Enjoy as always. Reviews are love. :) May edit some older chapters before I load up another one again. Let me know if you want to be messaged to be told if I have updated an old chapter in the reviews. :)

Dora shuddered with pain as she slowly woke up in the morning. She was grateful to at least see that her bed was now empty. With a groan she stretched out, burying her face in her pillow as she stifled a tear. It had been more than a week since she'd returned from Hogwarts and her life did not seem to be getting easier. She was thankful that Dolohov had not breathed a word to anybody about what he had seen . . . and she constantly reminded herself of that when he came to her at night.

With a hiss of pain she slowly sat up, slowly rubbing her neck with her spare hand as she waved her wand hand, wordlessly summoning a mirror which she had enchanted to hover in front of her.

She chocked back a sob as she noticed her split lip, the bruise on her left cheek and the pure look of lack of exhaustion on her face. Dora reached out to the bedside table fetching her wand. With a few silent waves of the wand over her body her cuts and bruises disappeared. She screwed her eyes shut, watching her hair grow a wild and curly black in a near identical fashion to Bellatrixs' and her face slowly losing the mask of exhaustion from her face. With another flick of her wand the mirror disappeared and the young witch hesitantly moved from the bed.

With a defeated sigh the witch walked over to her wardrobe, flicking through until she found a delicate dark green knee length, long sleeved dress with the slightest hint of silver embroidery. She smiled slightly, it had been a gift from her Aunt on her 19th birthday and as much as they would argue with her that it wasn't 'lady like' enough for a witch of her age- and a mother at that- she couldn't help but grasp at every subtle opportunity to work against the pureblood norm.

The girl had just finished magically lacing her knee high boots and was about to leave her room for the nursery when a gentle knock on the door came. She hesitated slightly, dreading even thinking about who could be at the door at this time when she walked over to her vanity table, sitting down with her back to the door but a clear view of the door from her mirror. This had been a trick her Aunt had taught her to keep 'an air of sophistication' when greeting guests to her private quarters. Dora just found it arrogant and annoying so found it the best way to greet people when she wanted to be left the hell alone.

Magic crackled throughout the room ever so slightly as she dropped the privacy wards stopping people entering her room as she looked down to the red lipstick on her vanity table.

"Enter." Dora picked up her lipstick, straightening her back as she tried to remember the etiquette lessons of her childhood, she'd found herself paying attention to them more and more of late.

The door gently clicked and creaked open as the witch stared intently at her make up bag, picking up a small vial of perfume that nearly smashed onto the desk as she heard the voice of her visitor speak.

"Bonjour, ma fille." She could almost hear the grin in the mans voice before she even turned to see him.

She twisted on her stool, running at the man as she practically fell head over heels at him. Her head hit his chest and her arms wrapped around his neck in an almost strangling grip. She held him tightly, holding back any tears of joy as she felt her hair turning bright pink.

"Hello Daddy . . ." Dora's voice was muffled as she'd buried her face into his robes.

She could feel the vibration of a chuckle through the man as she was silently thankful that he'd clearly bathed and changed since he had escaped the hellhole of Azkaban. She closed her eyes in comfort as she felt her fathers arms wrap around her, one hand stroking her pink curly locks.

"Don't you dare get caught again . . ." Dora sniffed as she lifted up her head to look into Rodolphus Lestranges eyes.

She was greeted by a sly smirk as he placed a kiss on her forehead "I don't think that will be much of a possibility before long, darling."

"Good. You're not aloud to leave again, full stop." Dora grinned as he took a step back from her, placing his hands on her shoulders as he looked over her with a slight smirk on his face.

"Something is different about you . . . I can't put my finger on it." Rodolphus frowned slightly as he examined his daughter.

"Did mother not tell you . . . ?"

"Your mother saw me for all of two minutes, sung your praises of how well you'd worked of late and how you had requested my release from Azkaban. She then told me you wanted to see me as you had things to tell me and left." Rodolphus sighed as he brushed some stray strands of hair from his daughters face "Your mother was always the charmer, Nymphadora."

"I was surprised she didn't ask for your freedom . . ." She paused as her father raised an eyebrow at her knowingly "Okay, maybe I wasn't so surprised. But she would have known that it would have been what I asked for anyway so it didn't really matter."

