Thank you, as always, to all of your lovely people who have left me reviews, followed or favourited my story. I apprecaite it so much!
I'm curious with this chapter, let me know if you manage to figure out who has Dora (or where they are) before it's revealed. hehe
Anyway! Please do read, enjoy and please do leave a review if you have a moment! :D
The Purple Black
Nymphadora struggled the instant she felt solid ground beneath her feet, a strong pair of arms surrounding her despite her struggle.
"Get off!" she screamed at the top of her lungs, helplessly trying to get to her wand.
"Stop it." The voice hissed in her ear, manoeuvring her in his arms for a moment before she felt the undeniable sensation of a wand being pressed directly into her gut. "Stop it now or I'll kill you where you stand." She took a deep breath, stilling herself immediately. "Good." Amusement laced the man's voice as he pushed her away from himself, laughing as she almost fell flat on her face before he grabbed onto her shoulder to steady her, the wand now digging into her back. "Now walk."
Dora did as she was told, she had no other choice. Though as she walked forward she tried to remember every last thing her Aunt had ever taught her about escaping a captor. She took in her surroundings. She seemed to be in a very old building, potentially an old home, a grand home at that. The floors and walls were made of stone, each window covered by what must have once been expensive and potentially beautiful curtains that were now dank with dust and age and covered in moth holes. She closed her eyes for a moment to think, her nostrils soon notifying her of an offensive smell of decay. Her eyes snapped open as the man stopped her momentarily. A gasp of shock couldn't help but leave her lips as she looked down to see a large snake slither past her, across her path in pursuit of a mouse quickly trying to scurry out of its way.
"Watch your step." The man chuckled.
"What is this place?" Dora breathed, trying to turn to face the man only to hiss in pain as a jolt of a stinging hex coursed through her.
"Be quiet." He said, opening the large old wooden door he had walked her up to and pushing her so violently ahead of himself that she fell straight to the floor. This time she immediately went for her wand, though just as she almost had her grip on it she watched in dread as it zoomed out of its holster. She turned instead to face the man. He was wearing a large dark cloak, a heavy hood pulled up causing his face to fall into shadow.
"Who are you?" Dora spoke as confidently as she could despite her position.
The man was eerily silent for a few moments, seemingly considering the girl as she saw the outline of a smirk underneath the shadows of his face. He shoved the witches wand into his pocket, taking his time in his movements before he reached up to pull the hood from his face. It was then that she recognised him instantly. His straw blonde hair, pale complexion and brown eyes had only stared up at her from a newspaper the previous day. After the events at the Quidditch World Cup Nymphadora had needed to know more about the events that surrounded her Aunt and Uncles close escape from Azkaban and as she had been helping her Aunt search for The Dark Lord for some time now anyway it seemed the perfect excuse—though her Aunt had assured her there was nothing to be found in the particular paper out of the hundreds she had collected over the years. Though clearly much older now, the man before her was still immediately recognisable to her.
"Barty Crouch . . ." Dora breathed, her jaw slack and eyes slightly wide as the man barely acknowledged her, instead now looking directly behind her.
"You have brought a guest to us, Crouch?" a cold and high voice came from behind her, immediately causing the girl to try to turn to see the speaker though a quick hex from Barty prevented this. "To what do I owe the pleasure?"
"I've seen her with the Lestrange's," Barty said quickly, "and I just overheard her saying she lives with them, My Lord."
Nymphadora's mind began to race. How had this man seen her before? She had never seen him in her life. Why was he calling him 'My Lord'? Who was he—No . . .Surely not? Dora tried and failed to calm her thoughts, sure that the look of pure shock was more than apparent on her features.
". . . Show me her."
Dora didn't struggle this time, she let the man walk over to her, she was in too much shock to protest. He grabbed her arm firmly, pulling her to her feet and turning her on the spot. The room seemed apparently empty, an old rug covered the floor, a fireplace was roaring with warming flames to the side and an old armchair sat with its back to her. She almost tripped yet again as he marched her forward, yelping in surprise as he nearly instantly threw her to the floor again.
"Now now, Barty, be gentle with our guests." The high voice laughed before taking on a demanding tone like a flick of a switch. "Look at me, girl."
