Ummmm it's been almost three months since I've updated...like WHAT?! Ugh. Anyway, I'm getting ready to possibly go back to college in August (Who am I, Hedwig?). Such fun. I don't think life is ever going to calm down lol I hope you enjoy; it's been long enough xD

Dora

Nymphadora didn't fight the chains that bound her to the wall after Rodolphus had left her, but sagged against the wall, tears coursing down her cheeks as she wondered what Rodolphus was going to say to his son. She knew it had been the best option to go straight to the man before he found out some other way what she had tried to do.

The witch started shaking all over, swaying back and forth in her bonds as she wondered what would happen when he returned. "Didn't mean to," she whimpered, shaking her head as she tugged on her chains. "He's mine too...he was...he'll hate me."

And Nymphadora started sobbing, horrified at what she had done, that she had been brought to this point, and that she could no longer control her own mind. "Reuben," she cried hysterically. "I didn't mean to—he'll protect you from me. I promise...promise."

She screamed in shock and terror as the door opened, and the newcomer jumped as well, but it wasn't Rodolphus. "Nymphie?!" Bellatrix said in outrage. "What are you doing in here? Where's Rodolphus?"

"I'm sorry," Dora sobbed, already withdrawing into her mind once again and disregarding the fact that Bellatrix was there. "Roo—Reuben—"

"He'd better not be coming back to play with you here," Bellatrix said angrily, stalking over to the bound witch and grabbing her by the hair in an attempt to make her focus.

"No!" Dora screamed, barely flinching as she received a slap across the face.

"Snap out of it!" Bellatrix hissed. "What's going on?"

"I can't," the broken witch cried, swaying back and forth once again. "...take him away. Protect—" and she became unintelligible.

Bellatrix shoved the girl away from her with a sound of disgust, stalking over to the cabinet where she kept her more helpful potions. Of course, sitting next to some deadly poison was a Calming Draught, which she quickly opened, bringing it over to her hysterical niece.

With a movement of her hand, Bellatrix froze the girl long enough for her to tip the contents of the vial down her throat. When Bellatrix let go of the girl, Nymphadora shuddered, tears still trickling down her face, and looked up at her aunt.

"What," Bellatrix repeated clearly, "is going on? And what are you doing in here alone?"

"I—I almost killed Roo," Dora whispered, and cringed, tears trickling down her cheeks. "Because...he looks like Rodolphus, and—I don't want him to be like his father. Mum stopped me, and I—I had to come tell Rodolphus that Roo is in danger...from me."

Nymphadora looked down at her hands. "I tried to kill my own son."

Bellatrix raised an eyebrow. "That's both your children now, Nymphie," she pouted. "What's Roddy going to do about that, hmm?"

"He told me to stay here until he comes back," Dora breathed. "I—I don't know what he'll do. He's got to get Roo out of the Prisoners' Wing in case I—I try this again. Roo isn't safe…."

"And how do you suggest he get baby Roo out of danger?" Bellatrix asked with a smirk.

"Roo needs his own room out here," Dora whispered, her eyes clear as she looked at her aunt. "Without me in the wards. Rod will have to talk to you about it, won't he? Please let him take Roo out."

The Dark witch smirked. "He will have to ask me about it, and don't worry, Nymphie, I'm sure he'll know exactly what to do. Shall I wait with you for him?"

Dora shook her head, but Bellatrix grinned. "He's on his way here."

"How do you know?" Dora frowned.

"I always know where he is," the Dark witch answered mysteriously, unchaining the girl. "No, don't worry about him. You can't exactly stop anyone from doing anything right now."

Dora sank down on the bed, and Bellatrix left the chains dangling from the wall, standing by with her wand in her hand, her arms crossed. Rodolphus entered the room nearly a minute later, throwing the door open with a look of fury on his face.

"Nymphadora—" he growled, then realised she wasn't alone—and wasn't chained to the wall. "Bellatrix, what are you doing?"

"You left your toy in my room," Bellatrix replied coolly. "I have learned that you need a room for baby Roo...can you not keep him safe from Nymphie, Roddy?"

