Voila! Chapter 28! A week late! So sorry about that. Real life caught up with me, and I had about 4 or 5 major projects due on the same week. I was running on desperation and caffeine. I had a total of two panic attacks. This week has been the worst week of my life so far. Absolute worst. Never have I been so worried and over-worked. I fear the IB exams... Every one says they are worse!
So I made it up to you with a long chapter, and a brand new character! This chapter may seem a bit weird, as it did not follow what I wanted to happen at all. The beginning of the chapter took forever, and then the middle just took off. One of my friends, who shall remain unnamed, other than being called Giant, ('cause she is a freakin' 5 foot 11. Or 6 foot 3. Or 8 feet max.) got a BIG solo this week. She and I were joking around, and she mentioned my FF. That kinda made me freak out. I modeled the new character after her. This girl I'm talking about has the voice of an angel. This chapter is dedicated to her. (You know who you are Giant.:)
Enjoy. And tell me if you like Adelynne. (Giant chose the name. Do not blame me. Let Giant enjoy her chapter of fame.)
Have fun at tea at Mafoy Manor! (And tell me if you like the DE's)
Harry was pacing the floor in front of the girl dorms. "She's going to make us late!" Most of the other Gryffindors were out, either enjoying the slightly warmer weather, or watching a Qudditch scrimmage between Ravenclaw and Hufflepuff.
Sirius groaned, closing his eyes. "Shut up, Potter! You have half an hour. And you're making me dizzy." James and Remus nodded in agreement.
Peter, however, refused to open his eyes. "You're behind, mate. I was dizzy ten minutes ago." Harry was surprised to find himself laughing at the small man's joke. He had found that if he ignored the fact that the teen in front of him had grown up to become the Death Eater that had betrayed his parents and resurrected Voldemort, he could actually like him.
Just then, Lily came down the stairs, Hermione in tow. "Harry!" she exclaimed, holding two necklaces out for James to check. "Hold still while I compare the colors."
While he was holding still for Lily, Harry took the opportunity to stare at his girlfriend. James had owled his mother, who had told him the current decor of Lady Malfoy's tea room. As a result, Hermione was dressed in a gown that was not quite blue, but not quite gray either. She was adorned in diamonds, diamonds in the shape of small flowers, cut diamonds, diamonds set in silver. Harry wondered where she had found all the expensive jewelry.
He himself was dressed in a robe of deep blue, with silver accents. His hair was tamed somewhat, and his old glasses had been Transfigured into a set with silver frames. He had been declared handsome by all the Marauders, and was now being eyed by some of the girls who had remained in the Common Room.
Lily finished comparing, and fastened a delicate necklace of silver, diamonds, and another stone Harry didn't recognize around Hermione's neck. "There," she pronounced. "Perfect. What do you think, Harry?"
Harry ran his eyes over his fiancee's form. "Lovely. Where did you get all the diamonds, Lily?"
Lily smirked a bit, running an eye over Hermione to make sure she had not missed any out of place detail. "James' mum. She sent them over when we explained the situation."
The necklace she had placed around Hermione's slender neck was large, spreading out in a series of swirls and flourishes decorated with diamonds and some kind of gray-blue stone. It covered almost all the skin exposed by the dress, which was long and flowing. A subtle spell made Hermione seem heavier than she normally looked, made her look less starved. Her hair was in long ringlets, bound into a elaborate knot made of braids and curls. The robe's long sleeves obscured a set of bracelets, which were exposed when Hermione reached a hand up to tuck an artfully placed curl behind her ear.
She looked beautiful.
"Are you ready to go?" he asked her, giving her his arm. "I don't want to be late."
She nodded. "Yep. But I feel like we're dressed too formally. I feel like we are going to a cocktail party for wizards, or something."
Harry laughed. "Yeah. But we have to trust our advisers." He turned to where James and Sirius were lounging around. "Did you guys prank us?"
Sirius put on a wounded expression. "Us? Prank you? Never!"
James smacked Sirius in the back of his head. "You guys look fine. Stop complaining and get a move on." He pointed at the portrait hole, looking as bored as he could. "Leave here, foul tea goers."
