A/N: I offer up my future first born as apology for taking my sweet time updating. I got lazy and then I had a dissertation to do which I also procrastinated for erm...sorry? Forgive me? Hugs?
Harry was despondent; rightly so but Arthur was alright in the end. He couldn't seem to lift himself out of pool of guilt he was wading in. Delaine was worried that he may drown in it if someone didn't talk to him. Albus was distant to all now and Sirius tried his best even though his best was a nice platitude about death eaters and the rest of the world. she didn't bother as it was far from her place to offer comfort for anything other than a paper cut; it was much too soon to delve too deep with the boy. She was adamant that building their relationship slowly would be best. Harry, the poor dear was left to flounder - worse that it was in his own head.
All of which paled in comparison to Sirius' mood the day of the Malfoy Christmas Ball. Once again, Delaine would be on the arm of another slytherin instead of his. Once again he had to suffer Snape in his house sneering at every possible opportunity. Once again he would be alone. But for all the heartache he had caused by her hand or otherwise, her descent from the landing to the hallway in a set of royal purple dress robes seized his very breath. Friend or no, Snape would be handling her. Snape would continue the ruse at the party so guests would be entertained when she blushed at something he said. Snape would move to nuzzle her neck so her performance would be maintained. It mattered not the cause, the act was enough to make him angry; once again she would be in the arms of a man what wasn't him. Maybe Lucius would ask to cut in ever so politely and she would be close to that murderer. What if Peter was there? Would she dance and make small talk with the traitorous scum? Would she accept a drink in greeting from Crabbe Sr or a kiss on the hand from Goyle the III? Of course she would, she was a professional. He supposed it could have been worse and she could have been named a member of the inner circle.
Would she kneel before the tyrant that killed her only...
Sirius didn't like it. He made sure she knew he didn't but what was she to do? Say she wasn't going and spend the evening playing billiards and drinking wine with him?
Severus curled his arm around Delaine's waist if only to upset Sirius - it was Christmas after all - relishing the dog's pout as it deepened.
"Rus, I really wish you wouldn't."
"I too deserve some holiday cheer, do I not?"
But Sirius was a grown up for all intents and purposes and he would kiss her goodbye and wait up for her when she returned - if she returned - and help her undress and ready her for bed because she would need him to when all was said and done. She was helping to clear the world of this war after all, this wasnt just some party...was it?
"Happy Christmas Sirius." She said to him after shaking Serverus off.
"Hmm."
"I have a present for you."
"Ok."
"Don't you want to know what it is?"
"Sure why not."
Delaine removed a comically large paintbrush from under her cloak.
"What am I meant to do with this."
"Well you see, I picked this up in Spain. It's enchanted as I understand it and its used by the artists that create magical portraits."
"So."
"It's like a wand, so it doesnt need paint, just intent like with any spell. I thought maybe you would like wipe that scowl off of your mother's face."
Delaine and Severus left him standing the hall with this...this...thing in his hands. He didn't know if she was joking or not or if he should even use it. He'd sleep on it. Maybe try it tomorrow. Maybe this might be her salvation.
"Is it permanent?" Asked Severus.
"We'll find out."
The Lady Malfoy had outdone herself in decorating her ballroom for the nights festivities. She had told Lucius in no uncertain terms that there was to be absolutely no muggle baiting, no dark revel, not anything that would otherwise scorch, stain, curse, or destroy the newly restored rug. He was not happy, but put out death eaters was one thing, a wife withholding sex was quite another. Happy wife, happy life as the saying went. He supposed one night out of the year was acceptable to perhaps not be a slave to the whims of The Dark Lord but instead to offer his supplication to his wife.
Guest had started to arrive and Draco was waiting ever diligent for the arrival of his housemates and his new friend.
