Bellatrix was curled up on the sofa in front of the fire. Rodolphus didn't frequent this room very often, he preferred to spend his time in the parlour, usually with Rabastan. Assuming he was even at home. She found herself pressing her fingers against the bruise on her face every so often, testing the pain as if to check it was really there. It had been marring her face for two days now and had turned a deep shade of purplish blue. It hurt every time she touched it, but she couldn't stop.
She was incredibly grateful that the Dark Lord had not summoned her, although she did have an Occlumency lesson that evening. Rodolphus would have to heal the mark, she knew that the Dark Lord would not take kindly to it – and so did Rodolphus. Her husband had simply ignored her ever since he had hit her, except for the morning after the event where he'd insisted on fucking her because 'he didn't get any last night'. Last night he'd not even made it to bed, and while Bellatrix knew that meant he was with someone else, she found that she really didn't care much.
The door behind her opened, and Bellatrix braced herself. She didn't dare move.
"Black?"
Realising it was Evan, Bellatrix sat up slightly. She looked up, hoping that her hair would cover her cheek. "Hi," Bellatrix said, smiling at him. She was apprehensive of seeing him, but also really glad. It had been a lonely couple of days.
Evan was frowning. "I was expecting to see you yesterday."
Bellatrix shrugged. "Sit down, I'll get us something to..." She trailed off as she realised that he'd seen.
"What is that?" he asked loudly, sitting down next to her and pulling her hair back from her face. He gasped. "Bellatrix!"
"It's okay," Bellatrix said softly, pulling back from him and trying to smile. "It's nothing."
"It's not," Evan responded, frowning at her again. "Was that Rodolphus?"
Bellatrix nodded. "But it's my own fault, I shouldn't have answered him back like I did..."
"Don't be so ridiculous," Evan snapped, standing up. "I'm going to duel him for this."
"Now who is being ridiculous?" Bellatrix hissed back, standing up as well. "It's not like you can marry me if you kill him."
"I am the closest you have to a brother," Evan replied, his tone angry.
"I've got Regulus!" Bellatrix retorted.
"Regulus?" Evan asked incredulously. "Don't humour me, Bellatrix! I am going to duel Rodolphus and kill him."
Bellatrix shook her head. "The Dark Lord would be furious."
"I don't care!" Evan shouted back.
Staring at him, Bellatrix realised she'd never seen him even remotely irritated. She was touched that he felt this protective over her. Hardly thinking, she stepped forwards and threw her arms around him. "Evan," she whispered, clinging to him tightly. "Please don't."
She felt Evan's arms close around her, squeezing her tightly, and suddenly she realised that she was crying. "Oh, Bellatrix," he murmured, sitting them down. Bellatrix buried her head in his shoulder, sobbing harder now. "I'm so sorry."
"Why - why are you sorry?" Bellatrix asked through her tears.
"I should have gone to your parents and told them what he is like," Evan replied, resting his chin on top of her head.
Bellatrix shook her head. "My mother doesn't care," she said thickly. "And I pushed my father into making the marriage final sooner than I should have."
"Of course your mother cares," Evan said, although she could hear the doubt in his voice.
"Trust me," Bellatrix responded. "She doesn't." She sobbed for a bit longer, feeling glad that she could get all of her emotion out of her system. She could feel Evan stroking her hair, and she was starting to feel better. She pulled back after a few minutes, looking up at him. "I have a meeting with the Dark Lord tonight. Rodolphus will heal it before then."
Evan nodded, looking carefully at the bruise. "What made him do it?"
Bellatrix shook her head, feeling hiccups coming on. "I told him that... What he did to that woman..." She sighed, looking up at Evan. He nodded slightly. "Well, that it was disrespectful to do it in front of me."
Evan snorted with a slight burst of laughter. "That's one way of putting it."
"You knew he was going to do that, didn't you?" Bellatrix asked him.
"I suspected," he replied. "Lestrange is... Horrific, sometimes." He paused. "I'm truly sorry you had to marry him."
Bellatrix shrugged. "My choice."
