Nymphadora Lestrange looked across the room at the silver-haired young woman that stood before them all. "Tomorrow, Delphi?"
"Yes," the witch repeated, rolling her eyes at her sister. "It's time for me to leave."
"All right..." Dora murmured, feeling her husband walk up beside her and wrap his arm around her. She didn't know what else to say, having known that Delphi had been planning to leave for months, in fact perhaps more than a year.
"Well, we'll miss you," the youngest of them spoke up from beside Andromeda. "At least, some of us will."
Delphini Riddle looked at her now eight-year-old niece and smirked. "Oh, I know. You'll all be glad I'm out of your hair until the Prophecy returns you to us."
No one else said a word, Andromeda seeming preoccupied with a thread on the skirt of her dress until Delphi had left the room. "What will happen to us if time gets messed up?" Bella asked, looking at her parents when they turned back to the others. "Will Rigel and I still exist if everything goes wrong?"
"Time turners have boundaries," Rodolphus answered. "She can't go that far back in time. And you'd still exist, though you may have a different name, or a different father."
"Ew," Bella said, pretending to be sick as Rigel laughed at her. "I don't think I'd like that."
"Probably not," Rodolphus shrugged. "I mean, the pickings were pretty slim at the time your mother and father married."
"I thought they were pretty good," Rabastan smirked, pulling Dora into his side and kissing her cheek.
Rodolphus shook his head at the small family and left the room.
Rodolphus drew a deep breath before he lifted his hand to knock on Delphi's door. He was slightly unnerved a the door opened before he even touched it, Delphi calling for him to enter. He entered the room only to find her standing with her arms crossed, facing him. "You can't tell me to leave and come back telling me to stay," she hissed, her black hair falling over her shoulders in perfect black waves as she scowled at him.
"No..." Rodolphus murmured, slipping his right hand into his pocket and clenching his fist. "I don't want what happened last night to be the last thing you remember from me..."
Delphi smirked. "Did something happen?" she questioned him. "I don't seem to remember anything important."
Rodolphus looked into her devilish, sparkling eyes and couldn't help but remember what had taken place when she'd gone to see him the night before...
He had just come in from the grounds from a walk around the perimeter when he felt Delphi's magic against the ward on his room. He allowed her in, his back to her as he rebuttoned his shirt and glanced back at the young witch. "I was going for a bath," he told her, finally turning to her. "What do you need?"
Rodolphus was surprised to see that instead of her normal silver and blue locks, she had long black curls, just like her mother had always had. "I'm bored," Delphi pouted, and Rodolphus smirked at the girl's words and pout, a strong reminder of his Bellatrix. "Let's duel. You can have a bath after."
"Delphi, I'm not up to a full duel...I just walked over most of the grounds," Rodolphus sighed. "Perhaps later tonight."
"But I'm bored now," Delphi insisted, approaching the man and looking straight into his eyes.
"Delphi," he sighed, suddenly silenced as she reached out and placed her hand on his arm. He jumped back from her when she let her magic crackle against his skin. "Stop that!"
"Play with me," she smirked, drawing her wand and facing him.
He growled in annoyance. "Not here."
She let out a cackle of laughter and threw a curse at him. "Here, Rodolphus
His wand was in his hand within seconds as he yelled at her, annoyed, and tried to curse her. It was over almost before it was begun, Rodolphus too distracted by her unusual appearance and too tired out from his earlier jaunt around the grounds. Delphi cursed him against the wall, huffing in disappointment as he merely leaned back against the wall and gritted his teeth in pain. "That wasn't very long," she protested, walking toward him accusingly.
"I told you," he growled, looking up at her through his mussed-up hair, "I wasn't up to a full duel. Will you leave me alone now, B—Delphi?" He corrected himself quickly, further unnerved at himself.
"What kind of a student would I be if I left you here like this?" Delphi scoffed, reaching out toward Rodolphus, though he stepped away, still leaning against the wall.
"Just like your mother," Rodolphus retorted.
"Merlin damn it, Rodolphus," she snapped. "Let me heal you!"
He let her grasp his shoulder as she ran the tip of her wand down his back, then down his side as she whispered in Parseltongue. He watched her smile slightly as she spoke, the curse lifting from him at her command. Rodolphus drew a painless breath and sighed softly as Delphi put her wand away and looked into his eyes, gently placing her other hand on his arm. "Better?" she questioned, and before he answered, she leaned forward and kissed him, her right hand reaching up to tangle her fingers in his greyish brown hair.
