"Talking"
"Parstletongue"
-o-
Chapter 9
The next few months was a routine of reading, practicing spells, duelling and flying for Callia and Draco. Callia had played on Draco's guilt and made him spend almost every day of the holidays together; Draco taught her all of the spells he had learnt in his first year, as well as other things she might need to know for her classes.
Callia liked to practice a new spell in the mornings, so around lunchtime Callia and Draco often had mock-duels, practicing the spell she had just learned. Neither Voldemort nor Lucius were happy when they had holes blown out of the walls of both their manors, so the pair were given a room in each manor to duel in. Once the two were sick of duelling, they would fly around the manor, often racing (though Callia always won) until dark, often playing Callia and Draco's two-player version of Quiddich.
At night Callia would curl up next to Draco in whichever manor they were in that day (for they moved between the two depending on what their parents were doing) with one of her books for school and read, while Draco either read a Quiddich magazine or told her stories of his classes. She finished all of her school books, which were all a bit of a joke and written by a douche called Gilderoy Lockhart, in just over a month, so she moved on to Draco's books. She started on his first year books, which were a lot more informative, thank Merlin, and not full of shit like Lockhart's, then moved on to his second year books, but only read one, for all except the one she read were written again by Gilderoy Lockhart. By the time the middle of July came around Callia had no more school books to read, so she would often take books from her fathers library, mostly the ones about Vampires, Werewolves and Veela. When she has started reading those books Draco had start to read them with her, and they talked until ungodly hours of the mornings, so the two would fall asleep in each others arms.
It was just the way the two liked it.
-o-
Callia and Draco's routine was interrupted, and almost forgotten completely on the 1st August, a month before they had to go to Hogwarts. The two had practiced at Riddle manor the day before, and had fallen asleep in Callia's bed. Callia awoke first, glad she had lit the fire the night before. Winter was still a few months off but the manor reacted badly to even the slightest hint of cold weather. Callia heard a contented hiss from the rug by the fire, and smiled. She got up to go pat Nagini when she froze.
Nagini was laying on the middle of the rug, curled protectively around a creamy coloured egg, roughly twice the size of Callia's hands. Callia quickly strode across the room and knelt down in from of her fathers familiar, stroking the snakes cool scales.
"Nagini?" Callia breathed. Said snake lifter her head, and if possible, the snake looked like she was glowing.
"Good morning child." Nagini hissed, raising her head to flick her tongue against Callia's cheek. Callia reached a hand out slowly and stroked the shell of the egg, which surprisingly felt like a delicious mixture of silk and satin.
"Draco! Get up!" Callia turned and sprinted across the room to the bed, jumping up and down on Draco until he finally awoke.
"Bloody hell Callia, what time is it?" Draco muttered sleepily, fisting his eyes.
"Who cares what time it is? Draco, look!" Callia pointed excitedly past the foot of the bed to the rug in front of the fireplace, and Draco's droopy eyes widened as he saw the egg Nagini was curled around. Draco didn't like snakes much, especially Nagini, but he was still excited and climbed out of bed to sit by the fire. Draco chose to sit on the low reading chair by the fire, while Callia went back to her place on the floor next to Nagini.
That was how the Dark Lord found them a few hours later, worried when he hadn't seen either of them all morning. Voldemort smiled and sat down next to Callia, stroking his familiar's head.
"Finally, Nagini. And just in time too, Callia goes to school in a month." The Dark Lord hissed softly at his snake. "When is it due to hatch?"
"Within a week, master," Nagini hissed back. Callia's eyes gleamed with anticipation, and Voldemort laughed at his daughters expression.
Voldemort forced his daughter and Draco downstairs for breakfast, but neither of them had enough concentration to try out the spells as they normally would, so instead they grabbed their brooms and worked off a bit of their excitement with two-player Quiddich.
They flew around outside for hours on end, only coming in around 6pm when Severus, Lucius and Narcissa arrived.
The Dark Lord had left Callia to tell them the news, so Sirius (who was now living in a guest room at Riddle Manor), Lucius, Severus and Narcissa followed Callia and Draco up to Callia's bedroom, Voldemort trailing behind almost lazily. All eyes widened when they saw the creamy egg Nagini was curled around. Sirius' eyes were the widest out of all of them, for he was the only one who had not known Nagini was pregnant.
"It's about bloody time!" Lucius muttered, and Narcissa stepped forward like Callia had earlier that morning and gently stroked the snakes egg. Severus, Lucius and Sirius remained at the door when Nagini hissed when any of the tried to get close. She seemed comfortable only having Voldemort, Narcissa, Callia, and to some degree Draco, near her egg.
"You're such a good mother," Narcissa cooed. "Taking care of your young," Nagini hissed and rubbed up against Narcissa's hand.
"Bloody snake..." Lucius and Severus muttered in sync, before giving each other a look and striding out of the room. Sirius looked between the snake on the floor and the hall the two men had just disappeared down, before following his fellow Death Eaters with a sigh.
-o-
It was five days before Nagini's egg finally hatched. Callia was sitting on her bed, practicing spells with her wand. She was had a piece of paper in the fireplace, and was trying to Incendio it, but she only succeeded in setting the corner of the rug alight. Nagini, thankfully, was on the low chair today instead of the rug, still curled around her egg. Callia wandlessly and non-verbally returned the carpet to its usual state before glaring at the piece of paper in the fireplace, a smile lighting her face when it instantly burst into flames.
Callia sighed, about to go and ask her mother for help using her wand when she heard Nagini hissing nervously. Callia looked over to see the egg shaking, tiny cracks appearing. She rushed over and kneeled beside the lounge, watching in fascination as it began to crack more.
