Nymphadora stared at the tip of her torturer's wand, waiting for the pain to continue. More than anything, she wanted to draw her wand and curse the man, but she could not let him know that she had her wand back.

"You should not have been able to eat that food," he snarled. "What did you do?"

"I told you," she whispered, dreading his response, "I morphed my arm longer so that I could reach it."

"Crucio!" snarled the man.

Tonks opened her mouth and shrieked. "Please!" she sobbed. "I don't know what you want me to say!"

He glared at her, making her scream from the curse before he released it. "There was a spell on the food to keep you from eating it," he said coldly. "You can't remove the spell without magic. What did you do?"

"I didn't!" cried Nymphadora. "I didn't do anything! I just ate it. I had no idea you'd done anything to it!" Tears ran down her face as he sneered at her.

"Liar!" he accused. "Crucio! Crucio! Crucio!"

Nymphadora screamed and screamed, thrashing wildly against the pain. "I didn't do anything!" she screamed in anguish. "Please, please believe me!"

The man snorted in derision. "Crucio," he said coldly, and her eyes rolled back in her head as she screamed, her body thrashing madly. When he let up three or four Curses later, the witch on the floor was shaking uncontrollably as she screamed and sobbed. "We'll see what you say later," he hissed in delight. She didn't notice him leaving the room.

Two figures burst out of the shadows and hurried toward Nymphadora. "Crucio tremors," Shaul said worriedly, watching the shuddering girl on the floor. "I hope she's not damaged: we've got to get her home. The healing spell, Mordor—yours is better than mine."

Mordor scowled, but knelt down and ran his wand tip down her back, doing the spell. Her eyes cleared a little, and Shaul nodded. The twins released her from the chains and fished her wand out of her pocket, placing it in her hand.

"Dora?" Shaul said softly. "Shhh, now. Let's go home."

She turned to look at him, sobs still wracking her body. "Home?" she whispered, confused.

"To Rodolphus," Mordor told her quietly. "Remember? You're going to marry him in a few days."

"Marry him?" gasped Tonks. "No, no, it hurts too much."

"But you love him," said Shaul easily. "And it won't hurt by the time you're actually married."

Nymphadora finally realized that she was being given a chance to go free, and struggled to her feet, gasping in pain. The twins steadied her, but because touching them made her want to howl in pain, she told them not to touch her.

The boys led her out of the dungeons and through the house quickly until they came to the front door. "We're going to have to apparate you home," Mordor told her. "I'm sorry if it hurts you, but you're in danger unless you get out of here. You can get treatment for your injuries once you're free."

She nodded, blinking slowly. Shaul stepped forward and wrapped his arms around Tonks carefully, disapparating with her. She wanted to shriek in pain during the apparition, but her face was pressed against Shaul's shoulder. When she tried to get a little space between them, Shaul tightened his arms around her so that she could not accidentally splinch herself.

When they appeared in front of the Tonks house, Nymphadora instantly fell to her knees and threw up violently, the pain and feeling of being squeezed being too much for her. Shaul and Mordor supported her as she apologized weakly between sobs, but the pain she was enduring made her moan when they helped her move.

The door to the Tonks house flew open, and someone appeared in the doorway, staring down at them. "Dora?" he whispered, staring at her pale face and thin, ragged form.

"Rodolphus," she said hoarsely, faintly remembering their relationship and engagement. "I'm sorry."

"Get away from her," Rodolphus snapped at the twins, and they stepped away, eyeing their father coldly. Nymphadora, dizzy with pain, nearly fell, but reached out and caught the front of Rodolphus' robes to keep herself upright.

"I'm sorry!" she sobbed, her face half hidden from him. "I didn't mean to—"

"You've been tortured," Rodolphus said anxiously, feeling the weird magic coming off her in waves. "Dora, how many times?"

She pressed her cheek against his chest, desperate to make him understand. "Several," she choked. "Rod, I let him kiss me."

Rodolphus didn't seem to have heard the last few words, but Mordor interrupted his thoughts anyway. "She was already in Crucio tremors by the time we came to rescue her," he said. "I did my best healing spell on her before we brought her here, but I don't really know how well that went."

"Tremors?" Rodolphus said, his eyes suddenly wide with horror. Mordor nodded, and Rodolphus said, "Why don't you two follow me? You two probably need to stay somewhere else tonight."

