Sooooo this is the last chapter for a little while! The last chapter I suppose, with just an epilogue to go. I'm off to see Dora in America in a couple of days so can't promise any update until I'm back, but this is officially my last chapter of this story! Mad to think that we started with The Purest Black in August 2016, with all the writing we've done and two trips across the world to see each other since then. haha Like I said, Dora will be doing an epilogue soon but please feel free to check out our other story Valley of the Shadow and keep your eyes peeled for new stories in the future!
As always, please read, enjoy and please do leave a review :D
Bella a.k.a The Purple Black
Nymphadora sat on the edge of her bed, taking a deep breath as she looked to the door of the room. She had been left alone for at least an hour and was beginning to become concerned that Andromeda, or her son for that matter, had taken to cursing her husband despite everything. It had become unusual for the man to leave her alone for too long before he regained his near constant argument for her to stop her anger towards him. Though she eventually heard footsteps walking towards her room, felt the presence pause outside of the locked room. She closed her eyes for a moment, trying to compose herself before she eventually stood and with a simple flick of her wrist the door unlocked itself. There was a slight pause before the handle turned. Rabastan didn't say anything as he looked to his wife, the woman giving him a small gesture to enter the room and close the door.
"Dora—" Rabastan went to speak, though stopped as his wife raised her hand.
"I'm done," Dora shook her head, "I can't do it anymore."
"You're leaving me?" Rabastan's voice was weak, frowning in both fear and hurt.
Dora merely rolled her eyes, "No," she said, "I'm a Black, we don't run from our problems even if we're otherwise doomed to spend the rest of our lives stuck to them."
"I'm sorry . . ." Rabastan sighed, "I . . . I just wanted you safe. I wanted everyone safe and now . . . Rodolphus . . ."
Nymphadora considered the man for a moment, her dark eyes boring into his pitiful woeful expression, she couldn't help it as her heart panged at seeing the man suffer despite all that he had done. Though as she caught sight of herself in the mirror from the corner of her eye, her black curls trailing past her shoulders, she was reminded of something.
"Do you expect me to feel sorry for you?" Dora raised an eyebrow, "Sorry that your brother is dead?"
"No," Rabastan shook his head, looking to his wife as he forced the frown from his face, "I just . . . I didn't intend for this to happen. He . . . He still is—was my brother."
"It's hard to lose a family member," Dora mused, "especially one so close to you, it's important to have your remaining family around you to comfort and support you . . . Do you remember how you acted when my Mother died? You cursed me. You wouldn't hold me. If I remember correctly you told me you would hurt me if I bothered you as I lay in bed with you that night when I asked you to hold me. I spent the night on Andromeda's couch."
"I was wrong, I was simply angry and hurt and confused. That was wrong." Rabastan said firmly, "I apologised for that later on, I tried to make up for it."
"I know you did," Nymphadora said, "but I forgave you for that long before you apologised. I put up with it because I loved you . . . I still do. But some things simply can't be forgiven. Do you know what the last conversation I had with my alone with my mother was before we left for Hogwarts? As we resigned ourselves to the fact that we may not have been able to both survive?" She waited for Rabastan to shake his head slightly before she carried on, unable to keep the slight glare from her features, "She made me promise that I would keep the children safe. That if anything happened to her I would make sure Delphi was protected, that she had the same privilege that I had when she sent me to safety as a child. She made me promise that I would do anything I could do to keep her safe . . . and instead, her downfall was largely helped by my own husband. I couldn't protect her in the end, could I?"
"Dora," Rabastan stepped forward to reach for his wife, stopping as the woman flinched away from him, "Dora, it's not your fault."
"I know it's not," Dora let out a small huff of laughter, "it's your fault. The man my Mother warned me against. The man I love. The man that is supposed to protect his family no matter what, yet instead he near enough turns the key on the in the cell in Azkaban of two of them. So, tell me something?"
"Anything," Rabastan spoke without hesitation.
