Bad Romance

Chapter 58

Chapter 58: Pureblood Family Values

"Well it turns out, the Aurors and I can't sort a way to use Auric magic for battle, be it for defense or injuring another," Lyra lamented over dinner that night. "Grindelwald's man did manage to incorporate it into disillusionment which allowed some of the Aurors who could almost pull it off to finally go full on invisible. The Aurors who can see Auras are also incorporating Auric colors and what they indicate about a person into criminal profiling. I guess that's something, so I was at least able to contribute."

"Of course you were," Bellatrix said. "You'll contribute even more with your Mind Ripping talent. You just need a bit of practice. Perhaps over the weekend, we can take you to play with some Muggles."

"Yeah, we could all do with some wholesome violent family fun and old-fashioned emotional release," Rabastan said eagerly.

Lyra frowned at her uncle as she stabbed her knife into a dinner roll, lifting it from the bread basket to plop it onto her roast and gravy. "It isn't as if I'm a fan of Muggles or anything, but I just see no point in sullying my Aura by tormenting them for no reason."

"I thought the reason was to hone your Mind Ripping skills," Rabastan pointed out with arched brows.

"I would prefer to do that to someone who actually deserves it," Lyra said. "It just feels wrong to walk up to any Muggle on the street and start in ripping their minds simply because they're a Muggle. It isn't as if they did anything particularly, and they can hardly help being born Muggle." She frowned at the silent look of horror Bellatrix and Rodolphus exchanged while Rabastan gaped. "Sorry for taking a more stable stance on the matter," Lyra said drily.

"Foolish and careless and bleeding heart," Bellatrix corrected. "I believe that's what your stance is."

Lyra glared at her mother. "No. My stance is merely stable."

"Have you not read your histories at all?" Bellatrix demanded, feeling her indignation and anger rising.

"A lot has changed," Lyra began.

"And more has not," Rodolphus interrupted sternly.

"Their technology gives them more power. It's practically magic. They'd not need to feel so inferior to us anymore. There could be peace," she objected.

"They aren't fond of peace," Rodolphus bit out. "They tend to use their technology to make very destructive weapons, in case you weren't aware." Turning to Bellatrix he added darkly, "I think her history classes were lacking in Australia."

"They were not," Lyra said sullenly. "I didn't say I'm pro-bloody-Muggle! I simply don't see why I have to hate every one of them indiscriminately! To intentionally destroy a person, I simply need to feel they've done more wrong than just existing!"

"Showing mercy to those who would come for you simply for being a witch will get you killed, Lyra," Bellatrix said darkly.

"When they come for me, I will have an excellent reason to rip their minds, and I shall do so gladly," Lyra said.

"You'll only stay on top if you remember that you are a predator," Rabastan told his niece. "As a witch, you are more than Muggle or beast. You are at the very tip top of the food chain. Get too soft on Muggles, and you will get yourself killed. They're like roaches... but deadly ones," he elaborated. "They come at you in numbers, and each seems like a harmless cockroach on which you can easily step, but get them all together, and you have a bloody deadly infestation. I've seen many a Muggle-loving wizard get killed."

"Probably by wizards like you," Lyra snapped.

Rabastan smirked. "Not always."

Before the conversation could progress, Harold entered with the dessert, a decadent chocolate cream pie. There was a second, slightly smaller pie for Rhadamanthus to have all to himself, and the spider began to make short work of it.

"Miss Narcissa and Mr. Lucius are here. They just arrived as Harold was readying the pie to serve. Should he invite them in for dessert or keep them waiting in the parlor until the meal is completely over," he asked.

Rodolphus considered for a moment, then shrugged. "Invite them in for dessert. And bring us some coffee. It will go nicely with the pie and keeps us from having brandy instead." He grinned at Rabastan's eye roll, and the elf bowed and departed.

Bellatrix hoped Cissie was calling to share the news of her magic being restored.

Soon Harold was back with Narcissa and Lucius. The elf cut the pie and served everyone a slice. "Harold will return with coffee shortly," he said, then left.

"What brings the two of you out," Rodolphus asked, easily summoning fake curiosity.

"The most wonderful news! " Narcissa gushed, then she flashed Lucius a guilty look, and her gaze dropped.

"What?" Bellatrix couldn't help goading. "Lucy doesn't think the news is wonderful?"

"Bella! Do stop calling him that. It's vexing! You don't see me calling Rodolphus anything demeaning," Narcissa said.

Bellatrix, completely unfazed, lifted her dessert fork and chopped off a bit of pie. "One, it's rather difficult to produce a demeaning pet name from Rodolphus, and two, nothing about Rodolphus as a person screams demeaning pet name," she snarked, lips twisting up in dry amusement.

Lyra gave a short laugh which she attempted to smother with a bite of her own pie.

"The news is indeed good," Lucius said. "A Healer showed up at Malfoy Manor today, claiming that there is a cure for the magical plague with a sixty-nine percent success rate. We were given the antidote after signing a contract stating that they are not responsible for any side effects. Narcissa's magic returned, and mine did not."

"Ah, that's a pity," Bellatrix said, attempting sincerity.

"The Healer said that at times, the magic could return at a later date. The late kick in of the antidote is actually a side effect," Narcissa said, optimism clear in her voice.

"That's good to know," Lyra said, giving Lucius a warm smile. "Never give up hope, Uncle Lucy... Lucius." The embarrassed flush that sprang to Lyra's face made it clear that the slip up was more an honest accident than an attempt to be snarky. She shot a glare at Bellatrix and Rodolphus, likely for instilling the pet name into her mind.

Harold entered then with a tray of coffee cups and a steaming fragrant pot.

As he poured, Narcissa and Lucius seated themselves to enjoy dessert and coffee. Lucius made a point to settle them as far down the table from Rhadamanthus as possible. Bellatrix idly wondered if Lucy was disgusted at the idea of Rod allowing the spider to dine at the table, or if he feared the spider would eat them.

"Mother and Father shall be thrilled that you are in possession of your magic again, Cissie," Bellatrix said.

"Indeed," Lucius drawled. "Wasn't she the only one in your family to lose it? The Blacks and Lestranges have very strong genetics indeed not to have fallen ill with the plague."

"I think we were keeping to ourselves more than most. It is believed to be a contagion, after all," Bellatrix said. "You and Cissie are far more social than the rest of us, Lucius. The more people you are around, the more chance you have to catch something unpleasant."

She couldn't help wondering how Lucius and Narcissa's marriage would hold up until, or if, he got his magic back. Would he eventually grow to resent her? While Bellatrix hated the idea of this situation costing Cissie her marriage, it was really Lucius's fault that he'd lost his magic in the first place.

He'd likely be sickened if he knew a goblin made the potion that could cure him, after all. Of course a goblin had also made the potion that stripped him of his magic in the first place, but it was all in a day's work. Bellatrix was almost coming to respect the crafty Slytherin-like behavior she was seeing from the goblins. So long as it didn't come to negatively impact her, perhaps that respect would continue to grow, but for now she would remain cautious. Even as that thought passed her mind, she remembered it was a goblin who'd begun the applause for her at the Ministry that first day.