Sad Prayers for Guilty Bodies. (Rod)

Probably Rodolphus Lestrange's greatest discovery throughout his years, was that the best way to get over anyone or anything was to shag a girl. At the very least, flirt with one with just a bit of snogging thrown in. In any case, he had found that this was the best cure for any sort of distress, melancholy, anxiety, et cetera, and so forth. The tactic had proved more than effective in more than one circumstance. A few weeks prior, he had been fretting about his standing within the Slytherin Quidditch team - that Zeke was proving to be formidable competition as far as Chasers went - and had cured his worry with Stacey Chillingworth's soft, pink lips. Just yesterday, a few rounds in the Room of Requirement with some unnameable Slytherin girl had chased away all his worries about that blackmailing bitch Bellatrix Black. A woman's body could cure so many things.

Which is what he was doing now, if you were so curious. The present conundrum on his mind was his younger brother, Rabastan. The little prat. Rabastan could scarcely contain his discontent. One would think that Rod was feeling guilty. That Rod blamed himself for being a poor brother all these years, for not guiding the younger Lestrange in his journey through adolescence, whatever. But that was not the case. In true, arrogant Rodolphus fashion, Rod was angry that Rab had gone off and successfuly found himself a girlfriend. All these years, Rod had prided himself on being the handsome brother, the charming brother, the one that all the girls practically stalked with their affections, daydreamed about in the sanctity of their beds. But here was his little bro, swaggering in with a beautiful girl on his arms. And Rab had the audacity to come to him for advice? Admittedly, that Echoes girl would shag a rock if it were anatomically possible. He had had his rooster in her hen house not long back, in fact. Even still, Rod was beginning to wonder if there would be competition between him and his brother, now.

Never one to let stress best him, however, Rab had sought out any available girl that was willing to spare him a few minutes of kindness. The girl in question was Sofia Varban, a German girl with beautiful blonde hair and blue eyes. Unfortunately, the girl was a Ravenclaw, but he had been looking on short notice, and he wasn't in the mood to re-visit old flames. He wanted something new and different, as if to prove to himself that he had nothing to be worried about regarding Rabastan, the apparently budding Casanova.

His hands were coiled in the lengths of her hair, admiring the smell of lavender from her perfume. In a few short moment, the two of them would be off to the Room of Requirement, and he could forget all about that insipid twit of a brother of his.

Suddenly, a loud crash caught his attention and Rod spun around on his heel, looking over to see who the culprit was. Well, well, if it wasn't Integra Echoes herself, looking lovely and angry as always. A smirk appeared on his lips, nearly forgetting about Sofia Varban. Nearly. Turning back to look at her, Rod urged her away with a flick of his hand. "Run along now, Sofia, love. I'll catch up with you in a bit." He wouldn't, but she was a mere fourth year and he didn't much care about her, anyway.

When the girl was gone, he slowly approached Integra, reminding himself that it was best to approach wild, rabid beasts slowly. "If it isn't Integra Echoes, the girlfriend of my sweet, dear brother, and the woman I was most anxiously looking for." He flashed that toothy grin of his, wondering what the volatile Integra would have in store for him. A hot, sweaty exchange of saliva in the Slytherin dormitories, no doubt.

The word tantrum didn't fully capture Integra's present state of mind. Apocalypse was more appropriate. Literally, walls were crumbling in the face of her wrath, and Rodolphus found himself momentarily awed by the sheer power of it. It occurred to him then that this girl had a fury that could rival and possibly even surprass that of Bellatrix Black. After witnessing it in the Room of Requirement, that was saying something. A stone came hurdling his way, and Rod moved swiftly to the side. As he looked at her, his thoughts went back to his earlier conversation with his brother.

Throughout his life, he'd never been especially jealous of anyone, or at least only over trivial things. Like when he was five and Rabastan had gotten more presents than he that Christmas. Or like the time his third year when a mate of his had gone on a trip around the world and was bragging about it all year long. He'd been jealous when Amycus Carrow had snogged what's-her-name from the Dueling Club before he, and he'd been mildly jealous when Olivia Falston crooned another wanker's name whilst Rod was shagging her. Yet, all in all, these things had been minor things, petty insecurities. And of all the people to be jealous of, Rodolphus certainly didn't want Rabastan to be that person. Yet here he was, suddenly coveting what his younger brother already had.

Sure, it was common knowledge that Integra would shag anyone and anything. The two of them had shared intimacies in the past. Several times, in fact. Of course, the fling hadn't meant anything to either one of them. It was just something to pass the time, something to keep them entertained. Even now, Rod had no desire whatsoever to become seriously involved with this girl. Somehow though, it drove Rod to the brink of insanity that his brother could lay claims to something that had one been Rod's. He didn't like the challenge that his brother posed. The little git had even joined the House Quidditch team! As a Chaser, no less. Rod bristled at the thought.

