Prologue – Seventeen Years Ago

He came to them in the dead of night.

It had been less than a day since the Battle of Hogwarts, and Narcissa Malfoy still refused to sleep. Her husband refused to sleep as well, while Draco couldn't find it in him to sleep, so she had put a sleeping charm on them both hours ago. Narcissa would have done the same to herself, but she had slept once—after the brief but tiresome inquiry Kingsley Shacklebolt and the Ministry of Magic had done to prove their defection to the Dark Lord's cause—and she dreamt that the Potter boy's victory was a mere dream and she witnessed her son's death countless times. And so she decided it would be a while before she tried to sleep.

The warm cup of tea in her hands was the only way Narcissa knew she wasn't dreaming. She knew nothing would ever be the same again. She knew the Malfoys were way beyond repair, and it would take all their efforts to be accepted back into high wizarding society. She knew that she, Lucius, and Draco would be welcomed by their Slytherin friends, the ones who agreed with blood purity but did not have the guts to do what Lucius and her sister did. But as far as she was concerned, they were a public enemy until they could prove they truly weren't for the Dark Lord.

But what stressed her out more was what none of the others could see. The elegant drawing room had always given her a comfortable, homey feel, as it has been part of so many of her wonderful memories. This was where Draco learned to walk. She thought wistfully, a sad smile playing on her lips. This was where Lucius gave me that beautiful diamond necklace for our first anniversary. To mother, This was where he promised that Draco could go to Hogwarts. This was where we learned that Draco was made prefect—how proud we were!

And then her smiled disappeared, looking at the room like it was a dark and dreary dungeon she saw for the first time. This was where I learned of Lucius' arrest, and then when Harry Potter almost killed my son. This was where the Dark Lord killed that Muggle Studies teacher, and where Bella tortured that muggle-born Granger. She sighed. No, things will never be the same again.

"Can't sleep?" Narcissa dropped her tea cup in surprise when she saw Lucius and Draco standing by the doorway. The light of the fireplace made them look gaunt and paler than usual, and she wondered if it was from the lack of sleep or if this was really going to be a regular appearance after all that's happened. "Neither can we, Narcissa."

"The charms weren't supposed to wear off until the sun rose." She said dryly, waving her wand wearily. The broken cup and spilled tea disappeared.

"Or you were just too weary and the charm wasn't strong enough." He said assumingly. "Narcissa…you must rest."

She turned to him, still seated stonily on their expensive couch. "I can't!Things are different now yet I can't stop dreaming about what could have been. You don't know what I see when I close my eyes. It's like I'm back at that school and it hadn't been the way it did and…"

Her voice cracked and she could feel the tears rolling down her face. Draco quickly ran to her, followed by Lucius, and soon enough all three of them were locked in a tight hug. She could see her son crying, something she rarely saw him do ever since he became a man, and she knew that he must be hurting as well, though he had never mentioned it. "Things are different now, mother, yes," Draco said comfortingly. "But we haven't lost everything."

"We still have each other." Lucius chimed in. "We are still alive. And for now, that is what matters most."

Narcissa smiled, the first genuine smile she's had ever since before the Dark Lord had initiated Draco into the Death Eaters. Lucius is right, Narcissa thought. The important thing is that we're here, together.

That was when she looked out the room's archway and saw him in the middle of the hallway foyer. His eyes were still dead, like the Imperiused victim he was. There was blood all over his face, and it was dripping all over the floor as far as she could see, and she wondered why he was still alive. He had a small bundle in his arms, which he carried fragilely as he trudged towards them. His dead eyes were staring into her, and she suddenly felt like the entire manor was freezing, like when the Dark Lord had turned her home into a headquarters. The memory of Professor Quirell carrying the Dark Lord at the back of his head passed her as she looked at the man, and she dreaded to think that Harry Potter had not truly killed the Dark Lord and was now coming for them, who had defected—especially her, who was the reason he believed that Potter was dead. She dared not to think of what would happen to her and her family if the Dark Lord rewarded her actions.

"Lucius!" Narcissa shouted, pointing at the man.

Lucius looked at her direction, his face going paler as he saw the man. "Shunpike, what are you doing here?" He yelled, the remnants of his commanding persona returning as he saw the threat to his family.

Narcissa immediately remembered the name. Stan Shunpike. He was the Ministry's scapegoat, wasn't he? Yes, now I remember. Locked him up in Azkaban before he was freed but Imperiused to join us. But why does he look like he came out of the grave?

"He wasn't in the battle, was he?" Narcissa asked quietly.

