Thank you so much for your reviews, follows and favourites so far! I wasn't expecting such a lovely response. I have just moved this weekend so I may be a tiny bit slow updating but I do already have half of the next chapter written so knowing me I'll get it done in the next few days and load it when I have a few reviews or something.
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The Purple Black
One year later . . .
It was a cold winters evening, the sort of night that sent a chill down your spine at the mere thought of stepping out into the unforgiving night air. A dark witch peered out of the window, watching the trees of the grounds of Lestrange Manor swaying in the wind as she pulled her dress closer around herself. She closed her eyes for a moment before with a heavy heart she pulled up her left sleeve, her heavy lidded eyes peered open to wander to the space where her Dark Mark used to proudly sit. It had taken a few months but Rodolphus had come to her one evening with a way to cover the brand of their master. She had protested, screamed at the man as she declared she would never do such a thing. It took nearly an hour and ended with Bellatrix pinned down on her bed before her husband could force the spell upon her. It had hurt intensely, the dark magic within her mark screaming out in protest as it was forced into hiding. Bellatrix had been so furious that tears had spilled down her porcelain cheeks. Rodolphus had soon calmed her enough to talk though as he showed her the incantation that revealed their marks with ease yet again. It was a small comfort, though the spell Rodolphus had used only lasted a month at best. So every month she had to be put through the intense pain of covering her masters brand on her, yet every time it hurt a little less. Both Death Eaters would lay in each other's embrace after, talking of their plans and what information they had recently gathered. Their conversations became upsettingly shorter each time they had these conversations.
"Bella . . ." Rodolphus spoke softly as he approached his wife, curled on the window seat of his study with the days Daily Prophet. She had already read it two times since it had arrived only two hours previously, though it was more often than not that the woman would read the paper at least three times in a day.
"He's out there, Rod . . ." Bella whispered, wincing at the thought before looking to her husband.
"I know." Rodolphus sighed as he moved her feet to his lap as he sat opposite her.
"It's been an entire year . . . an entire year with nothing . . ." Bellatrix looked down to her mark again "He can't be—I know he isn't—He is out there."
"I know." Rodolphus repeated, following his wife's gaze to the grounds of the manor.
"I keep on expecting him to call . . . to grab our cloaks and masks and go off on the next adventure . . ." Bellatrix let out of a huff of laughter before she looked to her husband.
"As do I." Rodolphus smiled sadly at her "But we are doing all we can to find him, to prepare for him."
"We are the only ones." Bellatrix wrinkled her nose in disgust, thinking of her brother-in-law and all others who had publicly denied The Dark Lord. They had gone to them discreetly, trying to rally their support in their plight to be reunited with their master. Rodolphus had needed to pull his wife away for fear of her torturing some sense into their once comrades on more than one occasion. "All those who once served him . . . They are useless."
"Well . . ." Rodolphus spoke carefully, knowing a single word out of place could cause his wife to slip into a mood with him that could last for days "if The Dark Lord has lost his army . . . perhaps we need to build him a new one. Find followers to his cause—discreetly—train them to help us . . . to serve him. If we cannot find him, we prepare for his return."
Bellatrix looked to her husband, her scrutinizing gaze falling over him as if waiting for the catch. After a moments pause the witch smirked in her amusement, sitting up and maneuvering herself to lay back upon her husband's chest. She took his large hand in her small feminine one, bringing his fingers to her lips and kissing them gently. "Okay . . . That sounds like a beautiful plan." Bella closed her eyes as Rod's arms wrapped around her, pressing his lips to her wild curls.
"Come on, Cissy." Bellatrix drawled. She had been in Twilfitt and Tattings for the best part of an hour and was starting to lose her patience with her younger sister. She had not wanted to leave the manor that day, more than happy to spend her day going over old newspapers. Though as Rodolphus had begun to 'worry' about her, the woman having learned a third language just so she could scan not only the French and English speaking countries for their lord but also the Spanish ones, he had told her she had needed to keep up appearances. He had practically forced her to go to her sister and take her shopping. Bella rolled her eyes at the mere thought, how she had become stuck in such a shop with not only her sister but her now two-year-old Nephew she would never know.
"Just a little longer, Bella." Narcissa sighed, smirking slightly as she watched her son tug on his Aunts skirts.
"I'm not picking you up." Bellatrix said, otherwise ignoring the small blonde child as she looked through the shop window.
"Bella." Draco frowned, confused at the lack of attention as he looked between his Aunt and his mother.
