Harry, Ron, Ginny, Ariadne, and Lockhart must have been a sight as they stood in the doorway, covered in grime and slime and quite a bit of blood.
None of that mattered to Mrs. Weasley (or at least the woman that Ariadne assumed was Mrs. Weasley, given her red hair), who launched her plump figure at Ginny and Ron. Mr. Weasley (who also had red hair, but was quite skinny) followed soon after.
Ariadne, however, was looking past them. Narcissa and Lucius Malfoy were waiting for her in front of McGonagall's desk. Narcissa was standing in wait, tall and gracefully casual. The only hint at her discomfort was the hand that hand bunched itself at the waist of her robes, needling with the fabric. Lucius, meanwhile, remained seated in one of the plush chairs at McGonagall's desk, legs spread with casual indifference. On his face was an open sneer, likely at the company in which he found himself. By his side was Dobby, who seemed to be attempting to make himself invisible by hunching over.
"Narcissa," Ariadne greeted as though running into them at the breakfast table. She wanted to seem as calm (and innocent) as she possibly could. "Mr. Malfoy. Hello, Dobby. What are you all doing here?"
Mrs. Weasley and the others had joined them by now, and although Mrs. Weasley hugged and thanked Harry enthusiastically, she eyed Ariadne warily. Ariadne could hardly blame her, could only imagine the tense silence the Malfoys and the Weasleys had found themselves in before she had reached the office.
"We're here for you, darling–" Narcissa started, but Lucius had by now turned to face her, although he was still seated. He spoke over his wife.
"We are your guardians, Ariadne. When you go and poke your nose where it doesn't belong, getting yourself nearly murdered in the process, the school thinks to call us. Only, imagine my surprise to learn that not only have you been consorting with Harry Potter," and Ariadne sneaked a glance at Narcissa, who did not meet her eyes, "but that Dumbledore was back at the castle, despite having been suspended."
Ariadne stayed silent, feeling the eyes of the room on her. Mercifully, Dumbledore decided to address Lucius himself. "Yes, well, when word reached them that Ginny Weasley and your niece had been killed, Lucius, they wanted me back here at once. And it was all very strange… they seemed to believe that they had been threatened if they hadn't agreed to suspend me in the first place, but I'm sure that's not true."
Mr. Malfoy purpled with rage.
"Lucius…" Narcissa warned, placing a hand on his shoulder that allowed him to relax somewhat.
"It doesn't matter!" Mrs. Weasley cried, too relieved to have the daughter that she thought was dead in her arms to care about the glare Lucius sent her way. "She's alive! You saved her! How did you do it?" She directed at Harry.
"Yes, I'd quite like to know that as well," Narcissa asked Harry, who looked surprised to have been addressed. Lucius rolled his eyes, but said nothing.
Harry walked over and laid the diary on the desk, reaching a hand out towards Ariadne. She pulled the sword from the waistband of her skirt and handed it to him, ignoring the shock on the parents' faces. Harry laid the sword similarly, before walking back to Ariadne to begin to tell his story.
He started with the voice he'd been hearing in the castle, telling them of Hermione's realization and Petrification. How he and Ron followed the spiders into the forest, how he realized that Myrtle had been the basilisk's last victim. How he'd overheard McGonagall saying that Ariadne and Ginny had been taken, and that he couldn't sit by and do nothing.
Harry paused, brushing against Ariadne as if to make sure she was still there. McGonagall took advantage of the silence. "Very well," she prompted. "But how on earth did you all get out of there alive?"
Harry told them about finding Ariadne and Ginny down there, about Fawkes and the sword and the basilisk. When it became impossible to avoid speaking about Riddle and the diary, however, Harry paused. He didn't want Ginny to get into trouble, and neither did Ariadne. Ginny was awaiting her fate in silence, head resting against her mother's shoulder.
Here, Dumbledore cut in with a gentle smile. "What interests me is how exactly Lord Voldemort managed to enchant Ginny, when my sources tell me that he is currently hiding in Albania."
Lucius, who had been begrudgingly silent throughout Harry's entire story, had evidently had too much. "You old fool!" He shouted. "How dare you speak the name. The Dark Lord had nothing to do with this. He's been… gone for ten years, after all." He sneaked a glance at Harry, who pretended not to notice.
"It was him," Ariadne spoke softly, and Lucius turned furious eyes onto her. Narcissa placed a gentle hand onto her shoulder in warning, but Ariadne continued anyway. "He made Ginny take me, and then he came out of the diary himself. He said things to me. It was only him at sixteen, but he said odd things to me– about Walburga and Orion," she paused, and Narcissa paled. Ariadne met Lucius's eyes head on. "About his friend Abraxas. It's an anagram. Tom Marvolo Riddle– I am Lord Voldemort. He wanted me to join him. And then he wanted to kill me." Narcissa's grip on her shoulder tightened as she spoke, but Lucius had only grown silent. He shot Ariadne a hard look, and then sent a matching one to Arthur Weasley.
"If it's the girl who kidnapped and attempted to murder my niece, then she should be put into Azkaban," Lucius said coolly. Mr. and Mrs. Weasley gasped, and Ginny's cries reached deafening heights. Ariadne raised her eyebrows slightly – Lucius had never really referred to her as such, even though now it was solely for deflection. If he could not counter Ariadne's claims, he could at least try and push the blame onto the Weasleys.
"It wasn't her, didn't you hear me?" Ariadne defended. "It was Voldemort!"
"Don't say the name!" Lucius hissed at her. "The Weasley girl has obviously addled Ariadne's mind in some way – I have no choice but to tell the Minister about this. What would the Prophet have to say, Dumbledore, about the kind of education you're bestowing upon our youth? The Dark Lord, back?" Lucius laughed, but it was forced. "It's clear that the girl's done this at the instruction of her father. Revenge against a member of the Malfoy family. I'll have her jailed, I promise you that."
Mr. Weasley began to protest, but Ariadne spoke once more, quietly so that only Narcissa, Lucius, and Harry could hear. "If you do, I'll tell them about the diary. That you're the one that gave it to her."
Narcissa gasped, but Lucius only narrowed his eyes at her. "You have no idea what you're talking about, girl."
Ariadne was emboldened at the name, the reminder of Tom Riddle. "Mr. Malfoy, please. There were witnesses that day, at the Flourish and Blotts. Even Draco noticed." Harry nodded, and Narcissa's beautiful face took on a slight frown at the thought that her son could have been involved. "If we could figure it out so easily, who knows who else could?" Ariadne very carefully did not glance at Dobby as she made her threats, but she could see the small elf put his head down in shame from the corner of her eye.
"Now," Ariadne continued, raising her voice for the room to hear. "I'm sure all of us can put our differences, and just be happy that we all got out alive. And, this lovely shared experience will ensure that none of us shall bother one another again. Does that work with everyone?"
