OF LOVE AND WORRY

"Now I can tell you're so afraid;

You've been lied to, and taken for granted,

And treated like some kind of slave.

I'm not after your freedom, I'm after your heart;

And I know it's gonna happen, and I knew it right from the start.

You belong with me, oh darlin' we belong together, and

Every time you leave, it's obvious we're still connected.

You live in your world and I live in mine;

But the collusion of worlds is just a matter of time.

You belong with me…"

Over the next couple of weeks, Bellatrix continued to gain strength, both in her body and mind. Some of her old confidence began to return. Yet she was still plagued by guilt over what she had done before she had been sent to prison. One morning, when William walked into the sitting room, he found her curled up on a love seat, softly crying.

"What's wrong, love?" He asked, worry evident in his tone of voice. "Are you ill? Should I call Andromeda?" Andromeda had come over later on the day Dora and Moody showed up. Things were tense between the sisters at first, mostly because neither knew what to say to the other. Will had excused himself from the room so they could be alone, and gone to his study across the hall to be nearby just in case. But the reconciliation happened much faster than any of the three had thought it would, and Andromeda was coming over almost daily now. The sisters had a lot of time to catch up on.

Bella shook her head. "Oh, Will…how can you stand to be around me? I've done such horrible things, Will! Terrible things! Entire families killed, tortured, maimed…at the time, it all seemed so clear, like we were purging Magical Society of the enemy. Even your friend Frank Longbottom. Will, I'm so sorry! I…I tried to stop them, but I couldn't."

Will had desperately wanted to know what happened that long ago night when his friends had been tortured into insanity, but was afraid to bring it up in case it would cause a setback to her healing. He walked over and sat down, putting his arm around her shoulders. She leaned into him and tucked her head against his chest, hiding her face as she continued her soft crying.

"It's all right, my love. That wasn't really you. Your mind was sick. You're better now, and you won't go back to that life. It's all right."

Bellatrix looked up at him, a look of shame and disgust on her tear-stained face. "No, Will, it is not all right! You don't understand! I wanted them to tell me where the Dark Lord had gone, and they did, but we didn't believe them! I wanted so badly for them to be lying. I almost did use the Cruciatus on them to make them tell me they were lying, but…I couldn't. I froze. It was like I saw your face, and I just couldn't."

She buried her face against his chest again and sniffed a couple times. "The others did, though…my stupid husband and his idiot brother, and Barty. They all crucioed them. I couldn't stop them…but I did let Rudolphus have a taste of his own medicine." A giggle escaped her. "I crucioed him as he was crucioing them. I wanted him to stop, but it was too late for Longbottom and his wife." Bellatrix looked up at him and smiled, her eyes alight with glee. "I got him good for you, Will! I got him good! And I would have kept on crucioing him if the Aurors hadn't shown up and arrested us."

"So that's why they found the Cruciatus curse on your wand," William murmured, pulling her more tightly against him as he smiled. "You weren't involved in what happened to poor Frank and Alice."

Bella's smile dropped, and she hid her face against him again. "No, I—I was involved. I had the other three kidnap them so we could kill them. The whole thing was my fault!" She looked at him again. "Oh, Will, I'm so sorry!"

He kissed her forehead. "It—it wasn't your fault, Dearest. It was your father's fault, and Lestrange's. But most of all, it was Voldermort's fault!"

Bellatrix flinched at the name of her former master. "Please don't say his name, my love! Please don't!"

"I'm sorry, sweetheart. I won't say it again. Until he's dead and gone for good." He kissed her again, on the lips this time. When they broke apart, he looked at her with sadness in his eyes. "However, there is one thing I need to tell you. As you know, the girls will be home for the Christmas holidays in a couple of days and we'll need to tell them you're here."

"That's alright, Will," Bellatrix replied. "I don't want to hide anything from your children. I am nervous about meeting them, though. I hope they don't hate me too terribly much."

"Bella, they won't hate you. But…well, the thing is, Daphne, my oldest, is dating Frank and Alice's son." Will paused to let the words sink in.

Bellatrix face went pale. She stared at Will for a brief moment before burying her face in her hands. "She will hate me…and if she doesn't the poor boy surely will! Everyone thinks I tortured them. And I was involved. Oh, Will, I've already taken too much away from that boy; I don't want to ruin whatever they feel for one another, too!"

