All Good Generals
"And all good generals know that love's the only thing worth fighting for…"
At Riddle Manor in Little Hangleton, the Dark Lord Voldermort sat on his throne-like chair, elbows resting on the chair arms with his fingers steepled. He was smiling and imagining the day he would rule all of magical society, and muggle society as well. He chuckled. "Very soon your brothers will be released from Azkaban to join us in our glorious quest," he told the assembled Deatheaters who knelt before him. "I have procured the allegiance of the Dementors, and they are ready to join the cause. Everything is coming together as I had hoped." Then he frowned. "Except for one small detail."
His gaze fell on a very nervous Lucius Malfoy. "Have you been able to ascertain the whereabouts of your sister-in-law, my dear Bellatrix, yet, Lucius? I find her disappearance from Azkaban most disturbing. That Bellatrix is missing, and that three 'unkillable' Dementors were apparently killed during her escape does not bode well. Someone able to do such a thing will be either a very valuable ally or a very dangerous enemy."
Lucius swallowed hard before replying. "N-no, my Lord. All I have heard is idle speculation and conjecture. I followed up every lead, no matter how ludicrous it sounded, but as of yet I cannot—"
"CRUCIO!" Screamed Voldermort, jabbing his wand at Lucius, who screamed as well and dropped to the floor, thrashing in agony as the Dark Lord unleashed his rage on the man. After several seconds he stopped. Lucius lay on the floor, panting and twitching from the excruciating pain he'd just suffered through.
Voldermort leaned forward on his throne. "Not good enough, Lucius," he hissed. "Bellatrix is an essential part of my plans. She must be found, and whoever took her must either join us or be eliminated. Keep looking for her, and do not fail me again! Now go, find me something about where she might be. Something useful."
"Y-yes, my Lord." Picking himself off the floor, Lucius bowed and hurried from the room.
(XXX)
William was sitting in the living room on the sofa, facing the fireplace as he waited for the girls to return from the Abbots. He was fidgeting, and full of nervous energy. Wondering if him sitting right there when the girls returned would be too intimidating for them, he got up and began pacing in front of the big windows that faced out onto the back lawn.
Andi and Bella were in the study across the hall, waiting for his signal to enter the room. At first, Will had felt that Andromeda should be the one to greet the girls when they arrived home, but after discussing it they decided that as the father, it should be him while Andi remained with Bella.
Will stopped his pacing and gazed out the window, with his hands folded behind his back. The stars seemed very bright, and he took that as a good omen. He hadn't seen or heard from the Lady since the night he sent the Dark Dwellers to rescue Bellatrix. But in talking with Bella since she came out of her madness, she'd told him about the woman that appeared to her in her mind, and guided her back to the light. Will had merely nodded when Bellatrix mentioned the beautiful woman in the shimmery green dress with water lilies in her hair, not feeling that the time was right to explain who the woman really was.
"But Merlin, do I wish you were here now, Lady," he muttered. "I just don't know what to tell the girls, and I'm afraid of how they'll take it."
A gentle hand fell on his shoulder from behind, and he heard a voice say, "I am here, my dear boy." Heart leaping in happiness, he spun around, only to find the room empty. His spirits began to fall again, until he heard soft laughter which seemed to come out of the very walls of the room, and the Lady's voice whispered, "I am always here. Things will work out in time."
The fire roared up, hissing and popping as the girls emerged from the fireplace, laughing and chattering excitedly. Their arms were loaded with gifts, some opened and some not; and from the way their pockets bulged, he knew there were many more presents that had been shrunk to fit inside their robes. He sighed, shaking his head, a fond smile on his face. The Abbots spoiled his daughters rotten.
The girls caught sight of him. "Daddy!" Astoria cried, dumping her things on the couch and running to give her father a hug. Daphne set her things down a bit more carefully, then gave her father a hug as well.
Will grinned. He always felt happier when his daughters were home. "Welcome back, ladies. It seems you had a nice visit with your grandparents."
"Oh, it was AWESOME, Dad!" Astoria exclaimed. She grabbed Will's hand, dragging him over to the couch. "Look at all this stuff I got! This is from Grandpa , this one is from grandma, all these are from both grandma and grandpa, these two are from Hannah, these here are from Auntie and Uncle. And this is from grandma and grandpa's house elf." The last item was a rather poorly sewn together sweater with a big green "S" on it, and a crude representation of what Will thought was supposed to be a snake. But Astoria seemed to love it, which made William's heart glad. House elves were vital to the wizarding world, but were so often looked down on, even by non-purebloods.
