I'm glad you guys like the story...school just started for me, but I'm
going to try to post regularly, like every other day or so. Thanks for
reading!
Chapter 11 If You Can Call that Help...
Ron flashed Draco a disgusted look. "Why don't you go back to the slime you crawled out of, Malfoy. You're definitely not wanted here."
Draco gave Ron an appraising look. "I'd have thought that all purebloods would come to their senses now that the Dark Lord has returned"- he sniveled- "But I suppose you just can't salvage rubbish." His look then turned toward Cordelia. "Which makes me wonder again, what are you doing with Mudbloods and traitors, Cordelia?"
"Draco, why don't you just leave?" Hermione said defiantly, turning around. "You're rather eager to talk to your cousin, but it seems as though she doesn't have a word to say to you."
Harry took in the whole situation carefully. Ron looked murderous and was only being restrained by the words Ginny was furiously muttering in his ear. Hermione was holding up herself well as always, but Cordelia was looking deathly pale.
Even terrified.
Malfoy ignored Hermione. "Mother and Father have been worried sick about you. They came looking for you after they heard about what happened at your home. They're your guardians, you know. As a matter of fact, here they come now, out of Firendel's Finest. Come along now." Malfoy grabbed Cordelia's arm and tugged her towards the two dark-robed figures immerging from the shop.
Cordelia turned her head and looked towards the group, her eyes filled with something new. Terror. Harry saw the feeling welling up in her eyes and reached out to grab her. Malfoy was so surprised that he lost his grip and Cordelia whipped around in Harry's arms and was pulled close to his chest.
"Thank you," she barely whispered, not moving. "Whatever you do, don't let me go with them."
"Not with scum like that." Harry replied quietly.
Malfoy's eyes narrowed viciously. "What the bloody hell do you think you are doing, Potter?" Malfoy had pulled out his wand and was lifting it to eye level.
"Yes, Potter, what exactly are you doing with Miss Lockwoode?" a cold voice sneered.
Snape had come up behind them all. Harry noticed that he was carrying a small box no larger than a goblet in his hand. He also noticed that Cordelia gave what seemed like a small sigh of relief.
"Potter, you have a minute to explain why you are restraining Miss Lockewood in such a violent manner, or you'll have higher authorities to report to."
"I highly doubt that will be necessary," Narcissa Malfoy's high cool voice said. She and Draco's father had reached the group, who were standing close to the center of the alleyway. "Draco was about to hex the Potter boy here, and he grabbed Cordelia in order to shield himself. Cowardly, yes, but understandable for the boy."
Lucius Malfoy stood next to his wife, grinning at Cordelia as if she were a newly won prize, some prey that they had been long searching for. "There is no need for this to escalade, Severus. We don't want Potter here to think that he is worth the trouble." His voice said one thing, but Harry knew from the glint in Lucius Malfoy's eyes that he thought Harry was worth the trouble, and would have spared no expense of doing him in if it weren't right in the middle of Diagon Alley. "I don't know how or why Cordelia is here, but as her cousins, we'll simply take her now. The rest of the information can be gathered later."
Snape smiled as best as a slimy git could. "That would be fine, Lucius, expect that Miss Lockwoode is under my care at the moment."
The Malfoys gave Snape a hard stare. Hermione, Ron, Harry and Ginny were finding bits of amusement in this confrontation. Cordelia had backed away from Harry, but his hand was still wrapped tightly around her wrist.
"How could that be?" Narcissa said coolly. "I was vaguely aware that you knew her, but you're not even of relation to her. How could she be in your custody?"
Snape raised an eyebrow. "Madame Rousseau left her in my care until her 16th birthday. I'm surprised that you weren't made aware. It was my understanding that the information was passed on to you."
"Well, it wasn't," Lucius said hotly.
"You would have known had you attended my grandmum's funeral," Cordelia said quietly, in a matter-of-fact manner.
Narcissa Malfoy smiled coldly. "You know that we were tied up, dear. We sent you lots of owls."
"Interesting how eager you were to speak to me only after she died."
"Well, we're here now, Cordie, dear."
"My name is Cordelia. And unfortunately enough, being here now will not suffice. Your care"-she spat the word out- "is not needed at the moment. Harry saw the fear melt out of Cordelia's green eyes and turn to something harder, like black coal. It was odd how she had gone so quickly from being afraid of the Malfoys to visibly loathing them. Her eyes had lost their warmth and color. Harry had only seen eyes that dark when someone mentioned Peter around Sirius.
"So you'd rather spend your time with filth like this?" Draco spat out, glaring at Harry.
Cordelia suddenly looked suspiciously innocent. "No, I wouldn't, so thank you for informing me of exactly what they were. I didn't know who they were before hand. That's the last time I try to make friends here. Now they are just more people I have to avoid." Cordelia snapped free of Harry's grasp, turned her colorless eyes in his direction and sneered. Harry immediately glared back, kicking himself for even thinking that she was better than what he had first thought.
"But make no mistake," she continued softly, looking at the Malfoys again, "that doesn't mean I want anything to do with you." She turned and looked at Snape. "Severus, I've collected everything that I need. Let's go."
Snape nodded without another word. He seemed apathetic to everything that had just occurred.
"Cordelia, you can't turn your back on us. We're family. We're in your blood. You have no choice to leave us," Narcissa spoke, her lips curling and eyes flashing like a demon.
"Just watch me," she said, following Snape away from the group.
Interesting that fear can turn to hatred so quickly...it may seem a little messy, but believe me, this fic won't be crystal clear. For one thing, everything is not as it appears. And Cordelia has the same nasty habit Harry does; bad things just seem to happen around them all the time!
