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Post by Bellatrix Black on Sept 27, 2009 23:40:33 GMT -5
Bellatrix was in a mood today. She had been working on this mission at the school for months now and it seemed to be going no where. While the mission itself aggravated her (she truly disliked children, and at Hogwarts she was surrounded by them) she was mostly upset by the fact that she had very little good news to bring to the Dark Lord. She cherished her time with him and was really only allowed those moments when she had news. No news meant no Lord Voldemort. When she awoke this morning that fact seemed more dominant in her thoughts that usual. She had scowled around the castle for a bit, but when her foul mood was attracting too much attention she was forced to leave or else that pathetic Rothschild might start asking questions.
In the hopes of bringing up her spirits she decided to go shopping, but nothing was calling her today. She was too much in her head to fancy new dresses and shoes like normal. She needed a way to focus on something else, and so she traveled to Flourish & Blotts in search of a book. Reading, though she rarely did so, was a simple escape from her own thoughts. Immersing herself in a fictional character's drama helped her to momentarily forget her own. The shop wasn't too crowded today, it was the middle of the week after all. Not too many witches and wizards in needs of books when most were working. Bellatrix was looking over the fiction section and moving toward the romance novels, ignoring everyone around her in search of the right distraction.
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Post by Justin Scotts on Sept 28, 2009 0:03:47 GMT -5
Justin was at the book store for a very different reason. He was doing research for his current assignment, so he had an armload of books and was looking for a dark corner in which to examine them to see which one he would need. With the pile of books balanced precariously in his arms, he looked rather like a Ravenclaw student studying for OWLs. Of course, if anyone had mentioned the comparison, he would have laughed it off. He did, after all, have a brother who was a Ravenclaw.
He passed by the fiction section and narrowly avoided running into a woman who was wandering along the shelves and paying no attention to anyone else around her. Of course, his own sudden movement caused the books to topple and fall, hitting the floor with a dull thud.
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Post by Bellatrix Black on Sept 28, 2009 0:16:04 GMT -5
She felt the presence of someone move past her and she subconsciously moved closer to the shelf to give him more space to walk. It was of no use however, as the books fell to the floor. It was enough to make Bellatrix look up. Amidst the scattered books she found Justin. "What on earth are you doing?" she asked, unable to hide the bit of laughter that came out with her words. Apparently all she needed to clear her foul mood, at least temporarily, was slap-stick comedy.
She bent down to pick up his books, and examined them as she did so. She wouldn't have taken him for a book worm, but judging by the titles of the books here he still wasn't one. "Researching something?" She was intrigued with only a hint of jealousy. Did Justin have a better mission than she?
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Post by Justin Scotts on Sept 28, 2009 0:37:51 GMT -5
Justin looked a bit bemused by the whole incident. It may have been the first time he had ever felt like he had anything in common with his brother Thane. And to be caught by a fellow death eater--the Dark Lord's reputed favorite--was pretty embarrassing. But he was not one to stammer or make excuses or anything like that. It happened, no big deal.
"Yeah, just a little research for my current assignment," he replied, his voice low.
He would never belittle an assignment given him by the Dark Lord, but he was actually less than pleased with his current assignment. Anything that involved research couldn't possibly be good.
Picking up another book about the Founders of Hogwarts, he shrugged lightly. "And what about you?"
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Post by Bellatrix Black on Sept 28, 2009 1:02:01 GMT -5
"Trying to escape my own assignment," she confessed darkly, picking up the last of the fallen books. She held three books in her hands, Justin had many more. "I know you're well off Justin, but you can't be thinking of buying all of these for an assignment." She looked at the titles again. "I wouldn't want many of these sorts of books in my private library. Or have you Scotts amassed such a large selection that these are the only ones in existence missing?" Bellatrix's office was lined with books on Dark Magic and such. Many of them were family heirlooms and quite ancient. Of course, her office was well hidden from view and was not easily found even with detection spells.
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Post by Justin Scotts on Oct 7, 2009 0:53:52 GMT -5
Justin shrugged his shoulder carelessly. It was true that the Scotts family had a sizable library, and half of it was kept hidden, not just to avoid possible raids, but to prevent his younger siblings from finding out about them. They were still in the dark about the family's loyalties, and if Justin had his way, they would stay that way.
"No, I don't think I'll be buying all of them. I need to take a look at each of them, though, to decided which ones will be most useful for my assignment."
He looked her over quietly. It was well known amongst the ranks that Bellatrix Black was one of the Dark Lord's favorites. Looking at her, he could see why. She was beautiful, with that edge of danger. And her heart was as black as her hair.
Smiling appreciatively, he gestured her over to a little bench in one corner. "I take it your assignment is not going well?"