"Bellatrix, I am not in the mood," Rodolphus said angrily, but the woman merely shrugged and moved closer to Nymphadora.

"I wanted her broken," Bellatrix sighed, stroking Nymphadora's pure white hair back from her forehead, "but not like this. She's worse than me, Roddy. Can you imagine?"

"She tried to kill my son," Rodolphus said, his hands shaking in rage as he looked at Nymphadora. "And she forgot to tell me that the boy has prophetic dreams. Isn't that right, Nymphie?"

"None of them have come true," Dora murmured.

"He dreamed that you would try to kill him!" Rodolphus roared in anger, storming across the room and grabbing the witch by the throat. "He knew, Nymphadora, and he didn't tell anyone, because you thought it was a brilliant idea for him to not tell anyone his dreams!"

He shook her, and she merely gripped onto his arms to keep her balance. "What other dreams has he had?"

"That Teddy would attack you, and that Teddy and Elara are going to hate each other someday," Dora choked. "Rodolphus, I don't care what you do to me, but you've got to keep Roo safe."

"He said he didn't tell anyone about that dream, and that he was calm because he knew nothing would happen," Rodolphus breathed. "What if something HAD happened in his dream, and he hadn't said anything? He could be dead right now, Nymphadora, and if you killed him, I would kill you—and no one could stop me."

Bellatrix raised an eyebrow at this, but didn't comment on his threat. "Let go of her, Rodolphus, and let's talk about a room for your brat. She won't go anywhere."

Rodolphus looked past Nymphadora at his wife, his eyes haunted. "How do you know?"

"Because she won't go anywhere without someone who can handle her until she knows that her son is safe from her," Bellatrix replied. "Right, Nymphie?"

"Yeah," Dora sniffed. "Roo has to be kept away from me...for his safety." Tears trickled down her cheeks, but she managed to catch herself on the bed when Rodolphus released her.

"I will tell Elara what you've done," Rodolphus told the broken witch.

"Is Roo upset?" Dora whispered, not registering what Rodolphus had said.

"He doesn't understand what happened," Rodolphus scowled.

"I assume he'll probably take the room next to Elara," Bellatrix interjected smoothly. "He'll want to be close to his sister, as she was moved from the Prisoners' Wing out here as well—don't argue, Rodolphus. Children like their space, as I well know. We need to get Roo up here, and have Andromeda help put up the ward, as she'll need to be able to enter the room, and I don't want to adjust any more wards than necessary. And put all the precautions into the room so the Imperius can't be used, etc…."

"Who else will do the ward?" Rodolphus asked. "Rabastan?"

Bella shook her head. "Out on patrol," she said. "I'll see if Delphi will assist. She can seal the ward better than any of us if she uses Parseltongue...if she will."

Dora nodded, looking down at her hands again. "He must be safe."

"Shut up," Rodolphus snapped. "If you were a decent mother, we wouldn't be here right now."

"If you—" Dora began, but Bellatrix interrupted.

"She is what you have made of her," Bellatrix hissed. "How often have you told me I go too far with torture? You got what you wanted, Roddy, but you know what happens when we go too far in our little games...people lose themselves. If she's a danger to her own son, she's a danger to everyone. And this is your doing."

Bellatrix turned her back on them, touching her Mark, but calling her daughter, not her beloved Master. Dora looked at Rodolphus, but he ignored her, waiting.

"There's no telling how long it'll take her to get here, or if the Dark Lord will show up, curious as to why I'm interrupting Delphini's studies," Bellatrix smirked, settling herself on the desk. "So we will wait for one of them to arrive."

Teddy Lupin was sitting with his Nan and Reuben, but in silence, as both of them had refused to talk about what had happened. The older boy was sure that Roo meant to tell him later, but since his mother was gone from the ward, and Rodolphus had stormed out after talking to Reuben, Teddy was very worried.

"Come on," Teddy sighed. "What's going on? It's clearly made mother upset if she bound you like that, Nan."

"Teddy, you'll find out soon enough," Andromeda said sharply. "Quit asking." She got to her feet. "I'm being Summoned. Roo, if you tell him, make sure that your father does not hear. Teddy, you know how to tell if Rodolphus has entered the wards."

