Chapter
Two. The Balance of Life and Death
"So you really blew the class room door off and declared it was time for a party? What did Snape do?" Draco asked Cerridwen in admiration whilst they sat in the lounge. They had grown close after exchanging tales of their lives and were often found working side by side when out on missions. It had been three weeks since Severus had taken Cerridwen to Lord Voldemort and three weeks since she had joined the Death Eaters.
"He looked as though he couldn't believe his eyes! Then he saw that it was me and groaned," laughed Cerridwen. "And to top it all off, he gave me detention for seven weeks!"
"Ah but how many weeks of detention did you really do Cerridwen?" asked Snape from the doorway where he stood with Lucius.
"I did my full seven weeks!" she said folding her arms across her chest ready to argue.
"If I remember correctly, and trust me I do, it was only one day," he said firmly.
"Yeah well, one day scrubbing the trophy collection can make a girl think that she has been doing it for seven weeks!" said Cerridwen quietly as Lucius and Draco laughed. "What do you want anyway? Draco and I were busy exchanging tales of woe."
"Is that what you call it?" asked Snape with a smirk.
"Yes! Take that time you made me scrub all of those nasty cauldrons! And without magic!"
"Cerridwen, you had purposely melted six of those cauldrons and exploded four, did you honestly think I would turn a blind eye?"
"Yes actually, I did," she laughed.
"We only came to see if you were both alive and to check your back Cerridwen," said Lucius coming into the room. Cerridwen dropped her cloak from her shoulders to reveal her scarred back. The scabs had vanished and it no longer caused her pain. Lucius sighed sadly.
"We were too late to prevent the scarring," Severus told Lucius.
"It's no biggy," said Cerridwen unconcerned, pulling her cloak back up. "It's pretty cool actually, you know, makes me feel all big and bad and mean!"
"She's being serious isn't she," said Lucius startled as Cerridwen laughed. "Let's leave these two with their stories, Severus."
"Why do not wear robes?" Draco suddenly asked her once the two men had left the room.
"Oh I do, during the winter, but in the summer I love to feel the sun on my back and shoulders, you know, on my bare skin. So I just wear these," she said indicating the blue halter neck t-shirt and long boot cut denim jeans under her cloak. "I know it doesn't look very lady like, but I never was much of a lady growing up, and it means I can blend in with muggles when I have a particular urge to kill."
"Mother says that you only wear them to upset Aunt Bellatrix," said Draco cautiously.
"Well Draco, your mother is wrong. I couldn't give a flying goat's head about Bellatrix."
"Cerridwen, can I ask you something important?"
"Sure Little Dragon," she said and he smiled at the nickname she had bestowed upon him.
"How come you are so powerful? Mother says you were born with it and father says that it is in all of us but that you allowed yours to take over you and well…"
"Your mother is right Draco, I was born with it, or so I'm told," she said rolling her eyes. "But your father is right also. I did let it take over me, to the point where I lost all self control."
"But not anymore?"
"No, not anymore. Severus has been teaching me how to maintain control. Right, I am now officially tired, so, goodnight my Little Dragon friend…"
"Cousin," said Draco quickly. "We are cousins."
"So we are," Cerridwen smiled. "Well then goodnight my Little Dragon cousin."
Cerridwen left the room and walked upstairs to bed. As she reached the first landing, she heard Draco go into the study where Severus, Lucius, Rodolphus and Bellatrix were. She crouched down low and listened, luckily she did not have to strain to listen to hard because Draco was standing in the doorway.
"What is it Draco?" Narcissa asked her son.
"I want to know why I can't be like Cerridwen," he demanded. "I want her powers!"
"You're not like her Draco son, because for starters she is female, two she is part Black and Lestrange and three she a damn sight more intelligent then you," said Lucius and Cerridwen smiled with glee.
"Plus she is bold, daring and couldn't really care about who she hurts as long as she is having fun," Severus laughed. "Oh and she hates her mother and father, unlike you Draco."
