Yes, I finally remembered to post my chapter. O glorious holidays.

Dora


The next day, Elara found Teddy walking up from his Common Room, a stack of books in his hands.

"Hey," he said. "I heard you and some others had a conflict earlier. What happened?"

"Let's go to one of the passages," Elara said firmly. "Then we'll talk."

Teddy agreed and followed her into one of the passages, where she turned toward him and put up a ward. "Elara?" he said in concern.

She faced him, her eyes filled with anger. "Why was it that someone outside the family had to tell me what Rodolphus did to my mother?"

Teddy's eyes widened. "Whoa," he said, shocked at her words. "Who told you?"

"Some stupid girl I don't even know," Elara spat.

"Is that why Mum was here?" Teddy asked. "I knew she'd arrived, but I figured if I wasn't called to talk to her that it wasn't anything to do with me."

"Yes," the girl hissed. "She told me it was okay, but it's not okay."

"No," Teddy agreed darkly. "What he has done will never be all right. I'm going to stop him from hurting Mum, but I've got to learn some things first. I will protect my mother."

Elara shuddered, shaking her head. "I don't ever want to see him again," she said vehemently. "I hate him."

Teddy agreed with this. "He's an evil man: I've always known that."

"I don't understand how he can be so awful to Mum and have been so nice to me," the girl vented, her hair tinging red. "He came here yesterday too and tried to tell me I didn't understand and that what he did 'wasn't that bad.'" Elara glared in fury, closed her hands into fists to quiet her crackling magic. "I Cursed him."

"Did you?" Teddy laughed in amazement. "That's awesome. I'd like to kill him, but unfortunately he's Inner Circle, so that's not an option."

"Oh, is that why he's still alive?"

Elara let out a yelp of shock and Teddy startled as well, both of them turning as Delphi walked out of the shadows. "You didn't even notice me breaking your ward," she scolded both of them. "Pay attention!"

Elara turned to Teddy. "Did you know she was there?"

"No," Teddy shrugged. "She's sneaky."

Delphi smirked at the two of them. "So. Where are you two going?"

"I was going to the library," Teddy replied.

"I just wanted to talk to Teddy," Elara answered. "I wasn't really going anywhere."

Delphi raised an eyebrow. "Well," she said thoughtfully, "we will be going home for Christmas in a couple weeks, so you might want to think of how you're going to deal with all that."

Elara's eyes grew wide. "No!"

"Elara," Delphi said sternly, "you are going home." Her own ward crackled into existence around them, and she continued, "Avoidance tactics will not work forever. I won't make you talk to him, but you cannot hide here at Hogwarts."

The girl looked horrified, but Teddy said, "Well, at least you can think about what to do and say if he tries to approach you."

Elara did not reply, too upset to think of anything to say to either of them. Delphi didn't comment, merely looking between them before moving off into the darkness of the passageway. Elara looked up at her brother, who sighed and said, "Join me in the library?"

The girl followed her brother silently, morphing her hair to her mother's regular mousey brown.


Elara was not thrilled to be on the Hogwarts Express, bound for Platform 9 ¾ where Bellatrix and Rodolphus were soon to be waiting for the three of them. She was seated with her brother, but Delphi was off talking to a couple older students a few compartments away.

"What are you going to do?" Teddy asked finally, turning to his sister, and she gave him an annoyed look.

"Avoid him as much as possible," Elara said with a scowl. "I don't know what's going to happen, but I'm not going to let him say that it's fine. I will never forgive him for the things he's done."

Teddy nodded, and they both stared out the window, waiting for the Hogwarts Express to arrive. The moment the train pulled into the station, Teddy got to his feet and glanced out the windows. "Yep, they're waiting on us," he said.

"I'm sorry," Elara said.

"What?" Teddy frowned.

"I'm going with Bellatrix and Delphi," Elara said simply, shrinking her trunk and slipping it into her pocket. "Beat you to them."

