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Bella
Andromeda was caught off guard as Nymphadora ran up behind her, grabbing her by the wrist and turning her to face her. Her poor daughter had a face full of fear, her dark eyes wide and her hair a pure white.
"What did I do?" Dora near enough whispered, inspecting her mother for any sign of harm. "Are you okay? What did he want?"
"Dora." Andromeda breathed, shaking her head as she placed her spare hand on Dora's arm. "Calm down. Please."
"I—I am—I can't be." Dora shook her head, shaking visibly. The girl had almost turned as crazed as her Aunt in her demeanour, something that perhaps Nymphadora herself was starting to realise from the look her mother was currently giving her as Nymphadora took a deep breath. "Tell me what happened. Now."
"No, please?" Andromeda couldn't help but joke, her daughter glaring up at her as she rolled her eyes. "Come on, Dora. We need to talk."
Dora pulled at her mother's hand as the witch went to go to her daughter's room. Andromeda looked back over her shoulder at her, sighing as she redirected them to her own room, shutting the door behind her. "How long has he been in there today?"
"Since you left . . . I was in the bathroom when he got here, so thought I would sneak into your room rather than try and go into my own room." Dora sighed.
"Dora—"
"Don't change the topic." Dora said firmly, crossing her arms as she looked at her as if she was scolding her toddler.
"I'm not." Andromeda spoke simply. "It's all very related."
"Oh?" Dora raised an eyebrow "Well—No, stop it." She shook her head. "Tell me why The Dark Lord wanted you."
"I will." Andromeda gave the girl a careful stare before she sat down on her bed, patting the space beside her. "If you sit down and promise to remain calm."
Dora bit her lip, trying to decide what she would do before huffing and sitting on the bed next to her mother. "I will sit—but if you're asking me to stay calm then you already know I'm not going to want to 'remain calm' so I'm not promising that." The elder witch couldn't help but smile slightly as she looked to her daughter, reaching out and brushing a stray strand of hair from her worried eyes. "Mum . . ." Dora whispered, taking the witches hand in her own "please tell me . . . You're scaring me . . ."
"Okay." Andromeda agreed, looking directly into her daughter's eyes as she spoke very carefully. "He summoned me because I requested to become a Death Eater."
Dora instantly tried to pull away from her mother's grasp in her shock, her eyes wide "What—!?"
"Listen to me." Andromeda said firmly, watching her daughter struggle to keep her mouth shut as she clearly had a few choice words for her. "I have to. You are not coping, you need help." Andromeda narrowed her eyes at Dora as she went to interject again "I can help you, make life easier for you. You are quickly falling down a path of broken sanity similar to Bellatrix. Though the problem is that you are not as useful to The Dark Lord and the less you grip onto reality the less useful you become."
"I can handle myself!" Dora protested "No, don't try and shut me up—I am a grown woman and I will speak if I want. You cannot join him! I won't let you."
"Well, I can't see you being able to do much to stop me, Nymphadora." Andromeda spoke calmly despite her daughter's dramatics.
"Don't call me Nymphadora!" Dora near enough screamed, her hair shooting red "I have done everything to keep you and Teddy safe! I have acted against everything I believe in! I have had to do things that make me sick! So that you could remain safe! So that you wouldn't die! I sacrificed my sanity and my beliefs so that you didn't have to!"
"This!" Andromeda stood up, grabbing her daughter by the wrists as she pulled her towards her "This is the fire you need! This is the resolve you need to do his bidding! You are not helping us by rescuing old comrades! He knows you did that, Nymphadora! What is to stop him from killing another of us to teach you a lesson? You are not helping us Nymphadora Lupin—you are barely performing your duty, no better than a low-level snatcher."
Dora yanked her hands away from her mother, immediately coming down hard and fast as she slapped the elder witch across the face. Silence followed. The metamorphmagus visibly calmed down, regret near enough instantly on her features "Mum—"
"Don't." Andromeda shook her head. "Don't apologise for something you are not sorry you did."
"But—"
"No." Andromeda rubbed her cheek, sure there would be a bruise for her to deal with soon. "You have some hard truths you need to start listening to, child. You will eventually realise that I am doing this for your benefit—to keep you safe. If it means reverting to my old ways then so be it. You will have to learn to be a Death Eater—a useful Death Eater—or we will all suffer."