Daphne smirked, and dug in her pile of gifts. "I got one, too," she said, holding up a sweater that was a larger version of Astoria's. "Hannah got a Hufflepuff version." She shook her head. "If you think the snake is bad, you ought to see what the badger looked like."
Will chuckled. "I can imagine."
"I'm gonna wear mine when we head back to school after the holidays," Astoria proclaimed proudly, laying the sweater across the back of the couch and smoothing it flat.
Daphne laughed. "Oh, Malfoy will love that!"
Astoria's smile faltered at her sister's comment, but once again William didn't notice.
"Are you girls hungry, or have you eaten recently?" Will asked. "I can have Lizzy get you some food if you're hungry." He was nervous about introducing the girls to Bellatrix now that the moment had arrived, and was hoping he could stall a bit longer.
No such luck, however. Both girls shook their heads. "Naw, I'm good," Astoria said, as she continued looking through her presents.
"Grandma and grandpa had a huge farewell dinner for Hannah and us this evening before we left," Daphne added. "I don't think I'll be able to eat for days!"
Will sighed. He couldn't stall anymore…it was time. "Girls, could you please sit down on the sofa here? There's something I need to tell you both."
There must have been something in his tone of voice, as both girls' heads snapped over to look at him. Glancing at each other, they sat down as instructed. Will opened the door and called, "Andi?" The girls frowned, and exchanged another look as Andromeda entered the room. She stood next to Will by the door, and smiled at the girls.
"What are you doing here, Aunt Andromeda?" Astoria asked, puzzled frown on her face.
"Um, girls, your aunt Andromeda and I have something to tell you," Will began, then paused, not sure how to go on. Andromeda reached for his hand , giving it an encouraging squeeze, and smiled at him.
Seeing this, Daphne's face turned pale, and her mouth dropped open in distress. "Oh, for Morgana's sake, please tell me you two aren't having an affair!"
William's face went blank for a microsecond before a look of shock and horror covered it. "What?! NO! Why in the world would you even think that?!"
"Hey!" Andromeda said, turning to Will and smacking his arm. "What's so bad about me?"
Will's look of confusion deepened. "Wh-what? Nothing! I mean, you're a beautiful and intelligent woman. It's just, I've never felt like that about you. You're like a sister to me. And you're married!"
Andromeda snorted, a grin forming on her face. "I know, I just wanted to mess with you. You're so cute when you're flustered." She gave him a playful pat on the head.
William frowned at her before turning back to the girls. "No, we are not having an affair. But…well, there is someone we'd like you to meet. He glanced back at Andromeda, who nodded and opened the door all the way. She reached her hand out into the hallway as both girls watched, wondering who it was.
A beautiful woman appeared in the doorway. She glanced at Andromeda with an apprehensive expression. Andromeda smiled and nodded at her, gently pulling her all the way into the room. The woman glanced at the girls, holding their looks for a moment before dropping her eyes. Entering the room, she leaned into William, who put his arm around her. The strange woman resembled Andromeda so much that the girls knew the two women must be somehow related.
Andromeda introduced the stranger. "Girls, this is my sister, Bellatrix Lestrange."
While Astoria continued looking confused, Daphne's mouth dropped open in shock again. "Bellatrix Lestrange? Isn't she supposed to be in Azkaban? How is she here!?"
"Well, that's kind of a long story, sweetheart," William said.
"You two dated at Hogwarts." Daphne said, glaring at him. "Did you break her out of Azkaban?"
"Not…not exactly, but I was responsible for her escape."
"She's killed people, father! Tortured people! Remember what she did to Neviile's parents? To one of your best friends? Why would you bring her here? Are you so desperate for female companionship that you break a condemned criminal out of Azkaban just so you could shag her?" Daphne's voice had risen to the point she was now yelling at Will.
Bellatrix' face turned pale.
Andromeda's mouth dropped open in shock.
William frowned. "Daphne! That was uncalled for!"
"Well, I just learned that my father broke a condemned criminal, a murderer, that he used to date, out of prison and brought her to our house. Why wouldn't I think he was having sex with her too?" Daphne shot her father an angry look. "You disgust me!" she spat, then turned on her heel and stormed from the room.
