Last chapter! what a journey it's been! It's so sad that we're wrapping up the story of the Purest Black. it's been my life for the last five months or so! Stay tuned for an author's announcement at the end. :D Do enjoy the chapter: I had great fun with it. :D

Dora

Nymphadora turned from her and her mother's special room, hurting inside as she walked forward to her husband. "They will be safe," Dora said quietly. "Let's go."

Bellatrix half pushed Rabastan out of the way as she slipped her arm around Dora's shoulders. "I didn't ever want you to know what it's like to have to walk away from your child," she muttered, turning to shoot a glare at her husband.

"Don't, Mum," Nymphadora sighed as Rodolphus seemed to scowl back at the witch. "That's past. Now we have to fight for both our families. The House of Lestrange must go to war."

"Don't put it like that," Bellatrix rolled her eyes.

"Bella's a name-only Lestrange, Dora," Rabastan smirked.

"All of you, stop," Dora sighed when the other three seemed to glare at each other. "Please. I don't want this to be the last memory I have of any of you."

They all looked at each other, and Rodolphus asked, "What will you do if something happens to us?"

Dora bit her lip, but Bellatrix shrugged. "They can't get all of us. Surely there's some probability against it or something."

"Sure," Rabastan rolled his eyes.

"I'm sure Andromeda will take care of Rigel—" Dora began, but was interrupted.

"NYMPHADORA LESTRANGE!" her mother screeched. "Don't you dare!"

Rabastan joined in the protest: "Dora, I will not stand for that."

Rodolphus just laughed at all of them. "What? Bella, you trusted your daughter to her. Why not your grandson?"

"I'm surprised you're not protesting!" Bellatrix snapped at him. "Your nephew, the heir of your House—"

"I was joking," Nymphadora said mildly as they entered the Entrance Hall. "Though our other option will be to leave him with Narcissa—ooh. Hi, Aunt Cissa."

Narcissa embraced both her sister and her niece, whispering, "Be careful" to both of them, and adding, "Come home to your children."

Bellatrix merely looked at her, and Nymphadora suddenly couldn't speak, only nod. Bellatrix walked toward the gates, flinging them open, and Dora quickly hugged her aunt again before hurrying after her mother, their husbands hurrying after them.

"Don't forget," Bellatrix said sharply to her oldest daughter. "You promised to take care of Delphi."

"I will," Dora nodded. "You will, too. Come on." She disapparated, unable to ignore the pain in her Mark any more.

Rabastan stepped to her side immediately when they appeared and said, "You weren't serious about Andromeda, were you?"

Nymphadora looked around at all the Death Eaters that were gathered on the cliff, then across the valley at Hogwarts. "She would protect him, Rab, if worst came to worst. She would do anything to keep my—our son safe. Though I am in no way ready to die and set that in motion."

"Dora, we can't—we've got to live," Rabastan said, grabbing her hand and turning her toward him in the midst of the Death Eaters. "We have to live for our son."

"We will," Dora said, looking up into the man's eyes. He had a strangely haunted look in his eyes, and she reached to embrace him just when the Dark Lord silenced them all, the two turning toward him immediately.

Bellatrix was standing just before them a little, and raised her wand first on the command to attack the wards of Hogwarts school. Dora and the brothers put their wands up, followed by the rows and rows of Death Eaters behind them. Nymphadora bit her lip, watching as lights seemed to go in and out of the Hogwarts towers and windows, wondering how much resistance they would encounter. How many people would be stupid enough to defy the Death Eaters and protect Harry Potter?

Everyone cheered when they felt the wards collapse, and when the Dark Lord gave the signal, they all disapparated from the cliff, heading to different points in the school. Dora felt all alone when Rabastan and Bellatrix left immediately, though as Rodolphus glanced toward her, she bit her lip and prepared to go too.

"Nymphadora," he said quickly, stepping forward and catching hold of her arm, "be careful." She yanked her hand away in surprise, and he hesitated a moment before saying, "You're the only hope for our House."