The twins quietly followed Rodolphus, who was helping Nymphadora up the stairs. He got her to lie down on her stomach in her bed, then began to do different healing spells that he'd learned over his years of being a Death Eater.

Nymphadora sobbed bitterly, still remembering what she'd done. "Rod, I let him kiss me," she confessed, weeping into the bedsheets.

"What is she talking about?" Rodolphus asked the twins, not looking up from his healing spells.

"I kissed her to find out what kind of woman she is," Mordor replied nonchalantly. "But she's a good woman: she barely even reacted."

Rodolphus leaned close to Tonks' ear and said, "It's all right, Nymphadora; you've done nothing wrong. And what you were saying that you were sorry for earlier—that's forgiven too." Nymphadora breathed a painful sigh of relief, and Rodolphus gently patted her arm. "Why don't you turn onto your side or something, Dora," he said softly. "Get comfortable, because I'm going to put you to sleep for a few hours to help heal you from the Dark magic of the Crucios you took."

With a soft mew of pain, Nymphadora obeyed, turning to lie half on her side and half on her back. "Are you going to do a Sleeping Ward?" she asked him, her eyes bright with pain and tears.

"Yes, Love," he said softly, and when she was ready, he raised his hands and raised the ward over her. Nymphadora watched him until her eyes closed in sleep.

Moments later, Andromeda burst into the room. "How is she?" she asked worriedly, completely ignoring the fact that her two nephews were in the room.

"She's under a Sleeping Ward to help heal her from the Curses she took," Rodolphus replied. "She was in Crucio tremors when the boys found her. They did some healing spells, but we'll have to take her to St. Mungo's when she wakes up so she can get proper treatment."

Andromeda bit her lip, reaching through the ward to touch her daughter's pale cheek gently. "She looks half dead," she said, turning away from Nymphadora.

Mordor stepped forward. "She was chained in a dark dungeon for two days and nights, Madame," he told Andromeda. "And I'm sure you know that she tends to appear however she feels, and if she felt half dead—well, you can see that yourself."

"Yes," Shaul agreed. "And she looked worse when we first found her. But she became really pale after we apparated her: it hurt her a lot, but we couldn't get out any other way."

"I see," said Andromeda, looking over her twin nephews carefully. "Well, do you two need a place to stay tonight? Your friends might not be thrilled to find Nymphadora gone."

"We have to get back to school," Shaul replied quickly before his brother could say anything.

Mordor smirked at his twin. "The Head Boy can only miss so many meetings before he looks suspicious."

"Ah, yes," Andromeda realized. "Truant." She raised an eyebrow at him, then smiled. "We are grateful for all your help—both of you."

The twins nodded and stepped back. Glancing at Nymphadora a final time, the two turned and left the room, letting themselves out of the house to disapparate.

Andromeda turned to Rodolphus. "They rescued her?"

"I do not know what all happened," Rodolphus replied, effectively cutting off Andromeda's barrage of questions. "We will have to ask Nymphadora when she is better."

"Oh, Nymphadora," sighed the brown-haired witch, then turned to Rodolphus. "Are you going to set an alarm to let you know when she wakes up?"

"No," Rodolphus replied. "I'm going to stay with her until she awakes." Andromeda nodded and set an alarm that would alert her to Nymphadora's waking, and left the room.

When Nymphadora woke, Rodolphus was sitting by her bedside, asleep in a chair. "Rodolphus?" she whispered, reaching out and touching his hand. He jerked awake, and she yanked her hand back, watching him.

"Dora," he said, taking a deep breath and looking down at her. "You're awake."

"It—hurts," she whispered. "But it's better."

"We are going to take you to St. Mungo's in a few minutes," Rodolphus told her.

Nymphadora's soft brown eyes looked into his pleadingly. "No," she whispered. "Don't take me there."

Rodolphus took her hand in his and said, "You need proper healing, Love. Let's not argue about this: the twins said you were having Crucio tremors when they brought you out. That's not good, Nymphadora."

"Fine," she replied, sitting up and swinging her legs over the side of the bed. "Oh!" she gasped, placing an arm across her stomach and ribs.

Andromeda breezed into the room. "Dora," she said softly, stopping short at the sight of the girl sitting on the bed. The older woman sat down next to her and asked, "Are you feeling well enough to apparate by Side-Along?"

