Malfoy Manor, August 7th, 2011
Delphini sneaks about the house, trying to smuggle her gift to the vicinity of her little cousin early in the morning. He is usually the first one up, so she has been up for hours now, making sure his gift is kept content and quiet, and that she will be the first through his bedroom doors.
She has kept the said gift hidden in the Manor for a week now. The place is so large that there's an entire wing that goes unused, kept in the shadows. Some of the portraits here don't even know her, though they remember her Mother apparently.
"Ah, Bellatrix, come to see your Master?"
Delphini spins on herself, turning to face the portrait. She gives it a piercing gaze, trying to make sense of his words. The silver blond man takes a couple of steps behind inside his frame. He has just now realized that she is not Bellatrix.
"Oh, I'm sorry. I'm so sorry, truly. Don't mind me, just a foolish old portrait."
He proceeds to flee the painting and Delphini just stands there for ten solid minutes. The Dark Lord her family talks of, Lord Voldemort she knows, used to live here? In this wing of the manor? Her Mother was so close to him as to visit? Not just be summoned? Her mind thinks of other questions too. Like why the man, an obvious Malfoy, would refer to himself as foolish, or why he sounded so apologetic.
A little whimper brings her back to reality, and she starts walking again, entering a room not far down the corridor, to the right. She closes the door behind her, crouching down and extending a hand with some raw meat. She smiles at the playful hazel eyes that hop clumsily towards her, and then turns her face into an admonishment as she takes the food back.
"Have you destroyed a chair?"
The gift replies with a wagging of its severed tail and a tongue sticking out.
Scorpius is going to love her.
My family is going to kill me.
She extends the meat back, letting the creature feed at will. When it's done and her fingers have been thoroughly licked, she Scourges her hand with her wand, and negotiates the placement of a bright red bow on its neck. She has to charm the bow to ensure it won't be chewed on during the small journey to Scorpius' rooms.
When she is at his door, she listens carefully, making sure he is not awake yet. She opens the door slowly, silently, and sneaks in at the first possible moment. Then she walks to the end of the bed, making sure the Kneazle is not there, before letting her gift loose on the covers. It takes an insisting sniff at first that has Delphini fearing for the worst, but eventually gallops to the pillow and the head nestled there.
"Happy birthday, Scorpius," she honestly wishes at the half-awaken boy trying to keep a puppy off his face, "may you live long and prosper." Her smile is met by one of his, as he holds the tiny Crup to his chest and hops off the bed to hug her.
"Thank you, Delphie! Does it have a name?"
"It is a she and, no, she doesn't have a name. You own her, you choose her name," she tells him, messing up his hair, "but don't you dare call her Cow just because she has brown spots!"
"Oh, come on! I was two when I got Zebra!"
She laughs at his indignant expression. He was two, but it's not the day he got Zebra that comes to her mind. It's his very first day and the solemn way Draco had vowed that he would grow.
She leaves him to get to know his new pet, warning him about the puppy's ability to eat pretty much everything, and sneaks back to her own rooms. If she figured her timing right, she will avoid the repercussions until breakfast at least.
It's not like it's the end of the world. I could have got an Abraxan after all. Or a Hippogriff.
She could, but she likes her heart beating and her lungs working, so she refrained from it. For now.
X
King's Cross Station, September 1st, 2011
Delphini is thrilled to go back to Hogwarts this year. She has her yellow and black sweater in her trunk waiting for its glory moment at Teddy's first match. She also has her broomstick there, and Merlin has she missed it.
Repercussion from Scorpius new pet came in the shape of a day-long flying ban for every object chewed on by the Crup. Little Nala, as Teddy suggested after a Muggle movie, making them swear never to tell about the provenance of the name, has amounted enough days to last them these past three weeks and a couple more during Christmas break.
She is quick at finding her usual band of troublemakers in the crowd, including Teddy whose Grandmother always seems to be gone before Delphini can spot her. They chat for a while, eyeing the clock and willing it to go faster to no avail.
Delphini walks back to her family for the final goodbyes, promising to heed Uncle Lucius warnings about misbehaving, even though they both know she will not, kissing cheeks and being kissed in return, hugging only Scorpius. She takes one last glance at her family before she boards the train, her thoughts lingering on Astoria. She had been sick for three mornings straight and Draco has been overprotective to say the least, but she seems well enough.
