Bad Romance

Chapter 43

Chapter 43: It Would Eat You Like Poison If You Knew What I Knew

"I've got it," Lyra crowed gleefully. "Let's play spin the bottle for our drinking game, only when the bottle points at someone, they have to take a shot instead of kissing anyone."

"Seems harmless," Rodolphus said.

Lyra gave her father a suspicious look. "Is that a good or a bad thing?"

His lips twitched. "In this case it's a good one, because there is only one person in this manor that I plan on kissing!" He threw an arm around Bellatrix and headed for the library to look for Rabastan and Lucius, while Narcissa and Lyra went upstairs to put Lyra's things away.

"The spider should get to drink tonight too," Lyra called over her shoulder from the top of the stairs.

"Probably unwise, I may eat the obnoxious blonde man if I get too drunk," Rhadamanthus rasped.

"He's definitely drinking," Bellatrix drawled, and Rodolphus chuckled. "Yes! Lucy needs to learn to live on the edge."

When they reached the library, they discovered that Lucius and Rabastan had already gotten rather drunk.

"Were we gone that long," Bellatrix asked drily. She stood in the doorway, one brow arched at Rabastan.

The younger Lestrange shrugged. He was slumped in a corner armchair, a half full glass in his hand. "Probably not, but getting drunk doesn't take very long when one is determined."

Bellatrix smirked, thinking that Rabastan and Lucius had likely had vastly different reasons for being determined to get quite drunk in this situation. Lucy, because he'd lost all his magic and now felt unsafe thanks to Delphini, and Rabastan because they'd left him alone with Lucy.

"Well, can you explain to your dear niece why you can't play her latest drinking game," Bellatrix asked.

"I didn't say I couldn't play," Rabastan objected, a grin dancing across his lips. "I can always drink more."

"As can I," Lucius agreed, speaking each word carefully in an obvious attempt not to slur. "I am not one for games, though."

Bellatrix frowned, though her eyes were laughing. "Well, you can't drink if you don't play."

"Fine," Lucius grumbled. "I'll drink."

"He means he'll play," Rabastan said with a chuckle.

"I said so, didn't I?" the blonde huffed, giving Rabastan a peevish glance.

"Leave Lucy alone, Rab," Rodolphus said, giving Malfoy a negligent smile.

Rabastan sighed. "Fine."

"We should probably have dinner first," Lyra said as she and Narcissa entered the library. "I plan to drink a lot and food on the stomach usually makes the outcome a bit brighter."

Narcissa chuckled. "You are very much like your parents in your enjoyment of celebrating," she told Lyra.

This caused Bella to smile. Seeing that Lyra was like her and Rod even after having grown up on another continent was touching and filled her with something strange that she could only assume had to be motherly pride.

"See? If I'm so much like the two of you, you should party more with me, and stop being such sticks in the mud," Lyra complained, turning a pointed glance on her parents.

"She's right," Rabastan chimed in. "This new responsible Bellatrix both bores and frightens me at the same time."

"Watch it, Bro," Rodolphus warned, flashing an amused glance between the two. "If you offend her and she decides to teach you a responsible lesson, don't think I'll be getting in the middle because that's not happening."