As Integra appearead to regain her composure, Rod smiled his arrogant smile. "What do I want with you? Bend over and I'll show you." Real charmer. A light laugh escaped his lips and he shook his head. "In complete seriousness, I was just talking to my baby brother. He filled me in on your recent waltz down Lovers Lane, and it just got me thinking about our own... escapades. Don't tell me you never think about it." Sod Rabastan Lestrange. The only one around here who would be shagging Miss Echoes would be him.

A mixture of longing and nostalgia crossed his face as he thought about Integra and all the delightful times they'd shared together. She was, without a doubt, one of his better shags. Raw. Unbidden. Almost as animalistic as himself, which was saying something. They had become formally acquainted and soon after procreated during his fifth year. It wasn't long after that before they became unaccustomed to spending nights in one another's beds... and other places. He'd be lying if he said he didn't think back to those very memorable moments. There had been nothing but lust between them; nothing more, nothing less, and their relationship had pretty much stayed the same since then. Until now, at least. As he stood before her now, she was exactly the same as she'd always been, the wild, untamable girl that lived for her desires. It was these facets of her that had drawn Rodolphpus to her in the first place. Admittedly, it didn't take much to catch Rod's eyes, but he would always hold a certain amount of respect and attraction to her. It still wounded him, in the mildest sense, that his lousy brother had managed bed this bird.

Rodolphus drew nearer to her, rolling his shoulders back casually. A smirk was on his face, that dark hair of his hanging in a disheveled fashion across his forehead. "Well don't act so repulsed, Integra. You know as well as I do that I'm the best you've ever had," No room for modesty here. "Don't pretend otherwise. In point of fact, if you wanted to make another go of it..." Reaching out his arm, he dragged the tips of his fingers down her exposed shoulder, raising a brow suggestively.

Looking at her now, it still boggled his mind to no end that she'd chosen to hang her broomstick next to Rab's. Not necessarily over Rodolphus, as he had never made the offer. But the facts remained the same. Apparently she had seen something in his little brother that she decided was worth sticking around for. What was that? Rod knew if he didn't get the information out of her he would likely hex himself in the foot. He couldn't stand the idea that his brother was becoming the mini Casanova. There was only room for one of those around here.

He needed to get down to business, however. "Actually," Rod began rather cheerily. "We did have a very interesting chat. Braided each other's hair. Kissed photos of Rian Lewis. Him in that Quidditch uniform... whew! You know, the usual brother-bonding routine. And my baby brother may have mentioned something about not having enough man in him to satisfy an insatiable animal like you." Slowly and deliberately, he leaned his mouth centimeters from her ear, lowering his voice to a mere whisper. "He described you, verbatim, as being overboard'."

Her immediate reaction delighted him to no end, that explosion of anger mixed with betrayal. But then almost as quickly as it had happened, Integra collected herself, behaving as if the infraction had never occurred. Inwardly, Rod was disappointed; disappointed that his jab hadn't been greeted with a stronger, lasting reaction. The unfortunate part was, Rodolphus had been telling the truth, in spite of his reputation that suggested he did otherwise. He realized then he would just have to dig a little deeper to get what he was after. Smiling to mask his frustration, Rod cocked his head to one side. He listened to her intently, waiting for something to come up that he could use against her.

Then a unique expression crossed his face, one of amusement with a dash of disbelief. He grinned, holding back a laugh. "I may be thick in some places, Integra, as I'm sure you remember, but my head isn't one of them." He chose to ignore her not-so-convincing retort that he was merely high-ranking in the scheme of her lovers, rather than the alpha he suggested himself to be. Stepping back, he placed his hands in his pockets. It felt appropriate to give her some space. Let her come to him. "You don't really expect me to believe that the virginal wallflower blew your mind in the sack, do you? He can scarcely look at himself naked much less please a woman."

It took all his power to not scoff at the absurd notion that his brother in any way possessed a sexual prowess Rodolphus did not. Honestly, how much of a git did she think he was? In the back of his mind, though, the less fearless, the less cavalier part of him dared to wonder if what she said was the truth. Rod had no doubt that his brother was still a virgin. When Rabastan had come to him, he was sincere and absolute in his insecurities. Admittedly, Rod had laughed his younger brother off as if he were nothing but an insignificant bug. But even after all their years of estrangement, Rod knew his brother, and he knew his brother had been telling the truth. What bothered Rod in this instance was that he wasn't as good as he made himself out to be. Perhaps she was humoring him and he wasn't even in the top ranks, as she had put it. Rod usually didn't put much in self-reflection. He was rarely one to examine his faults, or fears, and all that ninny rubbish. Rodolphus was confident and self-assured. He didn't have doubts or worries. But here was this high-and-mighty bitch with one too many tricks up her sleeve instilling uncertainty in him.

