Chapter 23

She walked and walked, never hungering, never thirsting for anything more than the next step. 'Who am I?' she asked herself, again and again, but beyond the revelation that she was not alone, there was nothing. No memory, no hope. She knew she was not alone, and it was that hope that kept her going. Somewhere, somewhere, here or there, she would find this part of her that is not her, and she would find herself again.

Striding past the floundering figures of blurred light, she continued on, burning with the desire to find herself. She paused to examine another golden thread, seeing that it pulled on her. She grasped it firmly in her hand, and let it take her where it went. 'Kind of like the Floo network,' she thought, before wondering what the Floo network was. She shook her head, and let go.

 

She slid to a stop, gazing around the dark grey landscape, observing the many golden threads that congregated there. With the threads were many blurry forms, auras of shimmering light. She moved over to one, further away from the congregants, further away from the bright threads, careful not to let herself be caught up in the lines. The aura was dark blue, but lit with glimmers of silver. She sat on the ethereal ground, looking at the figure.

It opened its eyes.

She screamed, but to her ears it sounded as a far off echo, hardly even reaching her ears. The figure's bright silver inner light burst from its eyes, lighting the area that was already lit with her golden light.

'Another visitor,' it remarked, somewhat amusedly. It offered her a hand, and, reluctantly, she took it. The figure helped her to her feet. 'You don't know much about this place, do you?' It asked her, and she shook her head, unable to do otherwise. The words it spoke sounded clear in her ears, though she knew that if she were to try to talk, her voice would echo out, much as her scream had.

 

'I guess I should teach you how to talk. It's a bit like teaching an infant, but it takes a lot less time, I suppose,' the figure spoke to itself, its silver eyes turned away from her for a moment. 'Ok,' the figure asked her, 'do you want to learn how to talk?'

She nodded her head, aware that this primitive sign language would not take her very far.

'Ok,' it said, as though readying itself for something not pleasant. 'First, you have to open your mind.' She looked blankly at the figure, then shook her head, not understanding.

'Try a trance. Empty your mind. Here,' the figure placed its hands on her head, and suddenly, her mind was clear. There wasn't a single thought in her head, except a strange grey light. Her head lost its fuzziness, and a few of her memories flew back. She put them away to look at later.

'Ok. Now, don't try to talk to me- think at me. You're doing well.' The figure stood with its hands on her head, and she tried to think at it.

'Ouch! Think quietly. I can hear you- there's no such thing as distance here, so you don't have to shout.' The figure winced, and removed one hand to rub its temple.

'Sorry,' she said, 'I'm new to this.'

'I noticed,' the figure replied. 'Who are you, now?'

'I'm not entirely sure.' She replied, feeling insecure exposing herself to this stranger, despite all the help it had given her. 'I woke far from here, and rode a thread to somewhere else. I guess I'm on a quest to find out who I am.' She shrugged.

'Ah. You don't know who you are. Yet, you learn to speak so quickly? It took me five days to learn to speak with the moderation and precision you are already speaking, and you say you have no memory?' The figure peered at her suspiciously, but seemed to find nothing guileful in her, as it then looked away. It turned her around, and gasped.

'No wonder you don't know who you are,' the figure pronounced, 'your lifeline is a silk-thread!' the exclamation made her heart beat faster, but didn't bring much enlightenment to her.

'My lifeline?' She questioned.

'The line that links you to your physical body. See?' The figure turned around, and, from his lower vertebra, she could see a thin line protruding, leaning down into the ground.

'Why does it go into the ground like that?'

'Because if it didn't, it would float around behind me. Don't ask me questions I can't answer. But I think I know how your lifeline is so thin,' the figure said, conspiratorially.

'How?' She took the bait.

'I think that you have had your soul stolen- but have somehow escaped.' The figure leaned back from her, peering over her head. 'And I think I know who did it.'

'Who? How? I mean, who would want to steal my soul? How would they do it? And how would I escape? And how do you know who it was?' She could feel her frustrations building, and when she looked down at her body, she could see flickers of light orange frustration sliding among her normal deep purple and golden light.

'Don't get too frustrated,' the figure said to her, 'I can only tell you what I know. Ah! Wait here- I have company. I'll come back- just watch me. I'll be back,' And the figure's eyes snapped shut, leaving her floundering in perceived darkness, though her eyes provided enough light for her to see. She sat down again, watching the aura of the other move a little jerkily, then she watched the light show of emotions in its figure.

She would just have to wait.

~*~

"What," the voice came, grumpily, from the inside of the house.

"I was beginning to think we'd got the wrong house!" Hermione chirped, getting into character. Adrienne winced at the tone of voice, but followed her mother-cum-employer into the house without being invited.