It's probably nothing. You are worrying for no reason, she thinks as she boards the train with her friends, making their way to the cabin they know will be empty because no one dares sit there.
X
Hogwarts, October 31st, 2011
Everyone is restless in Defence Against the Dark Arts today. Because later today there will be a feast to celebrate Halloween, yes, but mostly because the forth years will have their first lesson with Auror Potter.
Half a dozen years ago, Headmistress McGonagall started inviting Auror Potter to teach D.A.D.A. He declined the full-time position at the school, but he's happy to lead the students in a few classes every year. The first of such classes is always the Patronus lesson for the forth years.
Auror Potter takes them out of the usual classroom and down to the Great Hall, where the tables and the long benches have been pushed against the walls. He orders them to spread out and get comfortable, as he moves to the dais where the teachers usually dine.
Delphini's eyes never leave him, and she has to wonder about what he is thinking when he lingers a little by the spread-winged owl that decorates the pulpit, missing a couple of feathers on it's right side. She doesn't know why it was never fixed, but she supposes it's another scar from the war.
Professor Potter, as they will refer to him for the duration of classes, explains the purpose and usage of the Patronus charm, and how it was deemed necessary to teach students at Hogwarts earlier in their courses. Without allowing the usual shadows that come with the mention of war and Dementors to settle on them, he hops off the dais and stars walking between the students, correcting stands and movements before they start practising the spell itself. He makes sure everyone gets the pronunciation right too, and he is close enough to Delphini for her to see a happy glint of some memory in his eyes. Then, he starts coaching happy memories to the front of their minds, telling them to immerse themselves in them and to cast the spell whenever they feel ready.
"Expecto Patronus!"
The Great Hall explodes in voices trying to bring their soul guardians to life. No one gets anything more than little flicks and specs of pale light. Professor Potter tells them not to let the frustration throw them off, that this is hard to get right, and that not many wizards can produce full body Patronuses at their age. Most of the room scoffs in reply, because everyone knows he could.
Delphini has hundreds of happy memories to draw her magic from, and has a hard time picking one. She settles for coming home for Christmas last year, and light pours out of her wand, bright and glowing, shimmering with her pulse. She is so glad at the sight of it, and busy relishing the gasps of wonder from her classmates, that she lets the spell falter.
"Well done, Delphini!" No one is oblivious to the fact that not many students get first name treatment from a teacher, but they've had four years to adjust to Delphini getting certain privileges. No one loathes it because she is well known for her ability to get into trouble, and the amount of detentions she gets over a year evens out.
"Expecto Patronus!" She enchants once more, focusing on Scorpius hug that night, and Aunt Narcissa's thought, and Uncle Lucius hand on her shoulder. The burst of light re-emerges, but this time it flows more like water, a light orb that rises before her and takes the form of a panther. The graceful yet deadly creature canters through the air for some seconds and then fades like dissolving in the morning.
"Ten points to Slytherin for that! Never thought I'd ever say such a thing really," Professor Potter says, with an honest smile on his face, eliciting laughs from the room, "now, everyone, full body Patronuses are not the aim here, but they will get you points. Full marks for everyone that manages an orb. Come on, think happy thoughts!"
She takes the rest of the class to cast her Patronus time and time again, holding on to it longer and longer. By the end of the lesson, her panther has chased plenty of orbs and a couple of animals too.
X
Malfoy Manor, December 14th, 2011
There's a considerable pile of letters atop Lucius' desk. All of them displaying the Hogwarts crest.
How does she keep her grades up? She seems to be pranking someone every other day, he wonders, getting ready to tackle a series of Minerva McGonagall's angry reports of unacceptable behaviour. There's dropping unnecessary ingredients into Gryffindors' cauldrons during Potions, levitating other students' shoes while their feet are still inside them, and all sorts of little misdeeds.
Narcissa comes into his study sometime later, telling him that she has ordered Narkey to bring them hot tea. She settles on her armchair before the fire, and waits for him to settle on his.
"How is Astoria doing?"
"She is resting. Draco is with her. But I'm worried about our grandson, Lucius," Narcissa's eyes water, "we have to do something. He is trying to hide it, but he needs help. And he won't talk to me."
