As always, please read, enjoy and please do leave a review if you have a moment as we love to hear your thoughts!
Bella
"Mum, I'll be fine," Elara said with a sigh, watching from her mother from her bed.
"I know you will be," Dora said, though something about her voice didn't make it seem that she was entirely convinced of this.
"Dad will be back soon," Elara said, "can you please stop rummaging through my trunk?"
"I'm not," Dora rolled her eyes as she shut the lid and turned to her daughter, the young girl's wand in her hand, "why is this hidden away?"
"I can't use it until I get to Hogwarts," Elara sighed, "besides, it wasn't hidden, it was right on top. Do you expect me to be attacked on the train or something? Delphi will be with me, you know. She said me and Teddy can share her compartment."
Dora walked over to the young girl, as she passed her her wand she paused for a moment, reaching up to stroke her deep purple hair out back from her face with a small smile. "You'll be okay," Dora said, though clearly this was mostly for her own sake than her daughters, "you're going to learn so much, get out of this place for a bit . . . make new friends."
"Mum," Elara reached out and took her mother's hand from where she had rested it on her cheek, "I'll be fine. It's gonna be great. I know you're worried, I know it's not going to be all fun and sunshine. Teddy already told me he gets looks and stuff because of you and his Dad. If anything, I shouldn't get it too bad, why would anyone try and bother me considering who my Dad is? They'd be an idiot to try it—I've seen Dad get mad, he can be terrifying when he wants to be."
"What?" Dora's eyes widened at her comment, "When did you—?"
"It wasn't aimed at me," Elara got up off her bed with a roll of her eyes, pocketing her wand before walking over to her mirror, "don't worry. You worry way too much."
"I—" Dora took a breath, attempting to stop herself worrying in her last few moments alone with her daughter (though she made a mental note to ask Rodolphus what she had meant later. She watched as the young girl screwed her eyes shut, her wavy long purple locks soon turned a dark shade to match her father's, her eyes changing to her mother's natural dark black eyes, she couldn't help but realise the girl was clearly trying to morph to show her 'darker' features almost as if it was some armour to protect herself from the outside world. It was something Dora had done many times. Without a word Nymphadora walked over to her daughter, catching her gaze in the mirror she wrapped her arms around her and pulled her into herself.
"I love you," Dora murmured as she kissed the girl's head, "remember that."
"Love you too Mum," Elara smiled after a moment, letting herself lean back into her mother. They stood in silence for a moment before the sound of the door open caused Elara to jump to attention, grinning broadly as her father walked into the room, "Dad!"
"Beautiful," Rodolphus laughed as the girl ran over to him, giving her a hug.
Dora looked away for a moment, busying herself with ensuring her daughter's case was secure. It always left her slightly unsettled to see the man she knew to be such a monster be so loving and gentle with their children. "I'll go get Teddy," Dora spoke quietly.
"No need," Rodolphus smirked, letting go of his daughter, "I have him."
"You—" Dora frowned, "you left him out in the corridor? Alone?"
Rodolphus gave a small laugh as Dora went to walk for the door, "he's not alone."
Dora stopped for a moment, glaring at the man before she sped out of the room though the moment she saw the small group outside the door she quickly stopped.
"Nymphie," Bellatrix rolled her eyes, clearly not happy to be waiting around for them, "come on, Rodolphus!"
Nymphadora walked straight to her son, the thirteen year old stood awkwardly to the other side of Delphini Riddle with his trunk at his side.
"I didn't hurt your brat," Bellatrix hissed, shooting a glare at the woman for a split second before she smirked, "though perhaps you and I could have a little catch up when we get back. It's been a while."
"Mother," Delphi sighed.
Nymphadora bit back her glare, instead focusing her attention on her son as Rodolphus walked out into the corridor with her only daughter. The little girl stopped for the slightest of moments as she noticed the smirk on Bellatrix Lestrange's face, though she had undoubtedly become more used to the dark witch from her years of friendship with the woman's daughter she still found herself being slightly fearful every time she initially saw the woman.
"Can we go now?" Delphi looked up to her mother with a smile, grabbing hold of her hand.
Bellatrix snapped herself from her thoughts of her niece as she heard the young girl's voice, turning and smiling to her for a moment with a small nod before she reached her hand out for Nymphadora. "Come on," Bellatrix raised an eyebrow as the woman hesitated slightly, "unless you'd rather I take one of your children?"
