Disclaimer: The Harry Potter world belongs to J.K. Rowling.

Voldemort did not bother asking Wormtail to get the door. He stood up, and all hints that he was ever enjoying himself or laughing were gone. Alarmed, Bellatrix turned around in her seat to watch him go to the door, but did not follow. Who would be so dense as to pound on the Dark Lord's house like that? Whoever it was did not have much sense, she thought.

Wormtail continued to yammer about the pain, and Bellatrix shushed him several times. He ran off to the washroom and turned the cold water on at full blast to put his hand under.

"I've come to collect my wife," she heard the voice at the door say, once Wormtail's racket had stopped. Her heart froze inside her chest.

"I'm afraid she is not for 'collecting,' as you put it," Voldemort replied, blocking Rodolphus's path inside the house, and also his view. "She is quite valuable to me at the moment."

"Please, My Lord." Rodolphus did not back down.

Voldemort had answered the door with his wand ready and pushed it into Rodolphus's chest. Rodolphus began to back away slowly, but Voldemort continued pushing him all the way out into the yard. Bellatrix got off the sofa and went partially to the door without showing herself. She had to hear this.

"Come, boy. Do you really think she means to go back with you? I think that she would have returned to you already, if she ever intended to in the first place."

"That is why I intend to take her by force, Master."

"With no wand?" Voldemort pointed out.

"She – ," he stopped himself. He had been about to say, But she has none either, My Lord.

"Hm? What was that?"

Rodolphus was silent.

"She has no wand either? Yes, how perceptive of you, Rodolphus. But, for all you know, I may have already supplied her with another. Do you not think her Master cares for her? She, unlike you, has always been loyal to me. She, unlike you, is welcome here."

"I… I have been loyal to you, Master. Both of us went to prison for you –"

"Just the fact that you mention that shows me you resent it," Voldemort interrupted. "You need not lie about your so-called loyalty. I know everything, Lestrange, about you and your in-laws. If you are not truly loyal to me, then why did you marry someone whom you knew would be? She has always been devoted to me. She is mine. She bears my Mark on her arm. Rings can come off and get misplaced. But that Mark will be there as long as she lives. It cannot be removed."

Bellatrix's face flushed, and she could not suppress a grin. The Dark Lord had just proclaimed her his! She flew outside, every step a sort of dance, pulled her wedding band off, and threw it at Rodolphus. "Yes! Yes! Yes!" she cried, grabbing her husband's arms and dancing spastically with him. He tried to get out of her grasp, looking desperately at the ground to spot her ring. If nothing else, he could at least pick it up and carry it with him until he got her to come back.

"Do you see?" Voldemort pressed. "Why not just let it go? I can see the agony this causes you, and since I am a merciful Lord, I will allow you to go away if you say and do nothing further. Never return here, unless I summon you. Go home, Lestrange."

Elated, Bellatrix danced to her Master's side and smirked at Rodolphus. She then wrapped her arms amorously around her Master and planted an impassioned kiss on his lips.

Voldemort's body reacted instantly. He grabbed both of Bellatrix's breasts to squeeze them turbulently before he shoved her from him. She tottered backward and fell onto the ground.

Rodolphus's face was passionately angry, and he dearly wished he had stolen a wand before coming here. He continued to stand in the yard, even though he had debated returning to Malfoy Manor – before Bellatrix had pushed the knife even deeper into his heart. How could he move now? How could he do anything? He couldn't fully imagine what a Dementor's Kiss would be like, but it had to feel akin to this.

But he could not live, not after what he had just seen. His mind was too blank to understand what was coming. Voldemort pointed his wand at Rodolphus, and said, "Avada Kedavra."

He fell to the ground with a hard thud, eyes still open and face stuck in that hollow but longing look of heartbreak.

Bellatrix froze, unable to believe what had just happened. She knew it was all her doing. But once she was able to move again, she stood up and, with a piercing scream, charged at her Master.

"Crucio!" he cried, and she fell before she could reach him.

"YOU – KILLED – MY –"

She broke off to scream again and jerked violently on the ground.

"WHY – DID – YOU – DO –"

She shrieked and kicked madly, then began to pull out her own hair in thick clumps.

"YOU – KILLED –"

More wailing before she finally stopped and just gave in to the pain.

As soon as she yielded, Voldemort released her from the Curse. He crouched down to her level, and said in a gentle voice, "You killed him."

Breathing heavily, she reached up and attempted to scratch his face, tears streaming freely down her own.

He withdrew before she touched him and went to the door, which was still ajar, and made a series of hissing noises. "Ah, I almost forgot," he added, spotting something shiny on the ground. He picked up Bella's discarded wedding band and placed it in Rodolphus's hand, closing it over the ring. "'Til death do you part," he quipped. Nagini slinked out of the house, hissing with delight at the sight of Rodolphus's corpse.

Voldemort crouched by Bellatrix again and held her head up. "You will watch this," he whispered.