They all laughed, and the couple exited the warm common room for the chilly halls. Even if the days were warming up, it was still chilly out. The walk to Dumbledore's office was quick, but Harry ended up casting a quick Disillusionment to quell the stares. The gargoyle opened with a quick, "Lemon Drops," and they ascended the twirling stairs.
"Mr. Potter! Miss Granger! Come in, come in. Are ready to go?" Dumbledore was seated at his desk, as always, sucking on a lemon drop. "The Floo Powder is on the mantle. Just go ahead and step on through." Harry canceled the spell, and stepped up to the fireplace.
Harry pecked Hermione on the cheek, giving her a slight grin. "See you in Hell," he quipped, throwing the green powder on the flames. "Malfoy Manor!"
Hermione smiled. "See you in Hell," she murmured. Grabbing the powder, she threw it into the flames, and stepped in. "Malfoy Manor."
The rush of green flames spun around her, and she saw multiple houses. She saw her destination, and put one foot forward to intercept. Suddenly she was spat out into a beautiful parlor, and Harry was holding her hand and helping her down from the Floo. James had been right, as the parlor was decorated in cream and dark blue, with silver accents.
In front of her was Narcissa Malfoy, twenty years younger. With a start, Hermione realized that the girl in front of her was a true beauty. Sapphire eyes in a milk white face, framed with waves of molten gold. She was wearing a dress of deepest sapphire, and had so many jewels Hermione didn't even know where to begin counting.
"Welcome to Malfoy Manor, Miss Granger. Please, take a seat. We were just wondering where you where!" This Narcissa was all light and happiness, reveling in her position of the lady of the manor. Her voice was high and sweet, and Hermione again wondered at the life that this girl had led that would end with her betrayal of Voldemort to save her son.
"I would be delighted to, Lady Malfoy." Harry had taken her arm, and he led her over to the seats by the tea service. The bodies lounging in the parlor were similar, but eerily so. Lucius was there, a head of white-gold and a satisfied smirk. With a start, Harry and Hermione both realized that the black haired young woman at his side was Bellatrix Black, soon to be Lestrange. She was seated by her fiancee, and his brother. With Narcissa seated, there were two seats open, and Harry and Hermione took those, with Hermione to the right of Narcissa, and Harry to the left of Rodolphus.
Belatedly, Hermione realized there was the faint sound of a harp playing, and turned to locate the source. What she saw chilled her to the bone. A beautiful girl, probably barely sixteen, was sitting on a cushion, playing a harp. She looked Italian, with long black hair held out of her face by a set of silver clips. She was wearing a silver dress, and had a collar around her neck, the design of which matched the bracelet Bellatrix was wearing on her right wrist. The girl's bronze skin seemed out of place in the room full of milk white beauties, and her luxurious dark hair seemed glow from the color from around her. She looked up and her eyes met Hermione's, hazel meeting brown. They looked utterly defeated, and Hermione saw a pain reflected there that she knew all too well. But her head was high and her back was straight. She had not yet given up.
"I see you've found my pet," Bellatrix drawled, twining herself around Rodolpus, laughing high and clear. "A gift from..." Her voice trailed off. "You'll know soon enough. I'm Bellatrix Black." A slim white hand was extended toward Hermione, who took it with a forced smile. Bella smiled brightly, eyes shining, red lips parted to show little white teeth.
"Hermione Granger," she replied. "Although I'm sure you already knew that." Bella laughed again, and the feeling of her cold little hand made Hermione want to run and scream or jerk it out of her grasp.
Bella nodded. "That I did. And who is this delectable man next to you?" she purred. Rodolpus smiled as well, and wrapped his arm around Bellatrix's waist.
Harry stiffened. "My name is Harry Potter. Pleasure to meet you." Bella laughed again, throwing her long hair back.
"Bellatrix Black. Soon to be Bellatrix Lestrange. But please, both of you, call me Bella." She leaned back, taking the arm of her fiancee. "This is my betrothed, Rodolphus Lestrange, and his brother, Rabastan."
Both men took Hermione's extended hand, pressing a kiss to the back of it. "An absolute delight," Rabastan murmured, looking up at Hermione through long black lashes. "A delight indeed."
