Thank you so much to everyone who has followed this story so far.
As always, please read, enjoy and please do leave a review if you have a moment!
Bella
Rodolphus walked towards his bedroom, a sense of nervous fright in the pit of his stomach, the likes of which he had not felt in years. He had put off telling his wife of his pending new arrival, he was sure she would not be surprised by this discovery if his predictions were correct and his wife had knowingly not given Nymphadora her potions. Either way, he was not expecting this conversation to be pleasant. He took a deep breath as he entered his bedroom, though for the second time that day he had to stop himself from swearing at the sight of Delphini Riddle sat at her mother's vanity table as she talked to her mother sat on the bed.
"Rodolphus." Bellatrix rolled her eyes. "Do you want something from me or are you merely here to irritate me with your presence?"
"He wants something," Delphini smirked.
Rodolphus had to stop himself glaring at the girl, she was almost as infuriating as her mother. "I need to talk to you."
"Is this the same reason you walked in on my daughter and Elara?" Bellatrix narrowed her eyes at the man, clearly unamused.
"Well, in his defence—" Delphi ignored the snort of laughter from her mother "—I offered to leave. Is she alone in her room again?"
"Yes." Rodolphus hesitated to speak, he did not want the girl around his daughter though in truth he was powerless to stop her. "Though she may have gone to see her mother."
"Oh well," Delphi jumped to her feet again. "I'll go check. Perhaps I'll take a wander to the prisoner's ward—"
"Your father told you to stay out of that ward, Delphini. You must listen to your father." Bellatrix pulled her gaze from her husband quickly as she shot a warning look at her daughter. Rodolphus couldn't help but smirk slightly to watch the girl be scolded by her mother.
"I do listen." Delphi smiled sweetly, walking over to her mother and kissing her cheek. "I listen all the time."
"You know what I mean," Bellatrix warned.
"Yes, mother." Delphini sighed, "I will listen just as much as you did to your father."
"You listen as much as I do to your father!" Bellatrix snapped, wincing instantly the moment Delphi couldn't help but jump back slightly at the woman's temper. "I—"
"I'll listen mother." Delphi smiled at the woman, reaching out and squeezing the woman's hand. "Maybe I'll go for a walk if Elara is out of her room. I'll see you later."
Rodolphus watched the girl leave the room, sorely wishing she had not been here in the first place as Bellatrix let out a hiss of annoyance the moment the door was closed. The last thing he needed was to have Bellatrix already agitated before he had even managed to talk to her.
"I don't want that brat around my daughter!" Bellatrix growled, getting up from her seat as she glared at her husband "She told me that she was talking with your daughter—apparently not the first time she's been to see her. She seems to find her quite fascinating, was talking quite avidly about her. I don't like it!"
"You're not the only one," Rodolphus said.
"And what is that supposed to mean!?" Bellatrix shrieked, "You should be honoured that my daughter would even give your daughter a second thought!"
Rodolphus forced himself not to speak his true thoughts, shaking his head as he managed to stretch his lips into a small smile "No, Bellatrix. Merely the Dark Lord's child probably should not be liaising with her, especially should her parents disapprove of such things."
Bellatrix considered the man for a moment, though she visibly calmed as she raised an eyebrow at the man. "Delphi said she left Elara because you clearly had something important on your mind. What have you done?"
"Well, Ma Belle, I don't truly believe I've done anything—no different to what I've been doing the past . . . six years?" Rodolphus tried with all of his might to stop the grin the thought of his unborn child brought.
"Oh?" Bellatrix rolled her eyes, walking over to her vanity and picking up her lipstick, "Really Rodolphus, I do not have the time for your nonsense, if you've got something to tell me doing it quickly—I have to meet with The Dark Lord shortly."
"Fine." Rodolphus paused a moment before he walked to his wife's side, his hand ready to draw his wand at a moment's notice in case he encountered a repeat of last time. "Nymphadora hasn't received any potions from you—for a long time—she's pregnant again."
Bellatrix looked to her husband in the mirror for a moment, slowly taking the lid off of her lipstick and applying the dark shade to her lips. "You know that feeling you get when you know you've forgotten something?" Bellatrix smirked, continuing with a voice of mock innocence. "Well, that must have been it."