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Post by Bellatrix Black on Oct 15, 2009 22:37:39 GMT -5
The corners of her mouth curved upwards slightly at the invitation to join him, and she nodded as she followed where he directed her. She sat at the end of the bench and placed the books she had picked up for him on her lap, looking them over more closely now. She hesitated to answer for a moment. She wanted to say yes, it was going terribly. But it wasn't. Not really. And she certainly did not want to make it seem as though she was ungrateful for the opportunity Lord Voldemort had given her. That wasn't the case and she didn't know what Justin might do with that information if he thought that was her mindset.
She spoke her words carefully, still looking at the text in the book on her lap. "The assignment itself is going fine. Slow, but fine. I'm getting information that's useful. It's just being at that school again!" She shut the book a bit harder than needed, and aggravated look on her pretty face. Bellatrix had not been free of Hogwarts long, before she was sent back in. Her cover was that she was working for the school, which meant that she sometimes had to discipline her friends that were still attending. On top of that she had to deal with younger students, which she was never fond of. Not even when she herself was a younger student.
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Post by Justin Scotts on Oct 25, 2009 22:26:43 GMT -5
Justin shrugged lightly. "I can't say that I blame you," he said. "It can't be easy having to go back to that place, especially after you just got out. I'm sure the Dark Lord knows what he's doing, sending you there, though."
He shook his head and waved at the pile of books in front of him, causing them to stack up in a straight line. "But let's not discuss work, shall we? If you needed an escape, the last thing you want to do is continue talking business. Perhaps we could discuss other matters... over a drink?"
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Post by Bellatrix Black on Oct 29, 2009 20:08:53 GMT -5
Bellatrix agreed with him. She knew Lord Voldemort had a reasoning for everything he did. That was what made him so great. Meticulous planning paired with perfect execution. She loved and admired him for that. He was unstoppable. She loved that too. "Of course, I know he does," she said softly.
Her eyes followed the books as they shifted into a straight pile. Most men didn't care for neat and prim. Justin seemed to, however. Anal. Her mind drifted in the few seconds of quiet between herself and Justin. It had been too long since she last saw her love, the Dark Lord. She wondered if he would receive her if she went to him tonight. But she had no time really to think about it before Justin spoke again. She smirked. "Yes, I do think that is exactly what I need. But what about all of these?" she asked, nodding her head towards the books. He had clearly been here for a period of time gathering them all from around the shop.
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Post by Justin Scotts on Nov 3, 2009 16:43:05 GMT -5
Justin shrugged. Being a member of the Scotts family had its advantages, and he did not hesitate to take advantage of them. “That’s not a problem,” he replied.
Catching sight of a passing worker, he waved the young man over to them. “I’d like to purchase these books. Please have them sent to the Scotts estate by tomorrow. Mr. Flourish will know what to do with them.”
The boy, who, judging by the state of his acne, was barely 18, nodded quickly and gathered up the books, charming them to levitate into the back room.
“Well, then,” Justin said, turning back to Bellatrix. “Shall we?” He held out his arm for her to take.
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Post by Bellatrix Black on Apr 10, 2010 2:06:56 GMT -5
Bellatrix tossed the book she was still holding onto Justin's pile just before the clerk took them all away. She brushed her hands off, even though the book was clean. It was more the subject of the book that made her feel dirty. She felt bad for Justin, having just purchased 'Hogwarts, A History'. Only the truly pathetic would find that bore interesting. And poor Justin was forced to read through it for whatever it was he was looking for.
Justin stood and her eyes followed, though she waited until he gestured to her before she moved from her seat. She nodded and made a small "mmhmm" sound. A drink with Justin was a much better waste of her time than buying a romance novel and isolating herself for a few days. She flipped her hair over her shoulder before asking, "Where are you taking me, Scotts?" She had a bit of darkness to her voice which mixed with her smile to create a tone only she could truly pull off.
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Post by Justin Scotts on Apr 22, 2010 23:22:17 GMT -5
Justin gave a dismissive nod to the shop boy, already over the whole affair. As important as his mission might be, he didn't wish to dwell on the subject, especially not in public.
And besides, he had much more pleasant affairs to involve himself with, like the beatuiful, dangerous brunette in front of him. She was the Dark Lord's favorite... there had to be a reason for that, right?
He chuckled and gave her a salacious smile. "I could be all flip and transparent and say something to the effect of 'I'll take you somewhere you've never been before'... But I'm pretty sure that there's nowhere you haven't been..."
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Post by Bellatrix Black on Apr 23, 2010 0:40:13 GMT -5
"How very smooth of you..." she noted with a giggle. She didn't bother to ask again, as he hadn't offered an answer before. It didn't matter much, really. "So tell me something interesting," she commanded sweetly as they walked. "What have you been doing with yourself? I doubt you've corrupted those siblings of yours yet..." She laughed because she knew how society interpreted their views. But she also knew society was wrong on this very large point. What they did, they did for the good of wizardkind.
