Rodolphus stroked her hair, looking into her eyes and giving her a small smile. "I know I can trust you," he said softly. "I know I'll always have you. I just don't have anyone else." He sighed, pressing his cheek against hers and thinking. "I can't tell my wife how I really feel about the Dark Lord. I used to think of Lucius Malfoy as my best friend and I can't talk to him about my doubts either. It's... frustrating to know that you can't trust any of the people you 'hang out' with. But," he shrugged, "you get used to it. I'm quiet; I usually just observe and just say something if it's really necessary. It's safer that way. Everything I say can be used against me. If anyone knew how I feel about Him, I'd either get killed, or..." He trailed off and paused for a moment. "Killed." He let out a bitter laugh and shook his head. "Man, I have a bright future ahead of me, don't I?"
He raised an eyebrow when she laughed, and couldn't bite back a snort himself. "You do have a point," he laughed, only now realising how young she really was. Age didn't matter to him; not really. He'd had many young women (and men) in the past and had never thought twice about it before seducing them. But this, Tonks, was not only his niece, she was also more or less sixteen years younger than him. By the time time she was born, he'd already been in love with Bellatrix, and three or four years later, they'd gotten married; and more or less at the same time, they'd become Death Eaters. It was so wrong for him to be in love her but for some reason, he just didn't care. He looked into her eyes for a moment and smiled, then frowned a little. "Do you... mind?" he asked curiously. "That I'm technically your uncle and sixteen years older than you?" He grinned a little. "Technically, if things were different, I should be protecting you from guys like me and make sure no one touches you until you're at least forty, not be the one to touch you."
He laughed, remembering the first time they met. "Yes," he said gravely but unable to suppress a grin. "That must've been it. Your complete cluelessness was strangely attractive. The look on your face when you finally recognized me was absolutely priceless." He stroked her cheek affectionately, still grinning, and kissed her nose. When she talked about Azkaban and that her first instinct was to go to him, the grin softened into a smile and he was, once again, overwhelmed by a surge of love for her. He was silent for a moment, then nodded slowly. "So are you," he said softly. "You are the most important thing in my life too, and if I didn't have you... I don't know where I'd be right now." He paused. "Well, I guess I know where I'd be; I'd probably be at home, depressed and drunk. I guess I should thank you for curing my alcoholism." He laughed softly and stroked the back of her neck. "But seriously, you're my only source of happiness, at the moment. If I ever had to produce a Patronus, I'd just think of you and I'd have the most powerful one I've ever created."