Name: ReillyJade (Signed) · Date: 14 Jan 2018 07:07 PM · For: Chapter 1

Hi there! Dropping in for BvB. :)

 

Your summary sets this up to be a depressing, maddenning tale (which it is lol), but there's also this oddly romantic layer to it that I wasn't expecting. There are countless fics out there about the love stories of those on the light side, but rarely do we think about the romantic troubles of those on the dark side. We (and by we, I mean the fandom in general), tend to view those on the dark side as only caring about total domination and not really having room for much else. You totally flipped that on it's head, and for that I applaud you. You humanized the dark side (Rodolphus, at least), and that's a very rare thing to see.

 

It's weird for me to feel a twinge of sympathy for a murderer, yet here I am. Unrequited love sucks, villain or not, but it's even worse when the person you're married to is very obviously in love with your "boss." I like the way you wrote Rodolphus as looking for anything he could grasp onto as a connection between him and Bellatrix. That desperation is very realistic. Many people who've dealt with unrequited love have felt that yearning for any sort of connection with the person their pining for. (Though hopefully for regular people, that connection isn't their inner killers. XD) 

 

Favorite line: "She hadn't been crazy before, just... sadistic." This was the line that, despite me feeling a teeny bit sorry for Rodolphus, reminded me that he's still an evil, murderous lunatic. The fact that he doesn't equate sadistic with crazy tells us everything we need to know about him. Yes, he may be dealing with the same love issues the rest of the world does, but he's still insane. He still deserves every bit of torment he gets in that cell.

 

Excellent job with this, love! 

 

Cheers,

Reilly

 

Name: justawillowtree (Signed) · Date: 18 Dec 2017 10:40 PM · For: Chapter 1

This depiction of an unhealthy, obsessive, loveless marriage was written beautifully. The narration from Rodolphus Lestrange's point of view was something different and unique, and seeing his take on his relationship with Bellatrix Lestrange was really interesting.

 

I'd never really considered what Bellatrix Lestrange's husband would feel knowing her obsession with the Dark Lord. In fact, I really can't remember him being an integral part of the Death Eaters in the original novels, so he's really a very minor character. I thought that his obsession with her in this fic, to the point where he was able to somewhat delude himself into believing in love, was captured really well. Not to mention it's a very fitting headcanon that matches the dark tone related to Death Eaters.

 

Really great job with this!

Name: Rumpelstiltskin (Signed) · Date: 08 Dec 2017 10:46 PM · For: Chapter 1

Hello!

 

This is kinda sweet, in a twisted and dark way! The idea that Rodolphus is so madly in love with his wife (which is very fitting as they are both vehemently adoring followers of Voldemort) that he calls it an obsession is sorta touching, especially considering that he knows that she might not really love him at all. As he is slowly losing the battle of staying sane in the wake of the Dementors at Azkaban, it's sorta sad that he has to watch his wife slipping down the slope to insanity. It's also quite sad that the only way Rodolphus could convince Bellatrix to eat to survive was to remind her that she couldn't die there because she had to serve Voldemort, because it appears that Voldemort is who Bellatrix actually loves, not her husband in what she deems is a sham of a marriage. I'm torn because I feel bad for Rodolphus when the Lestranges are killers and torturers, it's just the sole fact that he is so in love that I feel for him!

 

Anyway, wonderful job!

 

-Rumpels

Name: TreacleTart (Signed) · Date: 08 Dec 2017 08:29 PM · For: Chapter 1

Hey THere! 

 

Just thought I'd drop by and leave you a quick review! I love everything to do with Bellatrix, so I knew I had to read this story! 

 

I was actually pleasantly surprised that this was more about Rudolphous than Bella. It's rare to find stories from his POV, so I thought that was a nice change. We never really learn much about his character in cannon, so this sort of helped flesh him out a bit. 

 

In a weird, twisted sort of way, I actually thought it was really sweet just how devoted Rudolphus is to Bellatrix. It's clear she doesn't really love him, but he still seems to love her regardless. It makes sense too! I'd think among blood purists, she'd be a great prize for a wife. I mean she is certainly loyal to the Dark Lord above all else. 

 

I thought that Rudolphus' reminder to Bellatrix about the Dark Lord needing her was an interesting tactic to get her to eat. It must make him feel pretty terrible to know that his wife won't eat for him, but she will eat out of love for Voldemort. That's pretty twisted.

