So Delphini was somehow driving the Muggles completely apeshit, and then using them! Bellatrix hated Muggles! All the Lestranges hated Muggles, and now they were just handed a shiny new reason to hate them! Zabini's former comment asking if this was where she went psycho rang in her mind's ear again, causing her to scowl.
"Excuse me. If you are available, we would love to have you to dinner for your kind help in having our home warded, Mr. Grindelwald." The words came from Druella Black who had approached as Bellatrix's conversation with Grindelwald was concluding. "Of course your...Mr. Zabini is also welcome, as are you, Professor Flitwick. Bellatrix, you and Rodolphus and Rabastan should come as well, it was so thoughtful of you to consider the safety of our manor," she added.
Gellert moved to shake his head, obviously feeling the need to politely decline, but his blue gaze grew suddenly shrewd and thoughtful as he hesitated. "Why, I think that could be arranged," he said. "I shall have to send word home to our elf that we will not be dining with the family so he won't hold dinner for us."
"I can stop off and deliver the message," Filius offered. "I shall have to decline your kind invitation, Lady Black, for my wife would worry did I not appear for dinner with her."
Druella nodded. "I quite understand."
"Thank you, Filius," Gellert said, turning to give the little man a grateful smile.
"Of course." He returned the smile, then gave the group a little wave before Apparating away.
"It shall be an honor to provide a meal to Gellert Grindelwald," Druella gushed. "I'll just make sure our elf has everything attended to." Turning to Bellatrix she added, "You, Rod, and Rabastan take Mr. Grindelwald and Mr. Zabini into the library. Your father will join you all with drinks soon."
"Of course, Mother," Bellatrix said, lips twitching in slight amusement at how gleeful and flustered her mother was over having Gellert Grindelwald at her table. Granted, she may have felt nearly the same once, but Bellatrix had since gotten to know the man a bit. He was far too approachable to inspire awe other than when it came to his impressive magical skills.
She glanced around for Rodolphus and Rabastan. They were in the middle of the yard conversing with Valdez and one of the goblin Aurors.
"Hold on," she told Gellert and Blaise. "I'll just go tell them to meet us in the library once they're done."
Both men nodded, and Bellatrix moved across the lawn, lightly touching Rod's deliciously muscular arm to gain his attention. His body was always distracting in the very best of ways and certainly served to raise a girl's spirits as well as her libido.
"Yeah," he asked, turning to her with that familiar attentive look that always made her feel listened to."Apparently, we're staying for dinner so meet us in the library when you've finished up here."
Rod nodded and Bellatrix turned to Romeo. "Thanks so much again."
"Sure," Valdez smiled and nodded.
"I'll write the little plague doctor so he can put whatever he made for dinner away for us to eat tomorrow," Rabastan said, and Bellatrix nodded as she walked back across the lawn to join Gellert and his man.
"Come on. Let's go have a drink in the library then," she said, and led them into the front hall of her parents' manor. "It's been a long day, and we all deserve one," she commented over her shoulder.
Zabini smiled slightly and both nodded. The men walked very close together, so though they weren't overly public about their relationship, Bellatrix felt it should be evident to anyone with eyes. They were quite literally joined at the hip.
As the hour was growing late, there were candles lit in the gargoyle shaped sconces on the walls of the library. They were placed above the shelves to send light cascading down onto the books, with magical enhancements, of course. Druella originally wanted the candles to be scented, but Cygnus had insisted that a library should smell like old books and nothing else. Bellatrix agreed with her father.
"Make yourselves comfortable," Bellatrix said, settling herself onto a loveseat, where she planned for Rod to join her when he arrived. Zabini and Grindelwald moved to the sofa. They sat together, Grindelwald's hand idly on Zabini's thigh near his knee.
"You aren't going to shag before my very eyes, are you?" Bellatrix drawled with a mock shudder and Grindelwald smirked.
"I'm afraid we don't allow people to watch."
"Thank the gods," Bellatrix said sincerely.
"Just shows your poor taste," Gellert shot back with an unbashed chuckle.
"So why did you agree to have dinner when you were obviously about to politely decline," Bellatrix asked. She was curious and the question would nag at her all night long if she didn't ask.
Gellert's expression was thoughtful as he regarded her. "That's the second relatively important thing you've noticed today. I like that."
From the calculating expression on his too-pretty face, it was clear that he was filing that observation away for later use, Bellatrix thought, but she only shrugged.
"I would like to see what your parents may have for me," Gellert said, answering her question with frank honesty.
While this honesty didn't surprise Bellatrix, it did please her. While they had hoped Voldemort would be a Grindelwald, Grindelwald certainly was no Voldemort. He treated people far better, and was far more open with those with whom he chose to work.
