This is a oneshot that I was going to use as a memory in Hunted, but it didn't make the cut. So here it is. I had been wanting to do it for a while, anyway. :D

Dora

Andromeda Black Tonks lay wide awake in bed, curled against her husband. She was grateful for his arms around her, as both of them felt the keen loss of Nymphadora. The woman pressed her face into her husband's shirt, holding back her sorrow.

It wasn't as if she hadn't known it would happen; Bellatrix had promised that she would return for her daughter. The time had come perhaps four or five days earlier when several Death Eaters had attacked Dora and taken her from her supposed mother's house.

Nymphadora did not know of her true parents—Andromeda cringed. The girl would definitely know by now, and would be made to denounce the two that had raised her. The brown-haired witch felt her husband's reassuring touch on her back and whispered, "We've lost her."

Ted Tonks squeezed her gently, murmuring, "She won't forget you, Andromeda. You've done the best you could to prepare our—Bella's—daughter to return to her family."

"I love her," Andromeda whispered. "I should have protected her more, not let her slip into things so contrary to Bellatrix's beliefs." She shuddered as she thought of her daughter's lover, the werewolf Remus Lupin. "Ted, the instant Bella realises the extent of pollution in her daughter, I am in big trouble."

"It's not your fault," Ted told his wife, sitting up with her in his arms. "It's mine. Don't deny it, Dromeda—" as she was about to protest "if it weren't for me, Dora would have been raised proper pureblood."

"I will never accept that," Andromeda said haughtily.

The man chuckled, reaching to grasp Andromeda's hands. "I love you," he said softly, leaning in to kiss her.

Andromeda closed her eyes, trying to put everything else out of her mind, but as she reached out to receive some comfort from her husband, she suddenly chilled in terror. She jumped back from her husband, knowing he had sensed it as well.

"She's here."

The two hurried to throw on their bathrobes, each holding their wand before them as they made their way down the stairs. "Bella's approaching," Andromeda whispered as they stood at the top of the stairs. "Stay here while I go downstairs."

Ted frowned. "You're not going to let her in...?"

Andromeda gave him a loving look. "The wards will not keep her out, between my magic and Dora's."

"I'm coming with you," Ted said firmly, and began to walk down the stairs ahead of her.

"Ted," Andromeda breathed, her heart beginning to pound in fear. "Ted—" she hurried down the stairs after him and grasped him by the arm. "Edward—I love you," she whispered, and kissed him fiercely, clinging to him tightly.

Crash! The front door splintered inward, chunks of wood flying in every direction as Andromeda and Ted dove for cover.

"Andy!" came the insane shriek of her sister. "Andy, come out and play!"

Andromeda heard the click of the witch's heels enter the house and swallowed hard. She pulled her hand away from Ted and got to her feet, facing her sister.

Bellatrix's gaze settled on the brown-haired witch who silently stepped closer to her. The newly escaped Azkaban inmate had obviously cleaned up, but Andromeda almost smiled to see that her sister still had the same untamable hair. The dark-haired witch merely stared at Andromeda for a moment.

"You," Bellatrix hissed. "You gave your word."

"I kept her safe for you," Andromeda said firmly. "I tried to prepare her for your teaching, and she has done well—"

"DONE WELL?!" Bellatrix shrieked, and Andromeda half expected her sister's hair to turn bright red for a few moments. She stepped to the side as the angry witch rushed forward. "Done well, thinking she is some sort of half-blood freak?" the woman screeched at her sister. "Done well, called that Mudblood of yours—Daddy?! Done well," Bellatrix continued in absolutely rage, "ignorant of her true self and AFRAID OF ME?"

Andromeda couldn't speak, realising too late that Bella was between her and Ted's hiding place. She merely shook her head, knowing there was nothing that she could say. Panic began to grow in her as Bellatrix walked toward her past the couch her husband hid behind.

"Andromeda, how do you live with yourself?" Bellatrix whispered. "I should have known you couldn't be trusted with my baby girl. I should have known you couldn't handle a true daughter of the House of Black."