As shock rushed through his body, forgotten feelings exploding into life in him, Delphi nestled herself against him, kissing him more firmly as she felt him respond. He reached out and grasped her hip with his right hand, his other arm wrapping around her back.
Rodolphus' mind was whirling as he held the young witch to himself, lost in her kiss. She brought back so many memories of times he'd had with Bella...very special times. He could feel the girl's hand on his chest and groaned softly, biting her lip as he let his hands wander down her body.
"Rodolphus," the young witch groaned, and his mouth went dry.
He broke off their kisses and shoved her away, sickened at what had just happened. "Stay away from me," he said hoarsely, staring at her with wild eyes. "You—you're not mine. I won't do that to you—go away, Delphini
"I am whose I choose," Delphi retorted, her dark eyes boring into his.
"And I say no," Rodolphus shuddered, refusing to look at her. "I won't play your games. I'm loyal to you, but I won't be your toy, like my wife was your father's."
"It's not a game!" Delphi snapped at him. "I'm just curious!"
"I'm not the right person to satisfy that sort of curiosity!" Rodolphus yelled at her, drawing himself to his full height. "I would lose myself—I would hurt you! You—you're like a daughter to me! Who does something like that to their daughter?"
"Nymphie's father?" Delphini smirked.
Rodolphus opened his mouth to reply, then pointed to the door. "Get out," he growled at her, his wand in his hand. "And you should leave the manor as soon as possible. You've obviously been locked up for too long."
Delphini huffed at him, striding to the door in the most infuriating way possible to Rodolphus. "Fine," she said simply, turning to look at him from the doorway. "I'll leave. But you'll miss me, and wish you'd kept me here."
The moment the door shut behind her, Rodolphus sank to his knees on the floor, his hands over his face in shock. It was too much.
"I won't ask you to stay because you are a temptation to me, Delphi," Rodolphus murmured, unable to look at her. "Out of respect to you—and your parents, for that matter—I can't be what you ask. As I said, you're like a daughter to me—the only reason I reacted the way I did was that I'd been thinking about Bella..." The man brushed a hand across his face, taking a deep breath as he shook his head slightly. "I don't have those feelings toward you."
"I understand," Delphi nodded formally. "I apologise for my forwardness—I simply thought you would want to—but obviously I was wrong. That will not happen again—and I am leaving, as I said to the others."
"I didn't want you to leave this way," Rodolphus sighed, chancing a glance at the witch. "Though the others don't have to know about this, right?"
"Never," Delphi shook her head. "Just between you and me. And it's not that bad: you said no and I left. A question and an answer, Rod."
Rodolphus nodded in relief, and she stepped forward tentatively, letting him hug her to his chest. "Going to miss me?" she whispered, returning his embrace.
The man squeezed her more tightly. "Yeah," he mumbled.
She held back a shiver as she felt his breath on her neck, and she gasped in shock when she felt his teeth just nip the soft skin of her neck. She was shocked at this—though she immediately had to tell Marvolo that it was fine. He did it a second time, then hugged her again.
"I don't believe you," she breathed. "You do—"
He stepped back and placed a finger over her lips. "I don't know what you mean," he smirked, then stepped back and asked, "Going to miss me?"
Delphi reached for him, but he stepped back again. "Goodbye, Delphini," he told her formally.
She didn't say anything for a few seconds, then sighed, "Goodbye, Rodolphus."
He left her room, going straight to his room to deal with his questions and emotions. All Delphi had been doing recently was to play with his emotions and feelings and he couldn't take much more of that before something would happen. It was a good thing she was leaving soon.
Nymphadora held back tears as she hugged her sister goodbye in spite of Delphi's protests. "I'll miss you," she sniffed, drawing back and dashing away her tears. "Please be careful...and good luck."
"When am I not careful?" the young woman smirked at her sister. "I'll be fine, Nymphadora."
"That's what I'm worried about," Dora sniffed, swatting away more tears as Rabastan slipped his arm around her.
"I can't believe you're leaving!"