For her part, Astoria was still somewhat confused. She had seen Daphne's reaction, and understood that this Bellatrix woman was the one who had hurt Neville's parents. Astoria also knew the woman had been her father's girlfriend before her father married her mother. She further knew that this woman had hurt a lot of people besides just the Longbottoms. Yet, the woman didn't look evil, or even mean, in fact. She looked…scared. Scared and sad. And her father looked sad as well. So did Aunt Andromeda for that matter. And she knew Daphne was mad. She had also seen the look her father had in his eyes when the Bellatrix woman leaned against his side, and knew her father still loved her.
Astoria also realized that since Andromeda was Draco's aunt, this Bellatrix woman was his aunt as well. For a moment she got excited over the idea that perhaps Draco would make a visit to her house now that his other aunt was here, then felt ashamed for thinking of herself when the people she loved most were either sad or angry.
Astoria felt torn between loyalty to her sister-and Neville, her future brother-in-law most likely—on the one hand, and love for her father on the other. She wanted everyone to be happy, including Aunt Andromeda. And even the Bellatrix woman. She wasn't sure how she felt about this Bellatrix woman maybe replacing her mum in her father's life somewhere down the road…Astoria only had scant memories of her mother, but she did have a deep love for her nonetheless. And she wondered how her mother would feel about another woman being in her father's life. She decided she'd have to give that idea some thought.
So Astoria did the only thing she could think of at the moment that might make everyone still in the room feel better. Looking at Andromeda, she asked, "If father marries your sister, would that make you our aunt for real?"
Andromeda's eyes grew wide at the unexpected question. Glancing at Bellatrix and William, she replied, "Well, yes, sweetheart. I guess it would."
Astoria sighed. Mustering her courage she walked over to the Bellatrix woman and held out her hand. "I'm glad to meet you, ma'am. My name's Astoria."
Bellatrix looked down at Astoria's outstretched hand and then back to her face. As tears welled up in her eyes, she took Astoria's hand in her own. "Thank you, Astoria. I—I'm glad to meet you as well."
Astoria sighed. "I think I'll go find Daphne." She paused to hug Andromeda before leaving the room.
The three adults stood in silence. Will and Andromeda looked at each other. Bellatrix, still leaning against Will, was staring at the floor, a look of sadness plastered across her face.
"Well, that could have gone better," Will muttered.
"It also could have gone worse," Andromeda pointed out.
"What did you expect?" Bellatrix murmured. "Your daughter—Daphne—she knows how much of monster I am, even if you two can't see it."
"Bella, stop," Andromeda said in a commanding voice. "That is not you. It may be what you've done, or what you're capable of doing…but it is not you!"
Bellatrix looked at her sister as Andromeda continued talking. "Remember, the same exact blood that flows through you also flows through me, through Sirius, and even through Will, to a lesser extent. Yes, it can be a struggle sometimes to not give in to the darkness-Merlin knows I deal with it frequently myself. But it is possible. We can't let our blood define who we are. I didn't, Sirius didn't, and you can fight it too."
She reached for Bella, pulling her into a tight embrace. "I love you, big sister. So does Will. And so will the girls, eventually. Astoria doesn't hate you. Daphne is just confused right now, and that's ok. Things will work out in time."
Will's breath hitched at Andi's words. That was exactly what the Lady had told him a little while ago. Despite the misgivings in his mind, despite the tightness in his gut, he smiled. Yes, things would work out, in time. It was just the getting to that point that he was dreading.
(XXX)
Christmas was a rather tense day. Daphne almost refused to come out of her room. She had screamed at Will to "GO AWAY, FATHER!" when he knocked at her door asking her to come down for presents. He flinched and went back downstairs. It had taken the combined efforts of Andromeda and Astoria to get Daphne to leave her room and join the others around the Christmas tree.
Even then, she kept glaring at her father, and outright ignored Bellatrix, who sat huddled against him on the sofa. She was overly sweet to Astoria, which everyone realized was part of her attempts at demonstrating her anger towards Will. To Andromeda, she was respectful, yet still a bit peevish, being that she wasn't entirely certain how much Andromeda had been involved in the situation regarding Bellatrix.
Astoria, however, was slowly warming to Bellatrix. She was still a bit leery of the strange, quiet woman who had come into her family's life, and made her sister so upset yet also made her father so happy. But every time she saw how her father looked at this Bellatrix lady, she realized a little more how much he loved her. And she trusted her father. So she determined that she, too, should like Bellatrix…both for her father's sake, and also for Daphne's sake. And even for Draco's.