"Severus!" gasped Narcissa.
"Its true mother," said Draco. "She does hate them, sorry Aunt Bella, Uncle Rodolphus, but you have never given her any reason not to hate you both."
"I couldn't care less if she hates me or not, she is nothing more then an over grown spoilt brat," snarled Bellatrix pushing passed Draco and storming from the study. She was heading up the stairs; Cerridwen remained sitting where she was. Bellatrix stopped as she turned onto the landing and saw Cerridwen sat on floor. Cerridwen starred at her mother hard before pulling herself to her feet and turning. She walked to her bedroom with a grace and calmness that let Bellatrix dumbfounded on the staircase.
Fed up with Cerridewen's behaviour and cursing under her breath, Bellatrix headed into her daughter's bedroom with a rage of her own. She slammed the door shut to show Cerridwen that enough was enough.
"I have had enough!" she snarled venomously. "You came into my life unwanted for the second time and expect me to welcome you with open arms, well tough! I didn't want you then and I don't want you now!"
"I didn't come into your life because I wanted you to be my mother or whatever it is you think that I wanted. All I ever wanted was revenge!" spat Cerridwen. "I wanted to see you dead! To watch you die, to feel the breath slip through your lungs!"
"Then do it," jeered Bellatrix. "Go on, kill me!"
Cerridwen, who did not need telling twice, looked her mother hard in the eyes, all of the rage and emotion which she had felt for the last twenty four years of her life flew from her and at Bellatrix, whose hands quickly moved to her throat as the emotions started to choke her slowly. She crashed around the bedroom, banging into the wardrobe, toppling over the chair until she was slammed against the wall.
Footsteps pounded on the stairs and the bedroom door flew open. Snape, Lucius, Draco, Rodolphus and Narcissa looked startled at the flailing Bellatrix who was now a few feet off the ground. Snape divided at Cerridwen and shook her hard.
"Stop it!" he hissed, leaving Rodolphus to rush to his wife.
"She is killing her!" screamed Narcissa and Cerridwen snapped out of her rage.
"Get out now!" snarled Snape to the others, who quickly fled the room. He stood up and shut the door before walking over to the chair and picking it up. He sat down and looked at Cerridwen. "Do you feel better now?"
"Yes," she said in a whisper.
"That was controlling your emotions," he said calmly. "You did not allow them to overwhelm you."
"But I was going to kill her."
"I know and it was you all along, not the emotions of Cerridwen DeNoir, just you. It is what you wanted to do and it was because of you that she did not die. You heard Narcissa's voice and stopped. You stopped yourself," he said, a hint of pride gracing his voice. "I think you have taught Bellatrix a very valuable lesson tonight."
"I have?"
"You showed her that you would stay true to your word, you proved that you really are your mother's daughter," said Snape. "Now get some sleep."
ooo0ooo
"So all we have to do is … wait… for Cerridwen to give the sign?" Draco asked Lucius for the tenth time that day.
"Yes," Lucius growled impatiently.
"And that is it?"
"Yes…"
"Draco stop harassing your father," hissed Bellatrix as she watched the busy London street below.
"I can't see her," Rodolphus said as his eyes scanned the crowds.
"That's because she blends in," said Draco knowledgeably and the eyes of the other Death Eaters fell upon him. "Well she does!"
"That is quite enough Draco," said Lucius impatiently.
"There she is," said Snape quickly as his eyes fell upon Cerridwen who was walking with a slight dance to her footsteps. "Is she dancing?"
"Good grief, so she is," said Lucius bemused watching her walk without a care.
Cerridwen, who could not care less what other people thought of her, continued down the street humming to herself and swaying her hips. A tall ragged man with brown hair was walking in front of her with a small woman, whose hair was a startling shade of pink. Cerridwen pushed directly though the couple, separating them from each other as bustling shoppers hurried by. She turned and looked directly up at where the Death Eaters were stationed; she had given them the signal.
