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The Purple Black
Nymphadora was sat in another meeting with the inner circle, listening carefully to her master as best as she could, though she could not help but be distracted by her Aunt. The woman sat opposite her, leant forward as per usual as she hung on to every last word that came out of Lord Voldemort's thin lips. She barely smirked in acknowledgement as he mentioned the successes of the previous weeks (it seemed that Nymphadora's little group were not the only people to go out to send a message), instead, her eyelids drooped and she rested her chin on her hand as she tried to concentrate.
"Bellatrix," Voldemort spoke firmly, causing the woman to jump slightly and sit up straight from her drowsy state, "are we boring you?"
"N-No, My Lord," Bellatrix said quickly, "You could never—I—I'm sorry, My Lord. I—"
"Enough," Voldemort raised a hand, his servant bowing her head to avert her gaze to the table taking on an appearance almost like a wounded puppy. "Continue, Gibbon."
The young Metamorphmagus frowned, there was something wrong with her Aunt and this was not the first sign. Her Aunt had kept to herself a lot more recently, hiding away in her room and not answering her niece's calls for her. The times that she would be around she would either suddenly run from the room without warning as if she were being summoned or be unnaturally affectionate to her. She had fallen asleep in her Aunt's bed, and she hers, more than once. She had tried to breach the subject of her Aunt's strange behaviour more than once but had only been met by snappy retorts or a quick change of subject, she was determined to get to the bottom of this and decided she would corner her Aunt after the meeting.
Therefore, as the meeting ended Nymphadora Tonks purposefully waited for her Aunt to stand before she went to move, she walked to the other side of the table smiling at her and gesturing for her to leave with her.
"Nymphadora . . ." Lord Voldemort said, not once taking his eyes off of Bellatrix.
"Yes, My Lord?" Dora responded, trying not to show the slight shock and confusion of her master calling for her.
"Leave . . ." Voldemort looked at her for the briefest of moments before he looked back to Bella, "I have things I wish to discuss with your Aunt."
"I—" Dora nodded her head, "Of course, My Lord."
She left the room, slightly annoyed that her plan to corner her Aunt after the meeting had been foiled and that she was little closer to finding out what the hell was going on with the woman. She closed the doors to the room behind her, sighing and deciding to wait outside until with a small yelp of surprise she felt a hand on her shoulder. She turned to see her Aunt Narcissa looking straight at her, a slightly expectant expression mixed with one of what could only be described as undertones of fear. It was no secret that Narcissa Malfoy lived most of her life in fear of everything nowadays. Fear for her son, fear for her husband in Azkaban, fear of the repercussions of having The Dark Lord and his seemingly ever-growing army using her home as a near enough base camp for their illegal activities.
"What?" was all that Dora could think to say, rolling her eyes when her Aunt winced slightly at her sharp tone, "Sorry, what can I do for you, Aunt Cissa?"
"Where's your Aunt Bella?" Narcissa asked.
"Talking to The Dark Lord . . ." Nymphadora said, narrowing her eyes after a moment "You know what's wrong with her, don't you?"
"I—" Narcissa looked to the door behind the girl before with a sigh she took her niece's arm and led her away from the room, "You should not be seen to be dwelling at doors, Nymphadora. Especially when your Aunt is with The Dark Lord on the other side. They'll suspect that you're up to something."
Nymphadora pulled her arm away from her Aunt as they reached the other end of the corridor, "I am up to something," Dora hissed, becoming increasingly frustrated with the notion that something was being purposely hidden from her, "I'm trying to find out what the hell is wrong with Aunt Bella."
"She's fine," Narcissa insisted, "you have no grounds to attempt to listen to her private conversations, she will not thank you for it."
"Tell me what's wrong with her," Dora insisted, "you know what's wrong with her, I can tell. What has she told you?"
"She hasn't told me anything, it does not take a genius to figure it out," Narcissa said, curling her lip slightly "and you are in no position to be demanding information from me if she had. She is my sister and if she wishes to confide in me she will privately."
"But she hasn't?" Dora raised an eyebrow, sighing and leaning against the wall when her Aunt shook her head. "Aunt Cissa . . . I'm worried about her."
"You don't need to be," Narcissa said, her tone softening slightly.
"But I am!" Dora insisted, "She's not herself, there's something wrong with her and I know it. Narcissa, if you even think you know what's wrong with her please tell me. I—I know she's your sister and everything but she's my Aunt—More than that. She's taken on the role of my best friend and a mother figure since I was nearly ten years old so forgive me if I worry about her when she's not acting herself. I have every right to know what's going on with her."