Hermione repressed a shiver, not liking the way Rabastan looked at her. "Likewise," she replied, as Rodolpus did the same thing. Harry put an arm around her, and Hermione leaned into his warmth gratefully.
Lucius stood, walking over to Harry and Hermione. "Welcome to my ancestral home. I am Lord Lucius Malfoy, and you have already met my lovely wife, Narcissa. It is a pleasure to have you in our home."
Narcissa had gone to stand by him, and as they smiled down at Hermione, she could see how they would change through the years until they were the people who had stood by and watched as she was Cruico'd. Their gold hair created halos around their pale, faces, and Hermione could remember the exact same sight one afternoon about a week after she had been captured.
Once they had resumed their seats, Narcissa snapped her fingers and a small house elf appeared. "What can Dobby to for yous, Mistress?"
He was a sad sight. His fingers were bandaged, and his tea towel was in a ragged shape. The large bat ears that defined his species were hanging low, and he was cringing away from Lucius' silver tipped cane.
"Tea. Now. The Goblin wrought silver set. Quickly!" Dobby winked away with a small crack, and returned with a beautiful silver set that was steaming lightly. He set it on the small table, and bowed, straightening to slowly to escape the blow Lucius aimed at his head.
Narcissa smiled at her audience. "We've had to train him. He is too hyper for company usually, but this is such a personal gathering." She turned to Hermione, and whispered, "Bella is my sister. And Rodolpus and Rastaban are dear friends. We hope to be able to accept you into our small circle soon."
She moved away, and walked over to her sister. "Do you think your little slave would be able to set out the tea?" A when a side long glace over to Hermione did not reveal any reaction, Bella nodded.
"Of course, sister dear. Adelynne!" The soft harp playing stopped, and the girl on the cushions stood up, putting her harp down. She was tall, and the curtain of black hair fell to her waist. Even though she was, to all appearances, a slave, she held her head high, glaring at her captor down a rather strong nose. With a gasp that she could not- would not- contain, Hermione saw that the bracelets on her bony wrists had thin chains that went under the cushions. Bellatrix said something, and the chains vanished.
She walked toward the group, wincing when she passed by Rodolpus, who groped her, and his brother, who pinched her bum. But she said nothing, just kept on walking until she reached the tea set. With quick, efficient movements, she poured the tea, giving one cup to each person, ending with Hermione.
The girl's (Adelynne? Was that her name?) fingers brushed Hermione's when she was giving the cup to her. Their eyes met again, and Hermione could feel the pain and suffering the poor girl was probably going through everyday at the mercy of Bellatrix Lestrange- no, Bella Black. Hermione gave the girl a small smile, squeezing her brown fingers for a quick moment before accepting the cup.
When she had returned to the cushion, resuming her playing, Hermione got up the courage to ask Bellatrix about the girl. "Who is she?"
Bella's eyes narrowed. "What is it you, dearest?" she pouted, eyelashes fluttering.
Hermione shrugged. "I was curious. A woman of your station having a maidservant is not unusual, at least where I am from. But a slave? I had thought Wizarding England had abolished that practice."
Narcissa looked at her husband, who nodded slightly. "Well, Hermione, Harry. That is what we have really asked you to come here for. How do you feel about, well, the lower sort?"
Harry's strong voice had softened. "An example? Do you mean Muggleborns, Muggleborns and Halfbloods, or Muggleborns, Halfbloods, and other races?"
Rodolpus gave a nasty grin. "All. Like the piece of filth in the corner. Muggleborn and a damn Italian as well. There is only one thing she's good for."
Rabastan nodded. "That and her voice is the only reason we keep her around."
Bella giggled. "Her voice. I do love it so. When she screams..." She was cut off by a glare from her husband to be. She quickly diverted the attention from her last statement. "In fact, let's hear it now. Girl!"
Without stopping her harp, the girl raised her face. "Yes?" Her voice was soft, and higher than Hermione would have expected.
"Sing!" she commanded, then turned to her guests. "Her name is Adelynne. Muggleborn Italian. The Dark Lord gave her to me as a reward for... for something," she finished.
Hermione raised one eyebrow, feeling herself slip into her role. "The Dark Lord?"
