Disclaimer: I do not own any of the characters created by the imagination of J.k. Rowling. I own those made of my own imagination, but that's an entirely different matter. Just know that characters belonging to J.k. Rowling are just that. Hers. Now, on with the story.
Chapter One
Dawn Nyria Chandler stood in front of her mirror, running a brush slowly through her long, ebony hair, the glossy strands falling about her shoulders and down her back, almost to her waist. The two strands at the front fell only just above her shoulders and are a deep, golden-blonde in color. They curl under slightly to frame her bronze-complexioned face. Her eyes, two twin onxy jewels, glittered with silent annoyance at the fact that her father was making her sit with those pricks. The children of his fellow Death Eaters that Voldemort had called to gather at the Chandler Estate that afternoon.
The look of annoyance did not lessen when there was a knock at her door, before the door was slowly inched forward, a small house elf standing just inside her room, bowing deeply, "Young Mistress... Master Nicholae wishes you downstairs in ten minutes. He says you will most certainly be late should you take much longer..." She squeaked, her large eyes staring down at the floor below her feet, her ears laying against her head.
Dawn shook her head and smirked lightly, "Stop that bowing, Erene. Stand up straight. I'll be down straight away... I just need to check on Emiko and make sure he's fed, okay?" Her smirk stayed in place, though the annoyance fled from her eyes to be replaced by a slightly reassuring glint, "Now, get out of here and let me finish getting ready." She ordered, but her voice held none of the firm authority her father, Nicholae Chandler, often showed with the house elves.
She watched as Elene nodded and left the room, shutting the door behind her, before the girl rolled her eyes, I swear... The elves really must stop BOWING to me... I don't care what they do around Nicholae, but it makes me just a bit uncomfortable... She thought before smoothing out her dark jeans, fitting snugly at her small waist before bagging around her long, slender legs, reaching the tops of her feet, clad only in a pair of dark black socks. Her eyes studied her reflection, as her hands smoothed the front of her black tank-top that was placed under an unbuttoned hunter-green blouse, made of a smooth silk, that feel to her thighs. This was how she often dressed, the loose clothing meant to cover her slender, feminine frame, for the most part, completely developed, as she was now fifteen, soon to be sixteen, years old.
Before she left her room, she grabbed her wand and tucked it safely into the drawer of the table by her queen-sized, four poster bed, her eyes scanning the room for the small black and grey kitten she called Emiko. He was under the bed, peeking out at her with his pale blue eyes, purring softly. She smiled softly and shook her head, "I'm off to keep them company. Thank Merlin Lyriara, Heydon, and Sai will be there, eh?" She smirked once more and turned from the room, slamming her door behind her.
"Dawn. Must you slam your door like that?" Nicholae demanded when she reached the last stair, stepping onto the first floor of Chandler Estate. His eyes, the same onxy color as his daughter's, narrowed into irritated slits when the girl shrugged, "And, I have asked you before not to do that, either. Now, let me see your hands..." He demanded, arching a brow and running a frustrated hand through his ebony hair, falling about his own darkly tanned face. It was rather obvious from where young Dawn had inherited her looks.
She sighed and held out her hands, stubbornly turning the palm up, when she knew he was referring to her nails, which she had yet again painted and designed. The long, manicured nails were painted a dark black with a deep crimson rose designed by her mother in the center of each nail, the rose itself in full-bloom with a long, twisted stem. It looked oddly like the rose tattooed on the back of her right shoulder, though her father had yet to see this, as she wore either a longer-sleeved shirt, or a cloak over it.
Nicholae took her hands roughly in his own and turned them over so her palms were down, instead of up towards the ceiling and out of his view, "Dawn..." He growled when he saw the polish and the design, "I don't know who has taught you to do such nonsense, but I truly wish you would stop doing this to your nails..." He muttered, letting go of her hand and shaking his head, "We'll discuss that later, though. Into the sitting room. Our guests have already started to arrive, while you were in your room..." He rolled his eyes and took her by the shoulders, forcing her forward and to the door of the spacious sitting room.
Dawn wrenched her shoulders from his grasp, glaring back at him before turning her gaze back to the inside of the room, moving her eyes from the polished hardwood floor to the crimson, velvet drapes decorating the floor to ceiling windows on either side of the room. Bookshelves lined the room, as well, and in the center of the far well, right between two large windows, was a fireplace, unused right now, the summer months making it unnecessary.
Finally looking towards the center of the room, Dawn noticed that none of those she wished to see had yet to arrive. The furniture in the room consisted of two couches, one facing the other, and two chairs on either side of the couches, facing the two chairs on the other side, a long coffee table in the center of this display. The four chairs and the two couches were all covered in the same crimson velvet, much like that hanging from the windows, contrasting nicely with the light mocha-colored walls.
