And of course we must bring Dora and Remus into this mess. :D

Thanks for all your support of this story so far, and do enjoy this second chapter!

Dora


"Come on, Dora," Remus breathed as he helped her down the street toward the Tonks' house. "It isn't that far."

"We should have apparated closer," she groaned, grateful for his supporting arm. "It's taken us too long."

"It was too dangerous to be any closer to the house," Remus replied softly, though he guided his wife along the street cautiously, his eyes darting all about the place nervously. "Just a little further, Dora."

The young, injured witch gasped as she stumbled, the man catching her immediately and holding her close. "Dora," he murmured softly, "you can't walk."

Dora screwed her eyes shut, refusing to admit defeat. "I can do it," she hissed between her teeth, though in the next instant, she was as light as a feather, her husband lifting her into his arms. "Remus!" she half shrieked, though he ignored her indignation as he carried her the last few yards to their home.

The door opened, Nymphadora's mother standing there worriedly as he carried her into the house and placed her on the couch. "Oh, Dora!" Andromeda breathed in concern. "What happened to her? What happened in the battle?"

"Harry—" Remus began, but turned away from the witch, covering his face with his hands.

"Mum," Nymphadora began, her eyes filling with tears, "everyone's dead. The Dark Lord killed Harry, and—most of our friends are dead, or captured and will be killed soon. There was so much carnage—it was awful!"

"Andromeda, Dora's injured, obviously," Remus said, forcing himself to remain as calm as possible as he paced the floor. "If you could help her, please."

Andromeda pointed her wand at her daughter, beginning to investigate the girl's injuries. "Not too bad, but debilitating," she said. "It will take some time to heal."

Dora moved to sit up, but her mother pushed her back down onto the couch. "Stay," Andromeda ordered her.

"But—Teddy!" Nymphadora protested. "Is he okay?"

"He is fine," Andromeda promised. "Now, unless you want that curse to hurt you further, for Merlin's sake lie down and hold still."

"It's bad," Dora whispered, tensing as her mother touched her wand to her shoulder. "Bellatrix almost got me."

"She did well enough," Remus half growled at her. "I told you to stay home!"

Nymphadora clenched her fists, punching the couch in her frustration. "I am a warrior! I must fight for my family, Remus. I can stay home from war no more than you can."

Remus stopped pacing to stare down at her. "I don't want Teddy to be an orphan, Nymphadora. It is my duty to protect you and our son, and I will do what I must."

"They'll be after us again soon," Nymphadora breathed, trying not to cry out as her mother attempted to reverse the curse on her. "We can't be safe—"

"Dora, they haven't looked here in a year," Andromeda shook her head. "Don't borrow trouble."

"It doesn't mean they won't," Remus agreed with his wife. "That's why we've got to be careful, Dora."

"I try," Dora sighed, motioning for him to come to her side.

He walked over and knelt down beside her, clasping her hand in his. "Dora, I can't lose you," he murmured, raising her hand to his lips and kissing her fingers. "Teddy can't lose us."

Dora reached up and pulled him down so she could kiss his lips. "He won't," she whispered earnestly as he stared down into her brown eyes. "We'll be fine."


The Lupins and Andromeda continued to stay alert for attacks, though Remus made sure that Nymphadora rested to heal from her injuries. The three adults were nervous, Teddy often irritable because of the unrest he sensed in their home. Remus and Nymphadora took turns staying up with their baby boy when he wouldn't calm down and sleep.

One evening as Dora was trying to get Teddy to fall asleep, Andromeda came rushing up the stairs as Remus came running down the hall, both reaching the nursery at the same time. "Dora, they're here!" Andromeda said sharply, and Remus blocked the doorway.

"Stay with Teddy!"

"No!" Dora half yelled. She placed a sleeping spell on the child, kissing his head before reaching to place him in his cot.

"Nymphadora," Remus said firmly, "you've got to protect him."

"I will—at your side," Nymphadora retorted. "Come on."

Remus grabbed her by the shoulders, and she looked up, seeing the frustrated, worried look on his face. "Dora," he said, his voice deathly quiet, "please."

Andromeda turned as she heard the sounds of crashing from downstairs. "We're going to need her, Remus," she said quietly. "There's at least three of them."

"Remus," Dora breathed, pressing her lips to his for the slightly of moments. "I'm sorry. Let's bury some Death Eaters."

He was about to reply when all three of them turned at the feeling of the wards disintegrating. "Dromeda," Remus said in shock, and Andromeda growled, her wand in her hand.

"Time to move," she hissed, leading the way down the hall, her daughter and son-in-law immediately at her side.

They were on the staircase when they saw the Death Eaters, the two Order members shocked to realise that they no longer wore masks. "Nymphie!" called the one, an awful-looking blue spell flying from the tip of his wand. "Miss us?

"Terribly," she smirked, sending spells flying at him and the other closest Death Eater. "Can't stay away, Rabastan?"

"Well, now that you mention it," the wizard laughed, "I'm sure you'd be a little fun."

"Little fun?" the Death Eater with the twisted face smirked. "All night fun, that bitch."

"Bellatrix would be upset if you ruined her toy," Rodolphus warned the two laughing Death Eaters as the three approached them from the stairs.

The fourth wizard scowled. "She's got enough of those," he said.

The brown-haired witch opposite him smirked. "She wants us, does she? Is that why you're here?"

"Well, Bella special-ordered Nymphie by reminding her Master of her powers," Rabastan shrugged. "Though why he forgot Nymphie can morph is beyond me..."

