So life has been super busy recently and I am shit at remembering to upload the next chapter (I'm currently writing the second to last).
Sorry for the delay! Please do read, enjoy and leave a review if you have a moment!
Bella
Nymphadora groaned as she turned over in bed, bringing the sheets up to cover her head as she tried to salvage any extra minute she possibly could to stay in bed. Though her plight was in vein. Within seconds she could hear the steps on the wooden flooring, the weight of another body leaning on the bed and the hand grasping onto the sheets hovering for a moment before the last barrier between herself and the sunlight streaming through the window was snatched away.
"Wakey wakey," the familiar voice hummed, laughing slightly as the woman groaned in response, "come on, Dora. It's nearly midday."
"I have a headache," Dora groaned.
"Well, that's what happens when you come into my room and down half a bottle of fire whiskey."
"That was your fault as much as it was mine," Dora sighed, wincing for a moment before she sat up and faced the woman now sat beside her, "honestly mother, how does your head not feel like it's split in two?"
Bellatrix merely snickered, tossing her wild black curls over her shoulder as she leant against the headrest, she looked to her eldest daughter through her heavy-lidded eyes amused at the girl's glare. "Drink this," Bellatrix said, passing her a small vial of bubbling blue potion, "I already have, though I admit I didn't drink quite as much as you did."
"That looks disgusting," Dora murmured, nonetheless she took the vial and downed its contents with a grimace.
Bellatrix took the empty vial, reaching over and putting it on the bedside table before she wrapped an arm around Nymphadora to pull her into her side. The younger woman groaned, resting her head on her mother's shoulder as she closed her eyes. "It tastes as disgusting as it looks," she groaned.
"Yet you would think you'd remember that from last time," Bellatrix chided, "and the time before that . . . and the time before that and—"
"Oh shush," Dora hit her mother's arm teasingly, "you make it sound like I get drunk and pass out in your bed every night."
"Not every night," Bellatrix smirked, stroking her daughter's dark purple locks absentmindedly.
"Maybe once a month or so . . ." Dora sighed.
"Just every time Rabastan gets too much?" Bellatrix asked airily, feeling her daughter stiffen underneath her, "I told you—"
"He's never hurt me," Dora said, though from the tone in her voice her mother couldn't help but think she was hiding the truth from her, "he just . . . he gets upset sometimes."
"Because you spend time with your mother?" Bellatrix hissed, "I should never have let you marry him, never have approved of it. You're a good wife, you gave him heirs, you—"
"Mum it's fine," Dora said, unravelling the woman's arm from around her for a moment as she squeezed her hand and looked at her in all seriousness, "I love him and he loves me, we just . . . every marriage has its problems. You of all people understand that, don't you?"
Bellatrix stared at the woman, her mind going elsewhere momentarily as she pulled her hand away from the girl and let her gaze wander to the old moving photograph on her chest of drawers, "Yes . . ."
"I—I'm sorry mum, I didn't mean to—" Dora shook her head, reaching out and touching the woman's arm, "hey, how about I go get dressed and we can go out or something?"
"No . . ." Bellatrix shook her head, snapping out of her thoughts as she forced a smile at her daughter, "but you do need to get dressed."
Nymphadora nodded before with a frown she looked down at her nightdress, "This isn't mine . . ."
"No," Bellatrix laughed, "it's mine."
"I can't remember . . ." Dora murmured, thinking for a moment before her eyes widened and she looked to her mother in horror, "did you dress me?"
"No," Bellatrix rolled her eyes, "you just didn't have any night clothes and I wasn't walking you back to Rabastan in the state you were in,"
"Right," Dora blushed heavily, "I should go back to him . . ."
"Dora—"
"He's fine," Dora insisted, getting up from the bed she looked around, her eyes lingering on her crumpled dirty dress on the floor for a moment before she went to her mother's wardrobe, "I'm borrowing a dress."
"Help yourself," Bellatrix rolled her eyes, crossing her legs on the bed as she watched her daughter pull out one of her simpler dark dresses and dash behind the old oak dressing screen.
"Thanks," Dora mumbled, emerging from the screen a few minutes later and tightening her corset with a flick of her wand.
