The Importance of Family
"Well, if it isn't little Andromeda Black."
She shivered, her hand diving to her wand, holding her sleeping daughter close to her chest. She looked up and down the street, but there was no-one but him. "What do you want Lestrange?"
"Oh that's not nice." Rodolphus almost trilled the words, twirling his wand. "After all we are family."
"You are no relation of mine," Andromeda hissed, praying that someone would walk past. Her daughter was only four and did not yet understand the complexities in her family tree. And she had never wanted Nymphadora anywhere near the Lestranges. There were stories, rumours. Not all was well. "Andromeda," he admonished. "Now, really, that's not nice." He was walking her into a wall. She looked around desperately but this street was empty. It was what being in a war did. As her back hit the wall, she raised her wand but her hand was trembling. "All I wanted was to say hello."
"Hello," she stammered, her wand trembling in her hand.
He grinned wolfishly, and inclined his head slightly. "It's good to see you again. I know my brother is just dying to see how you've grown up."
"Stay away from me." The words were bold but her voice was timid, and as he took another step closer, she abandoned the pretence of aiming her wand in favour of wrapping her arms around her child.
"Mom?" The girl had awoken, pushing dark curls away from her face, and Andromeda prayed that her brother in law would leave her alone.
"Mom?" he asked, arching an eyebrow. "You have a daughter. Congratulations. Spreading the filth your husband has in his veins. Bravo."
Nymphadora clung to her mother, recognising the danger in the man's voice, and Andromeda nodded. "No such luck for you and Bella though, I hear," she said coolly, suddenly sounding braver than she felt. "Shooting blanks are you?"
In an instant he was towering above her, so close she could see where he'd nicked himself shaving. "Maybe I should just take this one," he said with a smile, running a hand over Nymphadora's hair. "She looks like Bella, she would never remember otherwise."
"You'd have to kill me first," Andromeda spat, clinging to her daughter ever tighter.
"We do have a spell for that," he reminded her gently. "Or has life amongst the muggles made you forget?"
She glowered at him, but then she heard the voice in her head. Give the child to me. Give her to me. Against her will, Andromeda found herself extending her arms, passing her baby, passing her daughter to one of the men she hated most in the world. "No!" The word tore out of her but it was too late. Rodolphus Lestrange was now cradling her daughter, looking for all the world like a doting uncle.
"I could give her to Greyback. He does so love children," he murmured, glancing innocently at Andromeda. "Or Rabastan. He's developed such a good way to amuse them. Or Bella, even. I'm sure she could think of lots of things to do with a mudblood brat."
"Please." Despite the orders in her head, Andromeda managed to force out her plea. "Don't."
Rodolphus laughed cruelly. "Please, don't," he mocked. "It's a changing world Andy. And you're not at the top. We are. So before you start making jokes, maybe you should remember that." He took a step backwards, still holding Nymphadora. "Would you like to say goodbye?"
"Please." She was crying, as Nymphadora began to struggle in her uncle's arms, realising that this wasn't a game. "She's my daughter."
Rodolphus shrugged. "Was your daughter." Andromeda sobbed, as he prepared to apparate, still hearing his voice in her head, telling her not to move. Then her eyes widened as he dropped her daughter, swearing as he disappeared.
She ran to sweep her daughter up in her arms, and quickly apparated away, afraid that he would come back. Once home, and safe inside, she hugged her daughter tightly. "What did you do?"
Nymphadora grinned, bearing her teeth. "Bite."