"What could my parents possibly have for you," she asked.
"That is what I am here to find out," he replied lightly. "Trust me, I am sure they had their own reasons for inviting me to dinner, and not all of those reasons stemmed from the usual curiosity of those who only know me from what lying newspapers wrote of me in my youth."
"No. I am certain enough stemmed from gratitude. You did get their home very well warded! Uncle Orion was brilliant at protective wards, and you've gotten this place locked down just as tight as 12 Grimmauld. It would've taken Uncle several days to do that to one manor much less the three that you lot helped us get done today."
Grindelwald nodded thoughtfully.
"Indeed. I always appreciate gratitude for hard work done, but when an old family like the Blacks seek a meeting, there is usually some sort of politics involved that is often mutually beneficial to both parties. As we all currently seem to have the same common enemy, this should not be difficult to arrange in this case." He flashed a sudden grin. "As it appears you have no idea what your parents may have to broach to me, I find myself even more intrigued."
"As am I, if you are correct," Bellatrix murmured.
Before the discussion could progress further, Cygnus Black entered. "It is such a pleasure to have Gellert Grindelwald in our home," he said, giving the egocentric blonde a slight bow, which caused Bellatrix to struggle not to cringe in embarrassment.
Her father bowing to anyone for any reason felt ridiculous, but when Cygnus continued, it made the little girl in her want to hang her head in embarrassment for the thought.
"You were not only kind enough to ward our home, but you healed Bellatrix's mind from what that monster did to her. I can't thank you enough for being there for our baby when we were unable to help her."
Bellatrix hated the sudden lump that leapt into her throat! She, likewise, hated the tears that stung at her eyes as her hands balled themselves into fists in the folds of her long black skirts. Were it Cissie in her place, she would be careful not to wrinkle her skirts, but Bellatrix was never one to bother with such things when her head got into another place. That just didn't matter to her, while Cissie never allowed her head to get away from her. Therefore, her fastidious nature was never challenged or disrupted.
"Daddy, I..." she began, then her breath hitched as she realized that she probably couldn't talk without crying. That was just as well, for she also realized that she had no idea what she planned to say anyway. She gazed at Cygnus, her eyes swimming with silent tears. Covering the space between them in three strides, he clapped a large firm hand on her slender shoulder, squeezing gently as if to just as silently tell her that all would be well somehow.
"I am glad to help anyone to recover from what Bellatrix and her husband and brother-in-law suffered," Grindelwald said quietly. "But it is the steady parental loving foundation that she as well as Rodolphus and Rabastan had which allowed her the strength to pick herself back up as quickly as she did. In that you helped her more than you can know. I can tell you first hand that my own recovery from fifty years of solitary incarceration happened as quickly as it did thanks to my loving and supportive parents." He turned his blue gaze to Zabini then and gave a soft smile. "And the love and reassurance of my life partner was what gave me the strength to try again. Bellatrix has Rodolphus and she has you and Mrs. Black. She will be fine."
"Such wise and kind words are rarely spoken so well, Mr. Grindelwald. I thank you," Cygnus said. Then he added, "Your parents...they still live then?"
Gellert smiled. "It depends on how you look at it, I suppose. I referred to my adoptive parents, Sabra and Geo Zabini. They are both so like me in different ways that were they not generations younger than I, they could have easily been my parents. I am truly blessed, as is Bellatrix to have you."
Bellatrix reached up, placing a hand over her father's and squeezing gently. "He's right, Daddy," she said carefully, vowing not to cry as she spoke.
Cygnus kissed the top of Bellatrix's head then moved to the liquor cabinet in the corner. "I was sent in by Druella to serve drinks, and have been remiss," he said a bit gruffly.
"Yes, please," Bellatrix said, with a strained and uncharacteristic giggle. A stiff drink sounded nearly as good as a heap of dead Muggles right about now.
"Thank you," Grindelwald murmured. Cygnus took drink requests and soon everyone was settled with a glass in their hand. Cygnus had just arranged himself in his favorite armchair by the fire when Rodolphus and Rabastan came in, so he rose to take their drink orders as well.
"May I have one for each hand, please," Rabastan asked with a quick devilish grin.
"That bad a day," Cygnus asked and Rabastan chuckled.
"Not as such, but Bella won't allow us to drink so much anymore, so I may as well get 'em in where I can."
Bellatrix frowned when her father cast her a confused look.
"We can hardly afford to be wrecked if Delphini takes it into her head to pay us an unwanted call," she pointed out drily.
"My Bella is being all responsible," Rodolphus said, giving her a proud smile.
"I've said it before, and I'll say it again," Rabastan proclaimed. "That shit scares me!"