Rating: PG-13?
Summary: Rudolphus Lestrange watches as his wife destructs herself for her Lord.
Pairings: RL/BL, BL/VL and a lot of Unrequited bull crap.
A/N: I had this running around in my head before I went to bed one night. It was an amazing story, depressing, but amazing. Unfortunately I was too exhausted to twitch a finger much less stand up, go to my computer and type--despite everything in my brain going "Get your ass up and write this down!" So I lost it, and I've been struggling to get it back ever since. So finally, I present it to you, not nearly as good as it was a few nights ago, but hey, what can a person do, yeah? Feedback Love

Unrequitted
Their marriage was one of propriety. An arranged marriage of sorts, though they both were able to say no, unless they had a better option by their side on the day of the proposed marriage, they would most likely find themselves permanently estranged from the family. Neither one of them did say no. They had found from a young age that they worked infallibly well together. Where one lacked, the other exceeded. They made an amazing pair, and that was what made them invaluable to their Master, Lord Voldemort.

They worked as a Muggle machine would—when properly maintained—flawlessly. Together they could wipe out numbers of Muggles and take down a few Ministry workers before leaving, without a scratch to prove they were there. His calm sense of sanity countered her hysterical insanity, and their common goals and ideals kept them together.

One would think, then, that with their perfection they would have few imperfections. They seemed, at times, to be one of the same at different extremes, but those extremes brought their downfall. Their love life was almost nonexistent, him craving slow and gentle yet passionate while she lived in fast paced, harsh lust.

And in her cravings only one man seemed to satisfy Bellatrix Lestrange. His presence was all powerful, all domineering. His word was law. Rudolphus could only watch as Bellatrix gave herself completely heart, mind, body, and soul, to Lord Voldemort.

Bellatrix foolishly loved the being that was incapable of love. Sometimes Rudolphus would fool himself into thinking that it was only lust, when he had her tied down and blind folded as he pleasured her, trying to ignore her cries to their Lord for more, for him to punish her as she deserved. She tricked herself into believing that their Lord only had eyes for her. That when he was successful he would request her to leave the one thing that was keeping them apart to be his Queen.

And Rudolphus could only stand on the side, following the man whom he hated for stealing his love, for he did love her, yet revered above all others.

Rudolphus tried to speak sense into his wife's head. Tried to show her that their Lord was not a man of flesh, he did not care for the things that she desired. Yet every time he was struck away and threatened with the Cruciatus Curse.

Rudolphus watched in disdain as Bellatrix, his beautiful Bella, tortured herself in order to win at least one glance from her Lord. One caress before he punished her. Anything, anything at all.

It wasn't too far into the war that he found himself in the midst of a battle, back to back with his wife as they dueled with those disgusting red-headed twins in front of Hogwarts. The odds were not good, despite the numbers of bodies strewn across the lawn. Far too many of those motionless bodies had the mark branded on their arms. A flash of light and Rudolphus dared to glance up. It was his Lord's calling for a retreat. He aimed a curse at one of the twins and shouted at his wife to inform her of the sign. Then he took off, as ordered, towards the light. When he glanced beside him, Bella was missing.

It felt as if ice ran through Rudolphus' blood as he stopped and turned, looking for his partner. He stumbled blindly back to where he had started out before tripping over a body. Pushing himself out of the mud he glanced at the body and froze, recognizing the tangle of black hair. Crawling towards her he grabbed her arm. She tore it out of his grasp and glared at him, struggling to push herself up. Their Lord's instructions rang through their ears.

Leave the dead and the dying, they only hinder us.

He couldn't though. He wouldn't. He grabbed her arm.

"Bella, let me help you, you can make it," he shouted over the deafening roar of the battle around them.

"I do not need your help!" she snarled at him, "My Lord will come. He will save me. I am his most valuable, I am his most prized. He will rescue me."

Rudolphus felt his heart crumble as he tried to lift the resisting woman—she was stronger than she looked, a fact he could always remember resenting.

