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Bella
Nymphadora closed her eyes for a moment, very aware of the Dark Lord's daughter still stood to her side watching her every move. She reached out, slowly and gently placing her hand on the door of her daughter's dorm room. She felt the magic of the ward, not wanting to interfere with it but simply letting her presence be known to the girl inside.
"Elara . . ." Dora called out, her voice quiet as she slowly opened her eyes, she waited a few moments before she called out again "Elara . . . Are you in there?"
She could suddenly hear the room within, aware that a silencing ward must have been removed as she carefully listened to the small sniffles and shuffled footsteps of her daughter.
"Mum?" the girl called out, her voice unsure as it cracked with her emotions.
"Yeah . . ." Dora responded, "Can I come in? Delphi altered the wards so you can let me in—if you want to."
"Mum . . ." Elara sniffed, "You shouldn't be here."
Dora smiled sadly, listening as she could hear her daughter walking ever so slightly closer to the door, "It's okay beautiful, Delphi brought me here, I'm okay."
"Y-You should go back . . ." Elara said, "I'm fine."
"Since when did you lie to your mother?" Dora teased as best she could, sighing slightly as she looked to Delphi for a moment, noting the girls stood towards the end of the corridor peeking in on them, "Come on, love. I don't want to stand out in this hallway forever, I want to see your pretty face. I've not seen it in ages . . . please?"
Dora bit her lip as she listened, cautiously waiting for a response from her daughter. It seemed like an age had passed before finally she felt the ward crumble beneath her hand. She gave Delphi a quick smile as the young girl nodded and walked away from her before with a deep breath she entered the room and quickly closed the door before her. Elara's heart-shaped face was stained with tears, her hair limp and her natural dark colour, her lip shook slightly as she clenched her fists to try and fight her emotions.
"Elara . . ." Dora breathed, the sight of her daughter so distraught upsetting her deeply.
"Mum . . ." Elara's voice cracked, her resolve crumbling as she ran into her mother, hugging her tightly as she collided into her.
Dora could not help but let out a gasp, painfully aware that Rodolphus had not bothered to heal most of her hidden injuries. She ignored her pain as she hugged her daughter, biting her lip to silence her discomfort.
"Mum . . ." Elara shook her head, stepping back quickly and swatting away her tears, she took in her appearance for a moment before her hair tinged red, "You're hurt! Father hurt you! I hate him! I—"
"No," Dora shushed, reaching out to take her daughter's hand, "Elara calm down, your father didn't hurt me. I was with Bellatrix. He healed me slightly before I came here but we were too concerned about you to heal everything."
"Don't lie to me!" Elara cried, "I know he did it! They told me he hurts you! They told me—They told me . . ." Elara dissolved into sobs again, crumbling to the floor as the red faded from her hair in her sorrow.
"Elara," Dora sighed, kneeling down on the floor beside her and taking her into her arms. She let the girl lean into her, adjusting her so she could lean against one of the beds as she held her close and stroked her hair despite her pain. "Shhh . . . It's okay . . . I'm here . . . It's okay . . ."
"It's not okay," Elara cried, clinging to her mother's robes, "it will never be okay."
Dora sighed, kissing the girl's head as she tried to think of what to say, "Tell me what happened . . ." she murmured into her hair, though the girl merely shook her head, "You're upset we lied to you?"
"I don't blame you," Elara cried, "I blame Rodolphus."
Dora winced as the girl referred to her father by his first name, though decided to ignore it as she continued to comfort her, "You're upset you weren't told the truth? . . . Or is it just what you've heard?"
"Both!" Elara hissed, "He's vile. He hurt you! I wouldn't have blamed you if you got rid of me! Or Roo!"
"I couldn't get rid of either of you," Dora sighed, "I love you both too much."
"That's not what they said," Elara took a deep breath as she tried to calm herself, sitting up and swiping at her tears.
". . . What did they say?" Dora asked carefully, though the girl didn't reply. "You want the truth?" Dora swallowed, waiting for the girl to nod in reply, "Okay, you tell me what happened, and I'll tell you what's true, I'll tell you anything you want to know . . . Promise."
". . . Dad tried to say it 'it's not what you think' and that it 'isn't as bad as I think'," Elara scoffed, "What the hell is that supposed to mean . . . I cursed him."
"I know . . ." Dora sighed.
". . . I was in the library . . . these three Slytherin's . . . This girl, she called him an abusive, scumbag, rapist Death Eater—Well, he is, isn't he? She said that you—that you had to be threatened with Teddy's life so that you didn't try to kill me before I was born—I-I don't blame you." Elara screwed her eyes shut as she tried to stop herself from crying again, pulling away slightly as her mother reached out for her.