Vena was anxious as she stepped out of the floo followed by her mother and her uncle Rus. Her professor had begrudgingly accepted the new moniker with the smallest sneer he could manage all the while trying not to choke as his heart swelled. After Delaine had hugged him in the great hall the morning of the match, all male attention of her house had ceased; no one wanted to be given that talk by their head of house once they knew Professor Snape was friendly with both Vena and her mother. Blaise had teased her mercilessly about for days.
She made a beeline for Draco and had to stop herself from hugging him outright and allowed him to practice his most refined pureblood manners in front of his parents. Draco first bowed his head as she was his peer and not his elder, then he placed a small press off his lips to her back of her hand. Lucius seemed impressed enough to look the other way when Vena could bear it no longer and launched her self into Draco's arms, hugging him tight. Narcissa sniffed her disapproval, more so when Delaine did the same to Lucius. She remembered their odd camaraderie from school; Narcissa had been in the year below and Lucius was a couple of years above and there was Severus and Delaine in the middle. It was not uncommon to to see all three together and the pair had become subdued somewhat when Lucius graduated. It was common knowledge that Lucius had an attraction towards the cheery slytherin whose temperament seemed to mesh so well with the surly one of Severus Snape but in the end Lucuis had chosen Narcissa as his bride after years of her trying to get his attention. It had taken a while to accept that she was not competing for the affections of her husband at least not in the same capacity, but displays like the one she had just seen were hard to witness all the same.
After Delaine had detached from Malfoy the senior, she was bowed to deeply by Draco and she allowed him the same small peck to her hand as he had bestowed upon her daughter.
"Draco, I want to thank you for escorting my daughter this evening. You are every bit the gentlemen your father is for being so welcoming to Vena, this is the first time she's been the England you see and you have been most kind. A true credit to your mother, your name and your house."
"Lady Nero, I assure you the pleasure is all mine. I could not have hoped to have a better companion this evening nor as my house mate."
"Please, dear boy, call me Delaine."
"Now De, he must respect his elders." Lucius chastised.
"I do hope you arent implying my age Luc." She smirked.
"Madame I would not be so bold."
"You would you old flirt." Draco tried to look at the floor but even that was hard. "Narcissa, thank you for having us."
"You are most welcome, Ms.Nero." Narcissa tried not to sneer, "Run along children, the parlor has been set aside for you and your peers. Delaine thought it amusing she did not use the term friend. Amusing, but not unsurprising.
The parlor was nothing special, a house elf was on standby near the window should anything be lacking, food was laden with abundance and without thought to the extreme decadence for only twenty or so guests that would make use of the space. The drinks table was liberally supplied with everything they were still too young to drink. When she stepped though the threshold, Vena cast enchantments on the doorway. Beware all who enter here indeed, for she had learnt a nifty spell from Hermione that would keep the wily house of slytherin discreet and trust worthy about all that would soon go one and another keyed to those that would not want to be involved to forget anything they would like to divulge to some status hungry adult in the hopes for scraps of attention and affection.
Draco understood the need for it but was perturbed by the application of such underhanded means; yes he was a slytherin, but house loyalty meant something, at least to him. Which is why it was of no surprise when Pansy and her posse thundered - albeit gracefully as dictated by her breeding - into the parlor, none to pleased as to why she was not invited to be his escort when she was already promised his hand in marriage.
"Draco! Explain yourself!"
"Whatever could you mean Pansy?"
"What are you doing with her?"
"She is called Vena, Pansy and you will do well to remember where you are and to whom you are speaking. If you mean to ask who I am escorting this evening, then I would say I am escorting my friend. If you wish to know why you were not extended the invitation, perhaps you would like to explain who it was you had well in hand at the last Hosgmead outing?"
It was common knowledge that Pansy was a tremendous flirt, and sometimes she was taken up on her offers for a good time but she was bound by the same betrothal contract that Draco was and if he couldn't get handsy with a willing witch then she definitely couldnt. But she had and he had found out.
"You will be courteous to my date in the knowledge that I have not made it knowledge to my parents or yours what you were doing and with whom."
Pansy straitened up despite the insult and her outing, and turned and walked away towards the drinks table.
