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Bella
It was gone past midnight and Rodolphus Lestrange was laid back on his bed. A cold smirk was set upon his features as the warm afterglow of the many firewhiskeys he had consumed with his brother for the last few hours had put him at the perfect point of being simply content. As his fingers fondled the silk sheets underneath him he knew that the happiness of the day would soon be tainted by his wife. He knew Bellatrix would not be happy, in fact, he was entirely sure that she would be livid, so it did not surprise him that The Dark Lord passed the task of delivering such news onto Rodolphus. He did not care, he would have to deal with Bella's tirade no matter who delivered the news, all he cared about was that he was finally getting what he wanted. No matter the blood, no matter who gave it to him, Rodolphus Lestrange was finally going to be a father. He would finally have a child, an heir to call his own. He most definitely did not care what Bellatrix Lestrange Nee Black would think of such things. Though when the clock struck one in the morning and the click of Bellatrix's heels slowly making their way towards the door sounded Rodolphus couldn't help but let out a breath of annoyance. He could never have an entire day where he could simply revel in his own happiness.
"Rod?" Bella called as she opened the door to their room, raising an eyebrow at the man lying on the bed before rolling her eyes and shutting the door behind herself. She walked over to the bed, grasping onto one of the four posters of the bed as she swung around before dropping herself to sit at his feet. "Did you get so drunk you couldn't undress yourself again? Because I won't help you."
"No, Bella." Rodolphus sighed, still unwilling to move.
"Well," Bellatrix wrinkled her nose before patting his leg and getting up to walk to her dresser. "you stink of alcohol either way."
Rodolphus turned his head, considering the woman from afar. Merlin, she was beautiful, even after the years in Azkaban had addled her mind and stolen her youth. She sighed in annoyance and sat on the stool of her dresser with a huff and a pout befitting a small child making Rod sit up to look at her properly.
"I've been with our Lord," Bellatrix mused, watching for a reaction out of the man that she did not receive before she carried on with a sigh, "He said he had talked with you today. He told me you wished to speak with me—I was rather distracted by other things after our initial conversation though he reminded me once I left." Bellatrix smirked, taking each opportunity to annoy the man that she could though to her dismay the contented smirk remained on her husband's features. With a roll of her eyes, Bellatrix leant back on the dresser, narrowing her eyes at the man. "Delphi's in bed, I'm here, you have my full attention. Sooo . . . What do you want?"
Rodolphus let out a deep sigh, moving to sit on the edge of bed. He reached a hand out to his wife. "Come here, Ma Belle."
Bellatrix considered him for a moment before she rolled her eyes. She got up from her seat, walking over to him and taking his hand though she refused his gentle tug to sit on his lap, instead giving him a look of questioning. "I'm not in the mood for games."
"Bella," Rodolphus chuckled. "You are always in the mood for games."
"True." Bellatrix couldn't help but giggle before she returned a more serious gaze towards the man. "But The Dark Lord told you to tell me something. So tell me."
Rodolphus pouted, reaching up and stroking his wife's cheek. "Bella, why am I never allowed to play games, only you?"
"Because you're an imbecile." Bellatrix snatched her hand away, crossing her arms. "Come on, spit it out."
"Fine." Rodolphus sighed, standing from the bed as he took his wand from the nightstand. "I am going to be a father."
"You—" Bellatrix narrowed her eyes, looking to the wand in her husband's hand as she drew her own. "I am not having another child. If you want to convince me that that is what The Dark Lord told you to tell me you are deranged! He would never make me—"
"Bellatrix." Rodolphus spoke firmly, smirking when she finally shut up after the third time he had called her name. "Did I say you were going to have a child? No, I did not."
Bellatrix froze, her face lit with fury. "What?"
"I have been told to tell you that you are not to harm Nymphadora." Rodolphus smirked, taking great pleasure in the annoyance of his wife. "Until she's had the baby at least."
Bellatrix stared at the man, wide eyed in shock yet her eyes burned with her anger at the man. "What?"
Rodolphus sighed, mimicking his wife's childlike tones as he turned her head on its side to look at her. "You heard me. I've been visiting Nymphadora—for quite a while now—and now she's pregnant." Rodolphus shrugged as he straightened to look at his wife properly. "She is being made to keep the child, to keep it safe or her own son suffers the consequences. She is quite distraught about the whole ordeal—"
The man didn't get to finish his sentence, though he expected the yell of 'Crucio' as he fell back onto the bed, the pain of a thousand knives scratching the surface of every inch of his skin. "How dare you!" Bella shrieked, twisting her wand as she concentrated the spell. "You—You—You disgust me!" As she released the spell Bellatrix panted in rage, yelling in her fury as she threw a hex at the man making his entire body shudder. "You have been sleeping with that piece of filth!? Then sharing a bed with me!? How dare you!"
