We have a Weasley to play with now! Yayyyyyy! xD Apologies for the long delay, and no excuses. Enjoy!

Dora


Andromeda walked behind her daughter, her face a blank mask. Neither Nymphadora nor the Weasley girl spoke as they hurried along, the rest of the Death Eaters behind them.

Rabastan walked at Andromeda's side, watching Nymphadora and her prisoner. "No one is fooled by your claims, Andy," he told her. "We all know that Nymphie is too gentle to ever turn on a friend."

She didn't look at him, knowing that it would all be a waste anyway if Dora couldn't hold herself together in front of the Dark Lord. As they entered the hall, she saw Dora lean closer to her young friend and breathe, "I'm sorry."

Nymphadora tightened her grip on the girl, knowing exactly how to half-drag her forward as others had done to her. She brought the redhead forward as the Dark Lord acknowledged her with amusement. "My Lord," said Nymphadora, making Andromeda wonder if everyone could hear how foreign the words sounded coming from her daughter.

Andromeda frowned as Dora shoved her friend to the floor, some of the other Death Eaters laughing. Bellatrix sidled up to Andromeda and mused, "She can pretend, just like you...how do you do that to her, Andy?"

"This only happens when she's really angry and can't express it any other way," Andromeda muttered. "She'll return to normal as soon as we're back to the ward."

"Fix her," Bella pouted. "She's not as much fun this way."

"No one can fix how she is broken," Andromeda scowled darkly. She shook her head slightly at Bella's going to say something else.

"Bellatrix, if you're not too distracted by your sister..." the Dark Lord motioned her to the prisoner on the floor, the girl shivering from a Curse.

"She—she's no sister of mine," Bella said, sounding half confused, though she walked forward immediately. "Would you have me question the girl?"

"Bella," he chuckled. "Yes, I would have you deal with the Weasley."

Bellatrix pulled Ginny to her feet and dragged her from the room, giggling in anticipation. A few moments later, the rest of the Death Eaters were dismissed and Nymphadora stalked off without waiting.

Andromeda hurried after the younger woman, catching up to her in a less-crowded hallway. "Dora, wait!" she called out.

"Leave me alone," Dora snapped, her hair mousey brown. "Just go away."

"I am going to the same place you are," Andromeda replied, "and I want to talk to you."

"No," Dora snapped, her hair tinting red. "I don't want to talk to you."

"Don't be ridiculous, Nymphadora," the older witch sighed. "I am your mother—"

Dora's laugh shocked her, both of them stopping in the hall. "You are nothing like I can remember Andromeda Tonks to be," she said quietly, her hair now streaking white at the look on the witch's face. "I don't know who you are, but my mother would not act like you have." Nymphadora turned and ran without looking back.


Andromeda knocked on Narcissa's door hesitantly, admitted almost immediately, though she sighed when she found both Teddy and Elara in the room. "He dropped the children off," Narcissa muttered. "He knew you were about to return...he was going to wait for Dora..."

The brown-haired witch hissed in anger, turning away from Teddy's confused, innocent face. "I knew he was here. I felt it the instant I returned. It's Elara's birthday..."

"She's one!" Teddy grinned, looking at the little girl on his aunt's lap. He suddenly became very solemn and hurried to Andromeda, grasping the skirt of her dress as he looked up at her. "Is Mum okay?"

"No, Teddy," Andromeda sighed. "Elara's father hurts your mother. She's not okay."

Teddy's eyes widened. "He does?"

Narcissa's warning voice scolded, "Andromeda...now is not the time."

"She was crying," Teddy said softly, seeming to relive seeing his mother come back to the ward. "But...he wasn't there."

"Teddy," Andromeda murmured, picking the child up and holding him close, knowing how she must have hurt her own daughter and thinking of the hell she was now going through with Rodolphus. She was about to speak when they all heard a scream and an angry yell, both children jumping in shock.

Narcissa's face grew slightly paler as Andromeda looked toward the door, wondering if she should go help her daughter. Teddy whimpered, "Mum...he's hurting Mum."

There was another muffled scream and laughter before a door slammed, and Andromeda sat down next to Narcissa, the white-haired boy in her arms as Elara began to cry. "Ma," cried the black-haired child. "Mumma!" But none of them could do anything about it.


It was nearly three hours later when the two sisters felt Rodolphus finally leave the ward. Andromeda raised her head from the pillow, sitting up and clearing the tearstains from her face. Both children were sound asleep in the middle of the bed, Narcissa looking up to her sister from the other side. "Are you going to go to her?"

Andromeda closed her eyes tightly. "I can't."

Narcissa was confused. "But she needs you!"

