Delphini Lestrange Ⅲ

After the departure of his brother-in-law, Lucius Malfoy, Ted had gone back to lay next to his exhausted wife. Andromeda fell fast asleep with little Delphini safely cradled between them. Ted must have just closed his eyes when he heard a soft whimper. Not wanting to wake his sleeping wife, Ted gently picked up Delphini and walked out of the bedroom towards the nearby nursery.

Inside the nursery, in an intricate cradle, Aurora Malfoy is safely tucked in her cradle and dreams sweet dreams. Ted smiles at seeing the adorable little girl, before moving over to check on his daughter, Dora. Dora has kicked off all of her blankets with her little bare feet spread out. He suppresses a chuckle, before covering his daughter again.

A loud squeak causes Ted to hurry to the cupboard and pulls out a spelled bottle of milk. He wouldn't want to awaken Dora and Aurora! Then what would he do?!

Thankfully the house elves processed the milk in such a manner that an infant may consume the formula. Ensuring the nipple of the glass bottle is in Delphini's mouth, Ted watches the infant hungrily suck on the nipple of the bottle. He sits down in a rocking chair until his daughter stops drinking. He puts the baby on his shoulder and gently pats her until she burbs.

The baby burps up and Ted isn't upset at having vomit on his shoulder having done the same for Dora. Cleaning himself up, Ted rises and softly exits the nursery leaving little Aurora dreaming the night away. A pop reveals a tiny creature with large, bat-like ears and bulging green eyes the size of tennis bulbs standing before them. Dobby, the Malfoy house elf wears a neat black jacket in combination with a glistening white toga dress.

Dobby looks rather panicked as he squeaks, "Tonks, sir," his voice drops to a whisper upon noticing the baby, "there is a visitor waiting at the door."

Guessing who it is, Ted says, "Bring them to the parlor, I will meet them there, Dobby."

The diminutive house elf looks rather unconvinced and rather reluctantly says, "Dobby will do as Mr. Tonks says," before vanishing with a soft pop.

Ted carefully makes his way to the parlor and hesitates just outside the door. He glances at the tiny face of Delphini before making up his mind and entering. Inside a tall, thin dark haired wizard awaits. Rodolphus Lestrange looks even more gaunt than before but it is his eyes that hypnotize them all. They burn like hellfire and are as dark as the deepest pits of the earth.

Rodolphus Lestrange nods at the muggleborn wizard in silent greeting before his eyes become glued to the small bundle being carried in Edward Tonks's arms. "Is that-?" His voice trailed off.

"Yes," Ted approached holding up the bundle in his arms for Rodolphus to see. "Her name is Delphini Lestrange as previously discussed. She was born not long after one this morning."

"Born under Cancer," Rodolphus thoughtfully mused. Then again, a shelled crab metaphorically could be used to describe her birth father.

The child is born June 30, 1976, Delphini will no doubt be tenacious, imaginative, loyal, prone to emotional outbursts like Bellatrix (be it moody, pessimistic, and insecure), manipulative or persuasive depending on how one sees it. She would be so much like Bellatrix that in that moment Rodolphus closed his eyes for a moment to stay the hand of grief.

With a trembling hand, Rodolphus raised his gloved hand to gently touch the face of his daughter, Delphini Lestrange. "She looks so much like her," his voice is gruff with pained longing.

Ted had never met Bellatrix merely having glimpsed her from afar. However, he had seen the enchanted moving magical pictures of her. Bellatrix greatly resembled his wife only much prouder and more confident with an almost seductive charm.

Rodolphus reluctantly pulled his hand back watching his daughter's chest rise and fall with each breath. "I always expected to have children, but Bellatrix never much cared for them." He finally pulled his gaze away from his child and composed himself.

"The Dark Lord has gained powerful allies, it is best to take precautions," Rodolphus warned reaching into his pocket for a scrap of paper. He carefully unfolds it and shows a symbol of a triangle with a line and a circle contained therein.

"What is that?" Ted frowned.

