You

It was hot. In the way where you wanted to take off your jacket but knew you’d be cold afterwards.

Bellatrix had took off her jacket, she was playing with Delphi and Teddy on the grass near Andromeda’s fence.

She looked beautiful.

Rodolphus watched her as she grinned at the toddlers, clapping and doling out high fives as they kicked a little ball around.

Bella was the type of woman you’d take a second glance at. You’d stop and look back and think ‘huh, she was stunning.’

You wouldn’t talk to her. You’d be intimidated by her beauty and the mean look her face rested on.

But you’d wish you did. You’d even entertain being the one to hold her, love her, before coming back to reality and going on with life.

Rodolphus was the one to hold her.

He knew men would kill for that job but they didn’t know what went on below the surface.

What a monster she was.

The best thing for Rodolphus to do was to try and forget it, to put up with her for his child but the longer that girl sat in his basement because of her, the further the distance between them.

He loved Hermione. Not Bellatrix.

At first he entertained the idea, the one they agreed on. To be one of those trendy couples, three people and who could complain when he’d be sandwiched between two gorgeous women.

Then Hermione rejected him and he realized she wasn’t like Bella.

She was good, truly good.

She wouldn’t be a part of this marriage because she wanted her own, she was traditional. She wanted a good man to love with all her heart.

How badly Rodolphus wanted to be that man.

Hermione was nothing like Bellatrix.

Bellatrix had this image, this mask of innocence and by the time it dropped, Rodolphus was in too deep.

He did have to thank her for saving Hermione’s life, for his daughter.

But a loveless marriage wasn’t something Rodolphus ever wished for and something he refused to be trapped by.

“Roddo!” Teddy grinned, breaking Rodolphus out of his thoughts with a harsh clap on the back.

“Edward.” He greeted tensely.

Ted glanced at where his eyes had been focused prior, at Bellatrix, then gave Rod a knowing smile.

“They only get prettier, huh?” Ted took a swig of the beer in his hand, “I remember the days after Andy had Dora. Couldn’t look away.”

The difference was Andromeda was normal. Rodolphus had to get stuck with the crazy one.

“Well Roddo,” Ted sighed obnoxiously, “I better go man the grill. It looks like Lucius is about to set his hair on fire.”

Rodolphus said nothing, watching as the idiot in bright red short shorts jogged back to the grill where Lucius was sneering at a patty.

Suburbia. How utterly mundane.

Thinking about how he may very well live here for the rest of his life made him feel sick but love was about sacrifice and he would do what he had to for love.

Bella wanted to be closer to her sisters, it was a good place for Delphi to grow up.

And it had Hermione.

The drink of cool water in this ‘hey neighbor’ hellhole.

Every time he compared the two, there was no competition.

Hermione was everything Bella wasn’t.

She was kind, compassionate. She was an only child, she was gentle. Nurturing.

Bella he half expected to start screaming every few seconds.

Hermione was different.

There were no surprises with her.

“Enjoying the barbecue, Rodolphus?”

He looked down at the red head.

Ginny Weasley. He remembered her.

One of the younger ones. Friends with Hermione.

Harry Potter, Fleur Delacour, the remaining Weasleys and some other young people were all gathered around the barbecue. Rodolphus wondered if Ginny had gotten lost.

“Very much so. It’s always nice to reconnect.”

Ginny hummed, she had one hand protectively held over the bulge on her stomach and regarded him impassively.

Then she sighed.

“I wish Hermione could be here.”

The girl made a point of not looking at his face but it was painfully obvious she was observing his reaction.

“Me too,” He looked at the ground sadly.

Shit. Shit. Shit.

She suspected him? A Weasley? They’re practically the village idiots!

“I remember she and Ron used to bicker the whole time whenever they came here,” She smiled slightly, her eyes teary, “Then Ron would ‘accidentally’ spill water on her and Hermione being competitive would turn it into a water fight.”

Rodolphus glanced at the house to the left as he clenched his hand tighter on his beer.

Was she trying to make him jealous?

“By the time Andy and mum came back outside to stop it, everyone would be soaked, Ron would blame Hermione and she would turn so red.” Ginny laughed.

He forced a smile.

That wasn’t a good memory, it was the Weasel boy blaming Hermione after provoking her.

“It’s just surreal, neither of them being here. Ron’s missing and Hermione’s ran off to France quoting Lark Main.”

“Mark Twain.” Rodolphus said without thinking.

Ginny looked at him from the corner of her eye. Knowingly.

Like she was saying ‘I got you motherfucker.’

“I’m going for a smoke.” Rodolphus smiled politely at her.

Fuck. Fuck. Fuck. Get out of there.

“Ok,” Ginny gave him one last look before going back to the group.

Bellatrix tried to catch his eye as he left like his ass was on fire but Rodolphus didn’t spare her a glance.

He reached the street, then walked and walked and walked till he was outside the bakery.

No one was around.

“Fuck. Fuck. Fuck.” He muttered.

In a fit of rage, he kicked the brick wall of the nearby bookstore.

Adrenaline didn’t allow him to feel the pain so he did it again, and again, and again.

Calm down Rod. Deep breaths. In 2, 3, 4, out 2, 3, 4.

His hands trembled with rage as he pulled a cigarette from the cartridge in his pocket.

If Ginny was really serious, if she suspected him, that would change everything.

The town was close knit, Ginny’s words would hold a lot of weight.

He needed to find out what she knew, what made him suspicious to her so he could eliminate it.

Maybe he’d even need to get rid of her too.

“Fuck!” He left his lighter at home.

“Need a light?”

Rodolphus whirled around, startled.

“Woah, you’re looking at me like you wanna kill me.” The woman laughed.

Light brown, practically ginger hair in a bob, curly, red lipstick and green eyes. Could be a stray Weasley but didn’t look so wide eyed and bushy tailed.

“I do, actually.” He mumbled, raising his cigarette for the woman to light.

The woman laughed. “Last time I checked, there wasn’t a middle aged murderer living here.”

“I moved here a few months ago.”

The woman nodded, taking a drag.

“I’m looking for Hermione Granger.”

Rodolphus scowled. “Aren’t we all.”

Then his eyes widened slightly as he realized what he said. Placing a palm on his chest, he calmed his racing heart.

You sound defensive. Calm down.

“True. From what I’ve heard at least.” Smoke expelled from her mouth as she talked.

“It’s real convenient, as soon as I get here she goes missing.”

“Convenient?” Rod watched as the woman shook her head, laughing slightly.

“Not to speak bad of the probably-dead, but it just seems too perfect.”

She leveled Rod with a look. “Hermione Granger stole my identity.”

Rodolphus blanched.

“So you’re Hermi-“

“No, no, not like that.” The woman laughed again, talking another drag.

“We used to be real close, back in primary and a little through secondary school. I remember the day I moved away, I’d left my credit card here and I never cut it, just got another one. I thought it got lost in her massive stack of books.”

She sighed deeply, sticking her free hand in her jean pocket and rolling on her feet, as if she didn’t want to say the next words.

“Then suddenly, I loose around £6000 from the card I left. Hermione’s ordered,” She pulled her phone out of the pocket of her leather jacket.

“A TV, a PS4, a whole ass electric guitar and a book.” The woman laughed.

“I don’t know how much she’s changed since I last saw her but she’s never had interest in any of that shit since I knew her. Well, minus the book.”

Rodolphus frowned. Hermione didn’t seem the type to do that, or order it.

Hermione was hiding something. He needed to figure out what was going on before it came to bite him in the ass.

“What’s your name?”

She smiled, stuck out a hand.

“I’m Penny.”