"Don't worry, darling. Delphini will be home in a few days and Scorpius will be better," he reaches for her hand, caressing it and taking it to his lips, to kiss her knuckles, "you know that he will open up to her." He raises his eyes to hers and finds an old haunting there.
"But we still need to talk to Draco."
X
Hogwarts, December 16th, 2011
That very night, she puts her plan in action. It's their last night here before going home for Christmas and they are going to make the best out of it. Teddy was supposed to join them, but he found his way into detention with Professor Trelawney, after mimicking Delphini's features in the classroom, causing the loss of several crystal balls.
Syrianna just sits on the bed, shaking her head.
"We are getting into a whole new world of trouble... This is a bad idea."
"It's brilliant! You have to admit it's going to be our ticket to glory!"
"Enough Reya! She doesn't need encouraging. And this is our ticket to nothing but out of Hogwarts! We'll be expelled!"
Delphini laughs, throwing her hair back, off her face, her eyes alight, barely holding on to their colour in anticipation. She walks out of their dorm, the other girls looking positively worried but still jealous of her defiance.
She wanders into the Common Room, and finds the boys with idiotic grins across their faces.
"Is it really on, Delphie? Can we start?" Radagast jumps off the sofa, excitement in every word. Sigmund giggles uncontrollably besides him.
"Yep! We'll take two beds. Syrianna may have to be dragged into this. Are you crying, Sig?" A burst of laughter answers her. "Hold it together, Sigmund!"
They walk back inside their dorms. Freya has the same grin as her twin brother. They point their wands and release mayhem. Just before they leave, Syrianna throws her cares to the wind and joins them.
X
Filch will spend a great long many days trying to understand what is happening. He'll probably need several hours just to be able to tell the Headmistress anything in a coherent manner.
Three Slytherin fourth grade girls smile at him in challenge half way down a corridor. Two sitting on a mattress, the other standing on it, holding her wand like she is conducting an orchestra. The canopy bed is several inches off the floor. It hovers in his direction, the emerald green curtains dancing in the air. Another bed passes behind, going down the intersecting corridor, a boy lost in loud joyous bursts while another stands proudly, wand pointed straight ahead, wind in his golden brown hair.
"Students in the corridors! Stu-stu-students out of-" he stops. They aren't really, are they?
X
"The rules are clear, Headmistress. No students out of bed past curfew. We didn't leave the beds!"
Minerva is at a loss for words. The girl looks perfectly innocent. Not her eyes though, those shimmer with mischief from behind long black eyelashes. Minerva recovers her composure and raises her chin.
"The rules also state no magic in the corridors, Miss Lestrange! Plus staying in a flying bed while commanding it around the castle is hardly abiding by curfew!"
This bunch might just turn out to be worse than the Weasley twins, she thinks. And the Marauders. Put together.
She huffs her exasperation and hugs her robe closer to her nightgown.
"Fifty points will be taken from Slytherin, for each of you! There will be detention, long hours of it, upon your return to Hogwarts."
Syrianna is relieved to hear of returning. There is no way the House of Slytherin is going to recover from that loss any time soon but they will be heroes for the rest of the school year. And then some. So there is a smile in the corner of their lips. Except for Sigmund, he is still shaking.
"I will discuss the matter of punishment with Professor Slughorn. Now, to bed with you all. And do stop behaving like a deranged cackling hyena, Mr. Morton."
"I'm sorry, Headmistress, I will." Hiccups punctuate his sentence and they all snort, holding on to their stomachs.
"Out! Mr. Filch stop standing there like a gaping goatfish and make sure they go straight to the dungeons!" One last glare at the barely straight-faced group and she sees them from her office.
"Don't worry, Minerva. I will personally escort them to the dorms and make sure they stay in there. The furniture too. We can discuss detention in the morning." Slughorn nods his leave, dwelling on the possibility of retiring for good.
X
King's Cross Station, December 17th, 2011
Lucius is on the platform, awaiting his niece. Scorpius has wandered off with some other children so he keeps scouting the place visually, making sure he knows where the white blond head is at all times. He knows it wasn't a bad idea to bring Scorpius, but keeping him in sight takes work. Narcissa was out and Astoria looked so gaunt that morning that he couldn't say no. The boy needs distraction.
When Delphini comes down from the train, she is all poise, her regal stance setting her apart, even amongst her carefully groomed friends. She likes the way all heads turn when she walks, her curls flowing in a cascade after her. A perfect scion of the House of Black.