"How dare I!?" Rodolphus couldn't help his laughter, pulling himself to sit up and look at his wife.
"You ruined my toy!" Bellatrix screeched "You slept with that filthy half-blood, bitch! Why!?"
The wizard rose from his seat, slowly walking towards his wife. It was years of experience that allowed him to predict her move before she managed to get her next hex in. The spell rebounded off his shield, the wooden poster of the bed Bellatrix had swung on mere minutes previously imploding in a shower of splinters, Rodolphus taking the opportunity of the distraction to step close enough to his wife to grab her wand hand.
"What did you expect, Bellatrix?" Rodolphus growled, his faces mere inches from her own as he pressed her back into the wall. The woman writhed beneath him, trying to get the upper hand until her husband managed to still her movements with one hand still on her wrist as the other pressed her shoulder into the wall. "I have waited more than twenty years for you to do your duty as my wife!" Rodolphus spat, causing the woman to flinch despite her still furious crazed glare. "What did you expect?"
"You did it on purpose?" Bellatrix narrowed her eyes, gritting her teeth.
"No." Rodolphus chuckled, shrugging. "I wasn't exactly careful, but that niece of yours—"
"She is no niece of mine!" she yelled, trying to struggle to get out of his grasp again before he slammed her head back into the wall.
"Well, she certainly shares some of your attributes, Ma Belle." Rodolphus laughed, screwing his eyes shut as without warning Bellatrix spat straight in his face. With a groan of annoyance, Rod leant down and wiped his face on her dress.
"Fine, you want half-blood scum offspring, you have half-blood scum offspring." Bellatrix smirked. "No Pureblood lineage for you." Without warning Bellatrix grasped her hand onto the man's hip, coursing a curse through his body as she used his temporary lack of grip to push him away from her.
"Well it clearly doesn't matter if I have a half-blood child, does it Bellatrix?" Rodolphus narrowed his eyes. "I mean what with—"
"Don't you dare bring Delphi into this!" Bellatrix raged, summoning her wand and aiming it at the man within a heartbeat.
The couple were soon both stood ready to duel, each one pointing their wand at the other. "Why not?" Rodolphus growled. "It only seems fair; you refuse me a child though you willingly gave our master one. Why can I not have a child with another woman if you have a child with another man? He seemed fine with the arrangement."
Bellatrix threw a curse at the man, yelling in fury as the spell was shielded with ease and another was soon sent her way. Soon a flurry of spells was sent around the room, pillows exploding into a shower of feathers, the mirror shattering into a thousand pieces, chunks being blown out of the wall. It was only when Rodolphus lost his wand that the room stilled for a moment—that was before Bellatrix threw the most vicious Cruciatus he had ever experienced from the woman. He instantly yelled out in agony as he fell to the floor with a thud.
"You did this just to infuriate me, didn't you?" She walked over to the writhing man on the floor, releasing the curse as she glared down at him. "Didn't you!?"
"J—" Rodolphus choked, wincing as he pulled himself up from the floor. "Just an added benefit, Bellatrix. Crucio!" the man laughed as his wife hit the floor, not having seen him still grasping tightly onto his wand. He intensified the curse, watching as she fell to the floor and yelled out—though he was unsure if it was due to her pain or her annoyance at the man. It was only when she was a panting and writhing mess on the floor scratching at the floor boards that he let the curse go.
He powered through the residual pain of his wife's curse, pulling himself over to the panting form of the woman currently sprawled on the floor. With a grunt he managed to pull himself on top of her, pinning her hands above her head as she looked up at him with severe distaste and contempt.
"Bella," Rodolphus sighed, moving both of her wrists to one of his hands before he reached down and stroked the wild curls from the woman's face. "Why must we argue like this? The Dark Lord has given you an order not to hurt Nymphadora, he has allowed me to have this child. You should be happy." He let out a small chuckle as she gave him an incredulous stare. "We both have our own way. I have a child on the way, you do not have to bear that child. You may have lost your 'play toy' though I think you will find her completely hysterical and inconsolable at the moment. I may have broken her."
Bellatrix glared up at him, wriggling for a few moments before she gave the man a stern look, causing him to roll his eyes and let go of her. She pressed her hand to his chest, pushing him off of her before sitting up to stare him straight in the eyes again. "She's miserable?" Bellatrix asked, scoffing as Rodolphus nodded. "I still hate you."
"Of course." Rodolphus smirked.