"I—I promise you," she breathed, "the House of Lestrange will continue. No matter what." She drew a small breath, seeing the look in the man's eyes. "Look: I don't hate you, for what's happened in our family. I just wish it could have been better."

Rodolphus nodded, then drew a quick breath as the girl stepped forward and hugged him tightly, fiercely. "I promise," she said again, then pulled away and disapparated before he could register what she'd done. She didn't want him to see how affected she was by what was happening to them and their family.

To Dora's relief, she appeared in a corridor near the Ravenclaw Common Room that had no fighting, but that was filled with fleeing students. She avoided several of their spells, stunning some and cursing five or six older ones that proved more difficult. The younger students were screaming and running as their guides and protectors fell, and Dora stayed her hand, letting them go free. She would not hurt small children.

Turning her attention toward another corridor, she moved swiftly, ready for a real fight. It was not until she reached one of the battlements that she found two Order members sending hexes and jinxes at the Death Eaters below. "Oh dear," she giggled, unable to resist taunting them. "Two Phoenicians hiding from real battle."

"Lestrange!" said both at the same time, and she rolled her eyes.

"Don't be so generic!" she scolded them as they pointed their wands at her. "It's Nymphadora."

"Where's your Mother?" one asked.

"Not here," Dora shrugged. "You'd know if she was. In fact, if she was on any of the next closest floors you would know it."

One of them sent the first spell, and Dora grinned, stepping into the duel with excitement, laughing as spell after spell missed her. She began to realise after a moment, however, that she would not be able to defeat the two unless she was willing to do more damage to them. Her black eyes narrowed as she used the repertoire of Dark spells Bellatrix had taught her, the Order members looking very unsure of themselves. She couldn't help laughing with glee as she hit the first one, giggling as the skin melted off the man's face and arms.

The other man angrily sent a curse at her, and Dora could not avoid it quickly enough, it grazing her right shoulder. She yelled in pain, continuing the duel, though as blood ran down her arm, she was hampered slightly by the pain of her wound. It was only as the second man fell that she heard footsteps behind her and turned to see a red-haired girl standing in the doorway. "Oh," said the girl, her wand ready.

"Weasley?" Dora sighed as she tried to stop the flow of blood from her wound. "You should go home, stay out of this mess. Honestly."

"After what you and your family have done to me and my friends?" the girl scoffed. "I don't think so, Lestrange."

"I'm Nymphadora," the older witch sighed. "There's five of us, dear."

"Five?" the girl said with a frown. "Isn't there only you, your Mum, and the two brothers?"

"My son," Dora said simply.

The girl looked shocked. "Then why are you here? You should go home to him!"

Dora shook her head, turning as the girl began to circle behind her. "He will have no home if his father and I do not survive. I am here for him."

"You should be there for him," she hissed.

"Ginevra—isn't that your name?—the first rule of being a Death Eater is that you obey the Dark Lord. I am here on his command. I would have stayed if I could, though I'm sure Bella would have dragged me along anyway," Dora finished with a worried look. "I hope she's okay."

"What?!" Ginny shrieked. "She's only the most evil witch in the entire universe—!"

"She's MY MOTHER!" Nymphadora yelled at the girl, her hair turning bright red as magic crackled in her hands. "You wouldn't understand, Weasley." She saw the girl's spell coming and blocked it easily, reluctant to actually duel the underaged girl even though she was annoying. "Look: I don't want to hurt you."

"Like you hurt Hermione?" Ginny scoffed. "Sure. I'm sure that was all Mumma Bella's fault and you're perfectly innocent."

Nymphadora laughed coldly. "I was never innocent, child. Only naive, and deceived."

"Deceived? Don't give me that. You have to know what you're doing when you join the Dark Lord," she said.

"Oh, I did," Dora shrugged, sending Stunning Spells at the girl. "I meant before I knew I was Bellatrix's daughter. I thought I was a halfblood. Honestly wasn't so bad. I was even engaged to marry a halfblood werewolf at one time."

The girl gawked at her. "Your stories astonish me."

Nymphadora glared at her. "I meant that! And you knew him! He taught here at Hogwarts for a year!"

