As always please read, enjoy and please do leave a review for our latest chapter of this story!
Bella
Rodolphus grinned as his now five-year-old daughter screamed in delight as she zoomed around the grounds of the manor on her broom.
"Do you think it was a wise idea to give her a broom?" Rabastan mused, leaning on a small tree as he looked to his older brother.
"She's fine." Rodolphus shrugged. "She's having fun, see? Besides, I've had safety spells put on it."
"On your head be it." Rabastan scoffed.
"Daddy!" Elara screeched with delight, skidding to a halt beside her father before falling off her broom. As her father jumped forward to help her she shook her head, jumping to her feet with a grin sweeping her bright pink locks out of her hair. "I'm okay!"
"Doesn't help with clumsiness much, does it?" Rabastan chuckled.
"Uncle Rab," Elara groaned, going to his side and hitting him playfully, "Mummy said there's nothing wrong with being clumsy."
"Did she now?" Rab raised an amused eyebrow at the girl.
"Yup." Elara nodded, giggling as her father picked her up into his arms.
"Come on, it's getting late you should be getting ready for bed soon," Rodolphus said.
"Soon . . . not now." Elara shook her head before pouting, "I don't want to go back."
"Well, it will be dark soon, princess." Rodolphus sighed.
"Can I stay with you, in your room?" Elara asked.
"Bella will be overjoyed." Rabastan snickered, rolling his eyes as his brother shot him a glare.
"You have your own room, Elara," Rodolphus said, making his way back into the manor.
"I don't like it." Elara groaned, resting her head on her father's shoulder as she clung to him. "It's warded."
"So the wrong people can't get to your pretty little head. Safety." Rabastan winked at the girl.
"No," the little girl scowled at her Uncle, a look that he couldn't help but laugh at, "so I can't get out."
"It's not so you can't get out, though your Uncle is right it's safe," Rodolphus said.
"Rod, I'll see you later for the meeting?" Rabastan said as they reached the ward, waiting for his brother to nod before leaving.
"Daddy." Elara groaned as they entered the ward. Her father did not reply, much to her annoyance as he took her into her room, putting her down and closing the door behind them. "Daddy!" she snapped.
"Yes, Elara?" Rodolphus asked, walking over to the girls draws and fetching a night dress out for her. He frowned as he turned to face his daughter, the little girl sat on her bed with tears streaming down her cheeks. "Hey, shhh, what's wrong?" he hushed the girl as he rushed over to her, wrapping his arms around her and pulling her into himself.
"I don't want to be in here!" Elara cried, "I can't get out when I-I want t-to and T-Teddy said it's because this is the prisoner's wing. Why am I a prisoner?"
"You're not a prisoner beautiful," Rodolphus said, stroking the girl's limp hair as he tried to stop her tears.
"Well, I can't leave!" Elara cried, "I-I c-can't leave the wing without you. I-I want to be able to leave-I-I want to be able to go outside with Mummy too—she can't take me out! She s-said she 'doesn't have that power'. But Mummy's powerful."
"She's not keyed into the wards like I am, Elara."
"I don't care." Elara cried, "I don't want to live in this wing anymore."
"Elara, you have to—"
"What's going on?" Dora asked as she entered the room with a panicked look on her face, "Why are you crying?"
"Mummy!" Elara cried, running over to her mum who quickly knelt down and wrapped her arms around her as she tried to console her. "Daddy's being mean!"
"I am not being mean," Rodolphus said firmly as Nymphadora shot him a look filled with both worry and anger. "I haven't done anything."
"H-He won't l-let me leave—I don't want to be stuck in the wing all the time Mummy!" Elara sobbed into her mother's robes, her small body shaking as her mother rubbed her back.
"Shh, it's okay baby." Dora cooed as she kissed her daughters head.
"Elara—"
"No, Daddy!" Elara whined, "I don't want to talk to you."
"But—"
"Go away!" Elara snapped, her hair now red.
Dora looked up to the man with a small look of fright in her features yet again. He knew what she was thinking, she was worried he would take this out on the child—he would never, though he may have to take his frustrations out elsewhere later. He understood that children had these sort of tantrums before, he never believed he was such a child to do so but he had witnessed Bellatrix from a very young age. Perhaps it was a Black thing? Still, it hurt him to see his daughter act like this around him.
"Why don't we go get you a bath, Elara?" Dora asked, wiping the tears from her daughter's cheek, "Then I'll tuck you in and read you a book. Daddy can come back tomorrow."
"Don't want Daddy," Elara mumbled.
"I have to go meet Bellatrix before a meeting . . ." Rodolphus frowned as he watched his child, "I'll come to see you tomorrow Elara, maybe bring a gift?"