"She doesn't want to talk to me," Andromeda said dully. "I...I turned in one of her friends earlier today. That's why she was upset when she came in earlier. That's why she fought Rodolphus so much. And I...I don't really want to see her either right now."

"Andromeda, you've got to," Narcissa said half pleadingly. "She needs someone, and I can't really—I've never had to deal with these kinds of situations. And you're her mother!"

"No." Andromeda turned away from her little sister. "She won't call me mother. I doubt she would even let me help her right now. I won't go."

"Andromeda?" Narcissa whispered in shock.

The brown-haired witch stopped just short of telling Narcissa to leave her alone, instead turning and making sure the children were all right. "Please, Cissa," Andromeda whispered. "She might let you. Please try for me. Please?"

Narcissa was silent for a long time before she got to her feet, hurrying to give her sister a firm hug before she left, going toward her niece's room. Andromeda sniffed slightly, swatting away more tears. It would be worth the pain of it all: she would see to that.


Ginny Weasley lay silently in a small cell in the dungeon of Malfoy Manor, trying to get used to the darkness and the awful smell of the place. She couldn't understand why she'd merely been locked in a cell when she was supposed to have been interrogated by Bellatrix. She held back a groan and pulled herself to sit against the wall of the cell. Voldemort's Curse hadn't seemed to have done too much damage to her, as she was able to move rather easily.

The nineteen-year-old witch sighed as she thought of how peaceful it had been for a few days before they had once again been discovered. She just hoped Fleur and her little girl would be all right all alone. It had probably been a terrifying moment for her sister-in-law, seeing her attacked and taken away. Ginny frowned.

Tonks wouldn't have led anyone to her on purpose, would she? Ginny shivered, remembering that she'd first thought the other witch was Bellatrix before Dora had called her "Mother." But Tonks' mother wasn't a Death Eater...was she? But she had to be: she'd sent the Dark Mark. Ginny shook her head at her own thoughts, remembering how horrified Dora had been at the older witch's actions. Truly, seeing Bellatrix and Andromeda together made Ginny wonder why Nymphadora would dare argue with either of them, though she was still completely confused as to why Mrs. Tonks would be a Death Eater.

The cell door clanged open and a bright light shone in, a voice commanding her to get up. "What are you doing here?" Ginny demanded of the brown-haired woman pointing a wand at her heart. "You're not Bellatrix."

"Bellatrix doesn't play fetch," Andromeda said with a cold smile. "She's not as well trained as I am."

"Does Dora know you're here?" Ginny asked.

"I do not report my actions to my daughter," Andromeda said, holding the girl's arm firmly as she jabbed her wand into her side. "And she has not spoken to me since this morning."

"I'm surprised," Ginny rolled her eyes. "She's usually so forgiving." She winced as the woman's grip on her arm tightened. "So are you taking me to Bellatrix?"

Andromeda did not answer, instead prodding the girl to walk faster. Ginny soon got her answer in the form of hysterical giggling as Andromeda pushed her through a doorway, the redhead staying on her feet this time as Andromeda shoved her away from herself.

Bellatrix regarded her victim with delight for a moment before waving a hand at Andromeda. "Go back to Nymphie; I'm sure she needs you."

Ginny couldn't help speaking up. "Nymphie won't speak to Mumma since this morning," she said. "I don't think she approves of the two of you being so alike."

"Andromeda is nothing compared to me," Bellatrix smirked, shooting a glare at Andromeda as the witch would not leave fast enough. "Though she may try to frighten you."

"The only thing frightening about her is how much she's changed since I saw her last," Ginny muttered, shaking her head. She shouldn't have looked down, for in the next second, Bellatrix's arm was wrapped around her, the witch's wand digging into her side as a Curse lit into her body.

Ginny couldn't recall any other Cruciatus Curse hurting as much as this one now did, the girl screeching in agony before she could even think of trying to fight it. Bellatrix smirked, her hair falling across the girl's face as Ginny writhed in her grasp helplessly. "Aw, poor little Ginny," Bella giggled. "Will you be the third Weasley to die for the Light?"

"Fourth," Ginny spat as she panted, her fists still clenched against the pain still shooting through her.

"Oh dear," Bellatrix pouted. "One less to play with. Who did I miss?"

"Surely not Mum," Ginny hissed, kicking at Bellatrix, who merely let the girl slide to the floor as she cackled with laughter. "And I'm sure you were there when Bill died. Perhaps Fred?"

"Ah," Bellatrix agreed thoughtfully. "Not one of the more interesting ones, though. Probably would have let Andromeda take care of him. After all, she handled Bill easily enough."

