Rodolphus entered the Prisoners' Wing, whistling tunelessly as he made his way toward Nymphadora's room. He saw Andromeda out of the corner of his eye as she glared at him before going into her room. He couldn't help but laugh, wondering if that was the closest she'd come to slamming a door in the last few weeks.

Laughing at his own thoughts, Rodolphus pushed open the door to Dora's room and entered, letting it swing shut behind him. The witch was still lying on the bed, which was fine by him, but as she looked up at him, he noticed a sort of pain in her eyes. "What's got you so happy?" she growled at him. "And where's Elara?"

He laughed again. "I never expected to be hated by the three Black sisters," he said in amusement, sitting down next to the young witch as she closed her eyes and lay back on her pillows. "But I'm okay with that. Elara is in her new room."

"What?!" Dora said in alarm, her eyes flying open again. She looked at the father of her child in distrust. "What do you mean?"

"I mean, Nymphie," Rodolphus sighed, speaking very slowly, "Elara now has her own room down the hall from me. She is not a prisoner, as you are, of course; she is my daughter."

"She's my daughter too!" Nymphadora yelled at him, wincing as she put a hand to her head and lay back again.

"She can still visit you whenever she wants," Rodolphus shrugged. "Although, if I were her, I wouldn't want to see the wicked woman who abhors my existence." Nymphadora turned her face from him, her eyes closed, and he sighed, reaching out to stroke her hair out of her face. "Do you have no fight in you today, Nymphie? I'm in a very playful mood, as I'm sure you know by now..."

Nymphadora didn't speak for a moment, and then she muttered, "I don't feel well...I have a headache."

Rodolphus frowned, then said, "A potion, then?"

"Won't help," Dora groaned. "I only got them this bad before Teddy was born."

"Hmm," Rodolphus said, his heart beginning to beat faster. He pulled off his shirt, crawling beneath the sheets as he slipped his arms around the young witch. She cringed, and he held her carefully, wondering whether he wanted to tease her, or to just be nice for once to terrify her. "Shh," he murmured against her cheek. "You need to rest, Nymphie."

Disbelief radiated through her at his words, his arms warm and comforting around her. Nymphadora couldn't make sense of it through the havoc her headache and his actions were wreaking on her mind. "No," she muttered, but didn't move.

He guided her to press her face into his shoulder. "Shh," he said with a gentle caress along her backbone. "It's okay, Dora."

"I hate you," she sniffed, but she didn't move, relishing his gentle touch, especially as he ran his fingers through her hair, carefully massaging her scalp. Tears of relief trickled down her face, and he kissed them away as she cringed, the pain returning when he stopped. "Please," she said, her voice muffled as she pressed her face into his shoulder again.

Rodolphus felt triumphant as he gently gave her the relief she needed, the witch leaning into his touch willingly. He wondered for an instant if he could ever convince her that she wanted him, and then he almost laughed at himself. This was a means to an end, and nothing more. Nymphadora was definitely more fun when she was angry.


"Mum? Dad?"

The sound of her daughter's voice woke Dora from a sound sleep, and she swore before she could stop herself when she realised Rodolphus was still lying there beside her. "Elara, your mother was resting," Rodolphus chided her. "I'll be out there in a moment."

"I'm fine!" Dora shot back at him, taking a moment to return her red hair to her normal brown.

"I see," Rodolphus chuckled, and Elara seemed slightly confused.

"Well, I just wondered where you were," Elara said, backing out of the room and shutting the door on them.

Dora closed her eyes again, snuggling into the pillow. "Go away," she said to him.

Rodolphus shrugged and got out of the bed. "I'll be back," he smirked, pulling his shirt back on. "I promised to show Elara around the Manor now that she can run around on her own. She's got to know where she can and can't go."

"Well, it's your job to keep her alive now," Dora muttered into the pillow, and Rodolphus rolled his eyes, leaving the room.

Elara was waiting for him near the entrance of the ward, and immediately fell into step with him as he left the ward. "Dad," she said after a moment, "why did you stay there last night? I thought...you never stayed in the Prisoners' Ward?"

