Thank you so much for your reviews and follows so far, they mean a lot to us. We've currently written up to chapter 19, so not to worry about updates with this one. We've simply decided to wait a week or until we have three reviews on a chapter before we update as we have always done with our shared stories.

So please do read, enjoy and review if you have a moment.

Bella


Nymphadora Lupin stretched out on the bed, reaching out for a warm body next to her before she remembered the tragedy of the past days. A dry sob racked her body, having already cried far too much to let any more tears flow though her heart was numb. "Remus . . ." Dora whimpered, her eyes opening slightly as she drew what was once Remus' pillow to herself. She breathed deeply as she buried her face in the fabric, her limp mousey brown hair falling over her face.

"Dora . . . ?" Andromeda breathed, mere minutes later as she looked to her only daughter whilst cradling her grandson within her arms. Dora gave a mumble of acknowledgement, shifting on the bed until she managed to pull herself into a seated position.

"Mum . . ." Dora breathed, her eyes immediately falling on the sandy brown haired boy currently grasping at his grandmothers necklace. "I—Does he need feeding?"

"He is due a feed." Andromeda walked over to the bed, sitting down as she adjusted the boy in her arms. "We have one last bottle for the moment. I could get it, but—"

"But for all we know I could be gone the next instant and you'd be left without anything." She held her arms out for the boy, chewing her lip as Andromeda passed Teddy to her. "Wotcher baby," Dora sniffed, smiling sadly as she adjusted her dress to let the boy find his meal before leaning back against the headrest. "there you go, Teddy Bear."

The two witches sat in silence as little Teddy Lupin drank hungrily from his mothers breast, grasping his small fingers onto his mothers offered hand seemingly unfazed by the single tear that fell onto his locks. "I—" Dora took a deep breath to stop her renewed tears, smiling gratefully as Andromeda reached out and wiped away the next tear threatening to fall with the pad of her thumb. The mother and daughter stared into each others identical eyes, neither one quite knowing what to say. "I'm sorry, mum. I didn't mean to scream at you last night."

Andromeda smiled sadly, sitting back as she watched the girl bring her contented son to her shoulder to wind him. "It's fine."

"It's not." Dora shook her head, rubbing Teddy's back. "We're in this together, we have to stick together. Though, I'll admit I was surprised Narcissa came and stayed . . ."

"I was to start with, though the more you think about it the more it makes sense." Andromeda sighed. "She's clearly as good as disowned now, Bellatrix called her my sister—not hers or ours, my sister."

Dora frowned, pulling her gaze from her son to look at her mother "I—. . .When did Bellatrix say that?"

"Last night." Andromeda shrugged. "I'm surprised she didn't wake you, she came in here and got Narcissa to look after Delphi and left."

"Ergh." Nymphadora shuddered. "I'm never going to sleep again."

"Don't be dramatic. I—" Andromeda reached out and grasped onto her daughters knee, looking towards the magic hitting the wards.

"W—Who is it?"

"Bellatrix . . ." Andromeda tried to get off of the bed but was soon stopped by a firm grip on her shoulder, looking back to see Dora kissing Teddy's head before pressing him into her. "Dora—" Andromeda want to protest, though from the determined stare in her daughters eyes she knew that she was not in the mood to argue. So she took the boy into her arms, watching Dora get up off the bed and walking to the mirror, trying to ignore the sounds of Narcissa's bedroom door slamming shut. "She's probably just bringing Narcissa back. She may not even be interested in you today."

"Chance would be a fine thing." Dora mumbled, morphing her currently tangled mousey brown hair to a much shorter style of the same colour to stop herself looking quite so rough. Both witches winced as the door to Narcissa's room slammed again, listening out to the sound of Bellatrix's heels undoubtedly storming closer to their own door.

"Nymphie! Rise and shine!" Bellatrix called, pouting as she opened the door. "Aw, having a meeting of widows?" the woman wrinkled her nose in disgust as Teddy Lupin mewled from his grandmother's arms. "What's the fatherless brat whining about, hmm?"

