About an hour later Bella emerged from the shower, hair glistening against the dull light of the apartment. Her ringlets bounced as she wrapped an emerald green towel around her. She looked around the bathroom realizing that she had forgotten to grab the robe from Rabastan before she got into the shower. Opening the bathroom door Bella slipped out into the hallway with the towel still around her, and tippy toed down the hall leaving small droplets of water behind, as she did so.

"Rabastan?" She called as she felt the cool air of the house chill her body as she hugged the towel closer. A soft snore could be heard coming from a bedroom door as Bella crept closer. The sound got louder as she got closer. The door was half open as Bella past it and found herself bordering the living room. She looked in to see Rabastan asleep in his bed and grinned. "I guess I was in longer than I thought. What do I do now, I'm freezing." She jeered to herself as she found herself walking into the room without much notice. She looked around as she searched for the robe he had promised her; the breeze was starting to freeze her. Bella glanced up at the clock above the bed seeing that it was mid afternoon; bordering early evening, Bella hadn't realized that she had been there that long.

The room was grand and beautiful with only the bed, which Rab occupied, and a dresser with a vanity mirror attached to it. "Really Rab." She laughed as she walked over to the mirror curious as to why he would have one; Rabastan, unlike Rodolphus, never seemed too vain about his looks. On the dresser sat a hair brush and personal hygiene equipment; such as deodorant and cologne.

Bella picked up the silver handled brush and thumbed it in her hands, flipping it over to glance at the engravings on the back of it. The Lestrange house crest resided in the engravings. She set the brush down looked up into the mirror seeing her reflection for the first time in a few days. Ever since she had discovered Rod had been having an affair, she never really looked at herself in the mirror for she was always disgusted by who she saw. Bella had never pictured herself as weak and allowing for Rod to run around with some whore made her feels like so. The abuse she had suffered earlier that day had also cemented that feeling.

She turned her head sideways rubbed along her cheek bone where both blows had hit her. The bruises were gone and the pain had ceased, but she couldn't help but feel as if they were still there. Rod had surprised the hell out of her when he had hit her. She had never expected that from him. They had always screamed at each other and Bella was known for breaking things, but the violence had never gotten physical. Bella was actually afraid that he would have raped her earlier had she went into the room they shared.

Her chest rose and fell softly as her mind drifted through old memories and thoughts. Mindlessly she picked up the brush again and began tear through her curls. Each curl protested the hair brush as it bounced directly back into its normal form. Her cold feet ran against the emerald carpet as she tried to warm herself. She shivered again as the water from her curls dripped down her back.

"I am freezing, okay Rabby, were did you put the robe?" She questioned aloud as she finished brushing her hair. The towel was no longer keeping her warm and was starting to weigh her down with its dampness. Quietly she began to pace through the room looking for the robe he had promised her earlier. She felt like uneasy as she rummaged through his things. She walked over to his closet door and slide it open going through the contents. A few old Slytherin robes resided in the very back behind dress robes. Bella giggled as she saw them remembering their school days. She walked farther into the closet hoping to come across something when she felt a sharp crack to her foot.

"Ooooww," Bella cried out as she reached for the object that she had stubbed her toes on. She cursed the object as she bent down and picked it up. It was a wooden jewelry chest with his initials, R.L, carved into them. There was no lock on the box and the lid was dusty. Curiosity got the best of Bella as the box weighed in her hands. The pain she had felt had disappeared and was replaced with a sudden sensation wonder. "I shouldn't…but." Bella whispered as she ran her hand across the lid. Without thinking she opened the lid. Inside she found a few miscellaneous items such as an old Slytherin house button, and some handwritten notes. With ease Bella began to thumb through the notes. All the notes were scribbled on old parchment paper and each was written in sloppy handwriting. Bella grinned as she noticed the writing as that of Rabastans. She walked backwards more towards the opened side of the door to read the pages she had in her hands; carrying the box along with her. The cold no longer seemed to be a factor, curiosity had taken over. She eased out of the closet, closed the door behind her, and walked over to the bed sitting down at the foot; careful not to disturb Rabastan. In the light of the bedroom the lettering was a bit easier to read although, it was still chicken scratch. Mouthing the words to herself she began to read the pieces of parchment.

"My dearest Bellsy," Bella mouthed as she began to skim through the papers—well letters actually—and rolled her eyes at the mention of her nickname. "I don't know why I am writing this because I am not going to send it. I know sensitivity isn't what you enjoy in a man, obviously from your fascination with my nimrod of a brother, but I am here Bells. I know that to you I am just your boyfriend's brother, but I want to be so much more than that. I want to be the one you curse other s over and the one you run too. I am in love with you. I have been for a while; just ask Rod, or the broken rib I had to have healed the other day." She grinned as she read the line and turned to gaze back at his sleeping figure, then went back to reading. "Bellsy, and yes I said Bellsy, why are you with my brother? Answer me that with a truthful answer and I will forever leave you alone. What is it you find amazing about him? Why can't I be the one you are in love with, or at least like. Bella, you belong with me."

