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Bella

Nymphadora downed the contents of the small glass vial she was holding, wincing at the taste before she walked over to her dresser, opened the top draw and slipped it beneath the pile of freshly laundered underwear. She took a deep breath as she felt the potion settling in her stomach, her nausea slowly fading. Looking to the small mirror on top of the dresser she met her own gaze, rolling her eyes as she sighed. "Well . . . shit." The door to the room slowly opened, the witch gasping and running over to the bed before collapsing down onto the pillows just in time to see her confused husband looking to her with amusement. "Evening Rab."

"Good evening . . ." Rabastan raised an eyebrow. "What are you up to?"

"Nothing." Dora laughed nervously, shuffling back on the bed to sit against the headboard.

"Nymphie," Rabastan chimed, sitting down next to his wife on the bed. "you're hiding something from me."

"Me? Never." Dora pouted innocently.

"You are." Rabastan frowned.

"Fine!" Dora threw her hands up in defeat, jumping off of the bed and turning to face her husband. "I was hiding your birthday present."

Rabastan sighed, reaching out and gently tugging on his wife's hands to sit her on his lap. "Dora, my birthday isn't for months."

"Christmas?"

"Even further away."

"Valentines?"

"Been and gone."

"How about—"

"Dora." Rabastan spoke firmly, causing the witch on his lap to bite her lip to stop herself talking again. "Tell me what's wrong. Please?"

"Nothing." Dora sighed, snaking her arms around the mans shoulders as she rested her head on his shoulder.

"Dora . . ." Rabastan kissed her cheek, rubbing her back as he let her melt into his arms. "You're starting to worry me . . . Are you okay?"

"I—" Dora sniffed, burying her face in his neck. "I love you."

"I love you too." Rabastan murmered, kissing Dora's hair before gently manouvering the witch in his arms so he could look upon her face. He couldn't help but feel concern mixed with sorrow as he stroked the hair from her face. "Dora you're scaring me, you've been acting strange all day—you barely touched your dinner and near enough ran out of the room when Rigel had barely finished his. Please tell me what's wrong."

She chewed her lip, placing her hands on her husband's chest as she found a sudden interest in the buttons of his robes. "Well . . . I think I might be pregnant."

"Really?" Rabastan grinned, though as his wife looked up at him meekly the grin slowly began to fade. "I—Are you sure?"

"Well . . ." Dora sighed "Mother nature is more than late with her visit and I've been feeling sick a lot recently . . . I took a morning sickness potion before you came in and this is the first time I haven't felt sick in at least a week. But I haven't done the test spell."

"Do you want me to?" Rabastan asked.

"I suppose so . . . I just . . . I've been putting it off. I'm sorry, I meant to—I meant to at least talk to you about it—but I—"

"Dora." Rabastan sighed. "I understand. But we've had this conversation, last time was an accident—one that will never repeat itself. I'll keep you and the baby safe, we all will. If you are pregnant, nothing is going to harm that child for as long as I live, I promise you that."

The witch hesitated for a moment before she let herself smile slightly. "I do miss having a baby. Because you know, I like functioning on little sleep and forever smelling of puke and dirty nappies."

"Eau de bébé." Rabastan chuckled. "Beautiful." He pressed a soft kiss to her lips as she giggled, lingering for a moment before he pulled away. "Want me to do the spell?" Dora nodded nervously, complying as Rabastan manoeuvred her to lay down on the centre of the bed.

"Rab . . ." Dora sighed, rolling her head back into the pillows waiting for his hum of response before she spoke again. "Will you be upset if I'm not pregnant?"

"Well," Rabastan pretended to consider the witch for a moment as he leant over her with a sly smirk. "no, because then we can spend the night trying." He chuckled as she hit him playfully before he sat up and drew his wand. "Ready?" he looked down to the witch, taking a deep breath as she nodded quickly screwing her eyes shut.