"That wasn't really you," William hastened to assure her. "It was the way you were raised. You were forced into that marriage against your will. Your parents were responsible for all that misery!"

Bella gave him a rueful smile. "I know you're just trying to make me feel better, Will, but Andi had the same parents, the same upbringing. So did Cissy. Andi didn't let them corrupt her, and she's a happy wife and mother now. She never fell to the dark. And while Cissy may be playing the role of the perfect Pureblood wife, she never became a Deatheater like I did. My sisters didn't fall, it was only me. As much as I would like to blame someone else for my sins, I can't."

Will sighed. He had nothing to say, because Bellatrix was right. Nevertheless, he hugged her. "It will work out, my darling. Somehow, everything will work out."

In her mind, Bella prayed he was right.

(XXX)

Will went to meet the girls two days later. Andromeda came to stay with Bellatrix while William was gone, as Bella had developed an intense dislike of being alone. She never said anything about it, but both Will and Andromeda had noticed that Bella became tense and agitated any time she feared she'd be left alone. Andi reckoned it probably had to do with being so alone and tortured by the Dementors for so many years while she was in Azkaban.

Will took the floo to the Davis house to collect Elizabeth and the two went to meet the children together. Richard didn't like Elisabeth going places alone, as things were getting tense in the magical community, and Will was only too glad to help his dearest friends out. He understood Richard's anxiety when it came to family.

Will was fidgeting beside Elizabeth on the platform as they waited for the express from Hogwarts. He'd been fidgeting since the moment they arrived, and it was starting to get on Elizabeth's nerves. Finally she turned to him. "For Merlin's sake, Will! Stop fidgeting and just tell me what's bothering you!"

"You know me too well, Liz," he sighed. But at least he stopped fidgeting.

Liz snorted. "We were in Slytherin together for six years, Will. I should think I know you pretty well."

She cast him a speculative look, and cocked an eyebrow, waiting for him to continue. Will swallowed hard, and glanced around the platform. It was loud and no one was near them. Still, he leaned close to her ear and whispered, "I, uh…I kind of…broke Bella out of Azkaban at the end of September and brought her to the house." He leaned back so he could see her face.

She continued staring at him, her face devoid of emotion. Finally she sighed and glanced away. "Richard had heard about her escape, of course. The Ministry is keeping it very quiet so as not to cause a panic amongst the general population." She paused and glanced back at him. This time a small smirk tugged her lips up, and her eyes danced. "I thought it was you as soon as he told me, but he didn't think so." Her smirk increased. "He now owes me ten galleons. Thank you."

Will blinked a couple times, then frowned. "Is that it? You're happy you won a bet? Aren't you going to berate me for being stupid and putting my family at risk?"

Liz shook her head. "I knew the both of you at school, Will. Bella was always a bit…out there, so to speak. And had very strong pureblood supremacist views. But she and I always got along well enough. You two were so good for each other that your romance with her never bothered me. It certainly explains why we've barely seen you these last few months. I imagine it hasn't been easy for you. How is she doing?"

"She's pretty much cured, but you're right. It did take a while—more than two months. I had a healer out at the house the entire time."

Liz raised her eyebrows. "Can you trust him? Won't he turn you in for some reward or chance at fame or something?"

"I made him take a vow," Will explained. "So far nothing has happened. The Ministry hasn't made any moves against us. But that blasted, meddling Headmaster knows Bella's there…sent that crazy ex-Auror Moody out, along with Andi's daughter. They tried to talk me into turning Bella and myself in. Ha, like that will ever happen!" He frowned at the memory. "And you mark my words, Liz…sooner or later Moody will pay for what he said about the girls, and about Bella."

Liz snorted and glanced down the track. "Those blind followers of Dumbledore's are such naive sheep! Everything's so black and white to them. They need a taste of the real world. They wouldn't have lasted a week in Slytherin." She turned to Will. "If you and Bella don't mind, I'd like to come visit her. When she feels up to it, of course. We were all in the same group that hung around together back at Hogwarts. Slytherin against the world." She sighed. "Sometimes I miss those days, Will. Everything was so much simpler then."

Will smiled. "I'm sure she'd like that. I'll ask her."

A whistle sounded then, signaling the imminent arrival of the train. Soon, it had pulled to a stop in front of the platform and students began pouring out of the doors. As they began to search for their children amid the throng of disembarking students, a voice sspoke from behind them.

"William, Elizabeth. It is nice to see you both again. It's been quite a while since I had the pleasure of speaking with either of you. At the Ministry gala last spring, I believe."