Dora pulled herself up from the floor, not daring to stand as she instead remained seated. She slowly lifted her head, pulling the curtain of her now white hair from her features. She didn't know how she stopped herself screaming—or vomiting for that matter, either one was just as likely with her nerves combined with what she could now see. The thing before her was barely human, with pale almost translucent skin, a body of an overgrown babe wrapped in a dark piece of fabric that almost covered its face. Though the bright piercing red eyes stared back at her clear as day, causing her insides to writhe as she felt as if her very soul was being inspected.
"You live with the Lestrange family?" it asked her.
Dora hesitated for a moment, barely able to find her voice before she let out a quiet "Yes."
"Yes, My Lord." Barty hissed from behind her.
"Yes, My Lord." Dora repeated instantly, not questioning the man's comment nor the apparent amusement of the thing in front of her that she was now certain was what was left of The Dark Lord Voldemort.
"Yet you seem too old to be Bella's child, I cannot recall her having a child . . ."
"She's her niece, My Lord." Barty interjected, stepping forward and bowing his head, "Daughter of her blood traitor sister and the mudblood, this is what I heard."
"Yet you live with Bellatrix and Rodolphus?" Voldemort asked in a curious tone. "Why not your parents?"
"I do not associate with filth." Nymphadora was almost surprised at her automatic answer, one that she soon knew was the correct answer as a high laugh filled the room.
"No . . . You associate with traitors, those who abandon their cause."
"No!" Dora protested, fear instantly returning to her as she felt Barty press his wand to her neck, "They are not, they looked for you—they still look! That is nearly all Aunt Bella does, she looks and she looks and she drives herself insane going over every last fact trying to find you. She is loyal to you—they both are. I-Ah!" Dora hissed as Barty grabbed her hair suddenly, yanking her back into himself.
"Watch your tone!" Barty hissed.
"She is fine . . . for now." Voldemort said, "What is your name girl?"
"Nymphadora." Dora said, quickly adding "My Lord."
"Tell me, Nymphadora, if they are as loyal as you say they are, why they are not here already beside me?"
"They've been looking," Dora winced as Barty let go of her hair, though still stood uncomfortably close behind her, "they've been looking for any little sign."
"There have been more than 'little signs', girl." He hissed.
"P-Please, My Lord." Dora swallowed hard before she forced herself to look at him again with a pleading gaze, "My Aunt and Uncle are loyal to no-one but you. Ever since I met Aunt Bella when I was nearly ten years old that's all she's ever been focused on—she's spent years training me to—" Dora couldn't help but blush slightly, looking down from the man's piercing gaze, "She's spent years training me to serve you when you return."
"Has she now?" The man spoke, silence hanging heavy in the room for what felt like a small eternity until he spoke again "Where are Rodolphus and Bellatrix now, Nymphadora?"
"I—Aunt Bella is probably at home, I think Uncle Rod might be too." Dora said.
"Barty." The man stood to attention as his master called his name, "Give the girl her wand, she can go and fetch dear Bella and Rodolphus for us, let me be the judge of where their loyalties lie." Dora quickly scrambled to her feet as her wand was pressed back into her hand, going to leave the room before The Dark Lord called to her again. "Nymphadora, do not think of not returning here."
"Never . . . My Lord." Dora breathed before disapparating on the spot.
She ran through the front doors of Lestrange Manor, ignoring the poor house elf who had immediately appeared ready to take her things for her. "Aunt Bella!" Dora screamed, running throughout the corridors barely managing to keep on her feet in her haste, "Uncle Rod!" she ripped open door after door, determined to find her Aunt and Uncle as quickly as possible. It was just as she was about to run into the dining room that Nymphadora screamed in fright, jumping back and falling into the wall as Bellatrix Lestrange apparated right in front of her.
"What?" Bellatrix snapped, clearly not appreciating the girl's antics of running and screaming. Bella frowned however as she took in the girl's appearance, the young witch panting for breath, her white hair a wild mess and her clothes dishevelled. "Where have you been? . . . What did you do?" Bella raised her eyebrows at the girl as she shook her head frantically.
"Where's Uncle Rod?" Dora demanded.