Nymphadora smiled slightly, then closed her eyes, a bit dizzy. "If I came home by apparition, and I was worse than I am now, then of course I'm well enough for Side-Along. So, yes, I am," she finished. "But I might throw up upon arrival."

"All right," Andromeda said, raising her hand. Magic crackled behind Tonks' head, but when she tried to turn her head to look at what her mother was doing, the motion pulled her hair.

"Ow! Mum!" she protested. "What are you doing?"

"Braiding your hair," Andromeda replied. "It'll make you more comfortable once we get to St. Mungo's."

Nymphadora raised an eyebrow. "Wandlessly, Mother dear?"

Andromeda rolled her eyes. "You would never let me stick my wand behind your head, because you couldn't see it," she replied.

"True," giggled Tonks, then pressed a hand to her ribs. "Ow," she breathed. "Okay. I'm ready now."

Rodolphus and Andromeda walked Nymphadora downstairs and stepped outside, disapparating with her. When the three of them appeared at St. Mungo's, Nymphadora was immediately taken into a ward, Andromeda and Rodolphus following the healers.

Just as they were about to go into the ward, the healers stepped aside and two young men came out. "Tonks?" asked the blonde one in delight and concern. "You're alive!"

"Yeah, thank goodness," said the other.

"Boys," sighed Nymphadora, recognizing Jack and Stirling, "could you tell Reanne that I'm here? I'm not in the mood to write him an explanatory note."

"Understood," snorted Jack, grinning. Then he frowned. "Are you gonna be okay?"

Stirling rolled his eyes. "No," he told Jack. "They're bringing her here to die, of course."

Andromeda glared at the two of them, and received a grin from both boys. "Be careful," Jack told Tonks, and she nodded in agreement.

Two of the healers ushered her into the ward and sat her down, beginning to do assessment spells on her, looking over each other's shoulder and comparing notes. Finally, one said, "You are in bad shape, girl!"

Nymphadora snorted, then winced and pressed a hand to her ribs. "You think?" she asked. "I got cursed, Cruciated about ten times or more, slapped, had my ribs kicked in, and—one of them wanted to slit my throat."

"Someone did a healing spell on your ribs," mused the first healer. "Who was it?"

"A friend," Nymphadora replied, thinking of the Lestrange twins. "Helped me escape a day or two after the healing spell."

"You didn't take any numbing potion?" said the second healer in surprise.

Nymphadora cringed. "Couldn't," she said. "There wasn't any there."

The healers shook their heads, and one of them left, coming back with several potions, which they told Tonks to drink. As she was drinking a steaming, purple potion, Rodolphus said, "I've got to go on to work. I'll come back afterward," he promised her.

"All right," she said, then wiped her mouth on her bloodstained robes and lifted her face for a goodbye kiss. He gave her the desired kiss and left the room.

"What's that?" Andromeda asked, pointing to a spot she'd just noticed below Nymphadora's right ear.

"Oh." Nymphadora reached up and felt a thin, but very noticeable scar on her neck. "I got cut, and the healing spell didn't go so well, so I have a scar now."

"That you got since you disappeared?" Andromeda queried further, eyebrow raised. "I know you want me to believe that you were just being clumsy, but I don't believe that. What happened?"

Nymphadora sighed, picking up another glass and draining it. "One of my captors tried to slit my throat, but he didn't get to finish. Someone gave him another alternative, and so I'm still alive," she explained. "The ones who helped me escape tried to heal it, but it just scarred."

Andromeda looked worried, but her daughter sighed. "Please don't tell Rodolphus," she said. "He'll just worry, and he does enough of that already."

"You're going to get yourself killed!" Andromeda fretted.

"Mum, stop," sighed Nymphadora. "You say that all the time. One of these days, I'm going to be dueling for my life, and then I'll remember what you said and get distracted, and honestly will get myself killed."

"Nymphadora—" Andromeda fumed.

One of the healers stepped closer to Nymphadora and handed her a fresh robe. "Can you change on your own, or do you need help?" she asked.

Nymphadora looked at the healer blankly, then morphed her hair to a light brown. "I do believe that I have lost the use of all my limbs and cannot perform such a tedious task."

"You should not be morphing!" Andromeda scolded.