She finds her Uncle's gaze and just knows, without any hint of a doubt, that the news made it home before she could. An early owl, for sure. She says her goodbyes, knowing there will be a gathering at Malfoy Manor and that it won't be long before they can all gather to steal a bottle of fire whiskey and chase peacocks across the lawns. Then, she faces the storm in Uncle Lucius eyes.
"Do you think yourself a Gryffindor?" Is all he says, the purest despise at the mention of it. He just manages to hide his pride at her magical prowess.
Scorpius shows up out of nowhere, a broad smile and an excited spring on his step. It seems the distraction has worked. Even if Delphini still notices the dark circles under his eyes.
"I read the letter too. Is it true that you levitated a bed out of the dormitories? And that Filch found you-"
"Not another word, Scorpius. Your cousin is no example for you. We will discuss the matter at home." His voice is sharp as glass and cold as ice. He turns his back on them and starts walking. They follow, exchanging bright smiles that promise giggles in the night.
X
But when they arrive home, there's a heaviness to the air. Draco is not here to welcome her and she can feel his distressed mind all the way from his wing of the manor.
"Scorpius," her voice becoming wary, "what's going on?"
"Mummy is sick."
So the curse is back.
Her thoughts are interrupted by a sudden set of arms around her waist and a silvery head against her chest. She feels the little boy's trembling on her body and wraps her arms around him too. Uncle Lucius puts his palm between her shoulder blades. His eyes say 'we'll talk later' but the sad smile on his lips tells her not to worry, to take care of what she has closest to a brother. He leaves them alone in the entrance hall.
They stand there for a while, Delphini cradling Scorpius head against her chest, slowly rocking them, humming a tune she remembers from when she was little and Aunt Narcissa held her in her arms for an entire afternoon.
She reaches for his chin, his very Malfoy, pointy chin, and turns his head up so that they can look each other in the eye.
"You'll be fine. No matter what happens, I've got you. Why didn't you tell me?"
He doesn't answer but she can see it in his eyes. Because putting it down in words would make it all real and he still hopes that this is all just a nightmare. He is afraid, that is obvious from his face, but she can also sense something else in his mind and it feels unbearably familiar. She holds him closer, refusing to let tears fall down her face, but she knows that the shadow that haunts him is the same that haunted her. And she is both heartbroken and furious at Draco for doing it all over again. To Scorpius, of all people.
"Have you been sleeping?"
"No," he whispers into her sleeve, "I don't want to have those dreams again. But no one knows," he raises his head to her again, "because I pretend to be sleeping when they check on me. Promise not to tell anyone?"
She nearly chuckles at that. A perfectly composed Malfoy to the world, but a crumbling mess inside, at the age of eight.
"Promise. But you will drink some Dreamless Sleep and rest until dinner. I'll wake you up, you will have dinner and not push your food around on the plate, and then some more Dreamless Sleep. No arguing."
He nods, but claims he can't just go to bed or the others will know and worry about him. He doesn't want anyone else worrying over anyone else. So she gets a small vial from her belongings and gives it to Scorpius in the piano room. He does ask her why she has that potion, but she gives him a warning glance and he promptly accepts the drops she offers him. She sits on the sofa and he cuddles up against her, not really on her lap but close enough. Delphini Conjures a blanket and covers him.
Because I have dreams I don't want to have too.
And she sits there thinking about those dreams. Stars and serpents. Blood and smoke. And darkness all around her. And sometimes, a dangerous witch with a victim at her feet.
X
Narcissa walks into the piano room, her hands gathered, fiddling with her rings. She finds Delphini there already, as Lucius told her she would, holding Scorpius close as he sleeps peacefully. She tells her she's sorry she wasn't at the station, but Delphini dismisses it. She knows her Aunt was dosed with sleeping potions too. Narcissa figures her eyes must still be glazed from the induced rest.
"Why wasn't I told of any of this in your letters?" Delphini's tone is biting, sharp.
"Because concerning you with Astoria changed nothing."
"Nothing? I didn't write a word of consolation, of comfort, to Scorpius for months! Because you didn't tell me! And since you saw no need to bother me, neither did he. What's wrong with her? Is it the blasted curse again?"