Ginny paused in her duel. "Remus?"

"Yes," Nymphadora almost whispered, looking at the girl as her old memories of her first love flooded back to her. "Remus. I told him to stay away for his own safety when I found out who I really was, but Mum—Bella did away with him when she found out about me and him."

"He—he never told anyone," Ginny said in wonder. "Though, he did seem really sad the last few days any of us saw him."

Nymphadora's heart broke a little, and she sniffed, "Stop. Stop. We couldn't have made it work—"

A spell flew past Nymphadora's ear, and she whirled to see another Death Eater approaching. The redhead shielded the spell, dodging the curses and doing her best to get off the battlements and get away. Nymphadora stopped her, blocking the doorway, and the man laughed as he intensified his flurry of spells.

The girl dived away from the barrage, then flung a single spell at the man, barely succeeding in hitting him, though it only knocked his mask off. Nymphadora screeched in shock. "Tom!"

"Hello, Nymphie," the man smirked, and she almost choked on her rage, sputtering as he too easily managed to disarm the Weasley girl.

"I hate you," Nymphadora breathed, trying to make sense of the overwhelming urge to destroy her schoolgirl crush right then.

"What's to hate?" Tom chuckled. "I was just as deceived as you. How's life as a Lestrange, Nymphie? You still look as good as you always did."

Dora didn't speak as the man Cruciated the Weasley girl, who shrieked and fell to the floor, writhing as she clenched her fists. "Enlightening," Dora answered finally, then leveled her wand at him. "Crucio."

The Death Eater yelled out in shock, then pain as he fell to the floor, writhing from her Curse. "Dora!" Tom shouted. "I would have done it to any halfblood—"

"But you did it to ME!" Nymphadora yelled, sure she sounded just as insane as her mother. "No one should be used like YOU USED ME!" She sent the Curse again, relief flooding her body as the man shrieked under the spell, trying in vain to get away from it.

She tortured him, the Weasley girl frozen in shock on the floor behind her. She had angry tears in her eyes as she levitated him with her wand and threw him against the wall, holding him firmly with magic. "I wish I could truly make you suffer like I did," she purred as she walked toward him, placing her hand on his chest. "Though I'm sure I could never make it even, hmm? Well, Tom?"

"Dora!" he groaned, writhing with another Curse. "Please! I—I didn't know!"

"You should have been more careful," she breathed, her hand reaching for his magic as his eyes widened in terror.

"NO!" he screamed, but she had already done it, snuffed out the light of his magic. His body collapsed to the floor as she stepped back, breathing heavily.

She clenched her fists, sniffing as she remembered all the hurt, though as she turned around, she found Rabastan standing in the doorway, staring at her. "Dora," he breathed. "What did you do to him?"

"He's dead," she said shortly, noticing the Weasley girl scrambling toward her wand. She deflected her husband's spell, then said, "Leave her alone."

"Nymphadora!" he hissed. "She cannot simply be left here—and why did you attack a fellow Death Eater?"

"I hate him," Dora sniffed. "I knew him from school. I wanted revenge. And he—he—I had to do it."

"And the girl?" Rabastan frowned at her.

"Just leave her," Dora muttered. "He tortured her."

Rabastan stared at her. "What happened to your arm? Dora, you're not thinking right. What happened?"

She just stared at him, then choked, "He—he—just leave the girl alone, Rab, please."

He looked nervous, then nodded, reaching to touch her arm. She drew away from him. "It's okay," she told him, moving to leave the room as the Weasley girl watched them in confusion.

The three on the battlements stopped still as they felt a heavy silence descend over the castle, and the Dark Lord begin to speak. Partway through the message, Nymphadora winced as her Mark burned and she and Rabastan disapparated from the school immediately.

They appeared in a clearing Dora recognized as the Forbidden Forest, and Bellatrix immediately rushed forward, breathing, "Dora, you're hurt!"

"You're hurt!" Dora retorted, seeing a cut across her mother's face.