"He's fine." Dora clenched her fists, forcing herself not to glare at the woman. "What do you want?"

Bellatrix rolled her eyes, sighing dramatically as she crossed her arms. "I want to play, Nymphie."

"Run out of idiots to come get me? Had to resort to getting me yourself?"

Bellatrix narrowed her eyes, walking over to the witch and grasping onto her arm tightly. "Thanks to somebody's antics only inner circle can move your bastard family around for the foreseeable future. Now," Dora hissed in pain as she felt Bella give her a taste of a Cruciatus, the spell viciously jolting up the arm she was holding "seeing as the boys are busy and I don't feel like running around finding people I'm stuck getting you. So move before I get frustrated with you any further."

The younger witch gasped as Bellatrix released the spell, trying to pull her arm away to no avail. "Fine. I don't need you holding my arm to get me there."

"Fine." Bellatrix hissed, pushing her girl towards the door as she let her go, her heavy lidded gaze lingering on the sight of her once sister. "There's more people ready to send to slaughter if you try to run again, I suppose."

Nymphadora led herself to what Bellatrix had dubbed her playroom, occasionally feeling a wand jabbing into her back to speed her up until she finally reached the door. Dora stepped to the side, holding back a glare as the Death Eater opened the door, pulling the girl through the wards before she joined her. "You look far too spirited, Nymphie." Bellatrix sighed, backing the girl into a wall after she had closed the door. "Roddy said you were all broken when he picked you up yesterday, what happened?"

The metamorphmagus pulled her head back as Bellatrix's wand traced her jawline, glaring furiously as the witch grabbed her firmly by the chin, her long nails digging into her pale flesh. "Remus would turn in his grave if he thought I lost my spirit because of him."

"Ha!" Bellatrix cackled, pushing the girl away before she walked to the other side of the room. "Darling. He's a pile of ashes somewhere in the grounds, not quite sure where abouts—one of the snatchers got rid of him for us."

"Well he did always prefer the idea of cremation." Dora glared, speaking through gritted teeth as she forced herself not to fall apart in front of Bellatrix. She knew Remus would want her to remain strong.

"Hmmm." Bella raised an eyebrow at the girl before drawing Nymphadora's wand from her robes and throwing it at her. "Come on Nymphie, we've got an hour."

"Why the time constraint?" Dora frowned, reflecting an unannounced hex from the woman.

"Because you have a meeting with The Dark Lord." Bellatrix yawned, smirking after she noticed the look that just flashed across her niece's face. "Scared, Nymphie?"

"No." Dora spluttered. "Why does he want me?"

"You don't question the Dark Lord, Nymphadora." Bellatrix glared.

"I'm not questioning him, I'm questioning you." Dora glared back, firing a hex at the woman only to have her shriek in amusement as she deflected it.

Dora turned suddenly as the door behind her opened, moving as far out of the way as she could to put enough distance between herself, Bellatrix and Rabastan. She looked to her Aunt, trying to think of what to say or do without asking the hundred questions she had as to why he was there. "Nymphie." Rabastan smirked. "Lovely to see you alive and well." Dora bit back a glare, though soon knew her hair had betrayed her anger at the man by the melodic tune of his chuckles mixing with Bellatrix's childlike giggles. "Why did you need me here, Bellatrix?"

"Because it seemed sensible." Bella pouted.

"Since when did you do anything because it seemed sensible? Besides, why can't you call Rod?"

"Because Delphi has decided she's attached to him this morning. Merlin knows why."

"Oh I suppose he's ecstatic about that." Rabastan laughed.

"He has no choice." Bellatrix sighed, tilting her head to the side to look to Nymphadora. "Nymphie?" the girl raised an eyebrow at her in response. "Tell me about Auror training. How do the wimps train more wimps?"

"It's a secret." Dora growled.

"Aw, no fun." Rabastan pouted, walking over to stand next to Bellatrix.

"They teach you unforgivables, no?" Bellatrix purred.

