Bellatrix shot Rodolphus a grateful look when he said he planned to go shopping with them. Not because she felt the need for protection due to the situation with Delphini, but because she'd always hated clothes shopping. She enjoyed nice clothes, but she could select those in five minutes. Spending longer in a dress shop made her want to scream with boredom. There were only so many dresses one could examine before it quickly became redundant, especially for Bellatrix, whose preferences were narrowed to shades of green and black.
How some women spent hours painstakingly examining dress after dress had always been beyond her understanding. Narcissa was one of those women. Bellatrix's first explorations of Knockturn Alley as a girl were during those times Cissy took far too long shopping for clothes, leaving bored Bella to wander and explore on her own. She had no idea if Lyra's own shopping tendencies reflected hers or those of her sister, but in case it was the latter, having Rod along for emotional support was nice.
"So did you actually have a moment to contact Aunt Narcissa about going shopping," Lyra asked and Bellatrix shrugged.
"Not exactly, but I doubt she's busy. We'll just stop off at Malfoy Manor and invite her along."
"Would Miss Lestrange prefer to have lunch first," Harold asked, lifting his plague doctor mask from a corner bookshelf where he'd placed it for the lesson.
"That would probably be best," Bellatrix admitted with a sigh as Harold slipped his mask back on. "While it would be nice to actually take Lyra out to lunch, it probably isn't safe."
"Very good, Miss," Harold said, giving a short bow. "Lunch shall be ready soon."
Lyra scowled darkly at Bellatrix as the elf left the library. "I don't want to hide all the time," she complained openly frustrated.
"Yeah, it's no fun," Rabastan agreed, and Bellatrix fixed both with an icy glare.
"Delphini is too much of an unknown, and we don't want her attention drawn to you," she told Lyra.
"Be grateful that we're taking you out shopping. That probably isn't especially safe either, so consider it a concession," Rodolphus added.
"Oh, wow," Lyra complained. "I'll not have a normal life until this Delphini is dead? Let me have at her. I'll just tear her bloody mind up! My talent should be useful for something. I didn't bloody come here to be kept shut away like a princess in a bloody tower! I had an actual life back in Australia."
"I'm getting bored," Rodolphus complained. "Haven't we had this conversation before? You aren't going anywhere because we want you here with us, and you aren't being shut away like any bloody princess. You're going to the Ministry to teach Aurors about Auras."
Rabastan snickered. "That sounds funny. Aurors...Auras..."
"Shut up," Bellatrix said.
After lunch, they all Apparated to Malfoy Manor, with the exception of Rabastan. Bellatrix believed taking the Acromantula shopping would draw too much unwanted attention, but Rodolphus insisted. "He's here to guard us, so leaving him behind would make that difficult," he pointed out with a frown. "Anyway, if he's noticed, focus will be on him, and not Lyra."
"IF he's noticed?" Bellatrix arched her brows incredulously.
Rodolphus shrugged. "You know what I mean."
At Malfoy Manor, Bellatrix banged the snarling bull door knocker several times, then stood back with an annoyed frown as she waited for the door to be answered. When at last it opened, it wasn't an elf on the other side. Instead, it was a drawn and haggard Narcissa.
"Bellatrix, Rodolphus, come in!" Not until she stepped back to allow them to enter, did Narcissa take in Lyra and the Acromantula. "You brought guests," she said, her expression flustered.
"Our daughter and bodyguard," Rodolphus said. Normally, he would've left it to Bellatrix to explain the situation to her sister in her own way. He was having fun with this one, though, so she left him to it.
"You're joking!" Narcissa gasped, her flustered state giving way to shock.
"No, the Ministry thought we should have a bodyguard," Rod assured, a small grin playing across his lips.
"You couldn't have a daughter," Narcissa protested. "I would've known!" Turning to Bellatrix she demanded, "What is this about?"