"Come here, Draco." Narcissa reached her hand out, smiling as the boy walked up to her. He hugged her skirts as his mother stroked his hair, looking back to the dresses the shop assistant had presented to her.
"Do you need more dresses, Narcissa?" Bellatrix mused as she picked up a delicate hat from the window, inspecting the black lace that fell to cover the wearers face.
"Yes, Lucius and I have been invited to a ball—as have you if I remember correctly, you need a dress too." Narcissa stated, her gaze flickering to her sister as she sighed in annoyance "Bellatrix, that hat is for funerals."
"Oh?" Bellatrix smirked as she looked to her sister "Who's dying?" the witch pouted "Oh is it mother? Or father? Oh please, Cissa. They're old enough for their own good, no?"
"Bella!" Narcissa gasped "Do not say such things."
"In public." Bella murmured as she placed the hat back on its stand. She knew her sister would not reprimand her for such words away from the risks of being overheard.
"Mumma." Draco whined, tugging on his mother's skirts until she relented and picked him up.
"You shouldn't give in to his demands so easily . . ." Bella muttered, looking back out of the window and the streets small crowd of witches and wizards going about their daily business.
"Bella," Narcissa huffed before smiling politely at the assistant who brought out a few more dresses for her to see. "he is my son. My only child. What he wants he gets, you know how it works with male heirs and the likes. He's aloud to be spoilt, to—"
"Narcissa!" Bellatrix hissed, her eyes wide as she looked out of the window "Cissy come look!"
"Bella, what—"
"Come here." Bellatrix growled impatiently, reaching her hand out. The moment she felt her sister's grasp she pulled her towards her, ignoring the grunt of annoyance from her sister and her nephews yelp at the sudden movement. "There." Bella pointed through the window to show her sister what she was looking at.
There on the street, outside the second hand broom store, was a woman that from a distance looked the carbon copy of the dark witch now watching her without her knowing. Andromeda Tonks had changed since the last time Bellatrix had seen her. Not only had she aged in the years since she had left The House of Black, her entire demeanor seemed to have shifted. She seemed happy, a smile on her face as she wore her emotions on her sleeve in away no Black sister ever would have in such a public setting, she still wore a corset and long dress as she had always been taught to yet the dress itself was undoubtedly not of the expensive materials the sisters were used to. Bellatrix furrowed her eyebrows as she looked to the woman, more interested in the little girl who ran up to her once sister. The pink haired child bumped into the woman, giggling as she stepped backwards and apologized whilst Andromeda merely shook her head in amusement and bent down to kiss the girls head.
"Who is that . . .?" Bellatrix breathed.
"I—" Narcissa chewed her lip, flinching as her eldest sister bore her gaze into her eyes "I don't know."
"Liar." Bellatrix narrowed her eyes at the woman "You know something I don't know. Tell me."
Narcissa shuffled on the spot uncomfortably, adjusting Draco in her arms as the two women looked back to the pair on the street oblivious to their gaze. "Nymphadora."
"Nymphadora?" Bellatrix huffed "And who, pray tell, is Nymphadora?"
". . . She's Andromeda's daughter." Narcissa flinched as Bellatrix shot her a glare, ready to question her again "Andromeda sent me a photograph when she was born—before you ask, I never responded—she's . . . nine, I suppose? A Metamorphmagus. That's all I know."
"A Metamorphmagus?" Bella looked to her sister, her eyes wide with the wicked thought that had just come to her mind.
"Yes, a Metamorphmagus, it means—"
"I know what that means, Narcissa." Bellatrix hissed "We did not all spend most of our time in classes fawning over Lucius Malfoy."
"Charming." Narcissa huffed, walking away from her sister as she returned to the arrangement of dresses. "Now, Bella, what do you think of these? You need a dress too you know." Narcissa took one of the darker dresses from the assistant, turning to face her sister. "Oh Bella, what are you up to?" Narcissa sighed as she realised her sister had left the shop, walking over to the window as she watched her discreetly follow Andromeda and Nymphadora Tonks.
"Mummy?" Dora watched her feet as her mother walked beside her on their way to Gringotts, a mischievous grin on her small features.
"What do you want this time, Dora?" Andromeda asked in amusement, laughing as her daughter looked up to give her a face of false shock.
"This time?" Dora pouted, screwing up her features as her pink hair turned a pale blue "That's not fair."
"Oh?" Andromeda shook her head, stopping as reached out to stroke the girl's hair from her face "I thought I told you not to do that in public . . ."
"I can't help it." Dora protested "It does it by itself."
"True," Andromeda sighed "but you did that one on purpose sweetheart."