Delphi was pounced on by her niece, who hugged her tightly, making her step backward to keep her balance. "Belle!" she hissed, hugging the girl though at the same time she firmly disentangled herself.
"You've been here my whole life and I don't want you to go," Bella sighed. "But I know you have to. Take care of yourself, okay? And come and see us if you can."
"I think your father will insist the wards be changed as soon as I am gone," Delphi said, looking at her sister's husband in derision though his expression did not change. "But we will meet again, one way or another."
"Good," Bella nodded.
Delphi huffed in annoyance, accepting a hug from Andromeda. "If everyone else gets one, you might as well," she muttered to the witch. "Thanks for teaching me as much as you could. Rodolphus says I'm a difficult witch to handle, but I don't know."
Andromeda laughed softly. "I don't think that surprised any of us. I'm sure you'll do well, Delphi. I am proud of you."
"Thanks," Delphi smiled slightly, then turned to her nephew. "Rigel...be a good boy." She giggled. "Don't shame the house of your fathers, and all that. Oh—and get a girlfriend." She turned on her heel and walked out the door, her charmed bag with her.
Rigel shook his head, everyone watching her walk away through the windows nearby. Nymphadora teared up afresh as Delphi disappeared from view, Rodolphus already having left the scene.
Having watched everything in complete silence, Rodolphus now sat alone on a bench in the grounds, staring out toward the stream. He missed Delphini's presence at the manor, more than he ever thought he'd miss his wife's little girl. He could remember the first time he'd met the baby, when Bella had been afraid of what he'd do, but the child had just endeared herself to him. It wasn't her fault.
The man drew a deep breath. He had done the right thing: he had left baby Delphi alone, protected Rabastan and Dora so they could raise the children, and returned to make sure they raised Delphi right. Rodolphus shook his head at the thought.
Dora may have been Bellatrix's daughter, but she did not understand her half-sister and could not raise her correctly. Even he had trouble sometimes, but he had a better grasp of how to deal with Delphi.
He was so caught up in his thoughts that he did not hear his niece approach until she called softly, "Uncle Rod?"
He started in surprise, having to stop himself from grabbing his wand. There was no threat: Bella wouldn't jump out and Curse him as Delphini had found so amusing. The thought saddened him, and he had to hold back a laugh at himself.
"Uncle Rod..." the little girl said again. "It's cold out here...why don't you come inside and keep warm?"
"I'm fine," the man muttered, turning away from her even though he was a bit chilly. "Aren't you supposed to be inside with your parents?"
"I don't think so," Bella said doubtfully, walking closer to him. "May I sit down?"
"Make yourself at home," Rodolphus muttered.
Bella sat down next to him, speaking after a few moments had passed. "Delphi told me you'd sit around and mope."
Rodolphus turned to stare at her, his attention fully captured. "Did she tell you what to do about it?" he asked.
"She told me to keep you from thinking too much," Bella rolled her eyes as she said it. "But I can't be her."
"Well, she was no replacement for Bellatrix," Rodolphus frowned. "You're no worse."
"Um, thanks," the girl sighed. "Will you go back into the house with me now?"
Rodolphus looked away from her. "It's peaceful out here."
Bella huffed in annoyance. "Yet Delphi never left you alone, and you were happy with that," she sputtered. "And you were barely ever outside, Uncle."
He scowled. "You talk too much."
"No more than Mum," the girl smirked. "Come on: let's go inside." She got to her feet, and Rodolphus looked up at her, shaking his head thoughtfully before he got up and followed her toward the house. "I guess you'll really miss her?"
"Slightly," Rodolphus mused. "I'm sure it'll be fine."
"Do you think she'll be able to bring back her father?" Bella asked him.
Rodolphus chilled slightly, though he merely said, "We will have to see. She will do her very best."
Bella nodded, tucking her hand into his as they walked into the house. He didn't say anything more about Delphi as his niece led him to the library and distracted him by asking him questions about spells Andromeda had been teaching her. He would be ready if the Dark Lord did indeed return: he was faithful.
Rigel Lestrange shook his head at his little sister. "You can't go," he said firmly. "Mother, Father, and the rest would be furious if I took you."
"It isn't fair!" Bella cried. "I don't want to be trapped here anymore!"
"Bella," Rigel sighed, "I do know how you feel, but I can't help. Leave me alone or I'll have to tell Mum."