"Do it." Dora whispered, clutching onto her robes in nervous fright. The time seemed to slow as she could hear the gentle swish of Rabastan's wand, her heart pounding against her chest in worry. What if she wasn't pregnant? What if she couldn't get pregnant? What if losing her unborn child had damaged her body so she could never conceive again? What if—Nymphadora's eyes snapped open as Rabastan's lips crashed down upon her own. He wrapped an arm around her back as he pulled his wife into his arms, only pulling away as he felt the need to breath, hugging her closely as he buried his face in her hair.

"So are we making a baby or . . .?" Dora gasped as Rabastan pulled back to look at her, a grin plastered onto his face.

"No need, already made." Rabastan laughed.

"Oh Rab . . ." Dora gasped, her hands immediately going to her stomach. "Wards, I need wards—where's my wand?"

"Calm down." Rabastan chuckled. "You're safe right now—you'll always be safe with me."

"Aww, how romantic." Dora teased, screeching with laughter as Rabastan pushed her back to lay on the bed. "Hey! I thought we didn't need to make a baby?"

"No," Rabastan grinned mischievously, "but we do have cause to celebrate." The witches giggles soon turned into groans, the pair lost within the blankets of their bed as they revelled in their happiness for the first time in a long time.

"Nymphadora." Delphi spoke haughtily as she walked into the sitting room, ignoring the amused look from Rodolphus and the woman sat next to him.

"Yes, Delphini?" Dora held back a laugh, sitting back as Rodolphus took the large book onto his own lap.

"Don't call me Delphini." The girl scowled. "It's Delphi to you."

"Then it's Dora to you." Dora couldn't help the small huff of laughter that escaped her lips despite the unamused scowl from her younger sister.

"What can we do for you, Delphi?" Rodolphus asked, smirking slightly at the two. "Shouldn't you be with Andromeda right now? And Rigel? You are usually practising your spell work at this time of day."

"I was with those two." Delphi huffed, walking over and perching on the old oak coffee table in front of the pair.

"And why aren't you there now?" Dora asked.

"Rigel was still trying to learn the Impediment Jinx, he's taking ages." Delphi rolled her eyes. "It only took me ten minutes."

"And how long as Rigel taken?" Rodolphus sighed.

"An hour—so far." Delphi shrugged before mischief lit up her face. "I want to learn something new."

"Oh dear." Dora furrowed her eyebrows at the girl. "I recognise that look."

"As do I." Rodolphus sighed. "What matter of dark magic is Andromeda unwilling to teach you?"

"No, she wouldn't be unwilling to teach her dark magic." Dora shook her head, looking to the man beside her. "Just . . ." Dora frowned as she tried to think.

"Well she is." Delphi scowled for a moment before a look of feigned innocence came over her. "But you two are very talented when it comes to these sorts of things. I mean, who better to learn off of? Two powerful, talented people."

"I have a feeling we may be unwilling too." Dora sighed.

"No, you two are more than understanding." Delphi nodded.

"You know," Rodolphus frowned "you are very much like your mother."

"Thank you." Delphi grinned.

"What do you want to learn, Delphi?" Dora sighed, resting a hand on her stomach subconsciously.

"Well . . ." Delphi sat up straight, looking to each of them for a moment before she spoke firmly. "I want to learn the unforgivables."

"Oh. Well . . ." Dora looked to Rodolphus to gauge his reaction to the girls request, though he simply stared at the young witch before him with curious interest.

"Look, if Mum was here, would she not have taught me by now? Or at least shown me?"

Dora frowned, trying to think of what to say "I—"

"She would have shown you far sooner than now." Rodolphus agreed with the girl, ignoring the exasperated sigh from the witch next to him.

"Exactly!" Delphi grinned. "So you'll show me—and teach me?"

"Delphi . . . you're eleven." The witch sat forward on her seat, looking hopefully to the young girl before her. "Wouldn't you rather learn something like — I don't know. Anything?"

"How old were you when you learnt the Cruciatus curse?" Delphi asked, raising an eyebrow at Nymphadora before looking to Rodolphus as well. "Well?"