"I—I—" Dora stuttered, unsure of what to say.
"We all have to do things we do not want to sometimes," Andromeda said, her tone softening slightly "to protect the ones we love."
"But you want to . . ." Dora whispered. "That's the thing . . . You don't have to become a Death Eater if you truly just wanted to just help me learn . . ."
Andromeda took a deep breath, her features void of emotion as she shrugged slightly "I cannot sit in the prisoners ward and change nappies forever, Dora . . . This is the easiest way of doing things."
"It's the wrong way." Dora murmured, shaking her head at her mother before turning to leave the room.
"Don't go to your room." Andromeda called "Rodolphus is still there."
"Yes . . . and I woke Elara up with my screaming at you . . ." Dora said, a tone of defeat in her voice "Though he'll come for me eventually . . . Best to get it over with."
"Stay here." Andromeda tried to keep the concern out of her voice as she spoke to the back of her daughter's head.
"No, thank you," Dora responded before leaving the room to deal with her own daughter and her father, closing the door to her mother's room behind her.
"Oh, Dora." Andromeda sighed, sitting down on her bed as she rested her head in her hands. "You will understand . . . You have to . . ."
Rodolphus Lestrange begrudgingly left the prisoners ward late one April evening, he had cared for Elara mostly in his own peace and quiet that day. Teddy was apparently sick, nothing terrible as far as he was concerned and he was assured that Teddy had been kept away from his daughter. Though after a day wherein Nymphadora only came in to feed his child he was happy. He smirked to himself as he entered what was once the grand dining room of Malfoy Manor but was now used exclusively for inner circle meetings and the likes, perhaps he would go back to the ward after the meeting.
The room fell silent for a moment; the Dark Lord was not there yet though the most of the inner circle were already in attendance in anticipation of their Lord's arrival. It was Rabastan who broke the silence, holding back a chuckle as he tried not to think of whatever it was the group were previously discussing.
"Rod," Rab grinned "nice to see you."
Rodolphus raised an eyebrow, looking around the room suspiciously before he walked over to his empty seat at the table. "And you . . ." Rodolphus looked to each of the men, most of whom either held back a knowing smirk or avoided his gaze entirely. "Do any of you care to tell me what the big secret is?"
"Secret?" Rab frowned.
"What were you talking about that made you all go unnaturally quiet when I walked in?" Rodolphus said, irritated at his brothers feigned stupidity.
"Oh, we were just talking about Nymphadora." Selwyn chuckled.
Rodolphus lips visibly thinned as the other men snickered, he knew he was the brunt of the Death Eaters jokes at the moment—he didn't care, he had his longed-for child no matter how he had gone about it. Still, it was slightly irritating that the men thought they were being so amusing. "Oh?" Rodolphus looked to the man as he spoke.
"Bloody half-blood." Dolohov snickered.
"Hey," Avery smirked, looking to the man "if Nymphadora's half-blood that makes—oh what's the girl's name?"
Rabastan rolled his eyes, clearly not too amused at being reminded his niece was a half-blood "Elara."
"Elara," Avery repeated. "That makes Elara a half-blood, right?"
"Of course it does, idiot." Dolohov laughed.
Avery shrugged at the man calling him an idiot before he looked to Rodolphus with a coy smirk. "I bet Nymphadora's fun though, makes that dirty blood worth it."
"Jealous?" Rodolphus raised an eyebrow at the man.
Avery merely shrugged "Personally—if I were you—I wouldn't take Bellatrix's wrath as being worth it. Though I hear Nymphadora makes it two witches you can't control." The smirk returned to the man's face "Can't get Nymphadora to behave?"
Rod's eyes flickered to his brother, the man immediately looking away from his stare. Clearly, little brother had been sharing memories that he had given him of the girl. That was a privilege he would certainly no longer give him.
"That's pathetic." Dolohov laughed "Can't get a pathetic little half-blood to 'behave'? Is that how you got the half-blood freak child?"
"My child is not a freak," Rodolphus growled.
"But Nymphadora is—I've heard you call her such yourself," Selwyn interjected.
"Double standards for Monsieur Lestrange over here, isn't it?" Avery snickered. "I'm surprised at you—sullying the bloodline of your house so purposefully like that. I mean, you can say it was an accident—knocking the bitch up—but was it? Was it really?"