". . . Do you want the truth?" Dora asked tentatively, her features pained as she watched her daughter in such a state, sighing as the girl nodded, "It's true . . . He is . . . I did try to get rid of you—I was scared. Teddy was only a baby, Remus—It was still fresh. Your father had been . . . he'd been seeing me for a little while. I didn't expect it to happen, I was naïve and either hoped or assumed he would have taken some sort of precaution without me knowing. I found out I was pregnant with you, Rodolphus left the room and your grandmother found me with my wand to my stomach and near enough wrestled me. Then he came back and took me straight to The Dark Lord because he was scared Bellatrix would try to hurt you . . . It was him who threatened Teddy, not your father. But Elara, I swear, the minute I saw your face—the second you were put in my arms I wanted nothing but to love and protect you until my dying breath. I love you no less than I love Teddy."
Elara looked away from her mother, staring blankly ahead as she took in everything her mother had told her not saying a word for nearly a minute before she breathed, "I hate him."
Dora gave a small nod "I can understand that . . . but you can't, Elara."
"I can!" Elara looked to her mother with a look of outrage, moving to stand and staring down at her mother, "He hurt you, he continues to hurt you, doesn't he?" Elara looked pointedly at her mother, growing annoyed as she merely looked at her in silence, "Doesn't he?"
Dora sighed, taking a moment to pull herself to stand up. She took a step towards her daughter, biting her lip as when she reached out to touch her arm she pulled away. "What did you think had happened, Elara?" Dora raised an eyebrow, "I'm a prisoner in that place, I may bear the Dark Mark but I've never kept it a secret that I dislike that life. Did you think we loved each other?"
"I—" Elara shook her head, in truth it all seemed so obvious now and she could not help but feel slightly stupid for putting it together sooner, "I didn't think . . . He can't hurt you."
"He can," Dora sighed, "Unfortunately."
"I won't let him," Elara hissed.
"Elara," Dora shook her head, "your father loves you."
"But he—"
"Our relationship has nothing to do with how he—how either of us feels about you," Dora said, "or Reuben for that matter. It has nothing to do with anyone else but us."
"He hurts my mother," Elara spoke through gritted teeth, "I can't stand for that."
"It's been going on since before you were born, Elara. It's not going to stop overnight," Dora gave her daughter a look as she went to interrupt her, "It's not worth the fight. I—He . . . He's not a nice man. He hurts people, kills people, tortures people and you've always known that. You've never had a problem with that before, it's his way of life."
"This is different."
"No, it's not." Dora said, "I'm fine, Elara, I'll be fine."
"You're not though," Elara spoke through the tears threatening to fall again, "I see you after you've been hurt, I just always assumed it was Bellatrix."
"Sometimes it is," Dora shrugged, "in fact probably most of the time. We both tend to hide it from you if it's him . . ."
" . . . Were you ever going to tell me?" Elara asked.
"Honestly?" Dora asked, taking a deep breath as her daughter nodded, "I assumed you would one day figure it out for yourself."
"And if I never did?"
"Then no." Dora said simply, "It is not worth you getting upset, it is not worth Rodolphus getting upset—or your brother . . ."
"Roo should know," Elara shook her head.
"He's too young," Dora said firmly, "do not speak a word of this to your brother."
"He—"
"He is a sick little boy that needs his family to do nothing but support him," Dora said, "you will not tell him."
". . . Fine," Elara spoke quietly, "he'll find out one day though."
"Maybe, maybe not," Dora bit her lip, taking in her daughters appearance for a moment before with another sigh she walked over to the girl and gently took her into her arms, "I love you, Elara, don't let anything make you think otherwise."
Elara sniffed, wrapping her arms around her mother and resting her head on her chest, she closed her eyes as the woman stroked her back, relaxing into her embrace for a moment.
"Will you come home for Christmas still?" Dora asked as she kissed the girl's dark curls.
"I don't want to see him," Elara shook her head, "he'll try to talk to me again . . ."
"I'll talk to him . . . but you're probably right," Dora sighed, "but Roo misses you, so does your Nan and the rest of us. Teddy's coming home, it would be nice to have all of my children together."
"I'll think about it," Elara said after a few moments.
"Okay," Dora smiled sadly, letting go of the girl she wiped away one of her tears before placing a gentle kiss on her forehead, "I need to go . . ."
"O-Okay . . ." Elara nodded, "Just . . . Stay safe."
"Okay," Dora agreed, smiling as best as she could as she began to think of what she was sure she would return to.
"Tell Dad I'll curse him again if he so much as thinks of touching you," Elara said matter of factly.
"Again?" Dora raised an eyebrow, shaking her head after a moment, deciding she didn't want to press the matter further, "I'll see you soon, beautiful."
Dora gave the girl one last quick hug, smiling as the girl mumbled her love for her before she quickly exited the room, closing the door behind herself.
"Well?" the voice of Delphini Riddle made Nymphadora Lupin jump slightly, the younger girl rolling her eyes before she carried on, "How is she?"
"Better," Dora said, glancing at her daughter's door for a moment before she looked to the young witch before her "Can you keep an eye on her? . . . Please."
Delphi rolled her eyes, "I always do. Come on, I'll let you back through the fireplace."