"Did you do this on purpose?" Rodolphus asked, both confused and intrigued by his wife at this moment.
"Well," Bellatrix shrugged as she turned to her husband. "I simply stopped caring, to be perfectly honest with you. If I can't kill the girl I may as well put her through hell as much as I can, besides another Metamorphmagus would be of some use I suppose—Don't look so smug." Bellatrix grinned, "You won't get the same preferential treatment as last time, someone has called in their one and only favour from The Dark Lord."
"Bellatrix she can't go out when she's pregnant." Rodolphus insisted.
"She can and she will." Bella laughed, "I mean, I could talk to the Dark Lord—I'll be sure to mention it to him. Though I will mention that there are plenty of wards that can be used by both her and yourself and it would ever such a hindrance to my upcoming plans to not have a metamorphmagus to be able to use."
"Bellatrix—!"
"Shh!" Bellatrix giggled as she placed a finger on her husband's lips, "He may not take my advice—though I highly doubt it." The woman leant into her husband, humming to herself before placing a kiss on his cheek, "You know, I think I'll enjoy this so much more than last time."
"If you purposely harm that child I will—"
"You will what?" Bellatrix smirked, unable to contain her amusement as she laughed in the mans face watching his eyes burn with fury towards her. "Nothing. You'll do nothing." The woman sighed mockingly as she stepped away from the man. "Now, if you'll excuse me I clearly have more things to discuss with The Dark Lord than I thought."
Rodolphus watched Bellatrix leave the room, trying to get his thoughts straight. He could not handle his wife in the slightest anymore, he sometimes found himself wishing for the times before Azkaban (even after Azkaban so long as it was before Delphini was conceived) where Bellatrix was far more controllable in his opinion and when he had been able to contain her more freely. Though he dared not say that to her face now. With a groan of frustration, Rodolphus sat on his bed, trying to figure out what on earth to do if Nymphadora was forced to continue with her missions.
Nymphadora Lupin was currently sat on the floor of her bathroom, her head rested on the edge of the toilet seat as she took deep breaths to try and calm her nausea. She let out a small groan as she rested a hand on her stomach, gently stroking the now barely visible (though dreadfully apparent to her) bump through the fabric of her dress.
"I said I'd come to meet you in your room, Elara." Dora forced herself to speak at the sound of the bathroom door opening.
"She did say that," Rodolphus mused, causing Nymphadora to groan in annoyance as she closed her eyes, "though she also mentioned that you near enough screamed that at her as you ran out of the room suddenly . . . Feeling sick?"
"No," Dora scoffed sarcastically, "I just enjoy spending my Saturday mornings with my head down the toilet. It's surprisingly peaceful."
"You were given potions for morning sickness, are they not working?" Rodolphus asked as he walked over to the woman, leaning against the wall as she turned to glare at him.
"Of course they're not, idiot!" Dora snapped.
"Hormones, Nymphie," Rodolphus smirked. "You should try to keep those in line. You know hugging a toilet isn't the most graceful of positions to be in—though you've never been very graceful, have you?"
"Oh I'm sorry, next time I'll vomit all over the corridor as Elara tries to pull me off somewhere—Get off!" Dora growled as Rodolphus took her by the arm and pulled her to her feet, her hair now turning bright red. "I can get up myself, I'm not the size of a house yet."
"Maybe I should ask Greer for a stronger morning sickness potion," Rodolphus mused, not paying attention to the witch pulling away from his grasp "or something to calm your hormones."
"You—!" Dora stopped in her tracks to the bathroom door, gasping in shock.
"What is it?" Rodolphus asked, "What's wrong? Is it the baby?"
"No . . . I need to go lay down." Nymphadora went to leave, yelling as he grabbed her and turned her to face him.
"You're staying here until you tell me what's wrong," Rodolphus warned.
"I can't!" Dora growled, trying to pull away for a few more moments before she gave in, "Fine. I'm being summoned."
The man's look hardened for a moment, the pair's eyes locking before Rodolphus moved Nymphadora to stand against the wall, drawing his wand. He ignored the girl's sudden look of panic before he pointed the wood at her stomach, performing every protecting charm he could think of for his unborn child.
