two very different things. Lestrange. That was a name that had long been synonymous with all manner of treacherous things. Helena’s stomach gave a tiny lurch as they shook hands, which was a usual warning of trouble, but she pushed it away this time. It had taken her too long to realize that she was powerful in her own right and to trust in her abilities but right now she simply could not afford to blow her first impression to bits with her abnormalities. Besides, her new co-worker was being nothing but cordial and there was really no reason to alarm. Helena gave him a bright smile and resolved herself that nothing would tamper her good mood or her perfect first day as an active member of the wizarding world. Convinced by herself that there was no immediate danger she plastered on a happy face.

She was quickly passed off to her trainer, as it appeared and she gave an equally welcoming smile even if her gut twisted double-time to her, Bellatrix formerly Black, now Lestrange. That name again. “Pleasure,” was all Helena got out before the other woman began instructing her. This was familiar territory to her and the blonde gave a nod of understanding, going over to her new desk and giving it a once over. “I had heard that the Cup is always a busy time for everyone. I was very keen to be of help. And I am ready. For a fun-filled day, that is. It’s all very exciting isn’t it?” Helena so dearly hoped that that was what was in store for her! Fun or at least a pleasant day. She would take either, as long as it was good. Given that she was assigned to domestic travel today, the work couldn’t be too grueling. However, it was not really the work that Helena was worried about being difficult. Taking a silent deep breath, she sat, adjusting the seat to her height and making herself comfy with a cushioning charm. “Are these the papers?” she asked, tapping a stack of paperwork with her length of Holly, causing them to shuffle out before her. She turned to meet Bellatrix’s eye, and then without much thought, she reached out with her mind.

She didn’t need eye contact for legilimency and it was very rude to stare, so she looked away, clearing her throat and moving aside her mental glass to listen in. It still felt like an intrusion but she had long grown used to the fact that she was an intrusion and there wasn’t much to do about that. She could read surface thoughts like it was breathing, it wasn’t as if she was really digging. So, she reached out, trying to decipher her college’s impressions of her, wanting to know that they weren’t already dismissing her because of age or naivety. Or maybe they were already taken with her...unlikely, as she was beginning to taste their tainted pleasure in her mind. Helena felt a moment of hesitation and pulled her shield back up. The knot in her stomach tightened a little bit more.

It’s nothing.

[Rabastan Lestrange]

"My life is Quidditch until everyone's returned from the Cup," Rabastan returned dryly, giving his sister-in-law a shrug at her complaints before returning to his in tray. No one was forcing Bellatrix Lestrange to be here, no more than anyone could force her to do anything, and he was sure that his brother would prefer it too if she was at home or working for the Lord instead of wasting away behind a desk. But here she was, numbing her mind with printed drivel to make a point, and Rabastan knew better than to suggest she do something else with her time. At least while she was here, Bellatrix gave the Lord more eyes in the Ministry. How was it Rabastan's duty to entertain her, when the choice to be here was her own? "I'll need Wilkes to give some items a stamp today, if you want to go to Level Seven for me. Or...we can get rid of the girl," he suggested, grinning over at her in quiet. "I'm not in the mood to teach someone how to do this job, and we could set a new record for the department."

Feeling like this prospect was the far brighter one to occupy Bellatrix - Games & Sports was one of his favorite levels to visit, when he had the time, but a messenger owl or the new hire could take care of the other task - he began writing out his tasks for the day, organizing his mind and his files until this Helena Goldstein arrived. Goldstein...there had been one in Slytherin with Rodolphus and Bellatrix, hadn't there? An older man shared the name...in the Obliviator offices, if Rabastan wasn't mistaken. He remembered a Gryffindor younger than him, but this girl hadn't taken his notice while they shared time at Hogwarts. So many Goldsteins, so many at the Ministry, and none were yet on their side? He couldn't hide the amusement from his eyes at seeing Bellatrix already equally entertained by the girl. Nice to meet me, is it? Your smile lies, girl. Hearing the fearsome Death Eater instruct the new hire about so amiably was almost too much for Rabastan - A fun filled day of work? - and he returned to his nearby desk.