"He was, but I saw him running away after Potter played that trick with the Dark Lord." Lucius said tightly. He drew out his wand and pointed it warningly, but Shunpike didn't stop limping slowly towards them. Lucius yelled in anger "Not one step more, Shunpike! That's an order."

But the man wouldn't stop walking forward. Coming into the light of the nearby window, Shunpike was clearer now. There was blood all over his body, and Narcissa gasped and pulled Draco away when she saw how gory and open those wounds were. Several bones looked bent the wrong way, and his hands were shaking, straining to keep the bundle in his arms straight. How is he still alive? Narcissa wondered.

"Stay back!" Narcissa joined her husband by the archway, drawing her wand out. "Draco, go."

"I'm not leaving you!" Draco said stubbornly as he grabbed his own wand and pushed in front of them.

But if the three Malfoys were brandishing their wands at the trespasser, Shunpike didn't show it. He kept limping towards them, dead in the eyes. Narcissa stood firm, one hand on Draco's shoulder. But then, she looked closer and saw that Shunpike's lips weren't trembling as she originally thought, but was actually repeating something inaudible. "What?" She asked aloud. "What is he saying?"

As if Shunpike heard her, he spoke louder. His voice was hoarse, and she could hear him straining. Finally, he managed a pitiful choke: "Cissy."

Narcissa froze. Draco and Lucius turned to her, noticing her expression turned from threatening to downright scared. "Darling, that name…" Lucius said fearfully.

"That was my childhood name." She said as she lowered her wand before cautiously approaching Shunpike. "The last person who knew that name died yesterday."

Shunpike kept staring at her. When she was close enough, he carried the bundle with one arm before holding out a letter addressed to "Cissy". Narcissa tentatively took the letter, immediately recognizing Bellatrix's wild handwriting.

Cissy,

Reading this means that you have survived while I have sacrificed my life to the Dark Lord and his purpose, which even in death I am proud to say I have done. You are reading this also because the Dark Lord has fallen, while you have not; I don't think it is possible, but if it is, I am glad that at least you are alive—had you not, I don't know what I would have done. If you are reading this, I am glad that you have survived, and I wish you a better future that I will never be familiar of.

This is my daughter, Gemini Morgana Black. I have imperiused Shunpike to deliver her to you no matter what—even if he dies trying—should I no longer be there to raise her properly as mother and father did with you and I. I instructed him to give her to you also if the Dark Lord falls

…because Gemini is not Rodolphus' daughter, but the Dark Lord's.

I cannot properly put into words what has led me and him to producing such a pureblood like her, and my explanation here may not be adequate enough to explain the intensity of emotions that has brought her here. I can only admit that a year ago, shortly after he questioned Snape about his desire for Potter's mother, the Dark Lord wanted to know this feeling of desire, and attempted to find it with me. He didn't find it, however, and said what he felt easily bored him—though I was glad to be of his service—but I realized months later that I was carrying his child.

I wanted to tell you, Cissy. I wanted to ask you how to carry a child and raise it as you have raised Draco…but the Dark Lord forbade me. He said he would look weak, like a common man giving into animal desires, and thought it weakening for people to think he fell in love with me, but I was too loyal and important of a follower to get rid of, and, for some reason he wouldn't say, refused to get rid of the child like what Muggles do when they refuse to have children, though it was clear he did not love what was growing in me.

Remember that assignment that I had to do in Spain? The one that lasted months? I had Gemini in Madrid. She was born the week before Snape killed Dumbledore. I suggested we leave her in an orphanage, but he refused. The Dark Lord showed no love for our daughter, but he said he saw power in her—a Black, an heiress to Slytherin, and a future asset to his cause, and from time to time he and I would visit her. We imperiused a muggle to care for her, and Shunpike to guard her and to bring her to you should the Dark Lord and I have perished. If you are reading this, then I have instructed him to leave the battle at one point to protect our daughter and wait for what could happen.

I am writing this before we meet by Hogwarts, ready to face the pathetic Boy Who Lived. He won't live forever, and if you're reading this, I hope he has perished as well. I am positive that my death is not in vain and not easy, and I can't imagine the world you will live in after his fall. You aren't a Death Eater, so I'm certain you can avoid Azkaban…though for Lucius and your son, I am not so sure.

Do not cry over my death, Cissy, for I am proud to have lived a life in service to Him. Teach her, Cissy. Teach her everything she needs to know. Teach her to be proud of what she is, and to follow her footsteps set out by her mummy and daddy. I love you, little sister, and tell Gemini that I love has as well. My daughter is a Black and a Slytherin, and though the Dark Lord and I have fallen, I am still certain that our cause has not.