His face remained non-chalant as always though, giving away nothing. Suddenly he laughed, finding complete amusement in the situation. She was just dying to know all the gory details, wasn't she? Rod shook his head in mock disapproval. "You're showing too much of your hand, darling. But I'll indulge you. I have no doubt that you exceeded his expectations, pet, though I'm seriously doubting that he's given you the hanky panky. Which is why I must ask, why are you even with him? He can't be worth your time." He pursed his lips, cocked his head to the side, and then sighed. "But I digress. You wanted to know what he said, right? Well, how about we play a little game. For each piece of my conversation with Rab I share with you, you tell me one thing you like about him, and one thing you don't like about him."

Rod narrowed his eyes as he thought on her question. What exactly had he said to Rab? "Well, memory is a funny thing. But I may have let it slip that me and you used to be quite cozy together. He took it... rather poorly. Surprising considering he knows who I am." Rod shrugged his shoulders and then added matter-of-factly, "Now, when are we going to get to the shagging part of this conversation?"

Poison. Integra smelled like poison when she leaned into him, her slight body just a whisper against him. It was her signature fragrance, one he was more than familiar with after their numerous romps. Once, she had sprayed his pillowcase with that fragrance. So you'll ache for me when I'm away, she had said with a sly smile. And he had told her that he didn't need a silly perfume in order to want her. As she stood there though, he was beginning to realize how seductive that scent of hers was. He guessed she was more than aware of this. Integra knew just what kind of power she had over men. They were puppets in her claws. That was probably why two of them had fared so well together. They were just using each other the whole time. Nothing more. Nothing less.

Rodolphus could have given in then, could have taken her in his arms and slid his tongue into her wanting mouth. He knew that was what she was trying to get him to do. She was trying to get under his skin till he couldn't resist her any longer. They had danced this dance so many times, he had the steps memorized. Integra was so close to him, baiting him with lies about how just irresistible his hopeless brother was. Cupping her supple breasts? Rod very much doubted that. Hands in his pockets, Rod leaned in toward her, lips closer to hers. Instead of kissing her though, his mouth veered toward her ear. He breathed on the sensitive skin there for just a moment. "You smell that?" he murmured darkly. He took in a deep breath. "Smells like desperation." With that, he pulled away abruptly, stepping a few paces away from her.

"Interesting," he began with a slow tilt to his voice. "But ultimately, unimpressive. I'll be the first to admit that touching your, as you say, 'supple breasts,' is sufficiently exhilerating. But, I can't say I would've done the same thing if I were in my baby brother's shoes. You want to know?" He arched a brow, and for once, wasn't smirking. In fact, he appeared to be quite serious. "I would have dragged my tongue all over your body, just so you'd feel the warmth of my breath on your bare skin, just to feel you tremble beneath me. I would've ridden you like a thoroughbred till your body broke and cracked, and you'd beg me to hurt you a little bit more, all because I could." A momentary pause. "But, I guess you wouldn't have liked that. You're all hot for Rab and his inexperienced hands now... right, Integra?" He was teasing her, just daring her to disagree with him. He'd slept with this woman a countless number of times. He knew what she liked. He knew what set her body on fire. She didn't really think he'd forgotten, did she?

Rodolphus turned his back to her, hands behind his back. He walked back and forth for a few moments, mulling over the thoughts in his head. Per the instructions of his game, it was his turn. However, Integra wasn't playing nicely so neither would he. His eyes fixed on a tapestry on the opposing wall, - a tapestry of Celtic origin featuring a traditional unicorn hunt; a virgin sitting under a tree, luring the innocent creature to her, as hunters hid in the bushes - Rodolphus refused to look at her. There was a slight edge to his voice as he spoke. "Sadly, my brother's intelligence leaves something to be desired. Conversation with him is always a bit of a chore, to the point I find my mind wandering just a little bit. But, he did say that he was worried he wouldn't know what to do with your breasts since they're very akin to a little boy before he hits puberty." It was a lie, of course, but since when was Rod the honest type?

He turned on his heel to face her then, jaw clenched slightly. "Now, tell me something real this time. Not that rubbish you gave me earlier."

ooc // let me know if you want me to get rid of that bit about the perfume. Also... sorry about the lame-ness of this post. Rod just isn't working for me tonight.

“You love him.” Rodolphus realized aloud. It wasn't a question, just a statement that Rod barely registered until it was spoken. He dropped his gaze from hers, brow knitted together and his mouth tightened in an emotion that was stuck somewhere between disgust and self-pity. It wouldn't have been obvious to anyone else, but when she spoke about her adoration for Rab's malice and hate, or the taste of blood from his lips, Rodolphus knew she meant it. Those characteristics might not have been the most conventional signs of love, but Integra Echoes had never been very conventional. How had she managed it, he wondered, loving Rabastan Lestrange?