In the chair on the far end of the coffee table, a boy of sixteen sat, his silver eyes fixed on Nicholae and Dawn, one brow arched slightly. He stood silently and smirked, running a hand through his pale, white-blonde hair so that his bangs fell over his forehead and into one eye, "Mister Chandler..." He nodded, his gaze shifting to the girl in front of Nicholae, "Dawn..." He muttered, before sitting back in his chair and templing his fingers beneat his chin, a smirk forming on his lips.
Nicholae's own lips curved into a slight smirk, "Draco. I trust your mother is doing well. I her your father has successfully broken out of Azkaban, along with the others he managed to get caught at the Ministry recently..." He snarled, arching a brow. Nicholae had never been too keen on Lucius Malfoy, but his blunder in the Ministry had intensified such a dislike, and should he come face to face with the man, there was very likely to be a rivalry started between the Malfoy family and the Chandler family.
Draco nodded once, dropping his arms to rest on the arms of his chair, "Yes, Sir... He's been called here, actually... Along with Mum..." He murmured, his eyes betraying his fear for his parents, though Dawn was the only one to notice this quick flash of emotion. Lucius had gotten many of Voldemort's best put into Hogwarts and had not succeeded in delivering, or even hearing, the prophecy. The Dark Lord was not happy with the Malfoys at that moment.
Nicholae's lips curved into a frown, "Wonderful..." He growled, turning from the room to go on to the room next to the Sitting room, where it had been arranged for the Death Eater's to meet secretly with Voldemort. His hands had clenched into fists and his long, black robe snapped behind him as he left the two.
Dawn rolled her eyes and went over to sit on the end of the couch, farthest from where Draco sat in his chair, bending her legs at the knees and tucking her feet beneath her. She said nothing to the sixteen year old boy, propping her elbow on the arm of the couch and resting her cheek against her closed fist, her nails pressing gently against her palm as she did so.
The two sat in silence until a girl Dawn's age stepped through the doorway, a grin full of mischief fixed on her face, her grey-green eyes glittering with amusement, "Dawn Chandler. You're in deep, mate. You haven't written me, yet, this summer..." She teased, flicking away a strand of dark, straw-colored hair, the strands reaching to her shoulders. Her hands rested on her small hips, thumbs resting in the belt loops of her black shorts, her long legs peeking out from the bottoms, until the were covered once more by her black socks and tennis shoes.
Dawn looked up, a grin slipping over her features, "Lyriara Avani... Don't even try it... We've barely been out of school two weeks, now." She protested, jumping to her feet and smirking lightly, "Now, are you going to hug me and say hello, or continue to scold me?" She asked, pursing her lips into a small pout.
Draco rolled his eyes, thankful to see Crabbe and Goyle step around Lyriara, exchange confused looks, and walk over to sit down. Crabbe sat in the chair beside Draco, while Goyle took a seat on the end of the couch beside Malfoy, "Have a good summer, boys?" Draco asked with a smirk, though his gaze was fixed absently on Dawn, a curious glint in his eyes.
Lyriara seemed to consider this for a moment, before nodding once, "You're right. Forget the scolding. I did enough of it last year at school..." She teased, stepping forward and wrapping her friend into a hug, before the two seperated and took seats in the chairs opposite Draco and Crabbe.
Dawn shook her head, laughing softly, before looking up and brushing a strand of hair from her eyes, "Something the matter, Malfoy?" She asked him, quirking a brow and tilting her head a bit to the side, causing Lyriara to smirk slightly and roll her eyes.
Draco narrowed his eyes, wiping the curiousity easily from his eyes, "What? Of course nothing is the matter, Chandler..." He snapped, folding his arms over his chest, "I don't see why Nicholae tried acting so polite, though. The entire Wizarding Community knows of his hatred towards my father at this point... You do keep up with what goes on, don't you, Avani? With your mother being a bloody muggle and all..." He smirked, Crabbe and Goyle grunting in agreement before laughing, their reaction a bit slow, but still there.
Lyriara growled softly, glaring at Draco for a moment before rolling her eyes, "It's not even worth it, Malfoy..." She muttered, lifting her gaze when a small cough could be heard from the doorway, coming from a girl who seemed to be only twelve years old, though her small frame and stature made her look much younger, with dark black hair, cut off at her shoulders, streaked with silver highlights. Her dark brown eyes scanned the room, a small frown on her pale lips. The young girl was Sai Chandler, the only cousin of three that Dawn knew how to tolerate.