"Mum!" exclaimed the younger witch, exasperated. "I'm fine!"

"She's right," said the lady healer to Nymphadora, still holding out the robe. "Your magical core should be at rest, not working on changing your appearance."

"I don't have a magical core," said Nymphadora, throwing herself flat on her back in the bed. "I'm a Muggle."

The healer snorted, and Andromeda said, "Not my daughter. And Rodolphus would not be pleased to hear you say that."

Nymphadora glared at her mother, then reached for the clean robe and began to change into it as the healer left the room for a moment. "You know," she said thoughtfully, "if I were a Muggle, Rodolphus would be afraid of me."

"How do you come to that conclusion?" asked Andromeda with a frown.

"Because he loves me," she replied simply, looking straight at her mother.

"If you were a Muggle, he'd be afraid of you because he loves you?" Andromeda questioned in disgust. "Nymphadora, please think about what you're going to do in a week!"

Nymphadora gasped. "Mum, I didn't mean it like that!" she protested. "I didn't really mean that he's afraid of me! He's really afraid of himself, and of what he could do to me. But he doesn't want to hurt me, and if I were a Muggle—well, it would be a lot easier for him to hurt me."

Andromeda wrung her hands. "Does he expect to hurt you?" she asked, frowning.

"He has warned me about a few things," Nymphadora replied evasively. "Things that trigger certain responses."

"Great," said Andromeda sarcastically. "And undoubtedly, you're going to lose this game of Exploding Snap."

"You have no faith in him," snapped Nymphadora, crossing her arms. "Are you getting cold feet?"

The older witch looked away. "I still can't decide whether you really do love him, or just feel sorry for him." Not seeing the infuriated expression on her daughter's face, she continued, "You only saved him from the dementors because you'd seen him upset over Bellatrix—and because you'd just lost Remus. Supposedly, you began to see him in a better light when he helped you after the werewolf got you. Then, when you followed Rodolphus after he ran off, you two came back proclaiming that you were going to get married! You're riding on emotional highs, Nymphadora. Quit following your heart and listen to your head! You just want him to feel as if he's not alone, and—I daresay there's something in him that intrigues you, draws you to him. Dora, he has a Dark nature—"

"Mum!" shrieked Nymphadora, a sob behind her voice. "I love him! How dare you speak that way about him?" She shook with sobs, pressing her hands to her ribs. "You are horribly mistaken! Get out!"

Andromeda stood her ground. "You don't love him," she hissed, ignoring her daughter's tears. "He'll taint you—"

"I am tainted!" Nymphadora shouted at her mother in fury. "You're my mother!" Seeing the shocked look on Andromeda's face, she asked, "Did you even love Dad? Did you really love him, or did you just think it would be fun to upset the dear House of Black? I understand that you were nearly convinced to stay with your family, and that you would just forget all about the Mudblood father of your child!"

The woman froze, then hissed, "Yes, you're already tainted. You are one of the main reasons I left, but truly, my departure didn't help you very much." She regarded her sobbing daughter, then added coldly, "You are not welcome back to my house until you take back and apologize for what you said."

"Get out!" screamed Nymphadora. Trembling, she sat up and reached for her wand. Andromeda glared, then turned and left in a swirl of robes.

Nymphadora curled up on her side, sobbing bitterly into the sheets. "Mum," she sobbed. "Mum!"

Two healers came in and cleared away the empty glasses, one of them glancing at the crying witch. "Did she mean what she said?" she asked.

The male healer frowned at his colleague. "We are not supposed to say a word about unrelated personal affairs to the patients," he snapped. She frowned, then cast a sympathetic look at Nymphadora.

"Nymphadora, would you like to sleep for a while?" asked the lady healer softly.

"Yes," choked Tonks, "but please: let me wake up when Rodolphus comes back?"

"Of course," the healer replied, and carefully formed the spell over Tonks' bed.

Nymphadora's sobs grew continually quieter until they stopped, her head dropping onto her pillow as she fell asleep. Coming closer, the female healer arranged Nymphadora in a more comfortable sleeping position and began to perform different healing spells connecting to the potions she'd taken.

The male healer frowned. "You will never pass examinations if you insist on getting involved in family squabbles!" he snapped.

