#dademort

He hears her slip into the room before he sees her. 

Lord Voldemort cracks his eyes open, glancing towards the large double doors where he catches a glimpse of her lithe frame blocking the candlelight. She pauses for a moment clearly taking in the sight before her, giving him a second to appreciate her figure. 

Bellatrix closes the doors to their adorning rooms carefully, her steps quiet as she ventures closer to their bed. His witch is very obviously biting back a large grin, eyes glittering over his face before drifting down to the little body cuddled against his chest. She’d already shed her robes, slipping quickly into her night dress before sliding beside him in the large bed. 

“Hi,” she whispers, all a smile. Her knuckles brush gently across his sharp cheek, thumb caressing his jaw before her hands settle lower to rest against a tiny back.  

“I take it everything went well?” He’s looking at her intently, though he speaks just as quietly as she - each of them mindful of the small witch sleeping peacefully with an ear glued to her father’s heartbeat. At this point Bella can hardly hold back her smile, eyes lingering on Delphini’s little face as she answers him. 

“The assignment went wonderfully,” she starts, regaling him with all the key details as her fingers gently run through their daughter’s curls. Eventually she opens her mind to him, sharing with him the details of the mission that would take too long to properly explain. They’re quiet for a bit after, listening to the sound of Delphi’s even breathing. 

“How’d you end up in this position?” She asks softly, nodding at their daughter. 

“Nightmare.” He explains simply, causing a quiet chuckle from Bella. 

They linger for a while, the three of them. Bella basking in the moment whilst Voldemort is dissecting the details of her mission. He is plotting already, trying to carefully pinpoint his next move to finalize their integration into the Ministry, not to mention this little prophecy Severus recently brought to his attention. It doesn’t take long for his mind to grow too loud. 

“It’s nearly morning,” He starts, body shifting. “I’ve got a meeting with Arcturus in a few hours that I need to get ahead of. Want me to drop her in her rooms or-”

“I’ll take her.” Bellatrix interrupts, rolling onto her back so that he can shift their daughter over more easily. The Dark Lord nods, having expected her answer. 

He leans over, gently passing the little witch into her mother’s arms.

Not nearly gentle enough. 

Delphini’s eyes snap open the moment her head is lifted from her father’s chest. 

She is positively glaring at him. If looks could kill this little three-year-old would be drawing blood with the way her glower cuts through the dark room. There is nothing but utter betrayal in her stare. 

“You promised!” She hisses at him, hands gripping fiercely onto his robes. The dark lord glares right back.

“Don’t start with me little girl - look who I am passing you off to.” It takes Delphini a moment to turn in his arms. She gasps, suddenly quick to twist out of his hold and to wrap around her mother. Bella laughs and the Dark Lord has to hide his smile.

“Mama.” She whispers into Bellatrix’s neck, her mother smiles in response planting gentle kisses into their child’s curls. The Dark Lord sighs, backing cracking as he makes to rise. 

“Papa, you said you would stay.” With a grumble Voldemort turns around at the edge of the bed, an eyebrow raising at his daughter’s word. 

“Your mother is here now, Delphini. There’s no need for you to have us both, your mother is more than capable of protecting you.”  

“But Daddy! You promised!” The little witch whines, eyes peering at him from across the duvet. Bellatrix turns them to their side, breaking their daughter’s eye contact as she pulls her against her chest. She gives him a devious glare before adding: 

“Yeah, daddy,” Bella’s voice is dripping in mischief. “In this family, we take our vows very seriously.” She mocks, her eyes full of mirth despite his returning glare.

It’s a standoff. Delphi turns in her mother’s arms to give him another pleading look.  

Lord Voldemort narrows his eyes at Bellatrix.

“You wretched witch” He mutters, his hands running through his hair as he resigns himself to his fate. Delphini cheers as he makes his way back over to her and her mother along the sheets. “You also promised that you would go to sleep.” He reminds the little witch, who giggles in response. 

