She Came From Afar
Chapter One: Malfoy's and Memories
"Infiltrate Hogwarts, set up port keys, Dumbledore must be eliminated." She nodded once, begging he didn't see the apprehension in her eyes, "You must not fail, Lord Voldemort has faith in you girl, that's more than can be said for anyone else. But I warn you, fail, and you'll wish you'd stayed in that backwater little village of yours."
"Don't scare her Peter she is, after all, just a girl." Lucius Malfoy had a laugh like ice, "Lord Voldemort would not have given her this task if he did not deem her worthy. And don't worry Peter; she won't be taking your place any time soon."
Lucius winked at her while his eyes, the colour of ice, retained their coldness. She wanted to shiver but merely the thought was punishable by The Unspeakables. That was the last thing she needed right now. Instead she bowed low until he had retreated toward the back of the room
"Plus," He added, opening the door, "She will have help from my son."
"Of course," Wormtail agreed cynically, he waited for Lucius to exit the room before finishing, "We all know what a great help that will be, the boy's as stupid as his father."
She stayed as quiet as she could, wishing the walls or floors or even the god damned snake in the corner of the room that watched her like a hawk would eat her up. Somehow, the actions and decisions which had brought her to this place had been long forgotten and replaced with only memories or Lord Voldemort. Though, whatever they had been, she could be sure of one thing. They had not been smart ones.
"Okay," Wormtail started once he had finished muttering about Lucius and his Son, "Let's go over the plan one more time, if you get it wrong you're not the only one who's going to get a lashing." He stopped only to shudder slightly, "Now, you are to take the role of an exchange student as Hogwarts School of Witchcraft and Wizardry, you'll be in your sixth year if I'm not mistaken, the same year as that brat Lucius calls a son." He stopped again and balled both his fists (the silver one looked almost as threatening as the flesh) "But beware that meddlesome Harry Potter and his little band of do-gooders, if they start to get suspicious I want you to alert me immediately. He won't ruin our plans this time.
"You will be given specific items that will act as portkey's at certain times during your mission; once you're in the school Lucius' son will help you place them at certain points around the school. They will all be activated at the same time, so be sure to have them all set up by the discussed time and make sure they are not visible to teachers, students or ghosts. Once you have set the portkey's up you will have to get into the Headmasters office, from there you will leave one last portkey which we will be able to access from here.
You can leave the rest up to us, but you must keep your act up until the end of the year, if they find out you're in league with us there isn't a chance of you getting back to Australia."
"Wormtail, you act as though my divine plan will fail." The room seemed to loose anything that resembled heat as soon as Lord Voldemort entered. She wasn't sure if it was due to the fact that he sucked all the heat out of the air or if it was just a side effect of his evil. Whichever it was it scared her witless, she wished now more than ever that the walls would eat her up.
"Ah, my little reptile," He turned his attention to her and she cringed inside. She got the feeling he could smell her fear because his smile only grew wider at her horror, "You must excuse Wormtail, he has trouble trusting my judgement." Wormtail visibly flinched, he would most likely be punished once she was gone, "I, however, have full faith in you. There is nothing quite like freedom to motivate the unwilling. Though, if you don't mind my saying, there is more to your service than the concept of home, is there not my little reptile?"
As if he alone were the creator of her thoughts, an image of her brother swept across her mind, causing her to frown and her resolve to harden. Lord Voldemort gave a small chuckle at this and reached out one scaly hand to brush against her skin. His fingers were ice cold, and the effect it had on her skin was much like being touched by a ghost. She only barely suppressed a shudder, but her sudden, shaky intake of breath was only too obvious.
"Embrace your darkness," He hissed in her ear causing her to shiver noticeably.
She closed her eyes for a moment and when they reopened Lord Voldemort was on the other side of the room.
"It would be prudent to wish you good luck. Do well." And he was gone, along with all his evil and coldness. The tension immediately lifted from the room and Wormtail changed from a grovelling servant into a confident leader. He stood before her, a head shorter but holding himself in high esteem.
"Here is your ticket for the Hogwarts express, and money for your supplies. Lucius will take you to Diagon Alley where you can buy school equipment, half of the portkeys will be stored in your luggage, the others will be sent to you via owl. The staff at Hogwarts don't filter the mail, not since that Umbridge woman left, so there should be no suspicion. Good luck." He patted her on the back and began shuffling her out of the room. Lucius Malfoy was waiting for her just outside the door. He instantly took her by the arm and began leading her away from Wormtail.
