Rodolphus apparated back to the shore from where he could get to the Dark Lord's underground fortress. It wasn't exactly convenient to reach and his motivation wasn't very high either at the moment. He had just been here two hours ago.

"Good evening Rodolphus," he said, a slight smile playing around his thin lips. "I want you to take your wife home, I'm not sure if she'll be able to apparate on her own."

"As you wish, my Lord," Rodolphus said dispassionately.

Bellatrix lay on the floor, bent double, her face white in sharp contrast to her black hair. "Bellatrix, do you understand me?" he asked as if he was talking to a random patient.

She muttered something that sounded like "yes."

"What's you maiden name?"

"Black," she said a hint of pride in her voice.

Rodolphus knew that she would be alright. Again.

"Is there anything else?" Rodolphus asked the Dark Lord.

"Tell her that I won't tolerate this highhandedness again. She must not show this kind of softness towards captured enemies."

"I'll tell her," Rodolphus said. "Good night."

He walked over to Bellatrix again and cast a quick strengthening charm. Everything else would be done at home but he wanted to spare her the humiliation of carrying her out of the Dark Lord's presence.

The charm was effective and she managed to stagger outside on her own. As soon as they had left the Dark Lord, Rodolphus helped her walk to the entrance. The curse's effects on her muscles made it almost impossible for her to walk.

It had started all over again. The Dark Lord had seemingly forgone this kind of thing during the last years but the issue with the Grindelwald-supporters had obviously changed this.

When they finally reached the shore, Rodolphus cast a spell on Bellatrix that put her into a dreamless and painless sleep. He didn't ask for her consent which she probably wouldn't have given but her health was more important to him. Bellatrix wasn't supposed to face the combined effects of the Cruciatus curse and the Dementors. She had been through this before and he didn't want a repetition.

Learning to do the Patronus charm could prove really useful, Rodolphus thought as they sailed through the Dementor-induced mists. Especially during his first months as a Death Eater, the Dark Lord had taken special pleasure from making Rodolphus watch him torture Bellatrix, daring him to protest. In the very beginning, he had been foolish enough to do so but he had learned better quickly. By now, he had become so good at hiding his feelings that he wasn't aware of them himself anymore.

The Aurors had been quite taken aback by this when they had attempted to follow into the Dark Lord's footsteps.

Rodolphus suspected that a part of her was hurt by his seeming indifference but she had never admitted it. Most of her knew like he did that it was the reasonable choice.

The Dark Lord's Dementors were gliding around them; maybe he had ordered them to do so. Rodolphus wouldn't put it past him.

There had been times during his captivity at the Ministry where Rodolphus had seriously expected to die suffering from the same affliction he had cured and induced before.

For once, luck had favoured him however. The Aurors had unknowingly given him a great gift. They had destroyed the Memory Charm which had been put on him to make him forget the knowledge and experience he had gained as a Healer. Rodolphus had never lost his gift and he had had books and reports to read but it hadn't been enough to get him anywhere close to the skills he had had before. In Azkaban, everything returned to him. Bringing the memory of the Cruciatus curse use to the surface, the Dementors had reminded him of his knowledge again and again. This way he had been able to get through well and help the others afterwards.

His views about the Dark Lord however had never been the same after this. He definitely needed to ask Neville about the Patronus charm. The young Healer used it to help his patients, with considerable success or so Rodolphus had heard.

When they finally reached the other shore, Rodolphus took his sleeping wife into his arms and apparated with her back to their house.

"Dad, is Mum ill Roxy's eyes were wide with worry. Roderic frowned and looked at his mother's sleeping from very intently.

Rodolphus suppressed a sigh. He had hoped that the children would already be in bed.

"Your mother has suddenly fallen ill," he explained. "I need to take care of her so she can get better again. Please don't disrupt us; I'll be with you later."

On his journey home he had almost forgotten about the children. They had never witnessed this kind of punishment so far and neither Bellatrix nor Rodolphus had ever described the Dark Lord as anything other than a just and able leader. Telling them the truth was definitely out of question. They needed to stay away from Bellatrix until she was better.

Both children looked extremely worried but they obeyed him and remained in the living-room. Rodolphus took Bellatrix to the room they had specifically prepared for the needs of ill family members. So far, it had mainly hosted the children after accidents or with childhood illnesses. Rodolphus pulled Bellatrix' Death Eater cloak off and laid her down on the bed. He would have preferred to keep her under the sleeping spell for now but it was too dangerous. Her body wasn't able to fight the curse this way which would only delay her recovery.