His incomprehension in this regard, his inability to connect with and understand such a basic human emotion, was a source of endless frustration for him. Secretly, anyway. It wasn't to say that Rod was a sociopath, for he had the occasional emotion, perhaps even liked the odd person or thing. But the simple truth of it was that he'd never once managed to be in love. He had always been taken with people in general; he found most of them enticing, amusing, particular individuals more so than others. It was those rare people that ended up being the ones whose company he sought, but that was all that motivated him: pure instinct. He'd accumulated many a fling over the years. His sexual prowess was legendary, even. At least among the hallowed halls of Hogwarts. But that was all they were: flings. Always intense, always memorable (Rodolphus loved and left, but he never forgot), but equally brief things that ended where his interest did, as it always did. There was never anything lasting to them, and Rod had never wanted them to last, to begin with.

He supposed it might have something to do with his aversion to ever being stuck standing still. He was energetic, an extrovert, constantly on the move, and easily distracted. Whatever the reason, Rodolphus Lestrange was, and always would be, alone. He could be in a crowd full of people, but he would always be alone.

Something dark glinted in his steely gaze then. He looked Integra up and down, eyes trailing down the slope of her neck, admiring the curve of her waist, lingering on her breasts, and finally traveling down to her thin legs. He had looked upon her beauty so many times, he could hardly count them all. But here she was, boasting of his younger brother. She loved Rabastan. She didn't even need to say it, and it infuriated Rodolphus. Suddenly, he gripped her hard on the shoulder and pulled her toward him. There was no hesitation, no second-guessing. His lips were on hers, fingers entangled in her dark hair. She was his. Even if for such a second.

All of a sudden, their games were over. Rodolphus wasn't laughing anymore. Neither was Integra. Yes. I do. she had said, and all Rodolphus wanted to do was catch those words while they were still hanging in the air and shove them back down her throat from whence they came. He hated her for saying such a thing. Just hated her. Every fiber in his being knew that it was true, though. That Rabastan Lestrange held her heart and no one else. But that cruel, dark part of him had hoped that she'd deny it. Prove him wrong. He was still waiting for her to prove him wrong, to kiss him and touch him the way she used to. She used to be able to set his entire body on fire in a way that few people ever had. Sure, their exchanges had been purely physical, a business transaction. Yet he longed for them still. Integra Echoes was irreplaceable. They could have them again, couldn't they? Sod her love for Rabastan. It wasn't love Rodolphus was after.

A coy smile flickered on his face briefly, then. Not because he was happy, but because he recognized a formerly unknown truth in her words. And it was a groundbreaking discovery. “Rabastan doesn't know, does he?” Though he phrased it as a question, Rod didn't need an answer. He already knew it. What an interesting turn of events! Integra, of all people, had fallen for Rabastan Lestrange, and the sad bloke wasn't even aware of it. Remarkable, indeed. Perhaps there was still a game or two to be played yet.

What would Rabastan do should he discover little Teggy's unconditional love for him? Not even Rodolphus' vivid imagination could concoct an appropriate response. Perhaps he'd run away from it all, pretend she hadn't said those words to begin with. Break her heart. That's what most blokes would do, anyway. He could laugh callously and incredulously in her face. Rodolphus could imagine the twisted contort of his brother's face if he heard those words spoken to him; perplexed. Or if he had a lick of sense, he would do what Rodolphus did in such a situation: milk it. Women had told Rodolphus a countless number of times that they loved him, had never loved anyone the way they loved him. And the feeling that arrived shortly after was overwhelming. It was gratifying to know that he had such power over them. How stupid they were. Such witless lambs. Then he would take them to bed and use every ounce of his power, and persuasion, and advantage against them. It worked every time.

He and Integra's kiss had been short-lived, but it had been no less electric than the last time they kiss. She inspired an inferno within him, a fire that failed to die out. His fingers dug into the softness of her skin, teeth scraping against her lips, his muscular body pressed against her smaller one. His heart was racing a thousand miles an hour, refusing to stop. As quick as it all happened though, she pushed him off of her; defiant. Rodolphus gasped for a breath at this gesture. Truthfully, he shouldn't have been surprised as he was by her resistance, but he was. He had hoped that his kiss could make things go back to the way they were, make her forget about this ridiculous love of hers. It would only destroy her. Didn't she know that?

Reaching for her again, Rod ran his hands through her hair, whispering in her ear. “No, no, no, no...” he pleaded. Rodolphus had never begged before, had never reduced himself to something so pathetic. Girls pleaded to be with him. Not the other way around. But he needed this. He needed her touch, her empty affections. Who else would give them to him? Bellatrix? Joram? One of the many faceless girls on his to-do list? Pressing his hand to the back of her neck, Rod kissed her again, willing her to stay in his arms.