She crossed her arms, looking away from the man. "I do not want that child near Delphini."
"Fine."
"I want Nymphadora back as soon as she's squeezed it out."
"Fine."
"And from now on," Bellatrix glared, pointing her finger at Rodolphus as if he were some disobedient child. "you stay away from my toys when you do not have permission. Nymphadora is mine, not yours, understood? You simply...have her on loan for 9 months."
"Understood." Rodolphus chuckled, leaning forward and kissing the woman.
"Get off of me." Bellatrix wrinkled her nose as she pulled away. "You can sleep in another room tonight—I'm still mad at you."
"Fine." Rodolphus couldn't help the boyish grin, watching his wife pull herself over to the bed, huffing with annoyance.
"You can help me fix the room first." Bellatrix snapped, repairing the mirror.
Rodolphus nodded, getting up off of the floor and beginning to put their destroyed room to rights. This was always how Bellatrix and Rodolphus fought, screaming at each other, destroying the room whilst hurting each other, then ending up with a small moment of calm to actually talk. The man didn't care, it was all worth it, it all would be worth it when he finally had his child.
Andromeda was laid back in Nymphadora's bed, her daughter curled into her as she finally slept. She watched her breathing calmly, her arms wrapped around her with her hand clasped onto her robes, gently stroking her mousey brown hair out of her face. Andromeda hadn't held the girl like this since she was a child, though after the woman had cried herself to sleep she had quietly asked Narcissa to take care of Teddy as she decided to stay with her daughter. Andromeda leant down, placing a gentle kiss to her hair before sighing heavily.
"I'm so sorry, Dora." Andromeda whispered, "This is all my fault . . . Bella only hates you because of what I did—because I left—if I hadn't . . . I don't know . . ."
"If you hadn't I wouldn't be born." Nymphadora mumbled tiredly.
Andromeda jumped slightly at the unexpected response from the girl before sighing. "How long have you been awake?"
Dora didn't move from her comfortable position snuggled into her mother's side as she spoke, her voice strained from all the crying and screeching she had done the previous day. "I don't know . . . A little while . . ."
Andromeda shook her head, kissing her daughter's hair again before moving her arm from under her. "In that case, I can reclaim my arm. I lost feeling in it hours ago but didn't want to disturb you." She ignored her daughter's groans of protest as she shuffled down to instead lay next to the witch. "Sorry darling, but I like my arm."
"Fine." Dora groaned, slowly opening her eyes to look at her mother's identical pair staring back at her. "It's not your fault, even if the initial hatred was there because you're related—" Dora sniffed, reaching out and gently laying her arm on her mother's side. "—I—I probably made that vendetta against you a hell of a lot worse for being an Auror, Order Member, Niece of a Death Eater whilst we both go around preaching the exact opposite views. Maybe we could have stayed under the radar otherwise . . ."
"You would never have been happy doing anything but being in the Order and an Auror." Andromeda scoffed, each witch smiling sadly at the other before the elder witch spoke again. "This is no-one's fault—No-one's apart from my deranged sister and her despicable husband . . . In fact, if Bellatrix wasn't so cruel and did her duty as her wife Rodolphus wouldn't want to go near you—so let's blame Bellatrix."
"I like that idea." Dora sniffed, looking down towards her stomach. When she looked back up to her mother her voice was strained, tears filled her eyes with a look of sadness and fear as she spoke again. "I—I can't do this mum, I can't have this baby."
Andromeda reached out, wiping the tears from the girls face with her hand before she gently shushed her crying. "Dora, look at me." Andromeda spoke firmly, trying to keep the heartbreak she felt for the girl off of her features. "You are Nymphadora Lupin Nee Tonks, you have been through so much in your life and overcome it already. You got into Auror training, despite what everyone said about your ability to do so, you passed that training with flying yours, you joined a secret organisation to fight for what you believe in despite your job and life being on the line for doing so, you won Remus over, had a beautiful son that you fought for every day even when his own father doubted it would be safe—For Merlin's sake Dora, you gave birth to your first child and went and fought in a war within weeks of each other. I know you can get through this, you are the most determined, strong and passionate person I know." Andromeda smiled sadly, squeezing the girl's arm reassuringly. "Besides, you need to think, this child may be Rodolphus' but they are also your child. You need to be strong for them and protect them just as you do Teddy."
"Mum—" Dora began, though was quickly interrupted by her mother again.