"He isn't having you on," Bellatrix said. "I was able to keep my pregnancy from showing until we could get to Rod's relatives in Australia. This is our daughter, Lyra."
"Hi, Aunt Narcissa," Lyra said. Narcissa looked ready to faint.
"Narcissa? Who is here?" The voice belonged to Narcissa's annoying husband, Lucius Malfoy, or as she and Rod called him behind his back, Lucy.
"That would be your Uncle Lucius," Bellatrix told Lyra. "As it turns out, he's now home in the afternoon," she added pleasantly.
It felt good to have magic and a job as well as being fully in the know for once while Lucy Malfoy floundered, magicless in a sea of uncertainty. It felt very good! He'd always behaved as if he believed himself to be better than Bella and Rod while having a general and constant case of stick-up-his-ass-itis! He lorded it over them when they escaped Azkaban, issuing orders to them as if he was the Dark Lord's right hand. It was Bellatrix, Rodolphus, and Rabastan, along with the afterthought that was Crouch Jr., who continued to search for the Dark Lord when he first vanished.
"It's Bella and Rod, Lucius," Narcissa called back. "And they have brought guests. An Acromantula and their daughter!"
Bella's lips twitched in amusement as she pictured the constipated look now crossing Lucius's face.
"I hope they don't expect tea with us having no bloody house elf," he huffed. His voice grew closer as he approached the door.
"I shall make tea," Narcissa said quickly.
"That is unnecessary," Bellatrix told her. "We just had lunch. We stopped in to invite you to come shopping with us. Lyra just arrived and is in need of some warmer clothes."
"Have you acquired a flying carriage," Lucius asked as he entered the front hall where they all stood. He looked even more haggard than Narcissa, and his robes were rumpled. Bellatrix did not feel sorry at all for the surge of gloating that filled her chest.
"You're looking well, Lucius," she gushed, and Rod chuckled. "Truly you do," he agreed.
Narcissa frowned reproachfully at both of them, and Lyra looked uncomfortable and confused.
"You are both looking quite well yourselves," Lucius replied, tone openly resentful of that fact.
"No, we have no flying carriage," Bellatrix said, at last remembering to answer his question.
A small quizzical smirk played over Lucius's mouth as he came to stand beside his wife. "Riding the Acromantula then, are you," he asked silkily.
To his credit, Rhadamanthus let out a low warning hiss that turned into a rumbling growl.
Lucius took a stumbling step backward, and Bellatrix tittered, suddenly deciding that she now liked the spider very much. At first, she was perplexed by Rod's initial interest in the thing as she wasn't exactly one for animals. The spider's presence presented a mild annoyance, but thanks to his zeal for terrorizing Lucy, she was quite over that.
"I'll ask you to take that creature outside," Lucius bit out sharply.
"No, we aren't riding him, actually," Rodolphus said, giving Lucius a casual, friendly smile. "And I am afraid he cannot go outside, because he is our bodyguard. He is sure you understand." Rod's smile gave way to an amused smirk as he struggled not to laugh at Rhadamanthus's hiss of aggressive agreement.
"We are Apparating to Knockturn Alley," Bellatrix told Lucius, at last deciding to satisfy his obvious transportation quandary.
"You have magic?" Lucius practically shouted.
Bellatrix nodded calmly as she basked in the sensation of gloating. "We didn't catch the magical plague," she said. She was proud of herself for not forgetting that particular lie issued by the new Ministry to cover up the loss of magic for eighty-five percent of wizarding society in Great Britain.
"How fortunate for you," Lucius said, icily polite.
"Indeed," Bellatrix agreed breezily. "Cissy? Are you coming along with us? I wanted you to get to know your niece."
"Yes, of course," Narcissa said hastily. "Just give me fifteen minutes to get myself ready. Lucius, take them into the library, will you?"
A look akin to resignation came over Lucius's face, and he nodded. "Of course, Darling," he told Narcissa. As he led the way to the library, Bellatrix almost found herself feeling sorry for him...almost.