"No." Elara sniffed.
With a sigh he shook his head, going up to the girl and kissing her head despite the fact she clung to her mother on his approach, leaving the room as he thought of how on earth he would make his daughter happy again.
"Are you mad!?" Bellatrix cackled, looking to her husband with a look that told him she clearly did believe him to be mad.
"She's five, she's right in the fact she's not a prisoner, she's my daughter." Rodolphus ignored his wife's hiss of disapproval, "The Prisoner's wing isn't very big as it is anyway, what if we need the space? Elara should be allowed to live outside of that ward, with the same access to it as her mother of course."
"You are mad." Bellatrix scoffed, picking up her book from her bedside table again, she growled in annoyance as her husband walked over to her and took the book from her grasp. "Do you realise that you cannot let a five-year-old run around the Manor on their own?"
"Delphini has been doing it since she was younger than that," Rodolphus said simply.
"And who would dare hurt her?" Bellatrix raised an eyebrow at the man.
"No-one would dare touch my child either, you forget I can kill or torture just as easily as you can, Bella."
"No-one would dare?" Bellatrix smirked, "Are you sure?"
"You wouldn't." Rodolphus rolled his eyes, "The Dark Lord wants her to grow up to serve him, you know that he wouldn't take kindly to you tainting her view of us."
"Perhaps." Bellatrix shrugged, "I take it you are asking me this question as I have main power over those wards?"
"Yes," Rodolphus agreed, sitting next to his wife as he took her hand in her own, kissing her fingers as he gazed deeply into her dark eyes, "plus, this would upset Nymphadora, you know it would."
"It would." Bellatrix giggled, sitting up properly as she reached out and fingered the collar of the man's robes, "you know I like that . . ."
"I do."
"Hmm . . . Without a Dark Mark, I would have to go fetch her, key her into the wards myself physically." She smirked as her husband flinched, "You don't like me around your precious Elara, do you?"
"You scare her," Rodolphus answered.
"Aww, poor baby." Bellatrix pouted as she cooed in her infamous childlike tone, "Auntie Bella can be lots of fun if she wants to be."
"And you never want to be." Rodolphus shook his head.
"Well, that's because that is simply no fun, Roddy." She said matter of factly, suddenly jumping off of the bed and slipping her shoes on as she walked to the door, "Come on then, I'll pass it past The Dark Lord after the meeting."
Rodolphus nodded, following his wife as he worried after the cruel smirk now planted on her dark red lips. He had to wonder if this was a good idea, though he would do anything to make Elara happy and it was rather unacceptable that she felt her unhappiness was his fault at the moment. He would fix it.
Nymphadora and her children were all in her bedroom, the witch currently laid on her bed as Elara played with her hair whilst her son sat cross-legged on the end as he read the same book for the tenth time.
"Mum, can you get me a book?" Teddy asked innocently.
Dora bit her lip, taking a deep breath as she forced herself to open her eyes. "I can try Teddy . . . But—"
"I know, it's hard . . ." Teddy said with a sad smile.
"I can ask Daddy for a book." Elara mused as she plated her mother's hair, "Needs to be longer . . ."
"Your books are a little too young for Teddy darling." Dora sighed as she morphed her hair longer.
"He's seven." Elara pouted, "I'm five, that's not a big gap. Plus I'll tell Daddy I want smarter books."
"Thanks, Elara," Teddy said, frowning as his mother closed her eyes again. "Mummy, are you okay?"
"Mummy's fine, Teddy bear." Dora forced a slight smile, "Just a bit of a funny tummy."
"Can I do anything?" Teddy asked, crawling up beside his mother as he laid down in front of her.
"You know," Dora smiled as she leant forward and kissed her sons head, "I would love a glass of water."
"Okay." Teddy grinned, happy to help as he got up from the bed. He left the room to sounds of his sister humming happily as she platted their mother's hair, closing the door behind himself as he went to get some water. It was as he approached near the entrance to the ward that he stopped in his tracks. Rodolphus Lestrange couldn't keep the smirk off his lips as he looked down at the little boy, the child swallowing hard as he looked to the man in front of him. His eyes flickered behind him, a man was with him, he had been with Rodolphus a few times though Teddy never knew the man's name. He definitely knew the other person behind the man, Bellatrix Lestrange looked like she was about to burst into a fit of giggles as ran her tongue across her lips.
"Where is Elara?" Rodolphus said, repeating his question slightly louder as the boy jumped.
"She's with mum, in her room," Teddy said, trying not to glare at the man through his hair turned red.
"Oh," Bellatrix giggled, "angry little pup. You know, it's sir, 'in her room, sir'."