Ginny stared at the witch. "What?!"

Bellatrix giggled delightedly. "She killed him," she smirked. "Ignored him as he pleaded for mercy—"

The redhead looked up at Bellatrix uncertainly. "I don't believe you."

The Dark witch cackled with laughter. "Of course not." She stalked across the room to grab the girl by the hair, pulling her head back as she looked down at her. "I have questions for you that I don't think you want to answer," she pouted.

Ginny glared at her. "Like what?"

"What are the remaining Order safehouses?" the black-haired woman whispered to her victim.

"I don't know," Ginny snapped, yelling out as another curse surged through her body.

"Wrong answer," Bellatrix sighed, kneeling down beside the suffering young witch. "You can only hold out for so long, I know...weak, just like your brother. I was there for his questioning, little girl. He didn't last very long."

"But he betrayed no one," Ginny hissed between gritted teeth. "And neither will I." She winced at the look on the woman's face: this was not going to end well.


Nymphadora lay curled up in her bed in complete darkness. She was broken, an awful mess of bruises, abrasions, and blood. She knew that Narcissa had been sitting beside the bed for a long time, but after her initial reaction to the witch, Dora knew Narcissa was afraid to approach her again. She was in terrible pain, as Rodolphus' anger at her refusal to submit to him had resulted in her receiving so many blows and curses that she could barely move after he had left her.

The battered witch self-consciously tried to pull the sheet further over herself and discovered, to her horror, that it was shredded, probably from a wayward curse or even her struggling against Rodolphus. Pain shot through her and a weak gasp escaped her lips. She closed her eyes, trying not to wonder what Narcissa thought of her at the moment.

"What can I do?" Narcissa whispered. "Dora...tell me what to do. I don't want to hurt you more."

"W—water," croaked the younger witch. "Cissa..."

Narcissa hurried to get her niece a drink, concerned about how quiet the girl was, considering what she had just been through. "I'm right here," Narcissa said gently, approaching the bed with the cup. "Can you sit up a bit, Dora?"

She opened her eyes, hissing in pain as she sat up enough to be able to drink. Dora breathed her thanks and curled up again immediately afterwards, trying to still her pain. "No," she whispered to her aunt's question of whether she wanted healing. This Narcissa protested, and Nymphadora breathed, "He—he said I wasn't to accept healing or to heal myself until he allows it."

Narcissa frowned. "You must be able to eat, and you need to be cleaned up," she told Nymphadora. "You can deal with some bruises and the residual magic of the curses he did, but let me help you at least a little bit."

Nymphadora closed her eyes again. "Fine. But not too much. He'll notice anyway..."

The blonde witch steeled herself against any reaction she could have as she picked up Nymphadora's wand and began to clean and heal the girl slightly. After several minutes, she stepped back and pulled the repaired sheets over the girl before turning away from her.

"It's awful, isn't it?" Dora muttered. "You've probably never had to deal with this before. Well, I'm used to it."

"No, Dora," Narcissa said softly. "It's something you never get used to. Both my sisters have always told me that. It's...well, they went through something like this with our father. They protected me so that I didn't have to know what it was like, but I was always there for them. And I am here for you."

"Mother should be here," Dora spat venomously. "She should care what happens to me."

"She does," Narcissa sighed. "Andromeda didn't think you would want to see her, so she asked me to help you."

"She doesn't care!" Dora cried, sniffing back tears. "She ignored me and turned in one of my best friends! She told them that I caught her! And she was summoned again just a moment ago! I felt it!"

Narcissa bit her lip. "Then the children are alone."

Dora clenched her fist. "She wouldn't," she hissed. "They're toddlers, barely old enough to communicate! It isn't safe!"

Narcissa frowned thoughtfully. "She knows better," she agreed. "She probably put a Sleeping Ward on at least Elara. Teddy should be okay by himself for a little while. But Dora—" She hesitated a moment before asking, "Who was it that Andromeda found?"

"The Weasley girl," Dora whispered, a tear trickling down her cheek. "She's a prisoner now, just like me."

The blonde witch did not reply, knowing only too well the interrogation the new prisoner would be receiving, and hoping (for Dora's sake) that Andromeda was not the one to question the Weasley girl.


Andromeda returned to the ward, deciding to distract herself by giving Elara a bath before putting her to bed a little early. After all, the one year old had had quite a lot of excitement happen on her first birthday. The witch smiled at the little girl splashing in the bath, her hair bright pink as she played happily. She couldn't help remembering when Dora had been that small, her happy memories shadowed by the knowledge that her own daughter was never happy anymore.