"I suggest you shut your mouth, Avery." Rodolphus was quickly losing his patience.
"Why?" Avery shrugged. "It's a joke, Lestrange."
"The whole bloody thing is a joke if you ask me," Selwyn said. "What does Bellatrix think of all this?"
"Proud step-mother, is she?" Dolohov asked.
"I wouldn't want her on babysitting duty." Avery laughed, all but the Lestrange brothers joining in.
"What is it, Rod?" Avery asked, "Can't get a leg over on Bellatrix anymore so you thought you'd try out the niece?"
"Creating a half-blood, multi-coloured freak in the process." Dolohov sighed. "Desperate much?"
"Crucio!"
The screech of the curse came from behind Rodolphus, causing him to immediately turn around as Dolohov yelled out in his pain. Bellatrix Lestrange looked furious, though she walked forward holding the curse steady on the man until she reached her husband's side. To his surprise she snaked a hand up onto his shoulder, glaring furiously at each of the other men in turn before she finally released her curse. Dolohov panted for breath, trying to straighten himself in his chair.
"Well," Bellatrix chimed "doesn't this seem like a cosy little chat? What are we talking about, hmm?" the men remained silent, each looking away from the woman as none wanted to catch a taste of her fury "Well!?" Bellatrix let the hand on her husband's shoulder drop, fury in her dark eyes "You," Bellatrix pointed her wand threateningly at Avery "you are so dim-witted you couldn't control a Muggle under an Imperius let alone beginning to comprehend how to 'control' an actual woman! You," she turned her wand on Dolohov "you are pathetic! You couldn't bed a woman no matter how hard you tried! When was the last time you got your fun, Dolohov? Or are you yet to experience that pleasure in life?" Bellatrix glared as Selwyn couldn't help but let a huff of laughter escape at her comment, turning her wand to him next "Don't you laugh! You're the joke here Selwyn! You wouldn't know what to do with your cock if I gave you a step by step guide! And for the record 'What Bellatrix thinks about of all this' is none of your business! Now I suggest all of you—" her gaze merely flickered over Rabastan as she put her hand back on her husband's shoulder, glaring at all of them once again with crazed annoyance "—mind your own business, find something more fucking interesting to talk about! Out of all of you idiots at least Rodolphus is the only one that has proven his ability to actually father a child." Bellatrix lowered herself to sit in the chair next to her husband "Oh! It also may be a good idea to check if the door to a room is shut before you talk, lest your idiocy leak to the rest of the manor again. Merlin knows there are enough idiots around with you running your mouths."
Rodolphus was in stunned silenced—as were most of the room. He couldn't believe that Bellatrix had just defended him in such a way. Though as The Dark Lord eventually entered the room no Death Eater talked to one another unless needed, it was as if his wife's little outburst at the men had caused them to all turn mute. The meeting was hardly an eventful one and when their Lord finally dismissed them Bellatrix was the first to leave the room. Without a second thought, Rodolphus rushed after her, hissing as just as he watched Bellatrix turn a corner a hand grabbed his arm. He turned to see his younger brother giving him a guilty stare.
"Rod, I just want to say—"
"Save it." Rodolphus hissed "I'll deal with you later."
With that he tore his arm from the man's grip and continued his pursuit of his wife, practically running after her. "Bellatrix!" Rodolphus called as he finally got her back in his view "For Merlin's sake—" he muttered to himself as the woman continued to walk "Bellatrix—stop! Please!"
The woman spun on the spot, glaring at her husband as she finally stopped for him "What?!"
Rodolphus couldn't help but frown slightly at the woman's anger directed at him before he shook his head "Thank you . . . for standing by me."
Bellatrix laughed, shaking her head at the man as she gave him an incredulous stare "Did you think I said those things to stand by you? To defend you?" She scoffed "No."
"Then why would you say such things, Bella?" Rodolphus asked.
"Because you are an embarrassment." Bellatrix hissed "Borderline pathetic. I've heard the men making you the brunt of their jokes before and it is embarrassing to me! I am still your wife—I am made a part of these jokes purely by association! You and your half-blood freak offspring are an embarrassment to me!"