"W—We're only authorised to use them in extreme circumstances." Dora hesitated, she didn't like where this was going.

"Well that doesn't sound very fun." Rabastan frowned.

"Show me." Bellatrix folded her arms, nodding to Rabastan.

"Hey!" Rabastan looked both offended and shocked at the suggestion as he narrowed his eyes at his sister-in-law "I am not here to be some puppet in your games, Bellatrix! Rodolphus is your go to push around, not me."

"You know I make a rule of not killing people, but I think I could make an exception to the rule for once." Dora adjusted her grip on her wand, ignoring her Aunts amused cackle.

"You are not using a killing curse." Rabastan snapped.

"No." Bellatrix giggled. "Cruciatus."

"I—" Dora swallowed "I don't—I haven't—Well I've only ever—"

"Aww, is Nymphie scared she can't do it?" Bella giggled.

"Or is she worried she'll enjoy it?" Rabastan grinned. "Oh look at her face Bella, she is worried!"

"Aww, Nymphie scared to get in touch with her dark side?" Bella giggled, pocketing her own wand. "You couldn't hurt us if you tried. So go on, give it a go."

"I don't want—" That was a lie and Dora knew it. "I can't." she snapped, another lie.

"You can and you will." Bellatrix growled. "Come on, you can't be much worse than Potter."

Dora glared, too concentrated on holding her resolve to bother to ask when on earth Harry Potter tried to Crucio Bellatrix Lestrange. She had to hand it to the boy, he did have guts.

"Try it on me, Nymphie." Bellatrix purred as she slipped her wand into it's holster, hitting Rabastan in the gut as he murmered something along the lines of being glad to use it on her himself. "Come on Nymphie. I know you can do it." The woman taunted as she walked closer to the younger witch. "I mean, I'm sure you would love to see me in pain. After all I've done to you . . . I was the one that got you brought here in the first place. If I wasn't so desperate for a little play toy perhaps you would have had a greater chance to go into hiding. Teddy would still have his Daddy—you'd be all safe in some little hole somewhere, we may have never even bothered to send people skilled enough to tear the wards on your mother's hovel down. The cub would never have had to grow up around this—if he's allowed to grow up that is, one little conversation in the right place could have him stone cold before he even says his first words. Or I have been quite interested in the affects of the Cruciatus on a child, maybe we should try that, what do you think Raba—"

"Crucio!" Nymphadora hissed, jabbing Bellatrix Lestrange in the gut with her wand as she concentrated all of her will and focus into how much she wanted Bellatrix to suffer for what she had done to her. She couldn't help the smirk on her lips as Bella gripped onto her shoulder to keep her steady, laughing through the pain.

"Oh Nymphie." Bella gasped. "You can do better than that!"

"Fine." Dora growled through gritted teeth, kneeing the woman in the gut to get her away from her before intensifying the curse leaving Bellatrix squirming through her sporadic giggles on the floor.

"I'm not sure if I should be concerned . . . or aroused." Rabastan frowned thoughtfully. It was only as Bellatrix let out a small moan of pain that Rabastan rolled his eyes. He walked over to Nymphie and grabbing her right wrist and squeezing it harshly until she dropped her wand. "You're quite attractive when you do that, Nymphie." Rabastan purred as he rested his chin on Nymphadora's shoulder, watching her chest rise and fall as she tried to catch her breath. "Aww. It wears you out, doesn't it? Don't worry, you'll get used to it."

"Rabastan!" Bellatrix hissed, rising to her feet as she stretched out her stiffened joints.

"What?" Rabastan pouted. "You have your fun, I have mine."

"Piss off." Nymphadora tried to wrench away from the man, wincing as he snaked his arm around her waist to stop her getting away from him.

"You've got to keep a tight grip on these things, Bella." Rabastan stated matter of factly. "How else are you going to get her outside without her trying to run off?"

"Ha!" Bellatrix barked, storming over and grabbing the girl from his grip. "Not sure she'd get anywhere with your perverted self in charge."