Evan nodded, silent for a moment. Then he spoke again. "What happened when the Dark Lord kicked us all out of the ball room the other day?"
"He made me duel him," Bellatrix responded, sighing again. "Using Occlumency against him, after one lesson!"
"He must think a lot of you."
"I don't know," Bellatrix said, contemplatively. "I think it was stress relief for him."
Evan nodded. "Yeh. He was furious."
"Don't blame him."
They were silent again. Evan kept looking towards her and then away again. Then he sighed. "I have to go back." He looked up at her, before hugging her tightly again. "I'm always here for you."
"I know," Bellatrix murmured. They pulled apart. "Thank you."
Evan smiled at her, before standing up and leaving the room. Bellatrix lay back down on the sofa, smiling slightly. She really did appreciate Evan, he was a great friend and she knew he would always be on her side. She inhaled deeply, before closing her eyes. She really needed to get better at emptying her mind before tonight – the last thing she wanted was the Dark Lord to work everything that had happened out.
x-x
Bellatrix was slowly walking up the stairs to the Dark Lord's rooms that night, a deep feeling of dread pooling in her stomach. She didn't want him to know what had happened, and she didn't know if she could hide it from him.
Rodolphus had arrived home about an hour ago and had healed the mark without so much as a word. He'd disappeared shortly after that and Bellatrix was hoping that he would not be there when she returned. She was also slightly concerned he might put the bruise back as soon as she did get home.
As she knocked on the door of the Dark Lord's rooms, she realised once again that she was much more scared of her husband than she was of the Dark Lord. That made absolutely no sense in her mind. She heard his call for her to go in. Slowly, she inhaled through her nose and tried to clear her mind as best she could. Then she pushed the door open and entered.
The Dark Lord was laid out across the sofa with a book in his hands. "Come in," he said, his tone slightly cold, not looking away from his book. Bellatrix crossed the room cautiously after closing the door. "Kneel down, close your eyes and empty your mind," he continued, and as Bellatrix looked at him she could see he still hadn't looked away from his book.
Knowing it was probably just a way of putting her on edge to make the Occlumency harder, Bellatrix slipped her feet out of her shoes and knelt, just in front of the sofa. She closed her eyes and exhaled in one long and slow breath, before focussing on keeping her mind empty. She had been practicing – since she'd had so much time by herself over the last couple of days – and it was becoming much easier for her now.
After a few minutes, she heard him close his book and sit up. "Look at me," he said softly. Bellatrix opened her eyes and was temporarily stunned as she noticed how close he was to her. He was utterly beautiful. She stared into his blue eyes and realised that she'd lost absolutely all concentration. He pulled back, his expression slightly amused.
"Sorry," Bellatrix mumbled, feeling embarrassed and looking down. No other man had ever had this effect on her.
"Shall we try again?" he enquired softly.
Bellatrix nodded, taking a deep breath and looking back up to him. Feeling better, she concentrated on emptying her mind. She could feel her defence remain in tact as he stared into her eyes, and she knew he wasn't able to get in.
After a few minutes, he pulled back. "Very good, Madam Lestrange," he said, and she could tell by his tone that he was impressed. "Succeeding in this condition is one thing, succeeding under stress is another thing entirely." Bellatrix nodded, wondering what he was planning. "I don't have to be particularly creative when it comes to you."
Bellatrix looked up at him. He was smirking. Then he was sliding from the sofa and kneeling in front of her. Feeling her hands shaking slightly, she looked over at him. He was really close. Exhaling, she pushed all thoughts from her mind and felt the defence rising. She hoped she could keep it there.
He reached out and brushed hair from her face, his expression warm. She could cope with that. He moved even closer, his lips ghosting the skin on her cheek. She could feel his breath. Then he lightly pushed on her shoulders until she found herself on her back on the floor, the Dark Lord on top of her. She gasped, but was very pleased that her defence was still in tact.
He chuckled lightly. "You're doing well," he said, his mouth close to her ear. "How far can I take you?"