William and Elizabeth turned, William taking the outstretched hand of the regal looking woman who had spoken. "Lady Augusta, it is an honor. And I believe you're correct about when we last met."

"Lady Augusta," Liz said, the two women inclining their heads to each other.

Augusta turned back to Will. "William, it appears we have something to discuss. It has come to my attention that your eldest daughter and my grandson are…seeing much of one another these days."

Liz snorted again, smirking, and William's face grew warm. "Um, yes, I believe that is correct."

"Once we have collected our offspring, I was wondering if you and your daughters would be kind enough to accompany Neville and I back to Longbottom House for a discussion of the situation. Hopefully I'm not being too presumptuous, but I have taken the liberty of drawing up a marriage contract for the two of them."

"For Merlin's sake, Augusta, they're only fifteen!" Liz interjected.

Augusta waved her hand dismissively. "Be that as it may, they are both from noble and most ancient houses, therefore all proprieties must be maintained. Pureblood society demands it. I'll not have my grandson, the heir of the House of Longbottom, sully his name in some…frivolous love affair. And I'm certain William wishes the same for the heiress of House Greengrass as well. This will make the two reflect on whether this is truly something they want, or simply a passing teenage fancy."

William chewed his lower lip. "It does make sense, I suppose," he said after a moment. "At the very least it will take their heads out of the clouds and make them consider their future together."

"DADDY!" A voice yelled. Astoria was waving and weaving her way towards them through the crowd, Tracey close behind her. Astoria threw herself into William's arms when she reached him. "I've missed you so much!" She mumbled into his shirt.

"And I've missed you, too, sweetheart," William replied, dropping a kiss onto her head. He looked around. Tracey was hugging her mother, but Will didn't see Daphne anywhere. "Where's your sister?"

Astoria made a face. "She and her boyfriend are saying goodbye to their friends. They'll be here in a minute."

Which they were. Daphne and Neville arrived holding hands and smiling at each other. Astoria made a gagging noise, earning her a glare from Daphne and a snicker from Tracey.

Neville noticed his grandmother standing beside Daphne's dad and Tracey's mum, and his eyes went wide. "Gran? What are you doing here?" His voice squeaked a little.

Augusta pursed her lips. "I am here to take you home for the holidays, young man." She glanced at Neville and Daphne's joined hands and raised an eyebrow. "And I see that you have neglected to tell your grandmother about this…new situation you find yourself in."

Neville gulped and tried to drop Daphne's hand. But she gripped his harder, and it gave him strength to face his grandmother. "Well, er…yes, Gran. Daphne and I are, well, seeing each other. That is to say, we're dating."

"Yes, Neville. I am aware. You underestimate the power of the grapevine amongst the Old Families. Everyone finds out everything and then tells everyone else. Nothing stays secret for very long."

Neville gulped and Daphne blushed.

"However, I must say that I approve of your choice, young man." She turned to Daphne. "You are, from all accounts I have heard, a very proper and upstanding young lady, Miss Greengrass. The epitome of a Pureblood heiress. And I have a deep amount of respect for your father. My grandson could have done much worse, and probably not much better."

William frowned, trying to make out if Augusta's statement was a compliment, or an insult. Or perhaps a bit of both? He was confused.

"Your father and I have agreed to pop over to Longbottom House for a bit of tea and cakes to discuss this…situation before you head home to begin your holidays."

Daphne glanced at her father. William shrugged.

Liz smirked. "And that is my cue to go. Augusta, it was nice to see you again. Are you planning to come for our New Year's Eve perty this year?"

"I wouldn't miss it, Elizabeth. I shall see you then. Have a happy Christmas." The two women inclined their heads to each other again.

Tracey hugged Daphne goodbye. "I'll be over to see you before the party ." She lowered her voice. "Good luck, Daph."

"Thanks," Daphne muttered in reply.

"Send me an owl when you get home and let me know how it went."Tracey winked at Neville. "By, Nev. Have fun! Happy Christmas!

Neville was pale and shaky, but he managed a smile and weak reply of, "Happy Christmas, Tracey, Mrs. Davis," as the two walked away.

"Shall we go?" Augusta said, turning without waiting for an answer, the others following her. Aparating to the ministry, they arrived at the Longbottom estate by way of the floo network. A crusty old house elf, rather like a Longbottom version of Kreacher but not quite as surly, greeted them, welcomed Augusta and Neville home, and announced that tea was ready in the dining room.