She sighed, looking down at Nymphadora. "Auror Tonks. I went to school with her, but she was two years older than I. And it's not necessarily a family squabble: her impending marriage is a very important Ministry concern." She sighed again and reached down, brushing the sleeping witch's hair out of her eyes. "I wonder if her mother was right about her situation: Nymphadora was always kind to me, and—I really do think highly of her. I don't want anything to happen to her."

"Nothing will," said a voice, and the healers turned to see Rabastan Lestrange watching them. "She's a good match for him. Anyway. How is she?"

"Asleep," said the man. "And visiting hours don't count to non-family without a family member present."

With a glare at the healer, Rabastan whirled around and left, making the woman frown. "Strict," she commented.

He sighed. "It's technically right," he explained, "but I just didn't want to have to keep a constant watch on him."

"Right," she agreed, and the two healers left the room.

Nymphadora opened her eyes to find Rodolphus at her side, holding her hand. "Rodolphus," she breathed, and flung herself into his arms. "Rodolphus!" she choked.

Rodolphus held her tightly and asked, "What's wrong, Nymphadora? Did something happen?"

"Mum and I had an argument," she whispered, her head on his shoulder. Nymphadora didn't know how to kindly explain what her mother said to Rodolphus.

"She argued with you when you're not feeling well?" asked Rodolphus, frowning. "It's okay now, Dora; when did she leave?"

"Several minutes after you left," Dora replied, grasping her wand (which she'd been holding in her hand) more tightly. "I made her leave."

Rodolphus raised an eyebrow. "It must be a St. Mungo's thing," he said. "That's the second time you've chased her out of your ward. Was it because of me this time?"

Nymphadora bit her lip. "Well, she's worried about me, Rod."

"Is she getting cold feet?" Rodolphus asked, half sarcastic.

"That's what I asked her," Tonks sighed. "She wasn't happy."

Rodolphus rubbed her back comfortingly. "I love you, Dora," he murmured. "I'm sorry that you had an argument with your mum."

She squeezed him gently, then queried, "Are you going to stay with me tonight?"

"If I'm allowed," Rodolphus told her, "then I will."

With a sigh of relief, she closed her eyes and tried to relax. As she calmed, a sense of happiness came over her, and Rodolphus kissed the top of her head just as her hair turned pink.

"Oh," said another girl's voice. "Are you Nymphadora Tonks?"

Nymphadora looked up and saw that the girl their team of Aurors had rescued was watching them. "Yes," she replied quietly.

"And that means that you're Rodolphus Lestrange?" she asked him.

Rodolphus nodded, still holding Tonks close. "Yes," he acknowledged.

Nymphadora realized that the girl was watching her thoughtfully. "Was your mother serious—" Tonks cut the girl off very sharply.

"I don't want to talk about it," Tonks said, frowning. "I don't know and I don't want to think about it right now."

"Sorry," said the girl. "Thank you for saving me, though."

Nymphadora glanced at the girl slightly. "How did they get you?" she asked.

Her face turned red. "I—I was in Knockturn alone, and I was captured on the street. They still have my wand, too."

"Oh." Nymphadora blushed. "I assumed that you were a Muggle since...well, that's what they'd been capturing."

"I'm not a Muggle," she snapped indignantly, "and I heard your entire conversation about that earlier!" she frowned. "I'm not Muggle-born, either. My father was a half-blood, but my mother was Muggle-born. What does that make me?" She glowered at the two of them.

"One-fourth," said Rodolphus calmly, seeing the irritated look on his fiance's face. "Squib," she muttered under her breath, and Rodolphus choked on an intake of breath, both laughing and coughing.

The girl glared, and Tonks looked up, her face completely calm. "We might be able to get your wand back," she said quietly. "And I do apologize for your mistreatment."

She looked at Tonks carefully. "Did they—?"

"No," Tonks said softly, "but I was tortured, beaten, taunted, and they wanted to kill me."

"There were two boys who were occasionally around that place," she sighed, sinking down onto her bed. "They didn't come near me, but they almost seemed to live there. They look dangerous, though."

Nymphadora's heart pounded as she realized that Mordor and Shaul might have grown up in the house in which she'd been held captive.

Two healers walked into the room and the three fell silent. The female healer went over to the girl, and the male healer came over to Tonks. "Lestrange are you planning to stay here tonight?"

"If I may," Rodolphus replied.