Frowning, Bellatrix looked up at him. This was a position she'd not expected to find herself in – at any time. She could feel her core throbbing and she was almost certain she could feel his erection pushing into her leg.
"My Lord…" Bellatrix said, feeling slightly indignant, although she knew she didn't really want him to stop.
"Yes?" he asked, pulling away from her and looking down into her eyes. She knew that her barriers were still in tact, so he definitely was going to have no idea what she was thinking.
"This is most inappropriate," she continued, frowning at him slightly.
"I told you it would be intimate," he responded, smirking still.
"You have gone beyond that," she replied, shaking her head. She could see his lips millimetres away from hers, she'd never wanted to close the gap and kiss someone so badly in her life.
Voldemort nodded, his expression still amused. He stood up and Bellatrix sat up. He offered her his hand, and slowly looking at him, she took it and he pulled her up to standing. "Pity," he replied. "Legilimency sex would have been interesting."
Bellatrix half laughed, before remembering once more that she was married.
"You've done well," Voldemort said with a smile, looking over at her in approval.
"Thank you," Bellatrix replied, smiling back.
"We should take it to the next level," he continued conversationally, turning to the liquor and pouring them a drink each. Bellatrix took hers, sipping on it a few times. He sat back down, leaving Bellatrix standing before him. "Auror's have started to use the unforgivable curses against us." He swallowed his drink. Bellatrix began to feel nervous again. "I imagine you will be a tempting target for them…"
Bellatrix really wanted to ask him why he thought that, but he'd told her not to question him twice. She bit her lip and didn't reply.
"With that in mind, I would like to test your defences with a bit more vigour." He pulled out his wand, smiling slightly. "We can simulate an interrogation."
Swallowing, Bellatrix headed towards the drinks cabinet and placed the glass back down. Then she turned back to him, kneeling down where she'd originally been.
"It'll help improve your curse too," he added, as if that made it better.
Bellatrix closed her eyes, inhaling and exhaling slowly.
"Crucio," he murmured. If it wasn't for the unspeakable pain now burning her entire body, she would have found his voice very sexy.
Trying not to scream, Bellatrix looked up at him. She knew the defence was still there, but she also knew he was going easy on her still. Then the pain increased and she heard herself scream, and she found she'd lost her balance completely and was now face down on the floor.
He didn't stop.
It felt like she'd been under for a year when he finally did. She lay on the floor beneath him, gasping for breath, hoping with every fibre in her body that it was over. She felt him grasp her hair and yank her upwards – forcing her to look into his eyes.
She knew he'd seen what she didn't want him to see by the expression on his face. He looked angry instantly. However, he released his hold on her hair and, surprisingly, helped her to sit on the sofa before standing up and pouring two more drinks. He didn't look at her as he gave it to her.
With shaking hands, Bellatrix held the drink to her lips and took a long gulp.
"That's enough for tonight," he said quietly. "I trust you have learnt enough over the last week to protect yourself?"
Bellatrix nodded, not entirely certain that he was referring to going out on raids for him. "Thank you, I have," she replied with a nod. She knew that there was no defence against Rodolphus though.
"Good," he responded softly. "I would hate for something to happen to you." Bellatrix bowed her head, looking down at her drink. "I will be calling a meeting to make an announcement tomorrow," he continued, his voice quiet still. "I will be going away for a few months next week."
Bellatrix looked up at him, frowning slightly. "Months?" she asked, unsure if she could cope not seeing him for so long.
He nodded slowly. "I am leaving you with access to the house. You may use the library or any of the rooms, should you desire it." He seemed to want to say something more, but nothing came for a moment. Then finally, he spoke again. "I will not allow anyone else access in my absence."
Nodding, Bellatrix swallowed the rest of her drink, wishing she could ask him where he was going and what he was doing.
"You must promise me you will look after yourself," Voldemort said after a while of silence. "I will respond to your summons should you require me."
"I will be fine, my Lord," Bellatrix replied, trying to smile and struggling. "Thank you for your concern." She looked over at him, wishing she understood him and his motivations. How did he really feel about her? He always seemed so worried about her, in a way that he definitely didn't about anyone else. He didn't like Rodolphus, that was evident.
