Chapter Twenty-One
A Light Companion to the Dark
Present Day
Alina and the Dark Lord appeared at the edge of the Malfoy property. Alina peered up at the tall iron gates with the family crest entwined in them. Her arms were still around Lord Voldemort's neck, but she did not want to disconnect and remove herself from him. The barest hint of a smile lit his face as he observed her actions.
"Come, Alina." He whispered and she detached herself from him. They walked through the austere gates like spectres in the mist. Alina shuddered at the sensation of her corporeal form passing through the magical wards. Out of the corner of her eye, she saw a majestic pale peacock bypass through the dimly lit gardens.
Alina watched as the Dark Lord entered the manor house like he owned it, not waiting for someone to let him inside. The doors appeared heavy and Alina almost wished they could go back to the house he had been keeping her in before. Now that she was here, Alina was momentarily anxious to have left her gilded cage.
The reception waiting for them when they entered the hall also made Alina wish she had stayed behind.
His Death Eaters must have been alerted to their master's presence, since half a dozen of them waited expectantly in a semi circle.
"My Lord," one of them bowed. It was a tall man clothed in black with long pale hair who spoke. A woman that could only have been his wife held onto his arm as she too lowered her head in a submissive greeting. Alina watched as the rest of the reception party bowed and showed respect to her friend and lover. Alina had not seen other people for many months; Tom was the only one who had come to keep her company in her interment, so she was shocked silent at the sight of the small group of people. Lord Voldemort observed the display coldly, used to being simpered at and shown signs of deference. He let them stay bowed for a moment longer than necessary. It was obvious he enjoyed their respect and he wanted Alina to see how other people treated the Dark Lord. Maybe now she would loosen her stubbornness and treat him accordingly. Although, if he was being honest with himself, Voldemort quite liked it when Alina would talk back to him and engage in witty repertoire, for she was the one person in the world who seemed at ease with him.
Lord Voldemort's high, chilling voice broke the silence. "My guest is weary, she will need chambers to rest in." It was strange for Alina to hear him speak in the common human tongue, she was so used to conversing with him in Slytherin's language. It had been months since she had spoken to other people besides Tom.
"Of – of course, my Lord," the pale man who must have owned the house said after a brief moment of hesitation.
"We will require food brought to the room as well," the Dark Lord commanded unfeelingly. "And clothes for the lady," he said as an afterthought, looking down on Alina, privately preferring her without clothes but knowing how unpractical that would be. She wore her tattered white night gown, blotted with grass stains and blood. True to form, he had healed the cuts he had inflicted on her earlier that night, not wanting her perfect pale skin to be forever scarred and marked. Her dried blood still remained and he noticed the Malfoy boy blanch at the sight of her. Alina too had noticed Draco Malfoy, half hiding behind his mother and a woman with tangled, knotted black hair. She was also surprised to spot her old Potions master and head of Slytherin house, Professor Snape, standing still next to a small, rat-like man with a strange silver hand.
The man with the long white-blonde hair clicked his fingers and a small, battered house-elf appeared. He gave hushed instructions to the tiny creature to prepare the best guest accommodation for the Dark Lord before it popped out of the room to enact them.
The Dark Lord observed the gathering before him silently before he swept past his loyal subjects and took Alina along with him up the room that had been prepared for them without another word. He gave no explanation for her presence and did not introduce her. For some reason, that made Alina think him more powerful than ever. It must be nice to not have to answer to anybody.
When they were alone again, Lord Voldemort spelled the door shut and quiet so no prying ears and eyes could intrude on them. His features blurred and melted away like mist off a cauldron into that of Tom Riddle. His dark hair gleamed in the moonlight streaming in through the stain-glass window, his brow strong and his jaw prominent. Alina was again taken aback at how beautiful her personal demon was. She knew the true monster that lurked behind that striking face, since his hell-fire eyes reflected that monster back at her. Alina did not mind, for if he was a demon, he was her demon.
Alina hardly had any time to sweep her eyes curiously over the grandiose bedroom with wood-panelled walls, large four-poster bed, and marbled floors topped lavishly with fur throws before the Dark Lord was commanding her attention again.
"Come, eat." He gestured at her and Alina revelled at his use for their intimate, secret language, preferring it now to how she used to communicate.
