Thank you so much for all of your reviews, follows and favourites so far! I must admit everytime I see a new notification, especially that of a review, I am astounded that people like my work enough to let me know. So thanks! This chapter took a little longer than I intended to write, I get really stuck writing Andromeda sometimes so I'd like to thank my good friend Trixie Black Lestrange for helping me get out of that rut haha
Anyway! As always, please read, enjoy and review if you have a moment :D
The Purple Black
Nymphadora had barely slept, merely dozing off for an hour or two by accident as she couldn't get her Aunt's short note out of her mind. She hadn't come yet. It had been late in the evening when she had received the letter and now it was nearly lunchtime the next day. Dora was going spare, still dressed in yesterday's clothes, she would have sent her owl to her Aunt again if she could find the bloody thing. She was starting to think her mother had found her poor pet and locked the thing away from her.
The girl was currently sat cross-legged on the floor, staring at the breakfast still on her nightstand as she seriously considered breaking her hunger strike. It was at that moment that she heard the tap at her window. She shot to her feet, running over to the window so fast that she lost her balance and had to grab onto the edge to stop herself falling flat on her face. Dora frowned, she couldn't see anything, not an owl or anything. Though slowly a small pebble floated up to her eye line again, the girl staring wide-eyed as she watched it gently tap on the glass. It hovered for a moment before quick as a flash it flew down to the bottom of the garden. That's where Nymphadora saw her. Bellatrix Lestrange was stood with a smirk on her features, partially obscured by one of the hedges at the end of the garden. A grin split over the girls face as her Aunt nodded towards herself, motioning for her to come down.
Dora hesitated, she hadn't left her room in over a day apart from to use the bathroom, she did not want to raise her mother's suspicion. Bellatrix waved to her impatiently from the garden, making Dora bit her lip in her nerves before with a nod she made her way down to her Aunt. She slipped out of her room, looking both ways before she snuck down towards the staircase, biting hard on her lip as she heard her bedroom door swing shut behind her.
Andromeda was in her own room, the sound of the Wizarding Wireless Network just audible from Dora's position on the stairs. After a few moments she decided the coast was clear, quickly and quietly making her way down the stairs, through the house and out of the back door. Bellatrix looked like she was about to burst into a fit of giggles as Dora ran towards the woman, almost falling over as she looking back to the house to see if her mother had caught her.
"Dora." Bellatrix smirked in greeting, unable to help but laugh slightly as Nymphadora ran at her, hugging her tightly whilst pulling them both out of view of the house behind the hedges.
"Aunt Bella!" Dora forced buried her face in her Aunt's hair, hugging her tightly as her Aunt returned her embrace. "Mum didn't want me to see you again, she said horrible stuff about you, she—"
"Shhh," Bella murmured, pressing her lips to the girls head for a moment before she pulled away. "I know, that's why I'm here."
The girl looked up to her Aunt, slight confusion unable to be concealed on her young features as the older woman brushed the stray pink curls from her face. "What are you going to do? Talk to her? I hate her—I can't stand her anymore. She treats me like a child—I'm nearly seventeen."
"You don't have to deal with her anymore, Nymphadora." Bellatrix whispered, running her hand delicately down the girl's hair before resting her hand firmly on her shoulder. "Come with me." The girl's eyes went wide as she didn't know what to say, causing the pair to stand in silence for a moment before Bellatrix couldn't help but laugh. "Come live with me, you don't have to stay here anymore. There's a room for you at Lestrange Manor, always has been. You seemed so distressed in your letter," Bellatrix frowned, concern on her features "you said it yourself; you're almost seventeen. You shouldn't have to put up with such things. Your mother wasn't much older than you when she left home. I see no reason why you should stay here so unhappy. Unless you want to stay? Do you not want to live with Rodolphus and I? I'm just trying to do what's best for you, Nymphadora . . . Why are there tears in your eyes?"
"I—" Dora nodded vigorously, wiping her eyes. "I'm fine, I just—Yes. Yes, I want to come live with you."
"Good." Bellatrix grinned. "Let's go get your things."
Dora stumbled as she turned, watching her Aunt move up towards the house for a moment before she shook sense back into herself. She ran after the woman, grabbing onto her arm to stop her. "What are you doing?" Dora asked, panicking.
"Getting your things." Bellatrix raised an eyebrow at the girl, shrugging her arm off of her.
"She won't just let me go, Aunt Bella." Dora shook her head, her eyes flickering from the house to her Aunt again, "Can't you just summon my things from here?"
"Nymphadora," Bellatrix said carefully, amusement glittering behind her dark eyes as she feigned a look of seriousness to the young girl, "I have a plan. Don't worry, you will be leaving with me no matter what. I know how to handle my little sister."
"I—Okay." Dora nodded.
With that the woman sped ahead to the house, Dora rushing after her as Bellatrix Lestrange swung open the door of the Tonks house. "Oh, Andromeda?" She called, her voice ringing out in an almost musical fashion, "Dromeda? Where are you?"
