Author's Note: This is another Rodolphus/Bellatrix fiction. It takes place mainly in Azkaban, it's about half Rodolphus' point of view and half Bellatrix's. Please enjoy and I would really really really appreciate a review, so please if you have any thoughts, constructive criticism or otherwise, leave a review.
Disclaimer: I do not own any other character's that appear in the following story, the character's belong to JK Rowling.
She was like a skeleton. She had never been a large person, in fact she'd always been slight, but she was skin and bone now. She looked as though she hadn't eaten in days, then again, he supposed she hadn't. He remembered how she used to love butterbeer and mince pies with brandy butter at Christmas time, or pumpkin juice and watermelon in the summer. He watched her all day and most of the night until sleep engulfed him. He couldn't stand seeing her like that. Her skin that was once so smooth and milky white now had a greyish look and was covered with dirt. Her once soft lips were cracked and bleeding. He cherished memories of nights in on the sofa kissing her lips for hours holding her in his arms, he missed it so much. She just stared back at him, but they never spoke.
It was summer, the weather was beautiful, it was warm out and there was a light breeze. Twenty year old Bellatrix Black was dressed in a long white corset gown with a cotton skirt and lace sleeves. The hem and corset of the gown was embroidered with black flowers and leaves. Her hair for once was sleek and shiny in loose curls pinned back with decorative white roses. It was her wedding day. A She walked down the aisle arm in arm with her father towards Rodolphus who was smiling at her as he stood next to his best man; Malfoy, who was engaged to her younger sister Narcissa. Rodolphus felt like the luckiest man alive. He and Bellatrix had met on their first day at Hogwarts. They became friends immediately. He remembered spending the whole of his first summer holiday back at home telling his mother how he wanted to marry the eldest Black sister, she had laughed, proud that at just twelve her son had already recognised a fine girl from a upstanding, respected pureblood family that he wanted to marry, she had contacted the Blacks immediately and they had eagerly agreed to meet with the Lestranges. Now eight years later, he watched as his beautiful bride walked towards him ready to spend the rest of her life with him. Her chocolate brown eyes seemed to be sparkling with joy. Her eyes were filled with love and emotion, it was like they were smiling, her eyes were so alive. She was perfection, the love of his life.
Rodolphus's eyes filled with tears as he remembered his wedding day. He loved her eyes most because they had always matched her personality. He knew most people saw her as cold, cruel, sadistic and insane, but with him she had always been warm and gentle. She was happy, she laughed at jokes he made, not pain. She had been loving and her eyes had always shown this. But now her eyes looked empty and dull. They held no emotion, it was as if they were dead, like her mind was absent, he would have believed it was if it wasn't for the tears that soaked her cheeks.
She remembered how his mop of thick dark hair used to be shiny and soft. She didn't need to touch it now to know it was now course and greasy. It was covered with dirt and sweat. She used to love to run her fingers through his hair, it used to make him laugh. She could see how thin he was getting. When he was allowed to change his prison uniform; once every two weeks, she noticed how she could count his ribs and saw his collar bone sharply sticking out against his skin. She could remember running her hands down his muscular chest, she could hardly bare to see him reduced to almost nothing. She could see the scars on his now weakened arms from where he had fought against the aurors when they were first caught. She remembered seeing the scars when they were fresh wounds, deep and bleeding from fighting against chains that had encased his arms. She missed the way he used to hold her in those arms as she fell asleep. She missed him.
Snow lay thick on the ground, the air was cold, but the sky was an uncharacteristic brilliant blue, the snowflakes seemed to sparkle under the sun that was shining despite the cold weather. Hogsmeade looked like a fairytale as the two fifth years walked side by side through the village. Bellatrix was silently pleased, she and Rodolphus has been best friends since first year but had never yet been romantically involved. She had suspicions that her parents and his parents had agreed to an arranged marriage, though her parents had not mentioned it to her. Bellatrix had wanted to move forward with Rodolphus for a long time and though they often went to Hogsmeade in the same group, until now he had never asked her to go with him alone. He led her to the Three Broomsticks, ordered each of them a butterbeer and they sat down at a quiet table in the corner. He took a swig of butterbeer and smiled at her, that charming smile she was so familiar with, her heart skipped a beat when he smiled like that though she'd never admit it.
"Bella, we've been friends since first year, best friends right?" he began.
"Right" Bella agreed, trying not to smile too much like she was expecting something.
"So anyway, it's just that er, the Christmas ball is coming up and I was wondering if perhaps, maybe, would you go to the ball with me?" he asked her.
"Go to the ball? With you?" she smiled.
"Well er, only if you want to of course." He said beginning to look down for fear she would decline his offer.
"Want to? Rod I would love to!" she grinned at him, leaning over the table and kissing his cheek.
"What really?" Rodolphus said excitement clear on his face.
"Really." She laughed.
"Well great, great." Rodolphus said. His eyes lit up. She was transfixed by the way his deep brown orbs filled with happiness. He was delighted. Bellatrix had been attracted to Rodolphus ever since the beginning of second year, but that day she noticed he was beautiful.
Tears spilled from her eyes as she remembered the happiness she saw in his eyes that day in Hogsmeade. She had seen the happiness in his eyes so many times after that, as they danced at the Christmas ball, at their engagement party, on their wedding day...But now his eyes were no longer showing any of that happiness or any emotion at all. His eyes looked somehow darker and dull. She missed the eyes that used to look at her and seem to smile, they eyes that made her feel so loved. She could see no feeling in his eyes now, she would have thought he had no feelings if it wasn't for the single tear that trickled down his face, the first of many.
The married couple sat in their separate cells in Azkaban, watching the others' dying eyes, the only sign of life were the tears they cried. It was impossible to read the exact emotions, perhaps because they both felt numb. Each of them were hoping against hope that the other still loved them, not knowing the one thing they were desperate for was just about the only thing the other could still feel, but their eyes could no longer speak.