Your sister,

Bella

"Cissy…" Shunpike groaned once more, almost like he was begging for something. Narcissa ignored him and re-read the letter, trying to comprehend what her late sister wrote. She refused to be Andromeda's sister the moment she married Ted Tonks, so she never saw Nymphadora as family. But to see this, to feel that she was an aunt to her only sister's daughter…she looked at the bundle.

"Cissy…" Narcissa removed some of the cloth aside and saw her. Gemini. The girl was a striking resemblance of her mother. She was slightly paler than Bellatrix—closer to her father than her mother—which was strikingly off-set by her dark black hair, which was on the verge of forming curls. She looked only a few months old, but Narcissa could tell that she was going to be a beautiful girl.

"Narcissa, dear," She felt Lucius standing behind her. "What is it?"

She turned slowly to her husband, showing him the letter. "May I?" He asked gently, and she handed it to him. She watched him read the letter, his expression changing from cautious to apprehensive. Draco looked at her, motioning if he could read the letter too. She nodded, and Draco stood by his father, showing the same expression change.

"Cissy…" She turned to Shunpike, and one look at him, at his pitiful, pleading eyes, she understood and pulled the girl out of the bundle. She was wearing a black frock, as well as Bellatrix's necklace with the bird skull. The moment Gemini was no longer in Shunpike's arms, Shunpike's arms went limp and he fell to the ground. Narcissa looked at the baby, who finally woke up as she carried her. At first, she could have sworn Gemini had dark red eyes like her father, but slowly it looked browner like Bellatrix's. Gemini looked at Narcissa, smiling, and part of Narcissa wanted to hug her poor, orphaned niece, while the other half wanted to cower at the daughter of the most powerful dark wizard of all time.

"Good god, Narcissa." Lucius went to her. She looked at her husband's reaction, and it seemed like he was cowering at the baby the same way he resembled a shriveled version of himself after his disgrace at the Department of Mysteries. He wouldn't even look at the girl for a few seconds. "Where are we going to leave her?"

"Leave her?" Draco asked incredulously.

"Well you don't expect that girl to remain in this house, do you?" Lucius asked, confused by his son's reaction. "She's dangerous!"

"She's my cousin! Your niece!" Draco protested. "And she's just a baby! We're her only family."

"No, we're not. Her family also includes the Dark Lord." Lucius stressed. "She's a danger to us—us, the family who betrayed her father! Don't you think her revenge is all but imminent when she grows up in this house? Her parents have brought this house nothing but trouble and I don't intend for her to kick the sand when she grows old enough to wield a wand."

"We don't have to tell her she's Voldemort's child!" Draco reasoned, ignoring Lucius' cringe at the name. "She looks like Aunt Bellatrix anyway, we can always say she's Uncle Rodolphus'—"

"No, we're not." The two stopped to look at Narcissa, looking calm and firm as put Gemini down. The baby began crawling around the hall. "We are not going to keep her—don't interrupt me, Draco. Everyone who knew Rodolphus and Bellatrix will know that they could never have a child, and even if it's unlikely, I won't risk anyone finding out that the Dark Lord's daughter resides in our house."

"It's unlikely." Draco pointed out. "Only us three know of her existence so—"

"That's not the point, Draco." Narcissa said firmly. "I refuse to put my family into harm's way, even for Bellatrix's daughter. What do you think will people say when it gets out that we, the family whose loyalty has shifted so many times, are harboring the daughter of the wizard who tried to kill so many people? They'll say we haven't truly defected and we can get sent to Azkaban for this girl.

"I know it's an awful thing to do," She approached Draco and hugged him as he looked sullen. "But we can't risk anything anymore at this point, dear. And I'm sure she will be okay—much better without knowing who she really is."

Lucius couldn't stop looking apprehensively at the baby on the ground. "What do we do now?" He asked.

All three of them looked at the little girl, who was now looking confused at all three of them. "We get her away from here, maybe Kent or Essex. At least leave her in a decent orphanage." Narcissa said solemnly. "No point in hiding her up in Northumberland. In eleven years' time, they'll find her—they'll think she was abandoned by some other wizard—and she'll be just a normal wizard."

Draco looked at the little girl. She was Voldemort's daughter, yes, but that was not her choice and now she was going to be punished. It's not fair! He thought sadly. It's like…like…punishing me for being a Malfoy!

"A normal pureblood wizard." Lucius said dryly. Narcissa glared at him, but he smirked. "It's all right, dear. By the time someone tells her what she really is, she'll assume that she's muggle-born or something."

The Dark Lord came from an orphanage, Narcissa thought ironically. And how did that turn out?