"Children, please go seat yourselves at the table. William and I have something to discuss in the study briefly. The teens obeyed while the adults went to the study and closed the door. Astoria kept trying to get at the cakes, but Daphne grabbed the plate and told her to wait until the adults arrived.

Astoria folded her arms across her chest and glared at her sister. "But I'm hungry!"

"Delayed gratification is a sign of a mature young woman," Daphne replied, lifting her nose a little and giving a haughty sniff.

Astoria stuck her tongue out at her.

William and Augusta exited the study about ten minutes later. Will pulled her chair out for her, earning a nod of approval from the old woman. "Daphne, would you please be so kind as to pour?" Augusta asked.

Daphne knew this was something of a test. Being a pureblood heiress, she had been thoroughly trained in proper etiquette over the years, so she knew what to do and did it splendidly, earning a grin from Neville and an approving nod from Lady Augusta.

Astoria was getting almost frantic to eat, so as soon as Augusta took a sip of her tea and began to put food onto her plate, Astoria had started grabbing various food items from multiple trays.

"Tori!" Daphne exclaimed. "Where are you manners?"

Astoria rolled her eyes. William caught her gaze and winked at her. She grinned back at her father.

The conversation around the table was very prim and proper. Augusta asked each of the teens how their schooling was progressing. They each filled her in on various activities, Astoria speaking with her mouth full, earning herself a glare from Daphne.

William, knowing that the conservation was building towards an announcement about the marriage contract he and Augusta had signed whilst in the study, began to talk about the past, and how long the two families had known each other. He touched on topics such as Hogwarts and all the social events the pureblood families attended together. He was trying to establish how close the familes already were, and how a marriage between Neville and Daphne would further strength those ties.

But Augusta decided to cut his remembrances short. Glancing at Neville and Daphne, she cocked an eyebrow and commented, "Yes. And I sincerely hope the two of you didn't play any games of 'Healer and Patient' to pass the time at those parties we dragged you to when you were young."

William had been in the process of taking a drink of his tea when Augusta made her proclamation…he choked, spitting the tea out all over the table in front of him before falling into a fit of coughing; Daphne's face turned scarlet and she slid down in her seat; Neville's face matched Daphne's as he sputtered out a loud and indignant, "GRAN!", whilst Astoria dissolved into hysterical laughter. Augusta, smirking, sipped her tea demurely.

Once William had recovered from his choke, and Daphne had glared Astoria into silence, Augusta continued. "At any rate, William and I are in agreement that a marriage contract should be drawn up between you two." As both the teens opened their mouths to protest, Augusta raised her hand, silencing them. "We understand that neither of you are of age yet. This contract would make you betrothed to one another, but not to be…ahem…consummated until you both come of age, at which time one or both of you may break it off. However, if you are both still desirous of continuing in the marriage contract when you are of age, it will become binding, and you will be married on or before Neville's twenty first birthday."

The room was silent. Neville was still blushing, and staring down at the table. Daphne was staring at her father, who returned her stare with a sheepish look. He shrugged. Astoria was looking at Daphne and Neville and snickering, which earned her a further glare from Daphne. Augusta took another sip of her tea.

Daphne and Neville looked at each other. He squeezed her hand and she nodded. Turning to his grandmother, he asked, "May Daphne and I discuss this in private, please?"

"Of course, take all the time you need," William told them, answering for Augusta, who nodded in agreement. They stood and Daphne led him by the hand across the hallway into the sitting room. Hearing her father say, "Sit down, Astoria. They need a moment alone," she thought it best to close and lock the door behind them, and put a silencing charm on it as well. They turned to face each other. Neville took her other hand in his. Neither spoke for several moments, each staring into the other's eyes. Neville sighed, and stepped closer.

"Daphne, I know we haven't even been seeing each other for even a year. But we've known each other our entire lives. I—I've never met a girl…a woman like you. You make me laugh, you challenge me to be the best person I can, and you're always there for me. Having you at my side, encouraging me, has made me want to be a better person, not just to make you proud of me but for my own sake as well.