"I do too!" Roo protested. "Teddy taught me."

"Be sure," Andromeda said firmly, then hurried off.

"So what happened?" Teddy asked, as soon as their grandmother had left the Prisoners' Wing.

Reuben looked at Teddy carefully, then sighed. "It's not her fault, Teddy."

Teddy frowned. "What isn't?"

The younger boy took a deep breath and answered, "Nan stopped Mum from attacking me with a knife last night."

Teddy's mouth fell open. "What?!" he gasped. "No! She wouldn't—!"

"She's sick," Reuben said, one of his hands gripping his robe nervously. "She's not well—I think she thought I was Dad."

"No," Teddy breathed. "Then what's going on?"

"Mum went to Dad to make sure that she can't hurt me anymore," Roo sniffed, rubbing his eyes as he tried to keep back his emotion. "I'll never see her again, Teddy."

"Yes, you will," Teddy said, still in shock. "She's been in your other dreams. Roo...you saw her with a knife?"

"Yeah," Roo whispered. "I need to talk to her. I know she's scared."

Teddy sighed. "If she's gone to Rodolphus, he's not going to let her anywhere near you," he said.

Roo frowned. "I have to talk to Mum."

"Roo," Teddy sighed, and was about to go on when he felt someone enter the ward. "Delphi," he breathed. "Delphi is here." The boy jumped to his feet and rushed out into the hall. "What's going on?" he asked her. "Did something happen to Mum?"

"She's...fine," Delphi replied, seeing Reuben walk out of the sitting room. "There you are, Reuben. You're to come with me to see your new room."

"Is Mum there?" Reuben asked immediately.

"She...is," Delphi answered. "She's with your father, waiting with your Nan and my mother."

"Okay," Reuben nodded. "Can Teddy go too?"

Delphi raised an eyebrow, then replied, "I'm afraid there's no reason for him to go. Come on, Reuben."

Teddy motioned his brother to go on. "Hurry up," he said. "You don't make Delphi wait. You've got to behave for her."

"Like you do," Roo replied before grinning, then becoming solemn again as he reached Delphi's side.

"Your father will be retrieving your things," Delphi told Reuben as they walked toward the entrance.

"Wait, I'm going to be visiting," Roo protested. "They can't keep me out of here! What if I want to see Mum and Nan and Cissa—"

"That is something for you and your family to decide," Delphi replied, then held out her hand. "Take my hand: I have to let you through the wards."

Reuben hesitated, but obeyed, and Delphi led him through the wards, telling him to stay close to her. "It's not that far away," she told him. "And for Merlin's sake, don't go wandering about the manor by yourself."

The boy sighed. "I'm going to be alone out here," he said. "I need to stay with Mum."

Delphi did not reply to this, leading the boy down the corridor where everyone else was waiting. "Your room, Reuben," she said. "Give me your hand, and I'll give you access to it."

He obeyed immediately, and with a crackle of magic it was done. Without entering the room, he turned and looked at his mother, whom Rodolphus was holding, his wand in her ribs. "Mum," he said, and before anyone could stop him, he had dashed forward and thrown his arms around her, holding onto her tightly even as Rodolphus tried to pry him off of her.

"Roo," Dora whispered, her hair mousey brown as she held him close. "I'm s—sorry. I didn't mean—"

"I know," Reuben sniffed. "You're sick, and now I can't help you."

"Reuben," Rodolphus said sternly, but the boy didn't answer.

"I don't want to leave you," the boy said, clinging to his mother as she knelt to hug him tightly. "It's not your fault, Mumma. I love you."

It was very quiet in the corridor except for the sound of the mother and son sniffing back tears as they clung to each other. Dora finally looked at the boy, smoothing his dark hair back gently. "I'm sorry," she whispered. "Look: you'll be safe here, and closer to Elara when she's home. Just be good, okay?"

He hugged her again, as tightly as he could, and she began to cry openly. "Go," she said. "That's your new room: I can't go in there, but your Dad and Nan can visit, and Bella and Delphi can even say hi if they want to."

