"Well. You look nice." Rodolphus came walking into the guest room, where Bellatrix was standing before the full-length mirror. She narrowed her eyes at her own reflection and dragged her fingers over the velvet top layer of her tulle skirts.

"As if I care what you think," she grumbled. Rodolphus stepped further into the room and looked Bellatrix up and down. She'd dressed in a frock that hit just below her knees, a gothic creation with laces up the front and draped sleeves. Her wild curls were pulled up and cascaded down from the crown of her head. She'd put on plum-coloured lipstick and had heavily shadowed her eyes with matching plum dust. She wore a pendant, a deep purple stone on a silver chain, and no other jewelry. She was not wearing her wedding ring. Rodolphus stroked at Bellatrix's arm, and she flinched, wincing and shaking her head. "Don't touch me."

"You are still my wife," he murmured. "I am still your husband."

"Must be nice," Bellatrix snapped, whirling on him and staring up into his pale blue eyes. "Must be very nice indeed, having your cake and eating it, too. How wonderful for you it must be, fucking your little harlot and then coming home to your elite, arranged wife. Hmmph."

"You know I think fondly of you," Rodolphus insisted calmly, and Bellatrix scoffed.

"Do I? Do I know that?" She laughed a little. "No. I don't know that."

Rodolphus looked almost hurt, and he said, "I think you are incredibly brave, and very skilled. I am amazed by what you do as a Death Eater. You are remarkably intelligent. I think you're one of the smartest people I know. And you are, without a doubt, the most beautiful witch I've ever seen."

Bellatrix's mouth fell open, and she just stared for a long moment. Finally she shrugged and demanded,

"If you think that of me, then why on Earth are you having an affair with Holly Thorpe?"

"Because you don't want me, Bella," said Rodolphus simply. "You hate sleeping beside me. You dislike letting me see you naked. You never want to kiss me. So I… I chased a bit of fun. And I am sorry for it, you know. I really am."

"But you're not going to stop," Bellatrix spat. "You aren't going to stop seeing Holly Thorpe, are you?"

"She makes me happy," Rodolphus pronounced. "She wants me."

"Well." Bellatrix sniffed and stepped back from the mirror. "I am very sorry, Dolph, that things are so distant between you and me. We were, after all, little more than babies when our parents betrothed us. Don't you remember going to Hogwarts as first-years? We were eleven years old, and we already knew we were going to be married. There was never anything for us besides one another. Perhaps you're right; I ought to have tried a little harder at making us happy."

"Bella." Rodolphus stepped closer to her and brushed his knuckles over her hair. "Let's be honest with ourselves, shall we? We are very different, you and I. I don't think we would have ever been able to truly make one another happy, no matter how hard we tried. But we are married, and I am going to keep seeing Holly. You can wear your ring, or I shall keep carrying it in my pocket. That's your choice."

"You hold onto it," Bellatrix said quietly, "and maybe someday I'll want it back. Not today."

They Disapparated from their townhouse and landed on the sprawling grounds of the Avery estate in Cornwall. It was a bright, sunny afternoon, and the garden party was in full swing. Bellatrix walked with Rodolphus through some hedges to an open space. There were small wrought-iron tables and with chairs set up, and people were milling about, some sitting and some standing. Flowers were floating all over the place, and a chamber orchestra of enchanted instruments was playing lovely music across the garden. There were larger round tables with cheeses and meats, and another filled with puff pastries and biscuits. There was a bar with a House-Elf serving drinks, and Bellatrix huffed to Rodolphus,

"Let's get something to drink, shall we?"

Holly wouldn't be here, she knew. His whore Holly Thorpe was a Half-Blood, a nobody from a nothing family. She would never be invited to an event like this. But Lord Voldemort would be here. Bellatrix scanned her eyes around, looking for him, but he was not in attendance. She seethed out a breath and walked up to the bar with Rodolphus.

"A rum with orange juice and a gin and tonic," ordered Rodolphus. Bellatrix sighed. She'd never been one for fancy drinks. She was a witch of simple tastes when it came to alcohol, and Rodolphus knew it. She accepted the gin and tonic he handed her, and she sipped at it as they walked away from the bar. Suddenly her mother and father appeared, grinning like fools as they walked up.