Voldemort reached out and brushed her hair back from her face. They locked eyes for what seemed like forever, even though it couldn't have been any longer than a few seconds. Bellatrix broke his gaze, looking back down to her glass. She couldn't bear to look at him.
"Did you need me for anything else?" she asked him, feeling breathless.
What seemed like reluctantly to Bellatrix, he slowly shook his head. "I don't need you," he responded. "But… You don't have to go."
Bellatrix looked up at him, feeling surprised. His words didn't make much sense to her. "I am yours to order, my Lord," she said, frowning slightly.
Voldemort shook his head again. "Stay if you want," he responded, his voice slightly icy, standing up to pour himself a drink.
"My Lord…" Bellatrix mumbled, not knowing what to say. Truthfully, she was scared of what might happen if she did stay. She knew she shouldn't, no matter how much she wanted to. "I should go." She stood up, approaching him slowly. He turned towards her, his face impassive. She looked up into her eyes, hoping me might see the torment she found herself to be suffering. It was worse than the cruciatus curse.
Voldemort looked back into her eyes, and slowly he stepped away from her after a long moment. "Goodnight, Madam Lestrange," he said quietly, smiling slightly at her. Bellatrix smiled back, knowing he'd understood.
"Goodnight, my Lord," Bellatrix replied, smiling back. "I look forward to your summons tomorrow."
He caught her gaze once more, and it was with regret that she tore herself away from him to leave the room.
When she got home, the house was empty. Smiling bitterly to herself, Bellatrix got into bed. The tears were burning her eyelids, and she tucked herself under the duvet tightly and let the tears fall until her pillow was soaked and she was exhausted.
Sleep took her quickly, but her dreams were troubled. The man with the red eyes was laughing, taunting and tormenting her as she slept.
x-x
The next morning, Bellatrix stayed in bed until twelve. It wasn't until Rodolphus walked in looking for her that she saw him.
"What the fuck are you doing?" Rodolphus asked her coldly. "Aren't you coming?"
"Coming to what?" Bellatrix asked groggily.
"Mine and Rab's marks just burnt," Rodolphus snapped back. "There's a full gathering."
Frowning, Bellatrix looked down at her own arm. Her mark was green, not black. He hadn't summoned her.
"I've not…" Feeling tears brewing again, she swallowed hard. "Not been summoned."
Rodolphus smiled gleefully. "Not been summoned?" he repeated, his tone bright and airy. "Well, it seems the Dark Lord has finally seen your worth." He laughed, genuinely pleased to see her distress. He continued to laugh as he left the room, she could hear the sound echoing down the hall.
Bellatrix pulled the covers back around herself, staring down at her mark. Why hadn't he summoned her? Had she caused him some offence last night? Or perhaps he'd decided he didn't want her in his presence any longer?
A million more questions swirled through her mind like a tornado – and she could not answer any of them.
Battling her tears, wondering how she had any left after last night, she stumbled out of the bed and into the bathroom. She looked at herself in the mirror, realising she was still wearing yesterday's makeup and looked awful. Sobbing, she reached for the shower, turning it onto its hottest setting and stepping in.
She didn't know how long she stood numbly under the stream for, but it seemed like an age. The water soaked through her hair and helped to sooth away her worries. Her tears dried up quickly, and she felt peaceful at last.
Part of her wondered what the point of life was. She had nothing to look forward to. There was no way of a divorce for her.
Her only hope was Rodolphus taking a fatal spell on the battle field.
That thought made her feel terribly guilty. Rodolphus was an incredible asset to Voldemort's operation, and without him they wouldn't have made even half of the gains that they had. He was an amazing strategic thinker, not to mention his duelling skills. If the Dark Lord lost him, she might lose him. Although she had every faith in his abilities, that thought frightened her. She didn't know or understand why. But she did know that without him, there was no point.
She laughed out loud. She was feeling more guilty about making the Dark Lord's life harder than she was for wishing Rodolphus dead. That spoke volumes to her.