"Fine," the girl snapped, and stormed away from him.
The young man sighed, turning and walking into the grounds to leave. He wanted to have a look around and see what he could find. His mother and Rodolphus had given him some ideas of where to find some young people his own age.
He stepped across the ward boundaries, walked for a bit, then disapparated. Rigel quickly moved from the spot, walking toward the closest shop and disappearing inside. He looked around for a few moments, making sure he wasn't being followed or watched by anyone.
Rigel soon walked from the shop and went down the street to another store, deciding he would browse there for a moment. He became rather lost in thought as he looked around, suddenly surprised as someone addressed him.
"Hello there."
"What do you want?" Rigel asked, looking up and immediately cursing himself. Before him stood a young witch his own age, the girl seeming taken aback at his response. "I'm sorry," he said, straightening up. "I was deep in thought and you startled me. What can I do for you?"
The witch blushed slightly. "Well, you'd been looking around for a little while, and I was wondering if you needed help," she admitted.
Rigel couldn't help but grin. "Maybe I do," he said. "I'm looking for a little something for my sister since she wasn't allowed to come with me."
"I see," the girl said. "I'm Lyra; what's your name?"
"Robert," he answered, immediately wondering if that was the name he had told the other girl he'd met. Holding back a laugh, he said, "Pleasure to meet you, Lyra," and shook her hand. "So. Do you have any idea what an eight-year-old girl would like?"
"Oh, she's quite young then," Lyra said in surprise.
"Yeah," Rigel nodded. "Bella's sort of Mum and Dad's way of saying they're not old yet."
Lyra gave him a strange look, and he mentally kicked himself for saying his sister's real name. "Named after Bellatrix Lestrange? I know it's common to name your children after war heroes, but..."
Rigel frowned. "Whatever she may have done, she was powerful, brave, and loyal, and for that alone, she was to be commended," he said. "I suppose we wanted to remember that she wasn't all bad."
Lyra nodded thoughtfully. "Are your family Hufflepuffs?"
A burst of laughter came from him, and once he had contained his amusement, he replied, "No, the very opposite. We're all Slytherins."
"Oh." She blushed deeply, Rigel grinning at her amusedly. "Sorry," she muttered.
"Oh, it's fine," he chuckled. "I'm sure Slytherins can't exist together without some love and understanding even if they aren't the primary traits."
"About this gift for your sister," Lyra said firmly, her ears still pink, "I think I have a good idea of where to find something. I hope you have sort of an open mind, considering your parents idolize Madame Lestrange."
Rigel smirked at her. "Try me."
She led him from the shop quickly, taking him down the street toward the apparition point. "The shop isn't here," she told him. "Want me to Side-Along you?"
"I..." Rigel looked slightly uncomfortable, wondering if it was safe to apparate with someone he didn't know. "Where are we going?"
"Hogsmeade," Lyra replied with a small grin. "You can go by yourself if you want."
"I haven't been there," Rigel murmured ruefully.
"You're full of surprises," she told him. "Come on, then." She held out her hand and he took it, immediately being pulled into the apparition with her.
He was breathless when they arrived, the girl letting go of him once she'd made sure he wasn't going to fall over. "It's only a little bit of a walk," she said, leading the way. "And oh, I guess it's a Hogsmeade holiday today."
Rigel glanced to the side, remembering his mum mentioning such things once in a while. To his surprise, he saw Hogwarts students walking by in their respective House robes and smirked to see two Slytherin girls staring at him, whispering to each other. He turned away from them, walking beside Lyra, though they had only gone a few steps when someone approached them.
"Lyra!"
Rigel's companion turned and grinned at the two approaching girls, accepting their embrace. "Where have you been?" the blonde one teased. "You disappeared!"
"I went to meet Mum," Lyra answered the girls, stepping back from them formally. "And on my way back, I ran into Robert here, who needs help picking out a gift for his little sister. I told him I'd help."
"We will too," the dark-haired girl chimed, but Lyra shook her head at them.
"No," she told her. "I'll meet you two at the Three Broomsticks when I'm done, okay?"
They sighed and left her after receiving a promise that Lyra would be there. Rigel looked at Lyra carefully. "You're still in school?" he asked.
"I'm a seventh year," Lyra nodded. "I just turned eighteen. Those two girls are my best friends."