Nymphadora ignored Rodolphus as he walked over to Teddy with Elara, choosing not to notice the amused smirk on his features as she hesitantly walked over to her Aunt. She flinched as the woman grasped harshly onto her arm and without a moment's hesitation the feeling of apparation took over her. She was almost glad as she pushed her away from her, clearly too distracted as she turned to dote on her daughter. As the crack of apparation sounded to her side she quickly turned to Rodolphus, sighing as she watched Teddy be pushed away in nearly the same fashion she had. She walked over to his side, going to put a hand on his shoulder in reassurance though the boy merely shrugged her off as he clearly did not want to seem to be accepting the comfort of his mother in front of the rest. She noted Bellatrix's smirk as she looked towards them before the dark witch turned her attention to her own child.
"You'll write to us?" Rodolphus asked Elara, stroking the single misplaced hair from her face.
"Of course," Elara rolled her eyes with a grin, looking to her friend and back again, "do we get on the train now?"
"So keen to get rid of us?" Dora raised an eyebrow in amusement, shaking her head and giving her daughter a hug, "Stay safe and don't forget to write to both of us."
"I won't," Elara nodded, giving her father a hug as he leant down towards her. She barely waited for her mother to say her goodbyes to her brother before she ran off to meet Delphini, quickly jumping into the train behind her brother to wait for Bellatrix to finish saying her goodbyes. She looked around the train as she waited, the buzz of excitement from the students around her was clearly apparent from the chatter and laughter of the others, though she couldn't help but notice the children that stopped in their tracks. They looked her way for a little too long, nudging eachother as they hurriedly whispered down the aisles and in their surrounding carraiges.
"Ignore it," Teddy muttered behind her, glaring at a pair of girls that were clearly failing at the art of subtlety with their conversations.
"It doesn't bother me," Elara shrugged, not quite sure if she was telling the truth. She frowned slightly as the girls parted and quickly found their seats with a hurried look of fear.
"Want me to curse them for you?" Delphi smirked as she walked up behind her friend.
"Let's not get into trouble in the first five minutes," Elara laughed.
"You think Delphini Riddle would get into trouble for cursing a couple of kids?" Teddy scoffed, shaking his head as he walked ahead to their usual carriage.
"I—" Elara frowned, following his footsteps as she could feel the train beginning to move, "I suppose not."
"I don't make a habit of it," Delphi shrugged, rolling her eyes as she could hear Teddy scoff again.
Elara followed her brother in silence, ignoring the few people she could see sat in their seats from the corner of her eye. She could see their hurried whispers, some looks of confusion from the few students that did not recognise them, their heads turning to get a look in some circumstances. Though she decided to ignore it all, especially when she heard a quick yelp of pain and was sure Delphi had thrown a stinging hex—or worse.
As the weeks went on Elara could not help but realise a few things about Hogwarts and it's inhabitants. Firstly, the children were clearly talking about her—even some of the professors were less than subtle in their discussions as she walked past them alone in the corridors—secondly, her fellow Slytherin's were in particularly hard to deal with. Though the girl's she shared her dorm room with were nothing but pleasant with her, she could not help but feel there was something more too them. She would walk into the room and never be able to shake the feeling that she had just interrupted a conversation, she would try to speak to them and not help but feel they were almost treading lightly around her so as not to upset her. She would have blamed her father, or even Delphi, wondering if they feared either of their wrath should they upset her. Thirdly, there were some children that had a clear distaste for her, having apparently made their mind up about her before they had even said a single word to the girl. It always seemed to be the older children that had this problem, throwing her the occasional distasteful look or uttering the odd slur under their breath, and though Delphi was always the first to stop this she could not always be with her to stop such things.
She had put up with all of these things, instead deciding to take her brother's and mother's advise in ignoring it all whilst decidedly ignoring Delphi's offer to curse any child that bothered her and not telling her father of any of it. Though she was sure her father didn't have the power to simply come to the school and start cursing the children that bothered her, she also didn't want to risk it. She had gotten to the last week of her first term at Hogwarts and though she knew she didn't truly have to worry about the small amount of homework that had been left to her for her return in the new year, she decided sitting hidden away in a small corner of the library was far better than dealing with any of her fellow students elsewhere in the castle.