"She would certainly get somewhere." Rabastan chuckled, ignoring the stern look from his sister-in-law before mock saluting her and following her from the room. "Merlin Trixie, one little curse and you're on edge again."

"I am not on edge, merely fed up with your shenanigans." Bellatrix hissed. "Come on."

"Oh Trixie—Trixie and Nymphie." Rabastan sighed. "You know, that sounds like the starts of a great double ac—Ow!"

Bellatrix smirked as she readjusted her grip on her niece after sending a strong hex at the man. "Behave, or I will make you behave, you don't want my Crucio coming your way do you?"

"You're not half as entertaining as you used to be." Rabastan sighed, reaching out and opening the door to the meeting room as Bellatrix pushed the girl in front of them so roughly that the poor girl stumbled to stay on her feet.

"I'm not here for your entertainment, Rabastan." Bellatrix drawled, suddenly twisting her wrist as her spell caused Nymphadora to fall onto her knees with a loud thud and a groan of discomfort.

"No, Nymphie's here for your entertainment though by the looks of things." Rabastan smirked.

Bellatrix rolled her eyes, walking over to the girl and considering her carefully as she twirled her own wand between her fingers. "Remember to behave, Nymphie." She bent down, her lips practically touching her nieces ear as she whispered "One word out of place and I won't hesitate to test my unforgivable skills on the entire population of the prisoners wing."

"Now Bellatrix," The cold voice of Lord Voldemort filled the room, Bellatrix quickly kneeling beside her niece as Rabastan hit the floor just as quickly. "don't let yourself run too freely now."

"Yes, My Lord." Bellatrix smirked, her eyes flickering up as Nymphadora held back the hot sting of bile in her throat at the lust filled gaze she gave her master.

"Nymphadora." Voldemort said, looking down to the brown haired witch before him. "I take it you've calmed considerably since our last encounter? No more foolish attempts of escape?"

After a seconds silence Dora choked back a hiss of pain at the discreetly shot hex from her Aunt, biting her lip before she looked up and forced herself to look at The Dark Lord. "No, My Lord."

"Good." Voldemort smirked before he looked back to his most faithful servant, gesturing for her to stand. "Now Nymphadora, bare your left arm."

Nymphadora moved her gaze to glare at the floor, her fingers scrunching up at the fabric of her sleeve as she held on tightly. She knew this was coming, she knew it was futile to argue—especially after the events of the last few days, on reflection that was probably why they chose that moment to do it. Suddenly a curse surged through her body, causing her to immediately screech in agony. The now white haired witch barely felt the pair of arms circling behind her and drawing her thrashing body towards his own as her right arm was pinned to her side. Though she certainly took note of Bellatrix trying to pry her fingers apart to relinquish her grip on her sleeve. Her whole body writhed violently, her cries mingled the sound of her struggles echoing throughout the room. "Stop it!" Dora cried out, twisting in Rabastan's grasp when she heard the rip of material on her arm—she knew her struggles were futile when she no longer had the fabric of her left sleeve to protect her arm. The pain suddenly stopped but her body continued to shudder in pain in exhaustion, slumping back against Rabastan as Bellatrix pulled on her left hand so fiercely she was started to become concerned that her shoulder would pop out of place. Bella's long nails dug into the younger witches wrist so harshly to keep her still that she almost drew blood.

"Nymphadora, this is a great honour that is about to be bestowed upon you." Voldemort hissed, moving his wand to the girls arm. "Do not be fooled into thinking we believe you deserve such an honour, more that you need to be branded . . . like rogue cattle. This way you can be easily traced, easily called, you are mine, Nymphadora. You belong to me and only to me." He looked to the girl on the floor for a moment, held tightly by Rabastan as her pale skin was covered in perspiration from her struggles and she panted for breath violently. The look of terror on the girls face was almost amusing. "Hold still, for your own sake. Morsmordre."