"I'll visit you," Roo promised her, trying to wipe her tears away. "Mum, I will."

"That's enough, Rueben," Rodolphus told the boy, but the child didn't release his mother until Dora herself held him away from her, then let go, tears still trickling down her cheeks.

Reuben looked at the door, then sighed and opened the door, entering the room with Andromeda, Bellatrix, and Delphi after him. He was looking around when Delphi asked him what he thought. "It's too big," the boy said, seeing all the space he had. "And it's cold."

Andromeda kindled a fire in the fireplace, carefully placing a ward on it to keep the sparks from drifting into the room. "Better?" she asked Roo with a smile.

"Yeah," he said, then suddenly looked sad. "I don't want to be out here."

"It's the best thing." Bellatrix had finally spoken since Reuben had joined them. "Your mother is having a difficult time right now, boy, and it's best for you to be out here. She can't really control—Andromeda, don't interrupt."

"He's a child!" Andromeda snapped.

"He already knows Dora is not all right," answered Bellatrix coolly. "Anyway, Nymphie's mind plays tricks on her, and you need to be away from her for a while."

Reuben sat down on the bed. "She thought I was Dad," he mumbled. "Does she really want to kill him?"

Andromeda looked at Bellatrix, trying to tell her to shut up, but Bella ignored her. "She does," Bellatrix replied.

"I know he yells a lot," Roo sighed. "And he hits her, and he curses her too sometimes."

"You've seen him—" Andromeda breathed.

"No," answered the boy. "I think it was a dream, or maybe a really early memory. I know he's mean to her, and always has been. Teddy agrees."

"Roo," Delphi said, "you've got to be careful what you say about Teddy to Rodolphus."

"I know," Roo nodded, his hands in his lap. "Well, are you all staying here tonight?"

"Merlin no," scoffed Bellatrix, and Delphi laughed. "No, we just wanted to make sure the ward works. Rod's having Dora test it."

Reuben shot straight up off the bed. "Is it going to hurt her?" he asked.

Bellatrix smirked, but Delphi said, "No, Roo. It'll either put her to sleep or just keep her out."

"Can I let her in?" he frowned.

"No," Delphi answered. "You can leave the door wide open, and she cannot walk through it. The ward will not let her into the room."

"Oh." Reuben sighed again, not liking what was happening to him and to his mother.

They all felt a sharp rejection on the wards, and a minute later, Rodolphus looked into the room. "She's on the floor asleep," he smirked. "Perfect."

Delphi smirked to herself, having added that special touch and a couple more as some features that might be useful to the boy and the others in the future. She and her mother left soon after, and Rodolphus slipped into the room.

"Take Dora back to the Prisoners' Wing," he ordered Andromeda. The woman didn't reply, but moved to do as he said. Rodolphus turned to his son. "How do you like it?"

"It's a lot bigger than my other room," Roo said. "But...this isn't my home."

"You'll get used to it," Rodolphus said with a smile for the child. "Now, tomorrow I'll come back and take you on a small tour of the manor so you know where some of the places are. Just don't go wandering around by yourself too often. Death Eaters are often in and out of the manor, you know."

"Oh." Reuben did not know if he wanted to get used to this new space. And how was it that Death Eaters moving about were safer than his own mother? The boy sighed. "I would like my books," he said to his father.

"I'll bring your things here soon," Rodolphus told him. "Now, I want you to listen to me carefully. I know that you believe your mother does not want to hurt you—I said listen." Rodolphus frowned at the child as Roo meant to interrupt. "She doesn't want to hurt you, but as you said, she is sick. You are only allowed to visit your mother if your Nan or I am there."

Reuben simply shook his head. "It's not her fault," he said.

Rodolphus didn't know what exactly to say, and finally got to his feet. "I'll be back with your things in a little while," he told his son, and left the boy alone in the nearly empty room.

Delphi was sitting on her bed in her room at Hogwarts while Elara paced the floor, talking about something that had happened in one of her classes. Delphi, however, was thinking about what she had witnessed back at the manor.

"You're not listening," came Elara's accusing voice.