Feeling better, she stepped out of the shower and wrapped a towel around herself. As she dried off, she realised that she wasn't going to see the Dark Lord for a few months now. She should use the opportunity to get him out of her head and make an effort with Rodolphus. He was a man like any other, and she knew she was beautiful and charming enough to get him back on her side. She knew it might involve some grovelling to begin with, but it wouldn't take long.
Plus he was really good in bed. That always helped.
Smirking to herself in the mirror of their bedroom, Bellatrix admired herself. She really didn't need the makeup Rodolphus liked her in. Still, her life seemed to be about pleasing him and she knew it would make everything easier if she did. She slowly applied her makeup, contemplating what she should do with her hair. He liked her feminine.
When she was done, she stepped back and surveyed her handiwork. With dark eyes and lips and long spiral curls cascading down her back, she knew she looked amazing. But would it be enough for Rodolphus?
Thoughtfully, she headed to her underwear drawer. She was torn between the red and the black lace, but quickly settled on the black. With her highest black shiny shoes and seamed stockings, she knew he wouldn't be able to resist.
Smirking about her manipulation, she realised as she pulled her robes over that she'd forgotten about the game she was playing while wallowing in misery. Rodolphus was hers, and he would do what she wanted and allow her to do the same – but only if she was clever enough.
She'd learnt Occlumency in a matter of days. Of course she was clever enough.
Bellatrix headed down the stairs into the parlour. They weren't back yet, but she didn't think they'd be long. She walked around the room, emptying their ashtrays with a flick of her wand and opening the curtains.
She heard the crack of apparition in the hallway and decided to put some ice into some glasses. Rabastan walked in, followed by Rodolphus.
"Hello," Bellatrix said softly, fixing a smile to her face. "Everything alright?" she continued, turning back to the drinks and pouring them a large measure each.
"The Dark Lord is going away tomorrow," Rodolphus said, his voice cool. Bellatrix handed him the drink, keeping her face blank.
"Away?" she asked indifferently, as if she didn't already know.
"For a few months apparently," Rabastan added. "Where d'you think he's going?"
"Fuck knows," Rodolphus replied, sounding a bit irritated. "He's always doing this, fucks off for months at a time and no one sees him."
"Has he left you orders?" Bellatrix asked, sitting down on the edge of the sofa next to Rodolphus.
Rodolphus nodded. "Yes," he said, his voice still cold. He obviously wasn't going to tell her.
"Where is your bruise?" Rabastan asked, grinning spitefully at her.
Remembering that she was being on her best behaviour, Bellatrix smiled and was about to reply – however Rodolphus beat her to it.
"Enough, Rabastan," Rodolphus snapped at him. "Just because you enjoy hitting your wife, there's no need to belittle mine."
Bellatrix glanced over at him, frowning slightly. She hadn't expected that sort of loyalty from him. "When do I get to meet this unfortunate wife of yours?" Bellatrix asked, knowing Rodolphus wouldn't mind if she stood up for herself to Rabastan. "You do keep her well hidden, is she that ugly?"
Rabastan flinched as Rodolphus laughed harshly. "Tell her, Rab," he said, his voice full of humour. Rabastan scowled over at him, causing Rodolphus to laugh again. "If our parents were still alive you would have been disowned for it. So count yourself lucky that they are not."
Bellatrix raised her eyebrows. Pureblood families did have a habit of disowning their offspring for a variety of reasons, although these days it was generally only because of one.
"Fuck off, Rodolphus," Rabastan shouted, slamming out of the room so hard that the walls shook. Bellatrix heard him disapparate.
Rodolphus laughed, sipping his drink. "She's a half-blood," he said, looking over at her. "Rabastan's father-in-law is a fucking muggle."
Bellatrix's jaw dropped open. "Merlin," she muttered.
"He got trashed and woke up married to her." He laughed to himself for a moment, before he looked over at her and impatiently stood up, pulling her to her feet. "Who are you so made up for?" he asked, narrowing his eyes at her.