Narcissa Malfoy pinched the bridge of her nose, taking a deep breath. She knew her sister had acted as her niece's mother figure and best friend for years, though she wondered if Nymphadora would ever know why she had done that; it was not out of love or affection, it was for greed and personal gain. Nevertheless, it was undeniable that Nymphadora cared greatly for her Aunt and that, perhaps less visibly in truth, Bellatrix now cared for her in return. The whole situation was too much to ponder over what with her other various stresses at this moment in time.
"Aunt Cissa . . . Please?" Nymphadora spoke quietly, pulling her Aunt from her thoughts.
The older woman took a deep breath, composing herself before she looked back to her niece, "Listen to me, she will tell you if she wants to—she won't admit anything to me at the moment. But for Merlin's sake do not press her for an answer and do not broach the subject unless she brings it up first . . . For all I know, I could be wrong, she could be fine . . . she may just be missing Rodolphus."
"I don't think that's likely . . ." Dora said quietly, "she's too distracted with The Dark Lord . . ."
"She misses him," Narcissa sighed, "she just doesn't show emotion easily, you should know that."
"I suppose . . ."
"Go back to your room, Dora." Narcissa smiled slightly at the girl, "If she wants you she will find you."
Dora watched her Aunt for a moment, part of her determined to argue the fact that she wouldn't find her and that she still had to know, but she knew her Aunt was right. She knew that Bellatrix Lestrange wouldn't talk about anything that she did not want to talk about. So she gave a small nod, forcing a smile when her Aunt reassuringly squeezed her arm and walked off to her room. She made sure to leave her bedroom door open as she went to lay on her bed with a book, knowing that when her Aunt returned to the ward she would have no choice but to walk past her own room. It was hours before the entrance to the wing opened again. Though just as Nymphadora looked up to the doorway she saw her Aunt near enough run past her room, a strange expression on her face. Nymphadora considered getting up to see what was wrong, to see if she could help her Aunt, though Narcissa's words were ringing in her head. Bellatrix would only divulge information that she wanted to divulge and if she had any chance of figuring out what was going on it was not going to be by cornering Bellatrix and forcing the information out of her.
It was October 1996 and nearing Halloween. Halloween had always been one of Dora's favourite holidays growing up, watching the pumpkins and festive decorations going up around school, the endless amounts of sweets when she was a young child, the funny Muggle traditions of trick or treating that her father had introduced her to one year (only to have her morph her hair pink in front of a muggle neighbour resulting in her being dragged away with yells of "special effects" and firmly stamping out the one muggle traditions Ted Tonks had tried to introduce to his family). She had spent the years since she had lived with her Aunt Bellatrix and Uncle Rodolphus learning it was more of a time to be avoided, to not talk to her Aunt as she locked herself away with a fresh frantic burst of research to find their master, though with The Dark Lord back these strange moods disappeared eventually. Nymphadora Tonks found it slightly sad that she could not celebrate this holiday to its full potential now that she was a wanted criminal (and, as Aunt Cissa had pointed out, not a child). Still, she woke up a few mornings before the holidays with a small determination to celebrate the holiday at least slightly, she was bored and lacking for things to do as it was. Nymphadora was sat on her bed contemplating summoning a pumpkin to carve when she heard the quick opening of her Aunts door, only to hear the slamming of the bathroom door moments later.
Nymphadora frowned, grabbing her wand and cautiously getting up from her bed as she left her room. She walked over to the bathroom door, biting her lip in thought for a few moments before she gently knocked on the door.
"Aunt Bella?" Dora asked carefully, though there was no reply. She sighed, used to her Aunt ignoring her at times now as she decided to simply stand back and wait for some sort of answer. She could not hear any noise from within, sure that her Aunt had cast a silencing spell on the door and it was nearing five minutes of her standing there waiting until her Aunt eventually opened the door.
Bellatrix Lestrange looked decidedly different. Her skin was slightly paler, her hair more dishevelled than usual and instead of the expensive dresses or even nightgowns she usually wore she had an oversized dressing gown wrapped loosely around her.
"Are you okay?" it was all Nymphadora could think to ask, and apparently a stupid thing to ask from the slight huff of amusement from her Aunt Bellatrix.
"Peachy." Bellatrix said sarcastically, going to walk past her niece before she turned and frowned.
The younger witch had grabbed her arm and she frowned for a moment before raising an eyebrow at the girl, "Yes?"
"I—" Dora hesitated for a moment before she let go of her arm, "Are—You—I'm worried about you."
"Don't," Bellatrix said simply, "there's no need."
"But I do," Dora argued, "and I will."
Bellatrix inspected the girl for a moment as if considering something in her mind, and all Nymphadora could think to do was to remain as silent as still as possible in hopes that Bellatrix would say something to tell her what was going on with her. It was almost like standing perfectly still as to not to scare some wild animal when it came to getting emotions out of Bellatrix Lestrange, she had to be given the chance to decide if she would confide in her—no sudden movements.