A shocked look danced across Bella's face as she finished reading the last part of the letter. She set the letter down and began to riffle through the rest of the parchment present in the box. All of the letters were addressed to Bella, the dates on the letters ranged from August 7, 1967 to April 15, 1971; three days before her wedding to Rodolphus; none had been sent.

"Oh, Merlin," she spoke as her mouth dropped open. The expression on her face was of pure surprise. She knew Rabastan had strong feelings for her, but did not know they had stretched that far back. She pulled the letters back together and held them in her hands. She couldn't believe what she had just read. She stared off into space for a moment as her eye caught something at the bottom of the box. Easily she set the letters down against the bed and reached in to grab the mystery object. What she pulled out was a photo of her and Rabastan on graduation day from Hogwarts. In the photo Bella wore a smug smile, as Rabastan face was covered with a silly grin. Bella couldn't remember taking the photo as she stared at it blankly, trying to remember.

"Bella, where did you get that?" Rabastan's voice questioned from behind her. He had awakened to find Bella wrapped in a towel with the letters sitting next to her.

Startled, Bella dropped the photo and turned to look at him. Her voice lowered to a smooth, school girl octave. "Why didn't you tell me?" she questioned as she picked the letters back up and raised them up for him to see.

"Bella, you had no right to go…" Rabastan started, but Bella interrupted him.

"Why didn't you; why? All these years Rab, all of them. You wrote these and didn't even give them to me. I don't care how much I seemed to be wrapped up in Rod. And this…" She gleamed holding up the photo. "Where did you even get this from?" Her tone had grown to one of utter confusion.

"Bellatrix, I didn't tell you because you didn't care. Now, please give those back to me." Rabastan spoke in a definite tone as he stood and walked around to the other side of the bed, holding his hand out for the sheets of parchment.

"They are addressed to me, so by all rights, they are mine. I will not hand them over until I get an explanation. Why didn't you tell me?" Bella demanded as she crawled away, careful not to undo her towel, towards the back of the bed. Her voice grew louder and more frustrated. If he had loved her for so long, why hadn't he told her?

"Like I said Bella, you—"

"Rabastan if you tell me one more time that I did not care, I WILL curse you. Answer me truthfully. Where you afraid of your brother or afraid of what I'd say or what? Why didn't you tell me…" Bella lamented as she watched him lean forward against the bed towards her, hand still reaching for the letters.

"I didn't tell you, Bella, because Rod had already staked his claim to you. That is why. You were already his. I had no say. He decided when we were in our fourth year, and he was in his sixth, that you were going to be his. He even went to your father, to make sure that your hand would be the one he took in marriage. You became my brother's property and something I would never be allowed to touch," Rabastan spoke all in one breath, finally letting the full truth out.

"WHAT?" Bella questioned as she gritted her teeth together. "He did what?" she asked again as she felt her temper begin to flair. "PROPERTY, ALLOWED!" she yelled standing quickly and leaving the letters behind. She couldn't fathom everything she had heard. "I AM NO ONES PROPERTY. NOT ROD'S AND NOT CYGNUS'S. NO ONE HAS STAKED ANY CLAIM TO ME. I ONLY MARRIED ROD BECAUSE OF ANDROMEDA!" Bella screamed as she lost all composure. She wasn't a piece of property to be passed around. "Is that why you stayed away from me, because you thought of me as your brother's property…because someone else owned me?" She asked coldly. Her eyes lowered to slits as her voice lowered.

"No, that isn't what I thought, but Rod…" He started again, but was once again interrupted by the angry voice of Bella.

"But Rod nothing. Why are you afraid of him? He is an egotistical jackass. I am not his property. I am not my father's either. The only reason I agreed to marry your brother was to preserve my family's honor. Andromeda, that blood traitor bitch, and her disgusting mudblood filth husband, put me in this marriage." She hissed as she realized her temper was getting the best of her. Her black eyes had opened wider as she tried to calm down. She took a deep breath and griped the top of her towel.

Rabastan looked at her uneasily, glad that she did not have her wand in hand when her temper flared. Her black eyes, which he had often found himself mesmerized by, scared him at the moment. She had never looked so angry before. "Bellsy, I didn't mean that you belonged to him. I meant that he thought of you that way and I didn't want to fight my brother. He was determined to win at all costs. Why do you think he went to your father? Even if Andromeda hadn't ran off, you would have been forced into a marriage with my brother. That is why I didn't tell you. I figured that something like last night would never happen between us."He said slowly as he walked around to where she stood. He stopped inches from her and gave her a half smile, hoping to have placated her anger towards him.

