HP - Shadow Monarch - Chapter 237 - A Date with Bellatrix.

[Chapter Size: 2000 Words.]
Third Person POV

New York.
...

...

Severus and Bellatrix were at a restaurant on one of the top floors of the tallest buildings in the city.

While the place was entirely luxurious, only very wealthy wizards and Muggles could get a table there. And money hadn’t been a problem for Severus in a long time.

Either way, wearing a tuxedo, he was savoring his wine—worth over ten thousand dollars—smoothly.

Muggle money wouldn’t be a problem either, even if the place accepted magical currency, he already had money in his name in the largest banks in the world, allowing him to pay for anything around the globe.

He noticed Bellatrix also drinking her wine while staring at him.

Severus smiled.
“What are you thinking?” he asked.

She seemed a little hesitant, taking a sip and turning her attention to him, while he swirled his glass in a circle, making the wine spin gently.

‘He’s so charming.’ Bellatrix couldn’t help but be even more enchanted by Severus.
“I’m just a little surprised,” she began to say. “Like, this is better than any outing we ever had in Hogsmeade. It’s the first time I’ve been on a date...” she said, her face flushed.

Next to them was a restaurant window left open, offering a wide view of the entire city of New York, which was lively and bright, as always, that night.

Severus had chosen the best spot in the restaurant for that.

He smiled upon hearing it.
“I’m glad you liked it. I admit this is also my first real date.” Severus laughed.

He really hadn’t gone out with anyone like this—at least, not in this life. As a Guardian, he had been to a few restaurants on romantic dates in some worlds, though it never led to anything deeper. His job made sure to forbid that.

“Really? Not even with Rosaria?” Bellatrix couldn’t help but ask. She was certain he had gone out with Rosaria a few times. She was a 200-year-old woman, she should have some experience with this and must have dragged Severus into a date, since that kind of thing was so fun for Bella.

Little did she know Rosaria was as inexperienced as she was, even with her long life.

“Honestly, I never really went on a date with Rosaria,” he replied.
Even though they had fooled around a lot at Hogwarts and even in Hogsmeade, reinforcing the rumors spread by the students, with her having an affair with the professor.

“That’s unexpected,” Bellatrix murmured, then opened a mischievous smile.

“So that means your rivalry with Rosaria is more important than being with me? I’ll be upset.” Severus couldn’t help but tease.

“Don’t be silly. Can’t I have a moment of triumph?” she said, laughing at the corners.

Severus just shook his head and brought the wine to his lips again.

It was at that moment that the waiters began bringing their order—a seafood dish.

“Bon appétit,” Severus said after the staff left, leaving only Bellatrix and Severus.

"You know, you're a weird guy," Bellatrix couldn’t help but say as they ate and enjoyed their wine.

Severus raised an eyebrow.
"Really? Where’s that coming from?" he asked.

"Well, let’s see... you were basically a nonexistent person until the beginning of last year. I didn’t even know you," she murmured.

"I’m not surprised, Bella," he said calmly and without offense.
"I was pretty unsociable. Hung around with Avery and Mulciber," he said.

"Huh? You're that scrawny kid?" Bellatrix couldn’t help but make a face at Severus, while he just shrugged.

"You could say that," he said.

"I remember there was a rumor about you fighting with a Muggle friend... you were also skinny and mocked a lot by the pure-blood circles..." she murmured, still seeming surprised.

"I can’t deny I was in that situation..." Severus admitted.
"But your sister knew me, at least," Severus chuckled, taking another sip of wine, before the system began to open, informing him that he wouldn’t get drunk, which was a bit disappointing.

But at least he could enjoy the taste, which was very good.

"I’m quite surprised by how much you’ve changed. Doesn’t even seem like you... That weird boy would’ve never slapped me," she said at the end after hearing Severus.

"Things changed. I remember you also being a grim-faced woman who cursed anyone— even Lestrange when he wanted to be your fiancé. And look at you now, so beautiful and well-behaved... almost like a girl a man would want to marry..." Severus said, before receiving a death glare from Bellatrix.

"Are you saying I’m usually ugly and misbehaved?" she teased.

"I’m not saying that, but I like you better like this. After all, you’re my fiancée. I’d like to have a gentle wife," he said, making her heart pound more than she’d like to admit.

"Good thing people change, then," she said in the end, trying to sound indifferent and failing to keep her eyes off him.

Severus found it amusing— the fearsome Bellatrix turning into a lovestruck girl.

"Anyway, I have something for you. Something I arranged and it arrived today," Severus said, as he pulled out a small box, placing it on the table and pressing the top to open it, revealing a ring.

"A ring?" Bellatrix, though she found it beautiful, looked confused.

"This is a Muggle tradition, to say you're already engaged. I know it has nothing to do with our magical custom among pure-bloods, but I wanted to give it to you as a gift," he said and didn’t even wait for a response from Bellatrix as he took the ring from the box and extended his other hand toward hers, lifting her finger and sliding it on.

Bellatrix reached out her hand to him, examining the ring. She couldn’t help but smile.