Mr. and Mrs. Weasley nodded, confused, while Lucius and Narcissa remained silent. Ariadne took the lack of active threats to mean acquiescence.
"Good. Now, Harry was bitten by a basilisk tonight and I accidentally poisoned myself with one, which I can admit was quite a mistake, so if we could have a lie down that would be rather fantastic." Ariadne thought that Professor McGonagall was going to have a heart attack, she clutched her chest so suddenly. Even the normally infallible Narcissa was allowed concern to breach her face, and she led Ariadne gently out of the room. Lucius followed begrudgingly, but before Ariadne was quite out the door, she found herself locked into Mrs. Weasley's comforting embrace.
"Thank you," Mrs. Weasley whispered.
Ariadne nodded stiffly, suddenly feeling a slight prickling behind her eyes. She couldn't remember the last time she;'d been hugged, she realized. Narcissa grabbed her by the wrist, ignoring Ariadne's instinctive flinch, and pulled her outside. Ariadne dragged her feet ever-so-slightly, slowing her exit just long enough to witness Lucius snap for Dobby to follow him, kicking him when he was slow to do so.
Harry, to whom Dobby had been speaking, narrowed his eyes at Lucius's retreating back. Ariadne looked behind her and widened her own, communicating with Harry silently as best as she could. Her best was not very good, however, given a final sharp tug from Narcissa that sent her out the door once and for all. Ariadne could only hope that Harry had understood her message.
Out in the corridor, with no witnesses for which to save face, Lucius allowed the rage that he had barely suppressed in Dumbledore's office to unleash itself in full force. He lunged forward, grabbing Ariadne's wrist from Narcissa. Ariadne winced as he clamped tightly down on her wounds. Though they were healed by Fawkes, they were still fresh, and although they would have been mere scratches had they not been imbued with Basilisk venom, they were red and raised and still somewhat painful.
"You foolish girl," he seethed. Lucius used his other hand to grab Ariadne by the chin, jerking her face up forcefully in order to meet his hateful gaze. She found no help from Narcissa, who had stood back and stared straight past the two, as if she could not see anything in front of her. "How dare you? Have you any idea what you have done? This is how you choose to repay us for everything that we've done for you? You shall never step foot in my home again, not as long as I remain there."
"Lucius," Narcissa finally interjected. "We have already presented Ariadne at Christmas. How would we explain her sudden absence from our home? Be reasonable, darling."
Lucius loosened his grip, but otherwise gave no indication that he had listened to his wife.
"Nobody else wanted you," Lucius said slowly, "and I agreed to take you in. How dare you threaten me? And align with those people." It appeared that Narcissa had elected not to tell Lucius about Ariadne's burgeoning friendships with the Gryffindors back in December. Evidently, for the best. "You do not know the consequences of what you have just done."
"No," Ariadne agreed. "But I know the consequences of what you've done. I watched them, I felt them." She held up her wrists. "I just don't understand why."
"Dumbledore's explained it to me," Harry cut in as he strolled outside, before Lucius could even open his mouth. He joined Ariadne's side as they faced Lucius and Narcissa respectively, and only then did Lucius release Ariadne's chin with a significant amount of force. She rubbed her jaw lightly as Harry continued. "That it'd be a bad look for Mr. Weasley's Muggle Protection Act if Ginny was the one attacking Muggleborns. It's lucky that all the memories were wiped from the diary. Don't you think, Mr. Malfoy?"
Harry held up the now-destroyed diary, which appeared to be stuffed into a very grimy black sock. He tossed it casually to Lucius, who caught it with one hand, a quick and instinctive motion.
Mr. Malfoy grimaced at the dairy in disgust, ripping the sock off and throwing it aside. Not aside, Ariadne realized. To Dobby. She smiled a Harry, who returned it with a quick grin of his own. Dobby, meanwhile, was staring down at his freedom in awe.
"You'll go just as your parents did, Harry Potter. They were meddlesome fools, too."
"You're not threatening Harry Potter, Mr. Malfoy, are you?" Ariadne asked leadingly. "Lily and James Potter were fools? For stopping Voldemort? I mean, that kind of talk might make one wonder where your loyalties really do lie."
"Ariadne," Narcissa snapped. "That's enough." Ariadne obeyed, closing her mouth. Narcissa had been her only defender thus far, and she did still have to live with these people. Her stomach rolled somewhat at the thought, but she determined to leave that concern for later. "Lucius," Narcissa continued. "Let's go. They're only children, after all. What harm can they do? Ariadne," she said stiffly. "We shall see you at home."
Narcissa did not wait for Lucius before she walked out of the corridor leaving him no choice but to follow. He shot Ariadne and Harry one last glare before turning, calling out to Dobby as he did so.
"Come, Dobby. Now."
But Dobby did not move. He was still staring at that sock in his hand. It was dirty, it was damp, and it had holes growing at the big toe and at the heel. It had given him everything.
"Master has given Dobby a sock," the small elf said in awe, shrill voice cracking on the last word. Lucius spun around so suddenly that Ariadne was almost impressed with his grace.
"What did you say?" he demanded, but he had already noticed Harry's single, bare foot. He lunged at Harry, and though Ariadne was quick to draw her wand, Dobby was quicker.
"You shall not harm Harry Potter!" he yelled, and a loud bang threw Lucius down the stairs, three at a time, until he was no longer in sight. Dobby smiled then, putting on Harry's sock and admiring his newly clothed foot. Ariadne (who knew the trials the sock had seen that night) tried hard not to grimace, determined not to ruin the moment.
Dobby's face split into a toothy smile as he threw his spindly arms around Ariadne and Harry both, drawing them together so suddenly that her temple knocked against Harry's ear.
"Thank you, Harry Potter! And thank you, Miss! Dobby shall miss Miss!" he sobbed, making an odd picture with his enormous smile.
"Dobby!" Ariadne laughed fondly, looking down at him. "Call me Ariadne! Especially now!"
"Never!" Dobby resisted. "Farewell, Miss! Farewell, Harry Potter!" And with a final loud crack, Dobby disappeared.
"That was really clever, you know," Ariadne complimented Harry, who had stepped back without Dobby to hold them together. "The way you freed Dobby. I wasn't sure if you got my hint, but I knew if anyone could figure out how to do it, it'd be you."
Harry ruffled his hair at the compliment. "I'd have done it anyway, you know. Dobby didn't deserve that kind of treatment– nobody does."
"I know," Ariadne agreed. She didn't doubt for a second that he would have. That's just the kind of person he is. "Where do you think he's gone?" she asked, lightening the mood with a fond smile.
"No idea," he responded, smiling back. Nothing, it seemed, could break that smile today, and Ariadne was glad for it. "But I'm pretty sure we're going to see him again. Now come on, Hermione should be awake by now."
And as they began to walk to the wing in amicable silence, each enjoying the peace that came with the midnight sky, Harry could not help but to speak again. "We got two hundred points for Gryffindor, by the way. Each! And special services to the school. The House Cup is definitely ours again."
