Next to last chapter! This story should be done by the end of the year, as the last chapter is a kind of epilogue and already finished. Merry Christmas, also lol

Trixie Black Lestrange

"Are you sure you want to stay home?" Remus asked, looking at Dora as both their sons clung to his hands.

"Oh, quite sure," Dora nodded, shifted her one-year-old daughter on her hip. "I've no desire to go to the Burrow."

"They're good people," Remus told her.

"I don't care," Dora answered. "They're not my people. Now go on, or you'll be late."

Remus sighed. "Will you go with me one day?" he asked.

Dora rolled her eyes. "Only under the Imperius. Now go." She breathed a sigh of relief when her husband was gone, turning and going back into her house. Settling onto the couch, she began to play with her daughter, the child and mother laughing and giggling together. Minutes passed, but she paid no attention.

"Hello, Nymphadora."

The witch let out a little scream, grabbing her daughter protectively and jumping to her feet. "What are you doing here?" she gasped, about to reach for her wand and realising that she didn't have it on her. "What do you want?"

Rodolphus Lestrange looked right at the little girl Dora was holding, distracted for a moment before turning back to Nymphadora with a half wild expression in his eyes. "Where is Delphi?"

Dora remained silent, frightened and in shock, and Hope Lupin cried, "Ma!"

"Shh, baby," Dora breathed, not taking her eyes off the man. "You're supposed to be in Azkaban."

"So are you," Rodolphus said coldly. "But instead here you are, having the cubs of a werewolf. I'm assuming all three of the brats are yours and his?"

"Yes," Dora answered in the same tone. "It's nice to not have to deal with all that pureblood nonsense for once."

"You were part of the family," Rodolphus said. "Did Laverne disown you?"

Dora shrugged. "I'm not a Lestrange, so there's no point in that. Yes, I still see them: they are my family."

Rodolphus shook his head in disgust. "That's what happened when little brother runs the family," he muttered, mostly to himself.

"You don't have to worry about him anymore," smirked Nymphadora.

"Oh, I know," Rodolphus said coolly. "He has never understood the House of Black type and severely underestimated even his own children. But no matter." His grip tightened on his wand. "Tell me where Delphi is. Surely she isn't at Malfoy Manor still?"

Dora bit her lip. "No…."

Rodolphus stepped toward her, and she cradled her daughter closer. "Where was she taken, Nymphadora?"

"I—I don't know," Dora sputtered.

"Liar!" Rodolphus accused her, his eyes narrowing at the young woman. "Don't make this difficult, girl."

"You could just leave," Dora answered.

The man laughed. "You're in no position to ask favours, Dora. Where is Delphi?"

She raised her chin defiantly. "Why don't you go ask Narcissa?"

His wand moved, and she had no defense against him as her child was torn from her arms and flew across the room to the old Death Eater. Hope let out a cry of fear, and he shushed her, keeping his wand trained on Nymphadora.

"Sweet child," he mused as the baby stared up at him in fear, her eyes bright. "Perhaps if she suffers a little, you'll be more willing cooperate."

"You won't hurt her," Dora said sharply. "You've never tortured or killed a child: Bellatrix told me that. You don't scare me, Rodolphus."

"No?" he raised an eyebrow. "Well, that is true." He looked back at Dora. "Are you going to tell me?"

Dora glared at him. "Why are you looking for her? Laverne prophecied that she would fail."

Rodolphus Cursed her immediately, and Dora fell to her knees with a cry. "You're not pregnant, are you?" he sighed as an old memory came to him.

"No," she gasped in pain. "What kind of question is that?"

"Just a caution," Rodolphus grinned. "Crucio!"

Dora tried her best to withstand his spells, but she was nearly four years out of practise, and the air soon rang with her screams as she suffered on her own living room floor. Hope was crying too, as Rodolphus had set her aside and warded her in to keep her away from the conflict.

Finally, he approached her. "Ready to talk?"

"Why do you care about her?" cried Dora in her pain. "She's nothing but an embarrassment to you!"

"She's Bella's first of all," Rodolphus growled. "And I have a duty to her. It doesn't matter what she is." He pounced on her, pinning her to the floor, and she let out a shriek of terror, trying to throw him off in spite of the agony she was in.