Bella bit her bottom lip and grimaced as she remembered the time that she had found Rodolphus and her father at the Black quarters. Both men seemed deep in thought as Bella accidentally stumbled in on their conversation. When she questioned both her father and Rod about the discussion later that night, they had told her not to concern herself with the workings of men. Bella had been insulted by the remark, but did not concern herself with it. She figured their discussion probably consisted of something having to do with Quidditch, a subject she detested. "You're right about Rod and my father," Bella whispered as she looked down at her left hand at the silver wedding band and emerald stoned ring. "They bargained me to each other. Why didn't I figure this out sooner?" she spoke as the pieces fell in to place. "That's why my parents didn't protest our marriage when they found out that we had been sleeping together. They knew I was going to marry him."

"I'm sorry you had to find out this way. I didn't mean for it, Bellatrix, but you kept pushing me for an answer and the truth. So I gave it to you," he whispered back.

Bella sat down on the bed and picked the letters back up. Gently, Rab sat down next to her. Both remained silent lost in thought.

About five minutes later Bella spoke. Her voice was even and soft, yet an undertone of apprehension lie in it. "Thank you."

"Huh?" Rabastan spoke. She had caught him off guard. He too had been lost deep in thought. He was thinking that telling Bella the truth may not have been a good idea.

"I said thank you. I am glad that you told me the truth. No one else would have. That's why Rod and I fight so much. He doesn't think of me as anything more than just a housewife. I am not a housewife. I guess my father thought of me in the same way then. That's why he set up this ridiculous marriage. Rod wanted power over me and my father just wanted someone else to have to take care of me. Now I want to be a Deatheater more than anything. I want to teach them a lesson and I will be better than everyone else," she repeated again, elaborating this time. Her eyes softened as she turned to stare at him. "I'm sorry I blew up at you. I guess you're lucky I didn't have my wand," she joked.

"Bella, it's okay. I understand why you had the reaction you did. I should have told you about Rod sooner. I'm sorry." Rabastan sighed as he met her gaze. "You know, that towel looks amazing on you," he joked back.

Bella looked down and saw she was still clothed in a towel. "Wow, coming from anyone else that would have sounded very cheesy. Well…someone—you—promised me a robe, but fell asleep instead. So I had to fish around for one myself and then we ended up here." She grinned as she their gazes met. Coyly, she placed her hand on top of his and ran her tongue across her pouty pink lips. She inched closer to him and grabbed the top of her towel with her free hand and took a deep breath. Her eyes narrowed to a dangerously seductive glance. "I bet I would look better without it." She grinned; her words held two meanings.

"I bet you would too." He gleamed back as he watched her mouth. The pout of her mouth set him on fire. He leaned in closer to her, their bodies almost touching. Their mouths were inches apart.

"Well?" Bella grinned as she felt him pull closer. "Are you going to kiss me or not?" She rolled her eyes and smirked as she waited for his answer.

Instead of answering her with words, Rabastan brought his free hand to the side of her face, cupping it gently. Swiftly, he brought his lips down against hers, separating them with his as he took her bottom lip in between his and suckled it gently.

Bella giggled as she felt her lips against his and pulled away. "Well, it was about time." She smirked as she brought her lips back to his and leaned against him. Without breaking their kiss, she crawled farther onto the bed pulling him with her. She could full the lust rise inside of her as she did so. "I want you," she purred as she leaned back against the bed and pulled him over her, returning her lips to his. For some reason, Bella enjoyed seeing Rabastan over her. When she was with Rod, she hated being underneath him; but Rabastan made her feel different. Her hands inched up his chest to the buttons that constricted his skin from running against hers. She undid a few of the buttons at the top of his shirt and moaned into his kiss as he pressed his body against hers.

Rabastan pulled his lips from her mouth and ran them hungrily across her neck. He ran his hands up the side of her body, sending chills up her spine. Their bodies meshed even closer. The towel restricted Bella's movements as he continued to press his mouth against the warm and exposed flesh of her neck. She moaned again as she undid a few more buttons. He then ran his lips back to her mouth taking from it more forceful this time. Bella ran her hands up his back digging her nails into it as their tongues connected. Bella giggled a little as she shifted her hips, the towel pulling away from her a little to adjust to his weight.

"Aren't you glad that I didn't get you that robe?" Rabastan asked as he pulled his mouth from hers and looked down at her.

Bella smiled as she caught his gaze. Her mouth was hungry for his. "Yes," she breathed breathlessly as she pulled his head back down to hers so that their lips met again. Bella wrapped her arms around his neck abandoning his buttons, as her heart beat sped up.

Just as they began to get completely lost in one another, a loud crash came at the front door. "Rab, it's me," the distinctive voice of Rodolphus Lestrange called out.

A/N:Do you like it, do you love it, do you want some more of it...haha. LOL. As always R&R.

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