Ariadne laughed, before setting off into a run down the corridor. She had an adrenaline that she couldn't seem to shake, from the shock of the fact that she actually survived the night. "I'll race you," she called.
Harry gained on her quickly, longer legs and Quidditch stamina giving him an unbeatable advantage, but he slowed to her pace when he caught up to her to ensure that they entered the Hospital Wing and greeted Hermione at the same time.
Having missed both Halloween and Christmas, Ariadne had never been to a true Hogwarts celebration feast before, though she doubted very much that they had been anything like this one.
Wearing her silk AEB-emblazoned pajama set (she truly did have nothing else), Ariadne cheered in the Great Hall with the rest of the school as they celebrated the end of the nightmare of the Chamber of Secrets in their pajamas. And having been kidnapped herself by the culprit ("really, they Stupefied me before I even got the chance to see them!"), she was officially cleared of blame by the rest of the school. There was still that small bit of lurking distrust for being Sirius Black's daughter, but in the grand scheme of things, she'd take whatever amount of friendliness that she could get.
Gryffindor, who Ariadne learned was famed for their festivity, were by far the most enthusiastic of the already rowdy crowd. The only thing that got a louder cheer than the cancellation of exams (disappointing Hermione) was the announcement of the winners of the House Cup. Fred and George hoisted Ariadne up onto their shoulders at that one, parading her around the Gryffindor table like she was the trophy itself.
When she was finally put down, Ariadne found herself once more surrounded, though this time by a flurry of long, blonde hair. She was nearly toppled over by the full force of a speeding Astoria Greengrass, who threw her arms around Ariadne with unabashed delight. Even as the rest of the school continued on, the Slytherin table fell into a hush.
"I knew you'd make it out alive!" Tori yelled. "Everyone in Slytherin said you were a goner for sure, but I knew that if anyone could survive it'd be you. Idiots," she declared, though Ariadne could tell that the brightness she was injecting into her words was forced. She had been worried. "Who cares what they think?" Astoria continued.
"I thought you did," Ariadne said slowly, too uncertain to hug her back just yet.
"Not anymore," Astoria said, arms still around Ariadne. She pulled back, looking up at Ariadne earnestly. "You're quite possibly the only friend I've ever had and you almost died while I was too idiotic to even say hello to you. I won't make that mistake again. I've been so stupid. Forgive me, please?"
Ariadne laughed and hugged her back. "Forgiven," she said, though she couldn't help but notice the Slytherin table over Astoria's shoulder. The students were still silent, though they were no longer observing Astoria. Instead, their eyes were on Draco, who was still staring at Ariadne. She watched as he very deliberately resumed his conversation with Blaise, causing the rest of the table to follow suit. Spotting Draco quickly glance at her once more, Ariadne shot him a grateful smile. He nodded imperceptibly.
With two weeks of school remaining that had been intended for exams, the rest of the final term breezed by as the students got the chance to simply enjoy themselves at Hogwarts, some for the first time in months.
Perhaps feeling guilty after failing to notice their sister's possession by the Dark Lord, Fred and George had refused to leave Ginny's side for those final two weeks, much to her eventual annoyance. They had even elected to sit with Ginny, Hermione, Ron, Harry, and Ariadne on the Hogwarts Express back to London rather than spend the ride with their own fourth-year friends.
"Feeling alright, Gin?" George asked after Ginny settled into her seat on the train.
"Looking a bit peaky there, to be honest," Fred followed up. Ginny rolled her brown eyes but said nothing. Their concern was sweet, but Ariadne could understand Ginny's desire to return to normalcy rather than answer to two consistently overprotective identical brothers every time she took a breath. And as much as Ariadne did like having the two boys around, she knew exactly what to do to send them off.
"Oh, Ginny!" Ariadne said brightly, as though she were remembering something very abruptly. "There's one thing that I still don't fully understand. What exactly was it that you saw that Percy didn't want anyone else to know?"
The twins, who had entertaining themselves by shooting sparks near Ron's pet Scabbers, perked their heads up in unison at the sound of Percy's name.
"Oh," Ginny giggled, "that. He's got a girlfriend! Penelope Clearwater, the Ravenclaw prefect. That's who he was writing to all summer, and I walked in on them kissing in an empty classroom. Don't tease him for it, alright?" she demanded of Fred and George, who looked supremely interested in this new information. "He was so upset after– after the attack."
"Of course not!" Fred said mock indignantly. "We'd never do such a thing, right George?"
"Right!" confirmed George, even as he and Fred had already gathered their belongings and were heading for the compartment door. Ron breathed a sigh of relief as he snatched up Scabbers and placed him back into his pocket. "Now, Fred and I have got to–"
"–go find the Trolley lady. Try not to get into too much trouble," Fred continued, winking at Ginny. They sent a salute towards their sister before exiting.
Ariadne smiled when the door closed behind them, satisfied at a job well done, and Ginny sent a grateful smile her way. She really had been doing better since that night, now that the diary was out of her life and her mind forever. She was not that same precociously bold girl that Ariadne had met on the train the first day, and certainly not when Harry was around, but she was slowly coming into herself once more.
"Who do they think they are, warning us not to get into trouble?" Ron asked, indignantly. "It's not like we were the ones who got caught smuggling in Butterbeer from Hogsmeade."
"No," Harry agreed. "Just the ones who got caught sneaking into the Chamber of Secrets."
"And flying a car to school," Ginny piped in gleefully. Harry and Ron shared a groan at the memory while Hermione rolled her eyes.
"And think of all the things you didn't get caught for," Ariadne added. "Imagine the points Dumbledore would have taken if he'd known you snuck into the Forbidden Forest to meet a colony of Acromantula!"
Ron shivered at the memory and moved to change the subject.
"So, Ariadne, what're you gonna do about Mr. Malfoy?" he asked, shoving a chicken salad sandwich that he had gotten from the trolley lady (who had actually already come by) into his mouth. Hermione swatted him on the shoulder at his directness, though Ron didn't seem to understand that by the angry What? he shot at Hermione.
"I don't know, exactly," Ariadne mused. "Hopefully we can just stay out of each other's way. If I had anywhere else to stay…" she trailed off wistfully. "But Narcissa has been good to me. And I hope that she might continue to be so, but I can't imagine that this summer will be a particularly cheerful one. Especially considering she mentioned something about some sort of pureblood etiquette lesson over the holiday."
Ginny shuddered. "Ugh. My great-aunt Muriel tried to make Mum sign me up for those, but she put her foot down. Real stuffy, I've heard. Only the families really caught up in the purity stuff still make their kids do it. I'd rather stab my own eye out, personally."
"Well, if anyone's fixated on pureblood conventions, it's the Malfoys." Hermione added. "though I have to admit, a traditional wizarding class does sound rather fascinating. Although," she said, thinking aloud. "It does seem rather archaic, don't you think, Ariadne? Pureblood etiquette for girls? I mean, Ron, did you have to do some sort of boy's equivalent?"