Andromeda couldn't take her eyes off the witch as she stopped before the couch. "Bella," she whispered pleadingly.

Bellatrix raised an eyebrow at her, fingering her wand thoughtfully. "There was a reason you were disowned," Bella breathed, her chest rising and falling rapidly. "You could never measure up with a Mudblood at your side, Andromeda. I should have known he would hold you back, that he would keep you from raising Dora as you promised."

"I kept her safe for you," Andromeda snapped. "I loved her as my own daughter, and did everything I could—"

"Oh, I know you did," Bellatrix laughed darkly. "Everything you could to turn her against me!"

"Bella, I would never—"

Andromeda's cry was cut off as Bellatrix leapt up on the couch, pointing her wand over the back of it at the unsuspecting Ted Tonks. Her curse had already hit by the time Andromeda had realised what Bellatrix was doing. "OH, I THINK YOU WOULD!" Bellatrix shouted at Andromeda over the sound of her husband's yells.

The brown-haired witch reached for her wand, and Bellatrix screeched with laughter, jumping over the couch and pointing her wand at her sister as she kept an eye on the Mudblood. "Try me then," she challenged. "If you think you can save him, Andy. I warned you not to fail me."

Andromeda attacked immediately, Bellatrix laughing madly as she too easily seemed to block every one of the witch's spells. "You'll have to do better than that to save him," Bellatrix smirked, ducking a curse as she shot a spell at Ted to keep him immobile.

"Bellatrix," Andromeda growled, "I would give anything to send you straight back to Azkaban, and rescue Nymphadora from your insane love of Dark Arts and of the Dark Lord."

"Oh, Dromeda," Bella pouted, "I didn't know I meant so much to you." A flurry of spells flew from her wand, and Andromeda shrieked in pain as one of them struck her right arm, the breaking of her bone audible, her fingers going numb almost immediately.

In a desperate move, Andromeda grasped her wand in her left hand, glaring at the black-haired witch despite the pain. Bellatrix cackled with laughter. "You can't mean to fight me like that, Andromeda," she giggled. "I should have waited to do that spell. Could have had a little more fun."

Andromeda shuddered at the pain in her arm, but didn't back down. "Come on, Bella. It isn't over."

Bellatrix lunged forward, attacking once more as Andromeda dueled for her life. It didn't take long before the pain had weakened and distracted Andromeda so much that Bellatrix was able to disarm her, the injured witch screaming out in pain as she landed on her arm on the floor. "It's over," Bella nodded.

"Bellatrix," Andromeda groaned, cradling her arm, though she looked up in defiance, "it will never be over between us. You don't deserve a kind, loving daughter like Nymphadora—" she screamed out as Bellatrix cursed her, though she laughed painfully as the curse died away. "Obviously I'm not the only accident prone one."

"You wicked little bitch!" Bellatrix snarled, striding over to stand before the fallen woman. Andromeda couldn't help but look up with a smirk, though it quickly turned to an expression of agony as Bellatrix flicked her wand, flinging Andromeda against the wall of the living room and holding her there as she walked up toward her.

Through her pain, Andromeda watched as the witch conjured chains, fastening her to the wall. "Bella," Andromeda whispered, fear and pain clouding her mind. What was Bella planning for her?

Bellatrix smirked at her work, her captive unable to move. She stepped up closer to the witch, softly whispering in her ear, "Does this bring back memories, Dromeda? How long has it been since you suffered at Father's hands? You want to know something?" Bellatrix drew back and scowled at her. "I used to see him all the time in my dreams in Azkaban. The memories are so real...oh, I suffered, but now I have Dora, and Father will never get to her again."

"You don't miss him?" Andromeda spat, holding back a groan of pain. "Aw."

"Oh, Andy," Bellatrix giggled. "Don't try to make me angry. No." She sighed and walked away from her bound sister, summoning the Mudblood into a heap at her feet. "Now I'll perform—" she giggled hysterically as she released the man from the spell holding him "and you can watch!"

