Lestrange. The last name was a curse after the fall of the Dark Lord Voldemort. The Lestrange family were known worshipers locked away in Azkaban for their crimes - that was all but one of them. Delilah Lestrange. Not many knew of the name as she was not notorious as were her parents. She was just a toddler when the infant ended Voldemorts reign again all those who argued his pure blood superiority over mud-bloods and pure-blood traitors. Many did not know she existed at all, save for those in her family. Upon he arrests of Bellatrix and Rodolphus, their young child was left in the care of Bellatrix's sister, Narcissa and her family at the Malfoy manner. While, Lucius was less than please to have his wife dote upon a child aside from their own, she was of pure blood and would help pave the way to better future for their kind.
Delilah grew up a black mark on the Malfoy name. The girl with dark, curly hair and a pale complexion, while the others dawned their straight platinum strands. While she tailed behind them through Diagon Alley, and Narcissa treated the young girl much like her own daughter she was never held to the same standard and status as a Malfoy. Delilah was merely their shadow.
Even as they strolled from shop to shop, robes dancing around their ankles as they sought out the list of items Delilah would need for her first year at Hogwarts School of Witchcraft and Wizardry, heir focus was on their only child Draco. While eleven-year-old Delilah's arms were struggling to carry her shiny new cauldron, books and robes, nine-year-old Draco devoured sweets from the chocolate shop and whined at every opportunity. His time at Hogwarts would come with time, but he wanted his turn now. Jealously could be seen in glassy gray eyes that watched the girl who was more of a sister than a cousin. Normally, the pair were on good terms, but since her letter arrived, Draco, starved for attention took every chance to make Delilah pay.
Falling back from alongside her mother, a foot snuck out from beneath his robes. Not noticing it in time Delilah's feet collided with his smaller, sending her down onto the harsh cobblestone that lined the streets of Diagon Alley. Green eyes shut tight, fighting back the burn of tears that threatened to spill. She could feet the cuts on her hands from bracing her fall, and the soreness that came with her cauldron digging into her middle- but worst of all she could feel the eyes of many watching as she remained on the ground.
Anger threatened to take her but Delilah knew all to well that if she let it consume her, she would only bring further shame and embarrassment to herself and the Malfoy family. Back home, when her magic became too much to control she was known to shatter mirrors with a glance and even start fires- Delilah hoped that with the teaching of Hogwarts professors she would quickly learn to control such intense emotional outbursts and their connection to her magic.
Eyes only did part when a gentle hand found her shoulder. Peering through thick lashes, Delilah expected to find the womanly figure of her aunt gazing down upon her, instead however, she found an unfamiliar pair of warm brown eyes and flaming red hair. A Weasley. Pushing up from the ground, Delilah stumbled back, pushing herself away from the boy. If her uncle saw her with him, the punishment would be grand. He loathed the Weasley' wasn't a week that she didn't hear about their hand-me-down robes or their horrible taste in muggle artifacts. They Weasley's were pureblood witches ad wizards, but had lowered themselves down to the ranks of the muggleborns - which was something the Malfoy's disapproved of greatly.
"It's alright," the boy assured, his other hand reaching back to show that he had picked up on of her books that had fallen from her clutches.
"-You need to go," her words were cold, even if she craved to be kind. It would be better for him if she kept up appearances. "Get out of here before-"
"And what do we have here?" It was the voice of her uncle cutting through the air in a voice laced with privileged. His next words were a laugh; "Another Weasley," his eyes rolled, they did not know when to stop did they.
It was obvious by the look on the young Weasley's face that he had not realized Delilah had been with the Malfoy family- he seemed almost petrified as Lucius gazed down upon them. He had been warned to stay away from them, but he had always sought out trouble, though he preferred to cause it. Before Lucius could speak again, a plump woman with frizzy red hair and a young girl on her hip marched out into the alley.
"Fred Weasley!" Her tone was almost harsh but carried an undertone of worry. Caring for seven children was hard enough, never mind when they were running off and getting themselves lots. "What do you think you're doing?"
The boy who once wore a friendly smile let his face fall into a frown, he knew better than to talk back with both Mr. Malfoy and his mother breathing down their necks. Handing the book back to the girl, he then moved back towards his mother with quick strides. The words they exchanged were to soft for Delilah to hear, but she knew they were about her- they kept looking back her way. She almost expected the woman to start screaming, but instead a kiss was placed on top of the boy's head and they continued on with their shopping at the stores the Malfoy's wouldn't even consider walking in.
A rough hand soon broke her focus on the red-haired family. It was a hard pressure around her thin arm. It was the hand of her Uncle Lucius, pulling her off into a dark alley lined with witches and wizards that made her shiver in fear. Harsh words fell on deaf ears. He was scolding her for falling, making a fool out of him and his family but worst of all, associating with the Weasley boy even if it were just for a moment. Eyes remained on the ground for the duration of their trip to Diagon Alley out of shame. Would this rejection follow her into her time at Hogwarts as her name was a curse? Or could Delilah finally shed the role of outcast and find a place among her peers where she truly belonged? As the tiny girl returned to Malfoy with her wand, and her books, she hoped that on September 1st that Hogwart would become her home.