 "You must be proud to join us here," Rabastan commented after Goldstein had made herself comfortable. "You're the only one of your year to be invited, after all. Do you have much experience in an office? Or with charms? Geography, perhaps?"

[Bellatrix Lestrange]

It was typical of Rabastan to ignore her complaining, he tended to do that. Until the cup was over, Quidditch was everyone’s life, and frankly Bellatrix cared very little for the sport. It didn’t seem overly impressive to fly around on a broom and throw a ball. It was ridiculous to have an entire festival for it, even if it was a very convenient gathering of witches and wizards that couldn’t be ignored by those with her agenda. What was a little chaos at an event such as this but not a little fun? Surely they could get up to something, assuming the Dark Lord would allow them. She was a soldier, much more deserving of being in a fight than sitting behind a desk. Even if her eyes inside were useful.

“Getting rid of the new girl sounds like far more fun than going to talk to Wilkes,” she answered him with a smirk, mind already running with ways to have her gone by the end of the day. It should prove to be an easy task, just a little slipping into the girl’s thoughts to find an insecurity to latch onto, to point out. Or perhaps the new girl would be a timid one that took little convincing to run. She would find out, and it was so terribly hard to hide her amusement when Helena arrived and introduced herself. It was clear upon meeting her that Helena was not entirely comfortable, and Bellatrix kept her smile to herself. She thrived on other’s fear of her, and it was almost too easy.

She watched with a fake smile on her face as Helena got seated, nodding to the girl’s enthusiasm, already mentally laughing with her husband and Rabastan later about this interaction. “It is all very exciting, your first job right out of school I take it?” Bellatrix wasn’t a fool, she knew the girl was fresh out of Hogwarts. But if she wanted to learn anything to hold against Helena Goldstein, she had a role to play here. Bella watched with interest as Helena started working on the papers, nodding to the girl's question. “Just some basic paperwork to get started, first day and all. We’ll get you started on the exciting world of domestic travel soon.”

There was quiet as they settled in, and Bellatrix returned to flicking through her magazine while watching the new girl from the corner of her eye. There was something about Helena that felt off, but Bellatrix couldn’t place it. She pulled her attention back to the situation as Rabastan spoke up, quizzing the girl on her knowledge. Bella hoped she had a basic idea of geography and charms, or her time in their office would get even more limited than Bella expected it would already be. “Don’t let him intimidate you, you’ll get the flow of things here quickly. I’m sure of it. Do you have friends here in the Ministry?”

[Helena Goldstein]

    I’m not intimidated.

She thought to herself and yes it was on the tip of her tongue to say but Helena was never one for blurting things out and refrained from voicing the words with ease. Besides, that statement wasn’t altogether true, was it? She was intimated by the witch and wizard next to her but not because of work, it was because of reputation. Either way, saying so would probably only amuse them at her expense and she was not keen on being picked on the first day. Best save that for day two to keep things interesting. Instead, she passed over Bellatrix’s comment with a soft smile, turned to Rabastan with a mildly contemplative look on her face.

“Well, I suppose I am proud, being the only one in my year to land such a position on my first try. Especially for someone with no office experience." Here she paused to shot the other two a grin, trying for some of her normal self. "Though I did excel in all my classes, Charms was particularly enjoyable for me and geography.” Helena was trying to remain centered and serene, but it was hard when her mind was desperate to seek out the others in the room and she was refusing it. Frankly, she was terrified of what she would find in her co-worker’s thoughts.

    Terrified, but curious.

        Two of the most deadly things to trifle with.