As soon as the train had fully stopped, she was off the train, hurrying toward Bellatrix and Rodolphus as Teddy scrambled after her, his hair shooting turquoise as a grin lit up his face. He reached them soon after Elara and just before Delphi stepped off the train, looking toward them, He was just in time to hear Rodolphus say, "How have you been, Elara?"

She did not seem to have heard him, standing at attention as Delphi approached, the younger girl as cool and collected as any Death Eater should be in the Dark Lord's presence. Absolutely nothing else seemed to matter to Elara except for Delphi's arrival.

Bellatrix didn't look quite as annoyed as usual, Teddy observed, still grinning, and chalked this up to Rod's clearly disturbed expression. Delphi greeted her mother, both very aware that something was going on—and both amused at the situation. "Shall we go?" Delphi suggested with a smirk.

"Let's," Bellatrix giggled, holding her hand out to Teddy, though it was Elara who gripped it. The Dark witch cackled with laughter and disapparated with the two girls.

As soon as they appeared and entered the Manor, Delphi turned to Elara and said, "Go."

Elara hurried away, disappearing down the hall just as Rodolphus and Teddy arrived, the boy immediately thrown to the floor. He scrambled to his feet, laughing maliciously. "Where did she go?" Rodolphus demanded, his face flushed with anger.

Both witches raised an eyebrow at him, and Bellatrix said sweetly, "We don't know: she didn't say."

"You probably shouldn't go looking for her like that," Teddy suggested. "She's doubtful about you to begin with."

Rodolphus glared at the boy, then turned and stormed away in fury. Bellatrix smirked at Teddy. "You're going to get hurt," she warned him.

"It'll be worth it," Teddy answered firmly, then grinned. "Who wants to take me to the Prisoners' Wing?"


Nymphadora was waiting when Elara ran into the Prisoners' Ward, giving her mother a hug before pulling her down the hall. "I've got to ward my room," she told her mother quickly, pulling out her wand and quickly placing a strong ward on her room.

"Elara, are you sure you should?" Nymphadora said carefully, knowing full well that she had warded her room against Rodolphus.

"I don't want to talk to him," Elara snapped.

"No, but…." Dora sighed as she watched her daughter glare at the door before turning to unpack her trunk. "You can't avoid him forever, Elara."

"I know," Elara huffed, then looked at her mother very seriously. "But I will as long as I can. He'll be easier to play if he's desperate to talk to me."

"Elara, be careful," Dora said gently.

Elara frowned. "I know he's mean, and evil, but I'm his precious daughter," she mocked him. "I'll be fine. Besides: I belong to Delphi, remember?"

Dora went to say something else, but Elara went on, "Don't you think it's interesting that the people closest to him were taken away by Delphi and her father?"

The door swung open, and Elara spun around with her wand raised. Teddy raised his hands in surrender. "Hey, don't," he said to his sister. "I'm innocent."

She scoffed at this, and he laughed. "You should add a Soundproofing Ward to the room, I think."

Dora hugged him tightly. "Welcome home," she told her son. "How have you been?"

"Fine," Teddy reassured her, wrapping his arm around her waist.

"You've grown," she accused him, and he grinned.

"Maybe an inch or two," the boy shrugged. "How have you been?"

Their mother gave them a small smile. "Pretty good," she said. "Also, Roo's very excited to see both of you, so make sure you do. And wash your hands and try to be very clean around him. He hasn't been sick in a couple weeks, so we're hoping he's going to do a bit better."

Teddy nodded, then pulled away from his mother. "I'll be off to see Roo then," he said, and slipped out of the room.

Elara looked back at her mother, having modified the ward as Teddy had been talking to Dora. "It's going to be okay," she said. "Eventually, he won't be able to hurt you anymore: we'll make sure of it."

"That's not your place," Dora murmured, "and it's not Teddy's. You should be children, not knowing about these kinds of things."