"No!" she screamed, tears beginning to stream down her face. "Please—please—!"

"Where is Delphi?" Rodolphus demanded, disturbed at her intense reaction.

"At the Rowle's," Dora sobbed in terror. "Please let me go."

"Truthfully?" Rodolphus growled, leaning closer to the girl's face.

"Yes," Dora shrieked, closing her eyes as her body shuddered, not from the pain of his Curses. "Cissa told me."

Rodolphus got to his feet, looking down at the witch. "You should have answered me the first time." He turned away and went to the little girl. "Shh," he said. "Somnus." He left the house, leaving Nymphadora sobbing in a heap on the floor.

The one to find Dora was Teddy, the four year old having run into the house to show his mother something he'd gotten at the Burrow. He had entered the living room and seen her lying on the floor, whimpering through tightly closed lips.

Dora opened her eyes, and Teddy jumped back, running out of the room. "Daddy!" he yelled. "Come quick! Mum's hurt!"

Remus entered the room, doing a double-take when he saw his wife curled up on the floor, obviously suffering from some kind of torture. "Dora," he breathed. "What happened?"

She cringed and did not reply. Remus knelt at her side, trying to see what he could do. Finally, he said, "Dora, you need to go to St Mungo's. Let me get someone to stay with—"

"No!" Dora cried. "I can't go." And her body shuddered. "Mum could help—she would know what to do."

"Dora," Remus said firmly, but she held out her hand and closed it, rendering him unable to speak.

"Get Mum. And take the boys with you. They'll have to stay there for a few hours," Dora breathed. "Remus...please."

He finally obeyed, taking Teddy and Lyall and leaving the house. It was nearly twenty minutes before he returned with Andromeda.

The witch immediately went to her daughter's side and began to see what she could do. "Dora," she gasped. "This signature—"

"He escaped," Dora wept, "and he was here."

"Who?" Remus asked. "Who did this?"

"Rodolphus was here," Andromeda said sharply. "How did he get in?"

"I left the door unlocked because Remus had gone to see his friends, and I—" tears trickled down Dora cheeks "I thought we were safe."

"But he's in Azkaban!" Remus protested.

"He was here!" Dora screamed. "Maybe the Ministry doesn't know he's gone yet, but he has escaped! He threatened Hope, and he tortured me—"

Andromeda nodded. "All right, Dora. The House of Lestrange is never where it's supposed to be." She took a deep breath and said, "If we help you up, can you walk?"

Dora sniffed back more tears. "Just help me onto the couch," she said.

"Why did he torture you?" asked Remus once they had gotten Dora situated and Andromeda was beginning to heal her.

She began shaking her head, and Andromeda sat down next to her, wrapping her arms around her oldest daughter. "Dora," Andromeda murmured, holding the girl carefully, "did something else happen?"

"N—no," she gasped, "but he scares me, Mum."

"What did he want, then?" Andromeda asked.

"To know about...her," Dora whispered. "And I told him." She cringed. "I was too weak."

"I know better than that," Andromeda said gently. "Rodolphus is just as stubborn as Bella, and it's usually better to tell him what he wants."

Remus sighed. "Dora, what did he want to know?"

Andromeda sighed. "The Dark Lord and Bellatrix have a daughter," she said, in spite of Dora yelling, "Mum, no!"

"What?!" Remus nearly yelled.

"Mother!" Dora cried.

"He was going to bother you about it anyway," answered Andromeda. "I guess Rodolphus was aware you knew about the child's existence and was hoping that you would have information about her."

Remus still looked horrified. "Bellatrix and Voldemort?" he breathed, receiving a reproof from both Dora and her mother. "And you've known about this?"

"Yes," Dora answered sharply. "I was there for her birth."

"Where is she now?" he asked her, looking still more shocked. "The Malfoys know?"

"Cissa did," Dora sighed, "but she's no longer at the Manor, and I'm sure she's being moved again as we speak."

"We've got to stop them," Remus said urgently.

"We're not doing anything; she's a child," Dora snapped. "And Rodolphus is the only person in the world who could love her at least a little. You say one word about this and I'm going straight back to Azkaban."

"Dora," Remus began.

