What Bellatrix thought would happen and what actually happened were two different things. Ryan used magic to fill the tub with warm water and both of them took a bath at the same time, but Ryan didn't do anything to her like her wild imagination depicted. They washed themselves and that was it.
'What just happened in there?! He didn't do anything! But he did kiss me and even touched my breast when I pledged my loyalty to him. But why isn't he doing anything like that again?' She touched her lips, remembering that moment. She could still feel Ryan's lips on hers.
After they finished taking a bath, Ryan used magic to clean his clothes, but he still needed some new ones. As for Bellatrix, she chose an old black dress from the wardrobe and wore it. It was a bit loose on her, but Ryan told her that he'd buy some new ones for her too. And so they headed to Cragcroft's market.
Ryan and Bellatrix entered the small market of Cragcroft, a series of cozy shops lined a cobblestone street. The sky was a perfect blue, and the air was full of the salty tang of the sea. The general store, bakery, and pub stood as the leading establishments, fisherman stalls scattered here and there with fresh catches from the morning's haul.
Bellatrix went to the general store first, which was dimly lit and filled with wooden shelves full of everything anyone could want. Greeted by an elderly man, who immediately got up and smiled with a very friendly attitude.
"Good afternoon! What can I do for you today?" he said with a broad grin.
Ryan looked around the store. "We could use some food supplies and clothes. And if you have any local specialties, we would like to try them."
The storekeeper replied with a lot of gusto, "You are in luck! We just received some fresh produce this morning, so help yourself. As for clothes, we have a small collection right over here."
Bellatrix now made her way to the clothing section and picked some clothes for Ryan. She got three sets: a white shirt and pants set, a green one that would make his eyes pop, and a good brown one for practical wear. She handed them to Ryan with a wide smile.
"I think these will look great on you," she said. "Ummm... Would you like to try them on?!"
Ryan thanked her and tried all of them on, and Bellatrix was correct, they looked great on him. They were comfortable, breathable, and durable, making them perfect for travel. After that, he bought her four sets of clothes as well. Since they will be traveling a lot and right now, they are being chased by Death Eaters and probably Aurors too, they needed some travel-friendly clothes.
Bellatrix felt happy seeing her new collection.
"I liked them," She told Ryan with a big smile.
"I'm glad to hear that!" He smiled.
They went on with their shopping, during which they collected bread, cheese, salted fish, fresh vegetables, and a few essential cooking ingredients.
After purchasing the items, they stepped out of the store into the bright sunlight. Ryan noticed the bakery next door and suggested they buy something sweet.
"How about pastries from in there? I haven't had a good pastry in forever," Ryan said, pointing at the bakery.
Bellatrix had agreed, and they went into the bakery. It smelled of fresh baking, which filled the air with mouth-watering scents. They bought various treats, like buttery croissants, fruit tarts, and a few loaves of crusty bread.
Done with shopping, they decided to take a walk around the village. Bellatrix led the way, pointing out all the sights of Cragcroft.
The village of Cragcroft was charmingly simple. Tiny, homely houses with weather-beaten shingles and gardens full of flowering plants burst into life. Villagers, mainly fishermen, and their families acknowledged Ryan and Bellatrix with friendly nods and smiles.
They walked down the thin, winding streets, savoring the tranquility of the village. The village had this timeless quality as if it were removed from the rest of the world's hectic humdrum outside.
Bellatrix pointed out various places as they strolled. "That's the village hall. It's where they all gather to have their meetings and celebrations. And there's the church, built hundreds of years ago. It's adorable."
Ryan nodded at the history and serenity within the village. "This place is something; it feels a little like a hidden gem."
They continued until they reached the end of the village, where a small path led down to the shoreline. The beach was a haphazard mix of pebbles and sand and some fishing boats were floating in the water.
"Do you come here often?" Ryan asked, watching the sea.
Bellatrix shook her head. "Not much, really. I only visited once or twice. But it's a good place to lay low for a while."
Ryan told some stories of his past, what had occurred to him right after escaping from Azkaban, and Bellatrix listened intently, sharing her own experience at times.
As the sun begins to set, they walk back toward that small house perching on that cliff. There, Ryan and Bellatrix prepared a simple but excellent meal from the things bought. The cleaned and arranged kitchen became the heartbeat of that tiny house with its chatters and the cooking sound. Bellatrix wanted to use magic, but...
"Sheesh! Magic for everything," Ryan shook his head with a sigh, "Listen now, Bella. Just like how we can't fight with an empty stomach or can't skip our three times per day meals, so also we can't always eat food made using magic. Yeah, going out and eating is a different matter, but when you are at home, away from all the hustle of the day, you should cook food with your hands, with love and care. That's how a true meal should be cooked! Magic can give us a perfect meal, but it doesn't have that touch of effort and care!"
"Umm..." Bellatrix just stood there blinking in confusion. She was thinking what the heck is her master talking about? Everyone cooks using magic. Only people who don't know magic cook using their hands! And she never saw anyone cook food without using magic. Everyone she knows uses magic to cook. So she thought Ryan was pulling her leg. But the expression on his face told her otherwise.
