I hope you enjoy this chapter! I'd like to thank Trixie Black Lestrange for editing this chapter for me!
Please do, as always, read, enjoy and review!
Nymphadora Lupin took a deep breath as she fastened her traveling cloak around her neck. The past few weeks had been blissful: she had taken the children to France with Remus and stayed in one of the old Lestrange cottages by the seaside. The children had had a wonderful time and what with Narcissa demanding she take the children to Malfoy manor for the second week so the newlyweds could be alone, the adults had had a wonderful time too. Christmas had come and gone and soon Andromeda Lupin would be one year old. Time was flying so quickly, yet Dora had repeatedly told her new husband this December was the best of her life. But now it was back to reality: the cold, harsh truth of reality. Though Dora had promised her father she would visit her uncle from time to time in Azkaban, it was nearing two years since her father's death, but she had yet to visit. Today that would change. She barely moved as she watched her husband come up behind her in the mirror, placing his hand on her shoulder. With a small forced smile, she took his hand in her own, kissing it softly before looking back to the mirror. She couldn't help but know who she resembled today: she couldn't help it. With her dark eyes and long, curled black hair, she simply hoped that Rabastan was of sound enough mind to realise that she was Nymphadora and not Bellatrix.
"Ready, darling?" Remus smiled sympathetically at her.
After a few long moments, she met his eyes in the mirror "The children…."
"Your Aunt picked them up a half hour ago, remember?" Remus frowned.
"Oh..." she nodded "Right, of course she did. Silly me."
"Dora...you don't have to—"
"I do." Dora spoke firmly as she turned to look to her husband "He's my uncle and I love him...I just wish I didn't have to go back to hell on earth to see him."
Remus sighed. "The Dementors are gone, sweet. It's not as bad as that anymore."
"I know," Dora said slowly, "but it's still...it's still like they're there…." Dora looked down at the floor. After a few moments, she heard her husband rustling in his pockets, then felt a small nudge on her side. She couldn't help but laugh as she was presented with a chocolate bar. "Thanks."
The witch took the chocolate from him, snapping a piece off for herself and popping it into her mouth before shoving the rest of the bar in her husband's mouth without warning. She couldn't help but laugh at his shock, then contentment at eating his favourite food.
"Ready?" Dora asked.
"Ready." Remus nodded before kissing her head.
The pair walked hand in hand out of the manor, past the apparation wards, and before the couple knew it, they were experiencing the squeezing sensation of apparation. Nymphadora barely spoke as Remus greeted the Auror on duty at the prison, ignoring the filthy look of disgust the guard gave her and silently following him.
"There you go," the Auror sighed when he reached Rabastan Lestrange's cell, Remus stopping just out of sight of the cell door.
"Well, open it up." Dora folded her arms as she looked expectantly at the Auror. After a few moments and a roll of his eyes, he opened the cell door, letting the young witch in and locking the door behind her.
She looked back to the door, clenching her fist in frustration and tried to ignore the small sense of claustrophobia that overtook her at being locked in such a small space.
"D—Dora?" the weak voice came from the floor.
As Dora turned to face the source of the voice she let out a small gasp "Uncle Rab…!"
The youngest Lestrange brother was skin and bones, rather literally. He looked up at his niece through hollowed eyes from a heap on the floor, and after a few moments, tried to sit up. His whole body shook as he lifted mere centimetres off of the floor, stopping for a few moments before falling to the floor again with a groan. Nymphadora quickly rushed to her uncle's side, sitting next to him and helping him into a sitting position, her hair turning pale as snow.
"I—I'm fine..." he croaked "I—I'll be dead by the end of the week...it's all good." The man coughed and spluttered, making his niece's eyes widen in shock as she noticed blood on his lips.
"You are not dying!" Nymphadora narrowed her eyes at the man. "I forbid it!"
"Oh Dora." Rabastan laughed."You are so much l—like Bella. I can die if I want to."
"Shut up." Dora snapped at the man, reaching into her small handbag and handing the man a bottle of water. "Drink this..."
Rabastan tried to open the bottle, only to have Nymphadora have to open it for him, tipping a small bit into his mouth. After a few moments, he was coughing furiously, Dora wrapping an arm around him. "Dora. I'm going to die here...I don't want to die here…."