Dora followed the girl without saying another word, ignoring the children in the corridor and silently obeying as Delphi finally instructed her to stand within the fire as they re-entered her room. She closed her eyes as with a hiss from the girl the emerald flames engulfed her, letting the world spin around her for a few moments before with a sudden thud she knew she had fallen onto the floor of Malfoy Manor yet again. She winced slightly at the throb of her injuries, rubbing her side for a moment before she stood to her feet. Though she was unsurprised at the sight before her she could not help the sudden slight fear coupled with anger as she saw Rodolphus Lestrange sat on the bed of the Dark Lords daughter. He was hunched over, his face in his hands in an almost defeated fashion, if Nymphadora didn't know any better she would have sworn the man had been crying.
"You shouldn't be in here," Dora eventually breathed.
Rodolphus opened his mouth, though as the room filled with the emerald green glare of the flames of the floo again he closed his mouth quickly.
"Roddy," Delphi narrowed her eyes at the man, "That's my bed your sitting on." She rolled her eyes as the man stood up, "Dora go back to the Prisoner's wing. I'm going to see mother for a moment, I figured she might get a bit upset if I came here to get you and didn't bother at least popping in on her. You can go too, Rodolphus . . . Now."
Dora nodded, leaving the room. She could hear Rodolphus following her as she made her way back to her room, though as he walked a few steps behind her she decided to ignore him for as long as she could. As she entered the wards she was instantly greeted by her mother, stood leant against the door of their sitting-room she looked towards her daughter, going to speak before Rodolphus appeared behind her. She couldn't help but smirk slightly, shaking her head before she returned to her sister. Nymphadora sighed, as Rodolphus stood still silently behind her she knew he was waiting until he knew they were truly alone before he finally said what he wanted to. She walked into her room, standing to the side of the door until Rodolphus Lestrange finally entered and closed the door behind him.
"What happened?" He quickly asked after he had walked to the middle of the woman's room and turned to face her.
"She's upset," Dora said simply, "You know that."
"I tried to talk to her—"
"And she cursed you," Dora couldn't help but let out a scoff of amusement, "was it really wise to tell her it wasn't as bad as she thinks?"
Rodolphus narrowed her eyes at the woman, clenching his fists, "Don't, Nymphie. How did she find out?"
"Some girls," Dora shrugged.
"I'll kill them," Rodolphus growled.
"Yes, because I'm sure having her father kill some school children is exactly what is going to redeem you in her eyes right now," Dora rolled her eyes, "Really—" Dora let out a sudden gasp as in a matter of seconds Rodolphus was on her, her wand arm pinned to the wall as he gripped painfully tightly onto her shoulder with her other hand.
"What did you tell her?" He demanded, his face mere inches from the woman's own.
"What she wanted to know," Dora hissed, trying to get out of the man's grip for a moment until she stopped to simply glare up at the Death Eater, "Everything."
"You turned my daughter against me!"
"You did that yourself!" Dora yelled back, her hair now red, "I merely told her the truth! I—Ah!" Dora squirmed slightly as the man ran a cruciatus curse through her body "This is not helping you!" Dora yelled under the curse, "You're just living up to the monster she believes you to be!" Dora gasped for air as the man released the curse.
"Are you going to run to Elara now?" Rodolphus hissed, "Tell her every last thing? Every little detail of what happens behind closed doors until she's entirely turned against me?"
"No!" Dora spat, groaning as the man loosened his grip slightly, "I didn't tell her details."
"What did you tell her?" Rodolphus asked.
"I told her what she asked to know, the bare basics," Nymphadora glared, "How I tried to get rid of her," Dora looked down, pausing for a moment, "I told her how Mum stopped me, how you took me to The Dark Lord and how he threatened Teddy . . . I told her how I loved her, how you love her," Nymphadora raised her head to glare at the man again, "I told her how our relationship has nothing to do with her and that it doesn't affect the way either one of us feel about her. I told her not to tell Reuben. I didn't sit there turning her against you like you think I did. I told her that you loved her and pretty much told her to forgive you like the idiot I am."
Nymphadora let out a gasp as the man struck her hard and fast across the face, barely giving her a chance to recover as he roughly grabbed her chin, glaring intensely as she stared at the man's wand now pointed directly at her temple. She didn't try to fight it as the man hissed "Legilimens" and she felt the invasion on her mind. She let herself relax into the hard wall behind her as her memories replayed like an old movie in her mind, gripping onto the man's shoulders as he viciously replayed the scene over and over until he was sure he had seen all he had needed to. He pushed her away as he pulled from her mind, letting the woman fall to the floor like a rag doll.
He didn't look at her as he pocketed his wand, "Go back to Bellatrix," he near enough whispered, "I'll come to see you again later." He gave the woman one last look before he swept from the room.
Nymphadora stared blankly ahead, reaching up and gently wiping away her own tears, giving herself a moment before she resigned herself to the hell her life had become and returned to her deranged Aunt.
