All is Full of Love
by Hildigunnur
Chapter 4
Bleak Abyss
Author's note: If you have been following this story but have not read its prequel, At the Eve of Things, I urge you to do so because otherwise this chapter will not make much sense to you. Zsenya gets my graditude for awesome beta-reading and gentle teasing.Thanx to Miss Pince for being who she is and my Slyth-o-Meter gets to be the keeper of Draco's letter. And last but not least, this chapter is dedicated to Poppy (Eve/Delilah might be dead but she's not forgotten).
Marcus took off his work robes. He considered his work to be a torture, he was supposed to be a great Quidditch player, not a groundkeeper's assistant. His mind travelled back in time to when he had just finished Hogwarts. It had been humiliating enough sitting through year seven again. There hadn't been any N.E.W.T.s the first time he had sat in year seven but his average had been abysmal and McGonagall said she couldn't allow him to leave school with such horrible marks. He hated that woman intensely. Then another blow had come when he tried out for the various Quidditch teams; none of them had interest in having him on board, not even as a reserve. He had thought every team needed a reserve Chaser. This had ended with the manager of the Falmouth Falcons offering him a groundkeeper position with a vague promise of considering him for a position on the team in few years time.
Nevertheless, other things weighed heavier on his mind. Like his sister's funeral. He had been alone there. Their parents knew of her death but had opted to keep away. It was obvious why, they were important in the Dark Lord's ranks and the Dark Lord had made it clear that they should disown their daughter. Besides, they were both out of the country and had been for some years. Mingling in some Dark Arts circles in Eastern Europe. He didn't miss them, they considered him a failure and they didn't hide their opinion. Delilah hadn't criticized him, even though she had scolded him frequently. She had offered him a place to stay when he had left Hogwarts. He couldn't say she had been nice. Nice was a word that had never entered Delilah's vocabulary. She had been a Slytherin through and through, fervid and ruthless. It was her opinion that one didn't gain power in the wizarding world through one's occupation. Power was gained with the right connections and she had been anxious to get into the Ministry. Since she refused to settle for a junior position in the Ministry, she'd never gone to work there at all. Instead, she had worked at Obscurus Books, proofreading textbooks. Delilah had been intelligent – she'd managed 11 N.E.W.T.s and usually when their parents had declared their disappointment with Marcus, they had compared him to Delilah.
He Apparated into his apartment, which had been Delilah's apartment as well. Her things were still lying about, he hadn't sorted through them. He wasn't sure what to do with them. At least he would like to put them away, looking at them filled him with some weird hollow feeling. It wouldn't be much trouble, the things were neatly arranged. He walked over to her desk and opened one of the drawers, which he had never done before. Her life hadn't interested him much. He had just done what she asked him to do and kept himself out of her way. She had been a loner, he was a bit more sociable even though he had lost touch with most of his mates from school. He enjoyed going to a pub to have a tankard of mead and a laugh over jokes about Muggles. It had also been like that in the few Death Eater meetings they had had. He had mingled while Delilah remained aloof. Well, he didn't exactly mingle. The Death Eaters weren't a social club but he had learned that many of the Death Eaters were mainly interested in Muggle torturing and Mudblood killing, something that he didn't mind being a part of.
He hadn't been assigned any work by the Dark Lord but he had an inkling that would wait until it was time to strike. The Death Eaters kept quiet, they were slowly infiltrating the Ministry and when the other side came to its senses, there would be Death Eaters on every corner. Delilah's job had been of that sort. She was supposed to turn Ron Weasley to the Dark Side, but then she had decided otherwise. Why? Even to Marcus, it seemed illogical to take on the Weasley twins. Delilah knew enough about the Weasley family to know that, she had been with the two oldest of the Weasley siblings at Hogwarts and he had told her all he knew about the others. Ron was the best choice because he happened to be Harry Potter's best friend and by seducing Ron, Delilah would have had a good access to Potter, something that would have pleased the Dark Lord.
Delilah's desk revealed no secrets. She had never collected anything and always thrown out everything as soon as it had been used. Yet there were few books there. There was her book on old Nordic magic. He picked it up and saw that one page was dog-eared. Gunnhildur's Curse was written at the top of the page. It was all about enchanting objects so that their bearers would, in some way, lose their abilities. He knew about the talisman Delilah had made for George Weasley and which had made George unable to do magic against his brother. Her plan hadn't been farfetched because the Weasley family was one of the strongest assets that the other side had and ruining the Weasley family undermined the other side in a great way.
He kept rummaging through the desk's drawers, not finding much until he found a stack of note books, all marked My Journal. One of them seemed to be from her Hogwarts days and he picked it up to see how she had fared in school:
September 7th 1984
I had a Prefects' meeting today. He was there but didn't look at me. I don't think he's got a girlfriend though. Iphigenia Murray was asking me if there was someone I liked. I kept my mouth shut. Think if someone would find out that I liked a Gryffindor.
Marcus read the last line again. Had Delilah liked a Gryffindor? That would be like the Falmouth Falcons playing a clean game. He had to read further in the journal.
May 4th 1985
I can't believe that he's leaving Hogwarts soon and I'm stuck here another year. I wonder what he's going to do. He could do anything, he's so smart and who wouldn't want to hire a former Head Boy?
I had a dream about him last night. It wasn't like usual when he seeks me out in the common room and says a pretty girl like me should be out in the sunshine. In this one, he looked younger, about fifteen or so. He was standing rather flushed in front of me, wearing only a bathing suit. Very strange I must admit.