"You always see the good in people, Dora, even in the worst of us." She looked down with a slightly sad smile as her father stroked her hair yet again.

"It's a talent." Dora reached out, taking her fathers hand "Come on, I have something to show you."

With a curious look the man allowed the young witch to take his hand and practically run with him from the room. She hesitated as she reached the door to Teddys nursery, turning to her father with as she chewed her lip slightly.

"Promise you won't freak out . . ." Dora gripped onto each of her fathers hands as she stared into his eyes almost pleadingly.

"Dora what's wrong?" he reached out, letting go of one of her hands to her face as he gently stroked her cheek.

"Nothing. Just promise me."

"I-" Dora raised an eyebrow at him to intervene his excuses "Fine. I'll try my hardest."

She didn't turn around as she opened the door behind her, constantly staring at her father trying to gauge his reaction. She watched as his eyes widened slightly, looking to the crib with the visible sleeping Teddy within. Her heart beat faster than usual as she reached up to put a hand on Rodolphus' shoulder. It amused her slightly as she recognised that after all this time, after all she now knew and all that had happened she still secretly sought her fathers approval.

She held her breath as she felt her father reach a hand up to take the hand now resting on his shoulder in his own. He slowly walked over to the crib, taking her with him.

"Dora . . . Is . . . Are you . . .?" Rodolphus seemed lost for words as his daughter simply nodded.

"This is my son . . . Edward Rodolphus Lestrange." She reached down, picking the now stirring infant up and cradling him in her arms as a smile slowly crept across her face whilst she looked to her son.

"Lestrange?" he questioned as he stared down at the boy.

Dora nodded "I- . . . I got pregnant . . . His father is an Order member-" she jumped to her defence as she saw the flash of anger cross Rodolphus' face, ready to reprimand her for such stupidity "I didn't know. I was drunk . . ."

"Who was it?" Rodolphus was clearly trying his hardest to remain calm, the idea of his sweet and innocent girl doing anything but what was expected of her 'pureblood duties' in regards to children and marriage not only embarrassing but slightly enraging.

"Remus Lupin." Dora chewed her lip as she rocked the now whimpering babe in her arms.

"He's a werewolf, Nymphadora!" Rodolphus felt a pang of guilt as the child infront of him yelped at the sudden change of volume, his hair flashing white in shock. He sighed "He's a metamorphmagus?"

Dora nodded, watching as he walked over to the window seat, cradling the boy in his arms. She bit back a laugh as he reached up and managed to smack his grandfather in the face. She walked over to the pair, sitting next to Rodolphus and leaning her head on his shoulder.

To her relief he repositioned the boy to one arm, his spare arm now wrapping around Doras waist as he kissed her head.

"How on earth am are we going to marry you off now, hmm?" Rodolphus muttered in french, a sense of exhaustion in his voice.

"Actually . . ." Dora replied, closing her eyes as she tried not to vomit or squirm at the idea of what she knew she must say "Dolohov wants to court me."

"Antonin Dolohov?" Rodolphus' confusion could be heard in his voice "Dora he's my age . . ."

"I know that . . ." Dora looked to her son, trying to feign a look of anything but the disgust she was currently feeling at the idea of how anyone could willingly want that man to court them.

". . . But he knows you already have a son?" she could almost see the wheels of thought turning in her fathers head. She was near enough unmarryable with a child out of wedlock.

"Yes, père." Dora buried herself into the mans sided as she watched her son coo'ing at the man currently holding him.

The silence was almost unbearable as Rodolphus Lestrange thought on the fate of his daughter. She could feel the sigh of defeat leaving him as he nodded.

"Fine . . . I'll talk to him and tell him he may go ahead . . ." Dora frowned slightly as she was moved to a sitting position, Rodolphus looking Dora straight in the eyes as he spoke next "Dora, he has to look after you . . . if he doesn't treat you right you come straight to me, understood?"

Dora forced a slight smile without even thinking about it. She'd known Rodolphus was overprotective of her since she was a little girl and had long practised her automatic reactions to his concerns, in particularly for this occasion.

