Bellatrix/Rodolphus - A perfect pairing; no love. Colleagues with benefits at best.
"When I give you my time, I'm giving you a portion of my life that I will never get back," she met his eyes seriously, "So don't waste it."
There was something cold about her expression; and something sharp in her voice. There was something that made it clear she was there dutifully and for no other reason. Especially not something as trivial as pleasure. She was far more suited for far many other places, but this was a formality. This was tradition, blood-status, and above all honor. It was no resemblance to a wedding that little girls dreamed of. But Bellatrix had never been a dreamer.
Anything she believed in was always tangible. And if it wasn't, she would make it so. For tonight she would play princess though, because that was what was expected of her. She was well aware she was a stunning presence in her white gown; well aware she would share a passionate kiss with Rodolphus Lestrange at the alter. Anything less would be a disgrace to her family. She understood that. It was more than she could say for some people.
So she would play nice for tonight. She would play pretend and be an ideal pure-blood woman; very passionate but aristocratic and controlled mannered. Something like her youngest sister, if she were to put a name to the role. Bella could play that fine. But only playing. It would never be her.
Her loyalties lied elsewhere, and that needed to be made clear. She expected her fiancée to respect her as much as anyone else. Maybe even more. This was a title; Mrs. Lestrange was nothing more than a title. She would always be true to herself. Herself and her Lord.
It wasn't customary for a bride to see her beloved before the wedding, but she had. And she knew this to him was as much as it was to her; a waste of a few hours of their lives for a reason they simply had to accept. Really, wasn't that what the last twenty years revolved around? But in another light, she was offended. He could wallow in self pity later. He was lucky he was betrothed to her. Lucky. She was so much more than any mortal man deserved.
And it was clear in the way that she wasn't afraid to remind him. It was clear in her smile that was all but happy. And the way she assured herself the position of authority and power. Maybe this is the only thing he'd liked about her all along. Maybe there was more. It couldn't last anyway, because it never started.