"Nooo." Dora shook her head, rolling her eyes as her mother gave her a knowing look "Okay I did." Dora screwed her features up as she returned her hair to its previous bubble gum pink "Better?"
"Dora . . ." Andromeda sighed before shaking her head before she continued on her way to the bank, taking her daughters hand in her own "It's fine. Now what do you want, darling?"
"Oh!" Dora grinned again as she suddenly remembered her plight into guilting her mother to have what she wanted. "You know, I'll be ten soon—that's double figures."
"In two months." Andromeda nodded.
"No." Dora groaned. "One month, two weeks and three days."
Andromeda couldn't help but laugh "Impressive."
"Yep." Dora grinned "Anyway! I think I'm old enough for my first proper broom."
"You've just had Christmas, Dora." Andromeda sighed "You got a lot, sweetheart."
"For my birthday!" Dora argued "That's one month, two weeks and three days away."
"Dora—"
"I'll take a second hand one." Dora pleaded, following her mother through the doors of Gringotts bank. "They're half the price of a new one, I don't mind having a second hand broom—for my first broom."
"I—" Andromeda looked down to her daughter, her wide dark eyes looking up at her with a pleading look only a small child could pass off. "I'll think about it." Andromeda raised her finger to stop her daughter as she went to protest "I said, I'll think about it."
"Fine." Dora groaned.
"Now come on, we need to go down to the vault." Andromeda went to walk again, holding back a sigh of annoyance as Nymphadora tugged on her hand again. "What now, Dora?"
"Can I stay here?" Dora asked "My tummy hurts, I don't want to go on those carts. You know Daddy said I get travel sick. I puked last time."
Andromeda chewed her lip, looking around the bank for a moment before she looked to her daughter again. She knew the real reason that her daughter had been sick; Ted had let their daughter go to Florean Fortescue's Ice Cream Parlour in lieu of a proper lunch. Though Andromeda Tonks also knew that her daughter was just as stubborn as she was and was not going to give in any time soon, something she simply didn't have the time for today. "You see those seats by the door?" Andromeda pointed to the two empty chairs, waiting for her daughter to look back and nod before looking back to her. "You sit there. Don't move. Understood?"
"Okay." Dora nodded with a smile. She made a face as her mother bent down and kissed her head though the smile still remained on her features.
"I won't be long." Andromeda said, looking at the girl one last time before she went to present her key to the goblin.
Nymphadora went over to the seat, sitting down with a huff of instant boredom. She looked around the bank, the small amount of Witches and Wizards within the place. A small smile came to her lips as she watched a Wizard in strange clothing handing over what she recognised to be the notes of muggle money over to a goblin to convert for him.
"Nymphadora?"
The girl looked up, slightly taken a back by the appearance of the witch who looked so much like her own mother. She frowned for a moment, taking in the look of the witch as she smirked down at her before she took a breath and looked to her own two feet.
"I—I'm not supposed to speak to strangers." Dora mumbled. "Sorry."
"Well that's nothing to be sorry about." Bellatrix smirked, leaning against the wall beside the girl. "I wouldn't speak to strange people either. Not safe." Bella shook her head, inspecting her nails with feigned indifference "Though, I'm hardly a stranger. Strange—" Bella shrugged "—maybe, but aren't the best people?"
Dora couldn't help but let out a giggle at that despite herself, looking up to the witch as she glanced down at her with a smirk. The girl tilted her head to the side, taking the woman's appearance in for a moment before their eyes met. "You look like Mummy . . ." Dora frowned "Why do you look like Mummy?"
Bellatrix bit her tongue, forcing herself not to glare at the girl for comparing her to her blood traitor sister as she forced a smile to stay on her lips. "Well I said I wasn't a stranger." Bellatrix hesitated for a moment, reminding herself of her plan as she forced herself to say what she knew the girl needed to her. "I . . . am your Mummy's sister. Oldest sister."
"Mummy never said anything about having a sister . . ." Dora furrowed her eyebrows in confusion.
"Well she does." Bella said matter of factly, slipping into the seat beside the young girl as she turned to look at her properly. "You have to be related to someone to look like them."
"Well duh." Dora said "I know that."
"You're smart." Bella smirked, reaching out and tucking a stray strand of hair behind her niece's ear "And pretty too . . ."
"Thanks." Dora blushed, her hair flushing red along with her cheeks.
"That's a neat trick." Bella said.
"Huh?" Dora looked to the witch in confusion, her eyes widening as she nodded to her hair. She pulled a lock in front of her face, biting her lip and scrunching up her features in concentration as she returned her hair to its previous bright pink. "Oh—Sorry, don't tell Mum."
