InsaneJournal

Tweak says, "Come inside...*leers*"

Rodolphus Lestrange (rodo_l) wrote in houseofgaunt,
@ 2008-09-24 22:34:00

Who: Bella and Rodolphus
What: The first date!XD
When: Wednesday, September 24, 7:00PM
Where: Paris. Chez les Anges.
Rating: TBD (Probably low)
Progress: In Progress/Closed

It would have taken seconds for Rodolphus to simply get ready and apparate to Bella's apartment. Instead he'd told her he'd be there in a hour because he had to mentally prepare himself. Cripes, it was like they were going on their first date again. Only this time they had a history and weren't school children. But like the first time, he was intimidated by her and incredibly nervous.

One minute to seven. He took a deep breath to calm his nerves one last time and with a pop was standing in an alley next to Bella's building. Rodolphus immediately walked into the building and headed to apartment twelve. He made sure not to hesitate at all to give his nervous thoughts a chance to get the better of him.

Rodolphus tapped his knuckles on the door jam and anxiously awaited an answer.

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darkest_belle
2008-09-25 02:30 am UTC (link)

She had spent the better part of the hour pacing like a caged animal in her bedroom while going through what clothes she did have in the closet all the while wondering why the fuck she was so nervous. It wasn't like they hadn't gone out together a million times in their lifetimes before.

That was before what happened. That was before you were afraid of him and the trust you held sacred had been broken She had stopped mid pace at that thought, staring blankly at the wall as she let it consume her, the thought a bit frightening. But she wanted this work. Wanted to work on them and if that meant starting completely over then Bella was willing to do so.

At quarter to seven she finally managed to find something to wear before heading out of her room and into the living room. She attempted to sit but her nerves prevented her from doing so and instead she ended up pacing once more.

A shriek lodged itself in her throat as the knock sounded at the door and it took several deep breaths for her to calm her racing heart. Glancing in the mirror briefly as she passed to make sure she still looked ok she grasped the knob firmly and pulled the door open, leaning against it a bit as she stared at him.

"Hi."

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rodo_l
2008-09-25 02:59 am UTC (link)

A small smile graced his lips when she opened the door. For one thing he was just happy she decided to open it. The main reason though was just to see her. Bella's skin had a healthier tone and, although obviously nervous, she seemed to not be so miserable. He did consider the fact that she had always been good at hiding her true feelings.

"Hello." He stepped away from the door to allow her by and gestured for her to go ahead. "Shall we?" Now that he was standing right in front of her, Rodolphus could feel the knot in his stomach increase in size. He felt so ridiculous because of how he was feeling. This was the love of his wife, Bellatrix Black. They met their first year of Hogwarts and got married soon after they finished their seventh year. Other than having kids they had gone through many of life's difficulties together. Even dying. In the grand scheme of things, it was silly to be nervous.

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darkest_belle
2008-09-25 03:23 am UTC (link)

A small grin tugged at the corner of her lips as she nodded once before stepping out into the hallway, the door closing with a quiet click behind her. Checking to make sure the wards had set behind her she turned her full attention to him, wondering if the swarm of butterflies in her stomach were ever going to go away.

It was ridiculous really for her to be so nervous around him. Of all the feelings she had expected to feel near or around him, nervousness was not one of them. Bella was surprised in fact, that she had managed to be this close to him without screaming or having a panic attack. Although it was a toss up between the panic attack and the nervousness, she just refused to give into the panic.

After all it was only Rodolphus. Yes he had done the unthinkable, but, he was still her husband, her lover , her best friend and her confidant, she would be damned again if she were going to let anything destroy everything they had ever had or hoped to have between them.

Taking a deep breath she reached out and loosely linked her fingers with his, waiting for him to lead the way. She could do this, she could be this close to him and touch him without the fear. She just had to take it one step at a time. And in Bella's eyes, this was a good first step.

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rodo_l
2008-09-28 04:03 pm UTC (link)

There wasn't a chance in the world Rodolphus could keep from smiling when he felt her hand in his. It amazed him how forgiving she was. Never before had he seen Bella be so forgiving to anyone. He tightened his hand lovingly before leading her down the hallway and out of the building.

