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Bella
Nymphadora was no longer listening. They kept on with their questions, their interrogation as they tried to get all of the information they could that would possibly help with their task to find and capture her sister. She had stopped listening long ago, barely registering the sound of her Aunt and husband giving them the information they required. Though Andromeda seemed to at least hesitate on occasion, she could not help but cringe as Rabastan seemed to give the information they desired so easily—perhaps he had already told them everything, she was sure they had. She stared blankly at the floor, twisting her grip on the arm of her wooden seat as she thought of Rodolphus. His own brother—her own husband—had led to the man being thrown back to the depths of hell that was Azkaban prison. She wouldn't cry, she could not let herself, but she could get angry. She could feel a rage building in her that reminded herself of the rages she had witnessed her own mother fly into. But she remained silent, glaring at a spot on the floor in front of her and ignoring the occasional concerned glance her husband gave her.
"Mrs Lestrange," Potter called the woman's name, her dark eyes lifting to meet his own green pair though, "from what you've seen over the years would you consider Delphini to be dangerous?"
Nymphadora let out a scoff of laughter, "You're joking?"
"No," Potter shook his head, "I want your honest opinion of her."
She considered the man for a moment, painfully aware of the eyes upon her as she thought of what she would like to say to the boy that ensured the downfall of her mother and her safety all of those years ago. Though as she placed a hand on her stomach, her thumb stroking the fabric of her dress absentmindedly, she was reminded of the life she was carrying inside of her, of her children waiting for her to be safely released to her . . . she took a deep breath before she spoke again. "She is my sister," Nymphadora declared, "she is my mother's daughter through and through with the power and potential of her father. If you do not stop her I have no doubt she will find a way to succeed even if the mere attempt of it threatens her own existence. She hasn't killed, but she would, she's learned the unforgivables and had no need to use them, but she will. She will kill and torture and do anything it takes to reach her goal—I have no doubt if she was told my death would result in her success she would kill even me . . . but she is still my sister . . . she has a side to her that her father didn't have, a side that our mother had but no-one but those closest to her ever saw. She can love when she wants to, she can feel emotional pain . . . but that won't stop her in her task . . . I think at the end of the day when you boil it all down she is an orphan—not unlike yourself—hurting over the loss of her parents and burning with a desire to see them come back to her. But she wants them back and nothing will stop her, there isn't a limit to what she would do . . . She'd see the world burn to reach her goal."
She never broke eye contact with Potter as she spoke, though as he gave a small nod of understanding she broke her gaze. She could see those around him, their faces pale at her words as a few squirmed or shivered at the idea of her own little sister. If the circumstances were different she would have smirked or laughed at the sight, but she restrained her instinct, instead looking back to the floor. She closed her eyes as she silently prayed that what Rodolphus said wasn't true, she hoped her mother would not be ashamed of her if she could see her now. But in truth, she could almost hear the woman's screams in her ear at the betrayal of her own flesh and blood. The Aurors spoke quietly between themselves for a few moments, their eyes flickering to the trio every few seconds as they seemingly decided their fate. It lasted barely a few minutes though it seemed like an age before Potter cleared his throat and addressed the lot.
"You can go," he said simply, "there are certain conditions to your release—" he paused a moment as Andromeda made a noise of annoyance, "—someone will fetch you momentarily to present you with this. Once this is done you will be escorted to a private fire where you can return to your home unseen. Do you have any questions?"
Rabastan looked up to the man, "I—"
"I want to see Rodolphus," Nymphadora interrupted, "I— . . ." she sighed, "can I see Rodolphus? Is he still here?"
"Why do you want to see him?" an Auror asked with a sneer.
"He is my brother-in-law and I've grown rather fond of him," Nymphadora bit back a glare, "I assume you're about to lock him up for the rest of his life and I highly doubt I'll be given visitors rights."
Potter paused for a moment before he gave a small nod, he looked to Rabastan "Will you want to say goodbye too?" Rabastan quickly gave a short shake of his head, clearly the man had either said all he had wanted to or had no desire to argue with the man again, Potter gave another nod and took a deep breath, "I'll take you, come on."
Nymphadora didn't hesitate, raising from her chair and walking straight by her husband without sparing him a single glance as she met Potter at the door. She was almost surprised that he did not call for support, either confident that the witch would not attempt to hurt him or still blinded by the naivety of his youth. Though Nymphadora knew better than to attempt to kill 'the boy who lived', his death would serve her no real purpose. Instead, she walked in silence, following the man down the corridors of the Ministry and ignoring the occasional stare she got from passing witches and wizards, not even reacting to the young witch who seemed as if she would faint at the sight of her. She didn't care anymore. Potter slowed as they reached the corridor of the man's holding cell, nodding to the two Aurors guarding his cell door silently instructing them to come to him. He paused a small distance from the cell.
