Sweet Misery
By Merlin, Barty had known this would end badly.
But nothing and no one could have persuaded him to do things any differently.
"What's the matter Sweetie, someone break your heart?" Bella laughs, somehow sounding farther away than she'd ever been before, and for a moment the fire in his heart turns white hot in rage, in hatred.
"Yeah, you," he replies, choking back on his own insane laughter.
Bella laughs again, and beside her Rodolphus, her husband, stands impassively, looking down on Barty.
'Did you ever truly think you had a chance?' His eyes seem to question mockingly, and the worst part is that, yes, he did think he could have had a chance.
Bella was everything he thought he could ever want – dark, powerful and alluring, and yes, forbidden too, which only made this whole adventure sweeter.
But she had been playing him, using his own doubts and anger against him – using the private thoughts he had confessed to her to push him out of his father's sphere of influence and into the Dark Lord's circle of trusted followers.
The worst part is that he can't get away now – he has been branded, has committed crimes with this woman, for this woman, has done and said things he can't go back on.
The worst part is that he liked – no loved – every part of it, and now he can't go back to the person he was before anymore than he can turn back time.
(the worst part is that for however much she fooled him, played with his heartstrings like a musician would play his instrument, he still love her and doesn't know how, or even if, he can stop)