"We could go out later?" Bellatrix cocked her head to the side as she looked to her daughter, a slow grin appearing on her features, "I can see if Delphi wants to come along, we can have a family outing."
Dora hesitated for a moment, looking to her mother before with a sigh she nodded her head, "I'll see what I can do, I'll come find you."
"Make sure you do," Bellatrix said as she summoned the mornings Daily Prophet.
Nymphadora took it as her queue to leave, sighing as she left the room she wondered if Rabastan would be in their bedroom or if she was better off going to check on her daughter. At ten years old all the little girl had on her mind was her pending Hogwarts letter, the little girl was all too excited to leave her parents behind without a second thought. Dora couldn't help but wonder, not for the first time, if Rabastan and her would grow further still apart with none of their children at home full time. Maybe she should have another child, she wouldn't mind another baby to coo over and distract her from the rest of her life, as much as she hated to admit it, it would be an excuse to spend less time with her ever less sane mother and more with her husband . . . though could Bellatrix cope with a new grandchild? Could she cope with a new child? She was nearing 48, though it was true she was only a couple of years older than her mother was when she had—Dora let out a grunt as she collided into someone.
"Watch where you're going!" Dora snarled, ready to curse the latest idiot Death Eater roaming the halls, though when she looked up to see the culprit she sighed and stopped herself from going to her wand, "Delphi, sorry."
"Dora," Delphi breathed, "you're here."
"Where else would I be?" Dora frowned, straightening her robes as she took in her younger sisters appearance. Her long, silver, blue-tipped hair was down and almost wild like their mothers around her shoulders, her usual haughty expression gone in replacement of what looked like a mixture of excitement and shock, even her clothes seemed slightly off-kilter with her usual look of regal perfection, "Aren't you supposed to be at the Ministry this morning?"
"The Ministry?" Delphi asked, frowning for a moment before she shook her head, "I decided not to go in."
"Right . . ." Dora sighed.
"Where is—" Delphi hesitated for a moment as if deciding who she needed to see, "everyone?"
"Everyone?" Dora raised an eyebrow, "Bit of a broad spectrum there, Delphi."
"Well," Delphi shook her head, "Rabastan, Rodolphus, Bellatrix . . ."
"Well," Dora frowned slightly, her sister had never shown the slightest interest in her husband, "Rabastan is possibly in our room, Rodolphus is at school and please don't start calling mum Bellatrix again. Don't tell her I told you this but it really upset her the last time you started doing that, you know it doesn't matter who you are Delphi and I don't care if you don't act like my sister in front of other people but for Merlin's sake she's your mother not another follower."
"I—" Delphi hesitated for a moment, her brows furrowed as she gave her sister an incredulous stare "I wouldn't, I mean—I didn't mean . . . I didn't mean Mum . . ."
"You don't mean Renee do you?" Dora groaned, "I told her not to go by her middle name—she said she would when she got to Hogwarts, you know strike fear into the hearts of her classmates by reminded them who her grandmother is—but I told her it wasn't a good idea. Between me and you I don't think Rab would be best impressed if people started calling Renee Bellatrix."
"Renee?" Delphi frowned.
"Yeah, I've told her she can't do it but her argument was her brother gets to do it with his name," Dora shook her head as she let out deep breath, "she's fine enough with Lestrange as her last name, I've told her as much but she won't listen."
"How does Rigel get to do it with his name?" Delphi asked.
"Rigel?" Dora looked at her sister strangely, "I meant Rodolphus."
"Rodolphus?" Delphi raised an eyebrow, "Well, of course Rodolphus strikes fear into people with his name, his face is enough for it."
"Are you trying to make a jab at my son's looks, Delphi?" Dora narrowed her eyes, "Because he has Black looks and so do you, so . . ."
"Your son . . ." Delphi repeated, unable to hide her shock and confusion murmuring to herself, "you have three children . . . of course, those Aurors didn't come after you so you never lost it . . ."
"Aurors? After me?" Dora scoffed, "Delphi have you taken something? The Aurors are under our control why on earth would they ever come after me? I haven't had to fight an Auror since . . . well since before you were born I think. Are you okay?"