Yes, Astoria had a major crush on the Malfoy heir. A fact she would never tell either her father or her sister. Daphne hated Draco and his group, and her father hated Draco's father. She wasn't sure why her sister and father hated the Malfoy family so much. Mr. Malfoy was really arrogant, and Draco could be very rude, certainly; but maybe with the proper guidance…no, one thing at a time, Astoria, she told herself. For now, focus on helping Father and Daphne get back on speaking terms with one another.
Dinner was much the same as the opening of the presents had been: Daphne acting overly sweet and loving to Astoria, and respectful to Andromeda. Whenever Will tried to speak to her, she glared at him a few moments before turning away, and still refused to even acknowledge the presence of Bellatrix at the table.
Astoria included everyone in the conversation-even Bellatrix, who only ever gave quiet, half mumbled replies to Will and Andromeda. She gave Astoria a small, thankful smile for trying to include her. But whenever Astoria spoke to Bellatrix, Daphne would jump in and change the subject before Bella could say anything.
Andromeda went home after diner. Taking Will aside before she left, she told him that if needed—meaning, if things weren't any better- she would return in a couple days and have a woman-to-woman talk with Daphne, who had had gone back up to her room after leaving the table with a sniff and haughty raising of her chin.
Will and Bella had gone out for a walk. The day was not too cold for being so late in the year, but Will had insisted that Bella bundle up, and taken great care in making sure she was warm enough before they left. Astoria had seen the gentle care he took in helping Bellatrix into her coat, and it warmed her heart a little.
Evening rolled into night, then turned back into morning. St. Stephen's Day had arrived, or Boxing Day to muggles. About ten in the morning, Tracey and her mother arrived as well. Astoria greeted them when they stepped out of the fireplace, her usually boisterous personality seemed rather subdued.
"Hey Trace, Aunt Elizabeth." Her voice sounded flat.
"Hey, Tori," replied Tracey with a smile.
"Good morning, Astoria," Elizabeth said in greeting, giving the girl a hug. "Happy St. Stephen's Day."
"And to you both as well," said Astoria. "Dad and Ms. Bellatrix are in the study, Aunt Elizabeth. Dad said for you to go on in."
"Thank you, Astoria," Liz replied with a smile. She left the room, eager to greet her old school acquaintance, and Astoria turned to Tracey. "Daphne is upstairs. She's barely left her room for two days now."
Sadness swept across Tracey's face. "So it's no better, huh?"
Astoria gave a sad sigh and shook her head. "Not a bit." Will had floo called the Davis' after Daphne's behavior on Christmas. Elizabeth had been sorry but not surprised. She promised Will she'd talk to Daphne.
"I don't know what to do, Tracey!" Astoria wailed. "Everything is so tense, Daphne and daddy aren't speaking, Daphne hates the Bellatrix woman, but daddy loves her…I can see it in his eyes. And I can see in her eyes that she loves him, too. But she's so sad looking most of the time. And Daphne just stays in her room with the door locked." Astoria's eyes welled with tears. "I miss my family, Tracey…I miss when we all got along." She sniffed.
Tracey gave her a hug. "Don't worry, Tori, things will get better. It's been a shock to everyone. Even to my parents—dad's a little upset at your dad for breaking her out of Azkaban, but mum is happy. She was friends with Bellatrix when they were at Hogwarts. Says she was nice enough until the whole thing with her dad and the Lestranges happened."
Tracey stood up. "I'll go talk to Daphne and see if I can help." She smiled and patted Astoria's shoulder. "It will get better, Tori. I promise." Tracey left the room and took the stairs to the second floor. Stopping outside Daphne's door, she knocked.
"Whoever it is, GO AWAY!" Daphne yelled. "I don't want to talk to ANY of you right now!"
Tracey sighed. "Daph, open the door," she called. "It's Tracey."
There was silence within the room for a few seconds, before the lock clicked and the door opened an inch or so. Sighing again, Tracey pushed the door open and walked in. Daphne was sitting on a chair by the window. Her arms were folded across her chest and she was glaring down onto the back garden. Tracey took the seat across from her, and the two friends sat in silence for a while.
Finally Daphne spoke. "I hate him so much right now, Tracey! I can't believe he broke that vile woman out of prison and brought her here, not after the wicked things she's done! And what she did to Neville's parents!"
Tracey sighed yet again. "Daph, don't you think you're being just a wee bit immature about the whole thing?"