"My pardon for Peter's less than gentlemanly treatment, he does not know how to treat a woman properly." She nodded in silent acknowledgement.
"You don't talk much." Lucius stated, not expecting an answer, she didn't give one.
He lead her into a room in which a bright warm fire crackled, she was grateful for the heat. In several comfortable looking armchairs surrounding the fire strangers sat sipping what she assumed to be alcoholic beverages and talking amongst themselves. When they entered a few of the strangers stood and bowed to Lucius and nodded their heads at her. The others either ignored them or nodded in their general direction.
Ignoring the stranger's greetings Lucius made a beeline for the fireplace. He handed her an ornately carved urn which looked like it might have held someone's ashes once but now sported a generous amount of Floo powder.
"The leaky Cauldron my dear," Lucius said with one of his icy smiles.
She took a pinch of the powder and threw it into the fire, watching in a detached amazement as it changed from orange to a sickly lime green. She wasn't a stranger to Floo powder but it never ceased to amaze her. Shaking the thoughts out of her mind she stepped in to the crackling flames and said her destination carefully.
In a moment of wild spinning and gut wrenching turns which threw her about like a rag doll she arrived at the Leaky Cauldron. Once she reached the grate she stumbled out, coughing and spluttering. Floo wasn't her favourite means of travel, it never had been.
Before she could fully recover a boy her age stepped up in front of her and held out his hand. In her disorientated state she forgot what the gesture meant and merely stared down at his offered hand. Thankfully, before the boy could react accordingly, Lucius appeared in the fire place looking as calm and collected as always.
He looked once from the boy to her then stepped forward, linking his arm with hers, and began heading toward a back door of the pub.
"Come Draco, there is much to do."
Though she had been to Diagon Ally before, there were still things that amazed her, every time. So when she found herself staring idly around herself, so engulfed in her thoughts that nothing seemed interesting anymore, she was inclined to wonder just what had happened to bring her to such an amazing place then drain all her curiosity away.
She distinctly remembered her life in Australia, her home, her school, her friends. She remembered turmoil within her family, or was it the whole country? It didn't matter, there was turmoil and it had driven her to England. That's when she lost it, her memory filled with only Lord Voldemort and nothing else. Her actions and the events which had led her to the few weeks ago she remembered remained in the darkness.
The thought of that grotesque, misshapen demon she seemed to obey so completely seducing her, wooing her into doing his will played across her thoughts. Maybe he had wooed her; it was as possible as the next outlandish explanation only the mere thought sickened her beyond belief. How could she be so easily seduced by something to hideous? If only she could remember.
In Australia there were stories told by the native wizards of a man who turned into a snake. The story did not bide well for the snake man.
Maybe, she mused, Voldemort would end up the same as the snake man; maybe he too will meet his doom. Though she knew next to nothing about her master she knew that at some point he had been injured beyond death but had somehow, miraculously, rose again. His life reminded her of a twisted kind of fairy tale, laced with malice and evil. But, as in all fairy tales, would he fall as the darkness always did?
"Hey." She was nudged out of her thoughts by a sharp poke in the shoulder. She blinked several times and Lucius' son Draco swam into her vision. She realised with great chagrin that she had been staring at a glass container filled with what looked like human fingernails, "Are you quite done?"
"I'm sorry," She replied, bowing her head slightly and allowing him to lead her out of the shop.
Lucius met them outside a brightly coloured ice cream parlour, his face twisted in what was most obviously a scowl as busy wizards rushed and pushed past him. When he caught sight of Draco and herself his scowl lightened only slightly.
"Get the lady some ice cream Draco," He ordered handing Draco more than enough money to bye her five ice creams. She blushed and began to stutter her thanks, he ignored her.
"I'll be back in half an hour, don't go anywhere and don't let her out of your sight." He gestured towards her before taking off swiftly down the alley, quickly becoming lost in the crowd.
"He's going to Knockturn Alley," Draco said grabbing her by the arm and leading her roughly into the ice cream shop. Draco looked just as unpleased at his position as his father had standing amidst the crowded Diagon Alley, "He usually takes me but you're here."
The tone of his voice caught her off guard. When she glanced into his eyes she saw a great amount of loathing directed at her. She quickly averted her gaze, choosing instead to stare up at the ice cream menu.
"Father never told me your name." He stated after a tense silence.
"Lilin," she answered nonchalantly, trying her hardest not to make eye contact with him. He made her nervous.
"You better get sorted into Slytherin, Lilin," He said her name like a curse, "I'm not watching out for you if you're hanging around those Gryffindor pigs."
