Disclaimer: Harry Potter and Co., as well as the wizarding world, does not belong to me in any capacity, the only character that I do own are Aelladora Lyra Black! This story is not making any money and will never do so. The wonderful world of Harry Potter belongs to Ms JK. Rowling.
Authors' note: Hello, fellow Potterheads! Welcome to our world. This story is very much not canon; however, there will be some scenes that follow canon lore. Please feel free to give me feedback so that I can improve what I'm are doing, and I would love to hear what you have to say! Email me at nyphtyswritingcorner.21
Mornings at the Malfoy manor were very informal. A young woman around the age of 20 walked into the dining room and sat at the table. She was wearing a thin-strapped, emerald green tank top with silver shorts. Barely awake, she smiled at the small house-elf who appeared to her.
"Good morning. Dobby, may I request a cup of coffee and my usual breakfast?" She asked the little nervous elf.
"Y-yes, ma'am, right away." he snapped his fingers and disappeared.
"My dear, you shouldn't treat him so kindly. He'll come to expect it." A man with long platinum blond hair down to the middle of his shoulder blades walked in. He wore a grey t-shirt with black dress pants. He kissed her on the top of her very uncontrollable black mass of curls.
"But papa, he's an adorable little elf." She lifted her steel-grey eyes to meet her father's, the only physical trait she inherited from him. Dobby popped in seconds later with her breakfast and coffee. "Thank you, Dobby."
"Anything for you, Mistress Aelladora." Dobby bowed and disappeared.
Aelladora sighed. "I wish momma was here."
"My dear, as much as I wish you could grow up with your mother, I think it is better this way. She could be cruel sometimes, and I fear it would affect your mental state as well. She would want you to be like her, and I love your personality the way it is."
"Yes, father. I'm going to get ready. We are going to have to go to Diagon Alley. I need to pick up the last of my supplies for my apprenticeship with Severus, and Draco should be receiving his owl for his school supplies." Aelladora kissed her father on the cheek and walked upstairs to get changed.
Aella ran upstairs, turned a corner, and ran into her room right next to Draco's. She went straight to her wardrobe. Picking out a dark green dress with black lace sleeves, her black leather jacket, and her favorite thigh-high black boots. Aella sat down at her mirror after getting dressed and putting on very light makeup since her eyes were grey, almost silver Aella created her signature smokey eye that stopped all the Slytherin boys. She decided to curl her long black hair.
As Aelladora was walking out of her room, she could hear her brother whining once again about the "Granger Mudblood" like he had all summer.
"Draco! No one cares about your girlfriend." Aella screamed, finally having heard enough of his spoiled whining.
"She's not my Girlfriend! She's a filthy little Mudblood, that's all." Draco's cheeks flushed.
"Whatever, stop. Papa did our letters arrive." Aella smiled at Lucius, who had stopped drinking his coffee as the two siblings had started arguing.
"Yes, dear, they did. Draco, here's yours. You will be accompanying me to Nocturne Alley while your sister gets what she needs to start her apprenticeship." Lucius handed each of them a letter. Aella grabbed hers and went to the living room.
Aelladora had achieved ten outstanding N.E.W.T's. One for each of the core classes and one for Arithmancy, Alchemy, and Study of Ancient Runes. She also received an Exceeds Expectations in Care of Magical Creatures. She felt pretty confident in Severus's letter that she had been accepted as his protègè.
Aella opened her letter carefully and read what was written.
Dear Miss. Aelladora Lyra Black,
I am pleased to inform you that I decided you would be perfect as my apprentice after reading all the applications. Please remember to gather all the supplies listed below at Diagon Alley before August 24th, as I will need you at Hogwarts to start going over your apprenticeship.
Yours truly,
Severus Tobias Snape,
Potions Master at Hogwarts School of Witchcraft and Wizardry.
Aella walked swiftly to the dining room. She was excited. "Papa, I have to be at Hogwarts on the 24th. Severus wants me there early to go over the details of my apprenticeship."
"Then I suggest we best get a move on. Draco, hurry up." Lucius walked off to put some better clothes on and grab something.
(Draco and Lucius)
Mr. Malfoy crossed the shop, looking lazily at the items on display, and rang a bell on the counter before turning to his son and saying, "Touch nothing, Draco."
