I really do apologize for the delay in writing. I know it's been months, and I have been busy with my full year of non-stop college classes. I will be posting more now that my 2 week break is coming up in several weeks, and I won't be as busy as I was.
Now onto other business, I want to thank my reviewers for Chapter 11. I wish more people would review, I miss all the positive feedback that I've gotten from previous chapters. So, here's a big thank you to:
Leanora, xX Mizz Alec Volturi Xx, HannahPullings, and InuSarah Malfoy
Thank you, thank you, thank you, SO much!
I hope you enjoy this chapter as much fun as I had writing it. Sadly, I had tears at the end of my eyes by it. Please review. This was probably the best chapter I have written so far.
Pardon if there's typos... I don't have Microsoft Word installed on my computer, and WordPad doesn't have any spell check, and neither does this. So pardon the typos. Enjoy!
xoxo,
Rachel
Chapter 12: Read Me a Story, Maple
No sooner had summer passed on, when everyone was to be greeted by the damp, clammy weather of a lazy autumn afternoon. The cold chill hit hard on the sea side manor of the Malfoy's. Many consultations had been in order for Voldemort's following. Planning to declare war with the souls at Hogwarts. Snatchers took more and more tainted witches and wizards, using them, ridding of them at the Dark Lord's expense. The search for Harry Potter was still at large; ablaze. The Dark Lord would not rest until the scraggily-haired boy was dead. More dreams came to Amadea as the Dark Lord toyed with her mind. She would wake up, her scar trickling blood, or throbbing. She knew that the Dark Lord was weary of her trust, but she had to find a way for him to fully trust her. Attending all of his followings, she listened to everyword he said, everything he wanted, wanting to fulfill all of them. Amadea tried her hardest to make sure that she would not break anymore strings that she already had. He knew her thoughts about if this was the right path or not.
Amadea sat, frozen, watching him walking, almost floating, in such a way, it petrified her to move. His red-glazed eyes looked into hers. He came to her. Out of all the people, he came to the Malfoy Manor to speak to her; alone. Amadea sat, watching him. "Stand up, Miss Marco." Obliging, she stood up. "Walk towards me."
"Yes, My Lord." Walking, he circled around her slowly, Nagini, hiding by the fireplace, eyeing her as if she was a toy... or her next meal. "I have seen your mind... and I have seen it well. All of my followers are loyal to me, but yet... I see you... swaying, back and forth, like a pendelum, unable to contemplate with what to do... Why is that?'
"My Lord?"
"Yes?"
"I am confused... I shall never lie to you, M'Lord... I know what shall happen after you kill Harry Potter, but what are you going to do with your following, including myself?"
"Miss Amadea... My following will always be... my following. I intend to see who is loyal to me during the war. If all are loyal, they shall live... if all are not..." Circling around her, he got close behind her. "They shall die... Miss Marco... I intend that you stay faithful to me... You know what shall happen if you don't..."
"I understand, My Lord." Bowing to him.
"No... I think you really don't." Raising her head, she looked at him, puzzled.
"How so, My Lord?"
"You see... Amadea... Your mother... and her husband tried to climb higher than myself... so... you see... I made sure that they were put in the lowest spot possible... Dead... flat... on the ground." Amadea's face paled, but nodded her head. "Understand?"
"Yes... M... My Lord." Smiling at her her flicked his hand towards her.
"Good. Now... I must be running. Seems like I have to attend to a few Death Eaters."
"Goodbye, My Lord." With a silent wooshing sound, Amadea saw the Dark Lord and Nagini apparate from thin air. Standing there, her body was numb. Opening the doors, Narcissa looked at the blonde-haired girl, staring ahead, like a statue. "Amadea?" The girl slowly turned her head, her eyes brimming with soft tears. Her face; unexpressive. She finally knew what really happened. Walking over to Amadea, the girl watched her. "Amadea..." Sitting her back onto the couch, no tears fell from her face. "Why... Why, Narcissa?" Not responding, Amadea continuted. "How... How can he be so cruel? The Dark Lord... He kills for pleasure, for satisfaction, does he not? Or does he kill because he just feels bored or out of tune? Why? He killed my mother, Narcissa... He killed her husband... I have no one in my family... No one..."
