So as a lot of these chapters have been written for a while, I'm actually currently working on chapter 49 . . . I say that, life has gotten in the way and I've barely written anything the last month. So yay for prewritten chapters! haha
As always please read, enjoy and please do leave a review!
Bella
Nymphadora had her arm entwined in one of Rod's own, his other arm cradled around their child. It wasn't her first choice, but when she discovered it was still difficult to walk on her own (Rodolphus had quickly grown tired of attempting to grab her when she stumbled every odd step) and the hospital advised they would not be releasing the baby without its mother also being released, she had found herself with no choice but to allow Rodolphus to support her slightly.
Though the moment they entered the prisoner's ward Nymphadora pulled her arm from his own, a grin flashing on her features as she heard both of her children yell out for her.
"Mummy!" both Teddy and Elara yelled, running up to her as she held out her arms and hugging her tightly. She kissed both of their heads and held them close, biting back the pain from the impact of the two of them running at her.
"Be gentle," Andromeda said, walking up behind them, "Give your mother some space, children."
"They're okay," Dora sighed happily, kissing the both of them again though they stood back as their grandmother instructed.
"Elara," Rodolphus said, nodding to her mother's room as he walked towards the door, "come meet your brother."
Elara smiled, following her father into the room. Teddy looked after them somewhat sadly and Nymphadora sighed, hugging him and kissing his head again, "You can come meet him when Rod's gone, okay?" Teddy simply nodded, Andromeda walking to the boy and placing a hand on his shoulder.
"You best follow him in there, Dora," she said, "I'll bring Teddy in later."
Dora nodded, ruffling her eldest son's hair and giving him a reassuring smile as she walked into the room. A cot had been placed against the wall in her absence, along with a vast amount of items for Reuben that she had to wonder how Rodolphus had gotten it to fit in there. She sighed and went to sit on the bed next to Elara, who currently had her father sat on the other side of her as she looked curiously at her little brother.
"He's tiny . . ." Elara said, frowning slightly, "was I that small once?"
"Not quite as small," Rodolphus said, flashing a look at Dora over their daughter's head. Though she couldn't help but frown slightly as he did not look back at their child, instead looking to the clock on the bedside table as if he were waiting for something.
"What's his name?" Elara asked, looking to her Mother this time as she leant into her side.
"Reuben," Dora sighed, wrapping an arm around her and forcing a smile, "Reuben Rodolphus Lestrange."
"Oh, so he has Daddy's middle name?" Elara asked.
"Yes," Dora said, "Your father named him, I—" Dora hissed slightly as pain surged through her left arm. Her eyes widened, "I am not—"
"Elara, go get your Grandmother and come back to me." Rodolphus asked Elara softly, "Now, please."
Elara let out a small huff, but nodded and went for her grandmother all the same.
"You too?" Dora asked, frowning slightly as the man gave a slight nod and stood to his feet. "Why don't you seem surprised? What's going on?"
"Not now." Rodolphus said bluntly, walking over to Andromeda when she entered the room and placing his son in her arms, "he's not long been fed and I don't expect us to be too long."
Andromeda nodded slightly, looking down to her grandson. Nymphadora stood up, pulling a pain killing potion that the healer had given her from her pocket and taking a quick swig in hopes she'd be better able to walk unaided.
"Elara?" Rodolphus said, and when Nymphadora turned to face the pair she was horrified to see that he was holding his hand out for their daughter, "Come on."
"W-What?" Elara stuttered, her hair draining white, "You're going to see The Dark Lord, aren't you?"
Rodolphus nodded, not moving his hand from its outstretched position. "You're coming with us."
Dora couldn't help but let a small gasp escape at his words and was slightly relieved as it was disguised by her daughter's whimper. "I don't want to go," Elara shook her head, tears welling up in her big brown eyes, "he's angry at me. I interrupted your meeting a-and h-he knows I hurt Delphi, doesn't he?"