Dora bit her lip as she shuffled awkwardly in her seat "I—Well—Rodolphus?"

"I grew up with it." Rodolphus shrugged. "Though I didn't learn the curse properly until I was around . . . Fourteen?"

"And what about you, Dora?"

"I—Well I—" Dora sighed deeply, holding her hands up in defeat. "I was twelve—Although, that was only on spiders." The witch glared at the scoff of amusement next to her.

"How on earth are you supposed to learn with spiders? They can't tell you if you're doing it right." He said. "You need to at least practise on a House Elf."

"Fine." Delphi grinned as she jumped to her feet, drawing her wand. "Let's get the house elf."

"No." Dora stood from her seat. "Put your wand away."

"But I want to learn!"

"And you will learn." Dora drew her wand, moving the coffee table out of the way with one swift motion. "But you've never seen it—well, not properly."

"Shall I summon the elf?" Rodolphus asked, smirking slightly. "Or are you going to fetch some spiders?"

"Very funny." Dora rolled her eyes. "But no, you're right; Delphi needs to practise on someone who can tell her if she's doing it right. I thought you would like to volunteer?"

"Ha! Very funny."

"Aww." Dora pouted, speaking in an imitation of her mother's childish tone. "Scared I'll hurt you? Can't cope with a little pain."

"Don't talk like that." Rodolphus winced, settling his emotions as memories of his late wife flooded back to him. "I'm not scared—and I can more than cope. Better than you could."

Dora rolled her eyes, motioning for her sister to sit down in her vacated seat as Rodolphus stood up. "And if I wasn't feeling sick I would be more than willing to let you curse me, shame really."

"A deep shame." Rodolphus sighed sarcastically as he dropped his wand onto the couch so as not to instinctively curse the girl back. "Sure you can cope with such dark spells? It has been a while."

"Psch. Stop trying to annoy me."

"Stop talking and get cursing." Delphi groaned. "Come on!"

"Patience." Dora smirked, focusing on the man in front of her. "Now Delphi, you need to concentrate. Really think about how much you want to hurt your victim, really revel in their pain—you need to enjoy it. Think about the pain you're putting them through, really want it. It gets easier the more practice you put in."

"And I thought you loved me, Nymphie." Rodolphus teased.

"Nothing personal." Dora laughed. "Are you watching, Delphi?"

"Yes." The girl nodded avidly. "Get on with it!"

Nymphadora rolled her eyes, pointing her wand at the man infront of her and taking a deep breath before she put all of her intent to hurting the man infront of her, hissing. "Crucio."

Rodolphus Lestrange tensed instantly, screwing his eyes shut as Delphi watched him with wide eyed intense focus. "Y—You can do better than that Nymphadora."

Nymphadora hissed, twisting her wand as she focused the curse. She couldn't help but laugh as he fell to his knees, gritting his teeth to stop himself yelling out in pain. "See, anyone else may be screaming in agony right now. Unfortunately, Rod has a high high pain threshold, he may or may not have annoyed your parents one too many times." Dora smirked as Rodolphus finally let out, groaning in agony as he fell forward and dug his fingers into the carpet. Delphini sat on the edge of her seat, giggling at Dora's words.

"Dora!" Rodolphus yelled, his voice strained. "You've proven y-your p-point!"

"And here I thought I couldn't cope with such dark spells." Dora laughed as she lifted the curse. "Need a hand getting up?"

"No." Rodolphus hissed, slowly sitting up straight before grasping onto the nearest surface to pull himself to his feet. "Give me a minute."

"No," Delphi pouted. "I want to try."

"Just a minute." Rodolphus mumbled, ignoring the occasional twitch of pain surging through his body. As he turned to face the two women before him he rolled his eyes at Nymphadora holding a pain killing potion out to him. "How am I supposed to know if Delphi's curse works if I can't feel anything?"

"Well she can practise on me." Dora shrugged.

"Nymphadora, Rabastan would not be best pleased." Rodolphus scowled at the woman.

