You remind me of yesterdays.
How long had it been?
She heard a little boy's laughter.
How long had it been?
They tried to reach the sky, above them.
They tried to reach the sun that warmed them.
How long had it been since the good days.
We were children at play.
How long till the end.
How long do we have left.
Do you think we could reconcile?
If the nightmare ends.
Maybe we could play as children in the sun again.
If this nightmare ends…
Ally's Mistress sang her sad song as she played the grand piano. Ally was bringing her Mistress tea, but Ally knew not to interrupt until Mistress finished her song. Ally liked to listen to Mistress sing, but Mistress had been singing many sad songs ever since her despicable brother had come on Mistress's doorstep.
Ally did not like Mistress's brother she never had even when she had served their parents. Lucius as a child was quick to find fault in many things in life and seemed to find his servants pain amusing. Now Ally's Mistress had never been like that. She was a good well behaved child and has always been nice to her elves. Yes Ally did not like Mr. Pimp Cane Wizard who made her Mistress sad at all.
Adrianna signed and took her tea from Ally.
"Thank you Ally. If you will sit up my writing desk with the plain stationary and the purple ink. I have a letter to write."
"Of course Mistress!"
Adrianna frowned as she watched her house elf her mind on the letter she would write. It was important that she be near her nephew in order to protect him which of course meant she must go to Hogwarts. Naturally being a teacher would be ideal in this instant.
Of course the Defence job was always open, but she did not want that job. She was qualified indubitably and yet… it had been so long. So long since she duelled in the tournaments. So long even that she had cast any harmful spell at all. Yes she would have to face that fear, but not all at once. She could not handle that job yet. No she would not put herself though that torture unless there was no other way.
And there was another way two in fact, maybe even three. The muggle studies teacher was missing most likely dead. That meant another position was open another one that she was certain she could teach. Adrianna had refused to be ignorant when she moved to a muggle neighbourhood Yes she could teach about muggles, but while she might never need to cast a spell in the class room she would be putting herself in needless danger. A Malfoy teaching muggle studies? The world would riot. It would bring unwanted attention and anger towards her. Also she didn't think it would help her nephew trust her at all. She would pick the position over DADA, but only just.
There were no more positions open that she knew of, but she was hopeful her skills could make a position open. One hobby of hers that her family despised was her fascination with obscure and mostly useless forms of magic. For example the ability she hoped to use. Exorcism. The ability to expel a ghost, ghoul, or poltergeist. Exorcism is an old magic that is easy to learn it, but very rare to do. It was a lost art that few bothered to learn. Adrianna understood her old history teacher who was a ghost and a horrible teacher was still teaching. She was hopeful that Dumbledore would jump at the chance to have a competent teacher for that class and if she wasn't he could always fire her after a year of her teaching and then hire someone else with the ghost gone. History would be her preferred subject.
If none of that worked she would have make the caretaker disappear and get his job. No she wouldn't kill him, she would wipe his memory and hand him a portkey to somewhere tropical.
Of course she couldn't have any position if she couldn't persuade Dumbledore why she wanted the job.
That was the real problem. How should she come across to Dumbledore? Innocently wishing to teach children after her self induced exile? He would never believe it, though if she could prove she meant no harm he may allow her anyway. Perhaps another form of obscure magic could help? Yes, that might just work.
She rose and descended upon her writing desk where she would write and rewrite a single letter for over an hour. Then she would instruct Abby to bring out her clothes and other items she had put away long ago and to begin packing up her more valuable books with care for transport.
Abby was a good house elf and she would obey her Mistress and yet Abby could not help feeling a deep sense of dread as she carried out her Mistresses orders. Change was coming and it did not feel like it would be a good change for her Mistress.
Lucius POV last night right before he went to his sister's
Draco was always a beautiful child. He had the standard Malfoy hair, his mother's eyes and facial features. He had been a sweet child always willing to help his mother and to accompany his father on his trips to the ministry. Draco was still just a child though he was now 16. He was a good dueller and quidditch player. He made good grades and he kept the family traditions. But he was not the best and because of that Lucius did not often express his approval of how his son turned out.
Seeing his son with his eyes so like his mothers filled with fear scared Lucius and when the Dark Lord threaten to hurt his child the very thought hurt him. Malfoys were cold and perfect in every way and they did not express emotions. That was what Lucius's father said to him and what he said to Draco. It was also what his sister at the age of 7 had called hippogriff dung.
Lucius thoughts seemed jumbled after his imprisonment. They went from thoughts of his son to thoughts of his sister. Thoughts of his Lord and his Lords madness and cruelty. Sometimes he thought of his wife and how strong she had become for their son.
Narcissa gave more comfort to Draco then he did for all that Lucius tried. Lucius found himself touching his son's hair or shoulder softly. He found himself giving Draco his full attention when he was in the room and listening closely when his son spoke. He found himself looking at his son like he could die at any moment and hating his own upbringing that refused to let him hold the boy. Not only would it show weakness, but with the way he raised Draco it would terrify him to see his own fathers fear of losing him so plainly.
The fear and the slowly creeping madness was consuming him. He felt like he would be eaten alive by it and then, and then he remembered Adrianna.
Flashbacks
Two blond children sat at a large empty dining table. The girl who was taller learned over in her sit to cut the boys meat for him with the steak knife.
Adrianna was two years older than he. She was the one he was closest too. She was the one that took care of him when their parents weren't there.
A boy shoot into the sky on a broom stick laughing loudly as his sister chased after him on her own broom trying to scold him and stop her own laughter at the same time.
She was the one that played with him and taught him to ride a broom. At least he had done that. He did teach Draco how to ride a broom himself instead of having someone else to do so.
He thoughts went one way and then another. He needed to think. To pull himself together.
It was the day his sister left.
His father was harsh man and a powerful man. When he was angry his eyes would flash and his hair would move slightly cracking with magic wanting to escape. Lucius had never seen his father scream before because it was beneath his father to do so it was something he said he would never allow himself to do, but he did once. Adrianna made him scream at her in anger. Lucius never knew how she did it, but he remembered his father's voice filled with anger and magic and he remembered Adrianna's own anger voice and the way she looked at him defiantly and without fear.
He had never heard Adrianna scream like that either when his father put the curse on her that made her scream and cry in agony. He was too afraid to try and stop his father. When it was over she looked at his father in disgust and said. "I thought you didn't lose control like that father?" He made to cruse her again and she yelled at him. "I thought no Malfoy screamed yet you make your own child scream in pain?" He spat, "You are no child of mine!" She rose and she nodded and then she attacked him.
His father and sister duelled She was just now 17. She had refused an arranged marriage. She was only 17. His father was stronger, meaner, and more experienced. They both used dark magic though he aimed to kill and she did not. They duelled and she won.
His father did not yell in anger, but she made him.
He had never heard his sister scream like that.
They duelled and she won.
They duelled She won.
She always won. She was brave and smart and cunning. She was always there for him and she always won.
It was the clearest thought he had in a long time. He left to visit a muggle neighbourhood and knock on mahogany wood.