Nymphadora felt her heart ache as she watched the girl sniffing, wishing more than anything that she could stop the girl having to go with them. Though she knew if Rodolphus was the one trying to get her to come it was useless, their daughter had to see The Dark Lord and there was nothing that she could do about it. She walked over to her daughter and bent down in front of her, ignoring the increasing pain of her mark as she stroked the hair out of her daughter's face and put her hands on her shoulders.
"Shh, Elara," Dora said quietly, "It's okay. I don't want to go either. But the longer we put off going the worse it'll get, Mummy's done that before and it wasn't a good idea. But it's okay, because we're going to be with you," Dora attempted to smile reassuringly at the girl as she wiped the tears from her face, "I need you to be brave for Mummy—and Daddy. Can you do that?" Elara nodded, feebly trying an attempt at a brave smile. "Good girl," Dora kissed her forehead, standing up and taking her hand.
"I—Will you protect me?" Elara asked.
Dora's felt a stab at her chest at those words, she knew that if the Dark Lord wanted her punished there was nothing she could do to stop it, though she also hoped that she would not be hurt and knew deep down that (despite how futile it may seem) she would do anything to protect her children. Rodolphus merely looked at the floor, but Nymphadora nodded. "I'll always try to protect you, Elara."
Elara swallowed hard and nodded, though seemed slightly calmer as she walked from the room hand in hand with her mother. Nymphadora didn't dare look at her mother's concerned gaze, nor did she once look at Rodolphus as she held her daughter's hand and walked from the ward, determined not to show fear for her daughter as the girl held so tightly onto her. They paused at the doors of what was once the ball room of Malfoy Manor, Rodolphus turning to face the pair. Nymphadora didn't need to him to say anything, she knew it would be best if Elara wasn't seen walking into the room clinging to her mother, though that didn't make it any easier for her to pull her hand from her grasp.
She squeezed her shoulder, barely speaking above a whisper "Be brave, Elara, I know you can be."
Elara looked to her mother for a moment before she gave a nod, making her hair turn a deep black and looking to her father. Rodolphus took a deep breath before he opened the doors to the room. Elara and Nymphadora followed slightly behind him, the little girl's eyes darting around the room though she tried to seem brave. The Dark Lord was stood on the other side, watching them as the three approached him with an emotionless mask, Bellatrix was stood to his side, a cruel smirk on her lips as she looked to her husband for a moment before resting her gaze on the young girl behind him. Delphi was also there, stood to the side of her mother she seemed not to be the only one that did not want to be in that room. Her gaze met the other girl's and it seemed as if she was fighting an internal battle as she clenched her fists, gritting her teeth as she turned her gaze to glare at the back of her parent's heads.
The trio stopped in the middle of the room, Nymphadora gently placing a hand on her daughter's arm as she bowed along with Rodolphus, discreetly coaxing the girl to do the same.
"Rodolphus, Nymphadora . . . Elara," Voldemort said each of their names in turn, considering them each in turn for a moment as they rose from their bows "Nymphadora? I trust you are well healed after your stay in St Mungo's? After the birth of your son and . . . your little procedure."
"Yes, My Lord," Dora did not hesitate, unwilling to show any displeasure or disrespect to the man when her daughter was beside her; now was not the time for defiance.
"Good . . ." Voldemort smirked, "You see, we have had some issues to address whilst you have been away and we believed it was best for us to await your return until these were addressed. Isn't that right, Bellatrix?"
"Yes, My Lord," Bellatrix giggled, looking to her niece in amusement.
"Elara Lestrange." Lord Voldemort spoke the girl's name, he waited until the girl was looking to him until he motioned for her to move forward a few paces. The girl hesitated, unwilling to move any further from her parents, she didn't move an inch until her mother rested her hand on her back for a moment reassuringly before giving her a gentle nudge to do as she was told. "Now, you have been a busy little girl, have you not, Elara? Interrupting one of my meetings, stealing wands, cursing people."