"At the Ministry." Bellatrix rolled her eyes. "Answer my question."
"No time." Dora panted, "We need to go get him."
"He'll be back later." Bellatrix rolled her eyes, "Really, Nymphadora tell me why you're in such a state. You didn't get caught cursing someone again, did you? Because you're not a child anymore, it can't be explained away quite so easily."
"No," Dora snapped, "we need to go and get Rodolphus."
Bellatrix considered the girl for a moment, crossing her arms and tilting her head. "No. If you want him that badly go and get him yourself."
"No!" Dora panicked as her Aunt went to walk away from her, grabbing her arm despite the woman's hiss of annoyance. "I need both of you!"
Bellatrix hissed, glaring "Then tell me why, girl!"
"Because I found him!" Nymphadora blurted out in her desperation.
"If you've found Rodolphus then why on earth are you asking me where he is!?"
"I—" Dora took a deep breath, ignoring the frustration on her Aunts face as she tore her arm away from her, "Who's in the Manor?"
"What?"
"Are we alone!?"
"Yes!" Bellatrix growled, "Now you listen to me Nymphadora Tonks, you tell me what on earth you are blabbering about or—"
"I found The Dark Lord!" Dora quickly "Well, he found me—well not him, someone else caught me but then he took me to him. But I know where he is now."
"You . . ." Bellatrix staggered back slightly as she reached out for the nearest wall. Her eyes were wide and her jaw was slack, Nymphadora would have sworn the woman had stopped breathing. "How? . . . Where is he?" Bellatrix quickly snapped her gaze back up to her niece.
"I was in Diagon Alley, went to go to The White Wyvern to get a drink and I—I bumped into someone I used to know." Nymphadora decided she was not about to get into the conversation of how she had ended up in a screaming match with Andromeda Tonks in the middle of Diagon Alley, shaking her head. "Anyway, I was overheard saying that I live with you now basically. Then I was sort of kidnapped down an alleyway by Barty Crouch Jr."
"By Ba—Barty is dead." Bellatrix shook her head, her mind too full of thought.
"He's not." Dora breathed.
Silence hung in the air, the two witches blankly staring at each other in bewilderment and shock of the entire situation until Bellatrix suddenly came to her senses with a jolt. She stormed to the girl and took her hand. "Take me to him—Take me to The Dark Lord."
"H-He wants you and Rod, he said I had to take both of you back." Dora spluttered.
"He will understand, Nymphadora!" a mad desperation shone across the woman's face, now grabbing both of her arms as she interrupted the girl's protests. "Trust me."
Many thoughts went through the girl's head, wondering what on earth would happen if he didn't understand, what if he became angry? Though her Aunt obviously knew The Dark Lord far better than she could ever hope to and as she stared into the woman's desperately pleading dark eyes she nodded slightly. She grabbed onto her arms tightly, disapparating with her Aunt in tow. Bellatrix immediately let go of her, looking around the same hallway Nymphadora had been apparated to earlier.
"I know this place . . ." Bellatrix said to herself, thinking for a split second before without warning she walked off in the direction of the room The Dark Lord had been in. Nymphadora didn't even question how her Aunt knew where to go, silently following her. Though the two soon stopped in their tracks as the door opened. Bellatrix let out a breath of astonishment as Barty Crouch Jr stepped into the light. "Barty . . . It's true, you're alive."
"Seems that way." The man gave a devilish grin as he looked to his fellow Death Eater, laughing after the woman stayed silent "Makes a change for you to be lost for words. Where's Rodolphus, Nymphadora?"
"A-At the Ministry." Dora responded.
"Not following orders already?" Barty raised an eyebrow at the girl.
"I made her bring me." Bellatrix said, walking towards the man. "Where is he?"
Barty nodded towards the room behind him, as the two witches walked forward however he held his hand up. "Only you, Bellatrix."
Bellatrix didn't even hesitate, walking straight past her niece and quickly hurrying into the room behind him not even flinching as the door closed. "My Lord?" she called in confusion to the seemingly empty room.
". . . Come here, Bellatrix." The oh so familiar voice called out, sending shivers down her spine in such a beautiful and familiar way she had been craving for so many years.