"Bella, don't," Andromeda breathed in a panic. "Please. It—it was my fault. He—he didn't do anything."

Bellatrix glanced at her, then pointed her wand at the man, grinning as she chanted the incantation happily. The curse apparently caused bones to painfully misshape, Ted yelling in pain as Andromeda watched in fright, her fists clenched in anger and worry even though her arm pained her terribly.

"Hmm," Bella mused, watching the man for a moment before she carelessly sent a Crucio.

"Bella, please," Andromeda whimpered, tears coming to her eyes. "Please—"

"You've been a naughty little witch, Andy," Bellatrix said simply, her eyes darkening in glee as she twisted her wand to intensify the curse. "Don't beg; it's unbecoming, even of a blood-traitor."

Andromeda stared at her suffering husband, her body shivering as tears began to trickle down her face. "But it's my fault!" she cried out, seeing Bellatrix resort to a different curse, her husband thrashing in pain on the floor. "Bellatrix—" she choked on her tears "curse me!"

The witch ignored her for a few moments, concentrating on her victim until she finally looked up at Andromeda again. "But it hurts more to see one you love suffer, doesn't it?" she asked with a slight pout. "Now watch, Andy." Bellatrix withdrew her silver knife from within her robes, and Andromeda sobbed in dread, crying out for Bella to stop.

Bellatrix plopped herself down on the floor, having to hold the man down with a spell as he kept trying to squirm away. "Don't yell," she scolded him. "I haven't touched you yet!"

"Bellatrix!" Andromeda cried desperately, but nothing would stop the witch from her intended torture. Andromeda sobbed in horror as she watched her own sister neatly slice open the man's shirt.

Bellatrix grinned as she sat astride her victim, her left hand placed on his chest as her right hand ran the tip of the knife down his skin. "Hmm," she mused, giggling as with her left hand she traced a circle right around where his heart would be. Giggling, she flopped down on the man's chest, her hair flying across his face as she looked to Andromeda in amusement. "Should I cut out his heart?" she asked thoughtfully. "I hear it beats for you..."

Ted drew a ragged breath, glancing toward his imprisoned wife. "Dromeda, I love you," he said hoarsely.

"Good," Bella cooed. "I'm glad."

"Ted," Andromeda sobbed. "I'm sorry—I love you."

Bella rolled her eyes and sat up, looking down at the Mudblood. "You two are disgusting," she said decisively. "Hmm..." Placing her knife at the top of his shoulder, she hissed in delight as she dragged the blade through the skin toward his back. He went rigid beneath her as blood began to run from the wound, and Bella tilted her head thoughtfully.

Andromeda could not tear her eyes away from the sight before her, her own sister cutting up the man she loved while she was helpless to do anything about it. Her entire body was shaking as she sobbed, though she tried to stay quiet, tried not to make too much noise. It was only when she heard her husband scream—really scream in agony that her cries matched his.

Bellatrix cackled in delight, leaning down to press her lips to one of the jagged cuts, only to spit the blood into the man's face. "Filth," she breathed, her eyes wide with excitement. "Mmm..." She thoughtfully slid the knife down his side, the man writhing and screaming beneath her as she groaned with pleasure, laying her face against his chest as she ever so slowly finished the cut. "Yes," she hissed, closing her eyes for a moment as she set down the knife for a moment and allowed her right hand to play in the blood.

"Bella!" the man shrieked, sounding so much unlike himself that Andromeda had to turn away for a moment.

"You deserve to suffer," Bellatrix whispered to him, lifting her face to look at him. "Oooh, do you think...?" She mimed cutting across his cheek and frowned at herself. Finally, her eyes lit up and she giggled, "Yes." The tip of her knife soon slid from the top of his cheekbone to his chin.