To Bellatrix’s finishing query she almost seized up. Naturally, she would have told them all about her father and three older brothers and all about their positions within the ministry. But she held back, feeling the warning within her. It wasn’t hard information to acquire, especially if Galen or Charles showed up to check on her, or one of her classmates popped in to say hello, so lying was a bad idea but she could keep it short and sweet. “Sure, most of my family works here, and some school friends.” There, short and sweet. She shuffled the paper about her desk again and again as she chatted, trying not to seem too nervous but knowing she was showing it anyway. Also because she had no idea what she was supposed to be doing. She held up a paper with schedules printed on it and met Bellatrix’s eye. “So, domestic travel is it?”

[Rabastan Lestrange]

Rabastan let out a dry chuckle at his sister-in-law's words. "Noted." Most days, he did what he could to let his frustration at his lot do nothing more than simmer deep within him. He had it better than many, especially given the recent noted progress in his personal affairs. But how long would it be until they would live in their promised new world? How long could they keep their wits, penned in as they were among ignorant civilians, sympathizers who would hardly lift a finger, and those who would never understand the need for change? When a mind which wanted to devote itself to military strategy instead had to put itself to use in determining the best way to humiliate or instill fear in a young woman, it was bound to grow soft, was it not? Their new coworker would, at worst, impede what little progress for the Dark Lord that they could make in this office. In all likelihood, she would simply be something of a temporary annoyance, with the ability to be coached into adequacy if given the opportunity. But at best...at best, they could amuse themselves with her, practice the tricks of the mind that Bellatrix wielded so beautifully.

The banal first day exchange was off to a running start, Bellatrix smiling her way through more convincingly than he could care to summon today. Rab gave a quiet tsk at her remark of his attempt at intimidation. "Setting her against me already?" A smirk to his fellow and he returned his attention to Helena, curious to see what she made of it. "It was nothing but an innocent inquiry, I assure you. How inefficient our office would be if we took no care at getting to know each other's skills." When the newcomer spoke, he was at once entertained and flummoxed. She had some backbone then, admitting her pride - wholly unearned, what with her lack of experience - and proficiency in appropriate courses while asserting a friendly and mildly confident air. It was more than some short-term staff had managed when in a room with the Lestranges, but...Bellatrix touched a nerve.

Her neck suddenly pulled tight with tension, that easy air dissipating. What had Bellatrix asked about? Friends at the Ministry? And why wouldn't she want to share? Rabastan regarded her with increased interest, the young woman perhaps not as in-the-dark of her situation as she had seemed. The days of benignly working at the Ministry were in the past, those of their persuasion holding office and status with an ever-increasing volume of truth. Had someone already here given her warning? Certainly not clearly enough, as she had arrived today with the intention of staying. "I thought I recognized your surname," he pressed at her admission. "There is an Obliviator by the name of Goldstein. Your father, or an uncle, perhaps? It's...interesting to keep track of which floors different family members are drawn to." He gave a thin-lipped smile - No one escapes notice. - before continuing, "My brother, for instance, works as an Unspeakable. And his wife delights us with her presence here." Rabastan returned to his list as the women spoke, and when complete, turned to his duties. This was the first World Cup he had had the opportunity to work on, and hiding loopholes within the arrangements for the dark forces to arrive - if their Lord willed it, of course - was a dizzying affair...

[Bellatrix Lestrange]

It was terribly amusing, watching the girl try and determine how she should react to them. She was obviously smart enough to know that the Lestranges had a reputation, but either Helena Goldstein wasn’t intimidated by them, or she knew better than to show it. Fear could be so easily manipulated, but before the day was through they would know more about Goldstein than she would even realize. It was the simple things, like the tone of her voice as she spoke of high marks in charms and geography. Proud of her marks in school, and yet had no experience in an office. The experience could be gained, Bella had hardly lifted a finger before her job here, but marks in school really meant very little in the office world. Everything was about politics, even if you didn’t want it to be. For example, both her and Rabastan could prove a pureblood line, and while the Goldstein’s may have been pureblood at one point, they certainly weren’t now. You had to pick a side in this world, and would Helena be on the right side of it? When she saw the mark on one of their arms, what would she think?