Daphne turned her glare on her friend. "I mean, I get that you're angry," Tracey hurried to say. "I get that. But have you even tried to hear your dad's side of this?"
"She's killed people, Tracey! She's a killer! How can there be another side to it? How could my father love someone like that?"
"Oh come on, Daph! Your dad has killed people, too! Heck, so has my mum, for Morgana's sake!
"That was different, and you know it! Those two Gryffindor boys ambushed your mum and she was just defending herself. And as for my father, those were duels for the honor of our family name. It's not the same thing!"
Tracey was silent a moment, chewing her bottom lip and staring at Daphne as though debating something internally. "Yeah, that's true," she finally said. "But…" Tracey lowered her voice and leaned close to Daphne. "Have you ever heard of Josephine Paisley?"
Daphne frowned for a second before her eyes widened in realization, and her mouth opened in utter shock. "The Hufflepuff girl that was murdered at Hogwarts? Her death is almost as infamous as Moaning Myrtles! That was your mum?" She exclaimed, her voice loud.
"Shhhh!" Tracey hissed. "Not so loud. Yes, that was my mother. The Paisley girl had been flirting with my dad before my parents started dating, and kept flirting with him even after he and mum were official. Mum warned her once to keep away from dad, but she kept on and kept after him. Finally, mum just couldn't take it anymore. One evening she saw Josephine walking between the Black lake and the Forbidden Forrest, and she just sort of…snapped."
Daphne's eyes were still wide. "Wow, that's…that's difficult to believe. Your mum is so calm whenever I'm around her."
Tracey smirked. "Yes, but you aren't around her all the time. She has a very feisty side to her…and a very dark side as well. She can be downright scary sometimes. She is a Nott by birth, you know."
Daphne smirked. "Yeah, I've seen her put Theodore in his place a few times. It's always a beautiful thing when she does." Then the frown returned to her face. "But, what am I going to do, Tracey? I love Neville so much that it actually hurts a little bit when I can't be with him. How am I supposed to tell the man I'm betrothed to that my father broke the woman who drove his parents insane out of prison and brought her to our house? How could father do something like that, Tracey?"
"He loves her, Daph," Tracey replied. "Love can sometimes make you do things that seem perfectly logical to you, but look crazy to others. Sometimes people even kill for love…like my mum did. Have you talked to him about it?"
Guilt flashed through Daphne, but she ignored it. "No, I have not," she replied, turning her nose up a little. "I refuse to discuss it with him. He is being so immature about all this!"
Tracey rolled her eyes and muttered, "He is?" She thought a moment. "What about Andromeda? Have you talked to her about the situation?"
The guilt returned to poke at Daphne's conscience. "Well, no…she left soon after dinner was over yesterday."
"You should talk to her," Tracey prodded. "She might be able to explain the situation to you better since it's about her sister. Maybe you could even talk to my mum? They all went to Hogwarts at the same time, after all, and knew each other."
Daphne was quiet, thinking over Tracey's words. "Trace, would you ever do something like what my father did? Would you break the law for love?"
Tracey shrugged. "I dunno. Probably, if I loved someone enough. I mean, love and family are the only things worth fighting for, as far as I'm concerned."
"Would you break Blaise out of prison?" Daphne asked, wagging her eyebrows up and down. But her teasing fell flat as she saw the expressions on Tracey's face turned sad.
"What's wrong, Tracey? Is something the matter with Blaise?" Daphne grew more concerned as she saw Tracey's eyes fill with tears.
Tracey didn't answer her for several moments, just sniffing a couple times trying not to cry. But she lost the battle against the tears that began streaming down her face. In distress, Daphne reached out and pulled her friend into am embrace and held her while Tracey continued crying.
When she calmed down enough to speak, she whispered, "He broke up with me on Christmas Eve, Daph. Sent me an owl letting me know we were through."
"An owl?" exclaimed Daphne. "He broke up with you through an owl? What a coward! And on Christmas Eve? Did he way why he was breaking up with you?"
"He said he didn't want to date people who were friends with blood traitors." Tracey's voice was low. Anger surged through Daphne. She knew who was behind Blaze breaking up with Tracey.
"Malfoy!" she hissed. "That stupid git! He's the one that did this to Blaise!"
"I think you're right," Tracey replied, her voice still low. "Blaise has been getting more and more involved with Draco and his little gang for a while now, and growing farther from me at the same time."