"'Course not," Ron scoffed, and Hermione looked smug at her point proven. Until Ron continued. "It'll be Bill who'd done it, being the oldest and all. He's ten years older than me, mind you, so I don't really remember much. It'd have been nothing like the Malfoys have done – just the standard lessons from dad. Accounts and such, I think."
"Oh," Hermione said, leaning forward with interest in a now seemingly more equitable process. "Will you send me your lesson plan, Ariadne, if you get the chance?" Ron groaned, but Ariadne laughed and nodded.
"Sure, Hermione. But I don't know how interesting it's going to be," she warned, though she knew Hermione wouldn't care.
The train pulled into King's Cross only moments later, and before it was even fully stopped, Ginny jumped up out of her seat and pressed her face against the window.
"There's mum, Ron! I think she even brought Charlie with her! Come on, we've got to find Fred and George. And Percy," she added as an afterthought. Ron rolled his eyes at her eagerness but humored his little sister, grabbing his bag before the two hugged Harry, Hermione, and Ariadne goodbye.
"Don't forget to write!" Ariadne called after them.
Hermione went next, spiraling into a frenzy because she had not spotted her parents on the platform.
"Oh, I know they have permission to access it," she moaned, worrying at her fingertips. "But what if something went wrong? Or they couldn't find the entrance?"
"I'm sure they're fine, Hermione," Harry reassured, but she could not shake her anxiety.
"I'd better go wait at the barrier, just in case," she decided. She said her goodbyes with a hug to Ariadne and a kiss on the cheek for Harry, making him blush and rub at the spot on his face. Hermione and Ariadne shared a laugh before Hermione rushed off, checking her watch and looking around for her parents.
"She knows we're early, right?" Ariadne asked Harry with a smile.
"She must," Harry replied with a cheeky grin. "But you know Hermione."
Ariadne laughed, because she did know Hermione, but stopped when Harry's expression turned serious. He stepped in closer to her, and Ariadne swallowed.
"Listen," he said, placing a hand on her shoulder. "I know Malfoy's mum is going to be there and all, but you've got to be careful, alright Aria? If Lucius Malfoy does anything to you, you've got to write me."
Ariadne pushed a piece of hair behind her hair and nodded up at him.
It was then that two large figures surrounding one smaller one showed up in the doorway to their empty compartment. Harry's grin dropped as he turned around to see who had interrupted.
"What do you want, Malfoy?"
"Who's talking to you, Potter? I'm here for Ariadne," Draco sneered, taking in their close positioning and the serious look on Harry's facr. "Crabbe, Goyle, get her things."
"I'll be okay, Harry," said Ariadne reassuringly, stepping away from him. She was referring to his earlier warning, but Ariadne took the opportunity to poke fun. Draco deserved it for intruding. "Draco's harmless, anyhow."
Draco scoffed, at the comment or at her farewell to Harry she could not be sure. Harry only looked at her for a moment before Ariadne worked up the courage to pull him into a hug, placing her head in the crook of his neck to whisper a goodbye to him away from Draco's prying ears.
"Thank you," she said, hoping to imbue as much meaning as she possibly could into the words. For saving her life in the Chamber of Secrets, for accepting her in spite of her family, for inviting her to the Deathday Party that Halloween night. For caring. It changed everything. Harry nodded and squeezed her back before pulling away. Ariadne turned to leave so that Harry would not see the faint blush forming on her face, catching up quickly to a scowling Draco.
"Aria," Harry called after her, and she turned around quickly (to Draco's further annoyance). "4 Privet Drive. Don't forget to write, alright? I won't be able to stand two months at the Dursleys' without – with only Dudley to talk to."
Life at the Malfoys was not as bad as Ariadne had expected, but it was not as good as she had hoped either. When she had first moved in, despite the fact that Narcissa had welcomed her with open arms, Ariadne had been too nervous to even leave her room. In that first month, she was treated by Draco as more of a curiosity than anything else, while Lucius had very little interest in her whatsoever. Although the four of them kept the habit of dining together often, when Lucius was not working and Draco was not in school, Lucius had very little to ask of Ariadne. Not that she'd had anything to say back then, when her mother had just died and she was scarcely able to explore the house, let alone leave it.
But Lucius's old attitude of passive indifference was downright friendly relative to the open hostility that he bestowed upon Ariadne now, but she remained at the home thanks to what she was confident had been Narcissa's intervention. Their routine had settled during those first few weeks of the summer break, and Lucius had resolved to ignore Ariadne altogether,
Narcissa appeared determine to pretend that everything was normal, however, which explained how Ariadne found herself seated amongst the three Malfoys breakfast. The dark-wooded dining table was, of course, absurdly long, with ornate chairs of similar wood and dark brown upholstery to match. Though they were next to a large fireplace, it was not on due to the July heat, and it was the two chandeliers hanging overhead that provided most of the light.
Though there were two dozen chairs, there were only four of them, and Ariadne had always felt absurd to even be seated at this table. Especially when they would fit much more easily at the secondary, smaller dining room by the kitchen that she was forbidden from– it was for the servants, after all.
Lucius always sat at the head of the table, which really was inconvenient considering there was an even number of them. Ariadne was next to Draco, who was across from Narcissa, leaving Ariadne across from no one. Fitting.
Ariadne wished, not for the first time, that she could be anywhere but here. The South of France with Hermione, Egypt with Ron, even Little Whinging with Harry.
She sighed as she stabbed at her half-grapefruit, and Lucius peered viciously at her over the top of the Daily Prophet he'd been reading. He said nothing though, as had become the norm. Even that small bit of eye contact was a rare show of acknowledgement.
'"Amelia Bones Made Head of the DMLE,"' Lucius read aloud when he returned to the paper. He set it down and scowled. "Fudge is a bloody fool of a man," he cursed, cracking at the top of his soft-boiled egg violently. The yolk splattered near Draco's own plate, causing him to look up at his father with a rare irritation. "I suggested Yaxley for the position, but Bones must have persuaded him against it."
"Amelia Bones…" Narcissa sounded out the words in her mouth, as if recalling something. "Isn't that the shrew who–"
"–was the sole holdout against my Imperius defense after the war, yes Narcissa," Lucius said impatiently, shooting a glance at Draco who did not even look up from his croissant. He needn't have worried, given Draco's obvious disinterest in the conversation. This was not news to him, but it was to Ariadne, who tried not to look like she was listening by casually sprinkling her grapefruit with more sugar. Unfortunately, this was exactly the wrong thing to do around Narcissa if she didn't want to draw attention to herself.
"That's enough sugar, Ariadne," Narcissa said, even though she was still looking at Lucius. How does she do it? Ariadne huffed and set the sugar down before crossing her arms. "And no frowning, darling. You'll get lines." Ariadne smoothed out her face.