Bellatrix shrugged it off, drawing her wand and touching it to her daughter's shoulder to heal the girl. "I tell you to be careful and you do this," she muttered.

"Mum," Dora sighed, then stopped, knowing it was no use. "At least we're all safe. Is Rodolphus here?"

"Here," came his voice from behind Bellatrix. "We've all made it."

"Good," Rabastan said, putting his arm around Nymphadora as they stepped back into the shadows of the trees. "Dora," he murmured, pulling her closer and kissing her firmly.

"Rab," she mumbled against his lips, clinging to him though she was surprised at his display of affection. She turned and slipped her arms around his neck as he kissed her thoroughly.

Rabastan drew back after several long moments and looked into her eyes. "I love you, Dora," he said quietly. "No matter what others have said or done to you."

Nymphadora swallowed hard and nodded. "Thanks."

He pulled her close again, palming her head to his chest as he rocked her gently in his arms, just wanting to be close to her for a few calm minutes. Dora did realise after a moment that Bellatrix kept jealously stealing looks at them and whispered, "Rab, um, would you mind if I talked to Mum for a few minutes? Please?"

Rabastan closed his eyes, hugging her tightly, then let her go and turned away. "Rab," she whispered, but he didn't look back at her.

She walked over to her mother, her eyes glistening with tears, and Bellatrix drew the girl into her side. "What's wrong, Dora?" she murmured, kissing her daughter's head. "Did Rab say something mean?"

"No," she sniffed. "He's afraid of losing me, Mum. And I love him."

"Oh." Bellatrix glanced at her daughter's husband, then said, "Stay close to him now. Don't leave his side, Dora. Together you will survive for your son."

"What about you?" Dora asked worriedly.

"I'll be fine," Bellatrix scolded her before pulling away and motioning her toward Rabastan. "Go. He needs you."

Dora hesitated, then walked toward him, calling softly, "Rab? Rabastan?"

He wouldn't look at her, and she reached out to touch him, but he moved away. "Leave me alone," he hissed, walking away into the dark forest.

"Wh—what did I do?" Dora sniffed, two tears running down her face. "Rab!" She held back a sob as she drew a deep breath to try to calm herself. She clenched her fists, unable to keep her emotion completely back as tears slowly trickled down her cheeks.

"Dora..." a hand was placed on her shoulder, and she recognized Rodolphus' voice. "He is terrified, Dora," the man told her quietly. "He's preparing himself, should anything happen to you."

"But it won't!" Dora cried softly.

Rodolphus sighed, then allowed her to lay her head on his shoulder, her tears running into his robe. "Stay by his side," he told her. "You can help him. And he can help you—the two of you make a great team, though I'm sure you know that."

Dora sniffed, struggling to stop her tears. "Thanks," she whispered. "I don't know why I'm such a mess right now."

"Are you pregnant?" he asked, then smirked at her teasingly when her mouth dropped open in shock.

"No, of course not! I just—" they both turned back at the sound of leaves and sticks being walked on.

"Come on," Rodolphus told her. "Rabastan will be returning, and you should be standing there, waiting for him." He hurried back the way they'd come, and Dora went to stand a few feet from her mother, cleaning her facing and morphing her face back to normal.

It was only when Harry Potter was in the clearing that Dora felt her husband's hands on her hips and felt his kiss on her neck. "I'm sorry," he muttered. "I just love you too much."

She nestled back against him, his arms around her comfortably as they watched the Dark Lord taunt the Boy-Who-Lived. Rabastan's grip tightened on her as the Dark Lord cast the Killing Curse, the green light filling the clearing and illuminating all the faces and masks. The boy fell, but so did the Dark Lord, and Rabastan drew a sharp breath, staring as Bellatrix rushed to her master's side.

"There's something unusual about him," Dora whispered to her husband. "That boy—oh dear."

The Dark Lord had shoved his Most Faithful aside, and Dora hurried forward, helping her mother to her feet, though the witch pushed her daughter away as well, offering to go check if the boy was dead. "Narcissa," said the Dark Lord, and Dora looked in surprise to see the blonde witch standing next to her husband.