"That wasn't necessary." Whispered Vena.
"Yes it was. It is the duty of the host to see to it that all his guest are enjoying themselves. You are my guest and I will not have you insulted in my own home."
"We'll be under way soon enough. Keep that fire in your belly going, I feel we may need it in abundance."
Out in the main ballroom, Delaine was being reintroduced to the fold. Much to the chagrin of all the wives and girlfriends. Narcissa had known her for years and was less slighted by the welcome she was receiving when other partners and paramours were not invited nor considered as worthy of the mark, the Dark Lord or even a wayward glance by the men. Delaine Nero was an anomaly, much like Bellatrix, one of the only two women ever to be given a thought much less a second by the Dark Lord and his inner circle. They treated her as their equal; was given respect and reverence much to the envy of the other ladies of the most noble houses.
The Nero family was an old European clan that may have spanned the continent at one time, so much so that they made the Malfoy's seem almost nouveau riche by comparison. But did Delaine ever lord it over them? No - it was if she was bored with the whole affair. Her involvement with movement made sense, perhaps on the surface, but there was something untrustworthy that Narcissa found in her. She seemed to draw in everyone around her in an easy going manner that disarmed even the most staunchly militant like Lucius. But she knew her place and if this was a friend of Lucius' then she was a welcome guest.
Sirius' predictions came true for the most part, Severus maneuvered his way as her date and perhaps even going so far as to declare himself suitor so that the others in attendance, be they married or unattached would steer clear of the Dark Lord's most trusted servant. Only that title could be claimed by either of the pair at this point. After all, married or not, they were death eaters first, as was the vow they took on their respective days of taking the mark. And a fellow death eater was just that - a fellow death eater. A vow made before the Dark Lord surpassed one made in matrimony. And if a death eater so wished to engage in such relations, he was free to, especially if his fellow comrade was a willing comrade. It's what made Bellatrix so popular among the set. It's what made them all salivate at the thought of Delaine Nero being the same. That is, before Severus had lain claim to her on the dance floor. She was now insulated on all sides, Lucius was her sentry and Severus was her lord protector - he scoffed when she said as much but these old world pureblood standards called for such invasive practices. Just one more thing to fight for it seemed.
All thoughts were cut short when at midnight, the party still in full swing, the inner circle was called away to the furthest wing from the celebrations. His lordship summoned them after all.
At the children's table... Vena rolled her eyes at the thought - Draco was wonderfully holding court after having practiced with her the script she had devised to convince their housemates past and present that what he proposed was the best course of action should they all wish to see their inheritance and their status remain so if ever this war was won.
"This does not sound like you Draco." Pansy said at once. Many seemed to agree with her. "I don't understand-"
"Pansy, we do not have the time nor the patience to list the things you do not understand, for Salazar's sake, let him finish." some minute titters were quietened when Pansy narrowed her eyes at those offending.
"As I was saying. He is in our year, we know all about, if not most of what happens every year to him and his friends. If the events of this summer just gone are anything to go by then we know he was telling the truth regardless of what the ministry would have us believe."
"It's true, I remember my father leaving dinner rather abruptly that night." Naturally it was the younger children that offered this information freely. They would learn in time.
"And mine."
"And once again he survived. Our house is more acknowledged for our intelligent cunning than Ravenclaw is for being as brainy as they are and, well, we are all surpassed by that abomination in Gryffindor. Thats the truth of it, weather we like it or not." Draco continued.
"Maybe she comes from Squibs and doesnt know?" A younger housemate intoned. The dear.
"Whatever the reason," Draco said carefully, "This is the truth of the matter. Now, lightening may not trike twice and perhaps the Dark Lord prevails, but Pot-head has always come out roses. Out of the times we know of, he was a babe of one for the first. The second through to the summer, he was a sub-par wizard. If we were betting on the odds here, well - we'd all need extra vaults for the winnings." Many were nodding, reluctantly - but nodding all the same.