"Well, if you had Bella," Dolohov grinned, and Rabastan laughed with him, Avery joining in. Rodolphus looked distinctly unhappy, his spells carrying more fire as he attacked Andromeda, drawing her away from the others.

Dora and Remus fought side by side, taking on Rabastan and Dolohov. After a moment, Rabastan yelled, "Hey, we're not supposed to kill them, idiot!" as a Killing Curse flew past Remus' head. "Though I'm sure Bella would care the least about losing him."

"You think," Andromeda laughed at the younger Lestrange. "I suggest you follow her orders perfectly no matter her preference."

"Mother, don't encourage him!" Dora yelped, diving out of the way of a purple curse, Remus covering for her as she got to her feet.

"Andromeda," Rodolphus said coolly, staring her in the face as he calmly dueled, moving around the sitting room as Andromeda refused to stay in one spot.

It was only when Nymphadora screeched in horror that Andromeda felt a spell hit her full in the back, the witch collapsing to the floor, struck from both directions with a curse. She held back a shriek of pain, feeling her wand slip from her fingers as someone disarmed her. Andromeda writhed in pain, holding back a scream when hands grabbed her, a Crucio tearing through her body.

The Death Eater chuckled, and Andromeda knew it was Dolohov. "Well, if you can't play with the freak," he said to Rabastan and Avery, "this one would suffice. Though as the castoff of a Mudblood..." He grabbed her by the hair, pulling her head back and smirking into her eyes. "Do you still do all the naughty things some pureblood witches do, Andy?"

"Go. To. Hell," she hissed between her teeth as she glared up at him in rage.

"No, no," he murmured, Andromeda shrinking away as he leaned closer. "Don't be like that..."

Andromeda's magic crackled fiercely as the Death Eater kissed her roughly, forcing her down into an awkward position so that she couldn't struggle very much. Nymphadora's hair was red with anger as she struck down Avery without hesitation, turning to face Rodolphus with Remus at her side. Andromeda could hardly breath as the man kissed her forcefully, his hands pouring Dark, hurtful magic into her body before looking up at Nymphadora and her husband.

"You should surrender before your mother gets hurt, Nymphie," Dolohov smirked, resting a hand on the witch's hip.

"He—he can't," Andromeda groaned with pain. "They have to follow Bella's orders, or the Dark Lord will be furious with them—" She writhed in pain, finding herself half on the man's lap as he wrapped his arm around her torso and grinned as she struggled against his bold touch.

"Stop!" came an excited voice. "Stop, or the child dies!"

They all looked up, seeing Rabastan on the stairs, Remus and Nymphadora's baby boy in the Death Eater's arms. "Teddy!" Dora cried, and Remus just blocked a spell meant for her. "No, leave him alone!"

Andromeda stared, cringing in horror as Dolohov paused thoughtfully for a moment, looking up at Rabastan and the child. "Never thought you'd be like that," he said. "Threatening children! You've been around Bella too much."

"It's Rod that doesn't like that," the younger Lestrange corrected, rolling his eyes. "I—well, I do what I have to. So, Nymphie. Is it worth the life of your brat to defy us? To defy the Dark Lord?"

"Dora," Remus said, grabbing her arm when she went to attack Rodolphus once again. "Dora...don't."

"Remus!" she hissed, yanking her arm away.

Rabastan shrugged, taking the sleeping charm off the child. Teddy woke and immediately began to cry, seeing the strange people in the room, his mother looking in fright from person to person, his grandmother almost crying with pain on the floor. "I forgot how much I hate these things," Rabastan said in disgust, looking down at the baby. "Drop your wands," he told the two Order members. "Before I shut this thing up. Loud little thing."

Dora numbly released her wand, hearing it clatter to the floor, Remus reaching out to her hand as he did the same. He squeezed her hand reassuringly just before the two Lestranges bound them separately, Dolohov still watching in amusement. The two other adults were shocked as Dolohov suddenly yelled out in agony, Andromeda shrieking with laughter for a moment before she screeched in pain under the man's curses, writhing in his grasp.

"Get a magical restraint on her," Dolohov ordered, his face lit with rage as he slapped the witch across the face, immediately leaving a mark on her cheek. "She seems to remember the old ways better than most filth like her."

"Teddy," Dora whispered, seeing Rabastan moving to put the child down on the couch. "Please. Let me take him. Please."

"Hell no," Rabastan said in alarm. "The last thing we need is another baby at Malfoy Manor."

"Take him," came Rodolphus' cold voice. "Or give him to his mother. Having the child with us will make her more...willing."

Nymphadora stared at the man in growing fear as she sensed the level of depravity and Darkness in him. She took Teddy into her arms, tears immediately coming to her eyes as she cradled him as well as she could in her bonds. "Shhh," she whispered to the child, trying to bounce him gently as Rodolphus smirked at her.

"Your child is powerful, Nymphadora," Rodolphus said, glancing at Dolohov, who carelessly flicked his wand to enervate Avery. "He will be useful."

"You will not use my son," Nymphadora hissed. "I won't let you."

"Nymphie," Rabastan smirked. "I can promise you that your family members will all serve very, very valuable purposes. Except maybe Andromeda. Merlin knows what she's good for."

Dolohov chuckled, half supporting Andromeda as he dragged her to her feet. "Not much," he agreed. "Though that's women for you. One purpose."

Rodolphus grabbed Nymphadora by the elbow. "Let's go." He disapparated before all of them, the other Death Eaters following with the rest of the prisoners.