'Ah! Why are we having a happy dinner when the world is at war and enemies are after us? What about the plan to take down the Malfoy family? Although Voldemort might kill Lucius for failing his job, there is still so much to do. So many people to kill and torture... Hunt those responsible for my master's pain and seduce Cissy.' She thought. She had her revenge to think about. She didn't have time to enjoy a happy dinner with Ryan!
She sighed internally. 'Master needs me! My master! He might look calm, but he must be very angry and tired after using that much magic. But... It somehow feels right and nice... I... I kinda like this, now... This exact moment. I... I want to spend more moments like this with him. I... I don't know what's going on with me anymore. I keep having the same thoughts, the same tingling feeling in my heart every time I am with him... I want to kiss him again... No! I want to stay with him forever!'
"Haaa... Stop worrying about the outside world. Chill out, stop being so tense and still," Ryan said, his words bringing Bellatrix back to reality.
"Sorry," She looked at the ground, "I'm sorry, Ryan!"
"Ok. New rule. Stop apologizing for every little thing. Understood?"
"Umm... Yes!" She nodded.
"Well, c'mon. I'll teach you something new," He said.
Bellatrix nodded with a smile. Ryan taught her some basic dishes like, fish fry, garlic bread, and scrambled eggs.
Bellatrix enjoyed learning to cook and finding new ways to prepare food. She forgot about everything and her focus was on this moment right before her. While cooking, she noticed that Ryan was looking out the window with a serious expression and she could sense that dark energy rising from him again.
"Say, Bella. Does this village have monsters? Because right now, there are around ten of these camouflaged frog bastards hiding around the house," Ryan asked.
"Camouflaged frogs?" She said in confusion.
"Yeah, I can't see them, but I can sense their presence." He described their appearance.
"Stoneback Dugbog! Those are Stoneback Dugbogs," Bellatrix said, recognizing the description.
"Well, whatever," He summoned three skeleton wizards from his ring, "Go and get rid of them without doing any damage to the area or attracting attention toward us. Lure them somewhere else and kill them. Oh, don't forget to collect if there is anything worth collecting from their dead bodies. And Bella... Set up the table. It's dinner time."
.
.
[Meanwhile at Voldemort's hideout]
Lucius was kneeling before Voldemort. The time the Dark Lord gave him to capture Ryan has passed, and he failed. Now he was kneeling there in fear, awaiting his punishment.
"Oh, Lucius. What shall I do with you people? Failure after failure, yet zero results!" Voldemort hissed in anger.
"Dark Lord, please forgive me! Please give me another chance! I will not fail you again!" Lucius begged with his trembling voice. He was sweating like buckets and his mouth and throat were parched, but he dared not move an inch.
"Another chance?! What use of another chance will it be? You already failed just like every other who has failed me. Was I wrong to entrust you with such a difficult task which I thought you'd be capable enough to do?" Voldemort looked at Lucius with disdain.
"Forgive me, Dark Lord! Please forgive me! Ryan turned out to be stronger than I anticipated. Forty of my men went missing after following Ryan to Godric's Hollow. We only found traces of a fight, but nothing else. Not even corpses!" Lucius pleaded.
"Crucio!" Voldemort screamed, torturing Lucius.
"Aaaaaaahhhhhhhh!!!" Lucius shrieked in pain.
Voldemort ended the curse and glared at Lucius. "You were tasked to capture Ryan unharmed. But you let him escape and you lost forty of your men. Do you know how much information those men knew about our plans?! More than enough! Ryan would have captured them and tortured them to spill out everything! And you! You failed to capture a single human." He swished his wand, sending Lucius flying across the room.
Baaam! Lucius crashed into the wall behind him and fell onto the ground, writhing in pain.
Voldemort sent Lucius flying again and again. "You and your pathetic men! All of you are worthless! Now he has 40 undead at his command. What were you doing while Ryan was increasing his army?! Huh!? Were you sleeping?! Or perhaps you were fucking with some whore!"
"No, Dark Lord! I swear! We were searching for Ryan."
"ARHHHHGG!" Voldemort used the Crucio Curse again.
"AAAAAAAHHHHHHHHH!!" Lucius screamed in agony.
"You fool! Do something with your own hands instead of sending worthless minions to do the job. Search for him yourself! Find him and bring him back to me by yourself. Arggg! I can't even kill you. I've already lost too many in that man's hands. Crucio!" Voldemort cursed Lucius again, making him scream in pain. "Bring Ryan to me alive, and you and your family will be spared from my wrath. But if you fail again... I'll tear your skin apart from your body and feed you to Nagini." He lifted the curse. "Final chance. I WANT THAT MAN ALIVE."
"Yes! Yes, Dark Lord! I will find him, no matter what! Ryan will be yours soon! I promise!" Lucius said with a painful expression. Tears were dripping from his eyes and snort came from his nose.
"LEAVE! WORTHLESS BASTARDS!"
****
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