"I know we're both still just kids, really. But if we're old enough to fight in this war, then we're also old enough to know what love is. If we make it out of all this, would you want to…to…maybe be my wife? If you don't, I'd understand. Completely! I'm still rather clumsy, after all, and can be downright stupid sometimes, and Merlin knows there are plenty of better, stronger, smarter, better looking wizards out there. You could meet one of them tomorrow and be swept off your feet, and forget all about me, and I would understand. I mean, it's not like I'm mfffghelbe—"

Neville's voice was muffled as Daphne threw herself into his arms and pressed her lips against his. The kiss was passionate, and lasted a considerable amount of time. When she pulled her lips from his, he saw tears running down her cheeks, but her face was beaming with a bright smile. "Don't you dare call the man I plan to marry stupid and clumsy! He's the most amazing man I have ever met." She hugged him and whispered, "Yes, Nev. I agree to be betrothed to you." She leaned back and looked into his eyes. He kept his arms around her waist as she placed her hands on either side of his face. "We'll take it one day at a time, and see where it goes. But I would love to someday be Lady Daphne Longbottom."

She placed another gentle kiss on his lips then took his hand. "Now, let's go tell them."

The look on Neville's face when he and Daphne reentered the dining room was more than enough to let the others know what the answer was. Neville, though grinning, was stunned speechless. So Daphne announced, "We agree to the betrothal contract."

Astoria let out a whoop, and ran to hug Daphne. Then she hugged Neville as well.

Augusta looked very pleased. William, on the other hand, looked like his stomach was upset. The thought of his baby girl getting married was a bit much for his heart to take, though he knew it was inevitable at some point. And yet he was relived as well. His daughter was now engaged to the son of one of his best friends. He felt that Frank would approve.

"That's all settled then, "Augusta said. "We will announce your betrothal at the Davis' New Year's Eve party." She took another sip of her tea. "At least this way, it won't be quite such an embarrassment if the pitter patter of little feet is heard running around the house soon."

As before, William choked on his tea and spit most of it out. Astoria went into a fit of laughter, Daphne blushed bright red, and Neville had a scandalous look on his face. "GRAN!" He exclaimed again.

The Greengrass family stayed at Longbottom House almost two hours before William decided they should leave. Astoria was yawning her head off, and the girls were heading to their grandparent's house that evening to spend a few days with them, returning on Christmas Eve night. The girls had been spending the time right before Christmas with their grandma and grandpa Abbot ever since their mother had died. Mary's parents absolutely adored the girls. Hannah usually visited her grandparents at the same time, and the three girls were very close.

William had decided to wait to introduce the girls to Bellatrix until they returned, so as to avoid any potential slips of the tongue whilst the girls were with their grandparents and cousin. Hannah Abbot was not a gossip—she was too kind hearted. But she did like to talk, and Will could see something coming out accidentally.

Will and Astoria made their goodbyes to Augustua and flooed back to the house. Astoria was excited about their visit to the Abbots and wanted to go pack. Daphne, too, was eager to see her grandparents. But she lingered a bit to share a private goodbye with Neville.

She and Neville were smiling at each other. "I can't believe we're engaged," Daphne murmured. "It doesn't seem real."

"That's because it hasn't really sunk in yet," Neville replied. "Besides, it's still sort of unofficial anyway, until we're of age."

"It's real enough, Nev." Her smile grew, and her eyes sparkled. "Mrs. Daphne Longbottom…has a nice ring to it, don't you think?"

Neville gulped, but his smile, too, grew wider. "Yeah…I think it does." He leaned in to kiss her, and Daphne's lips met his halfway. It was a gentle kiss, and when their lips separated, they kept their foreheads together, staring into one another's eyes for a long moment.

Summoning his courage, the courage he had gained in no small part thanks to the girl he was currently holding in his arms, he whispered, "I love you. Daphne."

Daphne closed her eyes and pulled him into a tight hug. "I love you, too, Neville."

"Have a good time at your grandparents house," Neville said after a moment of silence during which neither made a move to separate.

"Thanks."

Still they made no move to separate and stood there in the living room, clinging to each other. Until a rather loud "Ahem!" from Augusta in the hallway caused them to jump apart. Kissing Neville on the cheek once more, Daphne flooed away, while Neville grinned stupidly and placed his hands on his cheek where Daphne had kissed him.

(XXX)

The Tonks family always celebrated Christmas on Christmas Eve with a large meal and presents at Ted and Andromeda's house. This year was no exception. They were also joined by a few members of the Order of the Phoenix, as they had nowhere else to go. Sirius Black, Andromeda's favorite cousin, was one of these, and he was accompanied by Remus Lupin. Andromeda had been happy to include them, as she hadn't seen Remus since they all left Hogwarts many years before.