Rodolphus was taken aback for a few moments, confused. That was until his own anger took over him. "As if I were the first to do such a thing in this relationship?" Rodolphus hissed "Now you know how it feels to hear such things of your spouse."
Bellatrix narrowed her eyes at the man, gritting her teeth "I suggest you go take your anger out elsewhere, lest I reduce you to a quivering mess under my curse in the middle of the hallway for the men to see. I have things to attend to." With that Bellatrix Lestrange disapparated, leaving her husband to his own fury. He yelled out in his frustration, battling the mess of emotions inside of his head until he decided it was useless. Rodolphus made his way back to the prisoner's ward.
Andromeda Tonks smiled at her granddaughter, happily sat between pillows she had placed on the floor for her as she shook her silver rattle excitedly.
"Do it again, Nanny!" Teddy grinned from the edge of the bed, nodding to his grandmother's hands.
"Shh, Teddy," Andromeda warned, nodding to his mother. The poor witch was exhausted, having been training most of the day yesterday and then with Rodolphus staying with her and Elara last night. The dark haired Metamorphmagus had brought Elara into Andromeda's room once Rodolphus had finally left, with a few minor bruises she had requested Andromeda keep an eye on her daughter whilst she laid down. She was used to Nymphadora coming to sleep in her room, the girl was able to sleep more soundly if her mother was around to help her prevent her being shocked by the sudden arrival of Rodolphus. Teddy was already with Andromeda when Dora came in, excitedly running up to the bed and curling into his mother's arms. The boy had slept for barely an hour with his mother before he woke again, leaving Andromeda to entertain both her grandchildren without help. Yet again.
"Please, Nanny?" Teddy pouted "'Lara wants you to, she likes it too."
"Oh she does, does she?" Andromeda smirked, raising an eyebrow at the boy. "Did Elara tell you that herself?"
"Yuhuh!" Teddy exclaimed proudly before biting his lip as he felt his mother stir behind him. "Yuhuh." He repeated, whispering this time.
Andromeda reached her hand out for her grandson, nodding for him to come to her. Little Teddy Lupin grinned, his hair shooting turquoise as he turned and kissed his sleeping mother on the cheek before scooting off the bed and running to Andromeda who pulled him onto her lap. She reached over and took her daughter's wand off of her bedside table, wrapping an arm around Teddy. "Watch carefully, okay?"
"Uhuh." Teddy nodded eagerly.
"Yes." Andromeda corrected him before twirling her daughter's wand. Colourful swirls of light seeped from the tip of the wood, Andromeda moving the wand to draw through the air. She watched the boy concentrate before she drew in the air, drawing five letters before she squeezed Teddy close to her. "What does that say?"
Teddy erupted into giggles, covering his mouth to muffle the noise before he calmed himself. "Teddy. That's me." He said proudly. "I can write that, Mummy taught me."
"I know." Andromeda kissed his head "clever boy. What about this?" she motioned to clear the lettering before she began again.
"Umm . . ." Teddy chewed his lip "E . . . That's E, right?" Teddy looked to his grandmother, mimicking her nod before he turned back to the letters "E . . . E . . ."
"Elara." Rodolphus Lestrange said, his eyes flickering his daughter's name in the air, as he opened the door to Andromeda's room.
Andromeda's face instantly went blank, gently taking Teddy off of her lap as she stood from the floor. She silently cursed herself for not paying attention enough to notice the man entering the wards of the prisoner's wing. "Why don't you go see Cissa, Teddy?" Andromeda asked, causing Teddy to turn around to pout at his grandmother, though his protest was instantly cut off by his grandmother's stern look. "Now, please." With a dramatic sigh, the toddler stomped from the room, running along to Narcissa once he was out of sight. Andromeda looked to Rodolphus, watching as he bent down and picked his daughter up from the floor and pressed a kiss to her bright pink curls, her tiny hands reaching to grasp onto her father's robes as a smile erupted on her face.
"Leave Nymphadora alone, Rodolphus," Andromeda hissed. "She's sleeping."
"No, she's not." Rodolphus rolled his eyes.
"What do you want?" Nymphadora murmured, sitting up and rubbing the sleep from her eyes. She sighed as Andromeda looked to her, though she merely stared at Elara in the man's arms "I've been awake a little while now . . ."