She smirked to Rabastan at his words, because there would be no fun if Helena didn’t think at least one of them was on her side. While it was important to know your coworker’s skills, Bellatrix didn’t think that Helena would last long enough with them for it to matter how good she was at charms. But - oh, it was so hard not to look at Rabastan - she’d struck a chord. Rabastan was quick to jump on it, and Bella reached out to Helena’s mind to see where her thoughts went when her brother-in-law spoke. Nothing. It seemed strange that one would know Occlumacy at the girl’s age, Bellatrix had hardly known how to wield the powers of the mind then. Smile still on her face, she laughed at his words, giving a roll of her eyes, “Oh I delight you with my presence do I? I’ll have to get that in writing for the next family gathering.”

The girl was not comfortable around them, and admittedly Bella lived for that. Do you fear me? Do you fear him? But now wasn’t the time to dwell on it too much, as it was a workday and the Cup was far too close for them to chat all day. “You would think people would know how long it takes to get approved for a Portkey, but we always have those last-minute requests for the Cup. The schedules show what time slots are already taken for travel, there’s a list of new approved Portkeys somewhere…” she trailed off, looking in a pile of papers on her desk from the latest memo, “Ah, here. They’ll need to be owled their time slots once you’re done arranging them.” She passed the paper over to Helena, giving her a genuine smile, “Just ask if you have any questions.”

[Helena Goldstein]

Could they hear the way her heart's pace picked up? Or was she just imagining the predatory way they looked at her? It felt akin to cats and a mouse in which scenario she would be the mouse and they were the cats having way too much fun playing with her. Helena summed it up to paranoia and first-day nerves, not wanting her wariness to get the better of her. Still, she paid very close attention to the in-law's interaction, cataloging it all for later. If she had any hope of surviving this office she had to be observant, again her mind yearned to feel for the others around her but she held back. She needed to be calmer, more in control in case, well, in case something went wrong. Helena had a bad feeling.

That feeling grew tenfold when Rabastan brought up her family, it felt wrong that he was talking about the people she loved. Simultaneously, she felt something strange. It took only a second to recognize the feeling, she had only felt it a few times in her life before: someone else trying to touch her mind. In the way that she did every day like breathing. Helena gave herself a mental pat on the back, her instincts had been right to not allow her gift to wander, to lock her mind up tight. Outwardly she smiled which added to her polite demeaner, feeling better knowing that at least in that arena, they couldn’t touch her. “Yes, Goldstein is a common name. I have a large family.”

Very large extended family.

    I’ll have to let Leon know to never visit me here.

“You’re brother…Rodolphus, right? An Unspeakable, that must be a very interesting job.” she commented casually. Although she felt anything but casual, or at ease and honestly she was perhaps doing it to herself. Especially by being vague and pointed in her responses. The alternative was giving up information freely and that was an even less appetizing option. Additionally, by the second she was drawing her mental shields in tighter, feeling confident in her ability to keep someone out but also feeling no less threatened. It was a huge relief when Bellatrix got down to business and explained her task for the day. It would save her from mlengthly conversation. “Got it.” she said with a nod, “Thank you.” she added respectfully as she took the request sheet from Bellatrix and pulled the scheduled to her to compare them. If she just focused on work, this day would be over in no time.

[Rabastan Lestrange]

As much as he complained about the work to anyone who would listen, Rabastan did gain some satisfaction in charting his way through the puzzles that his position presented. It was a unique breed of logic-and-magic problem solving that suited him as well as any office job could, really. But having mind games to play with his sister-in-law and their new hire did add something to the morning, and would hopefully give him an amusing anecdote or two to share with Euphadora later on. The opportunity for such things was slim in his department, much more so than hers, as she caught the eye of all manner of folk in the atrium. He smiled as he and Bellatrix fell into their office patter, eager to learn whatever it was she was surely gleaning from the blonde's thoughts. The girl's smile didn't falter, but it couldn't just be Rabastan who noted the shift in the air, hmm? Helena's guard was inching up, and so quickly! Pity. Were he and Bellatrix not the welcome committee she anticipated? But they were charming.