"We're prisoners of war, Mum," Elara said, shaking her head. "If it weren't for Delphi, Teddy and I wouldn't be much better off than you. She really can do more for us than Rodolphus ever has been able to."

"Don't call your father his own name to his face," Dora said with a resigned sigh. "Merlin knows I can't do much to protect you, but I'll do what I can: I hope you know that."

"We do," Elara said firmly. "You've always done what you could for me, even trying to stop me getting tortured that one time…."

Dora smiled slightly. "I love you," she said. "Don't give Rodolphus too much trouble, okay?"

Elara raised an eyebrow. "I could hardly give him more trouble than his own wife has, do you think?" And she burst into giggles.


Bellatrix had only stopped by her room to check her appearance before hurrying off to meet Delphi and her father—but there was an unwelcome visitor in her room.

At first, she walked forward, intent on telling him off, when she recognised the state he was in. "You'd better be careful, Roddy," she smirked. "You're too vulnerable in this state."

"I can't control that." Rodolphus Lestrange did not look up, but seemed to acknowledge her all the same.

"You have your own room," Bellatrix pointed out, frowning at the man.

He shook his head slightly, and she approached him carefully. "Is it that bad?" she pouted, sitting down and leaning her head on his shoulder.

He seemed to lean into her slightly and muttered, "It's my fault—but I wouldn't change anything."

"Of course not," Bellatrix giggled, recalling all that he'd put Nymphie through. "Hopefully Elara knowing all about you and Nymphie will work to our advantage."

"How?" Rodolphus muttered. "I don't see any good that could come out of this."

Bellatrix straightened up, looking at him directly. "Why, it'll make her more protective of her mother so she'll be more likely to cooperate once she understands it all."

Rodolphus frowned. "That's not a good thing."

"Yes, you've always like the fighters, haven't you?" Bellatrix mused. "Well, maybe it will at least make her more determined to make something of herself."

"She was fine to begin with," Rodolphu snapped, then quieted yet again.

Bellatrix rolled her eyes at him. "Go find Nymphie and relieve some stress," she advised.

"I don't want Nymphie right now," Rodolphus muttered.

Bellatrix raised both eyebrows at the man. "Something is wrong with you if you've gone off Nymphie."

He scowled. "She's changed since Elara found out: she's a lot more difficult now. Her fighting spirit is back."

"Oooh, is it?" Bellatrix giggled. "I'll have to see about that." She looked back at him. "Go have a chat with her about what to do."

"She won't help," Rodolphus huffed. "She finds it hilarious too."

"It is," the witch laughed, getting to her feet. "You're an evil, abusive man and deserve to have all your children hate you as I did my father."

Rodolphus glared at her, but didn't get up. "I'm not like him."

Bellatrix smirked. "I made you like him, dearie," she said.

"He's worse," Rodolphus argued. "I would never harm my own children."

"You're a fool if you believe one kind of abuse is worse than another," she answered, surprising him. "Get out of here: I don't want you in here while I'm gone."

Rodolphus didn't argue, walking out of the room and heading down to the Prisoners' Wing. Dora met him at the entrance, but he didn't say anything, walking with her to her room.

Nymphadora seemed to be expecting something from him, but he wasn't even sure what. He sat down on her bed, and she frowned at him. "Are you sick?" she asked him.

"Sick-minded," he mumbled.

"Well, we all know that," Dora scoffed. "What are you waiting for? Elara's not going to come to you, you know."

"She hates me," Rodolphus stated.

"I told her she shouldn't, but I can't blame her for it," Dora replied.

"Children should not hate their fathers!" hissed Rodolphus.

"They shouldn't, unless the parent deserves it," Dora shrugged. "She'll come around, Rodolphus. Just give her time."

"I don't even know what to say to her," the man groaned, putting his head in his hands.

Dora watched him for a few moments, then said, "I don't think there's anything you can say to her. It's just a matter of time."


Christmas morning found Elara and Teddy playing with Roo as they waited for the adults to call them to breakfast. Roo was very excited for the occasion, but Elara was nervous and expecting her father to show up at any second.