Rodolphus did not respond as the scrap of paper burned to ashes in his hand. "Show that to Andromeda, she will understand."

Ted purses his lips but before he can speak Rodolphus quickly moves forward and tugs the blanket away from the infant's head to reveal silver hair. Rodolphus grows still and his lips press into a thin line. "What is it?" Ted instantly inquired with trepidation.

Without a word, Rodolphus raises the sleeve of his left arm to reveal a horrifying tattoo of a serpent intertwined around a skull. "The Dark Lord's mark," Rodolphus coldly sneered. "It is bound to us. If I peeled my flesh off, it would still appear underneath."

"It is a taint upon our magic," Rodolphus icily hissed. "I should have realized that that potion would have been tainted by his ill-begotten magic well."

The back of Ted stiffens at the implications. He glances at the innocent face of his child. "No, that can't be."

"You think I would lie?!" Rodolphus spat irritably. "I should have thought of it sooner."

"Lestrange, tell me, what needs to be done?!" Ted said in a panic causing the baby to whimper in his arms. Ted falls silent rocking the child back and forth in comfort.

"Nothing can be done," Rodolphus flatly answered. "I said it will taint her, but I did not say it will rule her. The possibility cannot be ruled out and there is a very real possibility she will inherit one or two abilities of the Dark Lord. Possibly even that of parseltongue."

Ted weakly said, "Parseltongue?"

"Yes."

"But Parselmouth's are abhorred!"

Rodolphus does not appear to be impressed as he coldly stares Ted into submission. "The Prince's are not ashamed of their heritage, why should my daughter feel lesser than they?"

"And besides," Rodolphus paused to gaze at his child, "not all children are born of the marriage bed. It is not impossible for a long-lost gift from the past to be inherited in the present."

Ted numbly nods his head before Rodolphus turns to depart. "Wait, will you visit again?" Ted reached out to ask.

"I cannot risk it," Rodolphus unwillingly confessed. Indeed, he could not risk the existence of his daughter being found by the Dark Lord or his enemies. He would erase tonight's memories from his mind. However, he would know that he had visited Malfoy Manor since the prepared piece of scrap paper in his pocket would be gone.

"Then at least hold her just this once," Ted sincerely beseeched as he all but pushed the child into Rodolphus's arms.

Rodolphus stiffly holds the child at first uncertain of what to do. Ted gently instructs the wizard on how to hold the infant. Uneasy and uncertain, Rodolphus does as he is instructed to. A look of wonder and gentleness fills his face. It is the first expression of its kind for Rodolphus.

His daughter is so small, that Rodolphus can hardly believe it. So small and terribly fragile, yet so infinitely precious, far worth more than all the gold combined in his family vaults. He must have stood there for some time for Edward (Ted) Tonks had sat down still weary from the long night of waiting.

"Thank you," Rodolphus's voice gruffly broke as he forced himself to return his child to the muggleborn wizard.

"You must promise to return, Rodolphus," Ted solemnly said as he accepted Delphini back into his arms. "She deserves to know you."

Though Rodolphus wants to make such a promise with every fiber of his body, he knows he cannot make such a promise. "You will be a good father, Edward, a far better one than I could ever hope to be," before turning on his heels without so much as looking back.

Ted moves forward to try to catch up, but it is futile. Rodolphus Lestrange is gone. A heavy feeling seems to sink upon him. Rodolphus Lestrange had never protested Delphini being raised by them. It seemed strange at the time, but now it made horrifying sense. Rodolphus did expect to live to see Delphini grown.

Ted leaned down to touch his forehead to that of Delphini. "I hope that for your sake, Delphini, he will safely return. But no matter what happens know that you are infinitely loved by both of your fathers, my little Delphi."

Tired and numb, Ted wearily returned to his wife's bedside. Andromeda sleepily turned toward him with a sigh. Tucking Delphini between Ted closes his eyes to rest. He would just close them for a moment, but all too quickly he was carried away into the comforting arms of sleep.