Coworkers filed in, greeting Bellatrix with the respect her station deserved, making nice with their newcomer if they had the decency to do so, and the scratching of quills and muffled huffs of frustration came shortly from the pool of desks. Rabastan's attention flitted to the front of the office from time-to-time as he worked through his to-do's until, no longer content with sitting still, needing to fetch something anyway, and figuring that the best means for scaring off the girl wouldn't come from time in the office itself, especially as it was now full of witnesses - he rose, and gave his back and shoulders a reinvigorating stretch before swiping the necessary file from his desk.

The storeroom was a tragic scene waiting to happen. Narrow and crowded as Weasley's office and just as full of useless non-magical shite, even Magical Maintenance liked to pretend they didn't know it existed, rather than admit the fear of touching an accidentally active portkey; dust and cobwebs abounded on out-of-use portkeys, the overhead lights couldn't be relied upon, and on top of it all, the organization system was in tatters due to the lot's reluctance to risk touching and re-filing anything. A perfect spot for a little first day hazing, wasn't it? All in good fun, of course.

"Come along, Ms. Goldstein. School trip, portkey storeroom. Never go alone," Rab declared, fingers tapping across her desk as he passed by. With a raised brow to his sister-in-law, he graciously invited, "Fancy a walk, Bellatrix?"

[Bellatrix Lestrange]

The girl was unwilling to go deeper into conversation about her family, and that was intriguing. She would have to take a trip to the Oblivator office and see this Goldstein for herself. Perhaps he would be more willing to talk, particularly about Helena. It wasn’t often that she met someone whose mind was closed, especially someone so young. That itself gave plenty away about the girl. Helena was cautious around them, and Bella found that she was quite complimented by that. But hearing her speak of Roldolphus, well she had to keep annoyance off of her face. Was this some effort to see if she could shake them the way Bella’s words had gotten to her? If so, it wasn’t very good. “His job is far more interesting than arranging portkeys, but don’t fret, we still have fun here.” So much fun, in fact, that Bella was already contemplating ways to gather information about the girl without giving her intentions away. Who knew where the girl’s allegiances lied, but they’d know by the end of the day. Perhaps a casual conversation about the latest news in the prophet, a string of dissapperances from local muggle areas.

The work day started as it normally did, and Bella greeted their coworkers as they entered the office. Many of them didn’t make eye contact with her, which she had to admit she loved. It was either fear or respect that kept them from engaging with her. She figured both of those options were good for her, and as she shuffled memos about her desk to give to them, her attention straying from the new girl who was dilligently working away. Memos passed out, and nothing left to do, she picked up her Witch Weekly from the desk and started flipping through it. Perhaps now that the girl was distracted, her mind would be open. Pretending to be very interested in an article about the latest fashion trends, she reached out to pry into Helena’s mind, and found yet again that there was a wall blocking her. Fascinating. What could she possibly be hiding behind the walls of her mind? Bella decided that for now, she would ignore the girl, her desire to intimidate her fading.

Three or four boring articles in, Rabastan stood from his desk and stretched, and Bella wondered where he was off to. To her surprise - and delight - it turned out that he was taking Helena to the portkey storage, and that could be fun. No one else would be in there, no witnesses to whatever tactics they might use to convince the girl to run. Although, she would be keeping an eye out for Helena, sure that whatever the girl was hiding could be of use. “A walk sounds lovely,” she said with a smile to her brother-in-law, gently setting her magazine down on the desk as she stood. Normally she would have wandered off to another department by now to chat up those who loved to gossip. Some very interesting tidbits of information had come from those not wise enough to keep their mouths shut around her. “And yes, never go alone into the storeroom. Dark and dingy place, who knows what could be lurking around in there.”