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Post by Justin Scotts on Apr 23, 2010 17:52:28 GMT -5
Justin chuckled as he led her out of the shop. Spending a little time with Bellatrix might just be exactly what he needed. He'd been a little... conflicted as of late, with everything that had happened. His Aunt Tanya had died in the attack, and he still swore vengeance on the man who had killed her. Alastor Moody would pay dearly, even if he had to take his revenge one piece at a time.
On the other hand, there was his encounter with the beautiful Natasha Davenport. She never should have been in Hogsmeade that day. She was the type of person--rich, pureblooded, from a good family--that they were supposedly fighting to protect, and she could have been killed anyway if not for Justin's intrusion. And then there was that kiss... He smiled almost involuntarily at the thought of it.
And of course, there were his siblings. Gwen knew he'd been at the attack, and he was pretty sure she knew why, too. She looked at him with such... disappointment in her eyes. And even though a part of him did believe that this was in her best interest, he did want her to be able to choose the life she wanted to live.... which included not having to marry that odious bore, Adrian Wolff. Was he a hypocrite if he didn't want his siblings to follow in his footsteps? If he wanted them to make their own choices?
"I'm afraid my siblings all have minds of their own," he replied. "Xavier may still join with us, but I suspect the others are lost causes. I just hope they marry purebloods."
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Post by Bellatrix Black on May 1, 2010 0:05:54 GMT -5
If she had known the many thoughts going through his mind she might have been able to put his mind at ease immediately. She was very passionate about their cause. But she had yet to learn legilimency so his thoughts and memories were safe, locked away within his mind. "I must say I know how that feels. But it may still be a bit early to give up hope on your brothers and sister. They haven't totally betrayed their family yet," like Andromeda has.
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Post by Justin Scotts on May 12, 2010 22:46:04 GMT -5
And yet, he was silently hoping that Gwen, at least, would do just that. Justin didn't think he'd be able to stand it if Gwen married Adrien Wolff. The idea of spending holidays in the presence of that odious bore was intolerable.
"Timothy is a a concern," Justin said, turning the attention away from any thoughts of Gwen. "The boy's in Hufflepuff, for Salazar's sake. And he's far more outspoken than I'd like... he even started an argument with our father at the dinner table about muggleborns."
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Post by Bellatrix Black on May 23, 2010 20:33:08 GMT -5
"It could be worse," she commented, "he could be in Gryffindor with Sirius." The more prestigious families were never without their black sheep, it was sort of a rule of thumb. Someone had to wander off to be slaughtered by the wolf. It was generally the weak ones. "What was he saying? Oh Merlin, he isn't dating one is he?"
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Post by Justin Scotts on May 25, 2010 17:21:09 GMT -5
"My sister is in Gryffindor," Justin pointed out. "And my brother Thane is in Ravenclaw. Xavier is in Slytherin. One in each house." He rolled his eyes at that, since it seemed like a rather dubious distinction. Still, Ravenclaw was generally considered to be respectable, at least. And even if Gwen was in Gryffindor, Justin was proud of the woman she was becoming and he loathed the idea of her being forced to marry a man who would crush her spirit. No, Timothy was the one he worried about the most. He seemed to have no ability to censor himself, and that would get him into trouble one day.
"He's dating a girl who's... well, I don't know much about her, really, but my understanding is that she was adopted by muggles. But who her parents were, I have no idea."
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Post by Bellatrix Black on May 27, 2010 23:29:51 GMT -5
Bellatrix laughed loudly. "Bloody hell, my family looks perfect next to yours, doesn't it?" she teased. She wasn't sure what to make of Timothy's girlfriend. She was certain that her post at the school wouldn't lead her to much information about the girl's background. She really had very little clout there when it came to those matters. So she wouldn't be volunteering any snooping on her end. And truthfully she didn't care much. It was nice to know hers wasn't the only f*cked up family, though. This conversation did succeed in distracting her from her woes, even if it was at Justin's cost. And perhaps when they arrived at wherever it was they were going their topic of conversation would change to happier one. But for now Bellatrix was content in listening to others' complaints.
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Post by Justin Scotts on May 31, 2010 23:14:49 GMT -5
Justin shrugged. "Yes, well, I suppose no family is perfect... Except, perhaps, the Burkes." He added an eye roll at this, for added effect. The blonde, perfect Burkes may have been cousins of his, and Jadon Burke may have been his closest friend, but the fact remained that, on the surface at least, the family did appear to be pretty much perfect.
Maybe Bellatrix expected Justin to be ashamed of his imperfect family, but he wasn't. Well, maybe Uncle Zachary and his exploits were rather shameful, but he was not ashamed of Gwen, or Thane, or even Timothy. He just worried for them. The war was escalating, and there might come a time when they would have to choose sides. And if they happened to choose the wrong side... they could be in a lot of danger.
They reached the narrow alleyway that served as the entrance to Ambrosia. They were both somewhat underdressed, but it was early, and they would never dare turn away a Scotts or a Black.
Opening the door with a wave of his wand, Justin waved her on in front of him. "After you."
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