"Why do I still love you? Why do I still care?" Dora asked, "I should curse you. I believe I would if it weren't for our unborn child—or for little Bella or Rigel. I would send myself to Azkaban just to spite you."
"Please, Dora—"
"I'm not going to," Dora said, "but this is it. We're done arguing this. We're going to move on. We're not going to fight, we're going to show a loving front in front of the children, we're going to live our lives and carry on. I—" she swallowed hard and blinked back tears despite herself, "I can't do this anymore. I just . . . I want things to go back to the way they were before . . . but I don't know if they ever will."
"They will," Rabastan walked forward, relieved as the woman didn't flinch away from him this time even as he took her hands in her own, "I'll do anything, Dora. I'll fix this."
"You can't," Dora scoffed, "you can't bring Rodolphus back and you can't free Delphi. We have to learn to live with this . . . You know, what hurts the most . . . you didn't think to talk to me. To discuss it with me and even attempt to see if there was a way I would agree or find a different solution."
Rabastan took a breath, he had thought of talking to his wife. But he knew better than to try. He knew that though she had her own fears of if Delphi had succeeded in her plan she was still loyal, maybe not fully to The Dark Lord anymore but she still held love for her Mother and would not agree to any plan if it put Bella's youngest daughter in harm's way. But this wasn't the time to argue, he gave a small sad nod. "I know, I'm sorry," he breathed, letting go of one of her hands so that he could reach up and wipe the single stray tear from the woman's cheek. Nymphadora stared at him for a moment, looking deeply into his eyes with her lips slightly parted, he was sure she was battling the urge to throw herself into his arms and try to gain comfort in each other's sorrow at that moment. But she recovered herself quickly, stepping back with a small sniff she cleared her face of emotion and held her head high.
"This child," Nymphadora said, placing a hand on her stomach, "there will be no arguments this time."
"What do you mean?" Rabastan asked, furrowing his brow in his slight confusion.
"If it is a boy . . . his middle name will be Rodolphus," Nymphadora said firmly, she had not expected the man to protest and was unsurprised when he nodded in agreement with the slightest of smiles, "if it's a girl . . . her middle name will be Andromeda. I will not change my mind and I will not be told otherwise like last time. That woman has done far more for our family than you will ever accept or even realise. Understood?"
Nymphadora could see the man fighting his urge to protest, could see the argument about to happen, then the man sighed, giving a small nod as he quietly said, "Whatever makes you happy."
"Good . . ." Dora said, "now, I best go see to Bella. Assure her that Mummy isn't about to murder Daddy and that everything is okay."
She gave the man a nod before she walked to the door, though as she reached out for the handle she heard the man quietly call her name and she turned to look at him with a raised eyebrow.
"Will you ever forgive me?" Rabastan asked hesitantly, "Truly forgive me?"
Dora considered him for a moment, thinking for a moment before she smiled sadly, "I hope so," was all she could manage to say before she left the room, leaving her husband to his own thoughts.
It had taken a while to convince them, but after months of writing letters and an awkward meeting at Black Manor, at seven months pregnant Nymphadora Lestrange had arrived at Azkaban prison. The cold hit her the moment she arrived with Harry Potter at her side, causing her to pause for a moment and take a deep breath. Harry looked towards her, taking in her appearance before he looked ahead towards the cells.
"We can reschedule," Potter said flatly, "wait until after . . ."
Dora shook her head, she knew that once she had convinced the man to let her come here his final protest had been the fact that she was pregnant. She didn't care. She was determined to do what she had set to.
"Where is she?" Dora asked stiffly.