Rodolphus frowned slightly. "Well," he said, searching for some way to explain things to his daughter. "I often visit your mother, as you know, but I usually don't sleep there in the ward. I just fell asleep there last night, I suppose. You surprised me: I thought you'd be playing in your new room."

She grinned up at him. "Well, you promised to show me around," she said. "And you weren't in your room."

"You went to my room?!" Rodolphus said, staring down at his daughter in shock. "Was Bella there?"

"No," Elara rolled her eyes. "No one was. So I went looking for you, but Rab said you were probably visiting 'Nymphie.'" She giggled as she said the word. "And I found you with Mum." She looked very proud of herself.

"Don't go looking in my room for me," Rodolphus told her, more firmly than before. "Bella won't be very nice if she catches you."

"She won't hurt me," Elara shrugged, leaving her father to stare at her in disbelief. "But okay," she added hastily at his expression.

Rodolphus sighed, shaking his head. The girl had inherited her mother's infuriating naivete, that was certain. He decided to ignore this for the moment, pointing out different rooms and halls that Elara could explore, especially the adult library, which didn't seem to interest her at the moment. He smirked as he pointed out the door to the meeting room of the Death Eaters, and she nodded solemnly, looking at the symbols carved into the dark wood.

It was just as they were about to leave when that door opened, and Rodolphus immediately stepped back, pulling his daughter with them as he acknowledged the Dark Lord respectfully. Elara stared at the man curiously, however, not knowing how she was supposed to behave. "You're Delphi's dad!" she said with a smile.

Rodolphus could have died of embarrassment. Of all the things his daughter could have said—however she might have said "you're the Dark Lord"—she chose to say, "You're Delphi's dad!" He gritted his teeth and said, "Sorry, My Lord, I did not think to prepare her for a meeting such as this."

"You have met Delphini?" the Dark Lord said to the girl, seeming amused at Rodolphus' discomfort.

"She came to see me yesterday after Dad left," Elara answered eagerly. "She's cool!"

Rodolphus very much wanted to drag his daughter away from the Dark Lord and scold her harshly for her misplaced words, but the Dark Lord merely laughed. "Well, carry on," he told them. "I will be calling your father away before long."

Elara nodded, placing her hand in her father's as Rodolphus bowed to the Dark Lord and almost dragged Elara away from him. "Dad, stop!" Elara protested, pulling away from him as they reached her room. "What's wrong with you?"

"With me?!" Rodolphus ran a hand through his hair, turning away from his daughter as he tried to think what to say to her. "Elara, that was the Dark Lord. You do not talk to him about common things. You do not call him 'Delphi's dad.' You say 'My Lord,' and 'Yes, My Lord.' And you do not tell him his daughter is cool!"

Elara's brow wrinkled in confusion. "But—"

"No," Rodolphus said firmly. "We serve him, Elara. You can't say just anything that comes to your mind to him. You must be careful; you must guard your tongue and be mindful of what you say to him. Do you understand?"

Elara turned away with a pout. "Yes," she said sullenly.

Something else suddenly dawned on Rodolphus. "Delphi was here?" he said in a hushed voice. "What did she do? What did she say to you?"

"She said she wanted to meet me and see what I was like," Elara said, suddenly not wanting to tell her father that she and Delphi had run around the manor together.

"Remember, Elara," Rodolphus sighed, "she is very powerful, even though she is a child, because she is the Dark Lord's daughter. If she comes to see you again, don't do or say anything that will upset her."

Elara nodded, though she was grinning inside. "Will you read to me before you have to go?" she asked him, and he nodded. Anything to keep his mind off what could happen if his daughter fell ill of the Dark Lord or Delphi.


The next evening, Rodolphus entered the Prisoners' Ward and made his way to Nymphadora's room only to find that she was in the bath. He merely sat down on the witch's bed and lay back, shutting his eyes and sighing as he waited for her to return.

Dora just looked at him when she walked into the room, then tossed her clothes aside for the house elves to pick up. "I'm tired," she said testily.

"Come sit down," Rodolphus invited her, indicating his lap.