"Hufflepuffs?" Rigel questioned, raising an eyebrow.
The girl smirked. "I am a Hufflepuff myself," she said haughtily before grinning at him. "I had a chance to be a Ravenclaw, but I decided against it. I can just be a smart Hufflepuff."
Rigel laughed, then almost stopped in surprise when they rounded the corner and came upon the shop, Lyra looking at him to see what he thought. "I...thought Weasley's Wizard Wheezes was in Diagon Alley," he said after a few seconds.
"They opened a second branch over here where Zonko's used to be," Lyra explained. "The Weasleys bought them out last year. I hope you don't mind a little ginger because this place is incredible."
"I'll be fine," Rigel scoffed, and the two walked into the building. He was awed by the amount of colour and motion in the modest-sized shop, staring around at it all in amazement. "Wow."
Lyra beckoned him to follow her. "I'll show you the most interesting things," she said, leading him down one of the aisles.
Rigel was amused to see Puking Pasties, Fever Fudge, and Sizzling Serpents. He reached for something, but Lyra grabbed his hand and warned, "That's an Acid Pop and it will burn your tongue out."
"How many of these things have you tried?" Rigel questioned, motioning around himself to all the products.
"Some," she mused. "I've seen more used than I've actually tried myself. Most Weasley products are now banned from Hogwarts classrooms to keep students from feigning illness."
"Oh," Rigel said in amusement, and she gave him a calculating look.
"How old are you?" she asked him. "Because you should know at least some of these things, and you can't be that much older than I am."
Rigel looked at her cautiously, then sighed. "I was homeschooled," he murmured. "I'm twenty-one, nearly twenty-two, and I haven't seen most things that even you have."
Lyra's mouth opened slightly as she stared at him in wonder. "Homeschooled...by your parents?"
"Yeah," Rigel said, his tone more gruff as he didn't want to talk about it. "My family is very close."
"Same," Lyra nodded. "It's just me, Mum, and Dad."
"What about these?" Rigel asked, pointing to bright yellow packages with birds on them.
"Canary Creams are definitely safer than Acid Pops," the young witch mused. "Though when molting back to the human state, you will leave feathers everywhere. I've heard they're common at Gryffindor parties."
Rigel grinned. "I'm sure that's amusing," he said as he chose a package. "Shall we get something else as well?"
She followed him this time, both of them grinning happily. After a little while, someone entered the shop and Rigel stared for a moment before casually ducking out of sight. "Isn't that the Minister?" he asked Lyra.
"Oh, yes," Lyra agreed, glancing up from some strange looking vials. "Hermione Granger-Weasley. She's a friend of my mother."
"Who is your mother?" Rigel asked curiously while checking the aisle again.
"Luna Lovegood Scamander," the girl answered simply. "Shall we go? You don't seem comfortable."
"I do need to be getting home," Rigel murmured, slipping down the aisle to the other side and slipping up to the counter. He made his purchases quickly, glad the witch at the till was not someone he recognised.
Lyra joined him outside, walking back with him toward the edge of the town. "I assume your family was more...on the other side of the war?" she said quietly.
Rigel frowned. "You are correct," he replied evenly. "Though you would do well not to judge based on family history."
"I didn't mean anything against you or your family," she said, placing her hand on her hip and turning to frown at him when they stopped at the apparition point.
"Nor I against yours," Rigel told the girl. "I'd like to see you again, if I may."
She stared at him, surprised yet again, though he took her hand in his before she could say anything. Pressing her hand to his lips, he murmured, "It has been a pleasure, Ms Scamander." He stepped back and disapparated in the next second, leaving her to stand there in Hogsmeade alone.
Bella giggled as Rigel explained her gift to her. "They're so you can listen under doors and things," he told her. "But there's one rule."
"What's that?" Bellatrix grinned up at her brother.
"Whatever you hear is your responsibility," he warned her. "Mother and Father can't know about these."
"Of course," she nodded, her eyes alive with mischief.
"Also," Rigel said, and she looked back to him warily. "I dare you to slip Aunt Andromeda one of those Canary Creams."
The eight year old smirked, slipping the package into her pocket before leaving the room, and Rigel smiled to himself, shaking his head. He was glad Lyra had helped him select the gifts for his sister, because he was almost certain they would provide amusement to most of the family.