"Where am I?" she asked, her voice hoarse, probably from the screaming.

"I've taken you home. You're in our sick room for the moment. I'd like to begin with your treatment now."

"No, you can't. I failed the Dark Lord, I deserve this pain," she whispered.

Rodolphus had lost count of the number of times they had had this conversation in the past. Anger and frustration were replacing his carefully groomed indifference. He had really believed this was over and now everything was starting all over again. There was no security; he could shatter their carefully built new lives at a moment's notice. His manic plans for Europe could destroy everything and bring suffering and death to countless people. Rodolphus was trapped in this nightmare once more. Still, there was no point in telling Bellatrix any of this. He needed to resort to the usual strategy.

"The Dark Lord needs you to do your work well," he told her. "He gains nothing from you being sick. I'm certain he wouldn't have called me to fetch you if he didn't expect me to help you."

He spoke calmly as the situation commanded but he would have liked nothing better than to shout at someone. The entire thing was so nonsensical. The Dark Lord tortured Bellatrix, expected Rodolphus to heal her so he could torture her some more. This was the "new" strategy he wished to use against the Grindelwald-supporters now. It was already tried and tested on his most loyal supporter.

"He didn't tell you to treat me, did he?" Bellatrix asked.

"He didn't tell me explicitly but I'm certain he assumed I'd do so."

"I can't believe that," Bellatrix responded. "I need to know for sure."

What did she expect him to do now? Apparate to the Dark Lord's fortress and ask if he was allowed to treat her? Rodolphus was certain that the Dark Lord would not appreciate that.

"Dad, what's wrong with Mum?"

Roderic had walked into the room, unnoticed. Rodolphus clenched his fists so he didn't do anything more clearly noticeable. Couldn't he have stayed out as he was supposed to?

The boy looked at this mother's pale face and saw the haunted look in her eyes. He turned back to his father. "It's the same thing Neville's Mum has, isn't it?"

Rodolphus had no idea what he was supposed to answer to that.

"It's the Cruciatus curse, isn't it?"

"How do you know?" Rodolphus asked slowly, realising that this was the wrong thing to say if he wanted to keep the truth from his son. That wasn't really possible anymore though.

"She told me at Flourish and Blotts," Roderic said quietly. "When I saw her for the first time."

Rodolphus remembered this conversation as well now. He had considered putting an end to it but not done it. Maybe he should have.

"The Dark Lord did it to Mum, didn't he?"

Before Rodolphus could think of anything to tell him, Bellatrix said: "That's right, Roderic. I failed him and he had to punish me."

Rodolphus had never seen his son look as alarmed as he did now when he heard how his mother's voice sounded.

Rodolphus filled a glass with water. "Drink that," he told her. At least the dryness of her throat could be remedied this way.

Bellatrix gave him as suspicious look. "Is it really only water?"

"Yes, it's only water," Rodolphus said patiently. Bellatrix started to drink hesitantly. It was very likely that the curse had affected her sense of taste as well.

Roderic stared at her uncomprehendingly. "It's Dad. He would never give you anything harmful."

"I know," Bellatrix said. "He wants to give me a healing potion but he mustn't. I deserve this punishment."

Roderic sat down beside her and took her hand into his own. Rodolphus was surprised to see that she allowed it. "No Mum, you do not deserve this. I've discussed the Cruciatus curse with Dad and with Neville's Mum-"

"You have done what?" Rodolphus started to ask before realising that this wasn't the moment to discuss Roderic's inclination to ask everyone inappropriate questions.

Roderic ignored his father's remark; maybe he had heard the change of tone in the middle of the question.

"You don't deserve that. He has no right to do this to you."

"The Dark Lord can do to me whatever he wishes," Bellatrix whispered. "You don't understand."

Roderic fell silent, sitting there by her side. Rodolphus couldn't help thinking about an even more terrible truth he never wanted the boy to find out about. Bellatrix had become pregnant during their time at Hogwarts. The war hadn't been completely over yet and the Dark Lord hadn't let her condition keep him from treating her the way he always did. It had taken every ounce of skill Rodolphus possessed to keep Roderic alive through pregnancy and through the first months of his life.

He had not been able to save their first son. The boy would already be a man now, almost exactly Neville's age. If everything had gone according to plan, he would have been born on July 27.1980. They had already chosen a name, Rigel, a star name that started with R. Azkaban had given Rodolphus plenty of time to think about it. By now, he didn't believe that it had been an accident anymore. The Dark Lord had been so interested in the other two boys born at the end of July 1980, Harry Potter and Neville Longbottom. He also hadn't wanted to share Bellatrix devotion with a child. Rodolphus had never told Bellatrix about his suspicions of course. It would have done no good.