Who had been a Head Boy when Delilah had been in her sixth year? He didn't have a clue, he had never liked these titles or the people who held them. Those who been the Slytherin Prefects in his time had been insufferable busybodies and that Weasley who had been the Head Boy when he had sat in year seven the second time, he had been an intolerable git. One of those guys who deserved to be beaten up. He picked up another journal, a bit newer than the one Delilah had written at Hogwarts.
July 17th 1993
Saw his picture in the Daily Prophet. He was with his whole family, they are really a large family and seem to be close. I wish we were as close. Mum and Dad are very displeased with Marcus because he failed his seventh year at Hogwarts. I hate them, it is all about keeping up appearances with them. Not a real ambition.
Bill's work in Egypt is probably very fascinating. I really want to go there and see him. His hair has grown since I saw him last. He is so beautiful. Hopefully he's coming next year to the World Cup.
Why am I torturing myself with this? We are as different as a flobberworm and a manticore. Me being the flobberworm. I just sit here, I don't have a life. If I should be honest, I really wished it was the time of You-Know-Who. At least things weren't at status quo then. I supposed if he would still be around, Bill would be fighting against him while I was supporting the Dark Lord. I need something to fill this bleak abyss in my soul.
Marcus stared dumbfounded at this entry. Not only had she liked a Gryffindor, it had been a Weasley and for such long time. Eight years at least. He briefly wondered if his sister had in fact been mentally ill and decided then to check out the latest journal.
July 10th 1995
I can't go through with the Dark Lord's plan. I know I should feel honoured to have an assignment so soon after my initiation.
I went to Brighton today and found the Weasley family. The mother was there, the twins, Ron and the girl. Ron looks so like Bill when he was at that age. I can't go near him, he reminds me too much of Bill. What am I going to do? I'm supposed to get to Ron and get information on Harry Potter. The Dark Lord has some plans to turn Ron to our side, thus opening a path to Harry Potter. I want to serve the Dark Lord, he'll provide the means which might satisfy my aspirations but I can't overcome my Bill fixation. I loath the Weasleys, their stupid Muggleloving, their lack of wizarding pride. There will be harm done, I'll do the Dark Lord's bidding. I promise that.
So that was why she didn't follow the Dark Lord's instructions? Ron had reminded her of Bill and for that mistake she had paid with life. He felt something burning inside of him. His throat tightened and he swallowed several times. This wouldn't have happened if there hadn't been any Weasleys.
Marcus had finished packing his sister's things away. It was hard to believe that everything that was Delilah could fit into few cardboard boxes. Everything about her had always seemed very grand to him. He was missing her, it was an alien feeling for him – he was used to feel hatred and anger first and foremost. The want to harm and hurt was a feeling he knew very well but this hollow ache was different. It magnified his desire to hurt someone, he wanted someone to feel more pain than he was experiencing now. He wished the Death Eaters had started attacking people and killing Muggles, he wanted a release through violence. After all, it was the reason he was invited to join the Death Eaters. Lucius Malfoy had contacted him and told him that the Dark Lord wanted to recruit him. His sister had been enlisted by a wizard who was working with her, Melchior Nott. They hadn't told each other, they had found out at the initiation ceremony that they were both joining the Death Eaters. Delilah had been very excited and he understood why after reading her journal. Being able to rise within the Death Eaters would certainly have satisfied her goals and had she fulfilled the Dark Lord's wishes, she would have become a powerful Death Eater. He fought the urge to kick the furniture, he wanted to save the energy to really do harm. There had to be a way he could access the Weasleys.
His train of thought was broken by a tapping on the window. A large eagle owl was hovering outside, bearing a letter from its owner, Draco Malfoy. Marcus still kept in touch with him, more out of duty than anything. Draco's father had, after all, provided the Slytherin team with broomsticks. He and Draco were a bit alike, they both didn't see any need to show other people any consideration. Compassion was a sign of weakness. The owl flew gracefully in when he opened the window. It landed on the coffee table and extended its leg so Marcus could extract the letter.
Marcus
My condolences with the death of your sister. I assume you know with whom the fault lies. It was of course mistake on her behalf not following the Dark Lord's wishes but I suppose the blame might just as well lie with those she was dealing with in her project. I do not know the details about her assignment. I only know she was dealing with a family which brings shame upon the term pureblood. In case you are seeking revenge, something I would urge you to do, then I suspect you would be most interested to know that a golden opportunity has come for you to strike. You are not going to storm into Hogwarts or aforementioned family's house. The wards are too strong. The opportunity I am speaking of lies in a note I found lying around in the Great Hall. It read:
New Year's Eve Party at the Burrow. Entertainment and refreshments provided by the Messrs Weasley and Weasley (Lee Jordan gets to help us). No Slytherins allowed (well, you can come and be guinea pigs for our invention, Octopus Omelettes). Be there around eight or be triangular. Please keep this information secret from all people who bear the title Professor or parent.
Gred and Forge
I have only two words to add to this: Polyjuice Potion. Or maybe I could add: good luck and wreak havoc.
D.M.
The corner of Marcus' mouth was pulled upward in a horrible grin. This was perfect, opportunity. A plan was already forming in his mind and if it would succeed, no one would ever find out that he was behind it. The Weasleys would certainly pay.
Author's note: Gunnhildur's curse is taken from the Icelandic saga, Njal's saga where Queen Gunnhildur, mother of kings, puts a spell on Hrútur with a bracelet she gave him.