"What I propose is this. We make sure that we - as slytherin house, as this particular generation - come out on top without having to take the way of our parents. We will not have to debase ourselves with claims of imperius and unwilling participation. That set us back by quite a bit when the same excuse was used the first time round, just so many of our fathers would not see the inside of Azkaban. No one should think Slytherin house as so gullible as to fall prey to that curse."
Vena could see he was winning them over. They all knew the stories of course, told at mothers' knee about how well father had evaded prison. But then wistfulness turned to shame with the passing years, people would pity those most nobly housed. Whispers in the street and behind well clothed backs was not the desired result.
"We will not be pitied or shamed. We will not have to claim imperius. We will support the Light."
Uproar ensued.
"Delaine..." the Dark Lord hissed despite the lack of sibilants in her name.
"Your Lordship." She bowed her head respectfully. The others knelled.
"You do not kneel?" He seemed amused. But this was a ploy - he was making it known just how far above she was the rest of them. Even Bellatrix was not spared time on her knees.
"His lordship is gracious to accept the supplicant bow of my head as he is too magnanimous and spares me as a lady the indignity of dirtying my robes, which have been worn for his Lordships honour."
"Quite. Tell me dear Lady, how do you fair at the minissstry?"
"As well as according to your Lordships provisos."
"I hear word of a daughter, tell me."
"She is that sir. Fifteen and exceptionally bright. I have trained her well."
"Sssseverus says as much, as does Malfoy."
"They do me honour."
"Tell me of her father."
"I. That is to say, he was loyal to your Lordship, til the very end." His snake eyes narrowed at her hesitation.
"It was a pity that Regulus Black had to be dispatched."
"If his Lordship found fault in him then I can only thank you for sparing me a life continued with someone unworthy."
"I find Severus worthy." That was as good as a blessing if she were to guess. By the wall, Severus and Lucius were stock still, eyes burning from not being able to blink at these revelations. Sure, they suspected it was Regulus that put the child in her, but to here the admission? That was something else entirely. But the fact that He wanted Severus now to court Delaine...what was another ruse?
"As do we all."
"I am mossst pleased you have given me the gift of a new generation to serve me."
"The pleasure was all mine, sir, I assure you." Voldemort laughed then and it sent a chill down the most resolute of spines.
Vena had managed to calm everyone down by having the elf retrieve her pensive that she had Draco store for tonight.
"I know many of you do not trust me and know me even less, but my mother has trained me well for what is coming."
"We don't care, about you or your whore mother!" Pansy sneered from the center.
"Pansy! You will apologise to my guest!"
"I will do no such thing! Who does she think she is?"
"I will tell you Pansy. I am the daughter of Delaine Nero. That means something in many circles that have never heard of Parkinson." Gasps sounded around the room. "Pipe down you ignorant child. I was fortunate enough to accompany my mother to an audience with the Dark Lord. I was never formally introduced but he knows of me."
"That's more than any of us can say. Not even Drake." The boy she knew as Theodore spoke up.
"What I saw did not line up with what the Dark Lord has been promising. Take you for example, Pansy. We may not see eye to eye but would you go as far as to spill my blood - my magical pure blood?" She conceded the point. "Would any of you draw blood on the other? This is the way of those with our standing." Many agreed.
"What you are about to see is what I saw that day. A well known, well respected pureblooded wizard was..." They awaited with bated breath. "Perhaps you should all just take turns watching what I witnessed" The older graduates went first, of them, a curse breaker checked the authenticity of the pensive and the memory, when she deemed it legitimate, a line was formed to view the memory.
The Dark Lord was as giddy as someone could be while still looking as menacing as he did. What he had planned was secured by unbreakable vow. This would prove difficult for the spies in his midst.
In twos and threes, revelation dawned on each of them. It was a truth now acknowledged by most of the emerging slytherin powers that The Dark Lord was not only killing the mudbloods and the blood traitors and the sqiubs - he was spilling pureblood. He was spilling their blood, even though none of the number bore the scars of it...yet.