"He does not love you Bella! I do! Let me help you!" he shouted at her.

"He does! He loves me! I am his! He will turn! He will rescue me!" she screamed, trying harder to escape Rudolphus grasp and get up on her feet. Rudolphus looked down at her body, she was bleeding heavily. The area around them gradually grew quieter, despite her loud shrieking protests and claims. Rudolphus looked up and watched as the last of the Death Eaters disappeared into the Forbidden Forest.

"Look Bella," he whispered calmly. She stopped shrieking and stared at him, before glancing towards the Forest.

"They leave us, for dead or dying," he whispered quietly, glancing at her as she stilled and stared at the forest. He reached for her and brushed the hair off her face.

"They follow him, to hide, to regroup, to count the causalities and reform the ideas, the ranks, accordingly. He is not coming for you Bella. He will move on. You are no more important to him than the ones who gave you that wound," he whispered. She blinked and stared at her side, bleeding profusely, before looking up at Rudolphus.

"I love him," she whispered. Rudolphus cringed and looked away.

"But unlike me, he does not feel that way for you." Tears filled Bella's eyes and she slumped back. Rudolphus picked her up carefully and stood, making his way to the Forbidden Forest as quickly as possible.

"Why?" Bella asked, staring up at him. "Why do you go against the Lord's orders? Why are you taking me?"

"Because, I, unlike our Lord, know what it is like to love," her husband replied, not glancing down.

They returned to their home, to their bedroom, where he laid her down on the satin sheets, her blood darkening them. The house elf was called to bring a cool cloth. There would be no mending of the gaping wound in Bellatrix's side. Though her body could be healed, Bellatrix would never live again, not that she had seen the truth. Rudolphus sat by her side as she stared at the ceiling in her final moments. It grew darker outside, the house elf rushed to light the various candles around the room. Rudolphus knew that he would be punished for returning late with his only excuse being that he defied his Lord's orders, he had stayed behind for the dying. He did not concern himself with that, though. Instead he sat and watched as his wife died.

They stayed in silence for what seemed like forever until Bella finally spoke.

"You lie, husband," she whispered. Rudolphus looked up at her, not replying as she smiled and reached a hand up to nothingness.

"My Lord has come to rescue me. He loves me." Rudolphus stared at her, the lines in his face seemed to deepen as the pity and sorrow in his eyes shined through.

"You're right, wife," he murmured, "It seemed I was mistaken." Bella laughed. The sound was harsh and cruel to Rudolphus' ears. Where had that laugh come from? He remembered when they were young when her laugh was sweeter. When did that change?

"Finally, finally. I will be with my love," Bella cried, laughing madly. Rudolphus stood abruptly, but it didn't seem to faze Bellatrix. He stalked out of the room and shut the door. The House Elf came rushing up, wringing its hands.

"Is there something Dotts can get for Master?" it squeaked. Rudolphus stared down at the creature.

"A glass of fire whiskey in my study, then I want you to take care of my wife's body and burn the bed, dispose of the ashes, bring the bed from the other bedroom in there and then dress it with the fine linen," Rudolphus ordered.

"When I come home everything must be perfect, or I shall have your head." The House Elf squeaked and disappeared as Rudolphus conjured his mask and placed it on his face. He turned back to the bedroom and walked in, staring at Bellatrix as she panted on the bed, lost in delusions. He lifted his wand.

"I love you," he whispered, before a flash of green light filled the room.

--

Voldemort stood as a man stalked into the room. The man bowed before him and removed his mask.

"My Lord, Bellatrix Lestrange is dead," he announced. Voldemort sneered and peered into the man's mind, watching as Bellatrix screamed for her Lord to save her, her husband carried her out of the anti-apparition ward and took her home, and then proceeded to kill her. He stepped back and sat down in his chair, unperturbed by the news.

"Thank you Rudolphus. That will be all."

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