"Avada Kedarva!" shouted a Death Eater his wand pointed directly into the crowd, as the other Death Eaters Apparated to the street below. An old man fell down dead. The tall man ran over to the dead man lying in the street as shoppers began to panic.
"Tonks!" he shouted into the crowd but got no response.
"Oh my, is he okay?" asked Cerridwen bending over the dead man pretending to be concerned.
"No, you need to get out here and quickly," said the man quickly
"Its okay, he has probably just had a heart a flap," she said feverishly, the man gave her a peculiar look. He suddenly yanked the sleeve of her jacket up to reveal the Dark Mark. Cerridwen started to giggle. "Oops, busted."
Remus Lupin looked at the young woman standing in front of him, he had never seen her before yet she was very familiar to him. He held his wand out and a silver mist shot from it. He got to his feet, keeping a firm grip on her arm; once again Cerridwen began to giggle.
"There is no point in running, others will be here soon," he said calmly. "You are just a young girl."
"A young girl? Is that what you call your girlfriend?" laughed Cerridwen sadistically drawing her wand. "Or should that be, what you used to call her?"
Lupin and Cerridwen engaged in a fierce duel whilst shoppers fell down dead around them. Screams of innocent people filled the air along with the laughter of Death Eaters. One scream in particular made Lupin turn just as Cerridwen had sent a stunning spell straight at him.
"Hey Little Dragon," called Cerridwen as she ran to join him in his duel with Tonks.
"Cerridwen, this is her, the one mother was telling you about," he laughed.
"Nymphadora Tonks, it has been along time since we last fought!" giggled Cerridwen. "Your boyfriend had a nice little fall; I don't think he is moving, tell me, is it true that a werewolf is a better lover then any ordinary man?"
"You know each other?" asked Draco in disbelief.
"Yes, we do. Nymphadora was in the year below me at school, oh we had some fun encounters. I should have guessed when Little Dragon told me about the woman who was in love with a werewolf. It is so obvious now, she always had a thing for strange men especially what was his name, ah yes, Corbin Davies. He became a vampire right after he left school and she continued to date him. I did enjoy, whats the word, ah yes, dusting him off."
"You evil bitch!" screamed Tonks in blind fury raising her wand once more. Cerridwen flicked her own wand quickly and watched amused as Tonks soared backwards into a shop window, smashing it full force with her body.
"Watch you language cousin," laughed Cerridwen as she and Draco stood over Tonks. "You should really make a better impression on family members, isn't that right Little Dragon?"
"Yeah!" laughed Draco whilst Bellatrix pushed her way towards them.
"What is going on?" she demanded.
"We're playing like nice little children," replied Cerridwen sweetly before Bellatrix pulled her out of the way to reveal the bloody mess that was Tonks, at that same time Narcissa appeared and looked at them all.
"Now is not the time to be playing!" she scolded before she saw Tonks. "On second thoughts, now is the right time."
"You know," said Bellatrix with an evil smile. "I was just thinking that it is a shame that Andromeda is not here. Do not kill her, I mean it Cerridwen! We can all take part in the little game in a moment."
"She always spoils things," Cerridwen sulked watching Narcissa pull Tonks to her feet. Draco yanked the wand out of Tonks's tight grasp and snapped it in half before throwing it away.
"We've done what we came here to do," said Snape out of breath walking up to them. "Ah, Nymphadora, is this a family reunion?"
"Not yet, come along we have a little game to play," said Bellatrix as she grabbed Cerridwen and Draco's hands. "Narcissa take Draco's hand. Draco help, your mother with that thing."
"Do play nicely now," called Lucius watching his wife and son Apparate with Bellatrix, Cerridwen and Tonks. "Isn't it nice when they all play along?"
Cerridwen was suddenly overcome with a case of the giggles as she stood in a small hallway with the others. Draco looked at her and he almost started laughing himself. Bellatrix glared at her daughter who immediately cleared her throat and swallowed the giggle.
