While it greatly disconcerted Bellatrix that Regulus and Kreacher remembered they'd all tried to kill the Dark Lord and just went along like normal. Allowing the Lestranges to remain ignorant of all the implications that were involved, she was glad they hadn't attempted to tamper with it if they had doubts concerning their abilities to do so. Grindelwald did have a healing gift, plus he was, in his way, a bit of a genius, or so people said. Personally, other than a few impressive magic tricks and some admittedly powerful artifacts he'd made with Zabini, Bellatrix hadn't seen much of that genius herself. She was no more insane than usual after he helped them to recall their disillusionment with the Dark Lord, though, so she definitely recognized his abilities as a Healer.
"You were right," she said, gaze on Regulus and Kreacher. "Grindelwald said Voldemort did a number on our minds, so my guess is that he also made sure no one could undo it easily."
"At least not without causing significant damage," Regulus said. "I could see him considering that his final payback, if anyone noticed and attempted to help you."
"I sort of trashed my parents' dining room for not noticing and helping us," Bellatrix said. "I suppose if they had, it would've ended badly for our poor minds."
Regulus nodded. "Yes... But I can understand your anger that they did not notice regardless."
Bellatrix found herself smiling in gratitude at her younger cousin. "Thank you, Regulus. I appreciate that."
He shuddered, drawing in on himself in the chair, suddenly looking small and defeated. "If only I hadn't dragged my father into it, he'd still be alive."
"Perhaps, but it wasn't your fault, Regulus. You and Kreacher were just the messengers," Bellatrix told him.
Rodolphus nodded. "Yes, and your mother not knowing didn't keep her safe, did it? Orion may have died after you if not before you for all you know."
Bellatrix nodded thoughtfully. Walburga Black's death in nineteen eighty-five was sudden. The Lestranges were unaware at the time, not exactly getting newspapers in Azkaban. When they began working Shadow Ops for the Ministry and consequently reunited with Kreacher and Regulus, the news had been shocking. Aunt Walburga could be fearsome at times, even for Bellatrix, but she was good people and hadn't deserved to die so young of a liver disease.
"It's too ironic that she needed a liver transplant and the Healers could only find a match from a Mudblood, which, of course, she'd rather die than accept," Regulus said, and Kreacher nodded despondently in agreement.
"Though, Kreacher does see where mistress was coming from, it would've been nice had a Mudblood been useful for something."
"Why don't the three of you stay for dinner," Regulus asked suddenly. "We haven't seen nearly enough of you these days."
"Yeah, Delphini keeps a bitch busy," Rabastan drawled with a grin.
"Kereston keeps us informed," Regulus said, nodding. "I've been scouting nightly for followers of hers, but no luck yet. She obviously has them, but where they live, we've yet to discover."
As a vampire, Regulus made his meal out of bad people, criminals of the worst sorts, so the fact he was attempting to hunt Delphini's followers was no surprise.
"You do know to get any information you can from them before making a pig of yourself, yes?" Bellatrix demanded and Regulus frowned. "Yes, Cousin, what do you take me for?"
Rodolphus gave a happy smile and straightened in his chair, obviously ready and willing to answer that question. Grinning, Bellatrix left it to him. "A well-meaning emo who allows feelings to cause him to...make unwise choices, for a start," he replied.
Kreacher looked very much as if he wished to agree, but he bit his lip and kept his silence. Bellatrix did not need to be a mind reader to know he was more than likely recalling his years of misery alone in 12 Grimmauld Place believing Regulus to be dead, and then being under Sirius's thumb until she kindly killed the little shit.
"What about you, Kreacher," Rabastan asked.
"Kreacher doesn't think Master Regulus is any of those things, of course," the elf hastily reassured, turning an adoring gaze to Regulus.
"No one cares," Rabastan assured drily. "I meant have you noticed anyone thinking unusual shit while you're hunting down your evening meal? It's only that sometimes you appear to notice small details that Black does not. Like... Perhaps someone isn't even a follower of Delphini's, but they saw something important that they didn't even know was important. You'd probably be the fucker to catch something like that." He chuckled. "I swear, a vampire elf is so badass, especially you! I bet you scare the shit out of people when you go all grabby for their throat. You always look kind of pissed off anyway, so I bet that shit is brilliant."
Bellatrix thought the enhanced mind reading abilities of vampires was useful and rather impressive, but nothing she personally cared about enough to dine on blood for ever and ever. It was fun to be covered in it when she killed someone in an especially spectacular way, but drinking it? It just didn't appeal.
Kreacher shook his head, expression thoughtful. "Kreacher has not noticed such a thing, but he will look even more carefully now that Rabastan has brought it to his attention. Like his dearest Master Regulus, he was only searching minds for a direct connection to Delphini, but he will look for more subtle oddities from now on as well." He smiled. "Rabastan is wise even if he often appears a bit frivolous."
Bellatrix's lips twitched. She never failed to be amused by the subtle jabs Kreacher tended to make if at all displeased. Though Rabastan had not made the comments about Regulus, he was guilty by family ties and not objecting, so he got Kreacher's backlash for his brother's words.
"So when do we eat," Rodolphus asked.
"As soon as Kereston gets home," Regulus replied. "Usually she is the only one eating, but the elves make enough for her to have seconds or leftovers, so there should be plenty."
When Regulus first returned, he had insisted upon freeing Kreacher. The elf was concerned about the proper upkeep of the manor with him no longer being allowed to care for it, so Regulus had allowed him to get as many elves to replace himself as he liked. Kreacher ended up settling on four. He now had four unfortunate elves to bully and boss about Grimmauld Place. Regulus had freed them, and he paid them well, but Bellatrix was quite certain they earned every coin.
Kreacher obviously enjoyed being a little tyrant, though he pretended that he was always ever so kind to his elves. He even tended to expound on how much they appreciated dear kind Kreacher, but from what Bellatrix saw they avoided him like the plague whenever possible. They appeared to dislike and fear him, depending on the day or perhaps the elf. They all looked alike to Bellatrix, aside from Kreacher himself who had always had distinct features that set him apart from the rest.