"Play nice, Bella." the second man sighed.
"You're not fun of late, Rab." Bellatrix pouted.
"Wait here, Bellatrix. I don't want you tempted to curse Nymphie in front of my daughter."
"You're no fun." Bellatrix scowled at the man.
"Keep an eye on her, Rabastan." Rodolphus rolled his eyes, barging past the little boy as he walked down to Nymphadora's room. He smiled at the sight of his daughter, still innocently plating her mother's hair, though he couldn't help but raise an eyebrow as Nymphadora didn't even open her eyes when he entered. "Hello princess." Rod sighed as the girl didn't answer, clearly still upset with him. He walked over to the bed, sitting next to the girl before he looked to her mother. "What's wrong with you?"
"Headache," Dora muttered. "Elara be nice to Daddy."
"I'm still mad at Daddy." Elara mumbled.
"I thought you wanted Daddy to get you books?" Dora sighed, turning onto her back as she looked to her daughter, forcing a smile.
"Yeah . . ." Elara sighed in defeat after a moment, turning to her father, "I want books, smart books. Not kid's books."
"Okay." Rodolphus couldn't help but chuckle at the girl's firmness, "I have a surprise for you."
"What is it?" Elara asked, trying to hold back her clear excitement as a surprise, ". . . I'm still mad at you."
"I don't think you will be soon," Rodolphus smirked.
"Will too."
"Will not."
"Will too."
"Okay," Rodolphus grinned, "How about you come outside and meet Daddy's . . . friend, then I promise you won't be mad."
"Friend?" Dora asked, forcing herself to sit up in bed.
"Yes, Nymphadora." Rodolphus smirked, "My wife can be my friend."
"Rodolphus—"
"Come on, Elara." Rodolphus took the girls hand, leading her up off the bed.
"Rodolphus you can't!" Nymphadora hissed, yelling in frustration as with a wave of his wand Dora could no longer pull herself off of the bed.
"She'll be fine. You want to meet Daddy's wife, don't you Elara?" Rodolphus asked, smirking as his daughter nodded after a moment, "See, come on. I'll be back to unstick you later, Nymphie." Rodolphus ignored the glaring woman as he took the girl from the room. She took a step closer to him as he reached his wife and brother.
"Hello Elara," Bellatrix grinned, leaning down to the girls level, "aren't you a pretty girl."
"Thanks . . ." Elara mumbled, leaning into her father's side as she held onto his arm.
"Bella's going to help put you in the wards, Elara," Rodolphus said, smiling as the girl stood up away from him slightly. "So you can get in and out of the wards alone."
"Really?" Elara asked, her hair tinging pink.
"Really," Bellatrix smirked, holding her hand out to the girl. "Come here, pet."
Elara hesitated for a moment, not noticing her father watching the woman carefully as she reached out and took her hand. "You're Daddy's wife?"
Bellatrix looked at the man for a moment before she smirked back at the little girl. "Yes, pet. Come on, I have things to do." She took the little girl to the entrance of the wing, just before the ward as she drew her wand. Elara watched her intently as Bellatrix placed one hand on the ward, the other resting on her shoulder as the woman seemingly concentrated whilst whispering under her breath.
"Done yet?" Rabastan sighed.
Bellatrix growled in response, hesitating for a moment before she nodded and let go of the girl. "There you go, pet."
"You know, I'd rather you not call her 'pet', Bellatrix." Rodolphus rolled her eyes.
"Well, I could call her much worse." She flashed a grin at the man, giggling as he glared at her before she looked down to Elara again, "You can leave the ward alone now, though don't try and take anyone with you. Come on Rabastan, I have a job for you." Without another word, Bellatrix left the ward.
Rabastan sighed, shaking his head, "Yes Mam." He winked at his niece, ruffling her hair before making his way to follow Bellatrix.
"You heard her, Princess." Rodolphus nodded to his daughter.
"That there was worse she could call me?" Elara frowned.
"No," Rodolphus sighed, "you can leave the ward. Come on, walk out on your own then I still have something to show you."
"Okay." Elara grinned, tucking her bright pink hair behind her ears before she ran at the ward, laughing in delight as she managed to pass it alone for the first time in her life. "I did it!"
Rodolphus laughed at the girl as he joined her on the other side of the ward "So you did, come on princess, I want to show you something."
Elara nodded enthusiastically as she followed her father, she hadn't been to the part of the manor he was taking her before. It already seemed different from the rest of the manor, more private and somehow slightly more . . . homely than the rest of the manor. The little girl winced as she bumped into her father's back when he stopped at one of the doors.
