Prophecy time! It's about time we got to this part. :D

Dora

Delphi scowled to herself as she escaped her sister and Andromeda. The longer she was locked up with them, the more annoying the two older witches became. The only person she could really trust was Rodolphus, as she only had to give him a look and he was helpless to tell her no.

She smiled, thinking of the man. He would only argue with her when he thought she was truly going to hurt herself. Out of all of them, Rodolphus understood her and cared for her the most. He didn't even blame her for not being able to tolerate little Bella, her two-year-old niece.

With a sigh, the young witch placed her hand against the door to their safe room, quickly entering. She was glad that Rodolphus had taken it upon himself to teach her how to really duel, even it meant she was constantly recovering from one injury or another.

She glanced around the room, gripping her wand firmly as she looked carefully for Rodolphus. He wasn't above sneaking up on and attacking her: she'd learned that very, very painfully. When she was satisfied that he was not in the room, she stood across from the door to wait for Rodolphus' arrival.

The young witch did not have to wait very long before the door opened and the man entered. "Sorry to keep you waiting," he said simply.

Delphi just smirked at him, her eyes sparkling with mischief. "Shall we?" she said as if asking him to dance.

He responded with a wandless hex, carelessly thrown before he drew his wand, parrying her attack. Her laughter made him smirk as he sent curse after curse her way. The fifteen-year-old girl had certainly learned a lot about dueling since he had given her a chance to prove herself.

Rodolphus had no doubt that the young woman Delphi was blossoming into would be just as powerful as her mother. Not so beautiful or perfect, though. Oh no. Not even Bellatrix's daughters could compare to the witch herself. Delphi knew this from all the times his memories had been too much and he'd yelled at her. She knew that Rodolphus would accept no alternative to his Bella.

He jumped out of the way of Delphi's barrage of curses, laughing delightedly at the progress her spellwork showed. Rodolphus loved to see the life in her eyes as she dueled, proud that he was the one who was preparing her, who had trained her. It amused him, in a bittersweet way, that Nymphadora could not handle her own sister, and the lot had fallen to him. She...

Delphi yelled in triumph as her curse struck the man directly in the chest, immediately following up with a Crucio. She didn't expect him to cry out, but she did know that one curse would not keep Rodolphus Lestrange down.

After a moment, she stopped, seeing Rodolphus fall to his knees, his eyes open but unfocused. Fright shot through her: what if she'd done something wrong? She didn't think she could really hurt the man...

"Rodolphus?" she asked in concern, her wand still pointed at him in case he attacked. "Rod, stop it. Stop pretending!"

He drew a shuddering breath and Delphi looked at the door, wondering if she should run get help for him when he began to speak. His voice was low and calm, and Delphini froze before him as his eyes focused on her.

"When spares are spared," Rodolphus breathed, his eyes wide as he pointed directly at Delphi, "when time is turned—" Delphi shivered as she watched him speak, still confused. "When unseen children murder their fathers will the Dark Lord return."

Silence followed, Delphi still on her guard as she stared at the man, his eyes unfocused again. Half afraid to startle him, Delphi finally whispered, "Rodolphus? Can you hear me?"

The man blinked, losing his balance and falling back onto the floor. "Oh," he groaned. "What—what happened? Did I lose?"

Delphini did not smile. "All you all right?"

"You...cursed me," Rodolphus winced in astonishment, rubbing his arm. "I don't remember any of it, but I can feel it..."

"You don't remember anything?" Delphi demanded. "Nothing?"

Rodolphus looked up at her, stopping trying to get up. "Delphi," he said quietly, "what did I do?"

She hesitated for a few moments, watching him carefully before she went to his side, kneeling next to him. "I'll show you," she said, breathless as she began to be excited about what had just happened. "Just let me heal you first."

He sat still as she placed her hand on his shoulder, reversing the curse she'd done and healing him from the Crucio, though he rolled his eyes at her concern. "Delphi, I'm fine," he said. "Show me what I did."

Delphi drew a deep breath, then sat down next to him. "Look at the memory," she told him. "Don't argue: just look."

Rodolphus sighed and put the tip of his wand to her temple and said, "Legilimens!"

When Rodolphus left her mind, she watched him for a reaction, but he shook his head and looked down at his wand in his hand. "Shit. I'm seeing things."

A giggle escaped the girl, but she reached out and turned him to face her. "So it was a prophecy?" she asked him seriously.

"It...looks that way," Rodolphus muttered, then protested, "I'm no Seer, Delphi. I'm not! I didn't even take Divination at Hogwarts!"

"Rodolphus, you said the Dark Lord would return," Delphi whispered, looking into his eyes. "Could it be true?"

The man's eyes clouded before he looked away from the girl, divided in his thoughts. "I don't know."

Delphi glared at him. "Don't know?" she snapped. "Or don't want to know? This coming from you, one of the Dark Lord's most powerful Death Eaters!"