The family was able to have a relatively quiet morning, laughing and talking together as they exchanged a few small gifts. Teddy was surprised to discover that Draco had somehow managed to get him some special potions ingredients and a very special lockbox with intricate wards.

"It will open only to the first person that adds their blood to it," Draco told the boy. "It cannot be modified and it will never open after the owner dies, either."

"Oh," Teddy said in surprise. "I'm not sure I have a use for it right now, but thank you."

"Of course," Draco answered, "but it was Reuben's idea."

Everyone turned to look at Roo, who grinned nervously. "I dreamed Teddy had a box," the younger boy said. "And when I woke up, Draco was there, so I told him."

"Delphi knows about it," Draco added simply. "I figured you'd find some use for it."

"Where's Elara's special gift, then?" Roo frowned.

"Your father has it," Dora sighed. "He and some of the others went out this morning, but he'll be here soon enough."

Elara seemed alarmed for a moment, then looked down to hide it. Rueben rolled his eyes. "I don't know why you're mad, Elara, but it's Christmas. Be happy."

The girl just frowned at her little brother, then got to her feet as she felt her father enter the ward. She glanced at her mother, but Nymphadora had already hurried from the room.

Nymphadora met Rodolphus just before her room, and he asked, "Is everyone in the sitting room?" She nodded, and he strode off toward the others.

She reached the doorway just after him, hearing her younger son shout, "Merry Christmas!" and run into his father's arms.

Rodolphus greeted his son kindly, then turned to his daughter, who looked back at him with a slight frown. "Elara, take a walk with me," he said.

"We're not finished," she said, indicating the others.

"Christmas is a time for family," Teddy added, drawing warning looks from most of the adults.

"Teddy, don't be mean," Reuben scolded, shocked at his brother's behaviour. "He's our dad!"

Elara walked to the door, clearly annoyed with all of them. "Come on," she shot at her father, and led the way out of the room.

Rodolphus followed her out into the hall, not speaking until they had left the Prisoners' Wing. "Elara, slow down," he called after her, hurrying to catch up.

"I'm going to my room," Elara answered without looking back.

Rodolphus didn't say anything else until they had arrived and he shut the door behind them. She faced him, arms crossed and waiting.

"Elara..." Rodolphus' voice trailed off as everything he had planned to say left him. "I don't even know what to say to you."

"There is nothing to say," the girl said coldly. "I don't want to talk to you."

You can't hide from me," said Rodolphus simply.

Elara scoffed at this. "Is that what you tell Mum?" she spat. "I despise you! I don't want anything to do with you, and neither would Reuben if he had any idea of what you've done."

Rodolphus' eyes narrowed. "Don't you dare—"

"Mother already warned me not to," Elara interrupted. "She also told me that I couldn't hate you, but I do. No part of what you've done is okay!" The roots of her hair tinged red as she closed her fists over her crackling magic. "You're evil."

"It's not unusual for Death Eaters to be evil," Rodolphus said, frowning at his daughter.

"Is it normal for them to accidentally father children?" the girl said angrily, raising her voice. "I know I was an accident, and that my mother didn't want any of your brats. It's a miracle that she loves me and Roo, and that she doesn't hate us because of you. There's nothing you can say to make things right: it will never be right. I shouldn't exist—in fact, I wish I'd never been born!"

Rodolphus went to speak, but she stepped toward him with such a look of fury that he stopped immediately. "You don't deserve children," Elara whispered, "and you especially don't deserve us. I don't want to have anything to do with you; you're nothing more than an abusive old man."

She rushed for the door, barely dodging his hands as she burst through the door and ran a few steps, colliding into someone in the middle of the hallway.

"Clumsy child!" Bellatrix scolded her as the Dark Lord looked on emotionlessly, and Elara turned to see Delphi getting up from the floor.

"S—sorry," Elara whispered, scooting out of Rodolphus' reach even as everyone watched her.

