[Disclaimer: HP and all that goes with it belongs to that lucky, brilliant
lady in England. Wish I was her, but I'm not. Please don't sue. Adelaide is
a product of my own twisted mind, however. Thanks!]
Prologue
The parlor was large and airy, with a not-so-subtle French design. Not surprising really, when you considered exactly whose parlor it is, Adelaide mused silently to herself, sipping a cup of tea from an ornate Louis XIV chair. The room lent itself to some distraction, with the paintings of long- dead nobles moving on the walls, and the occasional trinket here and there. She wouldn't have been surprised if the people in the painting were engaged in equally as much intrigue as her host, if not more. The silence was almost deafening, broken only by a large grandfather clock not ten feet away from her that kept the time. And time was slowly slipping away while she sat and drank her tea. She had been invited to the manor for a social call, though both host and guest knew otherwise. It was business as usual, though her host apparently thought nothing of keeping his guest waiting.
"Adelaide."
The voice came from the doorway to the parlor, and Adelaide slowly turned her head to look at the source of the voice.
"Lucius."
Lucius Malfoy swept into his parlor, to stare at the young woman sitting in his chair. Beautiful didn't begin to describe her. Pale skin marred by freckles, brown-red curled hair, and gray-blue eyes, like the cold and merciless Atlantic. Her body was less than ideal, because though she was petite in height, she lacked the thinness of most other women around her, including the lady of the house in which she was currently in. Still, she liked to think that it just made her softer, and gave her more curves—that, and anyone who dared call her pudgy was quickly hit. But for whatever reason, Adelaide was a favorite among some in the Death Eater's old crowd. To many people's curiosity however, it was interesting to note that Malfoy had never touched the girl. And for that, some believed that she had blackmail on Malfoy powerful enough to keep him away from her. In reality, both Malfoy and Adelaide knew that he was held off by his will alone and that only served to make her all the more nervous. He could tell. She was weak, insecure, just like her mother had been. A sneer appeared on his face at the thought of it all, but he quickly wiped it off. Best not to brass her off; she was needed for the moment.
"You should expect to hear from Hogwarts any day now. I do believe they will be offering you a position. You will, of course, accept."
Adelaide hid her frown in her teacup. If he had meddled and used his position on the board of Governors to get her a teaching position at Hogwarts, her plan could be ruined. Her reputation would be soiled from the get-go, all for being publicly associated with Lucius Malfoy. It wasn't as if it hadn't happened before, although Severus Snape had always been an outsider. Most people suspected him of being one of them, and they were right. But nobody suspected Adelaide, Lady Gentry, of being a Death Eater. And for good bloody reason. She'd fought long and hard to keep her reputation clean, to rise above the stain that being in contact with Death Eaters brought. Her reputation might be lily-white, but the same couldn't be said of her conscience. Far from it, in fact.
"You didn't pull strings did you? Damn it Lucius, I wanted to get into Hogwarts on my own. If everyone knows that you got me in, my cover will be blown."
Malfoy sneered at her. Stupid girl. He wouldn't do anything as blatantly obvious as push for her installment. That would be unwise, and certainly disrupt his carefully laid plans. No, he was simply privy to information she was not. And she would do well to go with the events laid before her, for they were carefully constructed. She would feel his wrath, and the wrath of their Dark Lord if she was too strong willed. It had never been a problem with her mother, but Adelaide was a different matter. Too much like her father. The thought brought a smile to Malfoy's face.
"I am on the board of Governors. Of course I know their decision on the matter. I do hope you like Ancient Runes."
Adelaide frowned again. Insufferable Git. The thought of having to submit to Lucius' will--whether or not she agreed with it--annoyed her to no end. Malfoy always got what he wanted, and she'd be damned if she kept him happy for long. But then, it had always been her goal to please Lucius Malfoy and the other Death Eaters, for whatever reason. Perhaps because they took the place of her father, or because she wanted the ability to control her own life. But no—she was a woman, and in their eyes, that meant little. Especially to the likes of Avery, Macnair, and Malfoy.
She finished her tea, and stood. Lucius showed her the way out like the good host, and she climbed into the safety of her own carriage. As it rolled down the road, she allowed herself to sink into the brocade seats and stare out the window at the bright scenery, pondering the upcoming year. There was a good possibility that she would not live to see the next summer, but the thought did not trouble her as much as she had imagined it would.
[A/N: Please take pity on me! This is my first fanfic, and something of a love affair with Addy. She popped in my head one day while walking to class on campus, and she simply won't let me be! I am looking for betas, and anyone who wants to, please do let me know! I promise I'll try to have more chapters up by the end of the week. I'm in the crunch to get some of the story done before OoTP comes out!]