Narcissa walked forward, and both Bella and Dora watched carefully as the witch knelt next to the boy, reaching for his heartbeat, testing to see if he was alive. She stood and turned to the Dark Lord with her proud pureblood mask in place. "Dead," she pronounced.

Nymphadora was frozen for a moment, not realising what it meant, though both Lestrange brothers cheered, and Bellatrix cackled with laughter. She finally came to realise that the war was over: they had won. "Rab," she breathed, "we're safe. All of us."

"Yes," laughed her husband. "We just have to exterminate the rebels." He hugged her close once more, then joined his brother and Bellatrix on the march back up to the school, the giant carrying the body going first.

Dora could not make herself realise that it should be a celebration, even as they faced the Order, and the younger rebels with the news that their idol was dead. Her pureblood mask remained in place even as Rabastan jeered at some of the opposition and Bellatrix outright played with the Longbottom boy.

Dora nearly shrieked in shock, however, when the Boy-Who-Lived moved. And jumped from the giant's arms, running between the pillars of the courtyard as he avoided the Killing Curses of the infuriated Dark Lord. Dora couldn't help looking to her mother, whose mouth was hanging open in shock as she looked between the boy, her master, then glanced at her sister.

"Cissa," Bellatrix breathed, but no one heard her over the apparitions of Death Eaters fleeing the scene.

"You should leave," Dora said to Narcissa and Lucius. "Go find Draco and get out. This is bad, I just know it."

Narcissa and Lucius hurried as one into the Great Hall, and Dora turned and hurried off toward Rabastan, who was going back into the fight. "Rabastan!" she yelled after him. "Rab, let's stay together!" She hurried to catch up, and he agreed, the two dueling a couple of the Order together before the duels forced them to move, taking on new opponents.

Dora could see her mother on the other side of the hall, taunting and giggling as she dueled madly, taking on two or three wizards at a time. She bit her lip, her attention drawn away by someone attacking Rabastan from behind. She took care of him with a single jinx before glancing around to make sure that no one else tried to sneak up on them.

It was a few moments later, that Dora's attention was drawn back to her mother by someone's yell of "Not my daughter, you bitch!" Dora looked around to see a red-haired woman step onto one of the house tables to face her mother, and raised an eyebrow. The woman was obviously a Weasley—Dora finally realised it was Ginny's mother, and felt a little nervous.

Nymphadora turned to watch, as did a lot of the other wizards and witches in the room. Her heartbeat quickened as she watched her mother laugh madly as she taunted the other witch about her dead son. Dora gasped as a spell narrowly missed Bellatrix, and Rabastan put his hand on her shoulder, making her jump.

She wasn't prepared to see what happened next, for as Bellatrix laughed at the other witch, she was struck full in the chest by a spell and went silent mid-laugh as Dora stared. She didn't hear herself scream for her mother as the witch fell, didn't see everyone turn to look at her, barely even felt her husband holding her back, trying to convince her it was too late. "Mum!" she shrieked, her magic crackling as she tried to go to Bellatrix's side.

Rabastan was binding her magic, and wouldn't let her go to her mother. Nymphadora fought him, but couldn't make him let her go. She was going to cry; she couldn't help it. Though as Rabastan got a better grip on her, wrapping his arms around her, he breathed, "Nymphadora, we've got to get out of here."

"Mum! Mum! Bella!" Dora cried, unable to believe what she'd seen. She couldn't move, couldn't turn away, even as Rabastan held her close, trying to convince her they needed to go.

It was only when someone came running across the hall, shielding spells that were meant for Rabastan and Nymphadora, that Rabastan dragged her backward away from the dueling. "Get her out of here!" the man shouted at Rab, and Dora realised it was Rodolphus. "Oh no, you don't!" he yelled, and a wand flew across the Great Hall to his left hand. "Come get me!"

Nymphadora couldn't look away from her mother's body on the table, nor from Rodolphus standing between everyone in the Hall and her and Rab. She couldn't help giving a small sob as Rabastan held her close for a moment, cupping her face in his hands.