"Can't make any of them behave, Roddy?" Bellatrix cackled, realising the man was there as well.

Delphini ignored all of them and said to Elara, "I was just coming down to find you. Come with me." And she walked off, Elara following her quickly.

They were soon in Delphi's room, and the older girl pointed the girl to a comfortable chair near the fireplace. "Sit down," she said, "and don't faint, because I don't want to have to call Mother."

Elara took a seat, finally realising that she was trembling from head to toe, and wrapped her arms around herself. "I—I didn't mean to—to run into you," she said, shivering. "I—"

"There's no need to explain," Delphi reassured her. "He was trying to talk to you, right? About everything?"

"I told him that he's an abusive old man and I hate him," replied Elara truthfully. "I think he's angry."

"All true," laughed Delphi. "Did you reach a truce?"

"No," Elara said with a scowl. "I told him I don't want to talk to him and I don't want anything to do with him. That's when I ran out of the room because he looked really angry and I didn't know what he was going to do."

Delphi nodded thought, and Elara bit her lip slightly before asking, "Can you help me ward my room against him? I already did it in the Prisoners' Ward, but it's different out here."

"All right," Delphi said after a moment of consideration. "Tomorrow. But you can stay with me tonight, as it's Christmas anyway...unless you want to go back to your mother."

Elara hesitated, but shook her head. "I—I think he's going to go down there...he always does, when he's angry. He takes it out on Mum." She startled in shock suddenly, and breathed, "Wait—he's hurting Mum because of me?"

"He did it before you were born, Elara; it's definitely not your fault now that you're here," Delphi answered. "It's the only kind of stress relief that he has. And you never know: he might just be going to Dora for some advice on what to do about you. I'd imagine he's very upset right now, though I don't know him very well and I'm happy about that."

Delphi walked to her nightstand and removed a wrapped gift from the drawer. "For you," she said. "Don't open it until you're back at school, and don't let your parents see it."

Elara's face lightened slightly, and Delphi said, "Well, since you're staying the night, what shall we do today?"

"I really don't want to go anywhere," said Elara doubtfully, and her friend nodded.

"I have a book of hexes and jinxes that I think you'd appreciate," Delphi said, summoning it from one of her bookshelves. "I think I want Teddy to read it after you, as well. You can read it while I practise that stupid transfiguration I was working on a couple weeks ago."

"Still turning orange and spiky?" Elara giggled, remembering what had happened at school.

"When you get to fourth year and do this perfectly, then you can poke fun," Delphi smirked. "Not before that."

"Just you wait," Elara replied, taking the book and curling more into her chair as she opened it and began to read.


Elara's eyes snapped open to pitch blackness, though a face loomed over her, and she tried to scream, suddenly realising that she already was screaming at the top of her lungs. "Elara, stop!" Delphi's voice said, sounding very concerned.

Elara's chest was heaving with sobs, her body aching as if she'd been running for a very long time. "Please—" she whimpered. "Don't—I—he was—" And she burst into uncontrollable sobs, sitting up and wrapping her arms around herself as she rocked back and forth.

"Elara!" A hand touched her shoulder and she shrieked, pulling away and nearly falling out of the bed.

"Don't touch me!" she screamed, reaching her hand toward the nightstand, though she was immediately faced with the tip of a wand. "I didn't do anything," she sobbed hysterically. "Please."

"Elara Lestrange, wake up," Delphini said sternly, turning on the lights in the room. "It's the Christmas holidays and you're in my room. You've been having a nightmare."

The girl was shaking from head to toe, and Delphi lowered her wand slightly. "It's just me, Delphi. What in Merlin's name did you dream about?"

The younger witch merely sobbed, still with her arms wrapped around her legs as she rocked back and forth. "No, no, no," she sobbed. "It couldn't be."

Delphi ventured closer to her friend, standing beside the bed, and asked, "Was it about your mother?"