Nymphadora couldn't help the single sharp sob that left her as the stinging hot sensation focused on her arm, no more painful that the previous curse though the witch was sure she would swap this spell for a Cruciatus anyday. She couldn't look. Bellatrix dropped her arm, Dora instinctively pulling her other arm free of Rabastan to cradle her newly marked arm. She barely paid attention to the rest of the conversation The Dark Lord had with the other pair about herself, flinching as Bellatrix threw the tattered fabric of her sleeve back at her. She only dared to look down at the hideous jet black skull and snake writhing proudly on her sore arm once Lord Voldemort had left the room. Rabastan pulled her to her feet, the girl suddenly realising that Bellatrix had seemingly gone with her Lord.

"Don't get any funny idea's Nymphie." Rabastan chimed, though the girl had no plans to do anything apart from get back to the relative privacy of the room she currently shared with her son. She winced as the man roughly held her just before the wards of the prisoners ward. "Don't get any smart ideas, you can't carry anyone out of these wards Nymphie, only go in and out alone. Even then, I don't think it would be in your best interests to wander the manor—what with all the rest of us big bad Death Eaters roaming around."

Dora winced as she was thrown through the ward by the man, grasping onto the wall to stop her falling over. As she looked back to glare at the man she realised he had already gone , with a sigh she turned to go back to her room only to stop at the sight of Draco Malfoy staring at her.

"It hurts, doesn't it?" Draco murmured, his grey eyes flickering to her left arm momentarily. Only after Dora nodded did he speak again "Use a cooling charm on it, it doesn't kill the pain entirely . . . but it helps."

"I—" Dora took a deep breath, forcing a sad smile for her younger cousin. "Thanks, Draco." The boy merely nodded in acknowledgement before turning to go back into his own room, leaving the witch to stumble in her room to care for herself.


Nymphadora was sat on her bed, cooing at a now five month old Teddy Lupin. He giggled profusely as his mother rubbed his stomach, kissing his bright turquoise curls. "Who's a handsome boy?" Dora grinned, laughing at the boys giggles "You are! You are adorable!"

Andromeda laughed slightly in amusement as she watched the pair on the bed. "Who's a handsome boy who is going to spit up all of his breakfast if his mother keeps aggravating his stomach like that?"

"Aw, he wouldn't do such a thing to mummy. Would you Teddy?" Dora grinned as she pulled the boy to her lap, kissing his hair repeatedly much to his delight.

"Hmm." Andromeda smirked, a look that was soon wiped off of her face as she watched her daughter hiss in pain as she pulled her left arm into herself. "Give him here." Dora pulled the boy to her shoulder, kissing his head firmly before she walked over and placed the boy gently in her lap. She tried to ignore the whimper of upset as she forced herself to pull away from the boy. "He'll be fine. Go, you know what happens when you dilly dally."

The girl nodded, murmuring 'I love you' to her son as she placed another kiss on his head then placed a quick kiss on her mothers cheek before rushing out of the room towards her call to the dungeons. Though she had become used to being able to walk the manor alone when called, Bellatrix deciding she didn't need a babysitter for her journey to her a couple of months ago, that didn't mean she liked it any less. She ignored the knowing smirks of the Death Eaters she passed on the way, avoiding them as best she could whilst ignoring the throbbing in her arm. "I'm coming, I'm coming." Dora hissed under her breath.

"Careful Nymphie," Rodolphus Lestrange smirked as he met her in the corridor outside the dungeon "people will think Bella's finally turned you insane if you start talking to yourself in the corridors."

"Fat chance." Dora snapped. "What does she want this time?"

"She's downstairs waiting." Rodolphus said. "Come on." He opened the door, gesturing for the girl to go down ahead of him.

The stench of damp and rot filled the air, though those smells did not bother her. It was the clear smell of a freshly dead corpse that filled Nymphadora's nostrils, sticking to the back of her throat as the witch dared not look to closely into the dark room to investigate. Rodolphus nudged into her as he walked by her, muttering a spell as light suddenly filled the room. Dora blinked, wincing in the sudden bright light in the usually dim lit room. She rubbed her eyes, looking around through squinted eyes though wishing the lights were gone still when she saw the evil grin of Bellatrix Lestrange.

