Andromeda did not speak as Rodolphus marched her back to the prisoners' ward, biting her lip to keep back her cries at the pain he was causing her. He scowled as he half dragged her through the ward. "Perhaps you should tell Nymphie that escape is useless? Though if the death of her beloved beast doesn't break her, I'm sure we could find other ways."

The witch did not answer, trying to stand up straight as she knew some of her ribs were broken. "You'd better hope it does," she finally said, glaring at him. "If she lost Teddy, she would never consent to be trained as a Death Eater, and if she lost me, well—she would lose herself."

"That sounds beautiful," Rodolphus chuckled, and Andromeda got a very awful feeling from the man. "Whether the girl is better sane or not remains to be seen. Though we know that once you've lost the plot there's no going back."

"You won't break her," Andromeda said sharply. "She'll suffer and do what she must, but she won't break."

Rodolphus raised an eyebrow. "Andy, darling, there are a lot of things that you don't understand about us. We can break anyone." He turned and walked away, leaving the witch there in the hall alone.

Andromeda leaned against the wall, taking a deep breath as she tried to calm herself and settle her pain before she went to her room. A door opened down the hall and she turned to see Narcissa looking out of her room.

"Dromeda?" Narcissa asked cautiously. "Oh dear. Where are Dora and the werewolf?"

"He's dead," Andromeda said, then frowned. "Where's Teddy?"

"Oh." Narcissa looked away for a moment, then sighed, "Teddy's in my room. Come on."

Andromeda sighed, gasping in pain slightly as she breathed too deeply and disturbed her injured ribs. "He was killed right before her eyes, and Dora's locked in the dungeon for the night."

Narcissa looked at her older sister, then wrapped her arms around the witch. "We've all lost our husbands," she muttered. "Just hope that we won't lose our children. It shouldn't be like this."

The older witch sighed. "You warned us, but you know we had to try."

The blonde woman nodded sympathetically. "But you don't understand the Dark. I've been here for years, Andromeda. You can't get away."

"I did once."

"Well, our father wasn't the Dark Lord," Narcissa frowned.

"He was as bad as," Andromeda said sharply, then bit her lip as Teddy stirred.

Narcissa glared at her sister. "If he cries, you will take him to your room and not disturb me. I love the brat but he was inconsolable earlier and I do not relish rocking him to sleep again."

Andromeda couldn't even manage a smile at her sister's words, sighing deeply. "You know she's going to be an emotional disaster when she comes back here," she said. "I don't even have pathetic words of comfort for her."

"You have all night to work on it," Narcissa said drily, and Andromeda gasped, offended. "Well, I only meant that—Andromeda, don't look at me like that. Optimism is not one of my strengths at the moment."

"You need Mother to yell some Black pride back into you," Andromeda told her firmly. "Or just to remember that you still represent the House of Malfoy. That you need to remember who you are!"

"Hush," Narcissa said, turning away. "I know who I am. If I do not feel sympathy for Nymphadora, it is because I do not want to."

Andromeda bit her lip. "Oh. I'm sorry. I'll go...do you want me to take Teddy?"

Narcissa glanced at the child sleeping in the middle of her bed. "No. I'll take care of him. And come back here. I've got to see if there's anything I can do to remedy that curse."

"Thanks," Andromeda sighed, but Narcissa simply shook her head and didn't reply.


Nymphadora was curled in the farthest corner of the dungeons from the door, sobbing softly as she whimpered her dead husband's name over and over. She couldn't bear the thought of him being gone, hearing him say he loved her for the last time—Dora sobbed again, burying her face in her arms as she held her legs close to her, trying to muffle her sounds.

She was grateful that it was pitch black, that she couldn't see anything. She didn't want to see anything, or feel anything, though her body ached from her aunt's curses and from her hysterical sobbing. Dora shivered with the cold, trying to rub her arms to keep warm, but the cold crept beneath her robes and into her heart until she couldn't help just breaking down into tears yet again, miserable beyond description.

It was just after morning light—though the witch did not know this—that Rodolphus Lestrange was persuaded to retrieve the girl from the dungeons. Nymphadora barely moved when the door opened, though she hid her face from the light, a small sound of misery escaping her.

