Hera

{Prologue}

Long gone, were the summer days, the humid air and the enjoyable summer moonlight, and came the dark autumn nights, where the leaves fell from their branches, and decorated the the ground with their fellow brethren. The colder wind, shuffled through the naked skeletons of the trees, as a light drizzle fell over the Lestrange Manor, emitting an eerie over the area.

A cry echoed throughout the empty halls of the manor, bouncing off the cold walls of the large home. Footsteps rushed out of the study, tapping against the marble floors as they made their way to the second floor, where a door was opened slightly, spilling out the warm light that came from the fireplace within the bedroom. A tall man with broad shoulders and brown hair that was tied back at the nape of his neck, stood by the door pushing it open and looked inside.

Within the bedroom, Rudolphus Lestrange could see his sister-in-law, Narcissa Malfoy, standing over the bassinet that was a few feet away from the king-sized bed that took about an eighth of the bedroom. The skinny blonde woman held a bundle to her chest, trying to calm down the infant she carried in her arms.

"Oh hush, little darling. Please tell me what's wrong...please stop crying." It was evident that she was struggling with the bundle in her arms.

In an instant, Rudolphus walked over to his sister-in-law holding out his hands so he could hold the crying infant. The woman gave the man his child, "Oh Rudolphus. I don't know what's wrong with her."

The brunette man held his child close to his chest, humming a soft tune, instantly calming down the baby in his arms. Its cries dwindling to a stop, as it grew comfortable in it's father's arms. Rudolphus looked towards the bed, taking note of the figure that lay under the navy bedsheets. Their back was faced towards the bassinet. He could recognize the dark curls that spread on the covers.

He felt a deep sadness in his chest as he looked at his wife's figure in bed.

Ten years.

It had been ten years since they had married, and ever since, they had been trying for an heir to the Lestrange name. They struggled with conceiving for so long, that Bellatrix no longer craved the want for a child and put all her focus on being an agent of the Dark Lord, committing her entire life to him.

Bellatrix and Rodolphus did not expect to conceive a child, especially since their marriage was strained to a point that they did not treat each other as a married couple would, but as business partners. The couple spent their time dedicating their lives to the almighty Dark Lord, that they no longer saw the use in trying for an heir.

But deep inside, Rodolphus craved for a child. A small bundle of joy that he could call his own, spoil them with all the love that they needed. One day, after completing an extremely difficult task assigned by the Dark Lord, Rodolphus was awarded with anything that he requested, anything that his heart desired.

"I want an heir. A child to call my own." Rodolphus replied humbly as he stood before the Dark Lord, head bowed in respect, brown hair hiding his features like a curtain.

The Dark Lord grabbed the bottom his face, lifting his gaze so that he would look at his red snake-like eyes, feeling the dark power course from the Dark Lord onto him. "Offspring? You ask me for offspring?"

"Yes, m'lord." His voice was steady, despite the anxiety he felt within him.

"Go be with your wife. Make sure Bellatrix stay in the manor with you tonight."

When Bellatrix fell pregnant, she wasn't the happiest, especially since the Dark Lord had relieved her of her duties as a Death Eater for until she had given birth. The Dark Lord did not want the lineage of blood purity to end. She despised every second that went by as her stomach swelled with the new life within her.