"I'm not here for you, Nymphadora—well, perhaps in a moment." Rodolphus smirked before he looked back to Andromeda "Bellatrix wants you. I'm to let you out of the wards so you can go to her; she's in the dungeons. I take it you can find your own way there?"
"Yes," Andromeda spoke sharply, not enjoying the company of the Death Eater let alone the tone he took with her as if she were some ignorant child.
"Good." Rodolphus walked over to Nymphadora, placing Elara in her arms and trying to pry her fingers off of his robes as the child protested "I know," Rod cooed "Shh, I'll be right back, princess."
Andromeda followed the man out of the room, ignoring her daughter's worried gaze boring into the back of her head. "Should I be wondering the manor alone?" Andromeda said flatly.
"Well," Rodolphus shrugged, grabbing the witches arm and walking past the boundaries of the ward with her "Bellatrix said not to get caught. Have fun." Rodolphus let go of the witch, walking back through the wards as he called after her, "And don't disturb me when you get back, Andromeda. I'll be in Nymphie's room."
Andromeda held back her retort, gritting her teeth. She knew there was no use in arguing with Rodolphus, with trying to stop him. She was doing the best that she could to help Nymphadora and it was with that thought that of determination that she walked down towards the dungeons. The manor was quiet, the woman only having to pause once to avoid bumping into others within the manor, it wasn't until she reached the dungeon door that she saw her sister. Bellatrix was leant against the wall inspecting her fingernails, though the minute she heard her sister approaching her head snapped to attention. A shit-eating grin cracked across her features as she pulled herself to stand upright.
"Andy," Bella purred "fancy seeing you here."
"Bellatrix." Andromeda stopped in front of the woman, her 'pureblood mask' falling into place as it had so easily for so many years when needed. "You wanted me?"
"I did—I do." Bellatrix giggled, reaching out and placing a hand on Dromeda's shoulder, continuing in her sing-song tone "I have a task for you. You're not going to like it."
"I'm sure I will do it none the less." Andromeda spoke evenly, not an ounce of weakness or fear on her pale features.
"Hmph." Bellatrix stepped back, slowly running her eyes up her sister's body before she locked eyes with her once more. A mischievous smirk crept onto her lips "We'll see." Bellatrix turned to the door, dramatically shaking her hands from her robes as she drew her wand. She pressed the tip of her wand to the door, silently mouthing a spell before smirking when the door slowly swung open. She took a step back, gesturing for her sister to follow ahead of her. "After you, Andromeda."
She looked to her sister, the grin on her face was sickening but Andromeda Tonks took it in her stride as she descended the stairs to the dungeon. A shiver went down the witch's spine at the sound of the door clicking into place behind them. It was pitch black. She froze at the bottom of the stairs, stepping to the side slightly so she knew her sister could pass her, reaching her hand out to rest on the rough stone of the dungeon walls.
"Bella . . ." Andromeda called. She was unsurprised by the cackle in return, though it did not disturb her any less.
"Scared of the dark, Andy?" Bella whispered, her voice uncomfortably close. The dark witch grabbed onto her sister unexpectedly, causing her to gasp in fright. "Or is it just the idea of being alone—or not alone—in such a place."
Andromeda took a breath, closing her eyes as she felt Bellatrix lean her head on her shoulder, wrapping her arms around her waist in a deceivingly loving way. "You know," Andromeda swallowed hard before she forced herself to snap her eyes open despite the pressing darkness around her "you know I don't like being called Andy. It sounds—"
"Mannish." Bella giggled. "Like a boy's name. Hardly proper . . . I remember . . . Andy."
"Fine . . . Trixie."
"Funny." Bella giggled, letting one of the arms from her sister's waist go as she muttered a spell to shed light on the dungeon "You were always the funny one."
"I always thought you were, to be quite honest." Andromeda winced as the lights turned on, though managed to keep her voice void of most emotion.
"Really?" Bella pushed Andromeda away, simultaneously spinning her to face her as she continued with feigned seriousness "Yes, you were always the 'proper one' weren't you?" Bellatrix made a face "Well not now."
"Are you going to tell me why I'm here, Bellatrix?" Andromeda raised an eyebrow at the witch. "Or was it just to attempt to taunt me?"