Draco, who had reached for the glass eye, said, "I thought you were going to buy me a present."
"I said I would buy you a racing broom," said his father, drumming his fingers on the counter.
"What's the good of that if I'm not on the House team?" said Draco, looking sulky and bad-tempered. "Harry Potter got a Nimbus Two Thousand last year. Special permission from Dumbledore so he could play for Gryffindor. He's not even that good, it's just because he's famous . . . famous for having a stupid scar on his forehead. . . ." he bent down to examine a shelf full of skulls. ". . . everyone thinks he's so smart, wonderful Potter with his scar and his broomstick —"
"You have told me this at least a dozen times already," said Mr. Malfoy, with a quelling look at his son. "And I would remind you that it is not — prudent — to appear less than fond of Harry Potter, not when most of our kind regard him as the hero who made the Dark Lord disappear — ah, Mr. Borgin." A stooping man had appeared behind the counter, smoothing his greasy hair back from his face.
"Mr. Malfoy, what a pleasure to see you again," said Mr. Borgin in a voice as oily as his hair.
"Delighted — and young Master Malfoy, too — charmed. How may I be of assistance? I must show you, just in today, and very reasonably priced —"
"I'm not buying today, Mr. Borgin, but selling," said Mr. Malfoy.
"Selling?" The smile faded slightly from Mr. Borgin's face.
"You have heard, of course, that the Ministry is conducting more raids," said Mr. Malfoy, taking a roll of parchment from his inside pocket and unraveling it for Mr. Borgin to read. "I have a few — ah — items at home that might embarrass me if the Ministry were to call. . . ."
Mr. Borgin fixed a pair of pince-nez to his nose and looked down the list. "The Ministry wouldn't presume to trouble you, sir, surely?"
Mr. Malfoy's lip curled. "I have not been visited yet. The name Malfoy still commands a certain respect, yet the Ministry grows ever more meddlesome. There are rumors about a new Muggle Protection Act — no doubt that flea-bitten, Muggle-loving fool Arthur Weasley is behind it —"
"— and as you see, certain of these poisons might make it appear —"
"I understand, sir, of course," said Mr. Borgin. "Let me see . . ."
"Can I have that?" interrupted Draco, pointing at the withered hand on its cushion.
"Ah, the Hand of Glory!" said Mr. Borgin, abandoning Mr. Malfoy's list and scurrying over to Draco. "Insert a candle and it gives light only to the holder! Best friend of thieves and plunderers! Your son has fine taste, sir." "I hope my son will amount to more than a thief or a plunderer, Borgin," said Mr. Malfoy coldly, and Mr. Borgin said quickly, "No offense, sir, no offense meant —"
"Though if his grades don't pick up," said Mr. Malfoy, more coldly still, "that may indeed be all he is fit for —"
"It's not my fault," retorted Draco. "The teachers all have favorites, that Hermione Granger —"
"I would have thought you'd be ashamed that a girl of no wizard family beats you in every exam," snapped Mr. Malfoy.
"It's the same all over," said Mr. Borgin, in his oily voice. "Wizard blood is counting for less everywhere —"
"Not with me," said Mr. Malfoy, his long nostrils flaring.
"No, sir, nor with me, sir," said Mr. Borgin, with a deep bow.
"In that case, perhaps we can return to my list," said Mr. Malfoy shortly. "I am in something of a hurry, Borgin, I have important business elsewhere today —"
"Done," said Mr. Malfoy at the counter. "Come, Draco —"
(Aella)
Aelladora walked around like she owned the place, she was a Black, and the name still held power. She was of the Sacred 28 on both sides of her family. She looked up to see a tall man with a familiar sweeping black cloak stride by her towards the apothecary. Aella followed him, he turned his head slightly to acknowledge her. He simply nodded while raising an eyebrow. She smirked but followed silently holding his letter in her hand. It wasn't that she had a crush on her Master, she just held respect for the man.
The man held the door open for her as she walked through and she tilted her head thanking him.
"Aelladora, I am going to assume that you are here for the list I sent you?" the man spoke.