Narcissa nodded. "You will see. But for now, enjoy."
Adelynne had started to started to sing, and Hermione was stunned into silence.
The girl's voice was high and sweet, soaring up into the heavens. She was still playing the harp, as an accompaniment. The song was in Italian, so Hermione could not understand it. However, the feeling in it touched her heart. It spoke of longing, of a longing to escape, to be free once more.
All too soon, the sweet sound ceased, and Bella clapped sarcasticly. "Very good, my sweet," she crooned. "Very good. Maybe I'll let your Master visit you later, with some food. Sing, and play softly while we talk."
Narcissa turned toward Hermione, eyes bright with excitement. "How long have you been here, in Britain?"
"Well," Hermione started, remembering the story they had spread. "I was born here, and my parents are from here. But we moved to Russia. Things with the magical community are doing very bad right now. There are riots, and well-" she turned her face into Harry's robes, feeling a few tears leak out anyway. The story they were telling was not real, but she really missed her parents.
Harry interrupted her. "Hermione doesn't like to talk about that. Muggles murdered her family. She inherited a large amount of money, enough to move back to England, and start again here. I didn't want to be without her. She is my life. So I packed up and moved here."
Rodolpus' entire face darkened. "My sincerest apologies. Forgive me for asking, but what happened to the Muggles?"
Harry answered for her again. "Nothing. It is against the law to prosecute Muggles for killing wizards, anywhere. They escaped and my fiancee and I have to live with that every day. Hermione's mum and dad were like parents to me. I didn't agree with my parent's way of thinking... and well, they supported me."
Narcissa and her husband shared another glance, then Lucius took over the conversation. "We invited you here today for another reason, then just getting to meet you. Have you heard any whispers about a Lord Voldemort?"
Hermione looked up from Harry's chest, meeting his eyes. "Maybe," she said, keeping her voice controlled. "What is it to you?"
Lucius smiled, with an eery beauty that sent shivers down Hermione's spine. "He is the leader of the future. He can rescue the purebloods that are being contaminated my the evils of those of lesser blood. Muggles and Mudbloods. His view of the world is how it should be."
Narcissa nodded eagerly. "He can help you avenge your parents, Hermione. He is so strong, so powerful, so good. He wants to create a new era, with the Muggles and Mudbloods as slaves, the Halfbloods as servants, and the Purebloods as the nobility. He would be the King, and we his faithful servants of righteousness. We can control everything, with Lord Voldemort's direction!" Narcissa was excited, eyes bright and she was breathing fast, a picture of perfect beauty. "We can repress that which is wrong, and uphold that which is right!"
At this point, Harry and Hermione were both certain Tom Riddle was listening in on the conversation. They were equally certain that they would be meeting him soon. They had agreed to act interested in taking the Dark Mark, and to try and find the Horcrux as soon as they could.
Hermione sat up straighter, looking at Bellatrix. "Did he give you the girl?" she asked, gesturing the the child who was still playing and singing softly.
Bella nodded, with a evil smile. "Yes. She was my reward for good service. Usually, she would have been killed along with her Muggle family. However, her mother told the Dark Lord she had been trained as a singer, in an attempt to save her. The Dark Lord ordered her to sing, and she did. He enjoyed it, so when it was time for me to be rewarded, he asked me if I wanted her for my pet. I accepted, of course."
Hermione paused, hesitating, then said, "Does he reward everyone?"
Rodolphus laughed. "As long as you please him. His rules are simple: please him, and you are rewarded. Disgrace him, or anger him, and you are punished. It is easy enough."
Harry narrowed his eyes. "Does this Lord Voldemort order you to bow at his feet?" he asked scathingly. "I would not bow just anyone. Is there something that makes him special?
The group looked shocked, but Rastaban spoke up. "Please do not insult our Lord in our presence. But yes, he is special. He is the descendant of Salazar Slytherin himself."
The couple looked at each other, and Harry nodded at the group. "We would like to meet him for ourselves, to hear what he has to say."
Narcissa giggled, and clapped her hands together. "This is perfect! He is staying here today, waiting to meet you. Would you like to be taken to him?"