Dora shook her head, and he gave her a disapproving look. "Now, now, Nymphie," he said softly, "play nice. Trust me: it's not what you think."

"I don't think anymore," Dora muttered.

"It's better if you don't," Rodolphus agreed. "Better to just feel it."

"I hate you," Dora groaned.

"Come here, Nymphadora," Rodolphus insisted more firmly. "Don't make me angry. I don't really want to hurt you today."

"Yeah?" Dora challenged. "And what makes today different from the rest of the days?"

Rodolphus motioned her toward him. "Come find out," he grinned.

With a huff of exasperation, she crossed the room and seated herself on his lap. "So tell me," she demanded.

"Patience," he breathed, wrapping his arms around her. He embraced her for several long moments, kissing her gently before drawing his wand.

"Stop!" Dora panicked, her heart beginning to pound in fear as her hair shot white. "I didn't do anyth—ah!"

She clutched at her stomach with both hands, feeling the spell race through her with such strong intent that she was sure she would be sick. She felt terrified as the man breathed, "Nymphadora!"

Dora began to cry, and Rodolphus embraced her tenderly, which only made her cry harder. "You're pregnant," he breathed in her ear. "Oh, Dora—your potions—weren't you taking them?"

"No, no, no," Dora wept. "She stopped giving them to me a while back. I knew this would happen. I began to suspect it a few days ago—oh no, not again!"

"Surely I don't have to convince you to keep the child this time?" Rodolphus murmured to her, his eyes narrowing as he pulled her to look directly into his eyes.

"No," Dora sobbed, closing her eyes as tears began to stream down her face. "I don't want it!"

His arms tightened around her and he hissed in her ear, "You don't want to play that game with me, Nymphie. You will carry this child just as you carried Elara."

The witch tensed in his arms. "Go away," she said bitterly. Rodolphus held her more tightly, and she continued to speak in a strangely calm voice unlike her own. "Tell your brother, tell Bellatrix, call the Healer here tomorrow. I want to be alone right now."

"I don't trust you, Nymphie," Rodolphus sighed, though his eyes were lit with excitement. "Perhaps I should stay with you tonight."

Nymphadora pulled away from him, shuffling away from him as he got to his feet, a look of anger in his eyes. "I—I need to talk to Mum," she said, forcing her hair not to turn white. "It's safe for now."

Rodolphus glared at her, standing right in front of her as his fingers twitched toward his wand. "How can you promise, Nymphie?"

She hesitated for a moment, then leaned up and pressed her lips to his cheek, wrapping her arms around his neck. "The child is safe from me," she whispered, unable to keep the bitterness out of her voice.

"Good Nymphie," he murmured, his hand gripping her hip harshly as he pulled her closer for a moment, kissing her full on the mouth. She didn't fight him, to his disappointment, and he let her go, stepping back. "I'll be back soon," he said, then left Nymphadora to her thoughts.


Andromeda was just getting ready for bed when the door of her room opened and she grabbed her wand, whirling to face the intruder. "Dora," she sighed, stepping back and shaking her head at the younger witch. "You know better than to burst into a room without knocking."

"Mum," Dora whimpered, her hair shooting white as she seemed to stumble slightly.

"Dora!" Andromeda rushed forward, grabbing her daughter and helping her to the bed. "What's happened to you?"

"It's happened again," Dora sobbed, burying her face in her hands. "I'm pregnant." She cried harder at the sound of her own words, and Andromeda stared at her in shock.

"But—the potions!" Andromeda said.

Nymphadora shook her head, tears streaming down her cheeks. "I haven't had them for weeks," she said. "I've been trying to be so careful!"

Andromeda hugged her daughter gently, taking a deep breath as she worked out what to say to the girl. "It's going to be okay—"

"It's NOT going to be okay," Dora yelled, pushing her mother away. "I didn't want the first one, and I don't want the second one, either!"

"Dora, you love Elara, and you'll grow to love this one, too," Andromeda said quietly. "You know you will."

"I won't." Dora crossed her arms in front of her and glared at the floor, blinded by her tears. "I hate him and his children."