"What about Andromeda?" Delphi ignored her sister's question, though frowned as she seemed to go paler and stepped towards her hushing her voice.
"Delphi, you swore you wouldn't tell," Dora whispered in rushed tones, "I never saw her often—that time you caught me going there was the last time," she lied, "please be quite or people will hear you. Mum would probably go kill her if she found out what with the state she's in lately and I—Just don't."
Delphi shook her head, confusing Dora even further as she was sure her usual evil smirk would have appeared on her features as she reminded her of the secrets she knew and could use against her at any time.
"But what about . . . Mum's Rodolphus?" Delphi asked.
Dora stared at her as if she had asked if they were having Harry Potter for tea, "Excuse me?"
"I—" Delphi hesitated for a moment, "What about my parents?"
"Well," Dora thought for a moment, "I think your father is abroad at the moment and Mum . . . I think we should go see Mum . . . yeah, I'll take you to Mum."
"I don't need you to take me, I can go on my own," Delphi said defiantly, though there was still a hint of something strange in her eyes.
"I know you can," Dora said, "but Mum wanted us to go out a bit later anyway, might be a good chance to plan it?"
Delphi hesitated for a moment before she nodded slightly and directed the girl back in the direction she had just come from. She glanced back at her sister every now and then, her concern for her growing as the younger witches gaze wandered around the halls distractedly. Dora shook off the feeling of unease her sister was giving her as she knocked on her mother's door.
"Mum?" Dora called out.
"Come in," the voice responded, a tone of confusion in her voice.
Delphini Riddle felt like there was a weight on her chest, her head was pounding, her heart beating at least five times its usual speed as far as she could tell and a churning feeling was currently happening within her stomach. Dora frowned at her as she opened the door, going in ahead of her.
"Dora, I thought you were going to see Rab?" the voice carried out from her room, her mother's voice, the voice that she had heard many years ago when she was so tiny that she couldn't even remember hearing it, the voice she had only heard in the memories of her family. With a deep breath she forced herself to walk into the room, though the minute she passed the threshold she couldn't move any further. Her mother's face split into a grin as she saw her. Though she was older than the memories and photographs she had seen, she was undoubtedly her mother. Her eyes were the same colour as her own, her hair was still a wild mess of black curls (though there were far more grey streaks throughout it now) though her hourglass figure remained, tightened into a deep midnight blue dress. Delphi even recognised her own grin in the woman, though she must have been staring in silent awe at the woman for far too long as her grin faltered slightly.
"Are you okay, darling?" Bellatrix asked, looking from her youngest to eldest daughter and back again.
"I bumped into her in the corridor," Dora interjected, stepping towards her mother though she didn't take her sight off of Delphi.
"She . . ." Dora shook her head, "I don't know if she got hit with something or she's sick but she's acting weird."
"Delphi?" Bellatrix frowned, closing the gap slightly between herself and her eldest child she reached out and put her hand to her forehead "Are you sick? Has someone done something to you?" the woman's look hardened, "If someone's done something to you—you tell me who it is and I'll—"
Delphi didn't hear what her mother would do to anyone that had hurt her (though she had barely registered anything else she had said if she was perfectly honest), as her emotions overwhelmed her she did something she very rarely did to anyone and could certainly never remember doing to her own mother. She lunged forward and wrapped her arms around her, hugging her tightly as she buried her face in her wild locks. "Mum . . ." Delphi murmured, screwing her eyes shut as she felt her mother raise her arms to return her embrace, stroking her back.
"Shhh," Bella whispered, "i-it's okay . . ."
"Should I get someone?" Dora said quietly to the side of the pair, "Perhaps a healer?"
Bellatrix shook her head, though she did not release her daughter from her embrace as she continued to rub her back. "No . . ." Bella sighed.
"Okay . . ." Dora said awkwardly, "I'll go see to Rab then . . ."
Delphi heard her sister walk away from them, relaxing a little as she heard the door close behind her. Bellatrix stroked her hair out of her face, hesitating for a moment before she pulled back slightly to look at her daughter. Frowning slightly she brushed the hair out of her face, looking curiously to the tears welling in her youngest daughter's eyes.
