The dark lord was expecting Delancy to come, but he never gave what she will wear when she did come any thought at all. As she entered his office, he did not look up at her yet, just giving her nod when he heard her greet him and curtsied to him. Then he finalized that paper and looked up to be shocked, but he hid it well. He had to try not to flinch from the sudden change of clothes. She used to wear formal clothes to the once - every - couple - weeks meetings, but this time she wore revealing clothes and kind of... an attracting and absolutely unformal attire.
"How do you fare, Miss Delancy?" He started, before silence became awkward...
"I am very well, my lord. How about you?" She replied casually, ignoring Tom's hidden astonishment about her outfit... yes, she was able to detect that it seems.
"I am fine, i suppose. So how is your stay for now? I do realise that you have been here for just a few hours but I still would want to know if everything here is to your liking." He said, just a tad bit less concerned as he remembered Severus purchasing the dress. That means that Severus was right about Delancy's taste in clothing, quite an unusual taste it seems, and that also means that Delancy trusts Tom enough to not doubt his... intentions, about him giving her clothes, or a whole wardrobe in fact.
"Oh yes it is, all if fine thank you for your concern. Furthermore, I must say that I really am grateful for the wardrobe, or rather the entire room, you provided me with. It is quite spacious and... pretty much fitting my style. Was it Professor Snape who provided you with information about my type of clothing?" She said.
"Nice to know the room is satisfying. And yes, it was Severus who provided the details about your choices and preferences for you are residing here for quite a time, i believe you have the right to at least enjoy your stay, do you not?" Tom replied, and Delancy nodded her thanks once more, hiding her confusion. She had no clue why the dark lord was so interested in her, and that slightly agitated her. People do not usually treat Delancy nicely unless they want something, and she wanted know why Tom was acting the same.
Maybe he wants to tell her that she has to train much harder if she wants to pay him back for his services and surprise her by telling her later when it is too late to turn back that he does not give stuff for free. She had to quench her curiosity before it drives her mad, and she wanted to know now. Maybe she can use legilimancy on the man to find out what he is scheming, but if found out she would be in ve~ry big trouble...
"My lord, I am not one to beat around the bush and am quite straight forward. I have a few unanswered questions if I may ask." She stated, and quite bluntly at that.
" Of course, go ahead."
"I want to know why you called for me to stay at your manor. I am grateful and all, really, but there must be a reason of course. You could not have just done it out of mere kindness. After all, it is not everyday that the Dark Lord takes in the abused World's Savior at his mansion to show that he is a magnanimous dark man, pardon me." Tom chuckled, she was right. He knew Delancy was a smart young lady, also known as his daughter, what would stop her from being so today as well?
"Impressed, I am, indeed. Yes of course i have not invited you over as a simple act of gentless or so. I have called you over for other reasons. Part of the reason is that it is here where you have to be, or at least where you originally should have been. I am afraid i can't inform you why now, sadly, but you will know it a good time ahead of your leaving to hogwarts do not worry." He held back to call her my child at the end, wishing those days to just pass and let her birthday just come already.
Delancy stared into blank space with her head downcast a little as she pondered. "Fine then, I will wait. I still, however, feel quite curious so, excuse me if i somehow found out prior original date." She said, curtsied in respect and left...
Tom chuckled to himself. That girl will start searching every book that can help, search for books that were transfigured to look like boring books to hide their content. But she will not find anything, unless she asks Severus or Lucius or Draco. She probably will not. She would think that Tom will not trust them with such important information and end up finding at the planned day. And truthfully so, Delancy transfigured almost all books, not bothering to waste her time to open them since they obviously were some other weird topic. She transfugured them back and resumed her search.
Day after day, and Delancy would just not fine a hint about the information. She probably has enough information to become a Dark Arts teacher though...
After a week and a half, Delancy still had one. more. book. She searched the whole library, and damn it was huge! Delancy took the book, but never told Tom. If she did, he would probably take it away and say she will know with time. One would think what was hidden is details about a discarded murder, having enough evidence to defeat the other side... and all that drama blah blah blah.
But what Delancy held in hand was no murder related book. It was a magical family tree. It shows the heads of the Riddle house, and all its children and children. Even if the child was an illegitimate one, their name still goes down there. Delancy had absoluetly no idea why she suspected something from this book, but it was isolated in the library. She magically counted the books in the library and the ones she saw and passed. There was a missing book. A book that has a great importance if it was this deeply hidden. Delancy practiced all spells she can on searching for the damned book.
Tom did not expect that, but his wand alerted him that the book had been extracted from its safekeeping place. He had to get it. No idea how, but he should. If the book reaches Delancy's bedroom, he can never retrieve it until it is too late.
But... he can spell it shut. Shut for as along as he needs. But he needs to find the one spell Delancy can never think of. He can't use parseltongue, for Delancy can reverse the spell as she also speaks the impossible language.
Tom settled for an ancient spell, and sent it from where he was, away from Delancy. Yes, he had that kind of power apparently. Of course, Delancy then was unable to open the book anymore... And thus, lost her last chance at ending her ever increasing curiousity. Seems she will have to give up...
Later that day, Delancy and Tom had dinner together, Delancy looked a little disappointed, despite trying to hide it...