"Well, surely you can speak to Fudge," Narcissa continued, returning her full attention to Lucius. "Make another donation or–"
"It's too late," Lucius spat out. "They've already made the announcement. Amelia Bones, that bloody witch. She claims to have morals," Lucius' voice dripped with disdain, as if that was a bad thing. "She only acquitted me because no one else would back her, but she's always been suspicious."
He touched the hem of his sleeve, and in doing so, pushed it up enough to reveal something inky and black curling on his wrist. Lucius Malfoy has a tattoo? Ariadne could not reconcile the stiff, aristocratic pureblood in front of her with the type of person to get a tattoo in his youth. Maybe he had a wild past.
Lucius continued reading briefly before slamming his paper down onto the table and getting up. He said nothing as he walked away, nor did Narcissa when she immediately followed. She merely placed her napkin delicately over her untouched fruit bowl and calmly walked after her husband and into his office.
Draco tore off a piece of his croissant before popping it into his mouth.
"You seemed surprisingly uninterested in that," Ariadne commented, nodding her head to the discarded Daily Prophet casually.
"In what? Bones?" Draco asked, almost surprised that Ariadne found this noteworthy. As surprised as he allowed himself to show, at least. "Father complains about her all the time. She's a nuisance, but it's nothing that he can't handle. Nothing is, of course."
If Lucius Malfoy had been any other man, the way that Draco admired his father might have been endearing. As it was, however, Ariadne fought the urge to roll her eyes. Nothing but Harry Potter and a dirty sock, she thought meanly.
"Besides," Draco continued. "Her niece is in my year– Susan. A right little swot, almost as much as Granger. Oh relax," Draco rolled his eyes at the glare Ariadne shot at him. "It's not like she's here, is it? As I was saying," he looked at Ariadne pointedly, irritated with her silent interruption. "If her aunt gets out of line," Draco straightened in his chair, discarding his fork as he slammed a hand down on the table, "I'll teach the girl a lesson."
"Er– right," Ariadne said slowly, quite sure that Draco would do no such thing. Ariadne returned to her grapefruit, and the two resumed eating together in relatively companionable silence. Until Draco broke it.
"I am glad that you're not dead, you know." Draco said, staring down at his croissant, deflated in comparison to his rant a moment prior. Ariadne would have laughed if she didn't recognize the words for what they were: concern.
"Thanks, Draco. I'm glad too."
In mid-June, it was time for Ariadne to begin her "etiquette lessons," and as much as Ariadne was dreading what was sure to be an utterly boring time, she was rather looking forward to seeing Astoria. She'd be taking her lessons at the Greengrass Estate, where Lady Greengrass had already hired a tutor for Astoria, who hadn't been able to complete her lessons before Hogwarts as she'd been too sick the summer before. Which was lucky for Ariadne, who now didn't have to suffer through them alone.
The Greengrass Estate was very different from the Malfoy home. It was far less gothic, for one, instead appearing well-lit and modern, with a sleek white exterior. The inside was similar – there were hardware floors where the Malfoys had marble, with a minimalist design that still looked comfortably lived in. Ariadne caught Narcissa eyeing a portrait with slight distaste before smoothing her face into a polite mask once more. It was only then that Ariadne realized that the pictures on the wall did not move.
"Ariadne!" A voice called from around the corner. Astoria practically ran into the foyer to greet her. "I'm so glad you're here! It's been dread– hello, Lady Malfoy." Astoria caught sight of Narcissa and composed herself quickly, smoothing down the skirt of her white shift dress.
Narcissa smiled indulgently. "Hello, Astoria. Is your mother ready?"
A very pretty, petite woman walked around the corner. By their near identical features and light blonde hair, it was clear that this was Astoria's mother. She greeted Narcissa with a kiss on each cheek before turning her attention to Ariadne.
"You must be Ariadne! Welcome!"
Ariadne took a cue from Astoria, deciding to err on the side of formality. "Thank you for inviting me to your home, Lady Greengrass."
"Please, call me Elora," she said, before rolling her eyes a bit at herself. "Well, I suppose I shouldn't say that, considering you and Astoria are to be taking etiquette lessons. But it's been such a pain to drill manners into Astoria that it's easier to just let it drop altogether." She laughed, ignoring Astoria's indignant "Mum!"
"Taffy's left tea in the parlour for you both. That's where Madame Burke will meet you for your lesson at half-past, okay? I expect you both to be on your best behavior."
Narcissa laughed, a light tinkling noise that sounded of nostalgia and joy. "I don't envy the girls, Elora. Do you remember–"
"When you and I wouldn't stop gossiping so Madame Burke hit me with such a strong Babbling Curse that I told Rodolphus Lestrange that I had a crush on him even though he and Bellatrix were already betrothed? How could I forget after the Flipendo that your sister hit me with?"
Ariadne was surprised that Lady Greengrass had dared to interrupt Narcissa, but for once, Narcissa did not seem to mind. The way that the two were reminiscing made her seem younger, even, than Ariadne had ever seen her before. Narcissa laughed even harder at the memory, and Elora responded with a pretend glare, laughing as she did, before changing the subject.
"Now, Narcissa, Twilfitt and Tattings or Madame Malkin's?"
"Let's go to Paris instead, darling." Narcissa responded, slightly upturning her nose at the thought of yet another Diagon Alley trip. "Maison Capenoir?" she suggested instead. Elora nodded with delight and the two women set off for the Floo. Astoria smiled at Ariadne, grabbing her by the arm.
"Come on," she said. "We have some time before Madame Burke's supposed to arrive. You have to tell me about your summer!" She dragged Ariadne out of the foyer.
"Your mum seems nice." Ariadne commented as Astoria lead her to the parlour. Ariadne could have sworn she spotted a television in the living room, but she knew that muggle electronics and magic did not blend well together. By the time they were seated, and Ariadne had finally poured herself some tea, she could not help but voice the question on her mind since she'd arrive.
"Your house is lovely. I'm surprised though, I didn't expect it to be so…"
"Muggle?" Astoria finished. "We get that a lot. Half of dad's business dealings are in the muggle world, though, so we keep it like this in case he ever needs to entertain." She paused for a minute before taking a deep breath, rushing out her words as quickly as possible. "I really am so glad you're here. Today's lesson will be absolutely dreadful, but at least we can do it together. If I'm honest, I wasn't really sick last summer, I just really did not want to do it alone. And it worked out! Because now you're here! I've been so bored here by myself – Daphne spends all day with Pansy and Tracy so I'm just stuck here losing my mind. Speaking of, how are things with Mr. Malfoy? How's… Draco?" Astoria blushed.