"He wouldn't hurt me, Father . . . He sees advantage in our unison, as I do too, he will be a good partner and husband." She could feel bile rising in her throat as she gave the well rehearsed lie.

"If you say so . . ." Rod cracked a slight smile at the boy "Edward Rodolphus Lestrange?"

Dora smiled back at him, nodding "He'll stay a Lestrange if I marry Dolohov . . . Mother said it was best seeing as she didn't want anymore children and Uncle Rab doesn't seem ready to settle anytime soon. Keep the Lestrange name going . . ."

Rodolphus sighed "Merlin knows I've tried with your mother . . . I was amazed she had you, let alone trying to get anymore children out of her." The man chuckled as he looked down at the boy changing his hair to turquoise "This is the second birth I've missed . . ."

"What do you mean?" the younger witch frowned.

"Well I missed your birth . . . I was away on a mission. I didn't mean to Dora and you of all people must know that if I knew your mother was pregnant to start with I would have rushed straight home to not miss a moment of it." Rodolphus looked at his daughter almost beggingly as he willed her to understand. "I know I've missed a lot of things in your lifetime . . . and for that I am eternally sorry . . . But I do love you. You're very special to me, my sole heir."

Dora locked her gaze on her son, biting back any remarks as she near enough had her theory confirmed. There's no way that Rodolphus knew about Nymphadoras true parentage. He was a victim in this as much as she was. With a sad smile she reached up and kissed the mans rough stubble covered cheek. "I know, père. I love you too."

The pair sat alone, enjoying each others company until after what seemed like a small eternity the door to the nursery creaked open to reveal Bellatrix Lestrange.

"Catching up with Daddy dearest?" Bellatrix raised an eyebrow at her child. She had guessed that Bella had been less than happy with Rodolphus being released from Azkaban, assumedly because it was far easier to maintain her affair with The Dark Lord without her constantly getting into a passionate fury with her husband about he whole affair.

Dora gently took her son from Rod as Bella walked over and slipped onto his lap. His arms were soon wrapped around her waist, his growling lips on her neck.

"Not in the nursery." Dora sighed as she walked towards the door with her son, ready to leave. She'd become far too acquainted with their abusive love hate relationship and she didn't want her son to witness it, even if she knew he was too young to understand it or even remember it.

"Your Aunt wants you." Bellatrix called as she slapped away her husbands roaming hands.

Dora nodded "Not in the nursery, Father."

Rodolphus looked up, seemingly snapped out of whatever trance Bellatrix seemed to force him into as he stood from the seat. With a swift movement Rodolphus lifted his wife into his arms, walked past his daughter, swiftly kissing her on the head before he ran off to some other corner of Malfoy Manor.

Dora sighed "Maybe I could learn a lesson from their relationship, hmm? They seem to simply tolerate eachother, maybe that's what mummy has to learn how to do." she kissed her sons head as she walked out of the room and towards her Aunts chambers "You know mummy never thought she'd say that."

She shifted Teddy in her arms as he reached out for her dark hair, pulling on it as his hair changed to a dark colour to match. She was almost knocked off her feet when she reached the part of the manor her aunt usually resided in as a flash of blonde hair ran up to her. Narcissa Malfoy hugged her niece as she kissed her cheek.

"Thank you." She whispered in her ear before she pulled away, an earnest smile on her face that Dora had not witnessed for years.

Dora returned the smile, knowing she had found out that Dora had requested her husbands rescue "Don't mention it . . . At least someone seems happy to see their husband back."

Narcissa squeezed the girls arm reassuringly as she looked down at the baby in her arms "Yes well . . . Your parents have a unique relationship."

Dora scoffed "That's one way of putting it."

"Come see your Uncle." Cissy smiled fondly at the girl, taking her arm in her own as they walked off towards Lucius Malfoy.

Dora followed her Aunt dutifully as she hugged her little boy towards her chest in her arms. She decided that falling in line with the 'dutiful pureblood' expectation was most likely the easiest way to survive her situation. Although she couldn't help but wonder, and not for the first time in her life, how different her life would have been had she been able to live 'the half-blood life' that she was born into, had her parents not been murdered at birth and she had not been caught in such an intricate web of lies and deceit. Though it does not do to dwell on dreams, and forget to live.