A/N: Okay so this a fanfic done by the combined writing styles of andnowforsomethingdifferent and, obviously, eMMeD!

Disclaimer: If either of us were JK Rowling... would we be posting on fanfiction? No, we'd be making millions by selling a new Harry Potter book that all would love!

This chapter was masterminded by eMMeD

He looked at his sleeping wife, already regretting what he was about to do. 'It's for them,' he assured himself, looking first at his wife and then at the two identical pack-and-plays that lined the hotel room wall, 'It's for their safety.' No matter how many times he told himself this it didn't make what he was about to do any easier. 'If I survive I'll come back for you' Roderick thought as he felt through his wife's luxurious dark tresses.

His wife stirred and opened her eyes groggily. "Roderick?" she asked her voice still thick with sleep. Roderick smiled at her voice. He loved her Irish lilt. His smile vanished, replaced by a grimace. In a few moments that glorious lilt would be gone, and he would be the cause of its disappearance.

Roderick shook his head forcefully, attempting to rid himself of those thoughts, but they would not leave.

"Everything's fine, dear. Go back to Sleep," Roderick said, his voice shaky, knowing that his inquisitive wife would never obey him when his voice held such an obvious secret.

"Yeah, right..." she said pushing herself up into a sitting position, "What's wrong? No one followed us, did they?" Roderick hated hearing that tone of worry in her beautiful voice. He looked at his wife, he could only see a little of her face in the darkness of the room

"Nothing's wrong," Roderick assured her. Even in the dark he could make out the incredulous look she was giving him.

"Aye and I'm the heir of Slytherin," she said sarcastically. Roderick knew his wife wouldn't let up until she heard the truth, so he decided to tell her part of what he was thinking.

"Do you ever regret marrying me?" Roderick asked his wife. The question had been plaguing him since the war had begun. His wife looked at him and then did something completely unexpected. She leaned in and kissed Roderick. She didn't just give him a peck on the cheek.

She kissed as she hadn't since before the twins were born, since before the war had started. When they broke apart it felt like forever had passed.

"I've never regretted it, even for a moment," she whispered into his ear.

"But I've put you in danger... I've put our children in danger. I am hunted like an animal, and, because you are related to me, you are too," Roderick said to his wife.

"1. I was already in danger, I just didn't know it. Rod, I'm a muggle. That puts me in as much danger as you do, possibly more. They'd kill me for looking at them wrong. 2. You got us to America, effectually saving us from the war. 3. You enlightened me, showing me a world I never..." she trailed off and fell back into a sleeping position on the bed. Roderick felt guilty as he placed his wand back in his coat pocket.

"Sorry," he whispered, brushing the sleeping woman's cheek with his lips, "I knew that if I listened to your beautiful voice for even one more moment my resolve would crumble... I'm doing this for you, you and the kids," Roderick said the last part more to himself than anyone else.

Roderick reached into his pocket and pulled out his wand again. "Obliviate," his wand trained on his wife. His voice was strained, and his eyes burned with unshed tears. He watched as his wife shifted position on the bed. She sprawled all the way across the bed, no longer leaving room for Roderick to slip in next to her. "I love you," he whispered into her ear, and he began gathering his stuff. It wouldn't do to leave any of it behind.

After gathering his items, he walked over to where his two daughters lay. He hoped beyond hope that he would be able to come back and watch them grow, but, if he didn't come back, Roderick wanted to say goodbye to them. He leaned over their pack-and-plays. Both of them were fast asleep. "Hey, Loves, Daddy has got to go away for a while... And while I'm gone, Mummy's going to act different," he told the sleeping twins, "She's going to talk different, call you by different names, and tell you about things that never happened. It's a big game of make-belief that you three are going to play until I get home," 'if i get home,' "Daddy loves you," Roderick said with a sad smile. He leaned over further and gave each toddler a kiss on their cheek. Roderick then stood up, grabbed his bag, and then turned on the spot, disapparating with a loud crack.

XXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXX

Roderick stared at the twisted faced man, watching Dolohov's face rather than his wand. His own wand danced in his hand, responding to his thoughts. Bright lights flashed throughout the Great Hall. Dead bodies were strewn across the floor, and Roderick was convinced not to join them.

He twirled, dodged, and blocked Dolohov's incoming jinxes and curses. A green jet of light barely missed his left ear. His vision blurred for a moment. Roderick had missed death by meres millimeters.

A wave roared in his ears, and he lost control for a moment. Roderick shot a disarming charm at Dolohov. Dolohov didn't block quickly enough, and the death eater's wand went flying, landing across the room. Roderick smiled sadistically: Dolohov was defenseless. Roderick took a step towards the twisted man and his wand at a spot between the man's eyes.

Something had snapped in Roderick, because for the first time in his life he muttered an unforgivable curse, "Crucio!" The red light blasted from the end of his wand. The death eater screamed in pain, writhing on the floor in agony.

"Roderick!" he heard the distant voice of Arthur Weasley, who was within seconds at Roderick's side. He looked at Roderick with a worried glint in his eyes. "We do not torture disarmed men. That's their job," Arthur said, pointing at the still-writhing Dolohov.

"Arthur, this man deserves it!" Roderick said. He lowered his arm for a moment but then restiffened, "He deserves worse! Do you know who he was dueling before me?"

"No," Arthur admitted.

"Them," Roderick said fiercely. He pointed to two corpses a few feet away from Roderick and Arthur. Arthur gasped, and Roderick knew that the older man recognized the corpses. "Remus and Tonks, they'll never get to see Teddy grow up," Roderick said tersely, thinking of his own children. "Roderick, I know it's hard, but you have to leave him," Arthur said. Roderick looked from Dolohov to Arthur. A cool savagery burned in the pit of his stomach, but Roderick knew this wasn't right. Taking a man's life would not avenge another's death. It only added more bloodshed.

"You're right, Arthur. Killing this scum won't help anything. Better to cart him off to Azkaban," Roderick said savagely, lowering his wand for good.

At that moment, Dolohov pounced, taking both men off guard. Dolohov pried his captor's fingers open, retrieving a new wand. He pointed Roderick's wand at the two men. "Avada Kedavra!" Dolohov shouted.

The spell hit Roderick squarely in the chest, and he flew backward. Time slowed down around Roderick as his lungs collapsed. He saw his wife and daughters, silently cursing himself that he would never see the girls grow up, but also knowing that he was dying to protect them and the entire wizarding world.

Roderick was dead before his head hit the floor. His final thought before death was regret and sorrow over how powerful his memory charms were.

I'm very surprised that I could pull off the death scene! I've never attempted one before, but I think it's okay.

Next Chapter by andnowforsomethingdifferent

Hope you enjoyed it and are now caught into The Sins of The Father. Please Review... cuz we all know touching that little blue button won't kill you!

eMMeD :)