Bellatrix sat down on the edge of the bed and looked down at her sleeping husband. Her hand reached out and gently pushed the hair out of his face. A smile spread across her face and she stifled a chuckle as Rodolphus' quiet snores became more audible. The only thing that made being away from Rodolphus bearable was the fact that when she came home, it was as if she was sixteen and falling in love with him for the first time all over again.

She knew as soon as Andromeda and Narcissa showed up at the house earlier in the evening, dressed to the nines, that it was going to be a long night. She'd enjoyed the rare opportunity to see both of her sisters at the same time, but as she sat there watching Rodolphus snore away, Bellatrix couldn't help but feel contented to be back home.

She cherished the moment. It was a rarity that she could watch her husband sleep. He usually waited up for her and made a point of making sure she was exhausted by the time he allowed her rest, but tonight was different. Tonight she'd taken one look at the mischievous looks on her sisters' faces and told him she might not be back until the next morning.

Bellatrix stood carefully, trying not to disturb the man sprawled out on their bed. She pulled off her boots and let down her hair, all the while listening to the nearly inaudible snoring from her lover. She disrobed hastily and walked back over to the bed, taking her place next to Rodolphus after leaning over him quickly and kissing his cheek. By the time she'd pulled back, however, Rodolphus' snores had stopped and he had turned on his side to face her, smiling at her through his exhaustion.

"You're home," he stated. Unless she'd been mistaken, there was a hint of relief in his voice.

Bellatrix smiled at him and took the opportunity to give him a proper kiss. "I couldn't stay away," she replied. She brought her hand up to his face and gently ran her fingers across his untamed beard.

He leaned into her touch and wrapped his arms around Bellatrix, pulling her closer to him, possessively. "I don't like falling asleep without you." He bent his head in and kissed her collarbone gently. She traced a line of kisses down his jaw from his ear to his chin, then pulled his face down to kiss him again.

"If it were up to me, you'd never have to," she muttered against his lips. She pulled away and settled her head on the pillow next to his and lay there watching her husband for a minute, exchanging amorous smiles. "I love you, Mr. Lestrange."

His lips wasted no time in finding hers once more, despite the darkness of the room. He kissed her with a desperate hunger, as if he hadn't seen her for years, and she was all too eager to reciprocate the enthusiasm. When they finally pulled apart, he pulled her closer yet again, holding her protectively against his chest. "And I love you, Mrs. Lestrange."

Bellatrix smiled when he spoke the words she so longed to hear, the words which kept her going every day, the words she waited for him to say every time he spoke to her; the words which were the subtext of everything he'd ever said to her. She allowed herself to be lost in his arms, studying his heartbeat and the way his chest would rise and fall with his breath. It wasn't long before she could once again hear his quiet snores, and in the arms of the man she loved more dearly than anyone, she drifted happily off to sleep.