Before she could speak, two others stepped behind her, one male and one female. The girl seemed to be Dawn's age, if not a bit younger, considering her own form hadn't quite finished developing, yet. She wore a tight black tank-top, that showed about an inch of her pale, flat stomach, and a black skirt that reached to mid-thigh, while black leather boots hugged her calves to her knees. About her slender neck was a brown beaded necklace, a onxy star hanging at her collarbone. Her long, stick-straight hair was an odd, brown-tinted, silver in color and fell to her waist, falling over the left of her copper-brown eyes.
The male resembled the girl standing beside him greatly, though standing much taller. He seemed to be in his early twenties, with a complexion just as fair as the fifteen year old girls, while the younger, Sai, had a darker complexion. He wore a tight black shirt on his lean upper-body and baggy black jeans on his legs, a cloak clasped about his neck, along with a necklace matching that of the older girl beside him. His own copper-colored eyes narrowed at those already in the room before he stepped forward, moving easily around Sai, and walked to the empty couch, sitting without saying a word. His own oddly colored hair matched the older girl's hair in coloring, while falling to the base of his neck and into his right eye.
The girl stepped forward as well, a smirk creeping over her lips as she spotted Draco, one slender brow arching, "Hmn... Draco Malfoy, isn't it? I've heard a lot about you from Father... We'll be going to Hogwarts this year..." She said absently, walking over to sit beside the older boy she'd arrived with, though she indicated Sai when she'd referred to 'we.'
Sai rolled her eyes and smiled brightly at Dawn, who looked rather shocked at this tidbit of information, "Yeah... Kyanna's ruined the big surprise, Dawn..." She muttered, rushing forward and climbing up to sit with Dawn, glaring at Kyanna, "You weren't supposed to know, yet..." Her lips pursed into a displeased pout, and Dawn's eyes caught an amusement glint in the silver eyes of the boy across from her.
Dawn groaned softly and looked over at the now smirking Kyanna, and shook her head, "Oh, bloody hell... I can't wait." She muttered, sarcasm dripping from her voice, her dark eyes clashing with Kyanna's lighter gaze. Dawn clamped her lips together and shook her head, closing her eyes for a moment, before looking to the boy, "And, you, Kente... You've finished school, correct?"
Kente smirked and nodded once, "Yes, Dawn. I've finished school. I do feel sorry for Sai and Kyanna. Going to Hogwarts, instead of Durmstrang. Kyanna's going to miss out on her sixth and seventh year there, and Sai will only have one year at Durmstrang to compare Hogwarts to. I can't believe Father would switch them from such a good school such as Durmstrang to a school that only teaches to defend Dark magic..." He muttered, eyes narrowing slighlty.
Before Dawn could speak, however, another teenager appeared at the doorway. This one was a tall, lean boy with a lightly tanned complexion, and sapphire blue eyes, the identical pools scanning the room before coming to rest on Dawn, a smirk slipping over his lips. He reached up and moved a few strands of ebony hair from his forehead, arching a brow, "Dawn Chandler?" He asked, stepping inside, before shaking his head, "I'm Aubrey Masters... Your father has told me a lot about you..." He informed her when she arched a brow in question.
The girl barely resisted the urge to smack herself in the forehead, before looking around the room, all but Kente watching her now. She felt her cheeks flush, coloring the skin a faint pink against her dark skin, "Oi. That's great, Aubrey. I'm ecstatic to know my father is discussing me, now..." She said with a roll of her eyes, making the boy's smirk deepen.
"Right, then. You'll find out why we were talking about you soon, whether you know now or not..." He stepped in front of her chair and took her hand with his, pressing his lips to the back of her hand before releasing it and sitting on the end of the couch beside Dawn's chair, chuckling at the glare he received from the young Sai, "What's wrong, little one? Don't like me?" He asked, a faux hurt look in his eyes, "I would understand. I've never liked children, anyway..."
Dawn glared at him and shook her head, "Leave Sai alone, Masters... She's my cousin, and I don't appreciate people messing with her, and you're no exception..." She snapped, wrapping her arms about the child's small waist, "I don't see why you all had to ocme along, anyway... Our parents could have just met and I could have stayed in my room as I normally do..." She muttered, her mood having taken a nose-dive.
"Well, fine, then, my dear Dawn." A girl's voice came from behind her, and Dawn's gaze flicked back to land on the owner of the voice. She was tall, probably as tall as Dawn, anyway, and had an athletic figure with a complexion somewhere between pale and tanned. Her hazel eyes held a teasing glint and her burgandy hair framed her face, falling just past her shoulders in long layers, "Don't want me here... I feel unloved. Don't you, Avani?" She asked, arching a brow.