Harry looked to her again for a moment before he nodded forwards and began to walk, the witch trailing behind him slightly as she tried not to pay attention to her surroundings too much. She had heard stories of this place, from both her husband and her late mother, and though she knew that it was better now without the soul-destroying presence of the dementors she couldn't imagine the place much worse than it currently was. The walls were old, a cold stone brick damp with the cold day's air, mould sprouting in the corners as if they were slowly trying to devour the walls. She concentrated on the sound of her slight heel on the stone floor, paying close attention to putting one foot in front of the other as she was determined not to show any emotion in front of her once enemy. She barely registered the man telling her to watch her step as they approached the twisting steps of the tower she knew her sister now called home. As they reached the top of the stairs she was confronted by a large barred gate. Nymphadora forced herself not to show the exhaustion of climbing so many stairs as Potter turned towards her momentarily before drawing his wand and running it along the cool metal, muttering some inaudible spell before he pushed the gate open.
He paused, looking to the older witch, "I don't think she'd like to see me."
"I doubt she'd like to see me either," Dora couldn't help but huff before she shook her head, "where is she?"
"Down the end, straight ahead," Harry said, "you go on, I'll be right behind you . . . out of sight. Yell if you need me."
"Scared of her?" Dora raised an eyebrow, "I don't blame you, really."
The man shook his head, though Dora wasn't paying attention. She had already walked on ready to see her sister. As she reached the last few feet before the cell she paused to take a deep breath, tucking her dark curls behind her ears before she took the last few steps. Delphini Riddle was laid on the straw flooring, her were closed, her once pristine blue tipped silver hair tangled and dirty around her and her robes already tattered and dirty. Nymphadora bit her lip, almost regretting her decision to come, she considered stepping away and leaving the girl to her misery.
"How can I help you?" the younger witch groaned, not opening her eyes as her fingers stretched out amongst the straw, "I told your pal to piss off."
"I didn't think I had 'pals' here . . ." Dora breathed.
Delphini's eyes snapped open as she froze in place, still not looking at the girl, "Get arrested, did we?"
"No . . ." Dora practically whispered, trying to keep check on her emotions.
Delphi shook her head, "Of course not . . ." after a moment's pause she sat up, picking some of the straw out of her hair, "Come to gloat? Come to poke fun at me? I—" Delphi paused as she turned to look to her sister, her eyes momentarily wavering towards her large stomach before she let out a small huff, "Well, that's new."
"Yeah," it was all Dora could think of in response, a hand instinctively going to her stomach.
"Boy or girl?" Delphi mused.
"I don't know," Dora said, "I won't let Rabastan find out."
"Not amused with your traitor husband?" Delphi raised an eyebrow at the woman.
"He—" Dora shook her head, "I'm sorry, Delphi. I know it doesn't help you but . . . I didn't want this."
"But you put up with it," Delphi sneered, "to keep your perfect little family safe, you threw away your loyalties and threw your sister to the lions like the obedient little traitor wife you are. Mother would hate you for this."
"I know," Dora agreed, fighting back her emotions as best she could though her voice wavered slightly despite herself, "I had to do what I had to do. I would never have given you up, I would never have gone to the ministry like Rab did but . . . they came into our home. They almost hit me and—I just remembered what happened before Bella . . . I was scared. I surrendered. I didn't spout every little fact I had about you though, I simply—"
"You simply laid back and took it," Delphi glared, "you let your husband spout the truth to the enemy and let me lose the final chance to bring my parents back to power. You're just as bad as he is."
"Maybe so . . ." Dora nodded sadly.
"You could have defended me," Delphi spat, "you could have defended your beliefs."
"So I could get sent to Azkaban? So I could leave my children, have a child born behind bars—if it would survive at all. I couldn't. I couldn't not say anything but I didn't give them the key to finding your purpose, I didn't tell them—"
"You didn't tell them anything your husband hadn't already told them," Delphi rolled her eyes.
"I . . ." Dora took a deep breath before she gave a small nod, "I suppose so."
"Do you still love him? Do you still share the same bed with him?" Delphi asked.
"I made him sleep in another room for a little while . . . but for the children's sake, we're not doing that anymore."
"But you still love him?" Delphi asked, walking towards the bars to get a better view of her sister, noting that the woman stood just outside of her reach, "You still love the man that sent your sister to rot and Rodolphus to die?"