As they exitted her apartment building, Rodolphus smiled at Bella, "I hope you're hungry. This place has been reopened a couple times and gets really good reviews. And it's only around the corner." They only had to walk half a block and turn down a side street to get there. It was a small bistro with cursive letters over the door. "Chez les Anges," Rodolphus spoke with a french accent as he opened the door for Bella.

The dining room was made up of warm colors with 1970s-inspired decor. Upon entering they were immediately sat at a two top table near the front window. Rodolphus pulled out Bella's chair for her before taking his own. The waitress greeted them with a few kind words then gave them an extensive wine list before leaving. "I assumed you wouldn't want to go anywhere too fancy, so I thought a small bistro would suit. I came in here for a drink the other day and the menu looked good."

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darkest_belle
2008-09-28 08:08 pm UTC (link)

She remained quiet beside him as they walked along the streets, her thoughts drifting and quiet for the first time in days. That wasn't to say that she still wasn't a bundle of nerves on the inside. The whole entire situation had her on edge, had every part of her ready to flee or fight back, depending on what the situation called for when it rose but she refused to let that rule her, let it rule and dictate over everything else. She was stronger than that and she was going to prove it even if it was the last thing she did.

Her eyes rose to the letters above the door, taking them in briefly before following him inside. Bella couldn't help but smile as he pulled her chair out and she sat down, her gaze following him as he did the same thing.

"It does. I don't quite think fancy is a stage we've reached yet. Casual is good. I can do casual at the moment." Bella clamped her mouth shut before any more ramblings could come out, showing just how nervous she was about the whole thing. She did agree though. Casual was good for the time being, until things became easier between the two of them, until the nerves had settled a bit and they were more comfortable it was best to keep things light.

Her eyes scanned the list in her hands for a few moments as her thoughts wandered some before she sighed and set the list down. She really wasn't in the mood for any sort of alcohol. Her mind was clouded enough, it didn't need any more help.

She opened her mouth in an attempt to say something but closed it once more as the words wouldn't come out. To say this was frustrating was putting it mildly. Never before had she ever had a problem talking to him or telling him anything and now, when she wanted to more than ever she couldn't make the words form and come out correctly and that just added to the frustration she was already feeling.

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rodo_l
2008-09-30 11:36 am UTC (link)

((Sorry for the lag! I was going to post last night but my boyfriend had a scheduled raid to do on WoW so I got kicked off the crappy desktop *glares at him*))

Rodolphus nodded in agreement and held back a smile. He always did enjoy it when she embarrassed herself a little. It was one of the few times he was brave enough to call her cute.

What was surprising was how well he was able to ignore his nerves. Of course they were still wound tight throughout his body, but he just focused his thoughts on the woman in front of him. She was the love of his lives and she was giving him another chance. More than anything he felt thankful.

The waitress returned with their waters and asked if they'd like anything more to drink. Rodolphus wasn't quite in the mood for one of their luxurious wines, so he ordered a simple rum and cola. A small amount of liquor was a good idea to relax him a little. Anything more just seemed excessive.

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darkest_belle
2008-09-30 11:31 pm UTC (link)

((I will never understand the obsession people have with WoW but its ok :D))

Bella just arched an eyebrow at his drink of choice, a smirk tugging at the corner of her lips a bit. Figuring what the hell and if he was going to drink she might as well too. and who knew, perhaps it would help calm the swarm of butterflies still making themselves known in her stomach a bit.

Handing the waitress the drink menu she ordered a screwdriver before returning her attention to him, waiting until the girl was gone before trying to speak again. It was hard enough for her as it was, she didn't need a bloody audience to see just how nervous he was making her. And it was ridiculous that she was such.

"Tell me I'm not the only one of us who feels like a fool for being this nervous over something we've done thousands of times before. Cause if I were, I really would feel even stupider than I already do for being nervous in the first place."

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rodo_l
2008-10-01 01:57 pm UTC (link)

A nervous smile forced its way onto Rodolphus's features almost as proof of how he felt. "You're definitely not the only one. And I agree, I feel quite ridiculous for feeling like this. For me I think it's because I still find it surreal that you're even giving me another chance. This all just has a dream like quality to it."

