call it our home | Nov 25, 1978 | Bellatrix & Rodolphus
There was a certain exhaustion that came after missions Bella was incredibly fond of. It was a weight in her bones, that could almost be considered an ache, and slowness in her step, as she limped on sore feet, connecting her to the extremities of her body. Bella felt alive, was high with it, as she was every time. She was sure her companion could see the manic grin that sat oddly on her face, but it wasn't one of her major concerns. Rodolphus had seen much worse of her, as she had of him.
Humming to fill the silence, Bella continued to walk down the cobblestone path. In the night like this, with the majority of the nasty little vermin tucked snugly in their beds, she could almost see the beauty in this muggle town. It was disgusting, still, with dirt, grime, and some kind of oil so deeply ingrained in the cracks of the pavement, she felt she had stepped into Knockturn Alley, but she could almost see it in the way the lights were like stars. Wasn't that a muggle thing to do, creating their own stars? Her family had been named for the stars, born into it, generation after generation. It was laughable that they would even try.
The thrum of adrenaline was beginning to fade, but Bella refused to pout. Stopping abruptly and turning towards Rodolphus, she felt her grin starting to fray at the edges. With a look from his head to the tips of his shoes, she couldn't help but snicker. She knew she looked far worse, as she always did, and was even more sure she had blood running down her arm from something that hurt on her weary body, but the half-snide, half-fond comment left her mouth anyway. "You're probably just itching to go home, aren't you, darling?"
With a shrug, she turned back in order to keep walking towards the alley they would hopefully apparate home in. Her legs were shaking under her slightly, and Bella stopped, staring at her boots in shock. Keeping her panic concealed, she looked back towards her husband. "I think I might need to sit down," she said, as calmly as possible. It was only after she said it that she realized how off it had sounded, having something so genuine leaving her lips. "My head's in a bit of a whirl, I think, from all the fun. You may have to go ahead without me, dear."