 

I never thought I'd feel warm fuzzies for Bellatrix/Rudolphus, but you've successfully done it! What skill! Great job on this! 

 

-Kaitlin

Name: Stella Blue (Signed) · Date: 03 Dec 2017 03:20 PM · For: Chapter 1

I never thought I'd say this, but I feel a little sorry for Rodolphus after reading this fic.

 

I loved that you wrote form Rodolphus' POV, as well - he's got to be an interesting character as he's married to Bellatrix Lestrange, but from canon we know remarkably little about him. So I liked what you did here and how you explored their relationship through his eyes. The fact that it was sort of one-sided, with Rodolphus caring a lot more about Bellatrix than she did about him, was sort of unsurprising, in a way. I'm not sure why, but I've never seen her as someone who was particularly enamored of her marriage. Maybe because it did always seem like she had a thing for Voldemort (which I notice you've alluded to in here as well :P )

 

But the way Rodolphus cares for her makes me sympathize for him a bit as he knows his wife doesn't love him as much as he loves her, but his whole time in Azkaban is spent taking care of her and ensuring that she lives. And the fact that as long as he can continue to love her from a distance, he's happy. Poor Rodolphus.

 

It's also very different to see Bellatrix in this weak, vulnerable state while she's in Azkaban, considering she's such a strong, albeit unhinged character otherwise. But even she was no match for the Dementors and I loved that you showed how Rodolphus got her through that. It's also interesting how Bella's obsession with the Dark Lord was what put her into this state, and Rodolphus' obsession with Bellatrix was how he managed to stay (mostly) sane.

 

Altogether a great story! You did wonderful with this, I really enjoyed it.

Name: M C Crocker (Signed) · Date: 02 Dec 2017 06:36 PM · For: Chapter 1

Wow, I love this.  I admittedly have always had a love for the Lestranges, though I happen to fancy Rabastan over Rodolphus.  But I am glad that I'm not the only one who things Rodolphus was smitten with Bellatrix despite her clear adorations for the Dark Lord.  (This love is a point of contention for my headcanon Rabastan.)

Still, despite what my headcanon is and what you have here being different I still very much liked it and I loved how you wrote Rodolphus' feelings on the matter and how despite what he knew to be true fought to keep his wife alive and how he deluded himself that they were connected.  In some ways, I feel like this was his slip into madness. To think that there was a chance that he would be close to the woman he called wife.  Thus it makes it sad in some ways that the denied truth that he pretended not to be, came to be true.

I honestly loved this piece and it was very well done.  Of course, I'm a fan of dark fics but this one certainly hit the sweet spot for me.  Fantastic work.

 

Name: nott theodore (Signed) · Date: 02 Dec 2017 06:02 AM · For: Chapter 1

Hi Olivia!

 

This was such an interesting piece to read.  I don't think I've ever actually read a story that focuses on Rodolphus Lestrange before, and only a few which focus on Bellatrix as the main character.  It was really fascinating to see the exploration of Bellatrix and Rodolphus's relationship here, as well - I've always had the impression (probably from other stories that I've read) that their marriage has been more one of convenience than anything else, but I enjoyed this depiction.

 

It's kind of creepy and strange to think of two people coming together over their love of the Dark Lord and killing and torturing people - like, very strange - but it's really believable for their relationship, and I liked the way that you drew on the things that we know they've done together - like trying to find the Dark Lord again - to build up that image of how they've grown close and their own unique version of marriage.

 

I actually kind of felt some sympathy for Rodolphus?  Which is really strange considering he's a Death Eater and one of Voldemort's staunchest supporters.  But at the same time, I think the way that you showed how Rodolphus cared for Bellatrix - even if it wasn't reciprocated - actually created some sympathy for him.  His thoughts around Bellatrix read more softly than his thoughts of others, and it was really interesting to see that - the way he felt privileged to have been able to marry into the Black family, and the way that he tried to sustain Bellatrix through Azkaban was kind of his way of trying to show his love for her.  

 

Your characterisation of Bellatrix was really interesting, too - I think all we ever see about her in Azkaban is that it makes her even crazier and more bloodthirsty than she had been before, so seeing the more vulnerable side of her, struggling to stay alive and cling onto something when she's locked away with the Dementors, is markedly different and really enjoyable.

 

Sian :)