3.
Bellatrix cleared the room in mere seconds, throwing herself into her husband's arms. Rodolphus smelled terrible. She got the sneaking suspicion that he'd not actually showered since she'd last seen him, but that somewhere on their travels, they may have flown through a storm. This did not deter her, however, from running her fingers through his dirty hair and running her hands over his greasy face, nor did it keep her from kissing him desperately. She was an alcoholic rediscovering her favourite brand of liquor, and she couldn't get enough.
Rodolphus was not used to the fervor his wife was showing, though he could not have asked for a better homecoming. Wrapping one arm under his wife's arse, he lifted her off her feet, and she wrapped her arms around his neck. He cradled her face in his free hand and smiled at her adoringly.
"Did you miss me, mon amour," he cooed, then continued without waiting for her response, "My Bella, I can't tell you how I've missed you. You look just the same as when I left you." He looked her face over again, inspecting her from the roots of her hair down to her jawline.
"Sorry to disappoint," she laughed, kissing him once more, and then resting her forehead on his.
"No, tant mieux," he responded quickly. "I'd have been devastated if you weren't the same slice of perfection that you were when I left. I, on the other hand, am a bit worse for the wear."
Bellatrix giggled childishly and lowered her voice to a sultry whisper.
"My love, you smell horrid." She laughed again. "You should shower before dinner." Rodolphus laughed at her comment about his hygiene.
"Do I have to leave you?" He pulled her tighter against him, as if trying to prove to her that he was unwilling to let her go.
"It's not leaving me, it's showering." She lowered herself and pried his arms off of her. "Besides, you'll feel much better after you've washed up."
The truth was, Bellatrix did not want him to shower. She wanted to pull him into bed, regardless of his current vagabond-like state, and lose herself in him. She missed him when he was gone, and now that he was back, she realized just how much she truly had mourned his absence.
After a bit more coaxing and countless kisses, Rodolphus had gone off to shower and left Bellatrix to get dressed. She could hear the water running in the bathroom as she returned the green and blue dresses to their places in her wardrobe. She pulled Rodolphus' shirt over her head took the red dress off the hanger, but before she could dress herself, she found herself stalking into the bathroom, stripping off her undergarments and pulling her hair down as she tiptoed across the granite floor.
Rodolphus hardly had the chance to notice her presence beside him before she was pushing him up against the wall, using all of her body weight to keep him there. She wrapped her arms around his neck, pulling his face down to hers, and stood on her toes to reach his lips. She wound her legs around his middle and tightened her grip around his neck. Her fingers wound around his soapy hair, pulling playfully.
Through the steam and hot water, his hands found their way to her waist and the small of her back. Bellatrix had never engaged him this way, nor put him in any sort of position like this in the past. It was as if she had been reawakened, and this was a reincarnation of his wife that he could get used to. He ran his hands over every inch of her skin that he could get his hands on. He ran a rough hand down her thigh, allowing his nails to drag a bit, drawing a small moan from beneath her kiss.
Bellatrix could feel Rodolphus growing against her. She'd never allowed herself to touch him before, always feeling herself unworthy, but for the first time, Bellatrix wanted to touch, feel, taste, and experience every inch of him. She wanted to feel him moving inside of her, to make love to her wonderful husband.
But she couldn't. Not yet, not like this. As immediately as she'd taken hold of him, she released her eager husband, stepping back away from him apologetically. She shook her head and fled the bathroom wordlessly.
Bellatrix walked back out into the bedroom, allowing herself to leave a trail of water from the shower to her chair by the window, where she sat in silence as Rodolphus finished washing himself. She was absolutely ashamed of herself. She had never slept even partially nude around him, and here she was throwing herself at him while he was in the shower. As she sat contemplating going the way of a house elf and punishing herself, Rodolphus was wrapping himself in a towel and walking up next to her, worried for her.
"Bellatrix," he said gently, kneeling beside her and taking her face in his hand, turning her so they were face to face. "Bellatrix, you promised me. Do you remember? You promised me that you wouldn't do this to yourself anymore. You said that you would grow from it and be stronger."
"I did grow, Rodolphus. But growing emotionally doesn't make me any more worthy of you." She pulled her face free of his grasp and turned to look out the window. She wanted him. Even now, the moment had passed, and all she could think about was the feel of his hands, the warmth of his breath, the longing in his kiss…
When she looked back at him, he was watching her with a pained expression, his eyes filled with concern. He was perfect. A perfect pureblood husband, a wonderful man, a competent wizard, one of the Dark Lord's followers… Rodolphus was everything she'd ever wanted in a husband. Most importantly, he wanted her the way she craved him. Everything that screamed out for him within her was mirrored by everything inside him that yearned for her.
"I love you, Bellatrix, I want you. That's all."
When her lips crashed into his, it became apparent that his thought did not need finishing. Sliding off the chair and pressing herself against him, kissing him passionately, she realized what he'd been trying to tell her all along. He truly did not love her any less, did not want her any less, despite what had been done to her.
Rodolphus stood, pulling her off the floor.
"Come, my love," he began. "It's nearly seven. The Dark Lord will be arriving soon, and as much as I love having you naked in my arms, I seriously doubt that's what he's expecting."
He grinned and kissed her once more as he let go of her, walking across the room to his own wardrobe. Bellatrix admired her husband as he walked away, and caught herself smiling as he let the towel fall to the ground around his feet. They dressed quickly, exchanging flirtatious looks every so often, and just before seven they walked down the stairs, arm in arm, to wait for the Dark Lord to arrive.