"You all don't seem to feel the love," Arthur said disappointedly. "You really don't think this is a sweet ride?" His face was crestfallen as he looked from Rod to Bella and Rabastan scrunched into the back seat.
"Umm… It hurts?" Rabastan managed.
"Not for me but I just don't get the car thrill I suppose," Bellatrix said apologetically… Well, it was apologetic for her. "And Rabastan, stop being bloody dramatic!"
"I suppose I don't get the...car thrill either, but I'm sure it's nice," Rod added. "Hey, you love it, and that's all that matters," he concluded, giving Arthur a bright smile.
"I guess," Arthur said, still crestfallen.
"Juda enjoys it," the invisible elf piped up from the floor at Rod's feet. "It is quite interesting. He thinks he can even feel the gears moving in the engine from where he is on the floor."
Arthur grinned. "I knew I liked you, little elf!"
"All elves are little," Rabastan grumbled desperately. "And I'm going to be little too if we don't get out of this thing soon. My legs will be all pinched off in a matter of minutes, I am sure. How much longer?"
"Well, I was taking the long route so we could all enjoy the ride so..."
"You were what?" Rabastan practically howled.
"In less than a minute, we'll be at my place," Arthur said. His tone was measured and soothing.
"How much less than a minute?" Rabastan demanded.
"Oh, for Merlin's sake," Bellatrix snapped, and Arthur chuckled.
"What's he like anyway," he asked. "Merlin, that is. You all have talked to him, right?"
"Not me so much, but Nimue is alright if crazy and mildly judgmental," Bellatrix said.
"That doesn't sound at all familiar," Rabastan said.
"I will smack you," Bella promised.
"I've talked to Merlin a few times," Rod said. "We're on a first name basis and such," he drawled with a grin.
The car slowed, turning into some sort of building with a door that seemed to rise magically on its own.
"What is this," Bellatrix asked, annoyed for some reason by all the Muggle contraptions and lights that appeared to be operating on bloody magic.
"It's an indoor parking garage. It's far safer than leaving a car like my precious baby parked outside for some dreadful fiend to steal or vandalize," Arthur explained.
The garage was full of other cars of varying shapes and sizes. As soon as the car stopped, Rabastan began snatching at the door handle. When his door sprang open, he practically rolled out. "Almost better than sex," he groaned.
"He is dramatic," Arthur said, chuckling.
Once everyone was out and Arthur had used the odd key looking thing to lock the car without actually touching it, he led them from that building into another.
This one had no cars. It seemed to be a lobby with couches and small, low tables scattered about. There was a tall metal looking machine in the corner with pictures of unappetizing looking drinks and snacks on its front.
Bella nearly asked Arthur what it was, then realized she didn't care. It was Muggle and looked unappealing. One could only fill one's awareness with so much bloody Muggle info, after all, and she planned to ask Arthur about the lights, moving doors, and magic seeming key that locked his car from a distance as soon as they were alone. Other Muggles were in this lobby thing, which was confusing, because she'd thought they were going to his house.
"You have housemates," she asked quietly, stepping closer to Arthur and Rod.
Arthur shook his head. "Oh no, it's just me."
Bellatrix scowled, because now she was confused. Deciding to wait until the five of them were alone before insisting upon more clarification, she remained silent, following Arthur and Rod. Rabastan trailed behind her, peering about in bemusement.
Of course she couldn't see Juda, but assumed the elf had enough brains to stick with them without clinging to her hand. Hopefully the Auror training he'd received had done something useful when it came to the basics. She didn't think the elf was stupid, but this strange Muggle place could be distracting and confusing. If he got separated from them, finding him would be a challenge, considering he'd need to remain invisible.
Arthur led them to what appeared to be a closed door in the wall with numbers on a panel to the right of it. He pressed a button and the door slid magically open! What was it with all this magic that obviously couldn't be magic, Bella wondered darkly. What she did not understand was more difficult to control, and she knew it. The door revealed a closet sized empty room which Arthur led them into without hesitation.