"Patience." Bella smirked, reaching into her robes. Andromeda couldn't help her eyes widening slightly at the thin piece of wood she revealed. Her wand. Bellatrix had her wand. The dark witch laughed "Recognise this? Hmm, so did I. We keep the wands we take from our prisoners, though we don't tend to do anything with them until their owners are ... gone. Catch!" Bellatrix squealed in glee as her sister caught her wand. "Now, no funny ideas." She gave her sister a scrutinising look before the usual childlike grin returned to her face as she walked away from her sister and towards the few cells at the end of the large dungeon. "Time to play. Rise and shiiiine!"
Andromeda hurried after her sister as the woman threw a hex through the barred door and simultaneously opening it. The cell was small, dank and smelt like a mixture of blood and sweat. The smell was offensive, what was worse was the sight before her. In a bloodied mess in a corner laid Bill Weasley. He was older than the last time Andromeda had seen him, at only 15 accompanying his then 13-year-old brother Charlie over to the Tonks house to spend time with her daughter causing mischief in her garden. His body was littered with small wounds, from the old scars on his face that must have been from his run in with Fenrir Greyback Andromeda recalled her daughter talking to her about, to the more menacing looking gashes and burn marks that looked far too fresh. Andromeda forced her expression to remain blank, indifferent almost, as the man looked up to her through his blue eyes so full of hurt yet defiance. It was a look she recognised from her own daughter. Perhaps it was a trait that all Order members had in common, defiance to their last dying breath no matter what the situation.
"Mrs Tonks . . ." Bill struggled to speak, his voice barely a whisper.
"Know each other, do we?" Bellatrix pouted "How sweet, a reunion."
"You told Nymphadora that you killed him." Andromeda breathed.
"I did." Bella shrugged "I tell her a lot of things. Doesn't mean they're true now, does it? She's a fun one to play with. I was planning to let her suffer over his death—whilst we were trying to get the information we needed from him—then bring her down here so she could . . . dispose of him." Bellatrix shrugged, continuing to speak as if she were simply discussing the weather. "But then—what with you needing to prove yourself—I thought you would be willing to help me. I mean, I couldn't decide what would hurt Nymphie more—killing her friend herself or having her own mother kill her friend?" Bellatrix giggled at the pair, twirling her wand around her fingers "Either way Nymphadora will not be happy—I'm not sure she could pull off a killing curse on him anyway."
"You—" Andromeda paused, closing her eyes for a moment and taking a deep breath before looking to her sister "You do realise, that the more you try to destroy my daughter's sanity, the less likely you are to be able to make her into a useful Death Eater? She is so much like you in her own way—though I suppose one of the traits you both share is why you find things so hard."
"Oh?" Bellatrix raised an eyebrow, her eye twitching as she forced herself not to glare at the witch to betray her annoyance "And what is that?" she hissed.
"Your loyalty," Andromeda stated. "You have both chosen your paths and are loyal to them with your every being."
". . . Stop trying to irritate me and do what you are told." Bellatrix sneered "Never killed a man, have we Andy? How are you supposed to do The Dark Lord's bidding if you can't kill?" Bellatrix circled her sister, stopping behind her and once again placing her head on her shoulder as she whispered in her ear "It's okay—I suspected you couldn't do it. Just as pathetic as your daughter . . . perhaps I will get her down here after all—I mean, I'll probably have to kill him myself when she can't carry out the deed, but I'll enjoy it just the same. She'll be a quivering mess after that one. Maybe that will finally break her...it will be fun."
"Avada Kedavra." Green light flooded the room as Andromeda hissed the deadly curse and Bill Weasley was no more. She barely heard her sisters cackle of delight, barely felt her let go of her, barely noticed Bellatrix near enough skip to the fallen Weasley as she checked that her sister had succeeded in her curse. She held out her wand to her sister when she turned to her, knowing that she would not be allowed to keep it for now and was, therefore, unsurprised when with a gleeful giggle Bellatrix took her wand back off of her. Andromeda Tonks had become numb to it all. She had already determined that she would do anything to help her daughter and if killing was a part of that then so be it, it was hardly a secret that that was what Death Eaters did. The poor boy was better off dead anyway. Andromeda waited for her sister to calm, barely registering a word she said to her until she was told to return to the prisoner's ward. She did not want to think about what Nymphadora would say when she inevitably heard of this.