"What? You think I trust that you've protected the child already?" Rodolphus rolled his eyes when he was finished, taking the witches hand and making his way out of the ward.
"No, I—Rodolphus what are you doing?" Dora asked, though she continued to walk as the pain in her arm began to increase.
"Going with you," Rodolphus replied simply.
Dora sighed, yanking on the man's hand to turn him away from the meeting room and towards Bellatrix's playroom.
"I'll kill her," Rodolphus muttered.
"Please do." Dora couldn't help but smirk slightly.
"It was a figure of speech." Rodolphus huffed, walking in silence the rest of the way.
Nymphadora paused for a moment as she reached the door, biting her lip to calm her nerves. She did have to admit that having Rodolphus stood behind her did help her slightly, she doubted that Bellatrix would be able to get much of a shot in at her with the man obsessing over the safety of his unborn child.
"Nymphadora!" Bellatrix snapped as the door opened, "I called you at least half an hour ago, you know better than to keep me waiting."
"Bellatrix, don't exaggerate so much," Rodolphus spoke as he entered the room behind the girl, shutting the door behind her.
"I didn't call you." Bellatrix narrowed her eyes at the man.
"I know, I was simply . . . in the area." Rodolphus returned his wife's gaze, trying with all his might to act civil in front of Nymphadora, despite his anger at the woman.
"Oh, really?" Bellatrix raised an eyebrow, smirking as she walked over to Nymphadora, not missing the cringe of the woman as she took her arm. She turned the girl around, resting her head on her shoulder as she looked to her husband with feigned innocence. "Well, I wish to speak to my niece. Girl to girl. Off you pop."
"Bellatrix—"
"Rodolphus." Bellatrix laughed, "Leave."
"I would rather stay." Rodolphus couldn't help but glare at the woman's amusement.
"Well, that's a shame." Bellatrix pouted, "Because I think you'll find that I have the power to tell you to leave if I so wish—and I do wish it. Or would you like to tell The Dark Lord how you refused a simple order? Go, I believe your daughter is waiting for you—I did see her briefly."
Rodolphus went to protest, opening and closing his mouth before with a barely contained growl he forced himself to nod his head to his wife. Bellatrix laughed as the man stormed from the room, slamming the door behind him.
"Oh, he does amuse me sometimes." Bellatrix sighed as she pushed her niece away from her harshly, Dora barely able to stop herself from falling over as she grabbed onto the wall for support. "Clumsy."
"What do you want?" Dora snapped, instantly damning her irritated hormones as her Aunt raised both her eyebrows at her.
"You know, you should watch your tone." Bellatrix shook her head, twirling her wand between her fingers, "You're getting far too . . . sassy, for my liking."
". . . How can I help you?" Dora forced herself to remove the annoyance from her tone, even managing a small twitch of a smile that only made Bellatrix laugh again.
"Oh, Nymphie." Bellatrix tutted, "You know, I've been hearing your name far more of late than I would usually find acceptable."
"Oh?" Dora's hand instinctively went to her stomach, not missing the woman's dark eyes flickering to her stomach for a brief moment.
"Your child . . . Elara," Bellatrix said.
"Why did you see her?" Dora couldn't stop herself from blurting out her question, the last thing she wanted to think about was Bellatrix Lestrange around any of her children whilst she wasn't there.
"Aww, is Mummy worried?" Bellatrix taunted, "Scared big bad Auntie Bella has been up to trouble? Well no." the pout from the woman's face was soon replaced with a glare of annoyance. "I was looking for Delphini to tell her her father wanted her. Your child has been attempting to make a friendship with my daughter. I do not want her fraternising with your brat. Do you understand?"
"I—" Dora shook her head, unable to come up with anything she knew the witch would want to hear. "She's five, Delphini is . . . eight?"
"Your point?" Bellatrix snapped, gripping onto her wand worryingly tightly as she glared at her niece.
"They are the closest to each other's ages than they are anyone else in this manor, children make friends that's life." Bellatrix hissed at this comment, Dora's gaze darting to her wand for a moment "Look I don't like it either—"
"Oh? Is Delphini not good enough for your brat?" Bellatrix barked.