Though Lilin had no clue what Draco was talking about she made a note of his threats. If she was going to pull this off she was going to need as much help as possible, and Draco knew the school a lot better than herself.
"Look, there he goes now Mr. Great Gryffindor himself Harry Fucking Potter." For a moment the name didn't mean a thing to her but the amazing spite she heard in Draco's voice compelled her to whip her head around and study the crowd.
It occurred to her that she had no idea what this Harry Potter looked like or why the name seemed so familiar. Then it dawned on her, Harry Potter the Boy Who Lived, she remembered. He had destroyed Voldemort, the very same Dark Lord she served now, when he was merely a child. The story had been told and retold so many times she was more than surprised to find he was actually still in school. She had gotten the impression he was a comic book hero who regularly saved lives.
"You know he speaks Parsletongue as well, you two would get along. Too bad he was put into Gryffindor with those smarmy Gryffindor idiots; he would have been worshipped in Slytherin."
Lilin kept her mouth shut even as the questions pended on the tip of her tongue. She was still in the dark about the Gryffindor and Slytherin situation, but she guessed they must be Quidditch teams or houses at Hogwarts. Why it mattered so much was beyond her so she might as well play along to keep Draco's wrath aimed at Harry Potter instead of her. The last thing she needed was to have her only ally turn against her.
"You should keep clear of Potter as best you can, he'll poison your mind with all that goody-goody crap, him and his mudblood loving friends."
Lilin felt a blush creep to her cheeks. While she was no mudblood herself she had met and befriended quite a few in her lifetime. She had no idea wizards over here felt so strongly about it. There were those in Australia that felt the same way but they were shunned more than the mudbloods themselves. She made a note of that in her head and continued studying the ice cream menu above her.
"You want some ice cream?" Draco asked the question in the kind of voice a bully asks their unfortunate victim if they wanted their book back. Lilin shook her head slightly
"Too cold for ice cream,"
"Too cold," Draco muttered to himself with a sarcastic laugh.
They waited for at least another half an hour, every so often Draco making comments about the wizards that passed, or giving her 'advice' on life at Hogwarts and in London. It felt a lot longer to Lilin before Lucius returned, a small package in hand.
"Come you two," He ordered, his face contorted in a scowl he tried to repress.
He led them back to The Leaky Cauldron; this time Lilin had more of a chance to study the small dark tavern. There were many strange witches and wizards that hung around in the dark corners and against the bar. Some of them stared at her with blank lifeless gazes while others ignored her completely. She was glad when Lucius offered her a pouch of Floo powder and nudged her toward the fire place.
"Malfoy Estate," He whispered to her before she threw her handful of powder into the flames.
The trip from the Leaky Cauldron to the Malfoy estate was as uncomfortable as her last Floo powder adventure, only this time around instead of stumbling out of and unfamiliar grate to the sneer of Draco Malfoy she was met with an unfamiliar grate and the back of Draco Malfoy. Stumbling with the after-dizziness of Floo powder she lost her footing and was sent crashing into Draco's back.
For one incoherent moment she couldn't understand why she was on the floor with Draco's back beneath her. Only when Draco roughly pushed her off his back and stood up, glaring daggers down at her confused form did the realisation of what had just happened dawn on her. A thick blush spread across her cheeks as she stood up bowing low and begging he forgive her.
Lucius appeared a moment later ignoring the scene and beckoning her to follow him
"Draco, go greet your mother." Lucius ordered while linking arms with Lilin.
Lilin heard Draco mutter a curse and, sparing one more withering glare at her, he left. Lucius ignored Draco and began leading her up a vast marble staircase.
The entire Malfoy mansion, it seemed to Lilin, was made out of marble. Well, at least the main foyer seemed to be. The streaked white stone glowed from the light of hundreds of candelabras and chandeliers and the railing of the stairs appeared of be made out of solid gold. Various expensive ornaments adorned pedestals and shelfs at tasteful spots around the mansion.
Lilin was awed, Lucius walked through the glorious room looking as he had in Diagon Alley, displeased and offended. It was obvious to Lilin he had known wealth and status since birth.
He led her through stone corridors dotted with magnificently carved wooden doors and exquisitely painted portraits of knights and princesses that waved and bowed as they walked past. Though Lilin had never seen the exterior of the mansion she knew now it must be made entirely out of stone. Somehow, she mused, that seemed fitting to this family.