"No, you have to be strong Dora." Andromeda sat up in the bed, pulling the girl to sit up next to her. She looked her firmly in the eyes, grasping her hands tightly. "You have to have this child, you have no choice. It will be hard, it will be painful, but you have to. Take this to your advantage—" Andromeda shook her head to silence the incredulous look her daughter gave her. "Rodolphus has to keep you happy to a certain extent, if you get too stressed or upset it is bad for the baby. Point this out to Rodolphus, he won't hurt you when you're carrying his only chance at becoming a father, though you may be able to make yourself—and Teddy even—more comfortable."
"I—I suppose." Dora sniffed, taking her hands away from her mother's as she swatted the last of her tears away. "I—I have to be strong, don't I? For Teddy . . ."
"Yes," Andromeda nodded, leaning forward and kissing the girls cheek before she took hold of her shoulder, smiling at her. "for Teddy. You can do it, Dora."
Rodolphus had stayed away from her for a few days, Dora was initially pleased with the man's sudden absence in her life though, considering the man had promised he would not leave her alone, as the days continued to pass she was more and more concerned by his absence. As she sat on the floor of Teddy's room, watching as he pushed around the old wooden train with delight, Dora couldn't help but smile at his innocent laughter.
"I'll see if I can get him some books or something the next time I'm looking after Delphi." Narcissa looked on from her seat in the rocking chair of the room, frowning thoughtfully.
"Thanks, Cissa." Dora smiled at the woman before looking to her son. "What do you say, Teddy?"
"Thanks!" Teddy grinned, giggling as he ran over to Narcissa, raising his tiny arms in the air until Narcissa obliged and held the boy on her lap gently rocking the child. "Food soon?"
Dora sighed, pulling herself to her feet with a nod "Yeah, I'll go get—" the woman froze as she felt the wards of the wing quiver, admitting someone in. She chewed her lip for a moment before looking to her Aunt. "Narcissa?"
"We can wait for food, can't we Teddy?" Narcissa spoke softly, kissing the boy's head. "Like a good boy."
"'Kay." Teddy sighed dramatically before wriggling off the woman's lap and returning to his toys.
"Mummy will be back, Teddy." Dora gave the pair one last look before she composed herself, taking a deep breath as she left the boys bedroom.
"Nymphie!" Rod called with a grin, laughing at the hard gaze of the woman before him. "Let's go into your room, shall we?" he laughed at the flash of fear across Nymphadora's face. "Don't worry, I'm not here to hurt you, the opposite in fact. Come on."
Dora narrowed her eyes at the man, ignoring his amused smirk before she obliged, staying to the side of the door within the room as Rodolphus went over and sat on the bed. "Oh come on, Nymphie." Rodolphus smirked, "Why so tense?"
"Do you seriously need an answer to that question?" Nymphadora spat, folding her arms firmly across her chest. "What do you want?"
"Ouch." Rodolphus chuckled. "So cold." The man sighed "Come sit down, Dora." After a few moments, he rolled his eyes. "Sit down before I make you sit down." He spoke more firmly this time, smiling in his triumph as the woman begrudgingly walked over to the bed, sitting next to the man and flinching as he reached out, her entire body tensing as Rodolphus placed a gentle hand on her stomach. "How are you feeling?" he rolled his eyes as the woman let out a scoff.
"How do you think I feel?" Nymphadora snapped.
"Hormonal, clearly."
"I am not hormonal." Dora growled, gripping tightly onto her skirt. "In regards to how the baby is affecting me?" Dora sighed as he let his hand go of the woman, turning to face her instead. "I've been sick every day for a week, sometimes multiple times."
"Fine, I'll get you some morning sickness potion." He nodded.
"I—" Dora swallowed, averting her gaze to the floor as she rubbed her stomach. "Why are you here?"
"You have a healer coming over." Rodolphus spoke matter of factly, rolling his eyes as Nymphadora snapped her eyes to look at the man.
"I do not need a healer—unless you've decided to let me get rid of it, then, by all means, bring them in." Dora flinched as Rodolphus stood up, slapping her hard and fast.
"Do not say such things." He growled, narrowing her eyes at the girl.
"Don't touch me!"
"I can touch you if I like, we have already established that, Nymphadora." He grasped onto her chin, forcing her to look up at him as her hair tinged red. "You will do as your told, you will do anything I tell you to."
"Am I interrupting something?" Rabastan Lestrange laughed as he walked into the room, causing Nymphadora to try and pull away from the man to no avail.
"No, nothing." Rodolphus murmured, roughly relinquishing his grip on the girl as the second man entered the room. "Greer." Rodolphus smiled, walking over and shaking the man's hand. "Nice to see you again."
"Rodolphus." Healer Greer spoke curtly, shaking his hand for a moment before looking over at the woman on the bed. "Mrs Lupin." Dora winced, morphing her bright red hair into a shoulder-length mousey brown.