"Is that you Nymphadora?" called a woman from behind a door next to Narcissa. Draco opened the door to the room and with all his strength; threw the unconscious Tonks inside before walking into what was the Tonks's lounge. "Who are you? What have you done to my daughter?"
"She had a slight accident with a shop window," declared Cerridwen as she walked into the room next. The woman gasped as she looked at Cerridwen.
"Bella?" she whispered, fear caught in her throat.
"God no!" shrieked Cerridwen with disgust. "I am far more beautiful."
"Who are you?" she demanded and Draco started to laugh.
"Are you really that stupid woman that you have to ask?" he hissed.
"You should know who we are Andromeda, dear sister," said Bellatrix entering the room with Narcissa. Tonks began to regain consciousness. "This is Draco, Narcissa and Lucius's pureblooded son... And of course Cerridwen, my daughter, whose blood is also pure."
"That can not be!" Andromeda gasped looking from Bellatrix to Cerridwen. "She is older then Nymphadora…It is not possible, you didn't have a child…"
"Actually I did, and I gave her away," said Bellatrix with a careless air around her.
"More like dumped," corrected Cerridwen, Bellatrix shot her a murderous look. "What? You may as well tell her the truth! Oh and don't leave out the choking story, you know the one where I had you…"
"Enough!" hissed Bellatrix.
"What are you all doing here? What do you want?" asked Andromeda as Draco sat down in an arm chair next to the fire.
"We are here to watch our children play together," Narcissa said with a twisted smile, one which made her look more like Bellatrix. "We thought it would be an awful shame if you missed out on it."
"What is she doing to my baby?" screamed Andromeda when Cerridwen began to choke Tonks. "She is killing her!"
"No she's not, she is just playing," Draco laughed from the armchair flicking his wand at Tonks who immediately started to spin in mid air.
"Oh do look Andromeda, they are sharing," said Narcissa sweetly placing her arm around her sister's shoulders and giving them a hard squeeze. "Is this not what you always dreamed of?"
"Stop it! Stop it!" shrieked Andromeda, Tonks began to kick out, trying with all her might to gain another breath of air.
"I'm getting bored now," complained Cerridwen as she let Tonks drop to the floor, her hands rubbing her throat as she spluttered for the air which she was now able to breathe. "Hey Little Dragon, use that one that was used on you last year, you know which one…"
"Of course," he bowed to his cousin, turning his wand once more onto Tonks. "Sectumsempra!"
Cerridwen giggled with delight clapping whilst Tonks lay on the floor, blood exploded from every possible part of her body. Andromeda screamed and pulled her wand quickly on Cerridwen whose back was turned to her.
"Oh no you don't!" Bellatrix raged. "Avada Kedarva!"
Andromeda fell dead instantly to the floor in front of her daughters dying body. Draco dragged Tonks over to her mother and laid her on top, so that blood spilled on to her also. Happy that play time was over, the four Death Eaters Disapperated from the house.
ooo0ooo
A few days later, Cerridwen, for reasons only known to her, was balancing on top of a rickety old stool with one foot when Snape entered the lounge. He looked at her for moment as she waved about in the air, trying to reach the top of a bookshelf. Losing her balance she fell with a thud onto the cold carpeted floor.
"Ouch," she muttered rubbing her lower back.
"Did no one ever teach you to be graceful?" asked Snape helping her to her feet.
"They tried once, but the lesson was as dull as your teaching so I ended up falling asleep," she said cheekily.
"What were you trying to get that a simple Summoning Charm would not retrieve?" he asked amused as she sank onto the sofa.
"My wand," Cerridwen said pulling a face when he started laughing.
"And what was your wand doing on top of the shelf?"
"I threw it up there," she said before suddenly laughing at her own stupidity. Snape stood up and pointed his wand at the bookcase, Cerridwen's wand soared through the air and landed gently in his hand.