Bellatrix had kept telling people how gladly she'd give her sons up for the Dark Lord but no one other than her husband had known that she had already done so, anything but willingly. Since Roderic had been born, she had never said this again.

Watching his wife and son together like that, Rodolphus knew that he wouldn't allow this to happen if there was anything he could do about it, anything at all. His own life wasn't very valuable anymore but the lives of his children who had so much promising talent were.

When Roxana came walking through the door as well, he wasn't really surprised. Rodolphus really didn't want her to know what had truly happened though. Roderic was a different matter. He had already been touched by this madness, Roxana had been spared that. He didn't want to shatter her innocence and trust in the world around her, not yet.

"I wanted to see how Mum is," she said quietly. "Roderic's here so I can be too, can't I?"

Rodolphus didn't say anything which Roxana interpreted as a yes. She walked to her mother's side as well and stepped around her bed. "You have a really bad headache, Mum," she said, gently touching Bellatrix' forehead.

"I'm sorry Mum; I can't make it go away. It's too strong."

Rodolphus had to fight down his own despair when he heard the sadness and helplessness in the girl's voice. "This is still too difficult for you, you're much too young," he told her. "I can help your mother though if she lets me."

It was true for the after effects of this one curse, but he was as helpless as the child as far as the entire situation between Voldemort and Bellatrix was concerned.

"Why won't you let Dad help you, Mum?" Roxy asked.

"You wouldn't understand," she said.

"Please Mum, I don't want you to hurt," Roxy said.

Bellatrix sighed. "You're probably right. It won't do anyone any good when I'm ill."

"Good," Rodolphus said relieved. "You're right. It won't do anyone any good. I really want you to leave now, Roderic, Roxy. I need to concentrate on my job. You've done what you could to help."

He half expected the children to protest but they did not. Both of them obviously grasped the gravity of the situation.

"Dad, is Neville's owl still there?" Roderic asked.

Rodolphus was perplexed at the sudden change of subject. The boy was right though. He needed to remember to let the owl out afterwards or the Longbottoms would start to worry "Yes, I let her inside to give her some water and the Dark Lord called before I could send her off. She should be in the owl room."

"I could let her out," Roderic said.

"Yes, that's a good idea," Rodolphus said. "I almost forgot it. Thank you." Maybe the boy was desperate for something to do. It was how Rodolphus felt in unpleasant situations he couldn't influence.

"No problem," Roderic said before turning to his mother.

"I love you, Mum."

Rodolphus was taken aback. It wasn't like Roderic to say something like that at all.

"I love you too," Roxy added. "Get well."

When they had both left, Rodolphus spoke the incantation that separated the malignant magic of the Cruciatus curse from Bellatrix' own. It wasn't a single spell word but a longer incantation that had to be spoken like chant. This effort was necessary because it had to be done wandlessly. Using a wand around a Cruciatus curse patient in this state could prove harmful. There was a version of the spell in a Celtic language and another one in Ancient French, Rodolphus used the latter because it was true to his own heritage.

He needed to repeat the spell many times until there was a satisfying result. Rodolphus had never come across another case where the magic of the torturer and of the tortured were as tightly interwoven as they were every time Bellatrix was tortured by the Dark Lord. It was almost as if she objected to Rodolphus' attempts at separating them.

Internalising the torturers feelings towards them wasn't unusual for Cruciatus curse victims. It happened even in cases where most people wouldn't expect it at all such as between Neville and the Carrows.

Bellatrix' case went far beyond that though. Using the Cruciatus curse as a means of discipline for major offenses had been established among the Blacks, Druella had interpreted "major offense" rather liberally, especially when Bellatrix was concerned. Thus she had grown up believing that the Cruciatus curse was an appropriate punishment for mistakes long before she had ever met the Dark Lord. Rodolphus assumed that was also the reason why she believed that using the Cruciatus curse on her and loving her weren't mutually exclusive.

When Rodolphus was finally done with this spell, she looked immensely tired. Fighting his healing magic alongside the Dark Lord's curse had probably done this to her. The rest of the treatment was impossible if this hadn't been done first though. Now he could complete the healing magic. Bellatrix would recover again but Rodolphus didn't know how to stop this vicious circle for good if the Dark Lord had really decided to return to his old ways. Rodolphus could only think of one way and he didn't even want to think about it in front of his wife.