"What's happened?" Bella asked, her voice practically a whisper.
"N-Nothing," Delphi cleared her throat.
"Liar . . ." Bella hummed, she looked the girl up and down for a moment before she took her hand, going over to her bed and sitting down. She brought the girl with her, laying back on the bed she pulled the girl to lay with her.
Delphi melted into her mother's arms, letting her embrace her as so many emotions rushed through her that she could not pick out a single one of them. She rested her head on her shoulder, closing her eyes as the woman brushed her hair away from her face.
"I haven't held you like this in years . . ." Bella said, her voice airy, an almost absent feel to her tone, "when you were little . . . before you decided that the heir to The Dark Lord shouldn't 'show weakness' in such ways . . . that hurt . . ."
"I'm sorry," Delphi murmured, still gripping onto her mother.
". . . You've never apologised . . ." Bella said.
"I—" Delphi hesitated for a moment, though for the life of her she could not think of what to say. It was true, she very rarely apologised for anything, she couldn't recall a single sincere apology she had ever given, but this was her mother. She had dreamt of her parents her entire life barely daring to hope she would ever be in the position she was in now. She couldn't think. Before she could realise what was going on the mood instantly shifted, she gasped at the sting of the previously gentle touch on her hair turned into a tight grip, instead of laying on her mother she was thrown beneath her with her mother glaring into her eyes, the hand that was not pulling on her hair was now digging her wand into her throat.
"What have you done with my daughter?" Bellatrix hissed.
"Wha—I am your daughter!" Delphi cried.
"My daughter never apologises! She never shows weakness!" Bellatrix said.
"I-I am!" Delphi shook her head, "I can explain, I—"
"Explain fast," Bellatrix said, a crazed look in her eyes, "so I can find my real daughter. What have you done to her?"
"I haven't! I—!" Delphi struggled under the grip of her mother for a moment, yelling out as the older witch threw a hex at her.
"What did your father say to you the last time the three of us met?" Bellatrix asked hurriedly.
"I-I don't know, it's complicated, I can answer other stuff though!" Delphi shook her head, beginning to panic, she had not counted for this situation. "Dora! Her father is your father!"
"Everyone knows that," Bellatrix growled, "that's why Rita Skeeter is dead."
"O-Okay," Delphi nodded, "I can speak parcel tongue, you kept a memory of when I was born, f-father spoke in parcel tongue to me b-but you couldn't understand it any more, he said I would grow to be second only to him,"
Bellatrix paused for a moment, loosening her grip on the girl for the briefest of moments before she tightened it once again, "You're lying, you know I can't understand parcel tongue so you're lying to me."
"You don't understand," Delphi shook her head, desperately trying to think of how to prove to her mother she was who she said she was, "there's another timeline, I changed the timeline—Well, Potters kid did which is rather ironic—"
"Potter is dead," Bellatrix hissed, "he died years ago."
"I figured," Delphi couldn't help but smirk despite her position, though she quickly gasped as Bellatrix slapped her.
"Where's Delphi?" Bellatrix demanded.
"I'm here!" Delphi yelled, "I—The battle of Hogwarts, just before you left you sealed me and Rigel into your special room with Dora and made it so that if one of you died the other could lift the enchantments, you wanted Dora to look after me but Narcissa didn't think it was a good idea—"
"How have you gotten this information?" Bellatrix said, hint of panic in her voice.
"Dora told me, she showed me—"
"How?" Bellatrix hissed, "How did you get—What did you do to Dora?"
"Nothing, I—Ah!" Delphi yelled out as Bellatrix suddenly yanked her by her hair, pulling her from the bed, "What are you doing?!"
"I need to check on Dora," Bellatrix hissed, blasting the door open as she took Delphi with her.
Dora entered her bedroom, glancing to the form of her husband still in their bed. He seemed to still be asleep, she wondered if she changed back into her nightdress she could convince him that she had never spent the entire night away from their bed. She flicked her wand and opened the drawer that held her pyjamas.
"Morning," Rabastan said, turning over and looking up to face his wife, "need I ask where you've been?"
