Title: Only Not
Prompt: Only Not
Rating: PG
Word Count: 201
Summary: It's almost like he loves her.
Author's Notes: What is this? Gamma… finished something? How unusual!

)O(

All Bellatrix's logic told her that she should not allow him to treat her the way that he did. She could have stood up to him – he would not have killed her for it. Punished her, perhaps, but it would not have been anything she couldn't stand. She could have saved herself.

But she wouldn't.

Because for all the ways he hurt her, in spite of everything he did that should have made her hate him – almost did make her hate him, sometimes – and certainly made her hate herself, she could not give up what she had when she was with him.

Yes, he would mock her and hurt her and scorn her. Yes, he could bring her near to tears over and over again and never feel a shred of remorse for it. Yes, there were times – so many times – when it seemed as though he hated her.

But then he would kiss her, or even just give her a little smile or an approving nod, and it was almost as though everything he ever did to hurt her and every reason that she hated to love him disappeared completely.

And it was almost like he loved her.

Only not.

)O(

Fin