"Elara, sit down," Delphi said, getting to her feet and motioning the younger girl to the bed.

Elara sat, frowning at her friend. "Why are you so distracted?"

Delphi rolled her eyes. "I would like to tell you something, but I was trying to think of how to do it," she replied.

"Are you okay?" Elara asked. "I know you got called to the manor..."

"Your mother is not well," Delphi said, and Elara nodded silently. "She's worse, Elara."

The younger girl frowned, wondering how that was possible, and Delphi continued, "Roo's being moved out of the Prisoners' Wing for his own safety."

"What?" gasped Elara.

"Your mother...confused him with your father and went after him with a knife—he's fine, of course," Delphi added quickly. "Andromeda stopped her."

"Mum—" Elara began, horrified. "She wouldn't!"

Delphi sighed. "It's her mind, Elara," she said. "It's playing tricks on her—I've seen my own mother do some very insane things out of her mind—of course it's not her fault."

Elara paled at another thought. "Has Father hurt her because of this?"

"I'm not sure," Delphi said with a frown. "I think Mother was trying to make him understand that if he punished her for this she'd only get worse—but his own mental state is also a near lost cause."

"He'd better not," Elara breathed. "I'll kill him."

"So much threatening," Delphi sighed. "I believe you'll have to fight your mother and Teddy for that opportunity—though we really can't have you all trying to murder each other. Mum told me that Rodolphus said he'd kill Dora if she hurt Reuben."

Elara buried her face in her hands. "I know he would—Mum would be better off free from this life," she murmured.

Delphi sat down next to her friend. "He's being watched," she told the girl. "He has been—but more closely now."

"No one is safe," Elara whispered. "I need to go home to Mum."

"Soon enough," Delphi replied. "Teddy's coming back next week to study for and taken exams the following week, and then we'll all be returning to the manor."

"Someone needs to stay with Mum—one of us, at least," Elara said, and Delphi raised an eyebrow.

"I doubt Rodolphus will want you to stay in the Prisoners' Wing," Delphi mused.

Elara crossed her arms stubbornly. "Then I definitely will," she huffed.

Delphi groaned. "Elara, you shouldn't push your father any more than he should bother your mother," she told her friend. "He will snap, and you do not want to be the reason or the victim. Don't provoke him."

"He'll snap?" Elara said in disbelief. "Oh, poor Roddy," she mocked him.

"Elara!" Delphi giggled as it struck her funny. "Look: he's been to Azkaban—my mother has messed with his head—just add you, Roo, and Dora to that and he's bound to crack. Don't tease him."

"Is that an order?" Elara asked, sitting up straight.

"No," Delphi said thoughtfully. "Consider it a word to the wise."

Elara nodded, considering that neither of her parents were sane. "Which one of my parents is more dangerous?" she wondered out loud.

Delphi made a face. "Couldn't tell you," she said. "Madness is difficult to measure, trust me."

"Am I going to go insane one day?" Elara whispered. "Does it run in the family?"

"If you stay loyal and don't get distracted like your father, you should be fine," Delphi replied.

"Roo and I are a distraction," Elara muttered to herself.

"You know it was his choice," Delphi said firmly.

"Families are a distraction?" sighed the younger girl. "So I can never have one?"

Delphi smirked at the girl. "And who are you proposing as a suitable match?"

Elara blushed furiously. "No—I know I'm still a kid and I don't even want a family right now, because they just seem like a problem—but if I did...would I be allowed?"

"I'm sure if there was a good match and it was a help to our cause that it could be permitted," Delphi began, "but I think that's out of my hands. That's something Father would have to decide."

The silver-haired witch did not like the expression on Elara's face. "Why are you looking at me that way?"

"Are you allowed to have a family?" Elara asked tentatively, cringing as the Dark Lord's daughter suddenly scowled at her.

"Perhaps you should not be asking such personal questions," Delphini said haughtily. "You are dismissed for the night: I wish to rest."

Elara's mouth opened slightly, but she automatically got to her feet and left the room quietly. Her mind was in turmoil as she worried about her whole family, and hoped Delphi wouldn't stay mad at her.