"Don't you 'Dora' me," she snapped. "I'm not giving them information about the poor child, and if they can't find Rodolphus, it's their own fault." She crossed her arms and glared at the man.

Remus stared at her. "He tortured you."

"Yes," Dora agreed.

"He threatened Hope," Remus said in disbelief.

"Yeah, and Bella tried to kill me before I was born and she's still my favourite aunt," Dora shrugged.

Andromeda smiled slightly. "He doesn't hurt children."

Remus scoffed at this, but Dora nodded. "I reminded him of that and he tortured me instead," she sighed. "But I feel loads better now."

"So you're not going to do anything?" Remus asked.

"No," answered Dora firmly. "I'm fine, Remus, just a bit out of practise with being tortured."

"This is not okay," Remus protested. "You're not the only one that will get hurt!"

Dora reached over and took his hand. "They'll act when it's time," she said. "Laverne prophecied years ago that she would fail to bring her father back, and I believe that."

Andromeda got to her feet. "I will be bringing the children back in a couple hours," she said, and left them alone in the house.

"We're hosting a ball tonight, dear," Lauren Lestrange explained to her young daughter.

"Will Hope be there?" Lorien asked, her eyes wide and innocent.

"Yes," the woman smiled. "All of your cousins should be here. Now let's go check on your father and brothers."

Lauren took her daughter's hand and led her out into the garden, knowing her husband had taken the boys outside to fly the new brooms they had received for Christmas. She knew that when he and the two boys were playing, they often lost track of time, and she had made it her business to gently remind him of their other duties.

Lorien giggled and ran on ahead as she heard her dad and brothers laughing, the two boys zooming about overhead. Laverne looked up, greeting his daughter and then his wife. He slipped his arm around her and said, "I think we chose their gifts well, don't you?"

Lauren smiled, about to reply, but in that moment, Desmond, who had been chasing his brother, grabbed him by the back of his robes. The younger boy yelled as he was pulled off of his broom, and Laverne immediately raised his wand and stopped the boy from falling.

Desmond quickly landed as he realised what he'd done, seeing his father summon his brother's broom. Lamont had already scrambled to his feet. "You idiot!"

A burst of magic knocked Desmond to the ground, his little brother glaring at him. "Hey!" the older boy protested. "I didn't mean to."

"What did you think would happen?" Laverne asked his son gently, moving between the two. "Lamont, I've told you we do not use magic against our family. Accidents happen: that's why I'm here to protect both of you."

"Right," Desmond sighed, running his fingers through his hair, a nervous habit he'd picked up in the last year.

"And next time, don't get caught," Laverne grinned at the younger boy, helping Desmond to his feet.

"I won't," Lamont said, and looked up at his mother. "Is it time to go in?"

Lauren smoothed back her son's hair and agreed. "We have a party to host tonight, and I expect you all—" and she looked at her husband too "to be on your best behaviour tonight."

Laverne raised an eyebrow mischievously. "I'll do my best," she shrugged. "I wouldn't want to disgrace the family."

All the children laughed, and Lauren grinned. "You all need to get cleaned up," she told them. "Lori and I have already done ours, so it's your turn now."

"Race you to the house!" Lamont yelled and took off running, both his siblings after him.

Laverne turned to his wife and murmured, "It concerns me that his magic seems so unstable." He sighed, the two beginning to walk toward the house. "I mentioned it to Mother, but she doesn't seem concerned. She said Dora and Arielle were the same way."

The woman frowned. "And they're fine...what else is bothering you?"

"Well, I've wondered if he's a Metamorphagus," Laverne said quietly. "But we aren't aware of it because his appearance doesn't change."

"Oh," Lauren said in surprise. "Well, I wouldn't know...are you going to have him tested?"

"I don't know," Laverne sighed heavily. "I don't want him to get the idea that there's something wrong with him. I don't think that's the case, so I hesitate to do anything."

"We'll keep an eye on the situation," Lauren agreed, squeezing her husband's hand. "It'll be okay."

Laverne glanced at her, then pulled her into his arms and kissed her soundly, much to the delight of their children. "You're the best," he murmured to her.

She blushed, her arms around him for a moment until she said, "We have two hours, Laverne. Let's get the children ready."