"Dora," he said softly. "I know. But we've got to go get Rigel and make sure that he's kept safe. Pull it together. There will be time later."

"Okay," Dora sniffed, then held onto him. "Let's go."

Within an instant Rabastan disaparated, arriving into the main entrance hall of Malfoy Manor with his wife in tow. He turned to comfort her, to try and see if she was okay, but before he could say a word she was off. She ran up the stairs, her husband struggling to keep up with her as she jumped two steps at a time. He was by her side as she tripped on the last step though she righted herself before she ran towards her and her mothers secret room.

"Go." Dora stopped, looking to her husband as she tried to hide the fear and hurt in her voice "There's a magically enhanced bag on top of the ottoman, we need clothes, we need—we need—oh fuck it just empty the room."

"Dora—" Rab began.

"Just go!" Dora snapped, waiting for him to nod in agreement and go to fulfill her bidding before she looked to the door of the room that used to be just hers and her mothers secret space. With a deep breath to gather her thoughts she drew her wand, running it down the length of the door to remove her wards, then she hesitated. She swallowed the lump in her throat, trying as hard as she could not to let the tears that were already trailing tracks down her cheeks be met with new ones. She performed the spell she wished she never had never had to, running her wand down the door one last time as she removed her mother's wards with ease.

"Oh mum . . ." Dora breathed shakily before she pointed her wand at her finger, making a small incision before she placed it gently on a spot just above the door handle. She decided to ignore the tear that fell as the door granted her entry, walking into the room with purpose, ensuring she kept it open to allow Rabastan access when he was finished. "Accio bag." Dora breathed, snatching the bag that came to her out of the air, she opened it and without even thinking she magically opened all of the draws in the room before sending the entire contents of the room into the bag bar the furniture. After a few moments she felt a hand on her shoulder, it was only then that she realized that she had been staring at the empty room for too long.

"Dora . . . I take it you have a plan?" Rabastan asked, the slightest hint of fear in his voice.

"The draws all opened . . ." Dora whispered, staring blankly at the old cabinet in the corner.

"Excuse me?" Rabastan asked.

"The draws . . ." Dora shook her head, walking towards the cabinet as she trailed her finger down the oak of one of the now emptied draws "Mums draw . . ." she continued in her detached voice "when I first came in here, mum—she said that this room had a lot of things in it she would rather keep private from other people—she said I could get to most of it . . . I've never been able to open that draw, Rab."

"The enchantments must have lifted when she—" Rabastan paused as he felt his wife tense underneath his hand, he allowed her a moment to compose herself before he spoke again, looking down to his mark for a moment before he looked back to his wife "He's fallen . . . My mark—it's—this is different to last time, Dora. We have to go. We have to get Rigel safe."

Dora hesitated for a moment before she nodded, turning to face Rabastan "Get Rigel."

With a small nod Rabastan walked over to their son, smiling sadly as her lifted the sleeping dark haired boy into his arms and kissed his head. Rabastan looked to Nymphadora, stood stone still in the corner as she stared at her half sister, the little girl was awake. Whatever sleeping charm was on her had clearly lifted when Bellatrix had fallen too as she was stood at the bars of her cot, her tiny hands clasped around the bars as she stared at her sister intently with her deep dark eyes.

"Dora . . ." Rabastan spoke gently, as if scared a single word out of tone would set her back into her hysterics again "Dora we have to go . . . If you want to say goodbye do it quickly."

The witch nodded slightly, though he was unsure if the witch heard him or not as she slowly walked towards her little sister's cot. The elder witches long dark curls soon turned into a mousey brown as she reached the girl, tucking a strand behind her ear as she leant over the cot, kissing her head gently "Heya Delphi." Dora whispered.

"Mumma." Delphi asked questionably, her eyes full of innocent questioning.

She bit her lip to hold back the tears, shaking her head "No Delphi, it's Dora . . ."

Little Delphi sniffed, rubbing her eyes as she reached her arms up for her sister, securing her grip around her neck. Dora hesitated for a slight moment before she lifted the girl into her arms, choking back a sob as the child rested her head on her shoulder. She rocked the girl gently, staying silent for a few moments before she let herself put her plan into motion. "Rab . . ." she whispered.