"Cat caught your tongue, Nymphie?" Rabastan chimed, moving to lean against the wall, making Dora fidget in her discomfort at his stares.
"I don't need a healer. I went through an entire pregnancy without a healer I can do it again." Dora muttered under her breath.
"Well, Mrs Lupin, that may be." Greer rolled his eyes, putting his bag down next to the bed before moving to stand in front of the woman as her gaze moved to glare up at him. "But I have been told you have no idea as to how far along you are, seeing as you've been at Madame Lestrange's mercy I do believe it advisable to have the child checked over. We can find out how far along you are whilst we're here. Now lie down."
Dora placed a hand on her stomach on instinct, looking up to the man and staring into his eyes until he gave a huff of annoyance and looked between the two Lestrange brothers. She felt Rabstan's grip on her arm first, instantly yelling at him to get off as he pulled her back.
"Now now Rabastan, you may have seen my memories but don't get any strange ideas about touching her, she's mine." Rodolphus chuckled at the woman's incredulous stare, her lips parted in shock at what he just said.
"She's Bella's, not yours." Rabastan let go, motioning for his brother to get the girl to lay down.
"I have her 'on loan'—Bella's words, not mine."
"You are disgusting! The pair of you! Get away from me." Nymphadora glared, her hair returning to red as she glared at the man beginning to approach her. "I can lay down myself." Her glare did not leave the man as she moved back onto the bed, resting her head on the pillows as she gripped her hands tightly onto the sheets beneath her.
"Relax Nymphie." Rabastan laughed. "No-one's going to hurt you."
"Fuck you." Dora grimaced.
"Well, if you insist."
"Rabastan, behave or else you'll be asked to leave." Rodolphus smirked, his eyes flitting to his brother for a moment before he stared intensely at the Healers movements. He watched as he lifted Dora's top to reveal her bare stomach, automatically moving himself closer to the bed as the healer drew his wand.
"Relax." Greer muttered under his breath, watching the woman as she forced herself to stop glaring at the ceiling whilst trying to unclench her fingers from the sheets. It was only after she took a deep breath that the man begun to mutter spells under his breath. Rodolphus watched intently, Rabastan soon losing interest and instead wandering his gaze around the room in his boredom, Nymphadora forced herself to breathe slowly as the strange sensation of Greer's magic inspecting her womb. When the man finally moved away from the woman Rodolphus instantly looked straight to the healer.
"Well?" Rodolphus asked impatiently. "How is the baby? Healthy? How far along is she?"
"You've never been a patient man, not even at school." Greer smirked, reaching down to his bag and pulling out a few bottles and placing them on the side, pointing to each in turn. "Vitamins and the likes, this one is morning sickness potion. Each can be taken one tablespoon once a day, though stop taking the morning sickness one when you no longer feel you need it."
"Gordon." Rodolphus glared when he noticed the small smirk forming on Nymphadora's lips at his apparent annoyance.
"Rodolphus." Gordon Greer smirked, gathering his things as he stood tall next to the man yet again. "Mother and child are both fine. The child is certainly healthy. Nymphadora is around six weeks along. Before you ask," Gordon smirked as he looked to Rodolphus, his mouth already open ready to ask his next question. "I do not know the sex of the child yet. You're far too impatient."
"Got that right." Rabastan chimed.
"Fine." Rodolphus glared playfully at his brother before shaking the outstretched hand of his Healer friend. Rodolphus said goodbye to the man, nodding for Rabastan to see him out of the wards of the wing again to which he begrudgingly obliged. It was only once he felt the wards opening to release the pair from its hold that Rodolphus finally looked back down to the witch still laid on the bed, blankly staring at the ceiling.
"I hate you." Dora breathed.
"You say that as if I care, Nymphadora." Rodolphus scoffed. "Take your potions."
With one last look at the woman, Rodolphus left the room, a contented smile on his lips as he thought of his unborn child. Nymphadora still did not move an inch, a single tear silently falling as she slowly pulled her hand to rest on her stomach willing her eyes shut. "I'm sorry, baby." Dora whimpered, choking back a sob. "I'll try to love you, I swear . . . I'll keep you safe from him if I have to . . . If I must have you." The woman began to sob silently, curling onto her side as she took one of the pillows. She hugged the pillow closely to herself, wishing more than anything that it was not a pile of feathers encased in fabric but the warm body of her late husband. Remus would know what to do, how to comfort her, he had always known. Though this thought only made her cry more profusely, eventually succumbing to the unconsciousness of her desperate heartbreak.