"In future, do not throw it up there," he said with a smile.
"Well, if I ever have the sudden urge to do so, I will make sure that you are around to retrieve it for me," she smiled softly. "So, what news do you bring from the Dark Lord?"
"Nothing of any importance to you," he said and she looked crestfallen. "Tomorrow you and Draco will be home alone and shall have to amuse yourselves."
"You make it sound like we are just kids!"
"At times I am reminded that you are just kids," he said before leaving the room.
ooo0ooo
Draco and Cerridwen sat having a sword fight with their wands the following evening, bored out of their minds with stupidity. Snapes words had affected Cerridwen deeply for she did not wish people to look upon her as child.
"I'm going out," she suddenly declared.
"Where to?" asked Draco with a slight demand.
"Don't know yet, I may go and visit Custos, just for a little fun."
"I thought you had killed everyone who lived there?" asked Draco curiously.
"Not everyone Draco, only about a third of them," she sighed as she looked at him. She knew that she could not leave him on his own, he only follow if she did. "Get your cloak, you can come with me."
They stood outside the newly fixed gates of the village and exchanged looks. Walking forward, Draco blasted the gates off its hinges, just as Bellatrix had done not so long ago. Cerridwen walked into the village with Draco walking behind her. It had been her only request of him; Draco had to walk ten feet behind her in case they encountered a problem and if so, he must do as she said.
"Cerridwen DeNoir!" gasped a man as she walked up the cobbled street, passing the rows of white houses and shops. People stood still, paralyzed with fear as she passed them.
"I thought you may return Cerridwen," said a large man stepping out into the street in front of her. "You are no longer welcome in this village!"
"Hello father," she said simply continuing to walk. Something about the village did not feel right to her and immediately she sensed danger. Turning she saw the villagers gathering like an angry mob. Her eyes fell on Draco and she screamed at him. "Run Dragon! Run!"
As soon as she screamed, he knew that she was in trouble. He did what she asked, and he ran for his life and for help. His last sighting of Cerridwen was when he reached the gates. Turning he saw the mob of villagers dragging her off towards the largest building in the village. Draco continued to run.
"Cerridwen DeNoir, you are hereby charged with the countless murders and tortures of people of this village, how do you plead?" asked a small bald man from his seat high in the gallery of the court room.
"I did it, and you all know it!" she cackled.
"Do you have any remorse for your actions? Or anything which, you wish for this court to take into account?" he asked sternly.
"Yeah I do, I want you to take this into account! If I could do that day over again I would," she said solemnly, her eyes diverted to the floor before they flashed with fire and a sick twisted smile crept onto her face. "And I would make sure that I didn't leave any of you pathetic little fools alive!"
"Cerridwen DeNoir, you are hereby sentenced to be whipped to death!" The man shouted. "And this time you shall be whipped here, where your magic is of no use!"
As Cerridwen stood trial, Draco paced the hallway of the house where they were living, waiting for the others to return. He did not know where they were so he could not go to them; he also did not wish to ruin their mission in case of angering the Dark Lord. As he turned for the eleventh time, the front door opened and Severus walked into the house accompanied by his mother, father, aunt and uncle.
"They took Cerridwen!" said Draco hysterically to them all.
"Who took her?" demanded Snape.
"The people from her village! We were bored and she wanted to go back and then they took her and she screamed for me to run and I did," said Draco rapidly. "They were prepared for her; they knew she would go back!"
"She will be in no danger, you know her magic…" Rodolphus said with a wave of his hand.
"No, she is in danger!" Draco hissed. "I heard it in her voice! You have got to do something!"
"Alright, we're going to get her," said Narcissa to her son as her long fingers gripped his shoulders. "But you must remain here, do you hear me?"
"Yes mother," Draco said and he watched them all leave the house again.
Cerridwen did not scream or cry out when the whip hit her back, she held it in. She bit back the tears and pain as she took the whipping. Her mind was racing with all the evil things which she had done and she smiled.