" . . . Out," Dora eventually said, an air of defiance about her.
"Liar," Rabastan rolled his eyes getting off of the bed and walking over to his wardrobe to get ready, "you were in your mother's room."
"So what if I was?" Dora raised an eyebrow, sitting on the edge of her bed as she watched her husband get changed.
Rabastan did not answer at first, taking his time to get changed before he slowly turned and looked to his wife shaking his head, "You're always with her."
"She needs me," Dora practically whispered, staring down at her lap.
"And what about me?" Rabastan raised an eyebrow, walking over to the witch and lifting her chin to look up at her, "What about your husband, Nymphadora?"
"Don't," Dora pulled her chin away, "I'm not getting into this fight for the thousandth time. She doesn't have anyone else, Delphi is barely around anymore and Rod . . . It's my fault,"
"Stop it," Rabastan growled, grabbing the woman by her shoulders, "it is not your fault that Rodolphus is dead!"
"It is!" Dora yelled, going to stand only to be pushed to sit back on the bed, "He got in the way! I was supposed to die, not him!"
"Dora," Rabastan said slightly more softly, "you were pregnant, of course—"
"Don't justify it," Dora gritted her teeth, glaring at the floor as Rabastan kneeled in front of her.
"I—Dora look at me," Rabastan narrowed his eyes, waiting for the woman to look at him before he carried on, "I am fed up with you living in this cycle of blame and self-pity, it has been fifteen years. I have tried to help but all you do is cling to your mother like she's another one of your children for you to look after, it's not healthy."
"I—"
"No!" Rabastan slapped the woman, she let out a small gasp though she didn't attempt to move, she was too used to it. "You are my wife, Dora. I—"
"Mum?" a small voice came from the door, followed by a knock, "Dad?"
The two looked at each other for a moment, not moving an inch as they both silently contemplated pretending to ignore their youngest child. Renee always had a habit for wanting them at the wrong moment.
"I know you're in there," Renee groaned, knocking again, "Nan taught me how to check."
Rabastan gave his wife a look, she knew he didn't approve of her mother teaching their daughter things, he sighed before he walked over to the door. Dora walked over to her mirror, checking herself to make sure there was no visible slap mark before she sighed and ran her finger over her lipsticks. Rabastan's demeanour instantly changed as he saw his little girl, smiling playfully at the pouting ten-year-old.
"Why didn't you answer me?" Renee asked, walking over to her mother and taking one of the lipsticks out of her hand.
"No, Renee," Dora sighed, taking it back and turning to face the girl, "you're too young for lipstick."
"I am ten!" Renee huffed, "I'm not a little girl."
"You'll always be our little girl," Rabastan smirked as he went and ruffled her hair, watching it go bright red.
"I—"
The three all turned the door to the room burst open, Bellatrix Lestrange looked crazed, staring intently at her daughter. The unannounced arrival of a dishevelled looking Bellatrix was not an uncommon occurrence, though the tight grip on her youngest daughter's arm and clear look of worry and discomfort on the younger witches face was definitely a rare occurrence. Dora stood and furrowed her brows in confusion, ignoring the look her husband gave her.
"Dora," Bellatrix said, ignoring the rest of the occupants of the room and throwing her youngest daughter to the floor in front of her.
"Mother!" Dora cried in shock, putting a hand on Renee's shoulder as her hair went white and she backed into her, "What on earth are you doing?"
"Well, this ought to be good," Rabastan mumbled.
"She's not Delphi," Bellatrix shook her head, pointing her wand at the girl trying to get up from the floor, she sent a quick hex her way to keep her down, "She's speaking nonsense."
Dora tried to think of what to say, what to do, but her mind drew blank and in the end, all she could think of was to look to her husband, "Rab, take Renee out of here."
"Mum!" Renee whined, "No, I want to know—"
"Now," Dora let go of her daughter, gently pushing her towards her father.
Rabastan sighed, going and taking the girls hand, "Come on, sweet heart," Rabastan said, trying to keep the annoyance out of his tone, "We can go shopping if you like."