Dora tried to think of an answer that would appease her sister, but she knew she couldn't. She stayed silent.
"I knew it," Delphi scoffed.
"Delphi you don't understand," Dora sighed, "he's my husband. I'll always love him. It has been hard, there were so much screaming and arguing, I was ready to kill him . . . but I had to put it aside. For my family's sake."
"And what about the family he sent to Azkaban?" Delphi asked, "What about the man that gave up his freedom to make sure you and your husband escaped the battle of Hogwarts? What about your little sister? The girl you swore to your dead mother that you would defend and protect no matter what? You couldn't even protect me against your own stupid husband."
"I tried . . ."
"You didn't try hard enough," Delphi shook her head, "Why are you here?"
"I—I wanted to see you . . ."
"Wanted to gloat? Wanted to make sure I was stuck behind bars and it was all over?" Delphi hissed, "Wanted to make sure that there really was no chance that I'd escape and ruin your perfect little life?"
"My life is not—"
"You have a life!" Delphi snapped, "You have your freedom! You have your family! I have nothing! I was so close to having everything . . . I changed time, Nymphadora. I got it to work, only for a brief time, but I saw her."
"Y-You what?" Dora's eyes widened, shocked by the girl's words.
"You heard me," Delphi said, "I changed time. I saw Mum, I saw you. But you know what? Your husband hated you in that life. He despised you for loving mother. He hurt you. But Mum was there for you, picking up the pieces. And Rodolphus? He died for you. He gave up his life on some stupid mission to protect your unborn child and make sure that you survived. You gave Rabastan three children, but he still hated you. But Mum was alive, my father was alive. You had everything. We had everything . . ." Delphi paused momentarily, trying to discreetly swat away her tears, "The child you lost was never lost, we had full power . . . Rodolphus was still gone because he always defended his family until his last dying breath . . . I saw him die you know, in this reality. Held him as he slipped away rotting away in a cell here . . . I could have changed everything. I could have fixed the world . . . Now we'll never know . . ."
"Delphi . . ." Dora breathed, uncaring as tears left her own eyes.
"Don't," Delphi snapped. "Leave me to rot here. I'm not here to forgive you, I won't make you feel better. You wanted to show your face, now you've done it. I hope you never forget this. I hope you grow old knowing that you helped condemn Rodolphus and I, that Mother would be so ashamed of you I'm sure she would disown you. You'll find no solace here, Nymphadora. So leave."
Dora stared at the woman, opening and closing her mouth as she tried to search for words to say. Though as her little sister simply glared at her, a look so similar to her mother, she couldn't think of anything. She knew what her mother would think of her, she knew what her sister would think of her, she didn't know why she had come. She took a deep breath.
"I'm sorry . . ." Dora murmured, "I know you won't accept that but I am . . . and I do still love you, I always have no matter what you think." She paused, though the younger woman made no effort to move, continuing her hard steely gaze, "Bye Delphi . . ."
And with that she walked away from her sister for the last time.
Nymphadora sat on the couch in the main sitting room, her eyes closed and her head leant back as her currently youngest child laid curled into her side. She stroked the girl's hair absentmindedly, grateful that the girl had decided to calm for a short while beside her. It was Bella's eleventh birthday and though it was only just gone lunch she had already declared it was the "best birthday ever". The morning had started with a large array of presents for the girl, something that she was not used to after being in hiding for so long, the mere sight of her shock at the gifts made Dora think with amusement back to the first birthday she had been reunited with her mother. Once the post had arrived carrying the girls Hogwarts letter she was a ball of excitement, screaming in joy and hugging her parents (temporarily forgetting her prolonged cold attitude towards her parents) before reading the letter so many times Dora was sure the girl had memorised it. But at over nine months pregnant Dora was easily worn out from the festivities of the girl's celebrations, stating shortly after lunch that she had to go sit down for a short while. The youngest Lestrange had declared she would join her and Dora was both surprised and pleased that the girl seemed happy to curl into her and hold little conversation. They were both almost asleep when there came a knock on the door.