"Language! No, it's not the curse. Or it wasn't," Aunt Narcissa avoids her eyes, hiding a shadow in hers, "it was a miscarriage. Six weeks ago." Delphini feels the hurt emanating from the witch sitting across her, so she does not push it. Yet she needs one more piece of information.
"Does Scorpius know that he was going to be a big brother?"
Narcissa does not talk to her, simply shaking her head instead. That gets her fuming. They have been hiding things from the both of them. No wonder Scorpius is completely lost in all this.
She is too angry to have a proper, rational conversation about it. And she does not want to wake Scorpius. So she decides against arguing right now, taking what comfort she can from her Aunt's presence by her side, armouring herself for what needs to be done.
X
It's late at night when she gets the chance to act. She had dinner with Uncle Lucius, Aunt Narcissa and Scorpius, then made sure Scorpius was asleep before she came here. Draco was sitting by the bed, holding Astoria's hand in his, his eyes absolutely empty, shinning from the moonlight alone. She got him out of the bedroom and into his study so that they could talk.
"You need to snap out of it! Scorpius is suffering too, can't you see? You can't just shut yourself in here and leave him out. That's his mother in that bed you know? And all he has seen of you in weeks, weeks Draco, is a sobbing mess that won't pay him much attention."
Delphini has been talking to Draco for several minutes now, obtaining no response. It's a lot like talking at him actually.
"Do you need him to dye his hair brown and figure a way to turns his eyes brown too before you pay attention?"
That does it. It's painful for the both of them, but it works. It snaps Draco out of his stupor. His first look at her, the first real one, focused on her and not on the wall beyond her, is positively furious.
But the second one is filled with pain and sorrow, the special kind of misery that fills the eyes of a father when he fails his children.
"I'm sorry, Delphie," his breathing is strained, "I'm so sorry that I hurt you. I'm so sorry that I hurt him."
"You are hurting him still! Every night you spend by her side and don't leave for ten miserable minutes to be with him, you do. Every day you ignore him out of being worried into a stupor, you do. So get up, get it together for a while and go fix him! You can break all you want in here, after you make sure he is not broken."
It's painful, it's brutal, but it needed saying. And so she does not regret it. She feels proud of it as Draco rises from his seat, combing his hair with his fingers, telling her that he will make himself look decent and see to his son.
She has fixed the wings of the dragon when Astoria couldn't. Instead of her, so that her boy can be kept safe in their embrace.
Only then does she tell him that Scorpius will be asleep until noon, judging from the amount of drops of Dreamless Sleep she laced his milk with. She leaves with the promise of him waking up his son the following morning, and taking proper care of him.
X
Diagon Alley, December 28th, 2011
Delphini stands before Gringotts, amidst the falling snow in the frigid morning. She has finally been allowed to come here alone. Her Uncle had insisted on accompanying her here, but her Aunt made him see that this is something for her to do alone.
Christmas had been gloom this year, even with Astoria finally starting to show some improvement, even if that only amounted to a couple of waking hours each day. There was no Christmas gathering at the Manor to distract Scorpius, so she decided he needed a proper cheer up with a bunch of late gifts. That was her leverage to get here. The gifts will soon be delivered to Malfoy Manor, which means she is free to take her time now.
She walks inside, head held high. Most wizards and witches stare, and there is a hum throughout the hall. Stopping in front of an ugly looking goblin, she informs him of her desire to be lead to her vault. He asks for her wand as proof of identity and proceeds to guide her to the depths of the bank.
She is left alone inside her vault. She takes the time to look around and even to pick up the inventory the Ministry of Magic left behind in a neat leather folder. She doesn't care to open it, not now. She cares only for that one thing she saw the first time she was here. Not here, just outside the door.
A dark blue velvet box. A silver D engraved on the lid. She scans her Mother's belongings, looking for the one she is absolutely sure was left for her. She finds it on a shelf to her left, with a dull string tied around it and a tag that reads 'Remain despite unknown contents, on Auror Potter's orders'.
I must thank him.
Her long fingers caress the velvet that no dust has settled on, drifting over her initial, which feels much colder and harder next to the soft and not-entirely-cold fabric. She decides against opening it here. This is a present to savour under her veil, back at home.
She takes her time perusing the books in the vault. She forces herself to take only three. She tucks them inside her satchel, along with the box.