"Breathe, Tori," Ariadne reminded her with a laugh. Astoria nodded dutifully, taking a deep breath in response. "Mr. Malfoy may have tolerated me before the Chamber debacle, he certainly hates me now. Narcissa does the best she can, but it's not like she can really stop him from glaring at me during breakfast. I don't really mind, of course. I'd stand up to him all over again if I had the chance. And Draco's doing well. He talks to me now, which is a step forward. But he's with Blaise and Crabbe and Goyle a lot. I think they might meet up with Daphne, Pansy, and Tracy? I've seen them over once or twice."
"Daphne hasn't said anything about that to me!" Astoria cried, betrayal clear in her eyes. Her features tightened with sudden fear. "Oh no. Do you think he and Pansy are dating now? Oh, why doesn't Daphne ever tell me anything?!"
"Do not whine." A stern voice cut in. Ariadne and Astoria both whipped their heads to the right, where the oldest woman Ariadne had ever seen in her life was standing silently. How the hell did she get there?
Madame Burke was very short, just barely reaching five feet, and appeared to be at least one hundred years old. She must have gone to school with Dumbledore, Ariadne thought. Or maybe taught him. Her white hair was tied back into a very severe bun, matching the stern look in her eyes. The oddest thing, however, was that she was wearing an odd sort of Victorian robe, the neckline of which rose to meet her chin. It was as though she'd stepped out of a painting from a century prior, one that belonged hidden in a Hogwarts corridor rather than anywhere in the real world.
"Young witches do not whine," Madame Burke continued. "They smile and nod, and they never complain." She paused a beat, before speaking with disappointment once more. "And they should always rise to greet their guests."
Ariadne and Astoria both scrambled to their feet but were far too intimidated to open their mouths. Madame Burke nodded approvingly, beginning to circle around them both for an inspection.
"Good posture, both of you. And pretty," she noted, fingering a golden lock of Astoria's hair. "Perhaps too pretty," she said off-handedly, sending a slight scowl Ariadne's way. Ariadne fought the bizarre urge to apologize. "A witch's looks should not distract from her good breeding. You would not want to end up with a reputation like Ravenna Zabini. Or is it Lahiri now?" She cackled to herself at her own quip, though Ariadne and Astoria did not dare join in.
Madame Burke calmed into her naturally stern expression once more, and she observed Ariadne and Astoria for another silent minute. "I am pleased," she finally declared. "I expect fruitful betrothals in both your futures. Hopefully neither one of you shall be a waste of my time and education."
There were to be six lessons over the course of the next six weeks, teachings condensed into all day sessions to compensate for the usual one-year period during which they were supposed to have been tutored last year.
Unfortunately, each one was more stupid than the last.
Lesson 1: How to be the Consummate Hostess
Know your guests' interests, keep the guest list clean (Madame Burke's euphemistic way of saying purebloods only), and provide top quality alcohol. Most importantly, however, was simply to smile and nod.
Not so simple, apparently, considering next week's entire lesson was required to cover it.
Lesson 2: Perfecting the Smile and Nod
This one especially Ariadne tuned out, but the gist did seem to be pretty straight forward. Smile like you've got a secret and nod like you've got a twitch.
Astoria bared her teeth at Ariadne like a feral dog. "Like this, Madame Burke?"
Madame Burke tutted before snapping at her arm with the tip of her wand. "Again," she commanded.
Lesson 3: Choosing the Right Acquaintances
Here, Madame Burke provided a list and rank of all potentially suitable candidates from Abbott to Zabini, all members of the Sacred Twenty-Eight and then some. The lesson also included a terribly boring history of each house and their marriages, each name more ridiculous than the last. I mean, Cantankerous Nott?
The friendship rankings were at least somewhat interesting. Harry Potter got a seven: high status, large fortune, and famous feats entailed a high ranking, though known associates got points subtracted. Ron got a negative one.
Lesson 4: Choosing the Right Husband
"Back in my day both of you would have been betrothed by now," Madame Burke sniffed. "It's a shame, really, to see you both wasting into old age, unmarried." Ariadne thought that was a bit hypocritical of her, considering. "Lady Black and Lady Greengrass are considering prospects for you both, they have informed me. Ladies of your standing will marry well, to someone of comparable station or higher." Blood purity went without saying.
"But Madame Burke," Ariadne said innocently, utterly bored and hoping to stump her with a question. "If I'm the Heir to the House of Black, there is no one of comparable station that I can marry. Top of the food chain, and all that. Can I never get married?"
"You marry your nearest blood relative, you foolish girl. Now, don't interrupt."
And that was the last time that Ariadne attempted to trip up Madame Burke.
Lesson 5: Preparing for the Wizengamot
This was for Ariadne more than for Astoria, considering Daphne would be the one to inherit their father's lordship (ladyship?) and take up his seat. Ariadne, however, could take up the Black mantle when she reached her majority (or when she got married, whichever came first), at which point she could become an active member in Wizarding politics. Time to start reading the Daily Prophet, she supposed.
Lesson 6: Preparing the Children's Upbringing
Don't, it seemed, was the answer here. Madame Burke advocated a more… detached approach to parenting, believing very much in separate spheres for parent and child. The purpose of a child appeared to be to avoid ending the bloodline, and to be paraded during aforementioned hosting events. The house elves could deal with them for the rest. It was this lesson that made Ariadne confident that Madame Burke really had lived through the Victorian era.
It was interesting, however, that Narcissa did not take this approach. It was evidently becoming increasingly unpopular– even the Purebloods could modernize their traditions (also evident by the fact that she was not engaged at thirteen).
Though she was ecstatic when the lessons finally did end, tired of having to spend her days being scolded at by Madame Burke before being lectured on a recommended level of subservience in her marriage, at least some parts of the lessons had been slightly interesting. It was valuable, at least, to learn more about the culture in which she was thrust. She could prepare herself accordingly, rather than be shocked into a betrothal and incompetent in the Wizengamot. She did, however, receive far more wizarding sex ed than she needed for a good few years. Who knew that a contraception potion existed?
By the time July was nearly over, it seemed that Ariadne's entire summer was dedicated either to her lessons or to confinement at the manor. Being able to see Astoria was a welcome change to the year before, when Draco had been at school and she had been utterly alone, but Ariadne missed her friends dearly. Before, she hadn't really had friends to miss.
It wasn't as though she could just hop on a broom and go see Harry, Ron, and Hermione. She hated brooms, for one, and the Malfoys would certainly never allow it. It was hard enough to have Athena sneak letters off in the dead of night as it was. But letters were all she had, given that she was implicitly forbidden from ever speaking to her friends again, and even those were few and far between. She did her best to keep in touch with everyone, getting updates from Ginny and Ron about the curses that Bill had shown them and from Hermione about the latest from France. Harry did his best to get letters out from under the Dursleys' watchful eye, just like she did from the Malfoys, and she always gave Hedwig an extra treat just in case.