"What is wrong? You seem a little downcast." Tom asked, well knowing that Delancy was not able to open the family tree book, and feigning his disknowledge.
"Nothing much really. I lost my final clue regarding what could have given me a final answer that would have ended my curiosity to be honest."
"I see, there are a few more weeks, and then i would be able to inform you, about the reason you are staying here of course." He said, smiling up at her a little.
"Ahh, then i can hope they pass. However i still have a question. That book, the family tree book I suppose, why was is locked away? And transfigured as well" She asked, staring at her own food thinking...
"Hmm, i see you found that book. Just how many books have you transfigured back to their original forms? I need to return them back to what they looked like. The family tree book, not a really pleasant book it was to be frank... It was a troublesome book. With muggles, your write whoever person you want in the family tree, but in the wizarding world, the names automatically find their way to the tree. If an illegitimate heir or child is born, they are forced to live the life with their family, even if the parents do not want them included in the family. Sometimes, illegitimate children end up being heirs to their families, which grows quite some disdain and hate, even vengeance sometimes, in the one family. Those known as illegitimate children, however, are treated as if theybwere disgusting, useless, accidently born creatures." Tom said scornfully. It was bitter, to think of what they did to illegitimate children...
Delancy seemed to get the idea, not to ask further about what is written in the family tree anymore. Tom was not an illegitimate child, she knew, but it was the person he was hinting to. She gad no idea who it was, but they must have been abandoned, or worse, killed.
"Sad, it is. In the muggle world, you can disown the child before it was borm, as if they were never there. The mothers, are allowed to kill the child if they do not want it. That, is where the idea of prostitution came from, that the mothers have no care about the fetus that they can get rid of anytime, before it grew to exhaust them. Yes, it may seem hard on those illegitimate ones, but still, it was better than ending up killed. Muggles really are vile creatures i would not deny, even if i had lived with them half my life" Delancy elaborated, the gaze in her eyes making her look like that of a really mature grown person . For a while there, Tom confused her for a full fledged adult with the way she spoke and looked like. It was as if she was a little too familiar with muggles, which she was, but he did not know it was to this extent.
Dessert was served, honey cake to be exact, and Delancy had to fight the urge to not squeal as if she was another one of those foolish girls who just saw Victor Krum. Honey cake was Delancy's favorite dessert. If she can, she would live on it for as long as it was provided...
(A/N. My sister baked it twice for me and i still am amzed by its simplicity hut immense special taste) Honey cake was not a cake really covered in honey and all as most people would think by its name. It was a seven to nine layered cake, thin layers to be exact. The batter, mixed with a few tablespoons of honey is made, and spread on a sheet of baking paper as circular as possible. That to beging with is diferent from normal cakes, it was not poured in a mould but spread by a spatual on a baking paper. Each layer is put in the over seperately for about seven to ten minutes at maximum then removed, and the sheet is peeled off the cake layer.
Fresh cream mixed with honey until thick, then is spread between each layer of cake then covering the whole thing till it becomes a sweet pleasure of white. Decorated with peeled walnuts, the cake is served. And what a sweet cake it was... Delancy did not act like a squealing school girl, but was not able to resist the urge to show her delighted expression.
Tom chuckled, and Delancy snapped back to reality, a blush creeping on her face from embarrassment of showing such a childish, immature emotion in front of the Dark Lord.
"I- i am sorry. I- It is just that i l-like this cake so much and have not tasted it in a while and..." her voice trailed off and she decided to just shut up.
"It is quite alright. I have been informed about your liking to this cake but never could i ever imagine your immense satisfaction unless seen by my own two eyes." Tom said reassuringly, and Delancy sighed, still faintly blushing.
"Well then, see you on breakfast tomorrow, Miss Delancy" Tom finished, and retreated back to his quarters, Delancy following to her own in a few other moments.
IMPORTANT A/N
Well, now that this is done, i can go to start the exciting part so look forward to it. Once more thank you so much for reading my story and for those waiting each time for an update since the beginning of this fanfiction and of course to all other readers. I hope you are liking the story line until now!
And again, sorry if my updates are not scheduled like many other writers do but i have many other obligations to look after more important than a fanfiction made for just fun. If you have any thoughts just voice them out in the reviews (as long as they don't include cyber bullying and hating without reason)
I have come across the fact that sometimes people read up to the end of my last updated chapter and say discouranging comments like "its not good" or "this isn't relevant" etc... Nothing i write can be considered irrelevant because this is a place to write whatever a person wants. If i want to make harry a aquib i shal, if i want to make him a muggleborn i shall. But no one ever can have the right to say i "can't write that cause it's irrelevant"
1. I don't understand how so me people say they don't like my content if they read 17 chapters of the content you disliked.
2. If you don't like something, either leave it, or say 'why' you don't like it. I can't improve if you don't tell me what i lack and i don't mind people telling me and helping me corrcet my mistakes and missed ideas.
3. I have deleted any comments that include hateful words or bad critisizing my work without explaining why to me. i am not saying all my reviewers did that, some did tell me what my story needs to become better and i appreciate that and took by their advices that were given the nice way.
That is it and Thank you again!