A/N: Hi there. I know it's been a long time, but I am slowly working my way through this story I promise! Here is the next chapter for now. Thank you for all the reviews, follows and favourites! They remind and inspire me to keep writing! :)

Ariella couldn't move. She didn't want to move. She wasn't a Granger. After all those years of thinking she had such an amazing family; they weren't hers. Instead, she was a Lestrange. Part of a family that had been supporters of Voldemort from the beginning.

She could vaguely hear Voldemort and Rodolphus talking in the background, but the loudest voice was coming from her head, distraught and terrified. Taking deep breaths, she forced herself to calm down a little. The overwhelming emotions were still causing her head to swim, but she knew she needed to listen to what was going on to find out her fate. She needed to survive, she needed answers.

"Take her home, Rodolphus," Voldemort ordered. "I will speak to Bella. Stay home and I'll be there in a couple of days to hear your decision on whether you are going to keep her or… dispose of her."

In Ariella's mind, she knew she was a liability. That last meeting had taught her too much about their plans. She couldn't be trusted to go back to Hogwarts and therefore she would have to be killed. And Bellatrix would have no qualms about doing so.

Before she knew what was happening, she felt strong arms gently lift her up. Shaking herself back to reality, she realised it was Rodolphus who had lifted her up. That could only mean one thing. He was going to take her to his home, to where Bellatrix was.

"No, no, let me go!" she cried, and started to struggle. The arms around her tightened slightly, but not threateningly.

"Ariella, don't struggle," he warned.

"Please, I want to go home! Let me go home," she sobbed, a few tears escaping.

"We are going home," Rodolphus replied. "Now stop this! You're a pureblood and you will act like one!"

"No, I will never be one of you! Never!"

Now the arms did tighten threateningly. That was until Voldemort intervened.

"Rodolphus, take her home."

Ariella curled herself up as small as she could. She knew what was about to happen and she didn't like it. She wanted to go home; she wanted Hermione and Archie and Lottie. She didn't want to be carried away to some strange manor by someone who was supposedly her father and having to constantly be wary of a woman who she had just found out to be her mother. Someone who was probably the most insane and evil witch in the Wizarding World. She felt tears welling in her eyes and did nothing to stop them. Nobody cared anyway.

She closed her eyes tightly as the wind howling around them dried the tears that had escaped down her cheeks, willing the feeling of being crushed tightly to Rodolphus to be over.

The first thing Ariella smelt when they landed was filth. Filth and dust and mustiness. When she opened her eyes, she saw why. They were in a large hallway, completely covered in cobwebs and grime. The floor boards looked old and rotten and the small chandelier barely lit the room. In fact, everything looked dull and grey. The banister was black and spindly, wrapping around and around itself, making it look like a really long spiders' legs. On the walls hung huge portraits, all of who were muttering to one another and staring at the newcomer, making Ariella feel more uncomfortable than ever. She could sense the magic in the air. Dark magic. And it made her feel sick. Yet, what could one expect from the house of the two most loyal Death Eaters?

"Welcome to your home," Rodolphus said, setting the girl down on her feet. Ariella didn't say anything. "Say something at least!" he snapped, prodding her with his wand.

Ariella merely flinched, refusing to even look him in the eye.

"Merlin, it's a wonder you're even related to either of us! So meek and quiet."

Still she said nothing, but Ariella could feel her anger rising steadily inside her.

"For Merlin's sake, say something!"

That made her anger snap.

"What do you want me to say?!" she shouted. "Thank you for bringing me to a filthy place like this before you kill me? Or scream at you about taking me away from my family, my friends, my home, so you can punish me?"

Rodolphus started at the suddenness of her outburst and dropped the girl. It was as though the fall to the floor knocked the anger out of her and let the fear flood back in. Why couldn't she have controlled her temper? She thought sullenly, she had only sealed her fate more firmly now.

"You've definitely got her temper," Rodolphus stated finally, looking down at the girl, almost in disbelief.

Ariella looked away, not wanting to catch his eye. The Death Eater sighed.

"Should I show you your room?" he asked, in an attempt to change the subject.

This only gave Ariella chills. It didn't feel right that someone this horrible, this evil, someone who had just fought against a group of schoolkids, was being so nice to her. It was just not right.

"You did know the last thing I want to do is to 'dispose' of you," Rodolphus continued. "Do you not realise that we have been thinking about you all your life? From the very moment you were taken from us, I wondered where you were, who was looking after you, hoping you were loved and happy. You are still our child, however you were brought up. You are of our blood."

Again, this only made Ariella's chills worse. What would have happened if Rodolphus and Bellatrix had not gone to Azkaban? What kind of person would she be? Would she have been friends with Phoenix and Georgiana? She shivered. It was unimaginable.

"There is always the Unbreakable Vow, or you could just stay here with us. This is your home after all. There is much for you to learn and we can teach you all you would learn at Hogwarts."

Ariella nearly blanched. Stay here for the rest of her life?! No way.

"Unbreakable Vow?" she questioned.

"Of course you wouldn't know, being brought up by filthy muggles." Rodolphus rolled his eyes. The girl's fists clenched, but she said nothing. It would do her no good. "The Unbreakable Vow is a vow sealed with magic between two people. If you break it, you die a slow and painful death."

The girl stared at him, horrified.

"But let's not worry about that right now. Shall we get you settled in your new room? It will need a bit of clearing up and decorating, but it will do for the moment."

But Ariella had other worries on her mind. Not only did she not like this house, but there was not just herself and Rodolphus in it.

"Is she here?" Ariella asked quietly. She couldn't bring herself to say the Death Eater's name. After all she'd gone through, the thought of facing her made her feel sick. She couldn't do it, she just couldn't.

"Yes, she is here," answered a horribly familiar voice from the top of the staircase.

Ariella felt the blood settle to ice in her veins. Then, she looked up.