DISCLAIMER: Harry Potter belongs to JK Rowling.

~ A Certain Cruelty ~

His wife had been stepping out on him for years before Rodolphus ever considered doing the same. He held no ill feelings toward Bellatrix over her... whatever the weird thing she had going on with the Dark Lord was. Their marriage was only for show as they were both sterile, and Rodolphus had never sought "something on the side" because he wasn't particularly interested in meaningless sex with a mistress.

He wasn't looking for anyone to heat the cold spots his wife left both in his bed and in his heart, so it came as a complete surprise to him when he began to notice another woman. His interest was not entirely sexual. Indeed, at first it was not a physical attraction at all, for Alecto Carrow was not much to look at, and seemed not very special in the brains or personality departments at first glance, either.

She possessed a certain cruelty, however, that had depths far beyond Bellatrix's sadistic tendencies.

Yes, the first thing that really caught his attention about Alecto was the power of her Cruciatus Curse, which was by far the strongest one he'd ever known.

~end~