Remus Lupin had made sure that he was at the front of the battle when Harry had jumped back to life and the battle returned in its full force. He ran straight into the great hall, looking to the mourners who had stayed inside rather than rejoin the battle.
"They're coming! Get ready to fight!" Remus yelled, he was desperate not to witness any further deaths that night.
The extra seconds of warning barely meant anything though as Death Eaters soon seeped into the hall. But Remus was ready, he would fight. It was hardly a surprise when he noticed Rodolphus Lestrange glaring at him, coming straight for him.
"Wolf!" Rodolphus snarled, wand pointed to Remus, already firing curses.
"Lestrange." The response was automatic, putting up a shield to throw back his hexes, firing a fair amount of his own back at him.
It wasn't long before Remus was almost caught off guard as he noticed the mother of his child running over to them both. Though he wasn't sure if she was worried Remus couldn't hold his own against Rodolphus or if it was something else entirely. He was only slightly surprised as she was soon furiously duelling Bill and Charlie Weasley. Remus Lupin felt a slight shudder going down his spine as he heard Nymphadora egging on the boys, fighting harder.
It was moments like these that he was reminded that no matter if Bellatrix Lestrange was her mother by blood or by name alone this war was making her more and more like her every day. He worried for the Weasleys safety, Dora could easily get caught in the moment and kill one of them and there was no way he could face having to watch the Weasley clan lose another tonight.
Remus ducked a jet of green light flying above his head, pausing in his onslaught of hexes as he went into a defensive position. Rodolphus grinned, convinced that the old wolf had given in, that he was submitting. It was just the slight pause of smugness that Remus had been waiting for, without a second thought he fired a curse at the Death Eater.
Rodolphus Lestrange was off his feet and on the floor. Remus turned straight to Dora, watching as she reflected a hex before running over to him.
"Go fight elsewhere." Remus spoke to the Weasleys as he watched them about to fire another spell at the unsuspecting Metamorphmagus. They hesitated slightly for a few moments but after looking to the wolf and his Dora they soon nodded and looked for a battle elsewhere.
"I'm sorry, Dora." Remus whispered to himself before sending a hex right at the young womans shoulder.
He watched as she winced, hated himself as he noted the small cut he had caused on her shoulder, but it would be worth it to keep her safe. They parried spells back and forth, he was only sending minor hexes her way and she was reflecting each one perfectly. Remus couldn't help but admire the look of determination on her face, signs of the battle-of spells that couldn't be reflected in time, of tiredness and general hurt were littered across her body. Remus barely registered his own discomfort as a hex of hers hit him in the side.
It was then that he lost the attention of Nymphadora Lestrange-as Molly Weasley yelled out at Bellatrix. He let Dora turn to watch the commotion, ready to move at the slightest sign of her going to try to help.
Bellatrix Lestrange was laughing in her cruel way, taunting Molly as she reflected the odd hex, returning a fair few of her own.
"Come on Weasel!" Bellatrix laughed "Is that all you've got?"
She continued her crazed laughter as the two women battled. Remus watched Dora carefully, taking note of her resistance to join from her bare white knuckles gripping onto her wand, though his gaze flickered back and forth between the two Lestrange women. He was watching Bellatrix as she died. He watched as in her mad laughter the curse was thrown at her chest. Bellatrix Lestrange died with that same Black smirk on her lips as Sirius had before her.
"No!" Nymphadoras cry was almost a blood curdling scream, one that mingled with Voldemorts own yell of fury. A masters fury mingled with a daughters heartbreak.
Remus felt his heart breaking as he ran to the young witch. He had no idea if she was running forward to mourn her mother or if she was seeking revenge-either way it was best to stop her for now. He reached out and embraced her tightly, restraining her. She lifted herself off the ground as she tried to get to Bellatrix, she clawed deeply into his arm as she drew blood, she was hysterical in her grief. As she lifted herself from the ground in her force again Remus lowered himself to the ground, pulling her closely to his own body.
He pressed head against hers, shushing gently into her ear, trying to comfort her almost as you would a small child. He barely noticed the duel that had instantly started after the womans death. Barely watched as Harry Potter defeated Lord Voldemort. He felt the elation he knew would come at his downfall, yet this was instantly numbed as he could feel the sobs of the woman he loved shaking through her body and into his own.
"Shhh . . . It's over Dora . . . It's over . . ." Remus spoke as calmly as he believed he physically could as Nymphadora finally broke her gaze from the body of her guardian-to her master.
He wished he could begin to fathom what was going through her head as she temporarily stopped in her fight, the fighting was over. He released his grip on her, unsurprised as she ran straight over to the body.
He had been watching her for a few moments now, as Death Eaters were slowly rounded up, as the reality of the war finally being over had set in. He had noted as Nymphadora continued to sob as she grasped onto the dead body. It was almost as if everyone had decided to ignore her for the time being, forgetting she was also a death eater, though that may have slightly been down to the fact that Remus had glared daggers at the last wizard that tried to go anywhere near her.