Dora sighed, blinking her eyes open as she looked towards the door, "Come in,"
There was a moment's pause before the door creaked open to reveal Andromeda Tonks. Dora smiled tiredly at her once mother, watching her as she walked over to the armchair opposite the woman and sat down, clasping a piece of parchment in her hand.
"How are you feeling?" Andromeda asked quietly.
"Fine," Dora said simply, "rather content."
Andromeda rolled her eyes in amusement, "Contrary to the constant complaints of the last two weeks?"
"Well," Dora shrugged, adjusting herself slightly and kissing her daughters head as she let out a small moan of complaint, "you'd be complaining too if you had something inside of you that refused to get out."
"Perhaps . . ." Andromeda mused.
"What have you got, Dromeda?" Bella perked up slightly, sitting up and looking to the parchment in the woman's hands.
Andromeda looked down to the letter, almost as if she had forgotten it was there for a moment before she looked to the girl with a small smile, "A letter."
"Obviously," Bella rolled her eyes.
"Don't be so cheeky," Dora smirked, nudging the girl, "go on, I think your father had something he wanted to show you."
"Do I have to?" Bella groaned, "I don't want to, he's not my favourite person you know."
"Bella," Dora sighed, "he is trying you know and it's something you'll like, I promise."
"What is it?" Bella raised an eyebrow at her mother.
"Well, you'll have to go and find out," Dora said, "go on, give the poor old man a chance."
"Fine," Bella let out an exasperated sigh, "but it's my birthday and I shouldn't have to do anything I don't want to."
"No," Dora smirked, "but your curiosity has gotten the better of you."
Bella glared at her mother for a moment before she rolled her eyes and shook her head before hurrying along out of the room to find her father.
"She is so much like you, you know," Andromeda commented.
"Unfortunately," Dora laughed, "I wasn't the easiest child to raise."
"No," Andromeda laughed, "but it was worth it."
"I suppose," Dora said, straightening up in her chair before she nodded to the letter in the woman's hands, "come on then, tell me what you've got there."
"A letter . . ." Andromeda said, turning the parchment over in her hands as she stared intently at the thing, "from Narcissa."
"Really?" Dora couldn't help but let out a small grin, "What's she got to say? How is she?"
"She's fine," Andromeda said, " . . . said she wants me to come over—if I can—have some tea."
"An invitation to tea?" Dora gave a look of mock shock, "Must be serious if Aunt Cissa invites you to tea . . . You know she wants to talk to you again, she said that the last time you saw her."
"I know . . ." Andromeda said, "It's just . . . Still a little strange. With all that's happened, both in our younger years and recently—I mean the girl I helped raise almost killed her Grandson—it's just . . . strange."
"You'll be fine," Dora said, adjusting herself on the couch again, "you've faced worse things than an awkward greeting with your little sister. Besides, I'm sure it will only be awkward for five seconds if that."
"Hmm," Andromeda stared at the letter again for a moment before she looked up at the younger woman, shaking her head before she spoke again, "how long have you been sitting there in pain?"
Dora laughed, rubbing her stomach absentmindedly, "You're too good sometimes, you know me too well."
"Well I did raise you," Andromeda said matter of factly, "though you barely show it when you're in pain the signs are still there. Rabastan noticed too, but I don't think he wants to panic around you. Merely walked into my room all flustered asking me to go talk to you."
"Well, once you've grown used to the pain of a Cruciatus curse early labour isn't much really," Dora scoffed, "Though I'm surprised Rabastan had the restraint not to ask."
"I think he's scared you won't want him there," Andromeda said.
"Then who on earth would I scream at and damn to hell for putting me into this situation in the first place?" Dora smirked, hesitating for a moment before she got to her feet, unable to hold back a wince of pain. Andromeda went to walk over to help her though Dora held up her hand, gesturing for her to stop, "I'm fine . . . I just . . . Don't tell Bella, I'm determined to keep this baby in until midnight at the least."