"Well, if he's going to pick that filthy prat's friendship over your love, then he isn't worthy of you to begin with!" Daphne exclaimed, lifting her chin haughtily. But when she saw the pain and sadness in Tracey's eyes, she reached out and pulled her friend into an embrace. "I'm sorry, Trace," she whispered. "I know it doesn't help the hurt you're feeling right now, but it's still true. Any guy in his right mind would love to have an amazing gal like you in his corner!"
"Thanks, Daph," Tracey replied, smiling through her tears.
The girls remained in Daphne's room talking and laughing as the topics of their conversation moved into happier categories. Around Noon, Tracey's mom knocked on the door and poked her head inside. "It's time for lunch, ladies. Would you care to join us downstairs?"
Daphne's mood immediately shifted back into sullenness, and she frowned at Elizabeth. "No thank you, Aunt Elizabeth. We're fine right here."
Elizabeth opened her mouth to speak, but Daphne cut her off. "And if you're going to give me a speech about how I need to forgive my father and start talking to him again, don't waste your time. I have no desire to speak to, or even see, my father." She turned back to looking out the window with a sniff.
Elizabeth frowned, taken aback at both Daphne's tone and attitude, and once more opened her mouth to say something about it. But Tracey shot her mother a pleading look, and Elizabeth's face softened. Giving her daughter a silent nod, and receiving a grateful smile in return, she shut the door and went back downstairs.
Tracey and Elizabeth stayed until mid-afternoon. Lizzy had brought Daphne and Tracey their lunch. When she departed, Lizzy had shaken her head and looked at Daphne with such a sad expression on her diminutive face that Daphne's heart had melted a little. But just a little.
When Elizabeth had returned to the room to collect Tracey, Daphne hugged her friend goodbye. "It was great seeing you, Trace. Thanks for talking to me." She lowered her voice to a whisper so Elizabeth couldn't hear. "It's been boring and lonely not having anyone to talk to."
Tracey shook her head. "You should at least talk to Astoria, Daph. Your sister is worried sick about you."
Daphne sighed and shook her head as well. "Even Tori is trying to be nice to that…that woman. I just can't deal with that yet, Trace. What would my mom think about all this?"
Tracey shrugged. "I dunno, Daph. But I do know she would want your dad to be happy, and you to be happy, and she'd want you two guys to be talking."
She said it without anger or guile, but Tracey's words felt like a gut punch to Daphne. Because Tracey was right. And yet, Daphne still couldn't quite bring herself to let go of the anger.
"And thank you for helping me with the whole Blaisé situation." Tracey leaned in and hugged Daphne once more. "See you in a few days, Daph."
"Bye Tracey. Hang in there. The right guy will come along at just the right time."
Tracey gave a sad smile, and the door closed softly behind her…
(XXX)
Lizzy aparated into Daphne's room with her supper later that evening. Daphne was still sitting in the chair by the window reading a book. It was dark outside now, and she had lit the lamp that stood on the end table. Lizzy set the tray down on Daphne's desk, and turned to her. "Does mistress Daphne need anything else from Lizzy?"
Without looking at the elf, Daphne replied, "No, thank you, Lizzy. That will be all. You may go now."
Lizzy turned to go, but the emotion that had been building up within her could no longer be contained, and she turned back to Daphne. "Oh, young Miss! Your father is so sad! Poor Master hasn't slept well since you refuse to speak to him! He has been so happy since Mistress Bellatrix came here and got better, but now he is sad again! Lizzy just wants everyone to be happy again!"
Daphne bristled at hearing Lizzy refer to that woman as "mistress". "Do you know what kind of a woman 'mistress Bellatrix' is, Lizzy?" asked Daphne, setting her book on the table and turning to frown at the elf.
Lizzy returned her frown with a perplexed look. "Of course Lizzy knows, Miss. Us house elves always talks to each other about our masters and mistresses. We alls knows what kinds of lady Mistress Bellatrix was. She was mean and nasty and cruel, she was. Even when she first came here, when the scary, cloaked shadow men that Master sent to get her brings her to us, she was that way—crazy and screaming and fighting and cursing! It scared Lizzy! But poor Master, poor Master never ever left her side, always talking softly to her he was, and telling her how much he loves her. And the healer man gave her many potions. And after a long time she woke up and wasn't mean anymore. She is always kind to Lizzy now, she is."