"DAD! MUM! EVERYONE! COME SEE THIS!" Callia yelled excitedly, earning a hiss from Nagini for yelling so close to her.
"Sorry, Nagini," Callia hissed, before placing her head on her hands to watch. Not five seconds later Draco hurried into her room, followed by Voldemort, Bellatrix, Narcissa, Sirius, Severus and Lucius; it seems everyone in the manor had heard her scream. They all stood in the doorway to her bedroom for a second before they saw why she had called them up, and they all hurried to crowd around Nagini.
Nagini hissed in protest, but unlike least time, no one moved back. Instead they all watched as the egg slowly hatched, and all caught their breath as a tail poked through the cracked creamy egg. Only it wasn't green.
The tip of the snakes tail was a glowing gold, and the rest of the snake, once it pushed itself out of the egg, was revealed to be a stunning shade of purple. Everyone looked in awe, and confusion, at the snake.
"Nagini, why is your young pu-" Voldemort was cut off by a girly squeal coming from Callia.
"Oh. My. Merlin! It's PURPLE!" she clapped her hands together, much in the way her mother did when she was aloud to "play" with a prisoner. Bellatrix rolled her eyes at her daughter, leaning pushing Draco out of the way so she could hug her. Voldemort watched, a smile playing on his lips, as the snake slithered out of Nagini's grasp and straight to Callia.
"Hello, little one," Callia hissed. Everyone in the room besides the Dark Lord sighed; none of them could speak Parstletongue and could never understand a word of it. The snake blinked, her eyes glowing pools of gold, the same colour as her tail, and spoke to Callia.
"You're a speaker?" the snake hissed.
"Of course! Wow, you're so pretty!" Callia stroked the glistening purple back of the snake, who hissed in contentment. Voldemort rolled his eyes at his daughter.
"Callia? Are you going to name her?" When Callia didn't reply, too busy speaking with the snake, Voldemort switched to Parstletongue. "Callia?" The snake was the first to notice. It lifted its head, looking straight at the Dark Lord.
"Another speaker?" the Dark Lord could have sworn the snake smiled.
"Yes. Now will you please tell my daughter to hurry up and name you, since she is no longer listening to me?" The Dark Lord growled. "She's not bloody listening alright!"
A smile tugged at the corner of Severus' lips, but only Sirius noticed.
-o-
Callia had ditched her routine with Draco and spent almost all day, every day with Tera. Voldemort had raised his eyes when she told him the snakes name. Apparently it was a girl version of "Terror", and the Dark Lord had no doubt that Callia and Tera would cause Dumbledore hell when they got to Hogwarts.
Draco was constantly whining that Callia had ditched him (though she still insisted crawling in next to him at night), so he invited a friend from his year, Pansy Parkinson, around for the last week of the holidays. Pansy arrived on the 24th of August, and had all of her stuff for Hogwarts, for she would be leaving with Callia and Draco.
Pansy's parents were supporters of Voldemort, but, much like the rest of the world, they did not know the Dark Lord had a daughter. Pansy got a shock when she came into the dining room at Malfoy Manor to see a little girl perched on the Dark Lords lap. She had met the man briefly the day before, and so his easygoing manor around his daughter was surprising.
"Draco!" Callia jumped up to hug her cousin when she noticed Pansy standing half behind him. Draco had not told Callia Pansy was coming over, so now both girls were standing there, looking at each other in shock. Pansy paled as she saw a little purple snake curled around Callia's shoulders.
"Draco?" Callia's voice was cold, calm and calculated. Draco gulped. It would have been better if Callia ha started abusing him right away; her "silent rages" were ten times worse then the ones she actually expressed. "Who is she?"
"A friend from school. She is staying here and going to Hogwarts with us." Draco turned to Pansy, who was now looking slightly frightened of Callia. "Pansy, this is my cousin Callia. Callia, Pansy Parkinson."
Callia threw daggers at Pansy before walking over and punching Draco in the arm. Tera hissed, and Pansy backed up a few steps.
"Ow! Hey, what was that for?" Draco yelped. Damn, she punched hard! Callia didn't answer, but walked back over to the Dark Lord, who was smirking in amusement.
"Dad, I'm going home," Pansy gaped. Since when did the Dark Lord have a daughter? Said Dark Lord sighed and stood up to follow his daughter.
"Don't bother. Sirius is at home, and its not like I'll die if I'm on my own." she snapped, and the Dark Lord shook his head, watching as his daughter walked into the Floo room, which was joined onto the dining room, and throw Floo powder into the fire. She threw one more murderous glance in Pansy's general direction before stepping into the emerald flames and said in a clipped tone: "Riddle Manor!"
Draco was still rubbing his arm when he heard her go, and sighed. "I should of told her. Now she hates me!"
"S-she punched you! And she's th-" She stopped when Voldemort was suddenly in front of her, staring down into her eyes, his crimson ones alight.
"Yes, Callia is my daughter. Say one word to anyone, your parents included, an-"
"Tom!" Lucius hissed from the door, having come out to see if Pansy needed anything. "Please do not threaten my guests!"
The Dark Lord turned and growled, actually growled, at Lucius, and the man stammered a quick "My Lord,"
"Lucius, we shall resume this tomorrow. Oh, and Draco," the Dark Lord turned to look at the now trembling blonde, "I suggest you go and talk to Callia, for I am NOT putting up with her in a bad mood for the next week!" the Dark Lord gave Draco a chilling look before striding in the Floo room and following his daughter actions. When he was gone pansy turned to look at Draco, still frightened.
"Draco, what the hell just happened?"