"You will bed here for the remained of your stay, I hope it is to your liking." He opened a large, thick mahogany door which was strangely bare looking compared to others she had seen in this very house. It opened to a spacious room with a canopy bed and large glass doors leading, she presumed, to a balcony. They were currently covered with peach coloured drapes. A small table in the middle of the room sported a silver tray with supper and out of the corner of her eye she could see a marble bathroom glowing in the same manner as the foyer.
"Please, sit," Lucius gestured to the small table on which her supper had been set, "You must be hungry."
She wasn't particularly hungry, she had lost her appetite somewhere during her meeting of the Dark Lord. But she complied with his gesture and sat, keeping her eyes locked on his icy grey ones.
Reaching into his robes Lucius pulled out the small box he had returned with after his visit to Knockturn Alley. He opened the box and extracted a tiny silver trinket in the shape of a snake.
"This," he said in a hushed voice, "Is another portkey, keep yourself familiar with it. It will lead you to this very mansion at any time you wish. If anyone gets suspicious, anyone at all, I want you to use it to come back here and tell me. Lord Voldemort, I'm afraid, is unaware of it so use it with caution. Draco must not know of its presence." He stressed the last sentence by locking his eyes with hers. There was something there in the icy grey depths that could have been mistaken as urgency or distress.
She nodded silently and accepted the box, whispering her thanks. He stood up straight, once again regaining his composure, and gave her a rare but insincere smile. He bowed his head slightly and left her alone.
The moment he left the room she wished more than anything he was still there. Although he made her nervous and scared her slightly regardless of his kindness, his company would be more welcome than the thoughts that were bound to haunt her in his absence. For the moment, while the thoughts were kept at bay by reminiscence of the day, she forced herself to eat and then undressed and run herself a bath.
When the memories of Australia began to push their way into her mind she distracted herself by singing a tune she had recognised while in Diagon Alley, but meant nothing to her. She had to step lightly when it came to memories; she could so easily become lost in them, or lost in the despair of them.
When she had finished bathing she noticed a servant or House Elf had removed the tray her supper had been served to her on and had brought the few belongings that had made it thus far. Shooting a glare at the depressingly small backpack full of clothes she dried herself and climbed into bed naked.
"Cain, Cain will you play with me?" The young black haired girl bounded up beside her brother, her beetle black eyes aglow with admiration.
"Lilin not now, can't you see I'm studying?" the elder boy spared his younger sister but a glance before returning his attention to the books before him.
"Please Cain; you can study any other time, please." The girl begged tugging at the boy's tanned arm.
"Lilin leave me alone, go play with your brother."
"But you're my brother."
"I meant Joseph, go play with Joseph."
"But Cain," The girl protested pulling, now, on his shirt sleeve, "Joseph is sick, don't you remember."
"Lilin stop pulling on my sleeve, you're making my handwriting smudge." The elder brother changed the subject without glancing at the younger sister.
"Please Cain I'm bored and Mummy is busy taking care of Joseph," She gave one final tug which sent books, parchment and ink sprawling over the desk and floor.
Lilin's eyes opened wide in shock, she hadn't meant to knock his schoolwork over, it was only an accident. Cain sat for a few tense moments in his chair, his back to her and his hands shaking slightly. She really hadn't meant it; surely he knew it was an accident.
Suddenly, like a python striking its prey he spun around, knocking the chair out of the way and rising to his feet in one fluid movement. In his deep brown eyes a fiery rage burned like none she had ever seen. He had been known to have a short temper but, surely, he must know it was an accident.
In spite of her conviction she feared the overwhelming rage which shone in his eyes. She turned and began to run. She only got a few steps before he caught her arm and began squeezing it, his fingernails biting into her skin.
"What did I tell you Lilin? I told you to go away, why don't you listen? Now look what you've done?" He waved his free arm toward the mess she had made; his eyes still alight with rage.
He began squeezing her arm tighter, drawing blood where his fingernails had broken her skin. She was whimpering now, crying out in pain.
Lilin arose with a start, biting back the scream which threatened to break free of her lips. Her body was covered with a cold sweat and inside her skin burned. She glanced around the dark room in an attempt to keep her tears at bay. Once her heartbeat slowed and the sweat dissipated into the dry, cold night air she climbed out of her bed and walked to the mirror on the dresser in the corner of the room.
Staring into her own bottomless obsidian eyes reminded her so much of Cain. His eyes had been so cold, so unforgiving. Even as a child he had been tainted and heartless. How had she become the same as him?
She sighed and shook her head
"You were always so rough Cain."