She walked forward immediately, turning on the spot and dropping to her knees without hesitation as she saw the strange figure in the armchair. It was not how she remembered her Lord to look, not at all, but she immediately recognised him crying "My Lord!" as she bowed her head in submission to the man despite her intense need to stare at him and never look away.
"Where is Rodolphus?"
"At the Ministry. Nymphadora said you wanted him too but she was in a panic and I had to see you—but I swear I will get him the moment I leave here, My Lord!" Bellatrix rushed.
"You will . . ." Voldemort agreed, "Look at me."
Bellatrix didn't hesitate, looking straight into his piercing red eyes. She was bursting with emotions, the dire need to serve her master, to look at him and no-one else for the rest of her life, the pure joy and astonishment that after all of these years she was in front of her master yet again. She didn't notice as all of her emotions brimmed to the surface and a single tear left her heavy-lidded eyes. "My Lord, I have looked for you—I have never given up hope."
"Yet you did not find me." Voldemort said.
"I tried, My Lord!" Bellatrix pleaded, "I devoted my life to finding you! To preparing for your return, even!"
"So I have been told . . . You have been spending your time training the daughter of a blood traitor and mudblood to take up arms and join my ranks. Is this more important than devoting all of your time to finding me? As it is apparent your attempts to find me were unsuccessful."
"She's a metamorphmagus, My Lord." Bellatrix blurted, "A powerful one too. I spotted her years ago and put all of my instincts to murder the offspring of my blood traitor sister and her mudblood," Bellatrix spat at the mention of the pair, "so that you could have the perfect soldier and tool for your return, My Lord. I have been looking for you too, I never stopped I—"
"Enough." Voldemort said, though the anger that Bellatrix expected to hear in his voice was not present. Bellatrix looked down, like a cowering a wounded dog as she swiped at her passionate tears.
"You have remained faithful?"
"Always, My Lord." Bellatrix spoke with strength, not more certain of anything in the world as she made herself look back up to her master.
"Good . . ." Voldemort mused. "You can return to my service."
"Thank you, My Lord!" Bellatrix gasped, "I will not fail you, My Lord! I—"
"Silence." Voldemort said, amused as the witch instantly obeyed his command, "Now listen . . ."
Nymphadora stood awkwardly in the corridor, shuffling on her feet as Barty closed the door behind her Aunt. He tilted his head in her direction, considering her with his steady gaze. She didn't know how to act, what to say—if she should say anything. She couldn't help but blush slightly as the older man chuckled.
"Come on, Nymphadora." Barty gestured for her to follow him, the witch hesitating as she looked at the door again, "They may be a while." Despite her fears, she followed him, down the corridor past a few doors before he slipped into another room, a small library, with her right behind him. She forced herself not to say anything as she watched a short, grubby, balding man jump at the sight of the pair. "Get out, Wormtail. It's not like you're actually reading." Barty snarled, the man barely hesitating to scurry from the room, his beady eyes met the woman's own as with a sense of frightened curiosity he left.
"So . . ." Barty mused after a few minutes of awkward silence, flashing his grin at the girl, "scared?"
"Why would I be scared?" Dora was amazed at how calm she now sounded, even as the man laughed at her.
"Well, your hair turned white the minute I grabbed you—does your hair reflect your mind?" Barty said, smirking as the girl screwed up her features and forced her hair to turn a long black similar to her Aunt's.
"You . . . shocked me." Dora said, "It's not nice to jump on someone in the middle of Knockturn Alley you know."
"Well I'm not very nice, am I?" Barty joked.
"No."
"Aw," Barty gave a slight pout, leaning against one of the bookshelves, "don't hurt my feelings, Nymphie."
"Don't call me Nymphie." Dora said, narrowing her eyes at the man as he laughed yet again.
"Well, Nymphadora is a bloody ridiculous name." Barty shrugged, "Take it Andromeda came up with that one? I met her a couple of times, she always seemed a bit . . . well, like she had a stick stuck up her butt." Dora had to stop herself cracking a smirk of amusement at the remark, "What are you doing with your Auntie Bella anyway? You're a half-blood, most definitely not the sort that she usually associates with."
