"I need to talk with the Minister before we go to Azkaban," Bellatrix announced over breakfast the next morning.
"Do I need to go," Rabastan asked around a mouthful of eggs. "That bloody place makes me nervous. I keep expecting them to change their minds and start hating us at any fucking moment."
Rodolphus shrugged. "Take Rhadamanthus and go ahead to Azkaban. Bella and I will meet you there. As for the Ministry hating us, I hardly see why we should care how they feel as long as we're free."
"Yeah, that's just it," Rabastan replied drily. "They suddenly remember to hate us and we don't stay free."
"New Ministry," Bellatrix reminded, pushing back her hair with one hand before it fell into her eggs. "They've got Grindelwald as Head of Defense. We're fine."
"Yeah, but enough people respected him back in the day even if he did get taken down," Rabastan protested. "We get no respect at all. Mugglefuckers have never respected us. Feared us, yes. Respected us, no."
Bellatrix drained the last of her coffee, then set the mug down on the table with a decisive thump. "Alright. My self esteem has taken enough of an ass kicking from you this morning, you little shit," she told Rabastan with a laugh as she rose to go. "Besides, neither the Minister, nor the Head Auror, nor Grindelwald happen to be Mugglefuckers, so as long as we help to keep them in power we're good. It's just your PTSD acting up."
"My PTS what? And what do you want from the Minister anyway?" Rabastan wanted to know.
Bellatrix arched her brows at the frown of suspicion he aimed at her over his own coffee cup. "I want to see if I can get Cissie back her magic," she said, deciding to go for the latter question and ignore the former as it would take far too long to answer.
"Good luck with that, because you're going to need it," Rabastan said. "Because Lucius."
Bellatrix sighed, nodding as Rodolphus stood from the table. "I am aware," she told Rabastan drily. "It's a bit difficult to trust the little shit, so speaking on his behalf will be somewhat impossible."
While Malfoy had defected, it hadn't been because he'd become a better person overnight or anything, and the Minister was no fool. While the Lestrange three weren't better people either, they were certainly more honest, and to Bella's mind far more likable.
Rabastan grinned. "Well, good luck with that, then."
Bellatrix wanted to say that she didn't need luck because she had a plan, but as that wasn't precisely the case, she merely nodded at her brother-in-law before she and Rodolphus Apparated to the Ministry. When they flashed their name badges and walked straight to the Minister's office without being stopped, Bellatrix had to admit that felt good. The Minister's door wasn't completely closed, so Bellatrix pushed it open.
"What," Kereston asked pensively when she and Rod walked inside. The little blonde Minister sat at her desk with a globe sized clear crystal ball on a stand in front of her and what looked like strange crystal earmuffs on her ears which she removed when she turned to peer at Bella and Rod.
Rodolphus closed the door behind them, and Bellatrix drew in a deep breath.
"Nothing has happened," she assured. "But I wanted to talk to you about my sister."
"Alright," Kereston said slowly.
"She hasn't done anything," Bellatrix said, and Kereston's face relaxed a little. "It's just that I hate seeing her struggle without her magic when she never did anything to anyone to deserve losing it!"
"She followed Voldemort and unlike you, she didn't try to kill him after she found out what a monster he was," Kereston pointed out.
"She wasn't given the opportunity," Bellatrix defended.
"Why not," Kereston asked, frowning. "Why didn't Orion go to her as well when he approached you as part of his family?"
Bellatrix sighed and shrugged. "Probably because he didn't trust Lucy either. At the time, I was too upset and shocked to hear that the Dark Lord, who we all worshiped, tried to kill Kreacher and probably made a Horcrux too. Also if you haven't noticed, Cissie is the softer type. She doesn't have whisky and nails for breakfast like I do. She doesn't spring to mind right away when you think you need someone to help you do a good sound killing, though I bet she could manage it."
Kereston's gray-blue eyes widened slightly. "Wait...you didn't really have whisky for breakfast, did you?"
"Not today," Bellatrix said. "Not for a long time...I think the last time I was twenty-four or so." She couldn't help a grin at Kereston's relieved expression. "My sister isn't trying to help Delphini, and I know she would help you if she had magic with which to do so."
"If we return her magic, we have to return it to Lucius as well, and I don't want to do that. Not now at least. He mistreats elves, and I don't trust him," Kereston said.
Rodolphus nodded. "We don't call him Lucy Malfoy for nothing. He's a little shit, but he shouldn't screw you over. It isn't to his advantage to do so, plus I could bully him for you. In fact, I'd be absolutely thrilled to!"
"In his defense, Dobby was obnoxious," Bellatrix added, lips twitching slightly. "But, in general, I understand your concerns and agree with them. What Rod said, though."
Kereston frowned. "I really want to help you, but if we return magic to the wrong person too soon, things could go south in a bad way, and we're scrambling enough as it is right now."
Bellatrix expected this, but she had to do something for Cissie. "How long until we can try? If Lucy starts shit, I'll personally kill him, I promise! It would be my pleasure."
"If it comes to that, I promise, you'll be the first assassin I call," Kereston said. "I may have just had another idea, though. We could give them both the cure, and Lucius's just won't work...because, obviously, it won't really be a cure."
Rod and Bella exchanged a slow smile. "Perfect," Bellatrix said. "That's perfect! Thank you so much."
"If your sister becomes a problem, though, you will be responsible," Kereston said firmly, and Bellatrix nodded.
"I promise. I will tell her that, and she will do precisely as you say and nothing else."
Kereston gave a strained, tired smile. "Good. That is good. I don't need anything else to worry over just now."
Though Bella's heart was singing because she'd been able to help her sister, the high was dampened a bit by the current shitstorm situation.
"Anything we can do to help at present," she asked and Kereston shook her head. "Nothing that you aren't already doing, thank you."
"What's all that," Bella asked, indicating the globe sized crystal ball and the crystal quartz earmuff looking things with a gesture of her hand.
"Those are the devices with which I scry and communicate with Merlin and Nimue," Kereston said. "And as for helping… Actually, if either of you could do a better job than I, or Severus, or Gellert and Blaise have done, that would be perfect! It would really take a load off, to say the least."
"Those crystal things communicate with the dead," Rodolphus asked. "Neither of us are ghost whisperers, if that's what you mean."
Kereston gave a faint smile. "No. Merlin and Nimue aren't dead. They're just hiding."