He slides next to the pair of them on his side, one of his arms slipping beneath a downy pillow to support his head while the other reaches for Bella’s waist. The witch in question slips closer to him, her forehead coming to rest along his collarbone, despite being unable to see her face he can still feel her smug grin. Delphini is sandwiched between them, her back facing her father as her head is tucked comfortably beneath her mother’s chin, tiny fingers holding onto her mothers night dress gently. 

“‘Night, daddy.” The little witch starts, he can hear the smile in her words. 

“Delphini - go to sleep.” He warns.

“Goodnight, daddy.” Bella whispers against him.

Oy vey. There can never be too many HCs I suppose, so here I am again going overboard:

From the moment they find out about her pregnancy Lord Voldemort despises it. Bellatrix seems so certain, so eager.. He’s unable to understand why. A baby right now? When he is so close to finally claiming his reign? He bars her from combat in the hopes that her bloodlust will outweigh this silly sentiment. It does not. He never wanted an heir, never needed one - he is very vocal about this. Yet, he allows her this child because, in the end, what choice does he have? 

The Dark Lord is very much intentionally avoiding Bellatrix when there is an attack on one of the safe houses. He is incensed, unsure how The Order was able to locate another so quickly- these vigilanties would have to be dealt with. His rage turns cold once he is informed that Bella was there. Lord Voldemort apparates without a second thought, following the feel of her magic. He orders everyone out of the room and soon she is pulled tight against him, his hands hard in her hair before drifting lower. Finally, he’s forced to acknowledge that he was worried about them both.

It’s going to be a girl. He really shouldn’t be surprised, Bellatrix has been claiming as much since the early weeks of her pregnancy - apparently she dreams about her. He’s oddly relieved, suddenly paying a bit more attention to Bella’s musings about long dark curls and deep amber eyes. “Does she tell you her name?” He asks her - it’s the first times he’s ever directly referred to their baby out loud. She smiles. 

‘Delphini’ he hisses at the growing swell of Bella’s stomach in parseltongue, too curious not to. Bella’s hand lingers at the nape of his neck watching him intently. He hisses again and at once all the dim candles lining their rooms alight. It is so sudden that both of them turn to one another refusing to believe that she did that.

The birth is much harder than the pregnancy. Bellatrix is screaming for hours and for once he feels powerless. He wants to rage at her, threaten her, order her to survive this. She pulls through, of course, Bella is not Merope. He does not enjoy babies, they remind him far too much of the Orphanage. However, he does feel oddly privileged when Delphini’s cries die in her throat the minute she is placed in his arms.

Father is not a concept he is well acquainted with but ‘dada’ and ‘papa’ he is slowly getting used to. 

Her magic is very much intentional. Bella tells him this is not normal, that most children have no control over their magic in the first few years of life. Delphini is not most children. She is His - a Gaunt and a Black - the blood of Salazar and of the stars flow through her veins. He has no doubt she’ll be exceptional and a part of him is almost proud. 

He doesn’t entirely hate it - when the little witch sleeps between them at night. Her hands are so small still that she holds just one of his fingers in her mighty grip. He allows her this.

Delphini’s eyes were drooping, her lids so heavy she could hardly keep them open.

Dinner with the Blacks was certainly never a timely affair, but that didn’t make Delphini any less excited each and every time their little family floo’d over. Tonight’s event in particular took an exceptional toll on the three-year-old. Draco had just begun to really get a handle on walking, which, of course, resulted in Delphini running circles around him all night, teasing and encouraging her little cousin. He chased her - as best he could at least - with a gleeful laugh and incredibly sticky fingers despite Auntie Cissy's many cleaning charms.

They’d worn each other down rather quickly. Narcissa and Lucius had left with their now sleeping baby shortly after dessert, all a smile as Delphini planted a goodbye kiss atop her cousin’s wispy white hair.

Both of her parents opted to stay for one more nightcap, resulting in Delphini haphazardly fighting off sleep in her mother’s lap.