Elara Lestrange pulled her text book closer to herself, skimming the pages on unforgivable curses as she merely wrote down the occasional note on the topic. She could not help but think that Delphi had clearly taught her far more about the three curses than her Dark Arts professor could and had to admit that she was barely paying attention as she methodically wrote the few facts she needed on her parchment. It was then that she noticed the all too familiar whispers that seemingly followed her around the castle. She glanced up from her parchment, noting the three seventh year Slytherin's sat a few tables away from her. They didn't stop their whispers, even as she narrowed her eyes at them slightly and consciously stopped herself from letting her hair turning red in her anger. She returned to her parchment, her quill scratching against the parchment in an increasingly agitated fashion. She was growing more and more tired of such things the more frequently they occurred. Elara took a deep breath, reaching out to dip her quill in her ink and instantly swearing under her breath as she knocked the ink pot over with her hand. It was the groups sudden laughter that made her snap.
"Can I help you?" Elara hissed, glaring at the three despite their continued laughter, "What? What on earth is so interesting or hilarious about that means you can't help but sit there and gossip about me rather than doing your own work?"
"Watch out, Tessa," one of the girls laughed, "you'll make the freak angry."
"Sorry," Tessa said to her friend, "must be careful she hasn't got her body guard about."
"I do not have a body guard!" Elara snapped, unable to help her hair changing to a vivid red hue any longer.
"Sure you don't," the boy scoffed.
"Do you have any idea who you're talking to?" Elara said, standing up tall now as she considered reaching for her wand, "My father—"
"Is a disgrace," the first girl said simply, "has been since the moment you were a mere thought in his head."
"Maybe not then," the boy shrugged, "let's face it—what he did—most of them do, don't they? Just not to the idiotic scale he did. Pretty sure one or two poor girls have been offed because of that mistake."
"I bet your mother hates you," Tessa mused, as she considered the young girl.
"My mother doesn't hate me," Elara said, "she's got no reason to hate me. Just because I'm sure you three have clearly been neglected by your parents to turn into such sour gits doesn't mean all of our parents are like that."
"Mary don't," Tessa hissed as her friend stood to her feet, "the scum isn't worth it."
"At least my parents wanted me," Mary glared at the young Lestrange, "I heard your mother had to be threatened with her mutt's life just so she didn't kill you before you were born."
"I'm surprised she didn't the second time it happened," the boy rolled his eyes, "would have done the world a favour—especially if she fucked up and offed herself in the process."
Elara frowned in confusion for a moment, shaking her head as she returned her glare to the girl, "You're talking rubbish, my mother would never do that. She loves us."
"I wouldn't," Mary wrinkled her nose, "I'd get rid of you in an instant if I conceived a child like that."
Tessa frowned slightly as she looked at the young girl, thinking for a moment before her eyes widened slightly, "Oh dear Merlin . . . she doesn't know."
"What?" the boy said in shock, "How could you not?"
"She's thick, Tristan," Tessa huffed.
"I am not thick," Elara growled, "leave me alone."
Elara turned to her things, picking them up and beginning to stuff them in her bag, though she jumped back from the lot when she saw a hand come down on her table and looked up to stare straight into the eyes of Tessa.
"If you're not thick, what are we talking about?" Tessa asked curiously.
"Leave it, Tessa," Tristan rolled his eyes, clearly bored with the lot of it, "let the freak find out on her own. I'm sure she'll put two and two together eventually."
"And come up with five," Mary muttered.
"Find what out on my own?" Elara asked, having lost her patience and all care of what the three thought of her.
"Oh let me tell her," Tessa pouted, "it'll be funny to watch her face."
"Just as funny as it will be to watch her father kill you for it," Tristan shook his head, "I doubt he wants her finding out if he's managed to keep her naïve enough to not figure it out herself by now."
"My father—!"
"Is a rapist, abusive, scumbag death eater," Tessa blurted.
Elara froze, the beat of her heart almost audible to herself above the silence of the library. She tried to comprehend what she knew the girl was trying to tell her.
"I doubt he gives a shit about you really," Tessa shrugged, "or your little brother for that matter. I heard he's all sickly and weak—bet he takes that out on your mum. I'm surprised he doesn't hate you," she carried on, not realising as her friend tapped on her arm to get her to be quiet, "I would if I went through all that effort to get an heir—half-blood or not—and turned out with you and a son that will likely never make it to—" her next words were cut off as they mingled with her high pitched scream, her body slumping to the floor.
Elara snapped out of her thoughts momentarily, looking to see Delphini Riddle glaring furiously as she cursed the older Slytherin. She watched in a daze, as her friend let the other two run from the room as she reduced the girl before her into a snivelling mess once she had finally broken the curse.