"Yes Dora?" He asked, hesitation in his voice.

"Put the cots in your bag." Dora spoke firmly, stepping back from Delphini's cot. She turned to look at her husband adjust their sleeping son in his arms as he flicked his wand, watching the boy's cot fly into his bag before looking to her expectantly "I said the cots, Rabastan."

"No, Dora." Rabastan spoke firmly, holding Rigel in both of his arms now.

"Put her cot in your bag." Nymphadora narrowed her eyes, resting her head against Delphi's own.

"Don't you dare, Nymphadora." Rabastan stood his ground, though failed to look very threatening nor serious covered in small battle wounds with a sleeping baby in his arms "We are not taking Delphini."

"Yes we are." Nymphadora said again, ignoring the inquisitive look from her sister as she raised her head from her shoulder "I promised my mother that I would take care of her, that I would keep her safe."

"Narcissa will keep her safe!" Rabastan snapped "I already talked to Narcissa about it and she thinks she can bribe Euphemia Rowle to take her—claim she's someone else—"

"No!" Nymphadora yelled, ignoring the jump of the girl in her arms and her subsequent wriggling to get down "I know that neither of us agree of the conception of her! I know that it is an inconvenience and that you don't particularly like her at all! I know that Rabastan! But no matter what the other half of her lineage is she is my sister! We have both just lost our mother—for merlin's sake Rabastan she's an orphan now! I refuse to let some money hungry old bitch take her when I swore to my mother that I would keep her safe! It was her dying wish! So unless you want to hand over Rigel and let me go off with them whilst you find your own way to hide from this mess I suggest you shut the fuck up now. By merlin if you want to slap me for swearing at you go for it—but not now. We have to go. Understood?"

Rabastan stared at the young witch. She was beautiful, even with tears streaming down her cheeks, her dishevelled hair mousey brown, tears all down her dress and light grazes on her pale flesh as she screamed at him in her fury. He could never live without her, especially not now. He astonished himself as he nodded slightly before summoning the girl's cot into his enhanced bag "Where are we going?" he near enough whispered.

"Do you trust me?" Dora asked.

"Always." Rabastan didn't hesitate in his answer.

"Then give me your hand." Nymphadora drew her wand again, pointing it at the wriggling child in her arms as she sent her back to sleep. She closed her eyes for a moment as Rabastan slipped his hand into her own, squeezing it gently before she looked into his eyes. "I love you, remember that."

"I love you too, Dora." Rabastan sighed.

After a few moments Nymphadora took a deep breath, taking in the room of Malfoy Manor. She considered leaving a note to let Narcissa know that they were safe, though she knew it was too risky. Nymphadora had no idea when she would next see her Aunt, whether her and her family would be safe from prosecution in all of this, though she had faith in Lucius Malfoys uncanny ability to worm his way out of any situation. The witch shook her head, this was not the time to think such things, she shut her eyes. Her head leant forward, resting her forehead on her husband's chest, her left arm wrapped tightly around her sister as she tightly wrapped her right arm around her husband and son. She knew he would hate what she now had to do, knew that he would pull a fit of rage, she merely hoped he would eventually understand. Nymphadora Lestrange smiled sadly as she felt her husband's lips press into her curls. With a crack the four of them left Malfoy Manor, the woman ready for the whatever the next step in her increasingly complicated life held for her.

So, for the announcement...Bella and I are announcing a sequel! We're super excited to continue Dora and Rab's life with the children and can't wait for you to join us! Check back soon for the first chapter, though we haven't yet come up with a name for it. :D So excited!

Dora

I'd also like to say thank you for your reviews, support etc in this story and I really hope that you guys will be joining us for the sequel. We will probably load the first chapter up as soon as we have a name (any suggestions are welcome haha).

Please drop rip us a review and let us know what you think of this story and if you'd like I can send a link to you the minute the next story is up!

Thanks again!

Bella