Dora looked down at her uncle, her heart breaking slightly at the words coming from once such a strong man. He was a mere ghost of what he used to be, and she had no doubt that he really would be dead by the end of the week.
"I—no." Dora got up from the floor after ensuring her uncle was safely rested against the wall.
"W—what are you doing, Nymphie?" Rabastan soon began coughing again.
"Shush." Dora walked to the bars, sticking her hand out through the bars "Remus. Remus, come here."
The werewolf soon came to the bars, a frown on his face as he reached out and took her hand in his own, kissing her fingers gently. "What's wrong?"
"I...get the guard." Dora took his hand through the bars, kissing his hand in return before letting go "Please…."
"I…." Remus looked back to the broken man in the cell, then back to his new wife. He didn't need to ask to know what she was thinking "I—okay."
With that Remus left, and Dora turned back to her uncle, watching him with worry on her face. His breathing was ragged, he was clearly in pain—it made Dora wonder what on earth had got him in such a state. With a frown on her lips, she walked back to him.
"Uncle..." Dora took his hand in her own, with her other hand she placed a gentle finger under his chin "Why are you so bad?"
"Well...y—your father became a Death Eater so I followed—" Rabastan's joking was cut off by another round of coughs.
"Not the time for joking." Dora glared at the man.
"You look so much like your mother…." Rabastan stared into her eyes for a slight moment until he sighed, "I called one of the guards a filthy Mudblood—which is just stating fact—remember the one that called us toads for speaking French?" Dora nodded, biting her lip in anticipation. "Well, turns out Mudbloods know their Unforgivables. I was too weak to fight it off...thrashed around too much...think I broke a rib…."
"You what?!" Dora shrieked.
"Dora, what's wrong?" Remus asked, watching his wife turn to the Auror next to him.
"I recognise you now!" Dora's eyes narrowed at the amused look on the man's face "Don't you dare look at me like that!"
Her hair turned dark and wild, her eyes darkening to match, her features becoming harsher in her anger. As the man jumped back in slight shock, a smirk graced Nymphadora's pale face. She hadn't used her heritage to intimidate someone in a long time. It wasn't until she saw Remus, eyes looking away and arms folded that her smirk faltered, her features returning to normal.
Dora looked to the floor and then her husband. "Remus, he—"
"I heard." Remus took a deep breath before he took out his wand "Expecto Patronum." Dora watched as the non-corporal form of the man's Patronus faced him "Kingsley, I need to talk to you. Please come to Azkaban post haste." As the form left the building, Remus looked to the now not-so-confident Auror "I believe that not only are you not permitted to use Unforgivables on prisoners, but there is reason to believe that Mr. Lestrange here may be eligible for release. I shall wait at the entrance for the Minister: follow me. Nymphadora?"
Dora looked to her husband, not being able to help her grin at her awe of Remus with a slight hint of arousal of his commanding control of the situation. "Yes?"
"Do you wish to follow with us or wait here with your Uncle?" Remus asked, his tone of voice letting a bit of softness slip in when addressing his wife.
"I—I'll wait here." Dora looked back to the man on the floor, going back to sit next to him.
After Remus left Rabastan didn't say much, simply staring at the bars as they waited for Remus Lupin to return. Dora sighed and rested her head on his shoulder, to which the man responded by placing his hand on hers after a few moments. When Remus finally returned, it was to take the pair home.
After the necessary papers had been signed and Remus Lupin had yet another Death Eater under his care, the trio went back to Lestrange Manor. Though on apparation, Rabastan fainted, too weak to travel in such ways. It wasn't until much later that the man awoke, finding Nymphadora sat on the end of his bed, cross legged as she held multiple bottles in her hands. She smiled slightly as Rabastan groaned at the sight of the small bottles, knowing their contents.
"I have spent the last few hours using every bloody healing charm on you I know. I have used more magic on you that I've needed to use since...well in a long time. Now don't become difficult just because you don't like the taste of these." Dora rolled her eyes as she passed him the bottles.
After a small glare, the man snatched the bottles off of his niece, downing each one before putting them down on the bedside table "Happy, mother?"
"I am not your mother." Dora rolled her eyes at him before she moved on the bed to sit next to her uncle.
Rabastan sighed before wrapping an arm around his niece, pulling her into a hug "That's right, you've got Edward...I do feel better now, thanks…."
"A—" Dora sighed "I have a daughter too."