Eventually, Bellatrix sighed, looking down the empty corridor for a moment or two before she walked off to her room, nodding for the girl to follow her. "Come on . . ."
Nymphadora didn't hesitate, hurrying to follow her Aunt so much so that she almost tripped over her own two feet rushing into her room ahead of her as gestured and had to grab on to one of the posters of her bed to stop her tripping. Dora turned to the sound of her Aunt scoffing in amusement before closing the door behind them. Bellatrix hesitated for a moment before pointing to her bed, her niece obliging and sitting down.
"You should tame your clumsiness a little, Dora," Bellatrix said casually, walking over to her wardrobe and looking through her dresses, "Cissa did offer to give you etiquette lessons once, do you remember?"
"Yes," Dora said, "you told her not to be ridiculous and that it wasn't needed as long as I didn't fall flat on my face in a duel."
"Which you don't tend to do through clumsiness," Bellatrix smirked, pulling out one of her few dresses that did not have a corset and setting it down on the chair to her dressing table.
"No . . ." Dora agreed, looking to her Aunt again as she stared down at her with the same look as if she were considering something in her mind, "Aunt Bella?"
"Hmm?" Bella hummed absentmindedly.
"Are you okay?" Dora asked.
"Yes," Bellatrix couldn't help but laugh slightly, "more than okay, in fact."
"You've been acting differently . . ." Dora said cautiously.
"So would you in my situation," Bellatrix shrugged, watching her niece as she frowned in confusion, "If I tell you what is going on will you keep it secret?"
"Yes," Dora said without any hesitation, desperate to know what her Aunt had been keeping from her.
"Swear it?" Bellatrix insisted, walking over to her niece, "You cannot tell anybody unless explicitly told that you can do so. I am only telling you as I have been permitted to do so."
"Aunt Bella—"
"Swear it," Bellatrix said more firmly.
"I swear it," Nymphadora said, starting to become slightly frightened at her Aunt's tone now.
Bellatrix narrowed her eyes at the girl, considering if she could be trusted for a moment before she sighed and took off her dressing gown. Nymphadora frowned for a moment as her Aunt stayed silently staring at her, that was when she lowered her eyes to the woman's night dress. The silk fabric was decidedly tight as it stretched over the smallest bump on her stomach. If it were anyone else she would have been forgiven for thinking she had simply put on a little weight, but Bellatrix Lestrange had always somehow maintained the smallest of figures and there was no denying the fact that the rounded amount on her stomach was not simply fat.
"I—" Dora stammered, standing up from the bed as she forced herself to stop staring at her Aunt's stomach, "is that . . . ?"
". . . A baby," Bellatrix gave a small nod, reaching her hand to rest on her stomach as she let herself smile slightly before looking back to her niece.
"H-How far along are you?" Dora asked.
"A little over four months . . ." Bellatrix watched her niece carefully as she spoke.
"But Uncle Rod is . . ." Nymphadora shook her head, "Did you . . . conceive it the day he . . . ?"
Nymphadora was confused as her Aunt let out a small laugh, "It is not Rod's child, Nymphadora."
"But—" her eyes widened as she put two and two together, she knew the only other man she had ever known her Aunt to sleep with. But it couldn't be. That was merely a—well, she didn't know what sort of relationship her Aunt had with her master to be perfectly honest, she had never wanted to delve into that topic with her and had merely just accepted the knowledge that it happened. But she was sure it was not the sort of relationship to want to produce a child together. Well, at least she had thought it wasn't.
"It's his?" she asked incredulously. Bellatrix gave a slight nod again, smirking when the girl fell back to sit on the bed in disbelief. "No . . ."
"No?" Bellatrix raised an eyebrow, "What is wrong with me having The Dark Lord's child?"
"Nothing!" Dora said quickly, shaking her head and looking up at her Aunt "I just—It's just—I—It's a bit of a shock."
"It was to me as well," Bellatrix laughed, turning to look at her floor length mirror and inspecting her small bump, "but The Dark Lord has given me a gift beyond my wildest dreams, Nymphadora. He wishes for me to carry and raise his child, to raise a great warrior for his cause—a witch to be feared by her name alone."
"I-It's a girl?" Dora asked dumbly.
"Yes, it is . . ." Bellatrix smirked, "a little girl . . . I thought The Dark Lord would be displeased when he found out, I thought he would only want a male heir, as most men do. But he did not care, it seems his best warriors are female anyway, Nymphadora." Bellatrix winked at the girl, laughing again at the girls blankly shocked expression. "What, Dora?"
