Disclaimer: Do not own HP, it all belongs to J. K. Rowling.

This is borderline M so I changed the rating…

Still Bella's POV

Playing Pretend

She moans, pretending to enjoy it, as he pushes again and again inside her warm body, but within she's crying.

They had been married for years now, at her lords request she had accepted Rodolphus' proposal and played house with him while her heart was slowly dying. At the beginning it had been alright, he was a handsome man and she was a young woman of high standing, also they've known each other for forever really, but Azkaban changed all that.

She had never loved him or claimed to love him and he was well aware of that, but as his wife she had certain obligations. Then, she remembered him, knew him, now…now she did what was expected of her, they had become two strangers. The others said they were husband and wife and while she thought it to be a lie, she still pretended.

She arches her back and cries out when he does, hoping he would be satisfied for the next week at least. Waiting for him to fall asleep seems like eternity, but when he does she creeps out of bed and enters the bathroom, tears spilling from her eyes as she traces her Dark Mark.

Rodolphus looks up at the bathroom door with sad eyes and barely stops himself from comforting her. Bella wouldn't like that.