"All right," said the healer. "Make yourself comfortable, but don't get in the way." Rodolphus nodded, and the healer moved on down the ward.

Rodolphus turned to Nymphadora and asked, "Would you rather I conjure a bed, or stay with you?"

Nymphadora pouted. "Don't ask me things like that!" she protested.

Grinning, Rodolphus put a complicated ward on the bed, and asked, "Are your ribs feeling better? Is there any place that's sore to the touch?"

"My ribs are okay," she replied as Rodolphus wrapped his arms around her and slid her down in the bed. "A bit achy from the Curses, but otherwise, fine."

"Okay," Rodolphus said quietly, drawing her back against his chest. "I'll try not to squeeze you too much." He slipped his arms around her and she leaned her head back against his shoulder. "I love you," he whispered, and kissed her cheek.

Nymphadora turned her head and kissed him full on the lips. "I love you too," she said in a low voice.

He smiled a little, the asked, "Isn't that uncomfortable, Dora?"

"I can put my head on backwards if you want me to," she smirked.

Rodolphus was horrified. "No!" he gasped.

Giggling, she turned to face away from him, and he kissed the curve of her neck. "You're horrible," he murmured to her, and saw her lips crease into a smile. Holding her carefully, he slipped his arm beneath her head.

"Goodnight," she whispered.

"Goodnight," he replied softly, and the two fell asleep.

The next morning, Nymphadora awoke to see Rodolphus sitting by her side. She smiled, yawned, and stretched gingerly. "Good morning," she whispered as Rodolphus wrapped his arms around her and drew her near.

"I'll see you later," he said softly, and kissed her goodbye. "Be back tonight," he promised. "And Rabastan wanted to come see you: I might bring him tonight. He was annoyed that he didn't even get to speak to you last night when he visited."

"Oh," said Tonks, yawning again. "That must have been while I was asleep."

Rodolphus nodded, and crumbled the ward over the bed, standing up. "Goodbye." He squeezed her hand, then released her and left.

Nymphadora stared up at the ceiling, trying not to think of anything in particular. She found it hard to keep her mind blank when all she wanted to do was to analyze what had happened to land her in St. Mungo's.

"Tonks!" hissed a voice. "Hey, Tonks!"

She yawned again, then looked over to see Jack Stewart grinning at her. "Wotcher," she greeted him.

He came over and said, "How're you doing?"

"Much better than I was at first," Nymphadora replied, smiling. "I should be released soon, I hope. Maybe by tonight!"

"Awesome," said Jack. "I came to warn you that there will be some visitors—Aurors, who come to get a statement from you as to what happened."

"Okay," sighed Tonks. "But if they give me a headache, I'll curse them out of here."

Laughing, Jack said, "Just be careful. I don't know who'll be coming to see you."

She nodded. "Thanks," she said gratefully and Jack headed off to speak with the other girl. Tonks sat up quietly and waited, staring off into space. After a moment, Nymphadora was surprised to see Jack and the girl leaving after speaking to a couple of healers. Tonks shrugged and sat back to wait for the Aurors.

Nymphadora waited for only an hour or two before two of her colleagues came in, grinning at her. "Hello, Brockston," she greeted them. "Wotcher, Ardinan."

Brockston merely nodded, but Ardinan smiled in amusement and came closer to Tonks, conjuring two chairs for him and the other Auror. "You do know why we're here, don't you?" Ardinan asked her.

"Yes," she replied, and as the two sat down, she began to explain how the rescue mission had done her in.

They listened, and when she was finished, Brockston asked, "Who were the ones who helped you escape?"

Tonks scrunched up her face in thought even though she knew very well who they were. "Dark-haired," she said after a moment. "Pale-skinned. Quite young looking, actually."

"Nymphadora," sighed Ardinan, and she turned to scold him for calling her by her first name, but he interrupted. "The truth?" he asked.

"It—it was the Lestrange twins," she sighed, and saw the Aurors both flinch and look confused.

"Who?" asked Ardinan in surprise. "Twins?"

Nymphadora sighed and nodded. "Yes," she replied. "Those twins that rescued me are Rodolphus' sons. Bellatrix bore them during her first year in Azkaban, and sent them to be raised by a family she trusted. She never told Rodolphus about them, and he only learned about them a few months ago."