"I don't—"
"I'll take you to Knockturn," Rabastan said, pleased when the girl nodded slightly he took her from the room, giving his wife one last glance before he closed the door behind them.
"She isn't Delphi," Bellatrix shook her head, "she's been saying things—things she shouldn't know,"
Dora considered the woman for a moment before she sighed, she took two steps towards her sister giving her mother a reassuring look as she tightened her grip on her wand. Delphi looked up at her older sister, an almost pleading look in her eyes. Dora frowned then knelt down in front of her.
"What have you been saying to Mum to—well, to make her think you aren't you?" Dora asked, hesitant to believe her mother's suspicions straight away.
"I-I'm not—I changed the timeline," Delphi shook her head, "this is new to me."
"What do you mean, you changed the timeline?" Dora asked.
"Timeturner . . . this isn't how it originally worked out," Delphi swallowed, sitting up and looking at Dora, "I changed it."
"The time-turners are destroyed!" Bellatrix hissed.
"Not all of them," Delphi said, a hint of annoyance in her tone now, "I'm telling the truth! I risked everything to get here!"
"Okay, so prove it," Dora said simply.
"I've already tried, I can't answer your questions because my life from the age of one is entirely different!" Delphi hissed.
Dora drew her wand, slowly pointing it to Delphi, "You need to prove it, okay?"
"I—" Delphi looked at her wand for a moment before she nodded in understanding, "if you must."
"I must," Dora said, "Legilimens."
Bellatrix paced the room, pulling at her hair as she watched Nymphadora search in the girls mind. She pulled at her hair, her mind was racing as she couldn't stop it. It felt like the girls had been sitting in silence for hours already, though she was sure it had only been minutes. The look of her eldest child didn't comfort her any, her hair had tinged white at the roots and her fists were clenched tightly on her skirts. Bellatrix was just starting to consider pulling them out of it when with a large inhale of air Dora fell backwards onto her hands staring at Delphi with wide eyes.
"Well?" Bella pressed.
"I-It's Delphi," Dora breathed, "she's telling the truth . . ."
"I—" Bellatrix's eyes went wide, leaning against the wall for a moment before she slipped down to the floor, "I hurt my daughter—I used magic against my daughter,"
"I-It's fine, Mum," Delphi said, looking to her, "I should have expected it—I mean, I wouldn't trust someone that looked like someone I knew if they were acting different or couldn't answer questions . . ."
"I—" Bellatrix looked up, a strange calm coming over her features as she realised something, "We lost—in your timeline . . . Did I go back to Azkaban?"
Dora walked over to her bed, sitting down and looking at the floor. She had seen it, she knew her mother had not gone to Azkaban, but she didn't want to be the one to say it. Delphi cleared her throat, lowering her voice slightly as she said, "You died . . . S-So did father."
Bellatrix stared at the floor for a moment before, to Nymphadora's surprised, she slowly raised herself to her feet. She walked over to her youngest child, putting a hand on her shoulder for a moment before she hugged her gingerly.
"It's okay . . ." Bella murmured, stroking the girl's hair.
The two witches stood in each other's embrace, completely forgetting the third still sat on her bed staring at the floor until she spoke again, "Who killed—Who killed Mum?"
Delphi hesitated before she took a step back from her Mum, "Molly Weasley."
Dora and Bellatrix exchanged a glance, though the moment Dora couldn't help but let out a breath of laughter Bellatrix let out a cackle. The older witch sat next to her eldest child on the bed, trying and failing to stifle her giggles.
"That's ridiculous," Bellatrix shook her head.
"Isn't she dead now?" Dora frowned, trying to think.
"Yes," Bellatrix smirked, "Rodolphus took her out shortly after the battle. Idiot stayed at her hovel to battle some of us off whilst the rest of her family escaped. A fat lot of good that did her, I lose count of how many of her offspring have actually survived to date."
"Good," Delphi said, "I was ready to hunt her down myself. Though she didn't deserve a quick death."
Dora raised an eyebrow, "Did we say it was quick? She got brought back here for a while, I think she was down in the dungeons for . . . a few weeks?"
"What happened after the battle?" Bellatrix said quickly, almost as if she was nervous to ask, "You went with Dora, no? Where did you go?"