"What are you doing in a dilapidated building with The Dark Lord and a homeless looking man?" Dora raised an eyebrow, "You're supposed to be dead and buried in Azkaban prison."
"I didn't like it much there, didn't stay long." Barty shook his head, walking across the room and letting himself fall into a dusty old armchair. "You avoid questions, why?"
"Maybe I don't take well to people who pull on my hair and throw me about." Dora crossed her arms, swearing to Merlin that she would wipe the man's grin off of his face if she was given half the chance; she did not enjoy his apparent amusement of her.
"Keep it for the bedroom, right?" Barty laughed yet again as the witch blanched at the comment. "Oh come on, Nymphadora, lighten up. Take a seat." Dora glared at the man as he rolled his eyes at her hesitance, summoning a book as he relaxed back into his chair, "I don't know, a young woman walks right on into this place and I can't even have some fun. You're just like your mother."
"I am not like my mother." Dora hissed, though she gave in to his request and perched on the edge of another chair some distance from the man.
"If you say so." Barty smirked.
The woman sat in silence for the rest of their time together, silently seething at her annoyance of the man. Looking back on it however she had to admit it was a welcome distraction from whatever was going on with her Aunt and The Dark Lord at the moment. She still had so many questions she wanted answers to, however. Like how the Dark Lord had survived that infamous night at Godric's Hollow, how Barty Crouch Jr had not only escaped Azkaban but faked his own death, what was going to happen next? She was snapped from her thoughts as she heard the familiar sound of her Aunt's heels clicking on the floor on her approach to her.
"Dora . . ." Bella called, placing a hand on the girl's shoulder once she had approached her though she stared at Barty.
"Dora? Now that's better than Nymphadora I suppose." Barty mused. "I still think I prefer Nymphie."
To her niece's surprise her Aunt let out a small laugh, shaking her head before she looked down to her niece, "Come on, pet. We're going."
"So soon?" Barty raised an eyebrow at the pair.
"We'll be back." Bellatrix said.
The man considered the pair for a moment before he let out a dramatic sigh, putting his book down before he simply upped and left the room. Before she knew it Nymphadora was back at Lestrange Manor with her Aunt. It was all so surreal; to be stood within the grand, pristine halls of Lestrange Manor in such contrast to the old rotting place they had just come from.
"Aunt Bella?" Bellatrix smirked, raising an eyebrow at the girl in acknowledgement. "What did he say?"
"You'll find out soon enough." Bellatrix sighed, a contentment on her features that Nymphadora couldn't deny was slightly disturbing. She had never seen her Aunt quite so happy and relaxed. "We will go back tomorrow with your Uncle."
"Where are we going?" the man in question asked as he walked down the hall towards the pair having apparently heard their entrance.
A grin immediately lit Bella's features as she let out a squeal of excitement, running into her husband's arms and planting a kiss firmly on his lips. "To The Dark Lord."
"To the—" Rod's eyes went wide, "you found him?"
"Dora did—in a funny sort of way." Bellatrix giggled, wrapping her arms around her husband's neck as he looked as if he was trying to solve a particularly difficult sum in his mind. "It doesn't matter. He's back—We just came back from there—We're going again tomorrow!"
"You—What?" Rodolphus asked, trying to step back from his wife though she continued to cling to him in her ecstatic joy.
"Shh, Roddy." Bellatrix cooed, kissing the man again, "Tomorrow."
"Bellatrix, you need to—"
Dora did not hear what her Aunt had to do, for without a second's notice her Aunt had disapparated with her husband. She let out a laugh as she thought of the look on her Uncle's face. She made her way back up to her room, quickly shutting her door behind her and collapsing on the bed, Dora was sure that her mind would never stop racing with the day's events. As terrifying as it had been to be taken by wand point by a strange (and decidedly annoying) man, thrown in front of the Dark Lord and feel her very own life in peril she couldn't help the grin that was on her features now. Her Aunt's joy was infectious. It wasn't until hours later that Nymphadora realised that she had left her Aunt Cissa alone in Diagon Alley, bursting into laughter at the thought, she decided Narcissa could look after herself.
So I really hope you guys enjoyed that! Please do leave a review if you have a moment as I love to hear your thoughts!
The Purple Black