"Is it that bad, Nymphie?" Rodolphus pouted, pretending to be concerned. "Come on. It's time to go back to Mummy and baby Teddy." He walked across the dungeons, pointing his wand at the crumpled up witch. "Get up, Nymphadora."

She did not move, did not acknowledge him, and he scowled in annoyance, walking closer and sending a stinging hex through her body. Nymphadora gave a small gasp, opening her painfilled eyes and looking up at him."Get up," he growled.

"Can't," the girl gasped. "Can't walk...too weak."

"You will not pull that one on me, little Nymphie," Rodolphus sighed. "I don't believe it." He grabbed her hair and dragged her to her feet, the girl sagging against him. "Stand up," he glared at her. "I refuse to hold you up." He surged a Curse through her body when she didn't obeyed, and the witch shrieked, writhing in pain as she slipped to the floor.

"I can't," Dora sobbed. "I'm not lying. I haven't eaten, I haven't slept, and I can't do it!"

Rodolphus growled in annoyance, still sure she was lying, though he yanked her to her feet again, his arm around her waist as he held her close, his hot wandtip burning into her side. "If you try anything, there will be punishment," he warned her, a small smirk creeping onto his lips.

The girl seemed to be able to move as he helped her stay upright, though he was more annoyed than ever with Bella for not moving the girl herself. Bellatrix would have had much more fun with the brat anyway.

They stopped in a hall that the girl didn't remember, and Rodolphus marched her through a doorway, preparing himself to be laughed at for the millionth time. To his great relief, there weren't any Death Eaters in the kitchen, and he shoved Nymphadora into a chair, calling for food to be brought to her.

"I'm not hungry!" the girl said stubbornly.

"You will eat," Rodolphus told her sharply. "Or I will make you. And think of your child. You wouldn't want to grow so emaciated that he died at your lack of care, would you, Nymphadora?"

The girl was shivering, and he rolled his eyes at her when she lifted a shaking hand and forced herself to eat. "You are pathetic," he sighed as he decided to stand beside her, leaning against the table.

She didn't reply, eating as though she were starved, and Rodolphus sighed in annoyance as he waited. After a bit, he couldn't help reaching out and brushing her hair back, making her jump in fright. "Don't touch me," she hissed.

"Your hair was in your face," he shrugged. "I mean, if you want to eat your hair, then go ahead..."

"Shut up," Dora growled at him. "Why do you have to be so awful?"

"Me?" Rodolphus said in pretend offense. "Awful? Dora, how could you?"

She glared at him and he chuckled as she spoke. "Is it Bella who makes you this way?"

Rodolphus looked at her for a moment thoughtfully. "Probably not. I've never been any other way. Not that I can remember."

"You can always change-"

"Change," Rodolphus sneered at her. "All of us would like to experience a change in you, Nymphie, whether it be mind or morph. As for me, I chose to be a Death Eater. It's an honour to serve the Dark Lord. Now come on. Back to Mum you go." He caught Dora by the arm, shaking his head as she was able to better walk. "Hmm," he mused to himself wordlessly, running his wand down Dora's side and laughing as she shivered.

"Stop," she whispered.

"But...I was going to heal you," Rodolphus pouted, laughing at her expression. "Don't you want to be healed, Dora?"

She looked at him, half wanting to say yes, half not trusting him to do as he said. Rodolphus shook his head in amusement. "You do know, Nymphadora, that I can do whatever I want with you. Whatever I want to do, I can. And if you hold still, you can make the pain go away. Don't you want to be free of it?"

She looked away from him, and he smirked. "I know you do. Here." With a few motions of his wand, she felt a lot better, her body no longer aching as much as it had, though her heart still hurt. "No trick," he said softly in her ear. "Now let's go, Nymphie, before Bella decides to come see how well I've done my job."

"Were-were you supposed to heal me?" she asked, biting her lip.

"I wasn't ordered not to," Rodolphus shrugged. "A little kindness for you to remember whenever you think I'm 'awful.'"