Elara whined when Andromeda pulled her out of the bath, though she was soon content to cuddle up to her grandmum for a little while. "You're mostly a good child," Andromeda murmured to the girl, holding her close as she approached the children's room. "It's not going to be easy for any of us in the coming years...Dora doesn't know half the trouble that you're going to accidentally give her."

"Ma," Elara pouted, rubbing her eyes sleepily.

"Mum is sleeping," Andromeda told the child, hoping it was true. "Elara should sleep too."

"No," the little girl complained before with a huge yawn she snuggled against Andromeda's shoulder, slipping one arm around her neck. "Mum," she whimpered against the woman's dress.

"Mum will be all right," Andromeda whispered, cuddling the child gently. "She'll be fine...might see you tomorrow."

Elara continued to whimper for her mother until she finally fell asleep as Andromeda walked the floor with her. The woman placed the little girl on the bed, warding her in so that she couldn't fall out and that she wouldn't roll over on the child during the night. Within minutes, Andromeda was ready for bed, climbing in next to her granddaughter as she thought of what the next day might bring. It wasn't easy to get to sleep as she wondered whether she would become any more involved in the Weasley girl's stay at Malfoy Manor, or whether Nymphadora would even talk to her at all in the next few weeks. Andromeda closed her eyes, alone, both in the darkness of her room and of her mind.


The next morning, Andromeda woke to someone tapping at the door and called out to them to enter. Narcissa quietly looked in, saying quietly, "Breakfast is here. Teddy and I are going to eat together, and I already took Dora hers."

"Okay," Andromeda yawned. "Wha—what time is it?"

"Five thirty," Narcissa sighed. "You needn't wake Elara yet. Just get ready and come to breakfast."

"Couldn't I just put on a dressing gown and go back to bed after?" Andromeda pleaded.

"Andromeda," the younger witch said sternly, "you know better than to eat in your nightclothes."

A huff of laughter escaped Andromeda and she swung her legs over the edge of the bed, sighing as she tugged her nightgown into place. "I'll be there in a minute or two," she promised her sister. "Go to Teddy." Narcissa nodded and left Andromeda to drag herself from the bed and force herself to put on a proper dress.

Twenty minutes later, Andromeda walked down the hall to the room they usually used as a dining room and joined her sister, Teddy, and Draco for the meal. "They shouldn't have come so early," she sighed as she sank down next to her sister. "I'm more tired now than when I woke."

"Not complaining, are you?" Draco muttered.

"Draco," Narcissa said softly, but he didn't look at her. She glanced at Andromeda. "Dora wouldn't eat with us. She was awake before I went to her this morning. I guess he came back last night and half fixed her, though she's still not the best." Narcissa sighed, shaking her head slightly. "She told me he said Ginny was tortured to death."

"No." Everyone turned to look at Draco in surprise. "She's alive," he said, his face turning slightly pink. "Because I'm the Malfoy heir, I still very faintly feel when someone new enters through the wards on the house. I knew when she arrived—Weasley magic is very distinct—and I would know when that magic returns to the Elementals."

"You know the exact moment everyone dies?" Andromeda said in shock.

Draco turned to watch Teddy playing with his food for a moment before he answered, "I knew that the werewolf had died before we even knew you didn't make it out."

Andromeda was silent, looking down at her plate. Narcissa was also quite, presumably thinking of her late husband, and Andromeda couldn't bear how awkward it was. She was very thankful when Teddy reached out and tapped Narcissa's arm. "May I have more?" the boy asked.

Narcissa gave the child a little more food, shaking her head slightly as he immediately began to eat again. "It's been four years," she whispered. "Since the battle."

"It has..." Andromeda shivered slightly. "I can only remember Remus bringing Dora home, unable to walk. Bella had wanted to kill her that day."

"I can only remember seeing her kill my husband," Narcissa said with venom, her gaze snapping up to her sister. "Don't be like that. I know what Nymphadora sees in you, and is afraid of; don't lose yourself to the Dark, sister."

"I'll do my best," Andromeda whispered. "I promise, Cissa."

The blonde witch got up from the table and left the room, an awkward silence filling the space. It wasn't long until Draco had gone back to his room, and Andromeda finally finished her meal and told Teddy to come with her back to her room. The boy followed her for a moment, but at the sound of his mother's voice, he turned and went to the woman calling him from her own doorway.

Andromeda watched as Nymphadora embraced her son tightly, then shut the door on them without another word. She walked back to her room alone, kicking off her shoes and pulling her corset off before curling up next to Elara once again. She hoped Dora was in a decent enough state of mind to deal with Teddy's questions, because she doubted Dora's ability to cope with anything these days.