Author's Notes: Written for Lolaaaa's Your Favourite Couple: Scenarios Challenge/Competition on the HPFC forum.

Every 5 days I'll post a scenario for you to put your favourite couple into. Five days is a short amount of time you say? It can be any length between 100 words and 2000 words.

More Gamma drabbles, then! Enjoy!

Person A is engaged to someone else. Person B tries to win them over.

500 words.

)O(

Bellatrix could not stop touching the engagement ring on her finger as she sat at the meeting and idly listened to the Dark Lord discuss which Aurors constituted a threat and should be dealt with. It was so constant a reminder of Rodolphus, and every time her fingers brushed it, she felt an unsettling mix of pride at finally being married, relief that it was Rodolphus instead of one of the miserable old men her father had been considering, and frustration that it was not another man that she was marrying.

"Bellatrix."

The meeting had ended and the other Death Eaters were on their way out. Bellatrix looked up quickly, then inclined her head when she saw the Dark Lord standing over her. She stood and sketched a quick curtsey.

"My Lord."

"I take it you've been proposed to." He looked down at her hand, and Bellatrix thought she might have heard a note of distaste – jealousy? No, that was far too much to hope for – in his voice.

"Yes, my Lord. By Rodolphus," she said, keeping her eyes down modestly.

His hand travelled slowly to rest upon her waist, pulling her closer to him. A thrill travelled through her body – oh, Merlin, he's touching me!

"You don't want Rodolphus."

"Why do you say that?" She tried and failed to sound careless and nonchalant, but her heart was beating quickly and his cool hand just above the curve of her hip only served to excite her. She swallowed hard, then managed, "He is a perfectly respectable gentleman – and, of course, in service to you, my Lord… I should think you would approve of our marriage," she added, and he clearly did not miss the note of bitterness in her tone.

The Dark Lord snorted softly. "Approve of your marriage? Hardly…"

"Why not, my Lord?" she managed, her voice trembling.

"I should think the answer should be obvious…"

Bellatrix opened her mouth to speak, but before a word could pass her lips, his fingers had knotted in her hair and yanked her head back and he was kissing – Merlin, kissing me!

She melted instantly against him, not daring to raise her hands to touch him or even move her lips against his, just standing almost limply in his grip.

At last, he pulled away, and she whispered in a cracked voice, "Master… if I had ever thought that you desired me…"

"I do," he said, and his voice was as calm as if he was discussing the Aurors once again, not speaking to the woman he had just all but swept off her feet. "And the thought of sharing you with Rodolphus does not please me."

It pained Bellatrix physically to say it, but she managed to whisper, "I dare not turn Rodolphus away now… but, my Lord… if I could…" Her voice caught slightly, and she was scarcely able to say, "If I had a choice, I would rather have you than him… I would choose you in an instant."