Nymphadora was still racked with grief, still gripping on, unsure if the pain would ever stop. She knew that the woman she was was currently gripping onto as she cried like a small child was 'evil'. She knew that she had caused so much pain and suffering in the world. She knew that she was her mother.
The witch almost jumped out of her skin as she felt a hand on her shoulder, looking up to see her Aunt.
Narcissa Malfoy knelt down next to her niece, an almost sympathetic sad smile on her face as she gently pulled her away from the body on the floor. She pulled her close to her own chest, stroking her hair for a few moments as she was the second one to attempt to quietly shush the young witch.
Nymphadora had always admired Narcissa as a mother figure, as much as she had her pureblood façade on 24/7 there was never a doubt that she was a fiercely protective and loving mother, a kindness she had seemed to have extended to her niece since she had to take her in as a small girl.
"Nymphadora . . ." Narcissas voice was firm yet soothing as she gently pulled away from her niece.
Dora instantly looked down to Bellatrix, every last aspect of her facial expression threatening to cry like a small child yet again.
"Nymphadora," Narcissa demanded the girls attention as she gently took her chin in her hand, taking her gaze away from Bellatrix as she forced her to look her in the eyes "stop it."
"I- . . ." Dora chocked back more sobs, "I-I can't, Aunt Cissy I- . . . She-"
"She wouldn't want you acting like this." Narcissa gave her niece a sad yet reassuring smile, letting go of her chin and stroking her hair out of her face "You have to be strong. I know you can be. Be strong for her, for Teddy, for your own sake but Nymphadora you must be strong."
The two women were both knelt on the cold stone floor of Hogwarts, both Black eyes locked with the other. Narcissa sighed as she gently stroked the hair from Doras face, gently taking her wand as she used it to heal what small cuts and grazes she could see.
After a few minutes Narcissa smiled, placing the Metamorphmagus' wand back into its owners hands "There. You look fine, all healed . . ."
Nymphadora forced a smile in return, mumbling a thanks, not once letting her eyes leave the still face of Bellatrix, she barely noticed that she still had her hand wrapped tightly around the dead womans own, refusing to let go.
The two women sat in silence, joint in their grief even though they showed it in their own ways, for what felt like an eternity. It wasn't until Narcissa's eyes darted behind her niece, the unmistakable emotionless mask returning to her face, that either of them made a move. Cissa gently took her nieces hand from the cold dead one of her sisters.
It was as if the black haired girl knew what was going to happen as she took a deep breath and looked to her Aunt "You don't let them dispose of her like an animal, understood? You take her and you ensure she gets the correct burial . . . A-and Teddy . . . Give him to Remus, please give him to Remus."
With a curt nod and a last squeeze of the girls hand Narcissa Malfoy watched as her niece rose to her feet, brushing her robes of dust as she turned to meet her fate.
Nymphadora didn't struggle as the Auror took her arm, taking her wand from her. She walked with dignity as she was taken to the rest of the captured Death Eaters. She could hear Remus yelling at somebody. Demanding she be released. She couldn't help it as a small laugh escaped her lips. Didn't he know she was a deadly Death Eater? That she was 'wanted'? Didn't he know that her last name alone was enough to get her hated by the entirety of the wizarding world.
It didn't seem to matter to them that she had helped The Order at one point in her life, that she had not wanted to kill or maim or torture or that she had murdered a Death Eater to stop him killing one of their own. She felt the small hope inside of her that Remus would realise what was happening. For now she had to be reprimanded, she had to go through the motions, she had to go along with the rest of the Death Eaters and be interrogated and put through hell. Merlin only knew if she would be imprisoned or if she would get to be with her son again, with his father . . . She knew he would fight for her, to help them see she wasn't the person she had made the world believe she was.
She would survive this. She was brave. She was strong. She was a mother who needed her child. A child who still needed their mother. She just wanted to go home . . . But there was only one thing that seemed to matter now that The Dark Lord was defeated. She was marked and for that-for now- she would pay the price.
So first off, I'd just like to say, considering I have so many plans for this story still that will all be in the sequel it was very hard to find a place to end this story whilst giving the sequel the start I really want to give to it. So I hope you enjoyed the ending of this and that you will follow the new story too. I have been amazed by all of the support, reviews, PM's and everything really that I have recieved for this story. I know it is shaky in places and it desperately need a read through and slight editing and that will happen. I will notify everyone through the author notes of the new story when the chapters of this story have been updated as a lot of them will most likely add parts.
Again, thank you for reading, thank you for reviewing, let me know what you think and I hope you enjoyed this story as much as I enjoyed writing it.
Thank you,
The Purple Black