"You have nothing to smile about girl!" One person in the crowd screamed. "You killed my son! My only son!"
"She killed my wife!" another person shouted.
"It's raining, it's pouring, Cerridwen came calling, you went to bed and woke up dead, oops what a morning," she sang softly her vision blurred by pain. She felt pain in every part of her body, it made her feel sick, the whip cracked repeatedly against her back and as she clung onto consciousness she continued to sing, to mock them all. Knowing that when death held out it's hand for her, she would have the final say, the last laugh on those who she despised more than her own parents
The doors to the courtroom sprung open and five Death Eaters entered, their hoods pulled low, no one could see their faces. The people who were watching the whipping of Cerridwen began to scream. An order was shouted out that the wizard doing the whipping must continue.
"Avada Kedarva!" Bellatrix screamed at the man with the whip.
"It's raining, it's pouring, Cerridwen came calling…" Cerridwen sang for the last time as her battle with consciousness and life started to come to an end. Her eyes became heavy and finally they closed.
"Avada Kedarva!" shouted the five Death Eaters, killing as many people as they could.
"Cerridwen!" shouted Bellatrix down at her daughter. "Wake up, you spoilt little brat! When I get my hands on you I am going to cause you so much pain you'll regret ever stepping foot in my life!"
"Rodolphus cover me, I'm going down for her," said Lucius swinging his body over the barrier and landing into the now empty seats below. He reached Cerridwen and began to sever the ties which bound her. A jet of light shot past his ear, he looked up and shouted in shock. "Narcissa!"
"Sorry darling!" she called back as Snape jumped over the barrier to help Lucius.
"Bloody wives," Lucius muttered. "Cerridwen wake up and choke Narcissa for me like a good girl."
"Here," Severus said blasting the last tie away from its holder. Lucius lifted Cerridwen into his arms; Severus draped her cloak over her. Lucius began to make his way out of the court room. Severus was close behind him calling for the others to follow. "Bellatrix NOW!"
"Is she dead?" asked Draco terrified when his father burst through the front door still carrying Cerridwen, he ran up the stairs to her bedroom where he lay her down on her stomach. Draco stood in the doorway staring in disbelief. Her back was a mass of scarlet with blood sputtering from each wound.
"Step aside Draco," ordered Snape pushing his way into the room and closing the door with a snap on the boy's face. Draco turned and ran downstairs to the lounge where his mother was sat with his aunt and uncle.
"Is she dead?" he demanded of them.
"We don't know," Narcissa whispered and Draco collapsed on the sofa beside her. "Do not get yourself worked up Draco; I'm sure she'll be fine. I mean this is Cerridwen after all."
As minutes turned into hours, Severus and Lucius battled hard to stop the bleeding on Cerridwen's back and save her life. They soon realized that it was no ordinary whip which had been used on her. Pulling together, they continued deep into the night.
Downstairs, Draco lay on the sofa, his head resting on his mother's lap as she gently stroked his hair. Bellatrix watched her sister and nephew and inwardly became envious. She had never had a bond with Cerridwen and watching her sister only made her want one. Draco's eyes began to get heavy and finally he drifted off into sleep.
Narcissa looked down at her sleeping son a she muttered 'come back' over and over again. Her heart was breaking as she tried to imagine what her sister might be feeling. She understood the pain, if Bellatrix was feeling any, and fear of the uncertainty when it came to the life of a child, she had almost lost Draco the year before.
She looked at Bellatrix's emotionless face and felt ashamed. Her sister did not know what it was like to love a child as much as she herself loved Draco. Narcissa was thunderstruck that her sister could not care about her daughter who had shown on many occasions to be extremely powerful. If Cerridwen was her daughter, Narcissa thought to herself, she would be beaming from ear to ear with pride and crying with fear. Looking down at her son once more, she knew without a shadow of a doubt, that Draco looked up to Cerridwen and worshipped the ground which she walked on.