"Give her five minutes and take her back to the others," Potter instructed them, though they did not seem pleased with his request they murmured their agreement nonetheless.
"Thank you . . ." Dora mumbled, almost to herself as the man walked away from them and she made her way to the cell.
Rodolphus didn't look up as she placed her hands on the bars, peering in to see the man sat glaring at the opposite wall as he sat with his back rested against the stone.
"Rod . . ." Dora murmured, sighing after he did not reply, "don't blame me for my husband's life choices."
"I can blame you for marrying an idiot," the man rolled his eyes after waiting a few moments to respond.
"Well, we all have faults in our marriages, don't we?" Dora smirked slightly as the man let out a small huff and looked to her.
"What do you want, Dora?" he asked, pulling himself to his feet as he addressed the woman.
"I—" Nymphadora thought for a moment, blinking back tears as she fought her emotions, "I'm sorry. I'm sorry this has happened, I'm sorry you're here. You shouldn't have to be."
"I am not selling Delphini for my freedom, Nymphadora," Rodolphus curled his lip as he snarled at the girl.
"I wouldn't expect you to," Dora shrugged, "I—I admit that I would rather you not be behind bars . . . but I respect your decision."
"Whereas you will sell out your own sister for freedom?" Rodolphus raised an eyebrow.
"I have children, Rod!" Dora practically pleaded, "I can't leave them, I'm pregnant. I can't have a child behind bars. I—I didn't say anything they hadn't already heard or didn't already know. They asked me my opinion of her and that's the most I spoke . . . Mother went against what she believed in to protect me; she returned to a blood traitor and hid me from her family to keep me safe . . . I'd like to think she would understand why I can't tell them where to stick their questions and not nod along when they ask me to confirm things that they already know are true."
". . . . What did you say?" Rodolphus asked, looking the witch up and down as he seemed to calm slightly, "When they asked you your opinion of her, what did you say?"
Dora sighed, shaking her head "I told them she was her mother's daughter and that she would stop at nothing to succeed."
To her surprise Rodolphus let out a small huff of laughter, walking towards the girl before stopping mere inches from the cell door. He looked to her for a moment, the pair standing in silence for an uncomfortably long amount of time as he seemed to chew over his thoughts and the girl did not dare to interrupt his silence for some reason.
"Your mother," Rodolphus eventually said, "I cannot say for certain how she would react to your . . . talks of your sister to the enemy . . . but I think she understood more than anyone the sacrifices a mother will make and the lengths a mother would go to to protect her children. I daresay she would have turned her back on her sister if it was the only thing to keep her daughter safe . . . but I'm not sure she would turn her back on The Dark Lord for the same reason . . . perhaps . . . perhaps not . . ."
Nymphadora sniffed, nodding slightly as she looked away from the man. She was slightly surprised to feel a hand on her own, looking back to see Rodolphus so close to her as he placed his hand on top of hers. "Don't let Rabastan get away with this easily, Dora. Do not forgive him so quickly as you always do—You do," he said firmly as the girl went to protest, "you love him and I can't fault that—I let Bellatrix get away with far more than I should have for the same reasons. I know it didn't seem that way to you, but I did. He is the cause of this betrayal, he is the reason why you were attacked in your own home whilst carrying his child, why you've been dragged here and forced to speak against your own flesh and blood . . . You may eventually forgive it, but never forget it."
"I—" Nymphadora swallowed as the man squeezed her hand, looking into Rod's dark eyes as she gave a small nod, "Okay . . ."
He forced a small shadow of a smile for the slightest of moments before letting go of the girl's hand and stepping further back into his cell, "Make sure to tell my brother I personally will never forgive him . . . goodbye Nymphadora . . . good luck."
The list of the conditions of their release stretched over multiple pieces of parchment, covering everything from not leaving the manor for a month until their position was reviewed to not allowing Nymphadora to morph her features beyond recognition. Though few comments were made on the matter and in the end Rabastan, Nymphadora and Andromeda all signed without arguing. Rabastan kept glancing to his wife, his skin pale and his face showing his barely concealed concern but he knew better than to try and talk to her in front of the Aurors around them. When all was said and done they were escorted to a private fireplace, Nymphadora willingly going first to return to the manor.
"Mum!" Bella cried, a grin on her face as she jumped up from her seat on the sofa in the main living room next to her brother to throw herself into her mother's arms.