"No—I mean, yes but that's not what I meant." Dora let her hand rest on her wand, conscious that Bellatrix was clearly not becoming any less angry at her as each moment passed, "I just—Delphini was the one that came to Elara, as I hear it. Besides, do you think I can stop Elara talking to people I didn't want her to talk to? If that was the case she wouldn't go anywhere near Rodolphus." Bellatrix couldn't help but let out a huff of laughter at that. "If you want to get someone who can convince her to stay away, talk to her father. Though if Delphini wants to talk to Elara I doubt you could stop your daughter . . . if you could you wouldn't bring me here to ask me to talk to Elara."
Bellatrix glared at the woman, making the younger woman more nervous by the moment as she seemed to be thinking about something. It was never good when Bellatrix thought about something. As Bellatrix slowly walked over to her she forced herself to stand still on the spot, despite all of her instincts to try and curse the bitch and run.
"That's not why I brought you here." Bellatrix barely whispered as she reached the girl, close enough that their noses were nearly touching. "I brought you here because of this . . ." Nymphadora forced herself not to react as the sensation of Bella's nails tracing her stomach before resting her palm flat on the front of her dress spent chills up her spine. "You're already showing slightly . . . how far along are you?"
"12 weeks tomorrow." Dora breathed.
"Stupid girl, you would have thought you would know better than to get pregnant again," Bellatrix smirked.
"You stopped giving me the potions," Dora spoke through gritted teeth.
"Did I now?" Bellatrix cocked her head, "Well, perhaps I got bored of getting them for someone who fails to succeed in the most basic of missions." Bellatrix laughed as she watched the horrified look of realisation wash over her niece. "Yes, Dora, I did on purpose—I even had The Dark Lord's approval on the matter."
"You let him do this?" Dora cried, unable to hold back the single tear that escaped her eye.
"Aww," Bella pouted, lifting her hand up to gently wipe the tear from her cheek, "did you think I called you here to get rid of your little problem?"
"D-Did he know?" Dora sniffed, trying to stop more tears from falling.
"Of course not, where's the fun in that?" Bellatrix laughed, "You see, Nymphie, there are two options for you. Either you be compliant, you become a good servant and do as your told . . . or you create more little brats so we eventually get a half decent Death Eater out of you—one way or another we get what we want."
"You're sick," Dora said.
"So you've told me more before, really it gets boring hearing that so much. Think of a better insult, dear." Bellatrix rolled her eyes. "Now, I'm going to give you chances here—I'm nice like that. But we can play this game as long as you want; as long as we need to. But don't be naïve, you won't get it easy this time. I mean waiting for children to grow up enough to be used in service takes patience that I don't necessarily have. You're going to continue to serve even with that thing inside of you."
"Rodolphus—"
"Will be terribly angry if you lose it, though I think you'll find he'll take that out on yourself, not me—he can't." Bellatrix giggled, acting as if this was the best joke she had heard in a long time. Nymphadora could do nothing but pray that that was all it was, a joke, though she knew it wasn't. "Though Rodolphus can't argue with The Dark Lord and this is his order, though my suggestion. Really if you took a moment you might actually see the brilliance in it."
"I hate you." Dora cried.
"Oh Nymphie," Bella tutted, "you've told me that countless times. But save your energy for better things than hatred, you have a mission tomorrow. I hope you do well, for your sake, though I doubt you will." Dora lost control as her emotions got the better of her, unable to stop herself crying in her despair at the situation. To her horror she felt Bellatrix wrap her arms around her, resting her chin on her shoulder again as she embraced her. "Shhh, wouldn't want to cause any undue stress on the child." Dora bit her lip, cringing as she felt her Aunt kiss her cheek before stepping away. "Now go, this has been fun but I told Delphini I'd teach her some things after she met with her father. Off you go . . . now."
Dora turned on the spot, near enough running from the room. She didn't stop until she reached her bedroom, collapsing on the bed as she let herself cry hysterically. Just hours previously she had wondered how on earth her life could possibly get any worse. Though as she gripped onto her pillow, barely able to control her emotions anymore knowing that Rodolphus would soon come to her to find out what his wife had wanted from her, she knew there was always a way to think up new and cruel torture in hell.