Hermione looked at Harry, who subtlety nodded. "I think only Harry should go. I trust his judgment, and I do not feel so well right now. Could you tell me where the water closet is?"
Narcissa nodded, looking disappointed. "Of course that would be fine. We heard that you were ill. Is it serious?"
Hermione sighed. "Yes. I was injured in the attack and it has yet to heal. They had an ancient magical artifact, that they probably stole from somebody. I was stabbed with the knife. It is resistant to magical healing, but soon we are going to attempt a healing ritual. Hopefully that will work. But in the mean time, I am very weak and am prone to fainting and such."
Bella gasped. "You poor dear. I'll have the girl go with you, to show you the way and to make sure you don't hurt your self. The men can take Harry to the Dark Lord."
Hermione smiled gratefully at Bella, cursing her on the inside. How on earth was she supposed to find the diary with a watcher? But maybe she could turn this to her advantage. "Thank you, Bella."
"You! Girl! Stop playing and show Miss Granger to the blue bathing room. Stay with her and make sure she does not weaken," Bella snapped, patting Hermione's hand as she stood. "Don't worry. She won't touch you unless you really need her to."
"Thank you," Hermione murmured. "I'll make good use of her."
Together, the slave girl and Hermione left the tea room, Hermione trailing after the tall, bronze-skinned girl. She was led down several halls, and up one flight of stairs. The entire time, the two girls did not talk, until finally, Hermione broke the silence.
"What is your name?" Hermione asked softly.
"Adelynne Iamperrii. Why do you care?" The girl hissed. "Don't you think that I am inferior to you? I am not a 'filthy mudblood?'"
Hermione was taken aback, then realized her mistake. "Can Bellatrix hear what you say? Or can she order you to tell your secrets?"
Adelynne shook her head. "No. The collar will only strangle me if I am more than one hundred feet from her, or if she orders it to strangle me."
Hermione sighed in relief. "That's good. Do you know anything about Occulomency or Legilimency?"
The girl shook her head, then paused. "I heard the Dark Lord speak of it. He said he could look into my mind and see my deepest secrets."
Hermione nodded. "Yes. That is why I have to be careful about this. You hate Bellatrix, do you not?"
Adelynne's eyes widened in disbelief. "You are sane, are you not?"
Hermione smiled wryly. "I was her prisoner for two months, once upon a time. My fiancee, Harry, and I, are not really Death Eater sympathizers. I am a muggleborn, like you. And Harry is half blood." Adelynne's eyes narrowed.
"Who is Madonna?" she asked, obviously thinking this a question only someone who had lived as a muggle teenager could answer.
Hermione laughed, and shook her head. "Famous muggle singer. For some reason, she enjoys dressing in rags and wearing large crosses while shocking the world."
"So you are telling the truth about being muggleborn at least. But being Bellatrix's prisoner? She seems to love you." Adelynne was not buying it.
"How much to you know about the dimensional magics?" Hermione asked.
"Nothing. I was going to school in Italy for exactly one year before I was captured over summer break," she responded.
Hermione felt like smacking her face. "We've spent too much time already. You'll have to believe me for now. I want to help you. I can get you to people who would be more than happy to help you. I just need your help to find one thing. It is a diary, made of leather. Lucius probably keeps it in a place of great safety. I need that diary."
Adelynne sighed. "I have a feeling that you are telling the truth. So I am going to help you. The diary is in Lucius' study. Which is right next to the room Voldemort is in right now. I can get it for you, because my collar allows me to bypass the wards. But I cannot leave here. The slave collar will kill me."
Hermione nodded. "I know. But I also know those are illegal, and therefore there is a spell to counter to collar. A strong freezing charm on the metal, than a rapid heat charm can kill the spells, and Harry and I have a place that will give us the tools needed to get that off you."
Adelynne almost melted in relief. "Good Lord. Thank you. Thank you!" She reached out impulsively and hugged Hermione, dwarfing the smaller girl.
Hermione patted her back, and comforted her for a while. "Adelynne. I need that diary. Whatever you do, do not right in it, or open it. It has a soul fragment in it that will try and suck out your own soul. Be careful."