"Elara," Delphi breathed, stepping over the witch at her feet as she walked over to her friend, "I told you to curse them back! They know I'd come down on them if they dared—" Delphi paused for a moment, taking in the girls white hair and pale features, lowering her voice as she placed a hand on her arm, "Elara, what did I miss? I heard them saying your father hates you—which he certainly does not . . . Elara?"
Elara looked up to the dark haired witch, her face void of emotion as she spoke in barely a whisper "Delphi . . . how was I conceived?"
Delphi took a step back, composing herself as she shook her head dismissively, "I don't need to tell you about the birds and the bees, Elara. You're smarter than that."
"You know what I mean," Elara said, her voice regaining some of its strength.
"I don't know," Delphi stressed, "I was only little when you were born. The first thing I remember about you is sneaking into the Prisoner's wing because I wanted to see you. Mum actually tried to threaten to curse me the day she found out about that, I mean, I remember thinking she wouldn't but I was only little so I half believed her. Reckon it would have worried me more if she threatened to tell father."
"Delphi, you know, I know you know, so just tell me." Elara demanded.
"What does it matter?" Delphi snapped, "You're here, your brother's here, your parents made you. You're alive and you have two parents that are alive and love you. That's more than Teddy can say—"
"Delphi!" Elara yelled, her fists clenched as tears began to well in her eyes, "Just tell me the truth! Don't avoid the question!"
Delphi's eyes widened slightly, slightly taken aback at the girl's sudden assertiveness. She looked quickly looked around her, noting that the tortured girl had crawled away in her distracted state and the only person around to see such a display was the old librarian who seemed to be pointedly avoiding listening in on the girls. She sighed deeply, softening her gaze as she gave her friend a slight nod.
"Okay," Delphi whispered, "but not here."
Elara considered her outstretched hand for a moment before she nodded. She did not say a word to the older girl as they walked out of the library, barely paying attention as she took her through every deserted hallway and abandoned short cut on her way back to the Slytherin common room. Delphi let go of her as they entered the common room, though she continued her silent following as Delphi walked Elara up to her room, quickly locking the door so that Elara's roommates could not disturb them.
"Tell me," Elara muttered when Delphi finally turned away from her door to face her.
"Your Mum does love you," Delphi sighed, "so does your father."
"That's not what I asked," Elara sniffed, ". . . How was I conceived . . . Is my Dad—Did he—My Mum—" Elara bit back her tears as she shook her head, not wanting to say the words.
"Rodolphus . . ." Delphi considered her words for a moment before she let out a breath, "he was angry with my mother, apparently after I was conceived was around about the time mother began to . . . refuse him more often, she was too busy with father and I to care about him much and he couldn't touch her . . . So he went to the prisoner's wing one night . . . Nymphadora was forced. He almost broke her sanity a few times," Delphi winced as she could see the tears falling down her friend's face, though she continued as she tried to tell the girl what she thought she wanted to hear as quickly as possible, "I heard your Mum had to be persuaded to keep you—but I'm sure you can understand that. She does love you now, clearly, she's gotten into loads of trouble with my Mother over the years to keep you and your brothers safe."
". . . He still hurts her, doesn't he?" Elara's voice cracked as she swatted away her tears, "Why else would he see her alone? I bet she hates him. She probably hates me and Rueben too, I would."
"She doesn't hate you or your brother," Delphi shook her head, "you'd be an idiot to think that."
"Why didn't you tell me?" Elara asked, uncaring of the tears now streaming down her face, "You're supposed to be my friend. I tell you everything, but you didn't tell me this!"
"Elara it's not my place,"
"Nothing isn't your place!" Elara screamed, "You could have told me and if my father was annoyed at you he wouldn't be able to do anything about it!"
"Elara—"
"Get out!" Elara cried, storming over to her bed and sitting down on the sheets, "I don't want to talk to you anymore—I don't want to talk to anyone."
"Elara, calm down—"
"No!" Elara screeched, "Get out! Leave me alone!"
Delphi jumped in shock as the girl's magic crackled in her anger, turning to see one of the mirrors shatter at the strength of it. She looked at her friend, shaking and crying as she tried to contemplate what she had been told. She knew she couldn't leave her like this, she knew she had to try and fix it, but as she tried to speak again the young girl merely snapped her glare to her ready to yell again. She took a deep breath, nodding and leaving the room. She knew she couldn't calm her, but she knew she could not leave her alone. Delphi quickly ran to her room, barely remembering to slam the door behind her as she grabbed a fistful of floo powder and jumped into the grate. As she yelled the name of her desired location Delphi almost felt slight relief as the green flames engulfed her.