"Bellatrix!" gushed Druella. "I feel like it's been ages. My dear, you must write and visit your poor mother. I can't see you at social events and never between."

"You know I'm busy, Mum," Bellatrix said.

"And you're busy, too, eh, Rodolphus?" asked Cygnus in his booming voice. "I hear the Ministry's thrusting you up the ranks."

"I'm doing everything I can to serve the Dark Lord as effectively as possible from inside the Ministry," Rodolphus assured his in-laws. This party had been sealed up with protective enchantments, owing to the war. Rodolphus was one of many of Voldemort's spies inside the Ministry. He was also a Death Eater in battle, just like Bellatrix.

"So sorry to see you drinking gin," pouted Druella. "We've been hoping for baby news."

"Baby news!" spat Bellatrix. "Have you quite lost your mind?"

"It's a reasonable thing to ponder, Bella," said Rodolphus, almost gently. "We've been married for two years now."

Bellatrix let out a noise of horrified disgust and swigged from her drink. Druella looked confused, and Cygnus frowned.

"Druella, darling, come and get some puff pastry with me, will you?" Cygnus suggested.

"Yes, Mum, do go get food with Daddy," Bellatrix said, rolling her eyes a little. Her parents walked off then, going toward the tables that had been set up. Bellatrix whirled on Rodolphus and took another drink of her gin and tonic.

"What were you thinking?" she hissed. "Encouraging them like that?"

"Well," he shrugged, "maybe it's time, Bella. Time to have a baby. Don't you think that perhaps -"

"No! No, I do not think so." Bellatrix finished off her drink and set the glass down on a nearby table. She scowled at Rodolphus and crossed her arms, saying sourly, "I will never, ever bear you a child, Dolph, so don't go getting that stupid idea into your thick skull."

He looked like he was going to answer her, but then his cheeks coloured and he dipped into a bow. Bellatrix's brows furrowed, and she turned round to see why Rodolphus had descended. Then she saw him - Lord Voldemort, walking straight toward Rodolphus and Bellatrix. He smirked at her, looking devilishly handsome in dark green linen robes. He strode straight up to Bellatrix, and she bowed her head, murmuring reverently,

"Master. How good to see you."

"Bellatrix." He put a knuckle beneath her chin and tipped it up until she was looking at him, wide-eyed and amazed. Rodolphus stared from beside her, and Voldemort muttered, "Hello, Rodolphus."

"My Lord," breathed Rodolphus. Bellatrix flicked her eyes from her husband back to her master, who still had a knuckle beneath her chin. He shocked her then by bending down until his lips were beside her ear, and he hummed,

"You look good enough to eat. Thank goodness they've provided actual food."

Bellatrix could not help smiling at that. She expected him to stand back up then, but he kissed the skin on her cheek just beside her ear, and she shivered. He lingered there, holding her chin and brushing his lips round her skin, and he whispered,

"Really, you do look lovely."

"Master," Bellatrix choked out, and he let out a low rumble of a laugh as he slowly stood. Beside Bellatrix, Rodolphus looked completely and utterly shocked. He would never have expected the Dark Lord to touch Bellatrix, to kiss her cheek like that. Bellatrix could read poor Rodolphus' abject surprise on his face. Then Voldemort took things one step further; he moved beside Bellatrix and put his hand to the small of her back. He held it there protectively, possessively, and Bellatrix almost melted against his touch.

"Come. Let's get some cheese and crackers," Voldemort suggested. He led Bellatrix away, leaving Rodolphus behind in open-mouthed horror. Voldemort kept his hand on Bellatrix's back as they neared the large table with all the food, and he used his left hand to give her a small plate. She managed a clumsy thank-you, My Lord, and as they moved round the table getting cheese and crackers, she noticed that he kept his hand on the small of her back. She relished the feel of him touching her there, of him taking possession of her, guiding her. Finally he took his hand off of her so they could stand and eat, and when they did, facing one another, Voldemort asked her quietly,

"I think he's beginning to feel it. Envy. I can look in his mind to find out, but Legilimency is rather obvious, and I'd rather toy with him a bit."

"Toy with him," Bellatrix repeated. She shut her eyes and reminded herself aloud, "This is just a game."

"It is… a manoeuvre," Voldemort insisted, taking a bite of cheese. "You're a combat veteran, Bellatrix. Do you not find yourself at war?"

