Bad Romance

Chapter 119

Chapter 119: People Get Ready

"So if two people need to find one another, it can work the same way if they love that one enough to have the home connection," Rod asked.

"Yes," Regulus said. "In theory, if the two of you were separated, you could find Bellatrix by focusing on your love for her and Apparating. I do believe there must be a pressing need rather than a simple casual interest to activate it, though. It's driven by emotion...strong emotion. If you're thinking of practicing, I doubt it would work, as it's rather difficult to produce such a strong need on cue."

Rod nodded. "Understood."

"So if you'd known about this home shit way back when Regi had first gone missing, you could've thought hard about him and homed your way right to his ass," Rabastan asked Kreacher.

The elf gritted his teeth and glared at Rabastan. "That is correct," he ground out. "Rabastan is not nice to get Kreacher angry for no reason. The past is gone, frustrating though it is that so much happened, seemingly needlessly."

"It's called hindsight is twenty twenty," Regulus said gently, giving the elf at his side a sad smile. "And Rabastan, do not call me Regi! You know how I hate it."

"Yeah, but it's just more practical," Rabastan said.

"Merlin brought all this up to me when he was explaining how he used the Crom Dubh statue against his enemies," Rodolphus said. "That is about good luck for one side, ours, and bad luck for the side of our enemies, hers. Because the home connection was twisted to form the enslavement bonds for elves to wizards, it is probably how the luck concept is twisted to bring misfortune to the enemy."

Regulus nodded. "That sounds right. When used properly it strengthens us, and when used against the enemy it weakens them just as it weakened the elves."

"Good," Bellatrix said fervently. "Because we certainly aren't playing fair."

Regulus chuckled. "Bloody right we aren't. That wouldn't be very Slytherin of us at all."

"Well, I need to get home to write Grindelwald now that I've gotten what I want from you lot," Rodolphus said, nodding at Kreacher and Regulus as he rose to his feet. "Thanks."

Once back at Raven's Nest, Rodolphus hurried to the library to write Grindelwald. First he spoke of his findings from Merlin, then of the conversation he'd had with Regulus and Kreacher, concluding with a question concerning when they were going to link the crystals to the Crom Dubh statue.

Gellert wrote back saying that Merlin had told him how to do the linking after speaking to him, so he and Blaise had already attended to it before the three smoky quartzes were placed in the Muggle ministries. He thanked Rodolphus for his helpful research.

"It looks like now we're just keeping things together while we wait for her to make a move we can use," he said, speaking to Bellatrix without turning to see her leaning over his shoulder to read Grindelwald's reply. He could feel her nearness and the heat from her slender, perfect body so close to his own. Leaning back slightly, he pressed into her soft warmth, while reaching an arm around to draw her closer against his back.

"Mmm," she murmured as one slender hand came around to caress the muscles of his chest. "Upstairs?"

Turning, he scooped her into his arms before Apparating into their bedroom. "Sounds like a plan," he replied with a grin, before crushing his lips to hers.

For weeks there was no word on Delphini's activities in the crystals. Things at Azkaban were peaceful and Rod settled into a comfortable rhythm. When everyone met at 12 Grimmauld for their shrink sessions, Grindelwald and Zabini gave updates on any progress.