"I-I didn't—"
"You did," Bellatrix hissed this time, ignoring her own daughter as she moved closer to her side no doubt in order to get closer to her friend.
"Now, it is my understanding," Voldemort spoke quietly, calmly, as he took a few steps closer towards the girl, "that you entered Bellatrix's room, took a wand that did not belong to you, went with my daughter to her room and proceeded to fire a spell at her that greatly injured her due to either your foolishness, spite or a mixture of the two."
"I-I didn't mean to," Elara whimpered.
"That is not how it happened!" Delphi hissed in Parseltongue, going to march over to her father only to have her arm grabbed by her mother.
"Silence, Delphini," Lord Voldemort hissed in their shared language, "I have heard your version of events."
Delphi gritted her teeth in anger, her chest heaving as she clenched her fists and tore her arm away from her mother, though she didn't say anything further as she watched her father.
"Now, Elara, when you step out of line—as your mother knows very well—you are to be punished . . ." Voldemort drew his wand, pausing for a moment until he pointed it directly at the girl, Elara's eyes now wide in fear, "Crucio."
The screams of both Nymphadora and Elara filled the air, the woman running forward to protect her daughter as she fell to the floor though Rodolphus quickly grabbed her arm and pulled her as tightly as he could towards himself. "You will make things worse," Rodolphus hissed in her ear, though she did not cease to struggle to get away from him and he held onto her tighter, wrapping his arms around her and digging his grip into her skin to the point he was sure she would bruise. He was almost glad of the distraction as he held the woman so tightly he was sure he was causing her great pain given her current condition, though it was better than focusing on his little girl screaming and twisting on the floor. Elara's hair had shot to pure white, her fingers attempting to dig into the stone floor only leading to her nails breaking and bleeding. Rodolphus glared across the room to his wife, sure she would be revelling in the pain of his first-born child, though he was surprised with what he was confronted with.
Bellatrix was gripping onto Delphi almost as tightly as he was Nymphadora, her arm wrapped around her chest as she tried to get to her friend. The woman moved her lips to the girl's ear, "Stop it," she hissed bellow her breath, "compose yourself, you are better than this."
"Let. Go." Delphi merely growled almost as quietly as she tried and failed to pull her mother's arm from her.
The Dark Lord lifted the curse, Elara Lestrange ceasing her screams only to curl into herself and cry desperately. She turned lifted her head slightly to see her parents, weakly moving her arm out to try and grasp for a helping hand. Though Nymphadora still tried to get to her, trying to reach out to grab her, her father only moved to ensure her mother could not reach her.
"You need to learn, Elara." Voldemort mused as he twisted his wand, causing the girl to yell out as she was turned to her other side so that she could face him, "You need to learn not to misbehave, you can do well in this world if you follow the rules, child. Do you understand what you have done?"
"I-I—" Elara whimpered, "I h-had to g-get f-father—I-I didn't m-mean t-to—" the girl dissolved into tears again.
"Perhaps another lesson, hmm?" Voldemort raised an eyebrow, waiting a moment before raising his wand ready to curse the girl again. He was just about to speak the words to put the child in great agony before he turned in surprise to face Bellatrix and his daughter. Bellatrix had let out a small yell of pain and was now clutching her arm as she looked to her daughter in shock, she was unable to stop her now as the silver haired child ran and stood between her father and her friend. Father and daughter merely glared at each other for a few moments before Lord Voldemort spoke again. "Delphini, go back to your mother."
Delphini shook her head and Bellatrix went to fetch her herself before Voldemort raised a hand to stop her.
"What is the meaning of this, child?" Lord Voldemort hissed in Parseltongue.
"I won't let you hurt her," Delphini hissed in reply, "She didn't do anything wrong. I took the wand, I took her to my room, I told her not to tell you that I was hurt, I tried to teach her magic when I shouldn't have and it is my fault that I got hit. I won't let you punish her for no reason. I won't. She is my—" the girl stopped herself from calling the girl her friend, she knew that this would not please her father and she wanted nothing more than to get him away from Elara, that would not help.