Chapter 11 If You Can Call that Help...
Ron flashed Draco a disgusted look. "Why don't you go back to the slime you crawled out of, Malfoy. You're definitely not wanted here."
Draco gave Ron an appraising look. "I'd have thought that all purebloods would come to their senses now that the Dark Lord has returned"- he sniveled- "But I suppose you just can't salvage rubbish." His look then turned toward Cordelia. "Which makes me wonder again, what are you doing with Mudbloods and traitors, Cordelia?"
"Draco, why don't you just leave?" Hermione said defiantly, turning around. "You're rather eager to talk to your cousin, but it seems as though she doesn't have a word to say to you."
Harry took in the whole situation carefully. Ron looked murderous and was only being restrained by the words Ginny was furiously muttering in his ear. Hermione was holding up herself well as always, but Cordelia was looking deathly pale.
Even terrified.
Malfoy ignored Hermione. "Mother and Father have been worried sick about you. They came looking for you after they heard about what happened at your home. They're your guardians, you know. As a matter of fact, here they come now, out of Firendel's Finest. Come along now." Malfoy grabbed Cordelia's arm and tugged her towards the two dark-robed figures immerging from the shop.
Cordelia turned her head and looked towards the group, her eyes filled with something new. Terror. Harry saw the feeling welling up in her eyes and reached out to grab her. Malfoy was so surprised that he lost his grip and Cordelia whipped around in Harry's arms and was pulled close to his chest.
"Thank you," she barely whispered, not moving. "Whatever you do, don't let me go with them."
"Not with scum like that." Harry replied quietly.
Malfoy's eyes narrowed viciously. "What the bloody hell do you think you are doing, Potter?" Malfoy had pulled out his wand and was lifting it to eye level.
"Yes, Potter, what exactly are you doing with Miss Lockwoode?" a cold voice sneered.
Snape had come up behind them all. Harry noticed that he was carrying a small box no larger than a goblet in his hand. He also noticed that Cordelia gave what seemed like a small sigh of relief.
"Potter, you have a minute to explain why you are restraining Miss Lockewood in such a violent manner, or you'll have higher authorities to report to."
"I highly doubt that will be necessary," Narcissa Malfoy's high cool voice said. She and Draco's father had reached the group, who were standing close to the center of the alleyway. "Draco was about to hex the Potter boy here, and he grabbed Cordelia in order to shield himself. Cowardly, yes, but understandable for the boy."
Lucius Malfoy stood next to his wife, grinning at Cordelia as if she were a newly won prize, some prey that they had been long searching for. "There is no need for this to escalade, Severus. We don't want Potter here to think that he is worth the trouble." His voice said one thing, but Harry knew from the glint in Lucius Malfoy's eyes that he thought Harry was worth the trouble, and would have spared no expense of doing him in if it weren't right in the middle of Diagon Alley. "I don't know how or why Cordelia is here, but as her cousins, we'll simply take her now. The rest of the information can be gathered later."
Snape smiled as best as a slimy git could. "That would be fine, Lucius, expect that Miss Lockwoode is under my care at the moment."
The Malfoys gave Snape a hard stare. Hermione, Ron, Harry and Ginny were finding bits of amusement in this confrontation. Cordelia had backed away from Harry, but his hand was still wrapped tightly around her wrist.
"How could that be?" Narcissa said coolly. "I was vaguely aware that you knew her, but you're not even of relation to her. How could she be in your custody?"
Snape raised an eyebrow. "Madame Rousseau left her in my care until her 16th birthday. I'm surprised that you weren't made aware. It was my understanding that the information was passed on to you."
"Well, it wasn't," Lucius said hotly.
"You would have known had you attended my grandmum's funeral," Cordelia said quietly, in a matter-of-fact manner.
Narcissa Malfoy smiled coldly. "You know that we were tied up, dear. We sent you lots of owls."
"Interesting how eager you were to speak to me only after she died."
"Well, we're here now, Cordie, dear."
"My name is Cordelia. And unfortunately enough, being here now will not suffice. Your care"-she spat the word out- "is not needed at the moment. Harry saw the fear melt out of Cordelia's green eyes and turn to something harder, like black coal. It was odd how she had gone so quickly from being afraid of the Malfoys to visibly loathing them. Her eyes had lost their warmth and color. Harry had only seen eyes that dark when someone mentioned Peter around Sirius.
"So you'd rather spend your time with filth like this?" Draco spat out, glaring at Harry.
Cordelia suddenly looked suspiciously innocent. "No, I wouldn't, so thank you for informing me of exactly what they were. I didn't know who they were before hand. That's the last time I try to make friends here. Now they are just more people I have to avoid." Cordelia snapped free of Harry's grasp, turned her colorless eyes in his direction and sneered. Harry immediately glared back, kicking himself for even thinking that she was better than what he had first thought.
"But make no mistake," she continued softly, looking at the Malfoys again, "that doesn't mean I want anything to do with you." She turned and looked at Snape. "Severus, I've collected everything that I need. Let's go."
Snape nodded without another word. He seemed apathetic to everything that had just occurred.
"Cordelia, you can't turn your back on us. We're family. We're in your blood. You have no choice to leave us," Narcissa spoke, her lips curling and eyes flashing like a demon.
"Just watch me," she said, following Snape away from the group.
Interesting that fear can turn to hatred so quickly...it may seem a little messy, but believe me, this fic won't be crystal clear. For one thing, everything is not as it appears. And Cordelia has the same nasty habit Harry does; bad things just seem to happen around them all the time!