Lyriara laughed, "Oh, yes, I do... She makes me feel most unwelcome..." She answered, smirking at Dawn, "We only agreed to come to see our dear friend, who hasn't written us in TWO weeks... I am still very hurt about that, by the way." She joked, her eyes glittering once more.
Dawn rolled her eyes and stood, letting go of Sai and putting the girl in the chair in her spot, before turning to the newcomer, "Why, Heydon Shardae... I simply met those around me with little to no brain power in this room. Namely..." She swept her arm about to indicate Draco, Crabbe, Goyle, Kente, Kyanna, and Aubrey, before continuing, "I never would have minded had it been just you, Lyriara, and Sai. It wouldn't have been so bad had Myrah, Brialah, and Adeena showed up, either."
Aubrey rolled his eyes and stood, "You speak as if we are not in the room. None of us here are stupid..." His eyes flicked to Crabbe and Goyle, before smirking and looking back to Dawn, "Well, most of us, anyway... Besides, you don't even know me. How do you know you don't like me, eh?" He asked her with a smug smirk, arching a brow.
Dawn's cheeks flushed pink for a moment before the girl's eyes narrowed up at him, "Oh, shove it, Masters... I don't know you. You're right. But, that doesn't mean I want to, either." She added, putting her hands on her hips. After a moment of her dark eyes clashing with Aubrey's sapphire gaze, she turned back to Heydon and smiled, "Now. Where were we before we were so rudely interrupted?" She asked, arching a brow.
Heydon rolled her eyes, catching Draco smirking at Aubrey, who had taken his seat once more beside Goyle, "Oh, I think I was saying something about you not wanting us to be here. But, that was in the past. Now..." She stepped forward and the two hugged, "That's better..." She grinned and sat on the end of the couch beside Lyriara's chair, Kyanna arching a brow in irritation, but Heydon ignoring her.
Dawn laughed, taking her seat once more, Sai moving back to her lap, "My, my... You two are outnumbered, eh?" She teased, looking at Lyriara and Heydon, pretty much ignoring the others, "Two Gryffindors... I'm a Slytherin. I know Malfoy, Crabbe, and Goyle are, as well... Kyanna and Sai, and then Aubrey... I have no idea what house the three of you belong to, though. Want to tell me?" She asked, smiling reluctantly at the boy, then Kyanna, and finally looking down at Sai, her smile genuine.
Sai nodded quickly, being the first to speak, "Professor Dumbledore told me and Kyanna in our letter that we would both be placed in Slytherin. I'll be with you, Dawn." She grinned, clasping her hands together in excitement, looking up at Dawn, who smiled and nodded at the younger girl.
Kyanna rolled her eyes, looking at the younger girl before her gaze flicked to Dawn, "Yes... Bloody brilliant. We'll get to be in the same house as our dear cousin... Though, I'd have rather stayed at Durmstrang. My classes were getting interesting. Now, I'm going to Hogwarts and all I'll learn is a whole lot of nothing." She muttered, her eyes shining with displeasure.
Dawn shrugged, looking to Aubrey, who smirked lightly at her and shook his head, "I'm hurt, Dawn. I'm a Slytherin, as well. I'm even in your year. Yet, you don't know I'm in the same house as you..." He clicked his tongue, before chuckling softly, "No matter... You do now and maybe the two of us will see more of one another at school. I certainly hope so, anyway."
Heydon made a gagging noise and Lyriara nodded her agreement, before laughing lightly. Dawn's cheeks heated up once more before her eyes rolled in annoyance, "We'll see, Masters, but don't get your hopes up, or anything stupid like that..." She mirrored his smirk with one of her own, Sai laughing at this exchange.
The room fell silent after this, but it did not remain so for long, as a figure appeared in the doorway. This time it was no teenager, but an adult. Nicholae Chandler, to be more exact. His eyes narrowed at each one in the room, before he spoke, his voice low, "The Dark Lord wishes to speak with you... All of you." He said, glaring at those in the room, waiting for them to get up and follow him.
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Author's Note: Sorry everyone... It's a bit of a cliffhanger, but you know I love you, anyway. You'll just have to tune in next chapter to see what happens when Dawn, Lyriara, Heydon, Kente, Kyanna, Sai, Draco, Crabbe, Goyle, and Aubrey meet with Lord Voldemort himself. It has something to do with a certain mission. So, this is where I warn you... Our next chapter starts with the spoilers you will see if you have yet to read the sixth book. Enjoy. Review! It would be most appreciated.