InsaneJournal

RP: The end of happiness
Date: September 5, 2006
Characters: Theo, Padma, Nathaniel, NPC - Lisa Lestrange, NPC - Unnamed Auror, NPC – John Mallard
Location: Nott Manor, just outside the wards
Private/Public: Private
Rating: R
Warnings: Character death
Summary: Padma and Nathaniel goes with Theo to inspect the wards on the edge of the grounds, something Theo will live to regret.

For the last two days Theo had tried to figure out what was going on at Lestrange Manor. So far he'd not had much luck.

The wards were fully down, the Aurors, the Order, they all knew it. The manor was closed down to anyone but blood-family. Yet Rodolphus was definitely alive, or his wards would have altered, and Rabastan tried to calm him and tell him that everything was fine.

He was not sure what to believe.

After having checked and rechecked his wards from inside the manor, he decided to see properly if they could be fooled in any way. It would mean a ride to the very edge of Nott Manor, but maybe that was not a bad thing. One of his overseers had wanted him to inspect the border for quite some time and he could likely combine the two.

Having made his decision, he'd talked to Padma about the ride, not surprised when she wanted to take the ride with him. As much as she adored Marlowe and cared for Verity, not being alone in the house was taxing and the ride would give them some well needed alone time. It wasn't long before the simple ride was a picnic, and as they eventually rode out, Theo had Nathaniel steadily in front of him on Night.

The ride itself was lovely, and he realised then how much he'd missed just riding with Padma. Talking to her like this. For a moment he could let all his worries go, let them drain off him as he talked about everything with the one person he trusted more than any other. He had a smile on his face as they arrived at the border, and was resolved to finish business quickly, in order to focus on Padma and Nathaniel once he was done.

Putting Nathaniel on the ground to allow him to explore under Padma's watchful eye, Theo started by inspecting the wards, making the same conclusion now as he had in the manor. The wards were perfectly intact and working as they should. If Rodolphus died, he would know it immediately, and as for now, Rodolphus was definitely alive.

Having stating that, he turned to his overseer, letting him show him the border, the problems they'd had and the way they'd solved it. The man, so proud to be telling Theo about his work, perhaps went a bit overboard, talking long and enthusiastically about the plans he had, the changes he wanted to make. Theo almost smiled as he listened to the man, approving of some ideas while bringing the man down to earth on a few others. He was so engrossed in the conversation that he only briefly registered Nathaniel crossing the wards.

He didn't rush the man who was still talking, feeling Padma too cross the wards as she followed their son. Not until he paused, did Theo put his hand up, turned around and called out to his wife that they were outside the wards and that she should bring Nathaniel inside them again.

After that everything happened very quickly. One moment, Padma was smiling at him, bending down and calling on Nathaniel. The boy grinned, unsteadily standing up and taking few tentative steps towards his mother as he had first started to do a few days before. Padma laughed as she scooped him up and praised him for being such a good boy, raising him into the air in ways that made him squeal with delight. Theo watched, a proud smile on his face, as he watched them start walking towards the safety of the wards once more.

That was the moment everything changed.

After, Theo would probably never be sure of how things happened, and yet he would be see every horrendous detail played out in his mind over and over. One moment, his wife and son were smiling and walking towards him. The next there was a loud pop, a scream of frustration and anger and two distinct figures appearing out of no where – just out side the wards, and between the wards and Padma.

The woman was bleeding, a gash of flesh missing from her left arm – splinched from a failed Apparition no doubt – but more so she was furious. She was the one screaming as she tore her robes from the grip of the man holding onto them. An Auror who had clearly grabbed a hold of her robes the moment before she Apparated – yet not so late as to stop her from changing direction of her Apparition.

Theo did not have to look twice to recognise the face of Lisa Lestrange, though the reason for her being here, between Padma and Nathaniel and the safety the wards would provide them he couldn't fathom. A moment later she had rolled away and was shooting hexes in quick succession to the Auror.

For the life of him, Theo would never remember if he moved out of the spot he was standing in or not. Nor would he remember screaming or shouting to stop what was about to happen. He did remember the Auror doing so – 'Don't! There is a baby, don't you see!'

Lisa did of course see, of that Theo was – and would always be – sure. She saw, but she didn't care as she threw that final hex at the Auror. He ducked out of the way, or maybe he tried to get to Padma and Nathaniel in time to protect them. Theo would never know, nor would he ever care – not after hearing Padma's scream. And worse – after hearing it stop even before she fell to the ground.

It seemed to happen in slow motion. The hex hitting her, her screaming, then falling silently. Nathaniel's wail of pain when they hit the ground. Then if not before Theo moved, as if shaken into action. He wasn't sure when his wand had found its way into his hand, but he, like Lisa herself never hesitated in his curse.

As the green light struck though, it struck only the air where she'd been. She herself was vanished.

The Auror was kneeling next to Padma, trying to stop the blood flow, or maybe pry the screaming baby out of her arms. Theo didn't care which was the case, listening to his son's screams fade with his every breath, he pushed the Auror aside, deaf to whatever the man tried to communicate. He didn't think, or give himself time to try and sort out what had just happened. Instead he gathered his wife and son in his arms, holding them both close as he Apparated the three of them straight to their bedroom, screaming for Mimsy and Samsy even as he landed.

Of course they arrived the very second they were called, but to Theo they seemed to take far too long anyway. His hands tried desperately to stop the flow of blood from both Padma and Nathaniel – his mind refusing to realise just why Padma was not screaming, why she seemed lifeless in his arms.

The orders fell automatically – "Samsy, get healer Mallard. Mimsy, help me stop the bleeding."