Through her sobs, Elara looked up at her friend and cried hysterically, "Dad...hurt me." And she was incoherent all over again.

Delphi sat down on the bed, watching her friend cry as she wasn't exactly sure what to say to her. She was about to try to ask her friend something when she felt a disturbance in the wards on her room and realised that someone was about to enter the room. She raised her right hand to lock them out, but the door burst open and Elara yelled in fright, reaching out and clinging to Delphi in terror.

Bellatrix strode into the room, her wand in her hand, and Delphi turned to block Elara from her mother's aim. "Mother, what are you doing here?" Delphi demanded.

"What has she done?" Bellatrix hissed, striding forward and glaring at the girl. "The magical disturbance alarms went off in here."

"Mother, leave her alone," Delphini commanded sharply. "She's had an awful nightmare, and she can't even talk yet. She's done nothing wrong."

Realising that it was Bellatrix, and not her father, Elara opened her eyes and stared at the woman in fright, not relaxing her grip on Delphi. Her chest was still heaving as she struggled to breathe, her face very pale. Elara's lips moved, but no sound came out, and the fright in her eyes only grew stronger.

Bellatrix frowned at this, turning to her daughter and asking, "What was her nightmare about?"

Delphi hesitated, then answered, "Her father. She said he hurt her."

"Rodolphus?" Bellatrix said, the word immediately evoking more hysterical tears from Elara. She turned to the girl, seeming to see the child as someone else entirely, and stood there for a few minutes before saying, "You dreamed that he harmed you as he does your mother?"

Elara gave the tiniest nod and tears streamed down her face even faster as she shrank against her friend. "I—I—don't know," she sobbed.

Delphini was confused, but Bellatrix knew immediately what Elara meant. "He's never hurt you before, right?" Bellatrix asked the hysterical child.

"No," Elara sobbed, crumpling up the handkerchief Delphi gave her.

"And Elara were here all last night, isn't that right, Delphi?" Bellatrix asked her daughter.

"Yes," Delphi answered. "I would have known if anyone had gone in or out, and no one did."

"Then it was only a nightmare, child," Bellatrix said to Elara.

The girl shook her head fiercely, unable to believe it as her body trembled with what her mind had just gone through. Bellatrix watched Elara for a moment, seeming slightly angry before she walked to the other side of the girl's bed and sat down next to her. Elara turned her head to watch the witch, scared of what she might do, and Delphi moved her arm, encouraging Elara to sit up.

Bellatrix looked away from the two, studying the carved wood of the wardrobe as she said, "It's natural to be afraid that he would turn on you, with all that he does to Nymphadora, but he's not that way, Elara. Your father would never hurt you like that, and I know him very well. I've known him longer than anyone else he knows."

"He's evil," Elara whispered, tears coursing down her face as she stared at her friend's mother. "You don't know that."

"You're his only daughter, his perfect child, as he always says—" Bellatrix rolled her eyes at this "even if it crossed his mind, he would never do such things to you. He loves you, Elara. You were a surprise to all of us, including him, and he's never having any more children, so he's got to keep happy the ones that he's got. He's not going to hurt you."

Delphi and her mother shared a look, which Elara only caught part of and scared her as she wondered what they were on about. Bellatrix sighed and turned toward the younger girl. "Elara, both your Nan and I were abused by our father when we were children at home. I understand how you feel, even though you probably don't believe me. I wouldn't believe me. It's frightening to think that someone who should protect you and love you might abuse you like that, but Rodolphus is different. He's not the type to hurt children: he's never hurt a child while I've known him, and I don't think he'd hurt anyone before that." Bellatrix laughed to herself.

"Honest?" Elara whispered.

"Honest," Bellatrix nodded secretively. "It's embarrassing to go on missions with him because he hates torturing children, even to make the parents cooperate."

Elara looked down at her hands, clenching them into fists as she tried to make herself believe what Bellatrix was telling her—though she wasn't even sure she should believe the dark witch. "What if he does, one day?"