"No way this is your house," Rod said, eyes widening.
Laughing, Arthur shook his head as he pressed another button from inside the tiny room which caused the door to slide closed. Then the room gave a lurch that caused Bella's stomach to drop, and she let out a little scream. So did Juda, from somewhere in the vicinity of her right hip.
"There you are, you little shit," she snapped, reaching for his hand.
"Oh sorry," Juda said, and she felt his thin warm fingers grasping her own.
"What the fuck are you doing to us?" she demanded of Arthur, who, for some odd reason, was looking rather stressed.
"Nothing," he replied. "You really need to..." He broke off when the door slid open to expose a long hallway of gleaming marble. Somehow the lurching room had transported them. There were a few people walking down the hallway toward the small transporter room in which they all stood, so Bellatrix was relieved when Arthur led them out of it.
"My place is this way," he said calmly, turning left and proceeding along the gleaming marble tiles. There were doors along either wall, and each had a large metallic number on it. Arthur stopped at the door that read B 133.
"That's me," Arthur said. As he spoke, he dug into his pocket and produced a set of keys that actually looked like ordinary keys even if smaller and far less ornate than those to which Bellatrix was accustomed.
He opened the door and led them onto an expanse of thick dark brown carpet that put Bella in mind of an autumn forest. The room was as high ceilinged as the large marble corridor outside and smelled pleasantly of strawberries for some reason. The walls were light blue, dotted with framed pictures. Some were landscapes and others were mostly of people in various poses that Bellatrix assumed had to do with Arthur's martial arts school.
"Make yourselves comfortable,"Arthur invited as he closed and relocked the solid looking front door behind them. Juda suddenly came into view as he drew the invisibility cloak from himself. Releasing Bella's hand he went to sit in the nearest chair. There were several overstuffed chairs and a matching sofa scattered around the room, all covered in a soft seeming thick velvet in a pleasing dark green.
"Does anyone want anything to drink?"
"Why do you live inside of a castle with other people," Rod asked, openly perplexed.
Bella gave a fervent nod. That was an excellent bloody question.
Arthur laughed. "It isn't a castle. It's an apartment complex. Are you telling me that wizards don't have apartment complexes? And if you are, are you also telling me that you managed to live in the world for sixty some years and still have no idea what an apartment complex is? Or are you just fucking with me, because I'd be okay with that. I'd actually prefer it because the other options are going to be really hard for me to wrap my mind around."
"Well, sorry then, because the other two options apply," Rabastan said. "Some wizards are aware I'm sure, but those would be Muggle-borns or Mudbloods or blood traitors."
Arthur clutched his head. "Okay, what is a blood traitor?"
"Someone who associates or sympathizes with Muggles, of course," Rodolphus clarified.
Arthur frowned. "But we're associating right now, so how is that not going to turn you into a blood traitor, and if it does are you, like, in some sort of danger?"
"Only of losing our good standing in proper wizarding society if you weren't you, but you are indeed you, so don't worry about it," Rodolphus said carelessly.
"But I am no king," Arthur insisted, frustration stamped all over his face.
"Yes, but you are," Rodolphus drawled. "It all fits. You were right there when we needed you to provide the final distraction against Delphini. Now what do you have to drink," he asked, returning at last to Arthur's earlier offer of refreshment.
Taking Bella's hand he moved across the room to the sofa. As they settled themselves, Arthur asked, "What would you like? I have water, wine, whisky, tea, lemonade, and fruit punch."
"Let's try fruit punch," Rod said with a grin. "It sounds properly violent."
Arthur froze in place, then let out a sigh as he shook his head. "I would beg you to tell me that you really do know what fruit punch is, but I have a feeling that isn't going to happen."
"What's the big deal," Rod asked. "You haven't heard of a lot of our drinks either, I'd bet."
"That's true," Arthur conceded. "Sorry. It's just so difficult to grasp that our worlds are that different, considering we share the same one!"