Their waitress had perfect timing and returned with their drinks as soon as Rodolphus finished his sentence. "Do you need another moment to look at the menu?" Her english was perfect and heavily weighted with a French accent. "Yes, thank you." She bowed her head politely and excused herself again.

Rodolphus looked down at his menu, admittedly having not looked at it at all. The bistro was well known for their menu that changed every day due to the owner's purchases at the wholesale market. Rodolphus quickly picked out a random item. He was the type to eat almost anything and enjoy it for what it was.

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darkest_belle
2008-10-01 11:29 pm UTC (link)

Bella just hmmed quietly as she accepted her drink, her finger tracing absently around its rim as she watched him.

"I'll admit, it crossed my mind. Walking away, turning away and never looking back. Of leaving...you. It crossed my mind quite a bit actually. But in the end," she paused staring down at her drink for moment as she tried to find the right words to say before looking back up at him once more. Glad that the waitress had left and she could continue with what she had been saying before.

"In the end it comes down to this. We've been through a lot, more than most people ever go through in their entire life time. Only thing is is that we have a second chance at it all. I've realized, life is too short to spend it thinking on what if's and regrets.

"And I know if I walked away, if I turned my back on you, even after this, after what happened, that all I would do is spend the rest of this life thinking what if and wondering if I had made the right choice. If I had done the right thing and I don't want to do that. Nor do I wish to leave you. But there have to be rules Rodolphus. We can't keep hurting each other like we have been. There is no point in doing this, in starting over if in a few weeks, or maybe even months we're right back here, in this place and situation because one of us fucked up again.

She toyed with her menu, having fallen silent as she waited for some sort of reaction or reply to what she had just said. Bella knew that things had to change between them. They already had actually, but they couldn't keep going like they had been. Something somewhere needed to change or be fixed in order for them to work, and she was nothing if not determined to make this work. She would be damned even more than she already was to see it not work.

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rodo_l
2008-10-02 11:25 am UTC (link)

Rodolphus idly took a few sips of his drink, hardly even noticing the taste. He completely agreed with everything she said. They had both fucked up royally and had put themselves in this awkward situation. "I'm going to do everything in my power to nev-" Rodolphus quickly shut his trap when he saw the waitress approaching yet again. Maybe going out to eat hadn't been the best plan.

She put on her usual charming smile and asked if they had decided yet. Rodolphus ordered the Filet de bœuf Français, not entirely sure what it was. He was familiar with the word "bœuf" and was a fan of ox meat. The waitress took Bella's order and disappeared.

Rodolphus figured it'd probably be about half an hour before their meal arrived, so hopefully they wouldn't be interrupted again until such time. Luckily he hadn't lost his train of thought, but he decided to go a different direction with it. The waitress's interruption had at least given him a moment to think before speaking. "I agree, I never want to hurt you again. In any way. This has been hard enough on both of us that I'm sure neither of us want to make this circle again."

He paused to take another swallow of his drink. "Did you have any rules in mind? I was honestly surprised that you wanted me anywhere near your apartment today."

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darkest_belle
2008-10-03 11:42 pm UTC (link)

Bella just rolled her eyes as the waitress came back, her arrival interrupting the conversation once more. Bella was beginning to think that the woman was doing it on purpose every time one of them tried to talk she came over and interrupted them. Rattling off her order in hurried French she waited for the woman to disappear before returning her attention to Rodolphus.

"No, I don't. And I would very much like for us to be able to go a while without hurting each other. At least in the ways we have done so in the past and most recently. Honestly? The quiet would be welcomed. Especially quiet with you."

She hmmed at his words, smiling softly a bit at them. Bella had debated about having him near where she lived, had debated on demanding that they meet somewhere neutral but in the end had decided she felt better having him know where she lived in case something happened.

"Near it yes. I have no problem with you knowing where I live, it actually makes things easier. But as for having you in it, not for a while. Not until I get used to this once more. The main rule I was thinking of though, no keeping anything from the other. I know its not a new one and its one that we've tried to have in the past but I think in order for this to work its a rule that were going to have to make sure is set and in place and followed."

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