"Yes, Professor. Papa took Draco to gather his second-year supplies as well." Aella spoke politely.
The professor chuckled, "I suppose as my Apprentice outside of the classroom and away from students you may call me Severus. You are 20 after all."
Aella felt her cheeks burn slightly. "Of course Severus." she almost stumbled over her words. Looking away from him, she went over her list, conversed with the shop owner, and arranged for everything to be delivered to her room at the castle.
Finally, after what seemed like forever, steel-grey eyes met obsidian and she smiled gently. "Shall we go see what trouble my brother and father are causing Severus?"
Severus smirked knowing what kind of trouble his best friend and godson could cause. "Yes, let's." he offered her his arm which she took and they walked in companionable silence. It wasn't an awkward silence where neither knew what to say but a comfortable one where they were content with each other's company that no words were needed. That is until they stumbled across Draco taunting a jet-black-haired boy with a lightning scar and emerald green eyes.
"Bet you loved that, didn't you, Potter?" Draco Malfoy, who was wearing his usual sneer. "Famous Harry Potter," said Draco. "Can't even go into a bookshop without making the front page."
"Leave him alone, he didn't want all that!" said a red-haired girl. She was glaring at Malfoy.
"Potter, you've got yourself a girlfriend!" Drawled Malfoy. The girl went scarlet as a younger red-haired male and a bushy-haired female they both looked about Dracos age. Fought their way over each clutching a stack of books.
"Oh, it's you," said the boy, looking at Malfoy as if he were something unpleasant on the sole of his shoe. "Bet you're surprised to see Harry here, eh?"
"Not as surprised as I am to see you in a shop, Weasley," retorted Malfoy. "I suppose your parents will go hungry for a month to pay for all those." Weasley went as red as the younger girl. He dropped his books into the cauldron, too, and started toward Draco, but the bushy-haired girl and the scarred boy grabbed the back of his jacket.
"Ron!" said an older red-haired man, struggling over with a pair of twins. "What are you doing? It's too crowded here, let's go outside."
"Well, well, well — Arthur Weasley." It was Lucius. He stood with his hand on Draco's shoulder, sneering in just the same way.
"Lucius," said Mr. Weasley, nodding coldly.
"Busy time at the Ministry, I hear," said Lucius. "All those raids . . . I hope they're paying you overtime?"
Severus rolled his eyes and grinned at Aelladora's rage-filled steely grey eyes; she was not impressed with either of the Malfoy males.
Aelladora stalked over to her father and brother smacking each upside the head.
"Geez sis, what was that for?" Draco cried out.
"Ow, Aella why?" Lucius scowled, rubbing his head though he couldn't help but see a resemblance to Bellatrix, her mother in this instant.
"If you two are done making fools of yourselves and our family name, Sev-Professor Snape has invited us out for lunch. Let's go." She glowered at the trio of kids and the sea of the Weasley's in front but especially at the bushy-haired girl. "No need to dirty ourselves here with this lot." She flipped her tamed black curls and twirled, folding her arm into Severus' but not before she caught the shocked look on Arthur and Molly Weasleys face as if they had seen a ghost.
It triggered an unwanted memory, one of which unfortunately Severus caught before her shields went up around her mind.
*Flashback*
Aelladora was running fear on her face.
"Aw, come on Black we won't hurt you we promise." yelled two male voices.
"Not a chance Weasels," she yelled trying to make it back to the Slytherin dorms before they caught her. Just as she reached the last corner before the portrait her toe caught on the uneven dungeon floor and she fell.
"We got you now. You will pay for what your mother did." said the older Weasley boy.
The two of them started kicking and beating her after putting on a silencing charm so no one could hear her screams. She curled into a fetal position gaining a broken rib before a noise spooked the boys and they ran.
Aella remembered flowing black robes and a deep voice telling her she would be okay and her memory faded.
I will never be weak again! I will never let someone hurt me to the point I need to be saved ever again. I am the daughter of Bellatrix Lestrange-Black and Lucius Abraxas Malfoy.
That was the last thought Severus caught before she remembered her shield. She looked up into his obsidian eyes and furrowed her eyebrows before letting him in.
Don't tell anyone about that! I know how you saved me that day.
I won't, you have my vow. Always.