She sat down on one of the two armchairs by the mosaic-laden window and allowed him to feed her small portions from the plates in front of them. Alina was so used to surviving off measly amounts of food from the house before that this rich meal turned her stomach. The sight of the hot lamb, roast potatoes with a smattering of rosemary and mint sauce made Alina feel queasy. The Dark Lord did not seem to have an appetite either as he hardly touched his food. Alina gulped down some nearby red wine thirstily from an opulent goblet, a stream of liquid juice cascading down one corner of her mouth. Lord Voldemort watched that small river of wine fixatedly and his eyes took in the sensual way her throat moved from swallowing it. He stood up so quickly that his chair toppled over onto the black marble floor. Like a fallen-angel, he descended on her, his face a white slash in the pale moonlight, his eyes glowing red like the beast he was.
His obsession for Alina would never end, could never be sated. Lord Voldemort might not have an appetite for the food laid before him, but he would always hunger for her.
Alina put the goblet of wine back on the round, wooden table to survey him with watchful, questioning eyes. The Dark Lord held her face firmly as his tongue lapped at the plum liquid running down her chin. Alina savoured the contact before bringing her own lips down to claim his hard mouth. The taste of wine lingered there and Lord Voldemort groaned at the flavour. Alina felt the husky grunt through her entire self as it shook her insides, flaring her blood and body to life.
They quickly progressed to the extravagant bed further in the room. The two spent the remainder of the night feasting on each other as the residents of Malfoy Manor pondered what the Dark Lord was doing behind a locked door with a young, albeit, beautiful teenage girl.
Days passed and Alina was free to roam the house and grounds when Tom was in meetings or off on trips somewhere with his Death Eaters. He had confided in her that he did not usually stay with the Malfoy family, preferring to rest at other undisclosed locations or with her in the house he had caged her in. Yet, now that she was here with them, he had decided to stay too, much to the uneasiness of the Malfoy boy and mother. Alina could not help but think this house was just another prison for her. He still had not given her back her wand and Alina felt the absence keenly, like a dismembered phantom limb that still twanged in remembrance.
The residents of the house had not been introduced to her yet. Every time Alina left their room and wandered the manor, they would not meet her eye. At this present time, Lord Voldemort was holding a meeting with his most trusted and higher ranked Death Eaters. Alina looked out of her window to see the grounds puddled with splashes of summer rain. It came down in thick sheets and Alina had the sudden urge to run out in it. However, she was more curious to the thudding noises that were erupting from the conference room the Dark Lord was holding his meeting in.
Lord Voldemort watched on satisfyingly as Nagini devoured the muggle-loving teacher, Charity Burbage. The meeting had been successful, he mused. They had strategised how best to infiltrate the Ministry of Magic and Severus had been most useful in providing information concerning the whereabouts and movements of Harry Potter. Soon the Potter boy would be dead. The Dark Lord smiled to himself portentously as he and his Death Eaters all watched his majestic snake finish her meal.
The smile faded from his face when the door to the room clicked open and in walked Alina. She looked around at the faces of the men and women who were most loyal to him. Bellatrix Lestrange, Dolohov, the Malfoys and Carrow siblings, amongst others, all observed her curiously as well. There was a beat of silence as they all waited for their lord and master to act. They were all curious as to who the strange girl who resided in the Dark Lord's bedchambers was. Some, like Thorfinn Rowle, had heard tales passed down from father to son of how their dark master had had a friend at Hogwarts that he cherished most dearly as a sister, but most of them were clueless to Alina's identity. Lord Voldemort preferred it that way. He was possessive over her, but could not condone his followers thinking him weak or lacking in authority.
"Everyone," the Dark Lord began, breaking the resounding silence. "This is Alina Blackweather." He would punish her later for disturbing his meeting, even though it was practically over anyway. Lord Voldemort's body twitched at the dark promise, already excited to chastise her. "Alina, come closer."
Alina did not know what to make at the situation. She had heard disturbing sounds so was inquisitive to see what was going on in this room, but now that she was here, she wished dearly to leave. All eyes were on her and she did not like the probing, heady gazes of the people in the room. She walked slowly around the side of the large table towards her friend and lover.
"Alina is a pure-blooded witch and the last of her family's line. I believe, she is a distant cousin to the Black and Malfoy families," he said conversationally, nodding at Bellatrix Lestrange and her sister next to her.
A man dressed in black, whose hair was tied back in a short ponytail laughed heartily as he made a grab for Alina's shimmering white-blonde hair as she walked by behind him. "She certainly has the Malfoy hair!" Yaxley yelled merrily as he yanked a piece of her hair in his hands. Alina wished again dearly for her wand so that she could hex him.
"You will release her, now," the Dark Lord's voice hissed menacingly and the room hushed, every one seemingly and collectively holding their breaths. All the colour drained from Yaxley's face as he hastily detached his hand from Alina's hair.