"I can suffer a small crucio just fine." Dora shrugged. "Besides, Delphi can't do that much harm to me."

"Hey!" Delphi protested.

"Delphi, do you want to learn or not?" Rodolphus asked, continuing as the girl nodded. "Then get to it. Take a deep breath, focus, mean it."

"Right." Delphi nodded, closing her eyes for a moment as she took a deep breath before looking to Rodolphus. She raised her wand, narrowing her eyes in concentration before she hissed. "Crucio."

Rodolphus hissed instantly, jolting back before rolling his shoulders and stretching his neck. "An split second of pain and you lose it. You need to hold the curse, Delphi."

Delphi shook out her arms, glaring at the man before pointing her wand at him and yelling the curse again. It lasted a few more seconds this time, though after the man merely tensed in pain for a few moments Delphini growled in annoyance. "I can do this."

"You can." Dora agreed. "Though I'm more than happy to demonstrate again."

"I'm sure you are." Rodolphus sighed before looking to Delphi. "Come on, you can do it Delphi."

"Right." Delphi glared at Rodolphus, trying to focus before she yelled. "Crucio!"

Rodolphus closed his eyes, breathing deeply at the strange sensation. It wasn't so much pain, more discomfort that caused him to want to be very still rather than move and set off more pain. Certainly not the intense agony of the girls older sister's curse. Nevertheless he moved backwards, grasping onto the wall. "Make it stronger." He growled, feeling the girl trying and failing to intensify the curse. "Refocus it." He hissed.

"I'm trying!" Delphi cried, letting up the curse with a gasp for air. "It's hard."

"Well," Dora smiled sympathetically "it takes time, you don't learn it overnight."

"So I'll try again." Delphi went to raise her wand again, glaring as she was faced with Rodolphus pointing his own wand at her.

Rodolphus shook his head. "Put your wand away, you'll wear yourself out."

"I will not! I can go for hours."

"No, you can't." Dora stood again, walking over to the girl and resting a hand on her shoulder only to have her pull away.

"There has to be a better way of learning this." Delphi yelled in annoyance, walking across the room only to suddenly turn and narrow her eyes at the pair. "How did you two learn? Mum taught you, right Dora?"

"Well, yes she taught me after Andromeda taught me the basics but—"

"Then how did she teach you?"

"Delphi," Rod sighed. "You are eleven, you cannot learn the way a Death Eater in training learns."

"Why not?" Delphi demanded.

"Because we don't want to teach you that way, you won't like it." Dora sighed, rubbing her stomach subconsciously.

"I am not a baby!" Delphi snapped. "Teach me. Now."

"Delphi don't talk to us like that." Dora frowned, ignoring the sigh of annoyance from Rodolphus.

"I am The Dark Lords daughter, you're supposed to listen to me!" Delphi growled, apparently losing her temper at lack of getting her own way combined with her unsuccessful attempts at the Cruciatus.

"Delphi, no-one has sworn to serve you." Nymphadora spoke firmly, shaking her head at the girl. "We look after you, we keep you safe, you are a child."

"Delphi I have to agree with Nymphadora," Rodolphus sighed. "you're too young to command anyone. Besides, you must become a powerful witch before anyone will follow you."

"And what would my mother say if she were here?" Delphi raised her head in defiance. "Or my father?"

"Mum was different, mother's do anything their children ask of them." Dora shook her head. "Your father would . . . he would—"

"He would tell you to listen to me!" Delphi snapped. "I want to learn the curse so teach me the curse the right way, teach me how mother taught you."

"Fine!" Dora snapped, pointing her wand at the child as she let her pregnancy hormones get the better of her. "You want to learn, you can learn. But you won't like it."

"Dora—"

"Try me." Delphi cut off Rodolphus, glaring at her sister.