Nymphadora fell back into the door in shock as the loud crack of apparation reverberated against the walls. Andromeda Tonks had her wand drawn, both fear and anger filling her eyes as she glared at her elder sister, her chest heaving as she seemingly fought an internal battle to simply curse Bellatrix where she stood.
"Oh, Andromeda." Bellatrix pouted, cocking her head as she looked to her sister. "You were taught it was rude to apparate in your own home in such a way. Have you really forgotten so much of your teachings?"
"Get out of my home." Andromeda spat, her knuckles turning white on the tight grip of her wand.
"Nymphadora?" Bellatrix called to the girl behind her, waiting for her hum of acknowledgement before she carried on, "Do you want me to leave?"
"No." Dora shook her head, flinching slightly at the flash of hurt that crossed her mother's eyes.
"Well, there you are." Bellatrix shrugged, "This is Dora's home too, she wants me here."
"Dora," Andromeda swallowed, closing her eyes for a moment before she looked behind her sister to the young girl behind her. "Come here—Get away from her."
"She's not going to hurt me." Dora said, "I'm fine."
"Why would I hurt her?" Bellatrix frowned at her sister, "She's my niece. It's only your misguided mind that tried to keep me away from her. I care for her—I trust her."
"You manipulated her!" Andromeda yelled, "What lies have you fed her to try to take her from me!?"
"She doesn't lie to me!" Dora cried back at the woman, "She trusts that I can know what I like, do as I want—she trusts that I can make informed decisions on my own!"
"So, informed decisions like using illegal spells at school!?"
"I told her not to use them at school." Bellatrix rolled her eyes, reaching a hand up to rest on her niece's shoulder as she gave her a reassuring squeeze. "Though we all make mistakes, don't we Dromeda? You know those spells, I've watched you use them."
"In defence." Andromeda narrowed her eyes at the woman, ignoring the stare of her only child.
"Well, Nymphadora was defending herself—she was hexed first." Bellatrix said, "Did she tell you that? If you can use such spells in defence, can't she?"
"Dora?" Andromeda looked at her daughter, "Did Rosier hurt you?"
"It wouldn't matter to you if she did. You were too quick to scream at me rather than ask me what actually happened." Dora said, her eyes falling to the floor rather than look into her mother's eyes in that moment.
"Quick to judge." Bellatrix sighed.
"That's rich coming from you!" Andromeda yelled in response.
"Me?" Bellatrix gasped in mock offence.
"Yes, you!" Andromeda cried, "You are the most judgemental person I know."
"Well, that's a little harsh." Bellatrix bit back a smirk.
"You-!"
"Stop it!" Nymphadora cried, jumping in front of her Aunt as she stared the tip of her mother's wand, now directly pointed at the woman behind her.
"Nymphadora, how many times must I tell you?" Andromeda sighed, a pained look on her features, "She's not safe, you're not safe with her, you need to listen to me."
"I would never hurt my niece." Bellatrix scoffed, gently moving Nymphadora out of the way. The woman raised an eyebrow as she looked to her sister's wand.
"Mum . . . Stop it." Nymphadora said, more calmly this time. "I'm going to go with Aunt Bella, she said I can live with her."
"You can't," Andromeda stared in shock at her only child, "you are a child. You live with your parents."
"I seem to remember someone else deciding to leave their parents when they weren't much older than Nymphadora." Bellatrix mused.
"Bellatrix." Andromeda glared at her sister.
"No, it was you, not me." Bellatrix shrugged, smirking in amusement.
Nymphadora could not remember acting so quickly in her life; her mother barely got the first syllable of the spell she was about to scream at her sister out. Her Aunt had barely managed to draw her wand in retaliation. Dora had run at her mother, making her collide into the wall as grabbed her wand hand. Andromeda merely stared at her daughter, her mouth hanging open and her eyes wide as she tried to comprehend what her daughter had just done. The young witches hair had turned bright red, her eyes nearly black she glared at her mother.
"I can make my own choices! I don't want to live here anymore! I want to go live with Aunt Bella and Uncle Rod." Dora cried, "They let me do what I want, they accept I make mistakes, they love me."
"I love you . . ." Andromeda's voice was barely a whisper, tears were brimming her eyes and it took more strength that Nymphadora cared to admit to speak again.
"Then let me go."
The two women stared into each other's eyes, each silently pleading with the other. The room was silent for a good minute, Bellatrix watching the pair curiously as she wondered if she should say something to hurry the pair along. Eventually, Andromeda gave a small nod, barely noticeable as she relaxed slightly against the wall. With a deep breath Nymphadora stepped away from her mother, her face a mixture of relief and sorrow at her mother's clear pain as Bellatrix came and rested a hand on the girl's arm.
"Come on, Dora." Bellatrix said, "Let's get your things and leave."