"Amadea... You have someone... You have Draco... You have myself, even Lucius... You have your dog, and Maple... Amadea, you're a part of our family, you always will be." Looking at Narcissa, her eyes were pools of warmth and comfort to the blue-eyed girl. Amadea nodded her head and briefly smiled. "Thank you... It means a lot to me, you know that." Narcissa complied by responding with a nod herself. Narcissa watched Amadea, staring into nothing, suddenly collapse into tears. Pulling the girl into an embrace, she held onto Amadea like a fragile doll. "You have us, Amadea." Narcissa said in a whisper, rubbing Amadea's back gently as the girl cried. "What the Dark Lord did was of his doing... I'm so sorry, sweetheart... I'm so sorry this had to happen to you... " Narcissa looked over to see Draco, concerned. Shaking her head, Draco's eyes saddened, understanding that Amadea needed to be left alone. Narcissa comforted Amadea as much as she could, being the only Mother figure in her life. "Come, love." Narcissa said. "Let's get you to your room, so you can rest." Leading the broken girl into her room, she put the blankets over Amadea. "Is there anything I can do for you, sweetheart?" Narcissa asked. Amadea shook her head. "I'll be in the Drawing Room, if you need me." Amadea didn't do anything. Looking out the window, she felt dead. Having no blood relatives even wanting to deal with her existence, she just stared out the window until she fell asleep.
"Maple?" A young Amadea asked. Maple, the new house elf, shakily apparated.
"Yes Misses?" Maple said, her eyes fearful of the new household she was in servitude towards.
"I can't sleep..." The young girl said, sitting up.
"What can Maple... do for the Misses?"
"Can you read me a story, Maple?" Her blue eyes were widened as she smiled at the elf. "Oh! Please... I forgot to say please..." The Elf ticked her head to the side.
"You want Maple to read you a story?" The little girls curls bounced up and down as she nodded. "Yes, please." The girl pulled her covers up to her face.
"Well... what does Misses like?"
"Berty the Beetle... That's my favorite!" The girl said excitedly. "Can you read that to me?"
"Of course Maple can! Maple would be honored!" The girl giggled as the Elf went to the bookshelf and picked out the green book, with a picture of a blue and red beetle on the front. Sitting beside the bed, Maple read the story.
"Once upon a time... There was a beetle named Berty. Berty was fun. Berty was nice. Berty and many friends, one being a butterfly. The butterfly was named, Belle. Belle was a pink butterfly. Her wings sparkled in the sunlight. Belle and Berty were best friends. All of the beautiful bugs lived in a tree. The tree was very big, and had many leaves." Flipping through the pages, Amadea's eyes widened as she saw the pictures of the bugs, and her favorite butterfly. "One day, Berty was with all of his friends when Charlie, the centipede, dared Berty to climb up to the forbidden twig." A gasp was heard from Amadea. "But Berty refused... But Charlie called him a scaredy-worm, and said he wasn't brave. You see, Berty was a brave beetle. Berty did not like being called a scaredy-worm. Climbing the twig, he got stuck! His buggy friends grew afraid that he could fall from the tree, didn't know what to do. But then... Belle the butterfly had an idea! Flying to the top of the tree, she called to one of her friends, Sam the spider. Sam the Spider was very kind. Spindling his way down from the branch high in the trees, he helped Berty make it back to the tree safely! Charlie the centipede apologized to Berty, and everyone was happy again! The End." Looking over, Maple saw Amadea's eyes droop down as she yawned. "Thank you, Maple."
"Anything for the Misses." Walking over to the shelf, she heard the girl say before falling asleep. "You're my best friend, Maple... Goodnight..." Maple turned around, tears in her eyes and smiled. "You're Maple's best friend, too..." Tucking the child in, Maple looked down at the child and apparated.
Amadea's eyes opened up. Looking over, she saw that it was nighttime. "...Maple?" She asked softly. The house elf apparated to her. "Yes, Misses?"
"Read me a story, Maple." The house elf ticked her head to the side and nodded.
"Of course, Misses! Maple would be honored!" Picking out a book from the shelf in her room, Amadea smiled, her mind at peace. Listening to the squeaky house elf read, Amadea smiled. "Thank you... best friend." The house elf stopped, looked over to her and smiled, a tear falling from her doe-eyes. "Maple is honored, Misses." Amadea smiled as she watched the house elf continue to read.