"You need to feel the curse, to understand the pain you intend to put upon others." Dora narrowed her eyes, keeping her wand pointed steadily at the young girl. "You can't hurt people with anger, you may hurt them temporarily—knock them off their feet perhaps—but it won't last and it won't be half as painful as a true curse. You don't know how that feels, the one time you were cursed Rabastan wasn't intending to hurt you truly, he was angry and merely wanted to shock you." Dora looked the girl up and down for a moment before she raised her eyebrows at the girl. "Well, still want to learn Mother's way?"

Delphi stared at the tip of her wand, holding down the worry in her stomach. She could remember Rabastan cursing her, it had hurt badly. If that wasn't a true Cruciatus curse then she dread to think what a full on curse would feel like. Though she refused to show weakness, refused to admit that maybe she didn't think she should learn this way just yet. So she nodded stiffly, looking to her sister with the best defiant look she could, not being able to help but smirk slightly as the flicker of hesitation appeared in the girl. "Unless you're too weak to do it. Maybe you should let Rodolphus try." She rolled her eyes as Rodolphus shook his head, stepping back from the pair as he took a step backwards clearly not wanting to get involved with the sisters.

"Oh I can do it." Dora sighed, unable to keep a stern for too long as she looked down to her sister. Yes, she was annoyingly entitled, short tempered and rude at times, something that was increasing by the day. "Just for a minute, okay?"

"I can cope." Delphi spoke through gritted teeth, pocketing her wand.

"Sure." Dora sighed before straightening up and focusing her gaze on the girl. "Crucio!"

Delphini Riddle instantly let out a scream of pain, falling to the floor and clutching onto her skirts tightly. Tears sprung to her eyes, her entire body tightening as she cried out in agony. Though the curse was lifted just as soon as it was started Delphi would have sworn the curse lasted longer than the barely five seconds it was upon her. The girl gasped as she felt a pair of arms around her, looking up to see her sister moving her over to sit on the couch. "Get off of me!" Delphi yelled as she pushed the woman away.

"Delphi I warned you." Dora sighed, stepping back and wrapping both of her arms around her stomach. Her pale features scrunched up in concern for the girl, sighing as Rodolphus walked over and pulled the younger girl onto his lap before running his wand down her spine to ease her small residual pain.

"Delphi, we both warned you." Rodolphus agreed. "There's no shame in it if you're just not ready—"

"I am ready!" Delphi snapped, pushing the man away and jumping to her feet and glaring at the pair of them. "I know I'm ready to learn!"

Dora bit her lip, reaching out for the girl only to wince as she pulled away "Please—"

"I will learn and I'll be better at that curse than even my own mother!" Delphi yelled in fury. "If you two won't teach me I'll teach myself!" with that the girl stormed out of the room, ignoring the two adults calling after her.

Dora groaned, sitting down on the couch and burying her head in her hands. "I'm a terrible person."

"No," Rod shook his head, going over to the liquor cabinet to pour himself a firewhiskey. "you're not. You did as she asked, she's merely too young and hot headed to accept the way things must be done at times. She said she could cope, she clearly couldn't. That girl needs to learn her limits."

"Rod . . ." Dora sighed, waiting for the man to hum in acknowledgement before she carried on. "Should we be listening to her? She isn't just Mum's daughter, she is his daughter. What if . . . Well . . . I don't know."

"He's not coming back Dora." Rodolphus shook his head, sipping on his drink as he moved to sit back next the woman, pulling the forgotten book back onto his lap. "We have to keep her safe, keep her hidden. The fanciful commands of an eleven year old do not always have the best outcomes. We keep her—and Rigel—safe above anything else."

"Right." Dora sighed, resting back into the couch as she let her eyes rest lazily on the book.

"Come on Nymphie, don't dwell on such things." Rodolphus nudged her to sit back up. "You need to learn the Lestrange grimoires. If you want my help concentrate."

"Fine." Dora sighed, looking down to the book as Rodolphus tried to explain the curse he had been showing her before Delphini's interruption. Though her mind was decidedly elsewhere now as all she could think about was the youngest lady of the house hold, her emotions a hormonal mess as she tried to think of how best to deal with Delphini.