Or rather, hardly even hanging onto her mother’s lap. 

“What do you think of the elvish bitters, Bella? Druella and I decided to try something a little more seasonal for this time of year.” 

Bellatrix glanced up at her father quickly, right arm looped awkwardly around her daughter who was now pulling tightly at her dress. 

“It’s delicious, daddy. Adds just a touch of cherry, no?” Bella attempted to re-arrange her grip on the little witch who was slipping out of her lap, causing Delphini to stir lightly before cuddling closer. 

Walburga hummed in agreement beside her. “It’s definitely something sweet, mulberry maybe?”

“No - it’s elderberry.” A commanding voice offered, Delphini eye’s cracked open a bit at the sound of her father.  From across the table she watched as her grandfather lifted a glass towards Him, completely missing the scathing look Walburga shot His way.  

“Elderberry indeed.” Orion confirmed, eyes drifting back over to his daughter’s predicament. “Though it doesn’t seem Delphini is keen on letting you enjoy it much, hm Bella?” At the calling of her name the three-year-old gave another sleepy look at her grandfather. 

“She’s getting too big for you to balance with just one hand.” Druella added, smiling into her glass.

“Here let me-” Her great-Auntie said from her mother's left, Delphini flinched as Walburga reached for her. 

“-No!” She whined, turning into her mother further, the witch in question could only laugh in response. 

“Come on, Delphini,” Bellatrix coaxed. “Mummy needs to get you in a better position so you don’t drag us both to the floor, hm?” Delphini shook her head against her mother, refusing to be moved let alone passed off to Walburga. 

“She’s a bratty little witch, Bella - wonder where she gets that from.” Walburga teased, across from them Druella almost spit out her tea in a laugh.

"One can only imagine." The former Rosier said rather pointedly.

“Come on, darling.” Bellatrix tried again, getting a second hand around the cranky witch who was really making this much more difficult than it needed to be.  "No."

“Bella,” That commanding voice spoke again. “I’ll take her, Bella."  

Now that was something Delphini had no issue with.

She sat up eagerly in her mother’s lap, earning another bout of laughter from the table of Blacks as she lifted her hands towards her father.  The dark lord very obviously rolled his eyes at the little witch, almost reluctantly pulling Delphini into his arms. She could do nothing to hide the massive smile breaking out across her features as she snuggled closer.

Lord Voldemort sighed before reaching for his glass.

“I’m almost jealous.” She heard her mother murmur as the witch reached over to pull some of Delphini’s loose curls out of her face. 

“Don’t be,” her father started, long fingers coming to rest on Delphini’s back to steady her. “I’m beginning to think she’s been planning this.”  

He had never been one to count down the days until her return from Hogwarts like Bella had, and in her adulthood she was often around, either at the ministry or else the odd visit. But now, it felt...too long.

She was in the building, he knew. Or at least she should be. He paused, pulled out a piece of parchment.

Delphini. You are wanted at dinner tonight.

He didn't need to sign it, instead simply folded it, an interdepartmental memo.

The parchment flew off.

The unsettled feeling abated.

-asktheheirofslytherin

She was in the middle of speaking to the Ministère Ambassador when the piece of parchment practically flies into the side of her face. Her magic stopped it, of course, the document dancing neatly into her palm.

"Pardonnez-moi." She waves off the official, noting her father's penmanship immediately.

Wanted at dinner tonight?

What is it that he needed to go over? Of all people, father knew exactly how busy she was. She's set to travel back with the ambassador next week in an effort to.. encourage.. support for new sanctions across the French Wizengamot. She hadn't planned to leave the Ministry until much later this evening, a stop at her parents estate in time for supper would mean heading out in the next few hours...

Perhaps she'd save them both the trouble if she just popped into his office this afternoon to see what he needs to discuss?

Delphini apparates without a thought, one of the few individuals in the Ministry with the proper clearances that allow her to do so. The door to her father's offices is closed but it is unlocked. It opens for her with a flick of the wrist and she waltzes into his office without a thought of who else might be inside. At this point, He is the only one who outranks her.