Bellatrix smiled back at him, taking his hand. "There is no man more handsome than my husband," she responded, looking into his dark eyes. "I have missed you over the last couple of days."
Rodolphus peered forward, looking down at her cleavage. "Yes, I know the feeling," he replied, his fingers reaching for the buttons of her robes. "This is the room I first fucked you in," he continued, slowly undoing her buttons.
"I remember it well," Bellatrix replied, slipping her arms around him. "Roddy," she murmured, leaning forward and kissing the bottom of his neck. "Can I suck you?"
Rodolphus pulled back, looking at her with a masked expression. "Why?" He asked, his tone slightly cold. "I've told you…"
"I want to please you," she replied, looking down.
"And if Rabastan comes back? I want you naked as you do it, right here, right now." His voice was dark.
Bellatrix looked back up, catching his gaze. She smirked slightly. "He'll get an eyeful, won't he?" she replied with a shrug.
Rodolphus nodded, his expression loosening somewhat. "Go on." He took a couple of steps back from her, before sitting down in the armchair. "Strip."
Bellatrix looked down to her robes to disguise the look of disgust she couldn't keep from her eyes. The way he spoke to her… it made her feel sick. There was no respect or love – not even any warmth. She hid her expression, carefully using her Occlumency. Not because she thought he could use Legilimency against her, but because it helped her feel calm.
She pulled her robes off, throwing them to the ground. She heard his breath hitch slightly as she did, and when she looked up she could see the look of desire on his face.
"Good," he said, nodding. "Take your bra off, I want to see your tits as you suck me off. Leave the rest on."
Nodding, Bellatrix did as she was told. He beckoned her closer and as she approached she could see him shaking his head.
"On your knees. You can crawl to me."
Feeling sicker, and wishing she didn't have to do this, Bellatrix knelt with some difficulty because of the, as the Dark Lord put it, impractical shoes he made her wear. Knowing he was doing it to punish her, Bellatrix crawled along the floor until she reached him, knowing that underneath her makeup, her face was burning.
"Get my cock out," Rodolphus said, his voice rough and quiet.
Eager to comply quickly, Bellatrix parted his robes and undid his trousers, opening them and reaching in to pull his cock out. Even at half hardness it was huge.
"Look at it," Rodolphus said, reaching forwards a grabbing a fistful of her hair. Bellatrix kept her gaze forward, wishing she hadn't volunteered for this. "Rules," he said, his voice cold. "Hands behind your back. I don't want you touching me." His grip tightened as he watched her comply. "Second, if you let me out of your mouth, you will be punished." He leant closer to her face. "Not in a way you will enjoy. Got it?"
"Yes, Rodolphus," she murmured, feeling nervous yet strangely turned on at the same time.
"I want you nose deep, licking my balls by the time we are done."
Not quite knowing how that was physically possible, Bellatrix nodded the best she could with his grip in her hair still, and slowly moved forwards. He let go of her hair, sitting back. Bellatrix knelt up slightly, leaning forwards and capturing him in her mouth. She sucked on the head for a few moments, before taking him deeper. She was thankful she didn't have much of a gag reflex.
She took him fairly deep into her mouth, although she was sure she wasn't even half way down, wishing that she could use her hands. She knew he didn't want her to cheat, he was using this as an excuse to degrade her and make her life difficult. Taking a deep breath, as best she could without him coming out of her mouth, she plunged down further.
"More," Rodolphus hissed, his hands finding their way back into her hair at the top of her skull and pushing her down.
Bellatrix choked slightly, trying to pull back but he didn't release his grip and she found that she was stuck. Trying not to panic, she pushed herself forwards, knowing it would be easier once she'd done it the first time. Finally, he pulled her back up, although Bellatrix remembered to keep at least some of him in her mouth. After a moment, he pushed her down and up a few times, getting himself deeper into her throat each time.
