He had not expected this. He had always known Bellatrix preferred women, so it was hardly surprising that once Rodolphus was dead she had married one. Given how little she liked her former husband (it was only his word and the might of the aging Lord Lestrange that had stayed her wand) it wasn’t too surprising she would focus on the young woman who had killed Rod. Granted, that they wed so quickly was surprising, but Bellatrix was nothing if not seductive and impulsive. Most teenagers were too, he recalled. Any concerns he had about the girl’s loyalty were washed away when she asked if she could kill Dumbledore. The battle lines were clear, after all. It was him and his Death Eaters against Dumbledore, Potter, and the Order of the Phoenix. Bellatrix’s wife sided with him, bringing with her the support of a variety of Irish and Welsh families and wealth rivaling even the Blacks and Malfoys.