"Do not tell me you are turning soft," The Dark Lord hissed, "she is not your 'friend', Delphini."
"No—" Delphi shook her head, thinking for a moment before she stopped speaking in Parseltongue "She is mine."
Her father cocked an eyebrow curiously, aware that now all but Elara (currently far too distracted still sobbing from her pains) was staring at the pair. "Explain."
"Well," Delphi stood up straight, looking to her father "She is mine . . . like mother is yours."
Bellatrix frowned at the girl, furrowing her eyebrows in confusion, though her father merely looked over his shoulder at the woman for a moment before looking back to his daughter. "Continue."
"If mother fails you, or does something that you believe to be wrong, or if someone else reports to you that she has made a mistake it is your decision to punish her or not." Delphi tried to ignore the look her mother gave as she carried on, "You wish for me to grow to be able to command, to gain followers for your—our cause as you take care of other business in other places. How am I to do that if you do not first trust me with the simple matter of knowing how to do so with people such as Elara. She has not taken the mark, she is not sworn to you, though she is entirely loyal to me. You trained mother, you raised her to where she is today, ensured that she was loyal to you and made her into a great warrior and your right-hand woman. You told me you want me to do as you do, rule as you rule . . . I need to be able to do what you have done in order to learn that . . . You chose mum, I choose Elara. You wouldn't get anyone else to punish mum if she needed it, you would do it yourself . . . i-if I believe Elara deserves it, I will do it."
The room fell silent. Nymphadora barely struggling against Rodolphus now, his grip loosening ever so slightly, Bellatrix walked slowly to stand beside her master, staring at her daughter in shock then looking to her lord as if scared that the next person to be punished would be her own daughter.
"You believe you can handle such a thing?" Lord Voldemort eventually said.
"Yes," Delphi spoke without hesitation.
"That you will punish the girl should she need it? That you would train her and ensure that she is worthy? To disregard her should she fail to be up to the task?"
"Yes," Delphi said.
Voldemort considered the girl, walking towards her after a moment and only stopping when he was mere inches from his daughter. To the girl's surprise, a look that almost seemed to be amusement graced his features as he lowered his voice so that he knew Rodolphus and Nymphadora could not hear him from their position. "You understand, Delphi," Voldemort mused, "that I am the true 'master' here, you may have your sheep to follow you, but when all is said and done they all work for my will and are ultimately loyal to myself—yourself included. Should anyone fail to the point of having to be disposed of, for example, I can and will step in."
Delphi set her jaw, determined not to back down as she stiffly and ever so slightly nodded her head. "Of course, father."
The Dark Lord hesitated for a moment before he walked around the girl, his daughter only looking to make sure that he was not approaching Elara, though the girl on the floor still whimpered as he passed her to get to her parents. Nymphadora didn't look at him, staring at her daughter with tear filled eyes as she gripped onto Rod's arm around her chest until she felt her master's wand dig into her neck and raise her chin to look at him.
"You will need to learn, Nymphadora," Voldemort spoke almost casually, "That should you wish to survive here you must fall in line, your sons—no matter their father—are not safe unless you begin to do so. You were once a worthy opponent, a highly regarded Auror and well-placed member of The Order of the Phoenix. I expect to see those talents put to good use. I understand that Bellatrix has had some difficulty in training you . . . perhaps, given the stake involved here, Rodolphus will train you from now on?"
"Yes, My Lord," Rodolphus said without hesitation, knowing Nymphadora was unlikely and perhaps unable to speak as her gaze continued to shoot to their daughter despite the Dark Lord's wand still stuck at her neck.
"Good, I have little patience left for the matter . . . Bellatrix can make sure you are working well enough," Voldemort looked to the pair for a moment before turning his back and walking over to Bellatrix. "Come on, Bellatrix, we have other matters to discuss."