"I got your note!" She calls out, sauntering forward until she spies him at the seat of his desk, her own head tilted slightly as she looked at him, in an almost painfully familiar way. "What was it you wanted to review? I hadn't realized I was behind on something."

Your dad walks in.

With your mom.

It seems they were about to start making out in this same room.

They found you two instead.

Oh no.

Nott practically squeaked. Hands immediately flying off of her and up straight in the air in open submission. Before she could even ask him what in the bloody hell was wrong a very obvious throat cleared from just behind her. No.

She whirled around in time to see both of her parents standing before a now closed door. Her mother could hardly hold back her grin, eyes dancing between Delphini and her fiancé. Her Father.. Well, he certainly seemed significantly less amused.

"I'm sorry.. Were you looking for something?" She could hardly contain the spite in her tone, teeth grit and blood suddenly boiling. Did they follow her? Did they actually follow her?

Or.. No, why did mother suddenly look so guilty? And Father, he'd never chase her down like this.. at least, not now that they were engaged..

Does that mean?

Well.. He certainly was very busy.

The floorboards were cold against bare feet.

Delphini pattered across them carefully, yet quickly. All too mindful of the things that could be lurking in the shadows - the same things that haunted her behind closed eyelids.  Nightmares were a regrettably common occurrence for the now four-year-old. 

She could never make much sense of them, particularly the beginnings, but the endings were always the same. 

Nagini, cut in two, black blood spreading across the floor.  Mama, staring with unseeing eyes, Black blood dripping down her face.  And finally, there was always Father. She’d watch the light leave his scarlet stare, the wand slip from his hand, a black curse spreading across his form.  Before she could even scream, someone would grab her, terror surging where anguish just resided, a blinding bolt of lightning.  She’d wake in a cold sweat, little limbs shaking, too scared to even call for mama. 

Not that it mattered, mama wasn’t here tonight.  She’d left earlier that afternoon on assignment with the promise of a late breakfast tomorrow.

More cautious footfalls. Delphini reached up, hand stretching to meet the crystal door handle.  Finally, with the help of her tiptoes, she managed. 

“Papa.”  She hissed, slipping into the generous bedchamber.  Her Father didn’t move. A few more mindful steps, Nagini rose from her position on the floor, pink tongue tasting the cold night’s air.  Delphini stepped closer, reaching the edge of the bed when one of her small feet betrayed her, catching along a loose floorboard. A sound that would normally fall quiet rang clear amidst the night.  

The Dark Lord was up in an instant, an elder wand pointed directly between two innocent eyes. The girl hadn’t even flinched.  “Papa.”  Delphini hissed again, and the wand lowered immediately. 

“Delphini,” His voice was laced with sleep, yet still somehow registered commandingly.  “What's the matter child?”

“The dream, Papa.” Parseltongue sounds so much softer hissing from the lips of a four-year-old.  Before he could even ask the girl what she was on about, she was climbing up onto silver sheets.  Lord Voldemort slide backwards with a sigh, offering plenty of room to the small child, but no, that was not at all what Delphini wanted. 

Delphi reached towards him, grabbing onto her father’s shoulder before pulling herself up and against his chest.  The Dark Lord sighed again, having already accepted his fate the minute he'd registered that his daughter was tonight's intruder.  This was exactly how she laid with Bella, so, he should expect nothing less, really. 

The feared Lord Voldemort leaned back against the pillows, ordering Nagini back to bed before settling down gently - Delphini carefully positioned against her father’s chest.  Slowly, he wrapped an arm around the child, slender fingers running gentle circles along a small back. It was quiet between them for a moment, the little girl nestling against him trying to find comfort. It was a few more moments before he finally offered it:

"No one will ever hurt you while I am here, Delphini. Not you, not Nagini, and certainly, not your mother."

He felt her smile against his collarbone, hands tightening their hold along his sleeping robe.