"It's not their fault," Andromeda murmured, seeing her daughter dash away angry tears. "You do love your children."

Dora clung to her mother, crying inconsolably. "I can't do it," she cried. "What's to protect me from Bellatrix? What's to keep anyone from hurting me this time?"

Andromeda sighed softly. "Well," she said, "Rodolphus will do anything to keep this child, most likely—he does know, doesn't he?"

"Yeah," Dora wept. "He did the test spell a little while ago. I couldn't bring myself to do it—I don't even know how."

"Rodolphus will protect you," Andromeda said, shaking her head slightly. "He'd do anything for an heir, I think. You don't even know when you're due, do you?"

"No," the witch sniffed. "Rodolphus said he'd have the Healer visit tomorrow."

"Then you need rest," Andromeda said decisively. "Do you want me to stay with you, in case they come early tomorrow?"

Nymphadora nodded, then got to her feet, tears still trickling down her face. Andromeda walked from the room with her after grabbing a dress out of her wardrobe just in case.


Rodolphus sat on the edge of Nymphadora's bed, his hand on her stomach as she lay there silently, tears on her cheeks. The Healer had just left them, and Rodolphus was thrilled with the news he had told them. Nymphie was eight and a half weeks along, and the baby was perfectly healthy, though its mother was deficient in several different vitamins and things.

"I don't need to remind you to take those potions, right?" Rodolphus murmured to the witch, stroking her stomach reverently. "You know what to do."

"Yes," Dora muttered resentfully, closing her eyes tightly as he continued to watch and touch her stomach. "Rodolphus, stop," she groaned, grasping his hand after a moment. "I don't feel well, and you're making it worse."

"Oh, Nymphie," Rodolphus pouted, "you should be happy about this! It means you're somewhat safer from me for a little while. Though I'm sure I can put you to good use anyway..."

Nymphadora carefully pulled her shirt down, taking his hand in hers. "You'll have to be the one to tell Elara: I don't know if I can tell her the right way."

Rodolphus' eyes narrowed as he pulled his hand away from her. "What do you mean, 'the right way'?"

"In the way you would want," Dora said coldly. "I'm hardly excited, you know." She was unnerved when Rodolphus got to his feet and walked out without another word. She could only worry about what he was thinking, and what he was doing.


Rabastan Lestrange shook his head, accepting the glass of wine from his brother. "What have you done to make you so happy?" Rabastan asked with a smirk, one eyebrow raised. "I seem to remember something like this before everyone found out about Elara."

"You're not wrong," Rodolphus grinned, joy all over his face as he leaned back against the wall of the library. "Elara's getting a brother or sister." He laughed, reaching out to keep his brother from smashing the glass in his hand.

"Poor helpless Nymphie," Rabastan laughed too, ducking a playful punch from his brother.

"She's fine," Rodolphus said, rolling his eyes. "Unhappy, but fine. I can't wait to tell Elara about it—I think she'll be excited too."

Rabastan nodded, his eyes lighting up as well. "You'll be okay with a half-blood heir, if it comes to that?" he asked after a moment.

Rodolphus' face hardened. "If that's all I can get, then I will take it," he said coldly.

"And another question," Rabastan continued, smirking as his brother glared at him. "Does Bellatrix know yet?"

"No," Rodolphus muttered. "I'm trying to figure out how to convince her...I just need a while to think about it. But I won't let anything happen to the child while I'm around Dora. I'll just have to make sure that Bella doesn't try anything this time either—after all, Bella's the one who stopped giving her those potions. If she'd really wanted to keep this from happening, she would have."

"Would she?" Rabastan rolled his eyes. "She's insane; who knows what she was thinking?"

Rodolphus sighed and shook his head. "You wouldn't understand. I'm sure she meant for this to happen even if she didn't."

Rabastan looked at his brother for a moment, then muttered, "I don't know how you deal with both Bella and Nymphie."

Rodolphus shrugged, downing the last of his wine. "They balance each other, though they are equally frustrating." The younger man spluttered with laughter, and Rodolphus turned and walked past the rows of shelves to the door. "I've got to go see Elara for a bit: I promised her I'd retrieve her for lunch."