"Hello, beautiful," Dora smiled, burying her face in her daughter's hair as she held the girl close, ignoring the sound of Andromeda's heels on the floor as she stepped out of the fire before her.
"Be careful, Bella," Rigel said, standing from his seat as he walked over to his mother, "you shouldn't run at Mum like that."
"Why?" Bella pouted, letting her mother straighten up to give her brother a quick one-armed hug and kiss on the cheek though she still clung to her.
"She's fragile at the moment," Rigel said matter of factly.
"I assure you," Nymphadora raised an eyebrow at the boy, ignoring the sound of her husband's arrival, "I am anything but fragile."
"Is it because of the baby?" Bella asked curiously, "Rigel said you're having a baby, is it true?"
"Yes," Dora said, forcing a smile a reassuring smile at her daughter as she stroked her hair from her face, "maybe don't go running at me, okay?"
"Okay," Bella frowned, "but I'm still okay to hug you?"
"You're always okay to give your mother a hug," Dora smiled, kissing the girls head.
Bella nodded, though she stepped back from her mother to look at the other adults in the room, "Uncle Rod isn't coming back, is he?"
Dora winced at the disappointment in the little girl's voice, looking away from the child as she couldn't face her. She was almost grateful as she heard Andromeda's voice behind her.
"No, sweetheart," Andromeda sighed.
"I already explained this, Bella," Rigel said, shooting his father a glare.
"It's not fair though," Bella huffed.
"Sometimes life isn't fair, darling," Dora breathed, pausing for a moment before she shook her head and looked to her daughter, "Mummy's tired. I'm going to go lay down for a little while, okay?"
Bella nodded, giving her mother a gentle hug quickly before the woman walked away from her and left the room. Rabastan hesitated for barely a moment before he went to follow the woman.
"I wouldn't," Andromeda warned, the man stopping to look to her.
"She is my wife," Rabastan spoke firmly, holding back a glare at the woman, "my pregnant wife, I need to talk to her."
"Father, she's pregnant therefore hormonal and you've just upset her, do you really think she wants to talk to you right now?" Rigel raised an eyebrow at the man.
"He has a very valid point," Andromeda mused, "I think he's right."
"I don't care what you think," Rabastan snapped, taking a calming breath only when he saw his daughter flinch at his clear anger, "she knows why I did this. She understands."
"That doesn't mean she likes it at all," Andromeda said, "in fact—"
"I am going to speak to my wife!" Rabastan interrupted, storming from the room before anyone else could try to convince him otherwise.
Nymphadora leant back against the hard wood of her bedroom door as soon as she closed it behind her, taking a deep breath she screwed her eyes shut to stop her tears. She tried to calm her emotions, placing a hand on her stomach subconsciously as she focused on steadying her breathing. It seemed like mere seconds had passed when a knock came on her door. She thought to ignore it, though the knock came again.
"I said I needed to lay down," Dora called out, not moving from the door.
"Dora . . ."
She winced at the sound of her husband's voice, walking away from the door she thought about locking it but decided against it.
"Can I come in?" he called out, his voice full of caution.
She caught her reflection in her dressing table mirror, her hair hung in long thick black curls, there was clear tiredness in her features and defeat in her eyes. She took another deep breath, composing herself and staring firmly at the door attempting to erase her emotion from her features as Rod's words passed through her mind.
"It's your room as well," she called, crossing her arms in front of her.
The door slowly opened after a moments hesitation, Rabastan stepping into the room and closing the door behind him. The couple stared at each other in silence, Nymphadora's stern glare boring into her husband as he tried to think of something to say to make the situation better. Nothing seemed like it could help.
"Dora . . ." Rabastan sighed, taking a step towards his wife though he stopped when she took a step back to keep her distance, "I— . . . I'm sorry, I didn't know you were pregnant if I did—"
"I see," Dora interrupted, raising her eyebrows at the man, "so if you knew I was pregnant with your child that would have made a difference in you selling out my sister and landing your brother in Azkaban."
"I did it for you," Rabastan spoke more firmly now, trying to get his wife to see reason, "I did it for the children. I—"
"You shouldn't have!" Dora snapped, her hair beginning to tinge red, "You shouldn't have gone running to the Ministry! What if they didn't let you go? What if they didn't want to make a deal with you? What if they sold you lies of freedom and you led them back to us regardless? Your stupidity astounds me!"