Andromeda had noticed the looks Nymphadora had been sending Remus all through the meal, and her motherly instincts kicked in. Remus was a kind, gentle man, and a very loyal friend to Sirius. But he was much older than Nymphadora—nearly thirteen years! And if that wasn't bad enough, Andromeda had discovered that he was a werewolf. She kept that information to herself, not even mentioning it to Ted, because werewolves were so despised by both the Ministry and the general population. Although Remus was an exception to the rule regarding werewolves, he still was one. And this gave Andromeda no small amount of concern for her daughter. She wondered if Dora knew that about Remus and his lycanthropy.

The dinner went well. Everyone ate more than was probably good for them. A few, Sirius being the main one, definitely drank more than was good for them. There was lots of laughter, and many stories passed around recalling adventures from their school years. During a lull in the conversations, Andromeda went into the dining room to fetch the desert. Dora excused herself to go help, and followed Andromeda out of the room. She had to tell her mother about Bellatrix. It had been driving her crazy since she found out, and though Dumbledore had told her and Moody not to mention it outside of the Order, she couldn't keep it from Andromeda any longer.

"Oh, Dora, would you mind grabbing the dessert plates, please, dear?" Andromeda asked, glancing over her shoulder and noticing that Nymphadora had followed her.

Dora picked up the plates, paused, then set them back down with a sigh. There was loud, semi-drunken laughter from Sirius emanating from the dining room. Good, she thought. Hopefully everyone out there would be distracted for a bit. Leaning close to her mother, she spoke in a low voice. "Mum, we think William Greengrass may have broken aunt Bellatrix out of Azkaban. Moody's put a 24 hour watch on the Greengrass estate." She noticed her mother stiffen for a split second, and saw something flash through her eyes. And her mother's reaction told Tonks' Auror mind all she needed to know.

"He did, didn't he? Bellatrix is there! And you knew?" She hissed. "Why didn't you say anything? Mum, you could get in serious trouble over this! If you're involved in any way—"

"Listen to me, Dora," Andromeda hissed back, turning to face her daughter, her eyes narrowed. "I know you're an Auror, and this is all part of your duty or whatnot. But you listen to me! I'm speaking as your mother now. I carried you for nine months, I raised you, and that should supersede your loyalty to both the Ministry and the Order!"

Andromeda paused, closing her eyes and sucking in a deep breath to calm herself before continuing. "There is a lot you don't understand. Your aunt and Will dated for three years before my father sold her to the Lestrange family. He sold his own daughter, Dora! She and Will were so happy together. Bella was experiencing true, pure happiness for the first time in her life. Until father bound her into a marriage agreement in an attempt to gain more money or power or political clout and alliances. Cygnus Black was a vile, petty man who only cared about his power and prestige!

" I was with her when she told Will they couldn't be together anymore. Will was as crushed as Bella was, and almost killed Lestrange then and there. Thank Merlin some of his friends were able to restrain him. Lestrange took Bella by the arm and led her away, but she looked over her shoulder at Will. Dora, you should have seen the looks on both their faces…it was horrible.

"On that day, the woman who was my big sister died. She was never the same again. Ever! It took a little while for her mind to collapse on itself, but that was the day I saw the life go out of her eyes. Her marriage to Lestrange was a loveless marriage, a marriage forced on her. You'll notice that they never had any children. Bella couldn't stand Rudolphus.

"Will's mind collapsed too, for a while. He was finally able to come out of his madness and depression. He had help, friends, a loving family…poor Bella had none of those! And thanks to Frank Longbottom, Will ended up marrying Mary Abbot a couple years after leaving Hogwarts. And yet he never was able to get over Bella. Deep down, he still loved her. And still does."

She paused again. Then turned once more to her daughter. There was a fire in Andromeda's eyes that almost scared Nymphadora when she saw it. "Leave them be, Dora. I mean it! You leave Bella and Will alone! They deserve any chance they can have to be happy and together!"

Her face softened, and she placed her hand on her daughter's hand. "As I said, I know you're sworn to uphold the laws. But please, my daughter: please leave them alone! I'm not asking just for the sake of one of my dearest friends, nor even for my sister's sake, but for yours as well. Will…well, I can't say much as it's not my story to tell. But Will has just gotten the love of his life back, and I fear what he may do to anyone who attempts to take her from him again. I—I don't want you to get hurt…or worse."

