She came to on the cold hard floor. At least, she assumed it was the floor, why else would it be so uncomfortable? She could be anywhere, geographically she could be in Saudi Arabia for all the difference it would make right now! Not daring to open her eyes, clinging desperately to the slightly groggy feeling that follows shortly after waking up Bellatrix completed a little mental inventory. Aware of a burning ache in her spine, she listed: legs? Check. Spine? On fire. Arms? Faintly there. She began mentally exploring her own body, nerve by nerve, creeping from her toes analysing all the way up to her head. There was a dull throb to her left thigh, perhaps a bruise that would take a few days to develop. The bone of her right hip was hurting, the burning pain of a graze? Only when she attempted to move her head did the pounding begin. Wherever it was she had ended up, she didn't remember her journey leading her here.

As she made attempts to get up her ears were filled with one word, echoing off the walls, reverberating off the floor and rattling around in her sore head. One high pitched but perfectly calm 'crucio'. All at once any stream of logical thought was halted. Her breath caught in her throat and white noise filled her ears. Her blood had turned to fire, white hot pain coursing through her veins while she was being crushed under an immeasurable weight. It felt as though she was being stabbed all over and repeatedly, again and again. Bellatrix's eyes rolled into the back of her head as she was left writhing around on the floor, her back arching so high she thought it might snap.

Her body slammed back onto the cold floor with a thud and she was left panting for breath. Bellatrix was still reeling from the last dose of pain when her master's face loomed into her vision. 'It would seem you have disobeyed me, Bellatrix' Voldemort crooned in a deceptively soft tone. 'You know what happens to those of my followers who do not obey my every command' he sneered. Bellatrix tried to explain herself to the dark lord and offer a defence but it was no use, as all that she could utter was a breathless and stuttered 'n-n-n-n-o, no. W-w-w-ait' which was, by this time, too late as the familiar tidal wave of pain engulfed her body once again. Her master cared little for any excuses, a fact she should know well after her four years of devoted servitude. The pain ebbed away a little and a logical thought process returned. Bellatrix's attention turned from the ways she had failed her master to survival and escape. She was silently taking in the room, looking for a clue as to where she was when she felt her master's foot pressing down on her throat. "Resistance would prove futile, young Bellatrix," he hissed "for you have wronged me, and now you shall pay." Bellatrix was choking out her pleas for forgiveness when she became aware of the body bind curse preventing her from tearing away the obstruction to her breathing. Her eyesight had gone fuzzy, though whether that was a direct result of lack of oxygen or the trauma to her head she wasn't sure. Accepting her fate as the last of the oxygen in her body drained away, Bella's mind turned to her husband. She pictured him upon hearing the news that she had died, that she had failed her duty as a death eater. His face crumpled in confusion at how it could have happened. She pictured him returning to their marital home, so empty and alone. She imagined being without Rodolphus and in that moment was inspired to fight for her life, for her husband's sake if not her own. She inhaled the deepest breath she could muster through her restricted airways and, remembering her master's skill at ligillimency, thought intensely about how she had failed him, allowing the emotions of defeat to swell in her chest, turning her mind to how deeply and sincerely sorry she was.

The weight is lifted from her throat, though she still struggles to breathe. Bellatrix feels the thick pain to her side and the sensation of moving when she realises that she has been kicked across the room. Reopening her eyes, she is thankful for the ability to breathe as she lay on the cold, hard floor, eyes pinned to the ceiling, daring not to look anywhere else. "I sense that you are remorseful for your actions here this evening?" Voldemort muses in her general direction. "I feel that you possess an eagerness to prove yourself to me in light of your defeat. To prove," he paused, before spitting out the words "your loyalty." The words stung like a fresh wound to her already damaged and fragile self. Did her master really doubt her loyalty? Of all his death eaters, surely Bellatrix was the most loyal of them all? "I am done with you now. Carrow! Remove her from my sight. There are other things that require my attention!" Still reeling from what Voldemort had said to her, Bellatrix barely noticed that Amycus Carrow had entered the room and approached her. "Thank you, th-th-th-thank you, my lord" she choked out as she was carried from the dark room, her head spinning. There was a great gust of wind, a lot of pressure around her head and a fair amount of friction against her grazes and bruises as Carrow apparated to the manor and carried her to the door. With a light thud, Bellatrix landed on the front step, as Carrow rang the doorbell and apparated back leaving Bellatrix, a shaking, bleeding, and somewhat concussed, in a heap on her own.

Rodolphus answered the door a little confused after hearing the crack of someone disapparating and then using the doorbell. Opening the door to see the damaged shell of the woman he loved at his feet left him momentarily dumbstruck. He fell to his knees in front of her as she looked up to his face, the woman who was so strong, so impeccably and undeniably beautiful crumpled before him covered in blood, bruises forming along each visible patch of skin, her robes in tatters. She was shaking. Not knowing what else to do, Rodolphus reached for his wife, being as careful and cautious as he could he placed one arm beneath her thighs and one around her waist when she hissed loudly, recoiling from his touch. "Sssh, Bella" he whispered, as he reached to move hair from her face. "Oh, Bella. My poor, poor Bella. What happened? Who did this to you?" he continued to whisper, as though distracting her from the second attempt at finding a way to manoeuvre her into their home as painlessly as possible. Placing her down on the sofa, Rodolphus called for the house elf, Petri to fetch the essence of Dittany, some warm water, and a new set of robes for his mistress. He then set to work, peeling the remains of her shredded robes from her tender skin, carefully bathing her wounds and applying the essence of Dittany all the while humming a gentle tune in an attempt to soothe her. Now that her body had been treated and had stopped bleeding, and she was into a freshly laundered robe, Bellatrix had stopped shaking. Instead she had sat facing the fire, her eyes vacant. Rodolphus placed himself next to her, cleaning the blood from her face and examining the bruise forming on her cheekbone. "Bellatrix, my darling?" he said, testing the waters, watching her face for any reaction. "Bella, please talk to me. Anything. Anything at all, just speak. Please!" he pleaded, taking her hand in both of his. Bellatrix turned to face him, with tears brimming on her lower eyelashes. "Are you okay? Do you still hurt?" he responded, trying her for speech. She nodded her head slowly in response. "Where? Where do you hurt, my love? Let me help you" yet more pleading with his wife. She remained lifelessly still for a few moments, though whether she was deciding what caused her the most pain or whether she had yet to register what he said Rodolphus couldn't tell. "Every…where" she croaked out in a broken and hoarse voice, looking him in the eye as she did so. Collapsing onto him, she began to cry into his chest, her arms wrapped tightly around his waist. "It's okay, my love. It's okay. You're safe now. I'm here, shh, you're safe now." He crooned into the top of her head as his fingers traced her spine. He decided at that moment, after seeing an uncharacteristic vulnerability to Bellatrix that he wouldn't push her for information on what happened tonight. He would be patient and supportive to her, but he would wait for her to tell him in her own time, when she is ready.