"Dora," Rabastan shook his head, motioning towards the woman's stomach, "please calm down, you're stressing the baby—"
"I'm stressing the baby!?" Dora screeched, her hair now fully changed into wild red curls, "I'm stressing the baby!? This is on you! You know what happened last time the Ministry was at our door! Regardless of if you knew I was pregnant or not why would you put me through that again!? Why would you risk our children? I was going to tell you! I was going to tell you the day that you left and then you left me worried sick! I thought you'd died or been captured or had ran to avoid it! Here I was defending you to Rodolphus and Andromeda, arguing the fact that I wasn't about to change the wards to keep you out—" Dora took a breath, shaking her head as tears spilt from her dark eyes, "maybe I should have."
"Dora, I did this for you, for the children. We're free now, Bella can go to Hogwarts just like you wanted, Rigel doesn't have to leave us for good, this new child doesn't have to live in fear or the shadows of our past. We can be a proper family." Rabastan walked closer to his wife, pleased when she did not step away from him again though as he went to reach out for her she yelled at him and he paused again.
"Don't touch me!" She hissed, narrowing her eyes at the man, "You put our family at risk, you got Rodolphus sent to Azkaban, you made me sell out my own sister. Rodolphus is right, my mother would be ashamed of me. If she could see me now—" Dora bit her lip, swatting away her tears angrily before glaring at the man again, "She'd torture you to insanity! In fact, you should be grateful I just signed a contract specifically stipulating that I can't use the Cruciatus or I swear to Merlin Rabastan Lestrange you'd be screaming on the floor right now!"
"So hit me," Rabastan said simply, "hit me if it makes you feel better."
"Don't tempt me," Dora hissed.
"If it makes you feel better, just do it," Rabastan said, "But just know that—as much as it doesn't seem like it right now—I did this for you. I love you, Dora. So when I see you getting upset about the way our children have had to be brought up, having to worry about you every time you leave this place and just knowing that one day when you go out you probably won't be able to come back again . . . I can't couldn't do it anymore. I saw a way to fix it so I did it . . . I know you're not happy with the way this has happened, but this was the only way."
"Rab . . ." Dora sighed, looking to her husband with tears in her eyes, "you must have known Rodolphus would never have given in . . . and Delphini . . . She could have brought them back. You could have stopped her being able to bring them back!"
"And what would have happened if she did bring them back Dora?" Rab asked, "Can you honestly say you would be happy going back to serving The Dark Lord? Besides, you said it yourself, if she changed the timeline that could risk Bella's existence—do you want to risk that?"
"That's not fair," Dora breathed, "you should have at least talked to me first . . ."
"I couldn't," Rabastan sighed, giving a slightly sad smile as his wife let him place his hand on her arm, "I had to act quickly and I couldn't risk you stopping me . . . it's for the best, Dora."
"No," Dora shook her head, shaking off her husband's arm after a moment's thought "you don't get to choose what is right for us. Especially when that means your brother in Azkaban and selling my sister out to head the same way!"
"She wouldn't have succeeded, Dora, she—"
"You don't know that!" Dora snapped, "You didn't give her a chance. I would have been happy to serve The Dark Lord again—I would have been happy for the slight chance of seeing my mother again. But what happens if she still succeeds? Have you even thought about that? What happens if she succeeds and finds out what you have done—what Andromeda and I have now had to do. You've cursed us."
"I have done all I can to try to protect you!" Rabastan argued, "To protect the children!"
"Rigel won't thank you for this," Dora scoffed, "I think he's made that rather clear."
"He doesn't understand," Rabastan said, "he doesn't know what it was like nor understand what could happen."
"He isn't a child anymore," Dora said, "he understands more than you think. Right now all he sees in you is a man who turned his back on his beliefs, caused his pregnant mother to get knocked out in her own home and had us dragged to the Ministry."
"That's not fair," Rabastan insisted, "Dora, you have to understand. I did this because I love you, because I care for you."
Dora shook her head, taking one last look at the man before she walked over to her bed and sat down. "I said I needed to lay down," Dora spoke calmly, her face an emotionless mask as she pulled off her shoes barely bothering to acknowledge the man with her gaze, "I suggest you leave me alone for a while."
"Dora—"
"Go," she commanded, "you've already told me to calm down for the baby's sake. Leave me alone to do so."
Rabastan stared at his wife, his mouth opening and closing a few times as he tried to think of what to say. Though as she lay down on the bed, closing her eyes and pulling the duvet over her as she did not even bother to change into a nightdress he knew it was useless for now.
"I love you . . ." Rabastan murmured, not waiting for nor expecting a response before he left the room. He quickly closed the door behind him, ignoring the sound of his wife beginning to sob again and the pain it caused him.