But it was not the same as having company. Hogwarts had been a welcome reprieve from her isolation, but it was not a cure. Not while she still had to return to the Malfoys for break, at least, where they preferred she remain silent and in her room. Ariadne even missed Draco's company. At least last summer they'd spend time together around the house and in the backyard, where he'd teach her about magic and make grand promises about her time at Hogwarts. He was always off now, hanging out with his Slytherin friends at their homes or in Diagon Alley, and she was never invited. Not that she wanted to be spending time with a group of Slytherins who hated her, but company is company.
He was going to meet his friends today, Ariadne could tell, by the smart robes that he had dressed in and the extra care that he'd taken in gelling his hair. For Pansy, probably, she thought with a snicker. Ariadne watched from the kitchen as Draco spoke to his mother in the study.
"I'm going to Diagon Alley today, Mother," Ariadne overheard Draco inform, rather than ask, Narcissa.
"Alright, darling. Have so much fun," Narcissa gushed, kissing her son on both cheeks. He pulled away and rubbed at his face.
"Mother! I am thirteen years old."
"And you'll always be my baby. Now, why don't you take Ariadne with you? It might be good for her to spend some time with your friends, darling. They might be a good influence." Ariadne would have scoffed, but she didn't want to give herself away. Good influence? Like who, Crabbe and Goyle?
"No." Draco's response was instant, and no matter how much Ariadne didn't particularly care to go, that one stung a little. Not to mention she'd been hoping for the chance to get out of the house to buy a birthday gift for Harry (tomorrow!), and there was no way Narcissa would allow her to go without Draco.
Narcissa crossed her arms and looked down at her son imperiously, determined to make use of their differences in height for as long as she could. "And why not?"
"I don't want to," Draco retorted. "And neither does she. Besides," Draco added, seeing the unimpressed look on his mother's face. "Nott's going to be there."
"Thaddeus's son?"
Draco nodded.
"Fine," Narcissa acquiesced, and Ariadne was surprised. Narcissa demanded very little of Draco, so when she did, it was not often that she didn't get her way. "But take the Floo. And be back by 7, darling, you know how I worry."
Despite a slight roll of his eyes, Draco nodded dutifully before heading off to the fireplace. Narcissa watched him go before taking a leisurely sip of her tea. What made her give in?
Pop!
Mimsy entered the parlour and waited for Narcissa to set down her tea before beginning to speak. "Miss Bones is here to see Mistress and Master. Mimsy told Miss Bones that Mistress and Master want no visitors, but Miss Bones would not leave. Very rude, Miss Bones! Miss Bones makes Mimsy bad, Mimsy bad!"
Miss Bones? From the news this morning?
"That's enough, Mimsy," Narcissa said, though more to stop Mimsy from continuing to speak than for any purposes of reassurance or comfort. "Tell Lucius to meet me in the foyer. We'll handle this."
She walked over slowly and confidently, setting her own pace and keeping her guests waiting so that by the time Narcissa reached the foyer, her husband was already there. Ariadne followed at a distance behind, making sure to stay hidden behind the pillars any time she felt herself get too close. She stood in the entrance of the ballroom, behind the archway, and observed.
"Let them in, Mimsy." Narcissa called.
Within moments, a tall woman entered the foyer. She neared Narcissa in height and cut her graying hair into a severe bob, making her an intimidatingly smart and no-nonsense looking woman. Behind her stood an eclectic group of three older men, along with one young woman with strikingly pink, spiky hair.
Narcissa's careful composure was utterly undone the very second that she spotted the pink-haired witch. "What is she doing here?" she demanded, glaring with unrestrained disdain. Everyone's eyes turned towards the girl, who blushed but stood up straighter with a practiced confidence.
"I'm in my final year of Auror training, ma'am," the girl explained, spitting out the courtesy as if it pained her. She compounded her words with a cheeky grin that only made Narcissa glare harder.
How can they possibly know each other? Ariadne wondered. She had a hard time picturing any sort of event that would bring together the white-blonde, statuesque Narcissa with this petite, bubblegum pink-haired teen. Perhaps the same wild past that got Lucius his tattoo? But no matter how hard she tried, Ariadne just couldn't picture Narcissa with pink hair.
"I believe I owe you congratulations on your promotion, Amelia," Lucius said tightly, making it clear that he believed he owed her no such thing.
"Thank you, Lucius. A very clever way to congratulate me without congratulating me at all– well done." Lucius scowled, but Amelia Bones did not let him deter her. She was a woman with a mission, and she certainly did not have time for falsities or small talk. "Now, where is your niece?"
"Our niece?" Narcissa asked, evidently surprised that Ariadne was being summoned.
So was Ariadne. She inched her face further behind the column archway to better hide herself but worked harder to strain her ears. What could the Head of the DMLE possibly want with her? Could it be about the Chamber?
"Your niece," Madame Bones repeated slowly, as if Narcissa and Lucius may not have understood her. "Ariadne Black. She lives here, if I recall correctly."
"Yes," Lucius said, voice even angrier now that he was being patronized by Amelia Bones, of all people. "But what could you possibly want with Ariadne?" Lucius said her name like she was a bug.
"To speak with her. It's regarding matters of great national importance."
"And what matters might those be? I think I deserve to know, given my association with the Ministry."
"I will inform you of those matters only as Ariadne's guardian, and she will need to be in the room before I disclose them. Now, where is she?"
"I'm here," Ariadne said before she was even fully aware that she had opened her mouth. She stepped out behind the archway and into the foyer. Amelia Bones raised an eyebrow at her while the pink-haired witch let out a surprised giggle.
"I'm here," she repeated, ignoring Lucius and Narcissa's glares at her eavesdropping. "What do you want with me?"
"I'll need to speak with you somewhere private. Is there somewhere we can go?"
"The parlour," Narcissa answered for Ariadne, which was for the best because Ariadne really did not know the ins and outs of the Malfoy's entertainment layout. "But she may not join," she added, referring to the pink haired witch once more. Except the pink-haired witch had pink hair no longer– her hair turned red the moment Narcissa banned her inclusion. Is that a spell? She opened her mouth, likely to fight Narcissa by the look on her face, but the dark-skinned Auror next to her held her back.
"Why don't Tonks and I keep an eye out here? Robards and Dawlish can accompany you, Amelia," he said, doing an excellent job of keeping the peace. Tonks crossed her arms over her chest but the angry red of her hair settled back into her bright, bubblegum pink. Amelia Bones nodded once before Narcissa swept out of the room, walking quickly towards the parlour and waiting for no one. Lucius caught up to her quickly, though Amelia Bones and her Auror accompaniment waited for Ariadne to walk first before following.
"I've already told Dumbledore everything I know about the Chamber," Ariadne blurted before she'd even taken her seat.
Amelia Bones did not react. "The Department has already received your testimony regarding the Chamber of Secrets. That is unrelated to the matter for which we are here today."
"Oh," Ariadne said, grabbing a cup of tea that Mimsy had served to have something to do with her hands. She leaned back into the plush, crushed velvet of her armchair."Then why are you here?"