"All the way," she heard him say. She braced her hands on the chair either side of him, allowing him to push her all the way down. She could feel her eyes watering, but it wasn't long before her nose was pressed into his skin and she realised that she'd done it. She stretched her mouth open wider and flicked her tongue out, lapping at his balls. "Good bitch," he growled, pulled her away from him completely. He held her up by her hair, smirking across at her. "Hands and knees."
Feeling slightly giddy, but pleased it was over, Bellatrix turned slightly and got onto her hands and knees. She heard him stand up and move behind her. His hand slapped her arse, hard enough to make her jump. He pulled her panties down around her knees, and then he laughed. "Why am I always surprised at you being so wet?" he asked, rubbing his fingers down her slit. With a grunt, he knelt down behind her and pressed himself inside of her. One hand slid onto her hip, holding her tightly, and his fingers from his other hand were pushed into her mouth, pulling her head upwards.
Then he began to pound her. At first, it really hurt. Before long, she realised she was seeing stars. He felt amazing inside of her, and she could feel her orgasm spreading through her body before long.
Surprisingly, Rodolphus didn't last much longer. When he was done, he pulled out from her, standing up and then sitting back down on the armchair, reaching for a cigarette and lighting it. Bellatrix pulled her panties back up, kneeling in front of him with her head bowed.
"I like you before me like this," he said, his voice dark again. "My property." Although feeling quite exhausted, Bellatrix felt her hands clench. "Look at me." Hiding her expression and keeping her face blank, Bellatrix did as she was told. "That was the best face fuck I've ever got," he said, smirking slightly. "Since you obviously enjoyed it so much, we will make this a regular thing. I might even buy you a cock gag to train your mouth." He sat back, his expression thoughtful.
Bellatrix didn't really know what to think. Her legs were aching and starting to cramp after kneeling for so long. "Please can I get up," she said, hating that she had to ask his permission for even that. She didn't dare do otherwise.
Rodolphus looked back at her, his expression slightly malicious. "Kiss my feet." Swallowing down her sigh, Bellatrix bent forward and pressed a kiss on each of his booted feet. Then she felt his hand in her hair, lifting her upwards. He stood, forcing her to scramble to her feet or risk having all of her hair pulled out. "I am your true master, never forget that." When he released his hold on her, Bellatrix nodded. "Say it!"
"You are my true master," Bellatrix responded hastily, knowing that to be a complete lie.
"Good girl," he said approvingly, his hands back on her hair, although this time very gently. "Would you like to go out to dinner tonight?"
Feeling relieved he was back to being nice, Bellatrix nodded, smiling slightly. "That would be nice," she murmured. She guessed he'd punished her in a way he liked, by humiliating her. It was over for now – at least until the next time she pissed him off.
"Tidy yourself up and we'll go." He pulled her hand as she turned away, turning her back and crushing his lips against hers brutally. "Wear something black. I like you in black. We'll meet the boys later, so I want you looking your best."
Bellatrix nodded, turning away from him again and leaving the room. Once she was upstairs, she lent against the wall, exhaling in relief. His unpredictability was terrifying.
She looked into the mirror, seeing her black eye makeup had streamed down her face. Sighing, she knew it was irreparable and she'd have to start again.
Still, she hadn't been out with 'the boys' for a couple of weeks, so that meant she was definitely back in his favour. He didn't like to take her out if he was cross or bored with her, she'd worked out.
As she looked at herself in the mirror, she realised that she missed the Dark Lord already.
x-x
A couple of weeks later, Bellatrix decided she should probably go and check on the Dark Lord's house. He had kind of asked her to go, and although she didn't think anything had happened to it she wanted to be sure.
Rodolphus had been completely different with her, following their dinner. He was being very gentle, considerate and seemed to be interested in her for once. He'd even come home with beautiful roses for her one evening. That was a first.
Rabastan has avoided them for a week. Bellatrix was a little bit disgusted that they had kept this half blood wife a secret from her, however she was very keen to meet her. She imagined life with Rabastan must be awful, and understood how she must feel. She knew that she would meet her, when Rodolphus decided it would be alright. She didn't want to ask just yet, their eighteen months of marriage had been turbulent to say the least.