Rodolphus didn't even glance at her as he raised his sleeve to see his faded Dark Mark. "I will always return to the Dark Lord," he murmured, rubbing his Mark before he looked up to Delphi. "I am almost certain it is true," he said simply, though his heart was racing as his brain connected the situations.

For fourteen years, his Mark hadn't burned, hadn't bothered him at all. But this evening, as he was coming out of the vision, he realised that his Mark had burned fiercely for a few seconds. Just as he was about to say something else, he heard someone yell from the hallway, "Rodolphus! Rod, where are you?"

"Rabastan," Delphini hissed angrily, getting to her feet with her wand gripped tightly in her hand.

"Leave him alone," Rodolphus said sharply. "He probably felt his Mark burn too."

Delphi turned to stare at him as he got to his feet. "What?" she said in shock.

Rodolphus walked to the door. "The Dark Lord will return, Delphi, and we will all be faithful. Shall we go see what Rabastan's going on about?"

The two left the room, Rabastan hurrying up to them almost immediately. "Did—did you feel that?" he asked, self-conscious now that he had found his older brother.

"If you mean the Mark burning, then yes," Rodolphus answered.

"But he's..." Rabastan's voice trailed off when he saw Delphi standing behind his brother. "What is happening?" he sighed.

"And Nymphadora?" Rodolphus questioned. "Did she feel it too?"

"Yes," Rabastan frowned. "We were in the sitting room when it happened. What does this mean, Rod?"

Delphi stepped forward. "The Dark Lord will return once again."

Rabastan glared at her, and Rodolphus placed his hand on the girl's shoulder. "She is right, Rabastan," the older man said quietly. "Let's go find the others: you should all hear this at the same time."

They walked together to the sitting room, finding Nymphadora and Andromeda with little Bella, who immediately ran to her father, giggling. Rabastan lifted the toddler into his arms, sitting down next to Nymphadora. Bella wriggled to get down and her father set her on the floor, the child running over to Rodolphus.

Delphi stepped away from the little girl, seeing her sister frown at her behaviour, but Rodolphus leant down and lifted the child into his arms. "Hi, Belle," he said softly, kissing her dark curls.

Nymphadora looked at the man worriedly. "Rodolphus, do you know what's happened?" she asked him.

"Yes," Rodolphus answered, looking around the room. "Where's Rigel?"

"Here," came a voice from behind him as the teen slipped into the room. "Is everything all right?"

Rodolphus nodded, Delphi watching them all carefully as she sat down with Rigel and Andromeda. "This was probably the most unusual thing that has ever happened to me," he said, unsure of how to begin. "I really can't even remember doing it..."

Delphi leant forward excitedly. "He had a vision," she said, unable to keep silent. "And I saw it."

Andromeda raised an eyebrow. "A vision?"

"A Seeing," Rodolphus sighed. "At least, that's what it seemed to be like when I saw Delphi's memory of it. I can't remember saying or doing it at all."

Rabastan opened his mouth, then closed it again, shooting a distrustful look at Delphi. Nymphadora looked at her brother-in-law and asked, "Why did our Marks burn, then?"

Rodolphus looked at the two other Death Eaters in the room. "I...I said the Dark Lord was going to return," he said quietly, as if afraid to say it too loudly. "My Mark was burning as I became aware after the vision, but it wasn't a Summons. It was just a presence, a reminder of our duties."

"What did you say specifically, if I may ask?" Rigel asked, looking up at the man.

"When spares are spared—" Rodolphus began, only to be interrupted by the two-year-old in his arms.

"Kill the spare!" little Bella giggled, looking up at her uncle.

Nymphadora looked shocked. "Where did she learn that?"

Andromeda sighed, looking from the toddler to her mother. "I told her part of the Dark Lord's return as a bedtime story one day last week," she answered. "She really likes that line."

Delphi looked down at her hands. "—when time is turned, when unseen children murder their fathers, will the Dark Lord return."

Rabastan was unimpressed. "That's all?"

Rodolphus didn't look at his brother, looking from Nymphadora to Rigel to Andromeda. "I'm sure it's real," he said, finally setting Bella down to run play with her toys. "I'm sure of it."

Nymphadora bit her lip, glancing at her sister for a moment. "You know I have to ask, Delphi. Rod, are you sure that Delphi did not make this up in order to show it to you?" she asked the man. "Sure that she could not have activated your Mark? Our Marks?"

Delphi still hissed at her sister in anger, her locks tingeing red before she forced them back to silver, turning toward Rodolphus. The man looked at his brother, his sister-in-law, and Nymphadora before saying, "Even if she could activate our Dark Marks, I would know the Dark Lord's magic anywhere. I've felt it on Bellatrix thousands of times. There is no mistaking it."

"But we don't know when it will come true, or who will bring it to pass," Andromeda frowned. "Do we even know what the first part means?"

"All we can do is be ready," Rodolphus said quietly, turning to leave the room. Delphi hurried after the man, not wanting to stay with Andromeda and the rest of the Lestranges. "Delphi, I need time alone," he said to her when she caught up with him.