X
She is back at the Manor when she retrieves the box from her dragon leather satchel. Delphini settles on her bed, legs crossed, facing the windows, the veil dripping from the canopy to cocoon her in.
She touches both thumbs to the lock at the front of the box, two snakes entwined together that move under her skin as she touches them. She lifts the lid carefully, reverently, taking her time in revealing the contents. There's a note on a small embellished bit of parchment, right in the centre of the interior, over the folds of black velvet that keep her gift secure and hidden.
'To my daughter and heiress, Delphini'
It is not signed, but she immediately knows it's from her Father. She has seen her Mother's handwriting in old letters that Aunt Narcissa keeps. This is not hers. This is cursive and sharp, elegance and purpose to every stroke. She places it on the bed, beside her, tenderly. Then she spreads the dark velvet folds.
A silver chain of delicate, tiny links is visible first. Then the gemstones emerge. Small black diamonds, in a precise pattern, held there by minute and yet detailed dragon's claws that drop from the chain, linked together in between them as well.
Her breath catches in her throat. Delphini, the constellation, is before her. Not just Alpha Delphini, but all of the stars. There's Omega too. Her mind can't help but wonder if that is the one she was named after. Is she the end? Was she meant to be the end? Is that why she is also the dark one?
She loses track of time in her thoughts.
Uncle Lucius comes looking for her and finds her adoring the necklace with her eyes and fingers. He approaches her from behind and takes a peek at what she's holding, and at the box on the bed. She notices how he stiffens at the sight of the little note.
"That's my Father's writing, isn't it?"
"Yes," he replies after a small gulp, "it is. That present waited a long time to be given…" He trails off. Delphini can't see what left him so shaken about the gift, but he is.
She huffs quietly. She keeps trying to learn things about her Father when she is home, but her entire family seems to dodge the subject. All she gets are short, cropped answers that leave no room for more questions. She decides to prey on her Uncle's unease.
"Do you think he would like to see me wearing it?" She punctuates her question with a turn of her head, directing her eyes square into his, raising the innermost part of her eyebrows.
"Yes, he-he would. He really would."
His answer is so hesitant that she feels like breaking their unspoken pact and simply look into his mind. What is it? Is it remorse that they are here caring for her while her Father is in Azkaban? Is it that they never took her to see him? Is it that they never tried to have him released?
"Do you think he is very cold in there?" Her Uncle's face draws such a blank that she knows he is pulling all his power into shielding his mind. He is also utterly confused, she can tell from the way his eyes focus again on her but only after a few moments. "You know, in Azkaban?"
She can see how every part of his body relaxes after her last question. His brows, his jaw, his neck, his shoulders, his arms, his hands that are no longer fists, every part of his body stops behaving like a coil getting ready and instead stretches minutely, peacefully.
"Rodolphus? I suppose so. Azkaban is unforgiving," she can see the light go out a bit in his eyes as he speaks to her, lost in sorrowful memories "it's a miserable place, really. But I shouldn't tell you of it." He shakes his head, like he's getting rid of an annoying bug, making his long white-gold and silver hair dance on his back and over his shoulders.
He bids her goodbye with a gesture, already moving towards the door. Delphini has no idea why he came inside in the first place. Maybe just to check on her, maybe to tell her something important. Whatever the reason, he completely forgot after her questions.
She keeps her eyes on the double doors, as her fingers caress the jewellery in her hands, thinking. Whenever she asks of her Father, her family has a way of referring to him as either Father or Rodolphus, and they never sound like they're talking about the same person.
That night, the less frequent dream of the avenging witch begins as usual, but is interrupted by the usual stars and serpents, blood and smoke, dark places and shadows. For the first time in that dream though, there's hissing. Parseltongue in a voice she recognizes but cannot place. And he, because the voice comes from a man, talks of prophecies and birds.
She wakes up clutching her Mother's pendant.
Author's Notes: No, I have not forsaken you. Sorry I'm a bit late, but here it is. Apparently, 5k is my new number. Now, keep me writing, and on schedule, by letting me know what you think. Don't get me wrong but this fic has nearly seventy readers following it, it would be really great to get feedback from more than half a dozen people per chapter.
To my faithful dozen of reviewers, thank you so much.
To the guest who left me that awesome review on the last chapter, you made my day.
Word count – 5.440