"Oh, Dora," Rab sighed "Just because the werewolf got you out of Azkaban doesn't mean you have to sleep with him again."
Dora hit his chest playfully. "I love him. Get used to it; he got you out of Azkaban too."
"I suppose I could get used to the half-blood," Rabastan muttered. "I suppose he produced an alright son...how's your daughter? Please tell me she takes after you and not her father."
"Play nice," Dora muttered in French before she closed her eyes. "She's Dolohov's—but no-one knows that apart from Remus, me, and Aunt Cissa."
"What?!" Rabastan made his niece jump. She sat up immediately, staring down and looking in surprise at her uncle's look of rage. "Please tell me you were the one to murder him and not some pathetic student or Order member."
"I..." Dora furrowed her brows in confusion "Uncle...I killed him. Why?"
Rabastan seethed in rage, hesitating for a few moments before he shook his head "No, Dora. I promised your parents."
"You promised them what?" Dora's face soon turned into one of confusion and annoyance. "Tell me."
"No." Rabastan shook his head before looking back at his niece, sighing before he pulled on her sleeve, making her fall straight into him as he hugged her. "Dora, just please leave it alone," he murmured in his French dulcet tones. "For their sake, don't make me break a promise. Just give your uncle a hug. I haven't had a decent one in years. I miss my little Nymphie."
Dora stared up at him for a few moments before she sighed, nodding and hugging him. "Fine...just go to sleep: you need rest. You can meet my daughter tomorrow."
"Okay..." Rabastan leant his head back, closing his eyes yet again, memories flooding his mind.
2ndMay 1998
"Rodolphus!" Bellatrix Lestrange stormed up to the Lestrange brothers, a crazed look on her face.
Rodolphus looked up from the corpse of the sixteen year old at his feet "Ma Belle," Rodolphus grinned "look what our daughter did!"
Rabastan winced from his place further down the corridor as he knew the witch was in no mood for such things, he slowly walked up to the pair as his fears were confirmed.
"Don't you 'Ma Belle' me!" Bellatrix yelled before looking down at the child on the floor, an impressed look gracing her face "Dora did that? No more killing people on her behalf for mummy then ..." After a roll of her eyes the stern expression returned to her face "We have a mission here, Rodolphus! Where is Dolohov?"
"I don't know ... Merde!" Rodolphus swore as he looked around him, hoping to see Dolohov within his sights already.
"Why do you want that old git?" Rabastan questioned before smirking "Mummy and Daddy want a word with their future son-in-law?"
Bellatrix growled before sending a curse at Rabastan, one he narrowly missed "The only words that man will be getting from me are the unforgivables!"
"I'll find him, Bella, I will." Rodolphus approached his wife, sighing as she glared at his attempt to reach out for her "I am searching, I'm just killing on the way, which you should be doing also."
"I am killing! I've killed at least 6 already how many have you killed!?" Bellatrix snapped "JUST FIND HIM!"
"Umm ... What did I miss? You can't go killing Death Eaters ..." Rabastan looked to the pair in confusion, not being so quick to miss the next hex Bellatrix threw, swearing beneath his breath.
"I WILL KILL ANYONE THAT HARMS MY DAUGHTER! Do you understand!?" Bellatrix stormed at her brother-in-law near enough pinning him to the wall.
"He-what?" Rabastan looked to his brother, pushing Bellatrix away from him.
Rodolphus Lestrange glared at the floor as he spoke, not once looking to his younger brother "He raped her, Rab ... Been doing it for Merlin knows how long ... He's- ... got something he's blackmailing her with. We have to kill him to stop it."
Rabastan looked between the two yet again before drawing his wand "I'll help."
Bellatrix looked to him, considering him for a moment before nodding. Seconds later she had her wand at his throat, Rabastan was really starting to get dizzy watching the mood swings of his deranged sister-in-law.
"Listen here," she snarled "if you dare even think of telling Dora what we know - of telling anyone - I will crucio you to the brink of your sanity-possibly further."
Rabastan glared at her "Don't be stupid."
"Rab," this time it was his brother speaking, looking to him with a pleading look in his eyes that he hadn't seen in years "you must promise ... If she knew we knew ... She can't."
After a few moments Rabastan nodded his head, straightening up as he moved away from Bella's wand "I promise. Now let's go kill the bastard."