Hermione entered the bathroom, wetting her hands and face while waiting for the slave girl. She saw so much of herself reflected in the bronze skinned beauty. But at least during her months as a guest in Malfoy Manor, she had not been raped. Adelynne had been through so much. Too much for a girl of only sixteen.
Taking an opportunity to look around the bathroom, Hermione shook her head in disgust. The Malfoy's might be ridiculously wealthy, but the blue bathroom took up three rooms. Three. One was the sink, some couches, and a large vanity. The others were a toilet, and a sunken bath, like the one for the Prefects at Hogwarts.
After about ten minutes, Adelynne came back with a leather diary wrapped in a piece of cloth. "I got it. Is this the one you were looking for?"
Hermione took the cloth, and closely examined the diary. It had been years since she had seen it last, but she remembered every detail. It was the Horcrux, all right. "Great job. Thank you so much. Now I have a plan for you. It might be a bit painful, but it will work. Are you willing to try?"
It only took three minutes to outline the plan to the girl, and they were heading back to the tea room. When they arrived, Bella had just started to rise.
"There you are. I was just going to find you," she said, smiling. "The girl didn't bother you, did she?"
Hermione sniffed in Adelynne's direction. "No. She was actually a help as unbelievable as that sounds. I almost fainted, and she stopped me from hitting my head."
Narcissa shook her head. "It is an absolute shame what you have been through, Hermione. An absolute shame."
Bella nodded in agreement with her sister. "The Dark Lord will let you take your revenge He will give you power beyond your wildest dreams."
Hermione allowed herself to sigh, and her eyes to grow misty. "I wish for the day I will see those who took the lives of my family lie prostate at my feet. I long for the day I will be allowed to end their miserable lives."
Bella's head bobbed up and down eagerly. "Lord Voldemort will do this for you. You only have to ask it of him and it will be done."
Just then, the men came back in the tea room. Harry looked pensive, brow furrowed like it did when he was deep in thought. "Are you ready to leave, my darling?" he asked her, giving her his hand to assist her as she rose from the couch.
"Yes, love. Did you reach a conclusion?" she asked quietly, knowing the others in the room could hear. "What was this Lord Voldemort like?"
Harry pulled her by the hand to the fireplace. "We will discuss it later." He then turned to their hosts. "We thank you graciously for allowing us this delightful opportunity. Many thanks for the wonderful tea and thought provoking conversation," he said, bowing slightly.
Narcissa inclined her head gracefully. "You are very welcome. Thank you for entering our house and gracing it with your youthful energy and eagerness."
Hermione did the same, nodding to the rest of the guests. "You are welcome. Farewell, and I suspect we will be in contact soon."
Another round of thanks and accepting thanks followed, and Harry and Hermione stepped into the fireplace. "Headmaster Dumbledore's Office!" Hermione said clearly, looking at Adelynne as the girl played her harp. If she followed the given instructions, she would be safe. They would be waiting for her.
What did you think? Was it semi-believable? Did you like it? Giant has been bugging me to put this up since Thursday, looking over my shoulder as I typed this G-D'd thing, and she thinks it is great. Tell me if you agree.
What did you think of Adelynne? And Hermione's made up story? In case you didn't get it, Hermione and Harry were acting. They had to be in perfect control. I think it mentioned somewhere in the books that Bellatrix knows Legilimency.
Three questions:
Question1: Not really important, but in my other WIP, a reviewer said that my writing seems to reflect an age far beyond my years. I want to ask: How old do you think I am? And how old does my writing make you think I am? I will not be confirming any body. I just want to have a laugh or two.
Question2: Do you want me to continue this in to Harry and Hermione returning, extending this several more chapters, end it, or do a sequel? Note that if I do a sequel, this story will only have about 8-12 more chapters, or less, and that the sequel will be a long time in coming.
Question3: Is it just me, or did FF take away the spell check? This drives me nutso. I am horrible at spelling. Siriously. And I usually upload blank doc's at the library and write on those on the site. (weird, I know. But this means not formatting issues.) So please tell me if you spot any spelling mistakes, and I apologize for not catching them.
Check out my profile! I updated it finally! And I am vacationing this summer, in France. All summer. I'll be with my amazing family, so I might not have time to write so much. If so, I will inform you.
Review!