She thought of the way he'd fucked Holly Thorpe in Bellatrix's bed. She thought of the way he'd insisted he would keep seeing Holly. She thought of how he'd walked in on her getting dressed today and insisted that he found her beautiful and intelligent and vicious, but that he needed Holly anyway. And she thought of how he'd suggested that they should have a baby. Bellatrix snarled quietly and nodded.

"Yes, Master. I am at war."

"Do you dance often, the two of you?" Voldemort asked, setting his empty plate down on a table. Bellatrix frowned.

"Who, Dolph and I? Erm… no, not really, Master. Sometimes if we're at a wedding or something and we really have to do it for appearances' sake, we'll dance, but, no. Do you know, he told me I was the most beautiful witch he'd ever seen?"

Voldemort's face was steely for a long moment. Bellatrix worried she'd said something wrong, so she clarified,

"I was getting dressed for the party, and he came in and told me I looked pretty, and then he told me that I was good in combat, and very intelligent, and the most beautiful witch he'd ever seen."

"Then why does he have Holly Thorpe?" spat Voldemort, sounding disgusted. Bellatrix shrugged.

"I asked him the same thing. He says it's because I don't want him. But then, here at the party, he said we should have a baby, so -"

"What? No. Absolutely not. I forbid it." Voldemort's cheeks reddened. He seized Bellatrix's cheeks in his hands and shook his head. "You are meant for much more than squeezing out a mewling little creature. You are a soldier in a war. My soldier, and I forbid you from mothering a child."

"Yes, Master." Bellatrix instinctively reached up to cover his hands with hers, and for some reason, he did not stop or correct her. He tightened his fingers on her a little and whispered,

"He's watching us right now. Your filthy, ridiculous husband is watching us right this moment."

Bellatrix nodded up at him. She stared into his eyes, his coal-dark eyes that contrasted so sharply with Rodolphus'. She gazed up at him and listened to the music playing, to the laughter and the surrounding conversation, and she finally begged him,

"Make him feel envy, Master."

Voldemort bent down and swiftly touched his lips to Bellatrix's. She sucked in air hard at the feel of his mouth on hers. The kiss lasted only the briefest of moments, and then he stood again and dragged his thumbs under Bellatrix's eyes.

"Well," he said crisply, lowering his hands from her face, "I think that's quite enough for one party, don't you? I've made my appearance; I can go now."

He stepped back from her and smirked a little. Bellatrix was breathless where she stood. He'd just kissed her - on the lips - right in front of everyone. The party did seem to have gone rather quiet, and Bellatrix knew it was because so many people had seen what he'd done. As he strode away from Bellatrix, people curtsied, bowed, and generally moved out of his way. Bellatrix stood with a racing heart, and when she turned her gaze back to Rodolphus, he was standing with his jaw halfway to the floor.

Bellatrix approached him, wringing her hands together and licking her bottom lip. She breathed in and could swear she could still smell the leather and wood the Dark Lord carried with him. Oh, how she craved him, she thought. She wanted so much more than a kiss on Avery's lawn. She wanted to… she wanted all of him.

But of course, she knew, he would never give her that. She must be grateful for this little game they were playing, this cruel trick they were inflicting upon Rodolphus.

"What was that?" Rodolphus demanded, and Bellatrix shrugged.

"Just a little kiss," she said lightly. "He's pleased with me."

"Pleased with you?" Rodolphus repeated, his eyes bugging out. "He looked like he wanted to carry you upstairs and take you to a bedroom."

"Did he?" Bellatrix threw up her hands. "Well, he's the Dark Lord. He can do whatever he likes."

"Yes, including kissing my wife in front of a crowd of people, apparently." Rodolphus seemed embarrassed and cross, and then he asked in a quiet voice, "Are you and he… you know… are you…?"

"Oh, I wouldn't begin to know how to answer that, Dolph," Bellatrix laughed. She looked around and sighed. "This party is terribly dull. I'll meet you at home."

And with that, she walked away, a grin of triumph painted on her face.

Author's Note: Yes! Possessive/PDA Voldemort! Now, raise your hand if you think we haven't heard the last of Holly Thorpe. Raise your other hand if you think Voldemort's going to realize he enjoys this "game" just a little too much. Everyone got both hands raised? Okay. Good. Onward ho!