"The baby will come when the baby wants to come," Andromeda rolled her eyes, "they don't know it's their sister's birthday."
"True . . ." Dora sighed, "Rabastan will be in the study, wait until he's done with Bella and then tell him I'm in our room."
"I'm helping you first," Andromeda said, walking over to the girl and taking her arm.
"I'm perfectly—"
"Don't argue with me," Andromeda scoffed, "you know better."
Dora couldn't help but let out a small laugh, nodding in defeat and letting the woman assist her to her room.
The sun was coming up over the grounds of Black Manor as Nymphadora Lestrange let out an almighty scream, clutching on to her husband's hand as sweat covered her brow and tears fell down her face.
"I can't," Dora cried, gritting her teeth through the pain.
"Dora," Rabastan said, his forehead pressed against the witches as he looked her dead in the eye, "you say this every time and every time you prove yourself wrong. I know you can do it, Dora, come on, you're so almost there."
"I can see the head Dora," Andromeda said from the foot of the bed, "they're so almost here."
Dora looked into her husband's, taking a deep breath she pressed her lips together to muffle her screams as she pushed with all of her might.
"Good girl," Rab said, kissing her head, "come on, one last time."
"Promise?" Dora cried.
"I bloody well hope so," Rab breathed.
Dora let out a choked sob before she nodded, gripping onto both of his hands with her own and giving all of her energy into bringing their child to life. Her scream echoed the room, though soon it ended and was replaced by the cries of a newborn child. Dora panted for breath, relaxing slightly on the bed as her husband kissed her head again before looking to the child with a grin on his features.
"Well done, Dora," Rab said, "Merlin, I love you."
Dora smiled tiredly, "What is it?"
"A boy," Andromeda said as she cleaned up the child, wrapping him in a blanket before bringing him over to Nymphadora and gently placing him on her chest.
"He's beautiful," Rabastan breathed.
"No need to be angry," Dora laughed slightly at the little boy's bright red hair, kissing his head and shushing him gently until he calmed down, smiling as he looked up at her and his hair gradually changed to a dark brown tuft, "there, Mummy's got you."
"Does he have a name?" Andromeda asked, walking around to the woman again once she had finished vanishing the mess of childbirth.
"Leo," Rabastan said, sitting down on the bed next to his wife and newborn son, "Leo Rodolphus Lestrange . . . A perfect name."
Dora looked to her husband, smiling up at him for a moment before pressing a light kiss to his lips, "It is."
"Well, he certainly did as he was told and waited for Bella's birthday to be over," Andromeda said, "I'm sure she'll want to meet him, though you should both get some rest first."
"I know," Dora rolled her eyes in amusement, "they're not coming in until you say so, I know the drill."
"Too right," Andromeda smirked, leaning down and kissing the woman's head, "I'll leave you two to it."
"Thank you," Dora sighed, watching the woman as she left the room before turning back to her son, "do you want to hold him, Rab?"
"If I can . . ." Rabastan nodded, smiling as his wife gently let the man take his son into his arms.
Dora watched the pair for a moment, sighing as her husband put one arm around her to let her lean into his side, "He's perfect . . ."
"Just like his mother," Rab said, ". . . though not like his father,"
"No-one's perfect . . ." Dora mused, reaching out and letting little Leo take her finger, "we all make mistakes. But they're in the past, we can move on, Rab . . . He's our new beginning."
Rabastan gave a small nod, unable to take his eyes off of his new son even as his wife slowly drifted to sleep beside him a little while later. "I won't let you down . . ." Rabastan murmured, unsure if he was speaking to his son or his wife. Though he knew Dora was right, the boy would no doubt be a constant reminder of the brother he had lost, the brother he had near enough condemned to death. But he was determined to not let that cause him pain, but to instead ensure that he would be a better man for his family. He was determined never to let his family down again.