"It’s beautiful... thank you," she said softly, and Severus nodded, returning the smile to her. He was glad she didn’t seem offended by it being a Muggle tradition, even though she was an avid follower of the traditional customs of the great families.

She looked at him again, and Bellatrix couldn’t help but feel a continuous attraction to those blue eyes, which used to be black before.

Dinner continued as Severus ordered another bottle of wine. Bellatrix didn’t want to overdo it, so she didn’t drink much more. Severus, on the other hand, calmly drank the other bottle, just for the taste, without getting drunk.

He asked for the check, and the waiter brought it a moment later. He pulled out a check, signed it in his name, spending over $50,000 that night, and left it on the table as he asked Bellatrix to accompany him.

“I want to go to the bathroom first,” she said, and Severus waited for her.

That’s when, upon entering the restroom, she saw a Muggle woman doing her makeup—she was as beautiful as a Muggle model, but Bellatrix didn’t know who she was because she never cared about Muggle beauty magazines.

But she had to wait for the woman to leave. She already wanted to use a spell for a few things and needed to take out her wand, and she didn’t refrain from giving the woman a strange look. After all, she didn’t like makeup—thought it was excessive.

So seeing a Muggle doing that was a bit strange.

The woman noticed her look and turned to Bellatrix.
"Hi... You’re such a beautiful woman... I saw you with that man by the window view... He’s young, I presume he’s an heir, who is he?" the woman asked, immediately interested.

Bellatrix went from a strange expression to a dark glare the moment the woman asked about Severus in front of her.

"None of your business," Bellatrix growled, disliking the woman’s interest in Severus. It felt very intrusive and offensive to her.

"Sorry about that..." the woman immediately backed off, looking a little surprised, until her gaze fell on the ring on Bellatrix’s finger—it had diamonds in it.
"It’s just... you’re so lucky. You’re engaged to him?! That’s kind of unfair... While you’re with a young hunk, I have to go out with an old guy with a belly... just because he’s a millionaire," she said, but Bellatrix’s continuing stare made her shrink even more.

She immediately left the place, thinking that woman was crazy.

Bellatrix just sighed, took out her wand, and started cleaning her mouth, not wanting to have any breath after eating and drinking.

She checked her appearance and adjusted it with a few other simple spells before leaving the restroom and seeing Severus waiting for her—but he was saying goodbye to someone, a woman, and Bellatrix could tell they were wizards too as she approached.

The woman from the bathroom was returning to one of the tables and sat with a Muggle man in a suit, with the belly she had described. She smiled at him and tried to look pretty—it was pure fakery, and Bellatrix found her disgusting because of it.

Severus once again observed the city through the glass at the exit and returned to her with a smile.

"Shall we?" he asked, and she nodded as they went to the elevator.

Severus pressed a button, but it wasn’t the same one they had used to come up.

"Where are we going?" she asked, seeing the elevator going up.

"I met with the American wizard while you were in the bathroom. He told me there's a way to Apparate on the top floor, and there's also a fireplace, along with some tips for places we could visit in the city," Severus explained, as she nodded.

"I see," was all she said.

When the elevator opened, they stepped into the hallway but headed straight outside as they began to ascend. The city glowed around them as they reached the rooftop.

"Are we going back to England?" she asked, once again having her arm intertwined with his.

Severus looked at her.
"Only if you want to," he suggested, seeing that her tone had a hint of disappointment.

"I don’t have a time to return," was all she said.

"Then come with me," he said, walking straight to the fireplace, casting the Floo Powder.

They emerged in a hotel overlooking the sea, on one of the tips of Manhattan Island.

After a brief conversation with the reception, they got the best room.

Bellatrix seemed excited upon seeing the view of the sea at night when entering. In her opinion, it was better than the view from the restaurant they had been in earlier.

"It’s beautiful," she said, turning to him.

She couldn’t help but notice the bed as she turned to Severus. That made her feel a little nervous and excited, blushing in front of him.

"I’m glad you liked it. And, if you don’t want to, I won’t force you to do anything," he said softly, as he embraced her waist with both hands.

Her hand immediately went to his chest.
"And if I want to?" she asked, in a shy tone.

"Then I’ll have to grant your wish, milady," Severus said, bringing his face close as he began to kiss her.

Bellatrix welcomed his touch and quickly wrapped her hands around his neck, pulling him harder for a more aggressive and passionate kiss—after all, her nature was more intense.

Severus wanted to laugh as he kept kissing her for a while, before moving to her neck, making her shiver and let out a small moan.

It was then that she pushed him onto the bed, continuing the kisses, moving to caresses, as her hand went to his clothes, trying to undress him. Severus had to unbutton his shirt, revealing his chest, with Bellatrix making sure to check out his muscles, touching them with her hands while she was practically already spread open for him.

"To think that skinny boy would turn out so hot," she murmured, and he only responded with a smile, going back to kissing her as he began removing her clothes too.

Their night would end up quite heated.

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Raccoon here:
I was going to put a $100,000 wine, but in 1977 inflation was several times lower... so I thought it was too much.