"But My Lord, she still—"
"Now, Bellatrix," Voldemort hissed, walking over to the door and turning to face his servant.
Bellatrix hesitated for a moment, glaring furiously at her husband before she looked and gave her master the exact small stiff nod that her daughter had given him moments previously and she followed him out of the room.
The moment the doors closed behind them Rodolphus let go of Nymphadora, the woman falling over in her desperation to get to her daughter and then quickly scrambling to get to her. She gathered her in her arms, pulling her to her lap and cradling her as she had done when she was a small child kissing her head and shushing her, ignoring her own pain as the little girl cried and clung to her.
"Shhh," Dora whispered, "It's okay, you're okay now, Mummy's got you. It's all over, no-one's going to hurt you anymore,"
Delphi looked on awkwardly, unsure what to do though either unwilling or unable to simply leave the room. Rodolphus looked to the silver haired child, their gaze meeting for a moment before Delphi found her feet and left after her parents.
"Mum . . ." Elara whimpered, desperately crying into her mother's hair, "I hurt . . ."
"I know," Dora sighed, blinking back her own tears as she continued to rock her, "you can have one of my potions, okay? You can stay with me tonight if you like."
Elara nodded, wrapping her arms tightly around her mother's neck, the woman not complaining even as her air was slightly restricted. Rodolphus had moved beside them now, kneeling next to them as he went to reach out for his daughter though she merely raised her head to glare at him.
"Stay away!" Elara hissed, "I want mum, I don't want you," she shook with her ragged breathing, her mother rubbing her back as she tried to calm her.
"Elara," Rodolphus breathed, unable to hide the hurt on his features, "I can help relieve your pain."
"No!" Elara said, burying her face in her mother's hair.
Dora sighed, pressing her lips to her daughter's wild hair, "Elara—"
"N-No," Elara sniffed, "h-he didn't help, he-he didn't try to help, y-you did. D-Delphi helped me and you t-tried but Daddy stopped you, he didn't try to help me and he s-stopped y-you from helping me."
"Elara, it would have made things worse if your mother got in the way," Rodolphus insisted, "She would have been punished and it could have been made worse for you as well."
"You don't know that," Elara mumbled, "you could have t-tried, y-you d-don't know what would have happened."
"I do," Rodolphus insisted, but Elara merely shook her head again. "Elara, please, let me help you."
"Just want mum," the girl sniffed.
Dora looked to Rodolphus for a moment, cringing slightly at the look on his face and trying to think of how on earth she could explain the situation to her daughter. She did not want Elara to shun her father but in that moment, she could not think of a way to stop it or attempt to explain it to her as all she cared about was making sure she felt safe now.
"We need to get out of here," Rodolphus eventually said, hesitantly standing to his feet, "Can you walk, Elara?"
"C-Carry me, Mummy?" Elara pulled back from her mother and looking helplessly into her eyes.
"I—" Dora bit her lip, "I can't baby, I'm still hurt from—I'm still recovering from giving birth," she partially lied, knowing that wasn't the true reason she was still in so much pain, "Daddy will have to."
Elara shook her head, letting go of her mother and pulling herself to her feet though she hissed in pain through her shaky sobs. She held her hand out to her mother expectantly, "W-We can walk slow to your room,"
"Elara," Dora sighed, pulling herself to her feet and taking her hand as she met Rod's gaze, lowering her voice so that their sniffling daughter could not hear her, "I'll give her a some of my numbing potion and a bit of a sleeping draught so that she can calm down and rest. Y-You can probably come in an hour to check on the children,"
Rodolphus glared at her half-heartedly, still too upset at both seeing his daughter so hurt and being rejected by her in such a way, he simply nodded.
"Come on, Elara," Dora forced a smile at her daughter, "We can both help each other back, we'll go rest in my bed. Maybe have a little nap, yeah? Mummy's tired too."
Elara nodded again, refusing to look at her father as she clung to her mother, leaving him to stare after them as she was lead from the hall and back to her mother's room without him.