"To eat with us?" Rabastan said in surprise. "Is that wise?"

"She has to learn it eventually," Rodolphus told his brother. "I want to make sure Andromeda and Narcissa are teaching my daughter properly."

"Oh." Rabastan shook his head. "I think I'll take lunch in my room."

"You are infuriating," Rodolphus growled at his brother and stormed away without another word. He made his way through the manor to his daughter's room and pushed the door open. "Elara," he began, "are you ready for—" he barely kept himself from swearing just in time, for sitting in his daughter's room on her bed was Delphini Riddle. "What are you doing in here?" he said instead, immediately sure that it was no better than his previous thoughts. His concern grew when he finally realised that Elara was sporting bright red hair.

"You should knock before entering a room that isn't yours, Rodolphus," Delphini answered, turning to the man with a smirk.

Elara giggled, her hair turning a pale pink as she looked up at her father. "We're talking, Dad," she told him, wrapping her arms as far around him as she could when he placed a protective hand on her shoulder.

He was at a loss for words, confused at how comfortable Elara was at having the Dark Lord's daughter in her room—Elara clearly did not understand the danger. It did annoy him to have Bellatrix's daughter smirking at him, but there wasn't a thing he could safely do to send her away. Finally, he asked Elara, "Why was your hair red when I walked in?"

"Oh," Elara grinned. "I was telling her what Mum says about Bella."

Rodolphus glanced between the two girls, Elara giggling and Delphi grinning at him. "I'm not sure that's wise, Elara," he sighed. "Your mother—"

"Nymphie," Delphi said simply, "hates me, my mother, and my father. And quite a lot of the rest of us, as well. She can be somewhat amusing, as I'm sure you will agree." She smirked knowingly up at the other girl's father.

"Yes," Rodolphus answered, allowing a small smirk to come to his lips as he remembered his most recent exploits with Nymphadora. "I'm sure you've heard plenty about me from your mother, haven't you?"

"Nothing I'm sure she hasn't told you a thousand times," Delphi smirked, a huff of laughter escaping her. She got to her feet. "I'll leave you to your daughter...it seems there is something important on your mind."

Rodolphus shook his head slightly after Delphini left the room and turned to his daughter. He lifted her into his arms and carried her to the bed, sitting down with her on his lap. "I have some special news, Elara," he told her softly, though his eyes were lit with excitement.

"What is it?" Elara asked curiously, grinning at her father as she sensed his happiness over the matter.

"You're not going to be an only child anymore, beautiful. Your mother is going to give you a little brother or sister in a few months," Rodolphus told her, a smile breaking across his face. The girl frowned, and he hugged her firmly. "It'll be nice for you to have a sibling, I think," he told her. "It means a friend and playmate for you."

"But Delphi's my friend," Elara said with a slight pout.

"Elara, first of all, Delphi's not the kind of person you should be friends with," Rodolphus told her firmly. "Second, she probably just wants you to talk about what happens in the Prisoners' Ward so she can tell her parents—don't interrupt me," he said sternly when she went to say something in protest. "I want you to be safe and happy, Elara. You'll be safe with a little brother or sister."

"She'll be back," Elara said defiantly, and in that moment, looked far too much like her mother. "Delphi likes me, and you can't tell her what to do."

"Do not speak to me like that," Rodolphus said warningly. "You should be excited about another child in the family."

"I have a brother," Elara sighed, rolling her eyes at her dad's look of attempted calm. "Dad," she pouted, "You're being mean."

Rodolphus sighed, looked into his daughter's eyes. "I want you to have a friend to play with," he murmured. "Don't be upset, Elara. I want you to be happy."

Elara watched her father for a moment more before snuggling into his the front of his shirt. "I am happy," she sighed.

"Good," Rodolphus said, kissing the girl's head. "I love you, my daughter."

"I love you too, Dad," Elara sighed after a minute. She wasn't about to forget that he didn't want her to be friends with Delphini, but she wouldn't give that up so easily.


Oh, Elara, you are your mother's daughter XD Poor Roddy xD

Dora