Daphne's heart broke a bit for her father when Lizzy said he'd never left Bellatrix' side. It reminded her of how he'd acted in her mother's short illness. He had sad beside her bed for the few days she clung to life after falling ill, and how he stayed there for hours after she died, not willing to accept the fact that she was gone.
Her father was a good man, an honest man, not prone to doing things in a rush. He always thought things through thoroughly before committing them. Which means this hadn't been some spur of the moment, impulsive act on his part.
Daphne was pulled from her thoughts a moment later. In a bold move for a house elf, Lizzy had approached Daphne and placed a hand on her arm. "Lizzy knows about your betrothed and his parents, young Miss. She knows that Mistress Bellatrix had a part in that, but Lizzy knows Mistress Bellatrix is different now. Lizzy doesn't say you should be friends with Mistress Bellatrix, but Lizzy asks please, please talk to poor Master! Poor Master loves you, and he loves Miss Astoria, and he loves Mistress Bellatrix, too. Poor Master is a good man! He misses you! And Lizzy doesn't want him to get like he was before, all drinking the bad drinks and yelling and crying and stinking because he nots leave his room."
The longer Lizzy spoke, the more Daphne felt guilty. Her eyes filled with tears, and when Lizzy stopped talking, Daphne hugged her, much to the elf's surprise. "Thank you, Lizzy," she murmured to the elf. "Would you please tell me when…when Mistress Bellatrix goes to bed?"
Lizzy bobbed her head excitedly, a bright smile flashing across her face. "Yes, Miss, Lizzy will tell you!" She disappeared with a loud pop.
Just after Ten, she popped back into Daphne's room. "Mistress Bellatrix has gone to her room for beds, young Miss. Your father hasn't gone to his room yet, is in his study still." Daphne was somewhat relieved to hear that Bellatrix and her father were not sharing a room. She at least owed him an apology for insinuating that certain…things were going on between him and Bellatrix.
She owed her sister an apology too. And Andromeda. And Elizabeth. Maybe, perhaps, someday…even Bellatrix. But the jury was still out on that last one. Time would tell, time and observation.
"Thank you, Lizzy. I'll go talk to him now." Lizzy popped out, and Daphne sighed. This was it. She stood, and with determined steps walked down to her father's study. She lingered outside his door for a few moments, building up her nerves and courage, before knocking.
"Come in," called her father's muffled voice from within. With one last deep breath, she opened the door and walked into the room. Will had his back to the door, sitting at his desk and writing something on a piece of parchment.
"Hello, Father," she said, surprised at how soft and subdued her voice sounded.
Will froze a moment before slowly turning to face Daphne. "Hello, Daughter," he replied, his voice hesitant, not knowing why she was suddenly talking to him again. "Is there something I can help you with?"
Heaving a deep sigh, Daphne closed her eyes and said, "I—I wanted to apologize for how I've acted since we got home from grandmother and grandfather's house. Father, I love Neville. And I know you and Neville's father were good friends. And I don't understand how you could…do what you did, break this woman who hurt your friend so badly out of Azkaban and bring her here. But that doesn't excuse the way I've acted. I've been very disrespectful to you, and a horrible example to Astoria. And I apologize for my immature behavior."
Will's heart melted. "Come here," he said as he held his arms open. Unable to contain herself, Daphne ran to him and flung herself into his arms. "Oh, my brave and beautiful daughter," he murmured into her hair. You've been so strong since your mother died, so brave, shouldering a burden that you should never have had to. When I fell to pieces you stayed strong, taking care of your little sister, doing the job I should have done. I should have been there for you, for both of you, and I wasn't. So I guess it's me that owes you an apology, for making you grow up faster than you should have had to.
"Please, never for one second think that I didn't love your mother, Daphne. Please don't ever think that! I loved your mum with every fiber of my being. But also, please understand that what Bella and I had growing up and well into Hogwarts was exactly what you and Neville have, that same sort of connection. And it was taken away from us. We were torn apart, and neither of us ever recovered fully from it.
"That's one reason I agreed with Augusta that you and Neville should be betrothed, even as young as you are. This way, it will be the two of you who decide whether or not to continue when you come of age. Yes, I know what Bella has done. That was a direct result of what her father did when he gave her as a wife to that monster Lestrange. I'm not excusing anything she did, and trust me—Bella is carrying massive amounts of guilt over it herself. I'm just saying that wasn't truly her, it wasn't the Bellatrix that I had fallen in love with. And just so you know…while Bella was indeed involved with what happened to Neville's mum and dad, she never actually used crucio on them…it was Lestrange and his brother. In fact, Bella tried to stop them, but it was too late."