Nymphadora couldn't help a weak grin, though she sniffed and relaxed slightly as he took her to the prisoners' ward. The moment she saw her mother walk out of her room, she couldn't help remembering Remus and beginning to cry all over again. Rodolphus groaned. "Come get her, Andromeda. I had her all calm, and then you made her cry."

Andromeda glared at him, rushing forward. "Get away from my daughter," she hissed at him. She pulled the sobbing witch into her arms, cradling her close as she shot defiant looks at the man who'd brought her back.

"Dromeda, you don't frighten me in the least," Rodolphus chuckled. "Even Bella doesn't really scare me anymore. You can do your ex-Black best, and I won't care at all."

"Mum," Dora sniffed, "let's go to my room."

"Shh," Andromeda said softly, watching the man until he had left them alone in the hall. The instant they walked into Dora's room, the witch began to cry hysterically again, and Andromeda cradled her close. "Dora, I'm so sorry," Andromeda whispered, hugging her daughter tightly. "I wanted it to be me..."

"He's gone," Dora choked, clenching both fists. "What do I do now?"

Andromeda didn't speak for a while, holding her daughter close as they sat on the bed. "I don't want to do this," Dora sniffed after a long while. "Mum, I'd rather die than be a Death Eater."

The older witch nodded, then said, "But Teddy needs you, Dora."

"He needs both of us," Dora cried, jumping up and glaring at her mother. "I can't do this alone!"

"Dora," Andromeda said softly, raising a hand. "You are not alone-"

"I have always been alone!" the girl cried. "Alone at school, alone in the Order, alone in the Office, alone here-now I don't even have R-Remus to talk to!" her voice rose to a shriek, a frame rattling on the wall.

"Nymphadora, calm your magic," Andromeda said sternly. "You will hurt all of us if you lose control."

Dora stared at her mother, half amused. "I don't think losing control matters to them, does it? I'll be used whether I'm sane or not. Well, I don't want to be like Bellatrix!" Her voice was a shriek again, the girl's hair a strange combination of black, red, and white. "I can't do this! I'd rather die-I wish they'd just kill me!"

Andromeda watched her daughter pace the floor, hysterical tears streaming down the girl's face as she cried bitterly. She could not think of a single thing to say to the bereaved witch, sighing and looking down at the floor. "Dora, please, come sit down," Andromeda pleaded.

"No," Nymphadora hissed. "I don't want to be calm, I don't want to sit down, and I don't-leave me alone, Mother!"

"Dora," Andromeda breathed, unable to believe how hysterical her daughter was, though she couldn't blame her at all.

"Go away," Dora sniffed, leaning against the wall. "You don't understand."

"Understand?" Andromeda glared back at the younger witch. "Because I've never lost anyone in my life, of course."

Nymphadora stared at her, then turned away from her mother. "Leave me alone," she shrieked in agony of mind as she clenched her fists. "Just leave me alone!"

Andromeda jumped in shock when the door of the room open and Narcissa walked in, looking around the room before she went straight to Nymphadora and slipped her arm around the girl's waist. Nymphadora buried her face in the witch's shoulder and simply cried.

The witch seated on the bed sighed, shaking her head slightly. Narcissa looked up and caught her eye. "Teddy is awake. Go take care of him," she said, and Andromeda rolled her eyes before hurrying out of the room.

Nymphadora wrapped her arms around the woman, glad for a silent embrace. She didn't say anything until she whispered, "I need to sit down."

Narcissa helped her to a seat on the bed, letting her sit there quietly until she finally calmed down to merely sniffing back her tears. The blonde witch gave her a tissue, and the girl whispered a thank you before giving a tired yawn. "Sleep," Narcissa said to her quietly. "Where are your nightgowns?"

Dora looked up and motioned behind both of them to a chair on the other side of the room. She saw a look of slight disapproval on the witch's face, but the nightgown was soon in Dora's hands and she changed into it quickly, crawling beneath the sheets as Narcissa carefully arranged them around her.

"Stay," Dora whispered when the blonde witch stepped back. "Stay."

"I can't," Narcissa replied, then sighed slightly when she saw the girl's face fall, Dora closing her eyes to stop more tears. "Okay," she agreed reluctantly. She slipped beneath the sheets, deciding that Dora probably did need company. "Nymphadora," she said softly, "I know I don't see your view on different things, but I've loved and lost as well. I'm sorry, dear."