She took a deep breath. "These are the ones we had in for questioning a while back—the ones taken in Knockturn after Rabastan set off his sensor. The twins are still in school, but they're of age."

"Auror Tonks," said Brockston formally, "if you were put under Veritaserum, would you say the same thing?"

"Yes," she snapped at him. "I might even tell you that Mordor saved my life when one of the men was in the process of cutting my throat." Nymphadora turned her head, lifting her chin and showing them the white scar she now bore on her neck.

"Oh. Wow." Ardinan winced at the thought of someone cutting Tonks' throat.

Nymphadora glared at each Auror in turn. "Yeah. Lucky me," she said sulkily. "They took some of my blood—either to use in their potions, or to be sold in Knockturn. And I'm also sure that the twins took off whatever spells had been on the food so I could eat it. They worked on healing me, too. That's why this—" she indicated her neck "is already scarred. They also healed me from some of my Crucios, healed my split lip, and did a spell to start mending my broken ribs. The twins saved my life and completely rescued me." She stared at her two colleagues, eyeing them sternly.

They nodded. "We'll report what you've told us, but when you come back to work, you'll have to tell Reanne how it is," Ardinan said.

"Thanks," Tonks sighed, and lay back down, pressing her hand to her side. "Just leave the twins out of it except for the rescuing and life-saving parts," she added.

"I'll try," promised Ardinan, and the two men left the hospital ward.

That night, Rodolphus brought Rabastan with him when he came to visit Nymphadora. After Rodolphus had greeted her with a kiss, she smiled at Rabastan. "Sorry that I was asleep when you came," she told him.

"It's okay," he muttered, shrugging. "You looked like you could use a sleep, even if you were under a Sleeping Ward."

Nymphadora grinned a little, then looked worried. "Yeah, well, the healers say I should be able to leave tonight with you two." She gave a weak smile.

Rodolphus frowned and sank down onto the bed beside her. "Dora?" he asked softly. "What's wrong? Don't you want to go home?" He was dismayed to see tears begin to trickle down her face, and reached over, wiping a tear from her cheek and cupping her face in his hand, turning her to face him.

"When Mum and I argued," she whispered, staring forlornly into Rodolphus' dark eyes, "we argued about you." Nymphadora closed her eyes and another tear ran down her cheek. "She's afraid for me to marry you, and I yelled at her." Tonks sniffled and Rodolphus handed her his handkerchief. "Mum said she doesn't want me to come back until I take back what I said. I can't go home," she wept. "I don't have one."

"Dora," he murmured, putting his arm around her gently, "she's worried about you, as any mother should be about her child."

Nymphadora shook her head. "No," she whispered. "Rodolphus, she thinks I'm attracted to you because you've got a Dark nature. She said that she couldn't decide whether I love you or—or just feel sorry for you." She ducked her head, sobs threatening to burst out of her. "She said you'd taint me."

Rabastan regarded her coolly. "And what did you tell her?"

She looked up at him, feeling Rodolphus rub her back soothingly as he knew she liked. "I told her that I was already tainted because—because she's my mother. And—and I asked her if she'd ever really loved—loved—my dad." Tears streamed down her face as the sorrow of losing her father swept over her again. "I miss him," she sobbed, leaning against Rodolphus' chest. "Oh, Daddy!"

Rodolphus rocked her gently in his arms as she wept bitterly, sobbing for her father. "Cry it all out," he murmured. "It's okay."

She buried her face in his robes and breathed in the scent of fire that was always on him. After her sobs died down and her body quit shaking so much, she looked up. "I don't know if she really meant for me not to come back, but I don't feel like apologizing. She told me that one of the main reasons she left her family was for me, but she said it didn't help much." Nymphadora sighed dejectedly, her shoulders slumped. "Am I really that much of a failure?"

"Nymphadora, Love, don't say things like that," Rodolphus told her earnestly, lifting her face and shaking his head slightly. "You're not a failure, and you're not a bad girl just because we happened to love each other. Your mother probably has ideals set for someone patterned after herself—which you are not."

"What will I do?" she whispered. "What about Teddy? I don't want her to raise him!"

"She cannot keep your son from you," Rabastan told Nymphadora. "But she's been in a horrid mood since the two of you fought. I don't know if she's feeling guilty, or just angry."