Daphne was stunned by that revelation. Could it really be true?
Will broke their hug and placed his hands on her shoulders. Looking her in the eyes, he said, "Your mother was an amazing woman. I've never met anyone with the capacity for love and understanding that she had. She came along—thanks to Neville's dad, did you know that?—and she picked up the pieces of my broken heart, put them back together, tolerated my rashness and stupidity, and loved me in spite of myself. She grounded me when I was lost and adrift, never caring about my past, or my family, or any of that thing. For some reason that to this day I still cannot figure out, she loved me. She gave me ten amazing years, and the two greatest blessings a man could ever hope to have—you, and your sister."
Tears were streaming down Daphne's face as she listened to her father's words. He had done what he did with Augusta about the marriage contract to keep from happening to her what had happened to him. Losing this Bellatrix woman to an evil man, losing his wife to death, doing his best to raise two small girls on his own. How had she been so blessed as to get a father like this?
"Yes," her mind whispered. "So doesn't he also have the right to find happiness and peace?"
"I—I don't know if I'll ever be friends with this…with Bellatrix," she told him. "And I'm scared of what Neville will say when he finds out. Or should I just not even tell him?"
Will shook his head. "No, sweetheart. First rule of romantic relationship: never keep secrets from one another. Best to get it over with straight away."
"I'm scared, daddy." Her voice was small, and Will realized she was terrified of losing Neville over Bellatrix. "Will you please be with me when I tell him?"
Will smiled. "No, Daughter. I'm going to tell him. I'm the one who did it, for my own perhaps selfish reasons. It's not your burden. I'll tell him at the Davis' New Years Eve party, before we announce your betrothal."
"If he even still wants to be betrothed to me when he finds out," Daphne muttered gloomily.
"I'll make sure he knows it's not your fault, Daughter. And that you don't even like Bella." There was a sad tone to Will's voice.
Daphne grabbed his hand. "I'll try, father. I'll give her a chance. But it's going to be difficult."
Will smiled. "I know it will. But that's all I ask, Daughter. That's all I can ask." Will stood up. "Now I think I am going to go to bed. I'm tired."
Daphne smirked. "Yes, about that…I also apologize for what I insinuated was going on between you and…your friend. I was disrespectful, and I stand corrected."
Will chuckled. "I can see how perhaps you may have thought that. But, she's still a married woman, technically. I don't happen to play that game. I'm not that kind of man."
Daphne hugged her father again. "I know you're not, daddy. You are an honorable man. I'm sorry for saying it."
"It's alright, sweetheart. You were just angry and hurt."
They exited the study and headed to the second floor. "How about tomorrow morning after breakfast, you, me, and your sister go to Diagon Alley for some shopping," Will suggested as they stopped outside Daphne's room.
Daphne raised an eyebrow, the corners of her mouth twitched up a little. "You mean it?"
Will nodded. "You deserve it. And so does Astoria. What do you say?"
Daphne smiled. "I say, it sounds like a great idea." She paused. "Just the three of us, yeah?"
Will nodded again. "Just the three of us. Quality time with my two blessings." He lowered his voice. "Besides, Bella's a wanted fugitive. I don't want to risk anyone seeing her. I'll ask Andromeda if she can come stay with her. Bella, she doesn't like to be alone. She has panic attacks. Andromeda thinks it's because of all the years in Azkaban, alone in her cell."
Daphne's heart lurched a little at her father's statement, but she fought it back. She didn't want to feel too bad for Bellatrix just yet. She wanted to observe her and get to know her, maybe, a little bit at a time. She nodded and said, "Good night, Father," before shutting her door.
Later, as she was drifting off to sleep, she heard a noise outside her window. Her eyes opened wide, as some of Lizzy's words chose that moment to pop back into her head: "when the scary, cloaked shadow men that Master sent to get her brings her to us…" Who in the world were the scary, cloaked shadow men Lizzy had spoken of? She lay awake long into the night with the covers pulled up around her nose, wondering, before she finally drifted off to sleep.
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A/N: Sorry for the delay…I was moving and it took a bit longer than I had anticipated. Once again, I am ending this chapter far earlier than originally planned, and breaking it into two chapters. So, next chapter will be the New Year's Eve party, and the mass breakout from Azkaban…How will Neville react to Bellatrix being at Daphne's house?