The dark witch was leant against the wall, her wand hand casually resting at her side as she giggled. "Nymphie, you have a job to do. You may need a minute first though."

"What?" Dora asked, following her Aunts gaze to the corner of the room before her breath caught in her throat at the source of the smell in the room. She looked to her Aunt then back again, biting her lip once she decided to walk over and investigate. "No!" Dora rushed over as soon as she recognised the once strong warrior before her, falling to her knees as she grasped onto the blood stained fabric of Kingsley Shacklebolt's robes. "Kingsley . . ." Dora breathed, forcing herself not to openly sob in front of the laughing pair. "What did you do?" Dora growled after reaching her hand out to gently press the mans eyes closed.

"Bella killed him, clearly." Rodolphus rolled his eyes.

"I didn't mean to kill him." Bellatrix pouted. "He wasn't co-operating."

"So you brought me down here to get a reaction out of me!? To entertain your sick and twisted minds!? What!?" Nymphadora stood up, turning to face the pair as her hair turned a vivid red.

"Oooh, Nymphie's getting mad." Bellatrix giggled. "Careful Nymphie or we might have to remind you of your place."

"What do you want?" Dora hissesd through gritted teeth.

"Well, you see Nymphie, Shacklebolt was actually rather co-operative—or so we thought." Bella sighed. "Turns out he was helping hide some vital information from us whilst helping some people we would rather not have helped. Naughty boy."

"Good for him." Dora glared, ducking out of the way of a stinging hex just in time. "Doesn't quite explain what you need me for though."

"He still held a respectable position in the ministry and we're having problems taming the last of the resistance within the ministry. We believe that Mr Shacklebolt here would be able to tame things a little." Rodolphus shrugged.

"You think I'd do the thing that you killed Kingsley over because he refused to?!" Dora shrieked, frustrated and annoyed. "Are you mad?"

"Yes." Bellatrix stated matter of factly. "Rather proudly so, though you would also have to be mad to think there was anyway of you getting out of it."

"Look at it this way, Nymphadora." Rodolphus walked over to his wife as he watched her distressed niece. "If you do this, less people will fight—which you of all people must know is futile—therefore less people will die. All you have to do is read a little speech in front of some reporters."

"We'll even take you ourselves." Bella smirked as she drew a small piece of parchment from her bra, her gaze lingering on her husbands for a moment before looking back to Dora. "Just read the paper, make it convincing too—or you could just effectively prove yourself useless by not doing as your told and I get to have a blood bath right in my own home." She laughed as defeat eventually washed over her niece's face, giving a curt nod. "Oh goody. Get to morphing."

Minutes later Nymphadora looked the living image of the corpse on the floor beside her, finishing trailing her wand down her clothes as she transformed them to match Kingsley's. It was with a heavy heart that she bent down and gently took the mans hat from him, removing the blood with her wand as best she could before placing it on her head. "Ready." Dora mumbled.

"Oh now Nymphie, you don't sound so confident about that." Bellatrix giggled, holding out the piece of parchment for Nymphadora to read over.

"This is ridiculous." Dora mumbled as she read over the words, barely paying attention as Rodolphus took her arm and lead her out of the dungeon. "He wouldn't say half of this. He didn't talk like that."

"So make it sound believable." Rodolphus paused as he waited for Bellatrix to fetch the floo powder. "Just stick to the main message."

"Just act fast, the minute you step out of the fireplace there will be reporters on the other side." Bellatrix sighed. "Rodolphus will take you, I'll be right behind. I wouldn't want to take the attention off your little selves now would I?"

With a deep breath Dora looked into the mirror ahead of her, composing herself as she tried not to get lost in the emotions of seeing her fallen friend staring back at her. With a nod she stepped into the fireplace, waiting for Rodolphus to get in and yell their destination. The light was blinding from the minute she stepped out of the other side, camera's flashing as she let the guiding hand of Rodolphus Lestrange lead her away from the fireplace to let Bellatrix through.