"We went to Black Manor," Delphi said, sitting down on the other side of her mother as she gestured for her to sit, "I was too young to remember, obviously, but from what I was told we went to Andromeda's, didn't last there for very long, camped for a little while then we've been at Black Manor ever since."
"You went to Andromeda's . . . ?" Bellatrix asked, her voice slow and careful, she could feel Nymphadora stiffen beside her.
"Yes," Delphi said, too caught up in everything going on to pay much attention to her mother and sister's sudden shift in mood.
"Who lived at Black Manor?" Bellatrix asked, pulling the hand she had on her eldest daughters lap away.
"Well, at first it was me, Rab, Dora, Andromeda and Rigel." Delphi said, her glance drifting to Dora as she realised the look on her face that of nervous fright, "Then Rodolphus—he got sent to Azkaban to start because he defended Rab and Dora long enough to get them out of the battle when it all went to shit—but he escaped when I was little and joined us then. Then Bellatrix when she was born, but that was ten years ago."
"Renee was named Bellatrix?" Dora frowned, almost trying to change the subject, "I suppose that would make sense if Mum was . . . well . . . but what about Rodolphus? I mean I suppose he wouldn't have been called Rodolphus what with him being alive and all but—"
"He wasn't born," Delphi interjected, noticing her sisters face fall slightly, "I mean, you were pregnant but some Aurors came and . . . Rab told you to stay inside but you refused not to defend me and Rigel so you ran out and got hit . . ."
Dora paused for a moment before she shook her head with a sigh, "He's right, I'm an idiot sometimes."
For once Bellatrix did not berate her daughter nor slate her son-in-law for such comments against her, she merely looked to Dora with a curious gaze, "Why was Andromeda there?"
"I—" Dora flinched slightly as her mother's gaze turned into a glare, she knew she couldn't get out of this one.
"Either you or Delphi are going to answer this, Nymphadora," Bellatrix said more sternly.
"Fine," Dora sighed, "I suppose she was there because I asked her . . . before the battle I was scared. I thought we would win, don't get me wrong! But I was worried what would happen if it didn't. I went to Andromeda—" she flinched as her mother hissed, "I knew I would have to convince Rab that it was a smart idea to take Delphi with us if we ran together—and if it was only me alone and he died I had no hope—I knew I needed more help and I had no clue where we would run first. The Ministry believed I had near enough disowned Andromeda so she seemed like a safe bet to go for starters." Dora chewed her lip, not daring to mention that she also didn't want to leave Andromeda alone for the rest of her life, or the fact that she wanted her there.
Delphi was the first to break the silence after that, feeling slightly uneasy as she witnessed her mothers hatred for her aunt first hand "Dora once said that you chose her to raise her and she turned out fine, that Andromeda would be able to help in the same way. I mean, I didn't know her before but if you saw her now you'd think she was an old Death Eater—she killed people to help get us to Black Manor."
Bellatrix scoffed, standing to her feet "I told you not to go there, Nymphadora."
"I know . . ." Dora near enough whispered, "it was wrong . . . I was scared about what would happen and too appalled at the idea that you might die to think too clearly . . ."
"Have you seen here since then?" Bellatrix asked, raising an eyebrow.
Dora did not look at her, though in the few seconds she hesitated for Bellatrix grabbed her chin and made her look up at her. She concentrated deeply and lied, "No."
Bellatrix stared into her eyes for a few moments before she let out a huff, the girl had long learned to block even her attacks on her mind, "Do not let me find out you've lied to me."
"I won't . . ." Dora whispered, shaking her head slightly and sighing a breath of relief as her mother let her chin go.
"Well," Bellatrix grinned as her personality changed like the wind, turning to face both of her daughters with glee, "I believe we should have some fun. But Delphi you need to change—well, I suppose you don't know where your room is. Dora can take you, maybe we'll go out later this evening . . . or tomorrow . . . I have things to be doing for now."
Bellatrix leant down to her youngest, squeezing her tightly and kissing her hair before without another word nor a single glance at her first born she swept from the room slamming the door behind them and leaving them to their own devices.