"Fine," she sighed.

"Be careful until Rabastan has had time to think this through," Rodolphus warned her. "I'll see you tomorrow: I'm not leaving my room again today."

Delphi frowned. "Will you be all right?"

He smirked. "I've been alone for years, Delphi," he told her. "Now is no different." He watched her leave, then went to his room, warding it fully so that no one could disturb him. He refused to talk to anyone until he knew what to think of what he had just done.

Rodolphus could not deny that he wanted to stay with what was left of his family and not be uprooted by another war. He drew up his sleeve to look at his Mark again. It was cool to the touch, faded once again. He hadn't imagined it...the others had felt it too. Delphi had seen him say the words.

The man groaned, putting his head in his hands. What had he started?

Once in their room, Nymphadora felt herself pulled into her husband's embrace and looked up at him. "Are you glad of this news?" she asked him hesitantly.

"Dora, we'd be free," he whispered in her ear. "We wouldn't have to hide anymore. The children could get out, and Bella could go to Hogwarts."

"Yes, but—" Dora bit her lip as she pulled away from her husband and sat down on the bed. "It's just that...it's peaceful here. Most of the time."

"It was true," Rabastan muttered after a moment, looking at her. "You really didn't want to be a Death Eater, even though you denied it."

Nymphadora winced. "Rabastan, I wanted to please Mother," she said. "I wanted her to be happy more than anything."

Rabastan frowned, concerned at his wife's thoughts. "And now that your mother is gone, you think you can just time out of your duties?" he said worriedly. "Dora, we are all bound to the Dark Lord through our Marks. Once you are in, there is no way out except death."

"Rab, I didn't mean it like that," Nymphadora sighed. "Mother taught me better than that. I will always obey the call of the Dark Lord. I'm just concerned...is the life of a Death Eater something we want the children dragged into? It's dangerous! What if something happened to Rigel, or even Bella?"

"Nothing is going to happen to our children, Dora," Rabastan said gently, sitting down beside her and slipping his arm around her. "It might not even come true in our lifetime, or not even come true at all. Not all Seeings come true, Dora. You remember seeing all those prophecies at the Ministry. Most of them are about things that will never happen."

"Rodolphus was so sure," Dora whispered. "And Delphi—she will do whatever she can to bring him back, Rab." He looked suddenly infuriated, and Dora grasped his hand in hers. "You must try not to anger her, or say terrible things in front of her," she said to him gently. "If her father does indeed return, she will be at his right hand."

Rabastan winced. "Dear Merlin."

Nymphadora sighed a small laugh. "We'll have to be very careful around her," she said. "I don't know how Rodolphus puts up with her, bless him. I mean, even Mother was okay compared to Delphini Riddle." She rolled her eyes and Rabastan raised an eyebrow at her.

"Be careful of your own words," Rabastan smirked.

"I already told her that the Dark Lord only wanted her as a ready-made pawn," Nymphadora winced. "I don't know if I could do any worse unless I insulted the man to his face."

"Wow," Rabastan said with a nod. He then got to his feet and pulled his wife to her feet, looking straight into her black eyes. "Dora, do you—do you think Rodolphus and I should talk to Rigel about what he needs to do if something happens to us?"

"Only as a caution," Dora replied softly, reaching out to embrace the man who looked so awfully serious. "But I'm not going anywhere, and I will do everything in my power to keep you and the children with me."

Rabastan hugged her tightly, murmuring, "I'll do my best to protect you and Rigel and Bella."

Nymphadora nodded, but then she sighed again, thinking of another problem. "What about Andromeda?"

"What about her?"

"Well, she's not exactly one of us," Dora said doubtfully. "Though I can't just abandon her..."

"Dora, she hardly acts like a blood-traitor anymore even though she still isn't as supremist as we are," Rabastan rolled his eyes. "She acts the proper pureblood witch, just as she was taught as a child."

"But what if we have to return to Malfoy Manor?" Dora persisted. "What will happen to her?"

Rabastan chuckled. "Dora, we don't have to go anywhere. This is your house, and we've made it our home. I don't think we need to leave it. I'm sure you'd find a way to keep Andromeda somehow, knowing what you did in the first place."

Nymphadora nodded, pressing her face into her husband's neck as she remembered fleeing Malfoy Manor with him and the two older children. "I just want us to be all right," she whispered, her hands clenching onto the fabric of his shirt.

"Listen to me, Nymphadora," Rabastan said softly, his hand rubbing her back reassuringly. "We're going to be fine. I promise." He kissed the top of her head lovingly and she sighed, glad that he was there for her.

"Dora?" It was Andromeda, knocking on the door. "Bella needs you..."

"Later," Dora murmured, looking up and kissing Rabastan quickly. "I love you."

He smirked as he watched her walk toward the door, going to take care of their daughter. She was perfect in his eyes. "I love you too," he answered just before she left the room.

She turned back to him, halfway out the door, and winked. Then she was gone.