"Thanks," Dora sniffed, looking up at the witch gratefully. "Thank you for staying."

Narcissa smiled weakly. "I will always stay, Nymphadora. It is my place." She allowed the girl to lean her head against her shoulder and stroked the girl's tangled hair gently. Nymphadora was asleep before half an hour had passed, her body finally reaching its limit of strength.


Hours later, Andromeda jumped awake, feeling someone's magic against the wards. Her eyes flew open, the witch trying to throw the blanket off as she remembered she was watching over Teddy in Narcissa's room. A shriek of fright escaped her as she saw a shadowy figure raise a wand and walk toward her.

A cackle of laughter told Andromeda exactly who it was, and she hissed, "Bellatrix!"

"Of course," the witch purred. "Now where did Narcissa get to? Has she taken to sleeping with Draco? Does he need Mummy?" Bellatrix glanced over to the cot. "Oh dear," she pouted. "Why isn't Nymphie taking care of her own cub? Is she sad?"

"What do you want?" Andromeda glared at her, scrambling backward on the bed.

"Dromeda, don't be scared," Bella sighed, tugging on a strand of her dark hair thoughtfully. "As long as Nymphie behaves now, no one else has to die."

Andromeda continued to glare at her, and Bella huffed. "Where's your sister? She should be in her own room, though she probably got them confused. Hard to see through all that sorrow, I'm sure. I wouldn't know. Tell me where she is, Andromeda."

The brown-haired witch bit her lip, then muttered, "She was talking to Dora. They probably fell asleep together."

"Ew," Bella shuddered. "I never thought she'd be one to associate with those like you, but then I never believed you'd turn out as you did...you've been a bad influence, Andy."

"I haven't been anywhere near her," Andromeda muttered, pulling the blanket over her as she suddenly felt cold.

"Andy," Bellatrix sighed, "it's your actions. You know how Father used to say that all I ever did was shame the family and all that? I am the only one left still fighting for a pureblood cause. Every other Black has fallen."

The younger witch pressed her lips together for a moment, then replied, "Don't sound so sane, Bella. It's unbecoming."

Bellatrix giggled. "Oh, Andy, you always say the most grown up things. Unfortunately, no one is around to listen." She turned and walked from the room, excited to see what trouble she could stir up while extracting Narcissa from Nymphadora's room.

As she entered her niece's room, she lit her wand, approaching the sleeping witches silently. She frowned slightly, seeing Narcissa's arms around the girl, tearstains on Nymphadora's face. "Well, if you'd behave," Bella hissed at her indignantly. She sent a strong Crucio through Narcissa, immediately silencing the woman as she jolted awake with a screech of agony.

"Bella," choked the witch silent, gasping for breath. "What now?"

"I just wanted to say hi," Bella grinned at her, tilting her head slightly. "No, where's the fun in that? Come with me. You have to stay with Delphi, not Dora, tonight. The Dark Lord has need of me...I think I'm in trouble, Cissa." Bellatrix giggled delightedly, holding back more hilarity as Dora shifted uneasily in her sleep. "Come on," Bella whined, pouting at her sister. "She's crying and I can't leave her with Rodolphus for too long...he gets angry." She smirked, twirling her wand around her fingers, her wandlight flashing erratically around the room.

Narcissa sleepily slipped out of the bed, sighing as she realised she was still fully dressed. Bellatrix shook her head at the witch, then performed a couple spells on the younger witch to make her more presentable. "You know, I never thought I'd actually have to use those on you," she told Narcissa. "You always did that to me."

The blonde woman did not reply, standing there silently until Bellatrix prodded her with the tip of her wand. "Let's go," she commanded, and Narcissa walked before her from the room and down the hall.

Bellatrix felt a small flicker of sympathy for her littlest sister, but it paled drastically in comparison to her love for her master. She was so happy in her thoughts of her immediate future that she did not hear a door open behind her, did not see her nephew look out at the two of them, his face confused and angry as he watched his mother walk away before her own sister, a prisoner.