She was finding that the missing Dark Lord bothered her less and less every day. He had previously been in her thoughts a lot, but that was probably down to knowing he could summon her whenever he wished. She did find that Rodolphus was much happier as well, although she couldn't be sure of why that was.
As she entered the house, Bellatrix was relieved to find it still standing and looking like it should. Now missing him slightly, she headed upstairs and went into the library. Rodolphus wasn't always at home, and she needed some new reading material.
As she opened the door, she inhaled the familiar scent and moved further into the room. She flicked her wand to light the fire, looking around her. This was such a beautiful room, dark wooden shelves filled with booked covered wall to ceiling, the massive fireplace trimmed with silver and one small window at one end. She loved how peaceful it was, no one ever went in there regularly apart from herself and the Dark Lord, although Rodolphus had come in to find her a couple of times.
She headed to the table in the middle of the room, noticing a large stack of books and an envelope addressed to her on the usually clear surface. Surprised, and slightly nervous, she opened the letter.
Dear Bella,
Please accept my apologies for not summoning you to the last meeting. In truth, I wanted to protect you, although you believe you do not need to be protected.
You are my most loyal follower, I believe you would sacrifice your life for mine in a heartbeat. I will always want to keep you safe.
The books I have left out are amongst my favourites. I have not met anyone else who shares the same thirst for knowledge as I do. I look forward to the conversations we may have about them.
Not one day will pass where my thoughts do not stray to you. Stay safe.
Yours,
Voldemort
Bellatrix set the letter down, feeling a little surprised. She briefly looked at the books he'd set out, seeing there was a pile of five or six of them. A smile reached her face after a moment, he really did seem to care about her. It was bizarre. She shouldn't be anything to him, and she was sure many other people would lay down their lives for him. She would do so without even thinking.
Really glad she'd come, Bellatrix gathered the books in one arm and left the library, tucking the letter into one of them and knowing she would need to be careful where she hid it. She was about to turn down the staircase, when she realised that she was alone in the house. She felt an odd sensation, almost a call of her name from behind her, and slowly she turned around and slowly walked towards his rooms.
As she opened the door, pleased there were no additional wards, she stepped into the sitting room. Everything was tidy and where it should be, not that she'd expected any house elves to be having a party here. She was about to leave, when she noticed the door to his bedroom slightly ajar.
Slowly, hardly thinking about what she was doing, she crossed the room and pushed the door open. As she walked into the room, she gasped slightly. The most beautiful four poster bed she'd ever seen sat in the centre of the room, and as she approached she could see a single red rose on the pristine white sheet. Slowly, she bent forward and picked it up, interested to know who was sending him roses – he was the Dark Lord after all. She gasped as she noticed the little tag attached to the stem. It was adorned with two elaborate 'B' shapes in black ink. Hastily she dropped it.
Bellatrix Black.
It was for her, she just knew it. He'd left her a rose, incase she'd come in. In her maiden name.
After a moment, she picked it back up. The rose was a beautiful shade of deep red. Knowing she couldn't take it home, she conjured a small vase and headed into the bathroom to put some water in it. She set the rose into it and headed into the sitting room where she placed it on the the coffee table. He would understand.
She glanced behind her to look into the room again, feeling more confused than ever. Why would he go to so much effort for her? He wasn't exactly the romantic type and, for the millionth time, she was married.
Rodolphus had been amazing over the last few days. He should be everything she could ever want. Perhaps if she'd never met the Dark Lord, and didn't know better, he would be. But she had, and she did. Rodolphus would change back, if not soon then at some point.
Slowly, Bellatrix closed the door behind her. She missed him a lot, she suddenly realised. She wish she could write to him, but she had no idea where he was. She didn't dare to summon him. He would probably be irritated if she did disturb him. If he'd wanted to hear from her, he would have told her how to get in touch. He wanted to be alone.
With a sigh, she looked down at the book. She realised suddenly that these were his favourites and then a wave of excitement hit her. She would learn a lot about him by reading these books. Smiling slightly, she headed back home, full of eagerness and joy at what she had discovered today.