Nymphadora sighed tiredly and leaned against Rodolphus as the lady healer came in. "You're free to go," she said to Tonks, handing over a few papers. "Just sign these." Nymphadora did so without really looking at them. As they stood to leave, the healer bit her lip and said to Rodolphus, "Please take good care of her."

Rodolphus nodded seriously as Nymphadora recognized the woman for the first time and gave her a weak smile. "I will," he said quietly, then turned and guided Tonks out of the room.

The three appeared in front of the Tonks house, and Nymphadora bit her lip. "Okay," she whispered finally. "Let's go."

They walked up to the door and it opened at Nymphadora's touch. She took a deep breath and stepped inside, then said, as a cry was heard, "Teddy." She charged up the stairs, Rodolphus right after her.

"There's my little one," Dora whispered as she picked up her son from his crib and cuddled him. The child gave another, softer cry and turned his hair black. "Hungry?" she asked him, a smiled playing about her lips. Unclasping her robe, she gave her son what he wanted.

One of Teddy's tiny hands grasped one of Nymphadora's fingers, and she leaned down and kissed the child's forehead. "I love you," she whispered.

A shadow appeared in the doorway, and Nymphadora turned to see her mother watching her, glaring with arms folded. Nymphadora turned back around, feeling turbulent emotions rising in her. Instantly, she tried to harness her anger, for she could get mad, but she did not want to cry. Fortunately, Andromeda left, and Tonks turned to see Rodolphus follow her out.

Sighing, Nymphadora regained her calm and finished feeding her son.

Rodolphus cornered Andromeda in the kitchen and said, "You've really hurt your daughter, you know."

Andromeda whirled around. "I want to make her think," she snapped. "I don't think she understands what she's getting herself into with you! I know you better than she does, Rodolphus Lestrange!"

"Yes, even though for nearly twenty-six years you've been removed from my family," Rodolphus replied offhandedly. "And Nymphadora has been around me much more than you have since she brought us here."

"And she believes that you're harmless," spat Andromeda. "But I know—"

"No, she doesn't," Rodolphus interrupted. "She knows, better than anyone, what I can do to her if I lose control of myself. She knows I'm a dangerous man, Andromeda; we've talked about so many things that I've done, and I've warned her about several things that set off angry reactions in me."

Andromeda glared at him. "But you still expect to hurt her!"

Rodolphus merely looked at Andromeda. "I endeavor to keep her safe from that part of me. I've practiced self-control with her in the hardest of situations, and I've succeeded. Andromeda, the stubborn streak of the Blacks has not left you, but I need you to listen—to really listen to me."

She looked into his face, her face full of confusion and turmoil. Rodolphus drew a steadying breath and said, "Andromeda, I love your daughter. I want to marry her, but I want—Andromeda, will you give your daughter—really give her to me—to be my wife?"

"She is yours," said Andromeda bitterly, then ducked away from him and left the room.

Rodolphus went back into the nursery and found Nymphadora sitting on the floor. Watching her, he saw that she was trying to help Teddy stand up, and smiled.

Teddy looked up at Rodolphus, and Nymphadora followed the child's gaze. "Rodolphus," she said with a smile, and motioned him to sit by her.

He sat down by her, slipping his arm around her shoulders and rubbing her arm gently. "How old is he now?" Rodolphus asked.

"About eight and a half months," Nymphadora said proudly as the child raised one fist and shouted happily.

"Dora, I don't claim to be a child-raising expert, but if he can almost walk, shouldn't he be weaned already?" Rodolphus asked.

Nymphadora sighed. "Yes," she replied, "and he's ready, but I like nursing him." She pouted and looked into Teddy's brown eyes. "I know I'm being stupid."

"Let him grow up," chuckled Rodolphus softly. "You'll have other children." And he gave her a little hug.

She raised an eyebrow. "Other children?" she questioned, and touched her stomach absentmindedly. "Your children?" And she grinned into his eyes.

Colour crept into Rodolphus' face, but he merely leaned forward and kissed her, his thumb caressing the side of her face. "Our children," he said softly, looking into her eyes. "If we are so blessed."

"I'm already blessed," she replied, reaching over and slipping her arms around his neck.

He kissed her softly, then leaned back, smiling at her and her child. "And I am as well," he said. "You're wonderful, Dora."

She hugged him with one arm, and they stayed there with Teddy for a while.