"Huh?" Dora shook her head to clear her mind, forcing herself to stand up so she could at least seem to be in control of her shocked state, "Nothing . . . I just . . . It doesn't seem real, not really."
"Well, it is," Bellatrix grinned as she turned to her niece.
"Why didn't you tell me . . . ?" Dora asked.
"Well," Bellatrix sighed, "the Dark Lord did not want me to tell anybody until very recently. Though you share living quarters with me and it will not be easy to hide for much longer. I mean, yes, there are charms and concealments that I can use when needed. But a bump is easier to hide than a child and he thought it was best to let some people know."
"Does Aunt Cissa know?" Dora asked.
"No," Bellatrix chewed her lip for a moment before shrugging, "I'll tell her later on, I will need her eventually."
"What for?"
"Well," Bellatrix raised an eyebrow, "unless I'm forgetting something you have never birthed a child and it is not something that you tend to be able to safely do alone. Narcissa will have to help me, she has experience on the matter after all."
"Oh . . ." Nymphadora crossed her arms, trying to stop herself staring so dumbly at her Aunt, "But, Aunt Bella?" she waited for the woman to hum in acknowledgement before she carried on, "What about Uncle Rod?"
Bellatrix seemed to take on a slightly defensive stance upon this question, making the girl wish she had shut her mouth. "What about him?" she near enough spat.
"He . . . Well . . ." Dora rubbed her neck, struggling to find the words she wanted, "He is your husband . . . and you don't have any children together . . . won't he be . . . upset?"
"Perhaps . . ." Bellatrix mused before a fiery passion suddenly lit behind her eyes as she carried on, "but he should be proud of me, he should not care that this is not his child for this child is so much better. This is The Dark Lords child, Nymphadora, do you not understand how important that is? How I have been honoured with such a task? Do you not agree that that is more important than anything Rodolphus could have to say or do on the matter?"
"I do . . ." Dora said though she was not sure Rodolphus would think the same way. She had heard him, on a rare occasion when he did not realise that she was listening, mentioning children to his wife and knew that Bellatrix was adamantly against the idea with only eyes for finding and then serving her master.
"He should be honoured to have his wife carry The Dark Lord's child . . . I will speak to him when he returns . . ." Bellatrix mused, "he should not be gone for much longer." The woman smirked as Nymphadora perked up at this information.
"Th-They're getting out?" Dora asked, a familiar sensation coming back to her at the thought of Barty Crouch and the rest of her comrades being freed from Azkaban, "When?"
"Soon," Bellatrix said simply.
"I thought they would be away for longer . . ." Dora thought aloud.
"Well, we hardly failed in The Dark Lord's task, did we?" Bellatrix smirked, "It was Malfoy's fault they got arrested, that much is very clear from the fact that if he had let me Accio the prophecy or hurt the boy for it sooner then we may have gotten out of there sooner . . . They'll be home soon, Dora. Not much longer now . . . Though I would suggest you not go telling Barty about this," she gestured to her stomach, "it is best if as few people as possible know and at the moment Barty Crouch Jr finding out is not something that is necessary."
"I said I would keep it a secret and I will," Dora nodded, watching her Aunt as she nodded back to her then went to inspect the dress she had pulled out from the wardrobe, "you'll need new clothes." She laughed "Why don't you ask Narcissa if she has any old maternity robes left?"
"Merlin no," Bellatrix wrinkled her nose, "I would rather walk the manor naked than wear some of those awful monstrosities. You should have seen them, all pale blues, flowers and the most ridiculous patterns you could dare to imagine."
"I see, I know you don't like wearing colours," Dora couldn't help but laugh slightly, "I'll morph and go shopping for you one day in the week."
Bellatrix considered this for a moment before nodding, "Fine, just—be careful."
"You're growing soft with your hormones—"
"I am not!" Bellatrix snapped.
"Okay," Nymphadora suppressed a smirk, "you're not."
Bellatrix rolled her eyes, "Go, I need to get dressed and find Narcissa."
Dora nodded, taking one last look at her Aunt before leaving the room. She couldn't help the fact that her mind was now reeling with what she had seen and learned. Not only was her Aunt pregnant with The Dark Lord's child, Barty may soon be returning and Bellatrix knew what they were up to now. Though out of everything she had just discovered she could not help but think of her Uncle. She was sure, despite what her Aunt insisted, that Rodolphus would not be happy for his wife for getting pregnant with another man's child—no matter who the father happened to be. Sure, he would probably hide his displeasure at the news as much as possible but that wouldn't stop the news from being upsetting to him. Nymphadora sighed as she went back to her room and lay on the bed, feeling deeply sorry for Rodolphus Lestrange.
Thank you for reading, I hope you enjoyed, please leave a review if you have a moment!
The Purple Black