Rather than answer, Madame Bones elected to ask a question of her own. "Have you spoken to your father, recently?"
Ariadne laughed once, a sharp, biting bark that sounded bitter even to her own ears. Dawlish and Robards shared a look, but Amelia Bones was unperturbed. "I've never spoken to my father in my life," she answered shortly. "Isn't he in jail, anyways? What's that got to do with anything?"
"Sirius Black has escaped from Azkaban last night," Madame Bones responded just as shortly, evidently not one to beat around the bush.
Ariadne's tea clattered to the floor.
And not even Lucius scolded her, too surprised by the news himself.
"Excuse me," he demanded, beating the end of his cane onto the ground with force. The adult version of a foot stomp, it seemed. "Why was I not informed of this matter?"
"I believe the Minister intends to speak with you tonight, Mr. Malfoy. And the news is being sent to the Daily Prophet as we speak. For now, the information is on a need-to-know basis. The investigation into his escape is still ongoing, and it remains to be seen if any accomplices were involved." She glanced at Ariadne.
"Y-you can't think that I've helped him?" she exclaimed. "I don't even– how would I have done that? Not to mention I hate him!"
"No. But the fact of the matter is that you are his daughter. His precise intentions are unknown, but we would be remiss to assume that he would not reach out to you in some way."
Amelia slid two photos across the tea table, and Narcissa shuddered when she saw her cousin's face. She averted her eyes almost instantly, a look in her eyes that Ariadne could not quite place.
Unlike Narcissa, Ariadne could not and did not look away. She barely heard Madame Bones explaining each photo to her– one, her father's most recent mugshot, and the second, a blurry photo from a muggle surveillance camera near London. Ariadne focused on the mugshot.
He did look ghastly. His skin was sallow and dirty, covered with over a decade of accumulated filth, while his dark hair was matted and tangled. His gray eyes, so similar to her own, were utterly devoid of emotion as he stared dead-eyed at the camera. The most frightening part of her father's image, however, was that despite his empty gaze, the bottom half of his face was overtaken by a maniacal grin, building slowly until he was throwing his head back in hysterical laughter.
But it was the first picture of her father that Ariadne had ever seen.
Her mother had kept none. They made her too sad, too confused, to keep around the house. And it wasn't like Narcissa was the type of person to pull out the scrapbook, especially not of her estranged, Gryffindor, notorious criminal of a cousin. She'd hardly even heard about her father before she moved in with the Malfoys, and since then the comments that she received were mainly about his crimes if one was feeling vindictive, or their resemblance if one was kind.
Except looking at him now, she wasn't sure how kind that really was.
"Miss Black?"
"Ariadne," Narcissa said sharply.
Ariadne looked up. It appeared that Madame Bones had been trying to get her attention for some time, though she'd been too fixated on the photo to notice.
"Miss Black. You must understand that your father is dangerous. We have reason to believe he may harm you, or those close to you. He has no qualms about the people he hurts. If he comes to see you, you must notify me immediately."
Like betray his closest friends. Madame Bones did not know that Ariadne was aware of the extent of her father's crimes, but she seemed to be alluding at it to underscore the magnitude of the situation. Like she needed reminding.
"He's escaped for Harry Potter," Lucius said slowly, pieced together the information. Ariadne's head whipped toward him. "To finish the job, that is," he added.
"What?" She looked back towards Amelia Bones in the hopes that she'd deny it. But she didn't, keeping her stern face placid before nodding slowly.
"We think that's likely." Madame Bones reached across the table and pushed a small piece of paper. It was her card, a neat rectangle that flashed between her floo address and owl address every few seconds. "It is imperative that you inform me should he attempt to contact you."
Ariadne looked down at the card and nodded, but Lucius snorted derisively. "He won't."
Both Ariadne and Narcissa looked over at Lucius, Ariadne with curiosity and Narcissa with warning. Lucius looked back at Narcissa impatiently.
"Oh, don't give me that look, darling. You know he won't," he said, a slight laugh in his words.
"Excuse me?" Ariadne asked, making Madame Bones and her Aurors look extraordinarily uncomfortable.
"Lucius," Narcissa intoned, silently pleading for caution.
"Someone should say it, love, before she forms any grand delusions about what kind of father she really has." He turned to Ariadne with a cruel smile, seeming to relish in whatever he was about to say, but he directed his words towards Amelia Bones.
"Her father was a scoundrel in his youth who lived for nothing but to dishonor his family. He abandoned that crazy mother of hers the moment he learned that she was pregnant, and then went and got himself thrown into jail for life. If he can escape now, he could always have escaped. He merely did not care to, and Sirius Black never did a thing that he did not want to do. He could have escaped when the girl was a baby, or when that mother of hers finally did go well and truly insane. He even could have escaped when she offed herself– I am confident that he was informed. So no, he won't contact the girl. He abandoned her to her fate the moment that he could."
Even Amelia Bones looked taken aback, shock just barely cracking through her stone façade. "I–"
"Shut up." Ariadne said quietly, glaring at Mr. Malfoy with such intensity that she could feel her heartbeat in her ears.
His wicked smile dropped, an incredulous frown forming on his pale face. "What did you say to me?"
"I said shut up," her voice was as cold as it had ever been, but her volume did not rise above a whisper. "How dare you. You– you didn't even know my mother."
"Oh, but I did," Lucius said with a smirk. "And she was crazy even then, obsessed as she was with–"
"I said shut up!" Ariadne yelled, getting to her feet. She held her wand in her hand, but Lucius wasn't afraid at all. He even laughed slightly. "I– you win. I'm leaving."
"Ariadne…" Narcissa finally cut in, but it was too late. Ariadne walked out of the room slowly before breaking into a run, sprinting past Tonks and the other Auror in the foyer.
"Ariadne…?" Tonks called, before the two began to run after her. Ariadne only ran harder, faster, through the ballroom and into the dining room, where the fireplace was. It wasn't until the floo powder was in her hand that Ariadne realized that she truly had nowhere to go. But Tonks and the other Auror had entered the dining room by now, and Ariadne searched her mind before remembering Harry's most recent letter. She threw the powder into the flames, watching it rise up over her head. She looked behind her at the gaining Aurors and before she had even really decided what to do, she found herself speaking quickly.
"Four– Four Privet Drive."
Ariadne was spinning very fast and very suddenly, so fast that she wasn't sure if the roaring in her ears was from her anger or from the Floo, and she shut her eyes on that final image of a desperate and red-faced Tonks behind her. She took a deep breath in an attempt to both calm herself and to settle her stomach before she found herself falling forward. Dizzy and bruised she stood up, and she heard the person in front of her before she had even opened her eyes.
"Who the bloody hell are you?"
Okay! I originally cut this chapter in half because a lot is going on, but then I figured I may as well just get it out altogether. I couldn't wait to get to Year 3! Big things are coming up, obviously. Please, let me know what you think of the chapter and as always read and review!