Prologue
The parlor was large and airy, with a not-so-subtle French design. Not surprising really, when you considered exactly whose parlor it is, Adelaide mused silently to herself, sipping a cup of tea from an ornate Louis XIV chair. The room lent itself to some distraction, with the paintings of long- dead nobles moving on the walls, and the occasional trinket here and there. She wouldn't have been surprised if the people in the painting were engaged in equally as much intrigue as her host, if not more. The silence was almost deafening, broken only by a large grandfather clock not ten feet away from her that kept the time. And time was slowly slipping away while she sat and drank her tea. She had been invited to the manor for a social call, though both host and guest knew otherwise. It was business as usual, though her host apparently thought nothing of keeping his guest waiting.
"Adelaide."
The voice came from the doorway to the parlor, and Adelaide slowly turned her head to look at the source of the voice.
"Lucius."
Lucius Malfoy swept into his parlor, to stare at the young woman sitting in his chair. Beautiful didn't begin to describe her. Pale skin marred by freckles, brown-red curled hair, and gray-blue eyes, like the cold and merciless Atlantic. Her body was less than ideal, because though she was petite in height, she lacked the thinness of most other women around her, including the lady of the house in which she was currently in. Still, she liked to think that it just made her softer, and gave her more curves—that, and anyone who dared call her pudgy was quickly hit. But for whatever reason, Adelaide was a favorite among some in the Death Eater's old crowd. To many people's curiosity however, it was interesting to note that Malfoy had never touched the girl. And for that, some believed that she had blackmail on Malfoy powerful enough to keep him away from her. In reality, both Malfoy and Adelaide knew that he was held off by his will alone and that only served to make her all the more nervous. He could tell. She was weak, insecure, just like her mother had been. A sneer appeared on his face at the thought of it all, but he quickly wiped it off. Best not to brass her off; she was needed for the moment.
"You should expect to hear from Hogwarts any day now. I do believe they will be offering you a position. You will, of course, accept."
Adelaide hid her frown in her teacup. If he had meddled and used his position on the board of Governors to get her a teaching position at Hogwarts, her plan could be ruined. Her reputation would be soiled from the get-go, all for being publicly associated with Lucius Malfoy. It wasn't as if it hadn't happened before, although Severus Snape had always been an outsider. Most people suspected him of being one of them, and they were right. But nobody suspected Adelaide, Lady Gentry, of being a Death Eater. And for good bloody reason. She'd fought long and hard to keep her reputation clean, to rise above the stain that being in contact with Death Eaters brought. Her reputation might be lily-white, but the same couldn't be said of her conscience. Far from it, in fact.
"You didn't pull strings did you? Damn it Lucius, I wanted to get into Hogwarts on my own. If everyone knows that you got me in, my cover will be blown."
Malfoy sneered at her. Stupid girl. He wouldn't do anything as blatantly obvious as push for her installment. That would be unwise, and certainly disrupt his carefully laid plans. No, he was simply privy to information she was not. And she would do well to go with the events laid before her, for they were carefully constructed. She would feel his wrath, and the wrath of their Dark Lord if she was too strong willed. It had never been a problem with her mother, but Adelaide was a different matter. Too much like her father. The thought brought a smile to Malfoy's face.
"I am on the board of Governors. Of course I know their decision on the matter. I do hope you like Ancient Runes."
Adelaide frowned again. Insufferable Git. The thought of having to submit to Lucius' will--whether or not she agreed with it--annoyed her to no end. Malfoy always got what he wanted, and she'd be damned if she kept him happy for long. But then, it had always been her goal to please Lucius Malfoy and the other Death Eaters, for whatever reason. Perhaps because they took the place of her father, or because she wanted the ability to control her own life. But no—she was a woman, and in their eyes, that meant little. Especially to the likes of Avery, Macnair, and Malfoy.
She finished her tea, and stood. Lucius showed her the way out like the good host, and she climbed into the safety of her own carriage. As it rolled down the road, she allowed herself to sink into the brocade seats and stare out the window at the bright scenery, pondering the upcoming year. There was a good possibility that she would not live to see the next summer, but the thought did not trouble her as much as she had imagined it would.
[A/N: Please take pity on me! This is my first fanfic, and something of a love affair with Addy. She popped in my head one day while walking to class on campus, and she simply won't let me be! I am looking for betas, and anyone who wants to, please do let me know! I promise I'll try to have more chapters up by the end of the week. I'm in the crunch to get some of the story done before OoTP comes out!]