"Why are you sorry?" Bellatrix frowned "You should be proud of your talents, being a Metamorphmagus is a rare talent. Most people would be jealous of such a rare skill."
"That's why Mummy says I shouldn't." Dora sighed "I shouldn't show off. Jealous people can be mean and people might take advantage."
"Well that's silly." Bellatrix shook her head "Do you like morphing?"
"Yes . . ."
"Well then you should do it as and when you please." Bellatrix shrugged. "What's life without the things you like doing? If you like doing it, do it."
Dora giggled "I like you."
"And I like you Nymphadora." Bellatrix smirked.
"You can call me Dora," Dora spluttered "if you want."
"Okay . . . Dora." Bellatrix said "You can call me . . . Auntie Bella—I suppose."
Dora grinned, looking to the entrance her mother had disappeared down for a moment before she looked back to her Aunt with a frown "Auntie Bella?" Dora spoke carefully, waiting for the witch next to her to raise an eyebrow in response before she continued "If you're my Auntie, why have I never met you before?"
"Well . . ." Bellatrix said, thinking carefully for a moment before she responded "your Mummy and I had a . . . disagreement . . . a long time ago . . . We haven't talked since." Bellatrix shrugged, shaking herself from her thoughts for a moment before she looked to her niece again "She didn't tell me she had such a pretty little girl though, I had to meet you. I mean, think of all the years we've missed together—over something so silly. All the Christmas and Birthday presents I must owe you."
"My birthday is soon." Dora nodded "One month, two weeks and three days today."
"Is that so?" Bella raised an eyebrow, smirking as the girl nodded again with a smile. "Well, how about this: you give me your address and I'll make sure to send you something." Bellatrix smirked as the girl nodded in agreement to this. She reached into her handbag, searching the depths before with a triumphant gasp she pulled out a small piece of parchment and a self inking quill. "Here." Bella said as she passed the two items to the little girl, watching her scribble down her address before handing both back to her. Bella smiled as she looked at the address. "What neat handwriting."
"Thanks." Dora grinned. "Mummy makes me practise."
"I can see that." Bella nodded, her eyes flickering to where she expected her sister to return from soon before she stood, looking down at the girl. "I have to go now; my other sister will be looking for me."
"Wait—Mum has two sisters?" Dora asked, her jaw dropping slightly in awe.
"Yes." Bella laughed "I'll write to you and tell you all about it if you wish." Bellatrix smirked as the little girl nodded, reaching and stroking her hair for a moment "You have to promise me something though." She straightened herself, smirking as the girl nodded again. This was too easy. "Don't tell Mummy about our little talk, okay?"
"Why?" Dora frowned.
"Because it would upset her, bring up old memories." Bella pouted. "I don't think she would like me talking to you—and then I couldn't send you your birthday presents or tell you about your other Aunt, could I? You don't want that, do you?"
". . . No." Dora bit her lip.
"So you won't tell mummy?" Bella raised an eyebrow "This is our little secret? Can you keep a secret, Dora?"
"Yes." Dora nodded proudly "I'm good at keeping secrets. Mummy still doesn't know that Daddy broke her favourite china dolly," she leant forward, whispering to her aunt "Mummy thinks it's hidden away because it scares me—but it doesn't."
Bella let out a huff of laughter "Well this is a secret you can't tell anybody, understood?"
"Yep." Dora nodded.
"Good, I'll talk to you soon Dora." Bella winked at the girl, waving slightly as the girl grinned up at her before sneaking out back out of the bank before her once sister could return to her vault.
"Bellatrix!" the woman groaned as Narcissa's shrill voice called out to her as she descended the steps of the bank.
"Yes, Narcissa?" Bellatrix forced herself to smile innocently.
"What are you doing?" Narcissa hissed, weary of the people in the streets around them "Did you follow Andromeda? Why?"
"Narcissa . . ." Bellatrix sighed, smirking mischievously as she descended met her sister, reaching out and stroking little Draco's blonde locks from his head before returning her gaze to her sister. "Ask me no questions, I shall tell you no lies."
Narcissa shook her head, adjusting her son in her arms with an exasperated sigh. "You worry me, Bella."
"Oh you shouldn't worry about me." Bella chimed before she began to walk back to Twilfitt and Tattings "Come on—you said I needed a new dress."
I hope you enjoyed the newest chapter. Bella and Dora in the same scene is literally one of my most favourite things to write haha Anyway, I hope you enjoyed it, please do review!