"I- I am sorry, my Lord. I apologise-"
He barely had time to suck in a mouthful of air before Lord Voldemort used the torture curse on him. All participates in the room looked on in horror as their fellow comrade twitched in pain and agony after falling from his chair. It seemed to last an eternity but in reality it was over in a few short minutes. Alina could sense he wanted to kill Yaxley for what he had done, but Lord Voldemort refrained himself. Yaxley lay there on the ground panting and forgotten as Alina found her way to the Dark Lord's side. Lord Voldemort watched her face closely as he smoothed her hair back in place possessively. Alina was wearing one of her new clothes, dressed up in a high-collared shift and cloak, which were both black in colour. He mused that Alina suited the dark hue as it brought out her fine, pale features and precious silver hair.
The Dark Lord turned away from her stunning face to observe the rest of his Death Eaters frostily and hard-heartedly.
"Do you remember Alina from Hogwarts, Draco?" Lord Voldemort's voice slithered over the table. Draco Malfoy nearly wet himself in fright and his mother, Narcissa, had to hold his hand under the table in support. "Alina tells me you were in Slytherin together. Did you treat her well?" Alina watched on pityingly as Malfoy gulped in a breath shakily, not wanting to tell the Dark Lord how they had gotten off to a shaky start in Hogwarts. Alina had not told Voldemort of their Incident at the beginning of the school year, as she felt sorry for the boy. Perhaps Alina's greatest weakness was her empathy. Narcissa Malfoy observed the young girl, realisation dawned on her that she was the one who had performed remarkable wandless magic on her son. She kept her mouth quiet as Draco nodded a yes to the Dark Lord's question.
Voldemort turned away from the young boy, now bored, as he clutched Alina under her soft, fair chin.
"Alina's greatest mistake was loving me." Every one in the room was shocked at his admission, confused at the relationship between their lord and the young girl they saw before them.
"Isn't that correct, Alina?" Lord Voldemort asked her forebodingly.
"I don't like it when you talk about me this way in front of them," she replied back in Parseltongue.
"You don't have to like it," he whispered back to her in their secret language before continuing their conversation for the rest of the room to understand, "We shouldn't be rude, Alina. Let the others hear you talk in their language." Alina had not spoken properly in such a long time and could not find the words to respond to him in human vocabulary.
The Dark Lord chuckled ominously, the sound startling for his followers, his red eyes full of mirth. He was privately glad Alina struggled to find words to say, as he enjoyed her speaking Parseltongue, like it was her mother-tongue, and treated English like a second language, rather than the one she was born with. The Death Eaters around the table were not sure what to make of the Dark Lord's laugh following the hushed, secret words shared between the two. Bellatrix Lestrange glowered at Alina darkly from across the vast table.
"Forgive me, my Lord," Bellatrix began, drawing Alina and Lord Voldemort's attention away from each other, "but she is a child!"
Blood rushed in Alina's ears as she observed the wild, imploring woman. Alina could tell that the woman who had spoken worshipped her friend, that she might possibly love him too, from the simpering, adoring gleam in her eyes. An emotion that felt a lot like jealously flooded Alina. The sensation was foreign to her and Alina could not help but speak out angrily, her fumbling for human words forgotten.
"I am older than you, girl." Alina sneered at Bellatrix, her eyes flashing red like the Dark Lord's briefly before fading back to stormy grey.
Lord Voldemort laughed again. "Be careful, Bellatrix. Alina has some of my temperament." The Dark Lord dragged Alina's attention away from his most loyal comrade to share the veiled joke with her, as she housed more than just his dark disposition.
To Alina he hissed in Parseltongue, "kneel down next to me." Alina's cheeks burnt with faint humiliation as she complied to his demands, knowing he could make her and preferring to go down on her knees on her own terms. Severus Snape and the other Death Eaters around the table watched the exchange rapidly, observing their lord's dominant display over her. Out from the corner of the room, a large snake slithered up and wrapped itself loosely around Alina's torso.
"Hello," Alina greeted to Nagini as the snake rubbed her majestic head against Alina's covered breasts. There was curious bulge on her serpentine form and Alina determined that the large snake must have just eaten. The Dark Lord wound a lock of Alina's long silver hair around one hand, whilst his other hand stroked Nagini's sleek form. His long fingernails were tinged with grime, but neither of them seemed to mind.
Nagini hissed out a great forked tongue as she squeezed her form comfortably around Alina.
"Mother," Nagini greeted back, licking at the exposed skin on Alina's throat.
The Dark Lord smiled darkly, pleased at his girls, and forgetting about the curious bystanders in the room.
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