"Come to me," Bellatrix and Delphini said together firmly.

"Nymphie abuse is one thing," Bellatrix told the girl. "But child abuse is something completely different."

Delphi added, "Even if he threatens you, tell us. We'll protect you."

"I'll kill him," Bellatrix said plainly.

Elara's eyes widened at this threat, and Delphi looked over at her friend. "It's going to turn out all right, Elara. He's not going to hurt you: your mind is just telling you you're in danger because you know he's upset."

"But if he doesn't hurt me...he'll take it out on Mum," Elara whispered, shaking her head slowly. "No one will stop him. She doesn't even fight him anymore."

"She's used to it," Delphi muttered.

"You never get used to it," Bellatrix said darkly, then turned to Elara. "Don't wish it on yourself, child. Your mother wants to protect you, and if that means keeping Rodolphus happy, then Merlin help her. It would kill her if something happened to any of you three: that's how we used to make her behave—by threatening Teddy, you know."

"That's the only reason she kept me," Elara breathed. "She told me so." The other two didn't answer, and Elara buried her face in her hands. "She should have got rid of us: it would have saved everyone a lot of problems."

"Don't say that," Delphi said sternly. "Rodolphus has done these things, not you, Elara."

Elara's fingers reached up and gripped her hair tightly. "I shouldn't be here. I cause nothing but problems."

The girl jumped in shock when she felt a strange hand on hers and looked up to see Bellatrix pulling her hand down from her hair. "You're not a bad child," Bellatrix said quietly, keeping a hold of the girl's hand. "And in reality, none of what has happened is even remotely your fault. People are going to blame you, and there are those who will never understand what some of us have been through, but it doesn't mean that you don't belong where you were born. Honestly, I was two steps away from killing both you and Nymphie, but Rodolphus had some stupid favour that he pulled in order to keep you. Things happen for a reason, Elara, whether we approve of them or not. You will find your purpose, like I did when I was only a few years older than you are now."

"Thanks," Elara whispered, sighing and having to cover up a yawn.

Bellatrix pulled her hand away and got to her feet. "Next time, don't disturb me." The woman strode to the door and was gone.

Elara turned to Delphi helplessly, and the silver-haired girl smiled slightly. "I haven't seen her that sane in a long time," Delphi murmured. "I'd be thankful she wasn't taking great pleasure in your terrors."

"I don't understand," Elara groaned, kicking the sheets off of herself and lying on top of them. "I don't understand any of it."

"Some things can't be understood until years later," Delphi said simply, turning down the lights again before crawling into her own bed. "But it's not your place to understand. They're adult problems."

"You have adult problems," Elara retorted.

"Well, yes," Delphi admitted, "but what I meant was that the things that are effecting you are not your responsibility."

Elara huffed in annoyance. "Well, I wish they would go away."

Delphi was quiet for a while, and Elara thought she was asleep when Delphi finally said, "Family drama is the most difficult thing to manage, I've discovered. I'm kind of glad most of the Prisoner Wing issues go directly to Father."

"It does?" Elara breathed.

"Yep," Delphi said, curling beneath her sheets. "Everything about Rod and Nymphie mixed with whatever Mother's done—the acute senses Teddy seems to have and whatever else is happening. The Malfoys are the least problem we have, I think." She laughed.

"What about Nan?" Elara asked. "Do you think it was true, what your mother said about her?"

"Ask her," Delphi giggled.

"I will not," Elara said haughtily, making Delphi laugh even more.

"Go back to sleep," the older girl laughed. "In the morning I'll show you that spell I told you about last week."

Elara rolled her eyes in the darkness. "Fine."

Delphi snickered. "Elara, I know you rolled your eyes."

"Nope," Elara answered, turning onto her other side. "I would never do that. Goodnight."

"Night," Delphi yawned, relieved that Elara seemed to have mostly recovered from her nightmare and hoping strongly that she wouldn't have any more.