"Lovely house, I must admit. Rustic," Hermione nodded to the wooden doorframes and windows, the pine-log walls and rug-covered straw on the ground. "One could spend one's entire life here! I would almost say you were trying to hide from us, Mr. Malfoy!" The man in the middle of the large room certainly looked a little like the Draco Malfoy that Adrienne had seen in the pictures, blond hair and grey eyes, pinched face; but there was something more adult about him now- the anger lines around his eyes may have had something to do with that. Adrienne could see that the ploy was not going to work.

"Draco Malfoy. Please excuse my assistant. She's a bit eccentric, and isn't quite acquainted with the customs of polite people. Adita, here! Now!" Hermione looked frustrated, but took the change in role in her stride. She winced and ran to cower behind Adrienne, responding to the fake name.

Adrienne seated herself in front of her sister's father, holding her back straight and using her height to her advantage. She kept her face regal and her manner aloof. "We have been contacted by a man who believes that he has found a child you fathered."

At this, finally, Malfoy's face changed, to show fear, anger, suspicion, and, finally, perplexion. "How can this be?" He asked, his eyes seeking something in her face.

"It appears that you went to a dark revel where a woman was raped repeatedly." Adrienne paused until she saw the wince of recognition on his face. "The woman bore two children. One of these is yours."

"Two children?" Again, confusion.

"Yes. The woman had ovulated twice, and, since she was raped repeatedly by several men, there was plenty of chance for more than one man's sperm to fertilise either ova." Adrienne paused again, peering coldly into his face.

"How can this be?" he began again, worry lines furrowing his brow. "Surely someone would have told me before now- after all, it was nearly twenty years ago." He looked down at the floor, his brow still furrowed.

"We were only just confirmed of her paternity. She and her twin sister took an illegal paternity test on Knockturn Alley several days ago. We have not contacted the children of their indiscretion- after all, who would not want to know who their father is?- but we believe that it is your right to know. We are unsure as to if you will be tried for rape, but we do know that you will be required to pay child maintenance. This is a foreign concept to most wizards, but one that is widely accepted in the Muggle realm. Terms and conditions will be sent to you." Adrienne finished her spiel, and watched the play of emotions on the man's face. His hair was loosely bound at the nape of his neck, and his grey eyes were stormy.

"Ok. I will take responsibility for my child. But surely she is now no longer a minor?" His eyes rose from the floor to bore into Adrienne's fake eyes. For a moment, Adrienne was sure that the man could see through her transfigured features to her real skin underneath. She shifted slightly, to further shield her mother from his watchful glance.

"No, she is no longer a minor- but this does not remove your responsibility."

"No, of course not." And he peered further into her face. "Tell me," he asked, in a cool, quiet voice that made her shiver, "do you normally wear a disguise to tell fathers about their long lost children?" Adrienne moved a little more, knowing full well the anxiety on her face. She gripped her wand and whispered the words to end the spell. She ground her teeth to keep herself silent as her face moved back into familiar lines.

"Better?" she asked, keeping her stance upright.

"Yes, but it doesn't answer my question."

"Damned Malfoy curiosity," Adrienne muttered under her breath, "Ok. You want to know why we're really here?" Adrienne glared at the man whose eyes saw right through her disguise. "I'll tell you.

"My mother was the one you raped. Lianna is my sister. We got caught up in a game of souls when we weren't expecting it. Lianna's soul was taken, and now her body sits alone at Hogwarts, waiting for her soul to return. The last words she uttered before she disappeared were 'you'd better find my father', so I have. I don't know why, but she needs you. As I said, your responsibility doesn't end when she ceases to be a minor. And now, though you've never seen her, she needs you. I don't even know why I'm bothering, but I'm certain that Lianna knows what she's doing, even at the brink of death." Adrienne glared at the man with her dark eyes, knowing that her cheeks were flushed and her eyes glittering.

The man smiled at her in amusement. "I'd be glad to help."

"You would?" Hermione muttered from behind Adrienne's back, and Adrienne winced visibly at her mother's inability to keep her mouth shut. Now he was going to look through her disguise, and make matters a whole lot more complicated.

"Sure I would. I've been sitting here in a dank cabin in the middle of the French woodland for the last eighteen years, learning about soul magic. I was getting a bit lonesome, truth be told. But before we go, I've got a lost soul in the ether-realm that needs a little guidance. I'll just teach it how to attach itself to me, and I'll take it with me." And before either woman could say anything, he closed his eyes and slid into a deep trance.

"What did he mean, a lost soul?" Adrienne asked.

"What did he mean, bring it with him?" Hermione asked.

They looked at each other, then shrugged. After a moment that seemed like forever, he opened his eyes again, stood up with ease that defied his age, and began to grab things from the sparse shelving in the cabin. Adrienne stood up and helped her mother to her feet.

"Alright," Draco said when they were all standing outside the cabin, "Where to now?"

"Hogwarts," both women said confidently, and Draco nodded.

All that could be heard in that moment were three loud pops as the air rushed into the space where three people had once stood.

~*~

A/N: ooh- intrigue! Chapter 24's not far off…

Love and kisses!

*kitten