Andromeda screamed out in horror of seeing her husband's face marred by the silver knife. She could feel her grip on her sanity slipping, realising that she hadn't screamed in such deep anguish for years. She shuddered hopelessly as Bellatrix rolled off the man, grinning at him with her face inches from his.

"You can thank her for your suffering," Bellatrix whispered to him. "Though I'm sure you're partially to blame for Dora's present state."

"What would Dora say—" Andromeda choked back a sob. "What would she say if she knew? We raised her; she will never forgive you."

"The Mudblood," Bellatrix hissed, kicking him in the side with her heel, "was to have no part in Dora's upbringing!"

"But I live with him!" Andromeda screeched over Ted's groans and cries. "He is my husband!"

"You could have managed something other than letting her believe this—" Bellatrix spat at the man in contempt "was her father!"

Andromeda was so broken up in tears she could barely speak, yet she managed to hiss between her teeth, "Fuck you, Bellatrix."

Bellatrix yawned and got to her feet, grinning at her blood-covered hands and knife before she grasped her wand and cleaned the knife before stowing it away. She regarded the Mudblood for a moment before releasing him from the holding spell.

Andromeda could not bear to see and hear Ted's suffering, his wounds tearing deeper and enlarging as Bellatrix cackled with laughter. Her screams and sobs joined his as she mindlessly fought her chains. She didn't feel the pain in her own arm, her body numb from the trauma of the entire situation. "Ted!" the bound witch screamed. "I love you!"

Her heart felt crushed as she realised he had not responded. Bellatrix was frowning deeply as she concentrated on a Crucio with her left hand, and focused the curse she was using on the wounds with her wand hand. Her victim writhed and shuddered uncontrollably before her on the floor.

Andromeda's mental agony was so intense that she lost focus on the situation, shrieking and sobbing as she violently fought her chains. She could hear Ted's cries, and they kept her unable to see clearly through her tears and terror.

Bellatrix sank down onto the couch tiredly, sighing, "You exhaust me. I need to work up my stamina again. I'm out of practise."

Nothing but the sounds of hysterics and suffering greeted her. "Really?" Bellatrix rolled her eyes. "This was easier than the Longbottoms! Shame on you, Andromeda." Still no reply, and Bellatrix dragged herself to her feet. "All right," she said, taking a deep breath. "Let's end this."

The black-haired witch shuffled over to her sister, the hysterical witch limp in the chains as she shook with sobs. She smoothed Andromeda's now pure white hair back from her face and tipped the woman's face up toward hers. "It's time to say goodbye, Andy," she said softly. "Are you ready?"

Andromeda Tonks didn't answer, shivering as she watched Bella's face fixedly. The black-haired witch danced back over to her bloodied victim, waving her wand over him to levitate him to where his wife was chained against the wall. Andromeda stared at the still quivering body, her mind in denial. "No," she said hoarsely.

"It's your Mudblood," Bella shrugged at her sister. "Tell him goodbye, because he won't live."

"That—that's not Ted," Andromeda choked, turning her face away from Bellatrix.

"Dromeda," pouted Bellatrix. "And here I was willing to let you give him one last kiss!" She left the man suspended in the air as she walked up to him, right before Andromeda's eyes. "I guess she doesn't really love you," Bellatrix mused, flashing out her silver knife again.

Andromeda felt sick to her stomach as she witnessed her husband stabbed three times, the man gasping for breath until his eyes met Andromeda's. She sobbed softly to see the pain mixed with love in his gaze just before the light left his eyes. "Ted," she murmured as tears trickled down her cheeks.

Bellatrix allowed the Mudblood to crumble to the floor, then reached out, unchaining Andromeda and catching her before she could fall. "Shh, Dromeda," Bella said softly, cradling the witch for a moment. "Shh. He's okay now." She helped Andromeda to the couch, placing her wand right beside her. "Now be good," she said tonelessly before kissing her head and walking away, leaving a trail of torture behind her.

All my friends are heathens...

Because of course I don't have that song stuck in my brain right now.

Dora