"Mr Shacklebolt! What is your announcement?"

"Why have you gathered the press, Mr Shacklebolt?"

"Where have you been the last few days, Mr Shacklebolt?"

"Mr Shacklebolt has prepared a speech!" Rodolphus called out to the rest of the hall, holding back an amused grin as he watched the reporters soon fall silence at his words. He caught the gaze of Bellatrix, watching from the side as all eyes were on the Kingsley Shacklebolt look-a-like, none the wiser to the fact that he had died the previous evening.

Nymphadora cleared her throat, holding the piece of paper in front of her before and looking into the awaiting eyes of the wizarding press infront of her unable to snatch her eyes away from the new statue in the ministry until Rodolphus coughed behind her. "My fellow witches and wizards . . . the past few months have been those of disruption to our daily order here at the ministry and the wizarding world in whole. I have spent the last few days conversing with members close to The Dark Lord—" yeah, conversing in screams and duels most likely thought Dora "—and I am here today to tell you that this must and will stop. You have nothing to fear from this new world order, all we ask is that you remain co-operative with us . . . You will soon find that under our new ruling the world will become a happier place, a better place to be in. One without—" Dora looked down at the parchment again, fighting through the bile slowly rising in her throat "—one without the impurities of mudbloods, without the rebellious threat of those willing to disturb this new peace. It is futile to resist the new order, especially when it we only wish to purify our country for the good of you—our people. You have nothing to fear if you have nothing to hide." Dora forced her expression to remain clear, reminding herself of who she was impersonating as she folded the parchment and placed it in her robes. "Thank you, there will be no questions."

Dora flickered her gaze to Bellatrix, remaining as calm as she could as she felt Rodolphus lean over and mutter in her ear. "We will apparate from your office, Mr Shacklebolt."

Dora nodded, making her way to the Auror office she knew too well, trying to ignore the murmurs and snaps of camera lenses. Bellatrix was soon ahead of them, hexing a poor old man out of the way so she could get straight to the first available lift. The smirk on Bella's face was sickening as Dora looked away from her hand sliding over Rodolphus' shoulder, trying to unsee the look of lust the man gave his wife. She was never more thankful to hear the announcement that they had reached the floor of the Auror office in all of her life.

Dora was again thankful as the two Death Eaters behind her stayed relatively silent, trusting she knew where her old department lay and where the Head Auror office still remained. Once they reached the doors Dora hesitated only slightly before pushing them open. Everything was different-everything was wrong. The far wall that used to be full of posters of wanted Death Eaters was filled with order members and their associates. She quickly scanned the wall, each poster of a witch or wizard that had been captured or killed having a large red stamp stating so.

Harry Potter, Dead. Remus Lupin, Dead. Molly Weasley, Dead. Fred Weasley, Dead. Nymphadora Tonks Nee Lupin, converted. She swallowed hard. She'd sooner have 'dead' or 'captured' written on her poster than those big angry red letters that declared her a traitor to her cause. The only comfort she took from the wall were all of the posters of people that were seemingly uncaught and alive-Ron, Hermione, Ginny, Arthur, the rest of the Weasley brothers. She barely got a chance to inspect the rest of the posters as Bellatrix placed her hand deceivingly gently on her arm as she motioned for her to carry on to the office.

Dora didn't look at the other people in the office, ignored their stares and their solemn greetings. This was not the office she had left when the war had begun and it never would be again. "Come on," Dora stared at the office, much darker than she had ever remembered, though perhaps that was merely because it lacked the warm honest soul that had once occupied it. "I want to go back."

"Now that's something I didn't think I'd ever hear." Bellatrix giggled, waiting for Rodolphus to lock the door before grasping onto to Nymphadora and aparating them both back to what was once Malfoy Manor.


Thank you for reading, please do leave a review if you have a chance. We loves them. haha

Bella