Disclaimer: I do not own these characters or anything in their magical world. These characters and their world belong to the talented J.K. Rowling and Warner Bros.
Once again, Bella awoke to the sound of raised voices. Ted had returned home, and he and Andromeda were at it again. She couldn’t help but feel guilty as she listened to them howl at each other. After all, they were fighting because of her. It appeared that she was the only problem in their marriage. Unfortunately, she seemed to be an awfully big one.
“Andromeda, this is ridiculous,” Ted said, in a forced calm voice. “We need to get rid of her. Keeping her here could get us both tossed in Azkaban. That’s not what you want, is it?”
“Of course not,” she snapped. “But she’s my sister. She’s very weak and in a lot of pain. Elizabeth left some potions for her. She’s in really bad shape, Ted. It’s going to be a few days before she even starts to get her strength back. And”and she’s blind.”
“Blind?” Ted sounded bewildered.
“Rodolphus did this to her”her own husband. Then he just left her there. I can’t let her go to Azkaban. She would never survive there, not now. I can’t do that to her.”
“I’m sorry about what happened to her,” he said very slowly. “I really am, but it’s not your responsibility to take care of her. I know she is hurting now, but that doesn’t excuse her past. She has done a lot of horrible things and she needs to pay for them.”
“Don’t you think she’s been through enough? Ted, she’s in so much pain that she can’t even sit up. She can’t see. She’s never going to see again. She is suffering. What more do you want her to endure? Don’t you think she’s already paying for her crimes?”
“It’s not about what I think, or what you think. It’s about what the wizarding world thinks. I doubt they will consider this a fair punishment for the lives she ruined, for the lives she took.”
“Okay, stop,” a new female voice said firmly.
Bella listened intently.
“This isn’t going anywhere,” the new voice continued. “Mum, you have to realize that she can’t stay here forever. Eventually, someone will find out, and then you will end up in Azkaban. I really do not want to be asked to arrest my own parents. I understand that she’s your sister and you love her, despite all the horrible things she has done. I am willing to help you hide her until she has regained her strength, but what do you plan to do after that? She won’t able to defend herself against the Ministry if she can’t see. What’s going to happen when she can no longer stay here?”
“She can always stay here. I am not throwing my sister out the second she gets her strength back. She has been through a lot. I am going to make sure that she is okay. She is staying here as long as she wants to.”
“You can’t hide her forever,”
“I’ll find a way to keep her safe.”
“Mum, you’re not being logical. Everyone in my department is searching for her. Actually, everyone in the Ministry is searching for her. You won’t be able to keep her hidden. You’re going to get caught. You’re not going to save her from Azkaban. The only thing you’re going to accomplish is being sent there with her.”
“I’ll figure it all out later. For now, she’s safe here, unless you’re planning to arrest her.”
“No, of course, I’m not going to arrest her. I couldn’t do that to you, but you need to think about this. Are you really willing to risk your life for hers? If the situation were reversed she wouldn’t do it for you.”
“It doesn’t matter. She’s my sister and she needs me. I will not abandon her.”
“I really want you to think about that, Mum. I want you to remember how she abandoned you. You don’t owe her anything. In the meantime, can I talk to her?”
“What for?”
“If I’m going to help keep her psychotic ass out of jail, I think I should be allowed to speak to her. It’s only fair.”
“You’re trying to talk me into throwing her out on the street. I really don’t think you should talk her. I don’t want you to upset her. She’s very weak. She just found out that she’s going to be blind for the rest of her life. She doesn’t need you telling her how awful she is and how much she deserves to be locked away.”
“I have no intention of saying those things to her.”
“Then what do you want with her?”
“I just want to talk to her. It’s really not a big deal. She is my aunt, after all. I promise that I will not upset her.”
“Fine,” Andromeda agreed, at last. “She’s in the guest room.”
A few moments later, Bella heard the door to her room squeak opened again.
“Hello, Aunt Bellatrix,” the young woman said in a venomous voice. The door closed with a loud click.
“Tonks,” she replied, knowing that her niece only responded to her surname. One of the many useless facts she had learned from that wretched house-elf, Kreacher.
“If you’re blind, how did you know who I am?”
It seemed like a childish question, but Bella knew her niece was going to as impossible as she could manage. Tonks clearly wanted her gone, and she wasn’t going to pretend that she wanted it any other way. Bella decided her best bet would be to answer her questions, hoping that she would get bored and leave her in peace.
“First of all, you called me Aunt Bellatrix. You are clearly female, and as I only have one niece, it was not hard to conclude who you were. Second of all, I can hear your family conversations, so I have known that you were here for awhile now.”
“Then you know what we were discussing. You know what a risk my mother is taking by keeping you here.”
“Yes.”
“But, of course, you wouldn’t have the decency to leave.”
“How would you suggest that I do that?” she asked in her best bored voice. “I can’t even sit up.”
“Oh, poor Bellatrix. For once, you’re the one in pain, instead of the one causing it. Don’t think I’m going to feel sorry for you. My mother will come to her senses, eventually, and when she does I’ll have the joy of arresting you.”
“Didn’t you promise your mother that you would play nice? I’m sure I heard you saying that you wouldn’t threaten me with Azkaban.”
“Well, I lied, which should hardly shock you. It’s certainly something you’ve done plenty of times.”
“You know nothing about me.”
“Nor do I want to.”
“Then what is it that you want?”
“I want you to promise me that you’ll leave as soon as you get your strength back. I also want you to promise me that you’ll never contact my mother again. Let her live in peace. You’ve already hurt her enough. You have no idea what she has gone through because her entire family decided she was rubbish. If you leave her alone, I won’t hunt you down like the animal you are. Of course, I can’t promise that the rest of the Ministry will be so accommodating.”
“I do not want my sister to suffer because of me. And I do regret that I hurt her in the past. I will leave as soon as I am able to do so, and I will not contact her again.”
“Thank you,” Tonks replied.
There were no other sounds, besides the door slamming behind her niece as she fled the room.