Nymphadora gave her mother a small smile. "That I can believe." She shook her head, and lowered her voice even more. "Whatever he sent to break her out of Azkaban killed three Dementors. Mum, I don't think anyone the the Order, let alone the DMLE, , wants to risk going up against something powerful enough to kill Dementors. Outside of Moody, that is. He's just crazy enough to try. Dementors are supposed to be unkillable, and yet…mum, your sister is an escaped convict. She's killed and tortured dozens of people over the years."

"I've been over to see her several times now. She's sane again, Dora. She's no longer a threat." Andromeda tried a different line of persuasion. "You all know where she is, so why can't you just leave her alone? Is she worth the massive amount of lives it would cost in an attack on Greengrass Manor in an attempt to re-apprehend her? And with the war coming, can you afford loosing so many people in what would most likely be a futile attempt anyway?"

Tonks shook her head. "Relax, mum. The Ministry doesn't seem to suspect that she's there, only the Order does. And you're right, outside of Moody, and perhaps Molly Weasley because she hates Bellatrix so much, no one wants to risk a fight with William. Dumbledore seemed to have your opinion about it all: he said all Will did was rescue his love from prison, and that she had not been running lose wreaking havoc. And he also doesn't want to run the risk of a three-front war. Like you hinted, we've enough to do already, what with random Deatheater attacks around the country, and that horrible Unbridge toad of a woman at Hogwarts. We're watching the Greengrass estate just to see if she does try and leave, but so far we've not even seen her."

"And you won't see her", Andromeda sighed. "Neither Will nor Bella are that careless. But Dora, I mean it—you stay clear of there. You should be safe enough because you're my daughter and Will thinks of me as a sister. But if you were to participate in a raid to try and capture Bella, well…" Andromeda's voice trailed off. But Nymphadora understood the unspoken implication. Her mother was echoing Will's own words.

She hugged her mother. "I promise I'll keep clear, mum." She whispered. "I know how much both William and aunt Bella mean to you."

"Thank you, daughter. That puts my mind more at ease. I know how headstrong you can be. You're half Black, after all." They ended their hug. "Now let's get this cake into the dining room before Sirius staggers in here looking for it."

(XXX)

Later that evening, when their guests had left, Andromeda sighed and went to the closet, opening it and pulling out a coat. Ted noticed this, and helped his wife into her coat. Nymphadora came out into the hall. "Where are you going at this hour on Christmas Eve, mum?"

Ted shot Andromeda a glance, eyebrows raised.

Andi sighed again. "She knows about Bella, Ted." Andromeda turned to Dora. "Will is going to introduce the girls to Bella tonight after they get back home from the Abbots, and both he and my sister asked me to be there, since the girls and I have bonded over the years. They don't know how the girls will take it—especially Daphne, because of what happened to Neville's parents and all—and they think I can help keep things calm. I think so, too."

Nymphadora's heart skipped a beat, and her eyes grew wide in fear. "Mum! Do you think that's even safe? You know how hateful aunt Bella was to you and dad over the years before she was sent to prison!"

Andromeda sighed yet again. "As I told you earlier, I've already been to see her several times, Dora. We've…patched things up between us. And I do think I can help the girls ease into this new situation. Remember, not only is Bella is one of the ones who drove poor Fred and Alice crazy, but she's also their father's high school sweetheart, and the two are still in love. It might be hard on Daphne and Astoria thinking Bella is going to replace their mother in their father's heart. Both Will and Bella are concerned about that."

Dora opened her mouth to protest again, but closed it without speaking and simply nodded her head. She trusted her mother. But it would be a long time before she herself tried to make peace with her aunt Bellatrix because of how she'd treated her parents. A very long time indeed.

Andromeda kissed Ted and hugged Dora. "Wish us luck. I'm not sure how long I'll be gone, but I plan to be home tonight. If not, tomorrow morning for certain. I'll let you know." Moving to the fireplace, she took a handful of floo powder. Tossing it into the flames, she said, "Greengrass Manor." The fire roared up and she stepped through, disappearing in a swirl of flames…

A/N: Whoa…two updates within 36 hours of one another! That must be a first for me. Next chapter, Daphne and Astoria meet Bellatrix, the mass breakout from Azkaban, and (hopefully) the Battle of the Department of Mysteries. Thanks for reading, and I hope you liked it.