"Nymphadora." Andromeda spoke calmly and clearly, stopping Dora in her tracks as she went to follow her Aunt's lead to her room.
"Yes?" Dora said, not caring that her mother had used her full name in that moment.
"You want to leave just as I did, correct?" Andromeda asked, her features void of emotion as she looked to her sister for a moment before she returned her gaze to her now dark-haired daughter. She waited for to nod before she carried on. "Well then, if you are totally certain that you wish to leave. Then you get the same terms I did. If you leave this house, you can never return—I'll put wards up against you the minute you leave. You will never see your father and I again, you live with Bellatrix and you stay there."
"I—" Dora bit her lip, her heart pounding in her chest as she tried to think for a moment until her Aunt squeezed her arm reassuringly and she merely nodded. "Okay."
Andromeda couldn't help but let the smallest of cries out as her daughter walked off up the stairs, biting back her tears as she turned her back on her own mother.
"Well," Bellatrix smirked maliciously, "it seems the tables have turned, sister dear . . . How does it feel? Hurts, doesn't it?"
Andromeda glared at her sister, tears spilling freely down her cheeks now her daughter was out of sight. "You bitch. Is this what you wanted? To get back at me for leaving you?"
"Oh, Dromeda." Bellatrix pouted, walking up to her sister as she was surprised to see she barely flinched at her close proximity. She took a moment to look at the woman, she had changed since they had last met—well, their last meeting where they were both themselves. She reached up to wipe a tear from her sister's cheek, huffing in amusement as the younger witch flinched away from her touch. "Your sorrow is just an added benefit to me, love." Bellatrix grinned at her sister's glare, leaning into her as she kept her voice bellow a whisper, "Don't worry, I don't want to hurt her—she's no use that way. But she'll have fun, she'll be happy—most of the time."
"Get. Out." Andromeda snarled through gritted teeth.
"Once I get Nymphadora's things." Bellatrix laughed, stepping away from her sister as she went to follow her niece up the stairs. "Oh and you really should redecorate, I was being sarcastic when I called your paintwork lovely last time—I thought you'd get the hint."
Bellatrix could imagine her sister's face, perhaps confusion though most definitely followed by a shocked realisation as to what she meant. The whole ordeal made her all the more amused by the situation. She wasn't surprised as when she reached Nymphadora's room she watched her once sister storm up the stairs behind her and past her, only to lock herself in her own bedroom. She sensed it as the woman put silencing wards up over the room, no doubt so her cries wouldn't be heard—well, that was what Bellatrix hoped at least. Let the whore get a taste of what she had done to her and her sister all those years ago. Nymphadora was throwing everything she could into her trunk when Bellatrix entered the room.
Bellatrix sighed as she drew her wand, "Do you want everything? I can get you new things, you know."
"I—" Dora stepped back from the trunk, crossing her arms as she looked to the floor clearly trying to hide her emotions from her Aunt. "I don't know what I want . . . I was just throwing everything in . . ."
"Well . . ." Bellatrix sighed again after a moment, flicking her wrist as she enchanted the girl's belongings to fly straight into her trunk. She couldn't help but roll her eyes as she watched the girls wand fly in from outside of the room, grabbing it before it got to the trunk and placing it in her niece's hand. Like taking the girl's wand would have ever helped Andromeda. "We can figure out what to keep later."
"Yeah." Dora sniffed, pocketing her wand. She watched her trunk lock and close as the last of her belongings disappeared inside.
"Dora?" Bellatrix spoke softly, the girl not realising she was stood beside her until she felt her hand under her chin coaxing her to look up to her. "You did the right thing. She was never going to accept the fact that you can make your own choices, never let you be what you want to become. You'll be happy with Rodolphus and I, I promise."
Dora nodded, blinking back her tears as her Aunt wrapped an arm around her, watching her shrink and summon her trunk as she slipped it into her pocket. "Come on, let's go home."
The pair didn't speak as Bellatrix took her hand. Nymphadora simply took one last look at her childhood room, one last look at the hallway, one last look at the photograph of her five-year-old self laughing in her mother's lap as her father pulled ridiculous faces at her. She couldn't help but feel deep sorrow as she walked out of the door with her Aunt, the front door closing behind her one last time. Though she knew it was for the best, she wanted her Aunt in her life. She enjoyed her Aunt teaching her, talking to her, even simply keeping her company. She couldn't live with her parents anymore if they would be so harsh as to stop her from seeing someone she wanted to when she was nearly legal age anyway.
"Ready, pet?" Bella asked, breaking the girl from her thoughts as she tore her gaze from the Tonks house.
"Yes." Dora nodded, speaking more firmly this time. "Let's go home."
Bellatrix smiled at the girl, resisting the urge to all out grin at the success of her plan as with a nod she gripped tightly onto her niece's hand and disaparated them both to Lestrange Manor.
Thank you for reading, I hope you enjoyed it as much as I enjoyed writing it. Please do leave a review if you have a moment :D
The Purple Black