"Careful," Rodolphus said, turning around and winking at his daughter as she blushed up at him. "Come on."
He opened the door, watching Elara carefully as he motioned for her to go in ahead of her. It was the largest bedroom she had ever seen, it was true that her room was the largest in the prisoner's wing but this was at least twice the size. There was a large four poster bed, big enough for three people at least, a bookcase full of books, a large wardrobe and matching dressing table, a door slightly open showing her a glimpse of an ensuite. Elara frowned as she looked up to her father again.
"Is this your room?" Elara asked.
"No," Rodolphus chuckled, walking over to the bed, summoning his daughter to join him as he sat on the edge. "No, my room is down the hall—though don't try coming to my room unless you absolutely have to, I share it with Bella."
"So whose room is it then?"
Elara looked at her father in shock, the man unable to help himself as he laughed at the expression. "This is your room." He said simply. "There are rules if you want to stay in this room though, do you understand?" He waited for the girl to dumbly nod before he continued, "If you're outside of this room and the wing, you must be very careful. Do not go talking to anyone that you do not know when you are alone, your mother and I will both know when you've left the room. If you leave the Manor don't go too far out into the grounds—they are large but the edges are warded and you won't be able to get out of those alone. Only people you're related to by blood can get in here so they should be safe. Just be careful. You can still stay in the wing if you want to—your room isn't going to be taken away, you just have a choice now. Do you understand?"
"Yes!" Elara grinned, hugging her father's side. "Thank you, Daddy."
"You're welcome, princess." Rodolphus kissed the girls head before he got up. "I'm going to go back to your mother now, are you going to stay here?" Elara nodded, smiling as he leant down and kissed her head. "I'll come back tomorrow and show you around the manor, don't go wandering alone until then."
Elara agreed, nodding and hugging her father one last time before he said his goodbyes and left. She got up, looking around the room curiously. Her wardrobe was full of pretty dresses, some of her own and some completely new. There were new toys in the room, dolls, bears, the lot. She fell back onto the bed, giggling to herself as with a sigh of contentment she turned her head to smile at the picture of herself with her father when she was younger currently sat on her bedside table.
"Hello." Elara yelped in fright at the unfamiliar voice as she sat up straight on her bed, staring at the girl in her room. She must have been at most a few years older than her though she seemed so much older than that to little Elara, with silver hair and dark eyes dressed perfectly in her long dark dress. She smiled innocently, "Sorry, did I scare you? I tend to make people jump—I don't mean to, seems my appearance makes them uneasy."
"I'm not scared." Elara pouted, sitting back up properly on her bed.
"Oh," she shrugged, moving over and sitting on the end of the girl's bed, "because your hair's white. Nymphadora's hair turns white when she gets scared—it makes mum laugh."
Elara frowned in frustration for a moment before she screwed her features up, turning her hair a long sleek black "You're Bella's daughter."
"Delphini Riddle, heir to the Dark Lord," Delphi smirked at the younger girl as she looked impressed at the comment. "You can call me Delphi."
"Delphi . . ." Elara frowned again, "Are we related? Daddy said only people related to me can get in here."
"Well . . ." Delphi thought for a moment before she shrugged, "Your Father and my Mother are married . . . My Mother is your Mother's Aunt—I've heard Mum call herself 'Auntie' to Nymphadora a few times . . . So yes, I suppose so."
"Oh . . ." Elara thought for a moment before she smiled at the girl, "I don't have many relatives."
"I don't either—not as far as Mum's concerned at least." Delphi rolled her eyes, though she smirked slightly as she spoke.
"Well, you have me—If we're related," Elara said innocently.
"Don't go shouting that." Delphi laughed before she got up off of the bed.
"Sorry." Elara said automatically, ignoring her own confusion. " . . . Did you want something? I mean, you came in here for something, right?"
"For you," Delphi said matter of factly. "I saw Rodolphus leave and got curious. I'm bored now though, come on."
Elara stood up as the girl walked towards the door, though stopped as Delphi opened the door. "Daddy said not to go wandering alone—I don't think it's safe."
Delphi laughed again, her seeming amusement at everything making Elara curious. "Elara, you're not alone, you're with me. There's no-one safer to roam these halls with. Now come on," she walked over and took the girls hand, "I'm bored—we can explore, I'll show you my room if you want."
Elara hesitated for a moment, looking to the girl's hand in her own before she looked up to the grinning eight-year-old in front of her. She nodded, letting the girl lead her from the room. She couldn't help it, Delphi was good at convincing her without saying much at all. She was sure her father wouldn't mind if she went off with The Dark Lords daughter. She giggled in amusement along with the older girl as they left the room to have fun elsewhere.
