A Captive Path Chapter 11: Various Forms Of Dulcinea, a harry potter fanfic

Various Forms of Dulcinea

the scepter, learning, physic, must
all follow this and come to dust.

It was April 1st, 1999. Ginny Weasley sucked in a breath, sitting up straight so that the cinch she was wearing wouldn't poke her in odd places. She was sitting inside of the cold, windowless carriage that had stopped outside of her house in Little Hangleton that evening, after she'd been poked, prodded and laced up by two women in black robes, their faces covered. She touched her face…it had been a long time since she'd worn any sort of makeup. Now Ginny found herself done up like Anna Karenina, her hair lightened and her face painted pale and icy. She wondered how likely it would be for there to be a train nearby that she could throw herself under.

The door opened at last, after the carriage had been motionless for nearly half an hour. A masked footman was there to offer a hand down, which Ginny took, landing on the ground silently, straightening her ample skirts and long brown fur cape. Glancing about, she was met with tall black iron fences, groomed grounds, and a short path leading into a large marble hall, lit by lanterns and moonlight. For a brief moment, Ginny want to run. Even if it was to nowhere, she could have run. Instead, she took the white eye-mask the footman handed her numbly, placing at on her face and allowing herself to be led inside…

After a week and a half of enjoying the slowly melting countryside, and avoiding various insufferable family members, the younger Notts and Lestranges found themselves readying for the main event, Voldemort's week-long Masquerade. Every night was given a theme, from Death and Madness to Magical Creatures. The first night was to be literary characters. Of course, no distinction was to be made over author bloodlines, because as of then, all written work was considered owned by those in command of the world.

"I look like a blue cup-cake," Orla pointed out loudly, as she stood in front of her bedroom mirror, inspecting the whipped dusty satin confection she was wearing.

"Well, you are the one who made it," A voice reminded her from another room somewhere behind her. She made a face at the rather snarky mirror, who kept expounding upon what a lovely little girl she was.

"Yes," She called back evenly, straightening the sash and tying her long, dark blue cloak over the slate-colored, shimmering dress, "And you are the one who suggested Alice in Wonderland,"

"Surely, you do realize how lovely you look," Rabastan let out a long, dramatic sigh as he stepped into the room, dressed head to toe as The White Knight, complete with sword, breast-plate and checkerboard cape. Over all, he pulled on a black cloak and matching black eye mask, "My Lady Liddell?"

"Very funny," Orla tried to stay annoyed, but could not. She smiled, blushing just slightly. He still had that effect, of course, even after they'd been together a year. Looking down, she smoothed the front of her gown down, from empire waistline to sea-colored skirt, "Do I really look all right?" She asked in a wavering voice, looking up at him with nervous eyes. Rabastan walked over to her, pretending to look her over closely, taking her hand and spinning her around, and poking the small blue bow in her hair,

"Beautiful," He assured her, "Alice grown up," He pulled her toward him, kissing her softly. Orla grinned, still pinkish, putting on her white eye-mask, decorated with blue flowers,

"That is what we were going for," She spun away from him then, toward the nursery, "Now, I only need to put ears on our Door Mouse child, and we can be off!" That certainly sounded far more enthusiastic than she felt about spending an evening in the company of Lord Voldemort…

The seven nights of festivities were to take place at a large stone hall nearby, which looked like some nobleman of old's castle. There was something…not entirely earthly about the place, with its high iron gates, towering marble walls and pillars, and glowing lamps. That and the fact that no one seemed able to see it in the daylight made Luna wonder whether or not it was actually there.

Joining the crowd of gathering players outside, Orla and Rabastan led their small party through the gates and up the walkway bordered with lanterns, each of which caged a glowing faery. The pair was Alice and The White Knight, and Orla pushed their Door Mouse Oubliette in an ornate, glass paned carriage piled with blankets. Just behind them, Theodore and Luna walked together as Dante and Beatrice. Luna had curled her hair slightly, and fashioned a white dress that looked somewhat medieval, with a silver mask and red flowers in her hair, while Theodore was all in red and black, a large book under his arm and a horned, black mask covering most of his face. Luna wondered if he wasn't enjoying said mask just a bit too much, scowling dramatically at other Death Eaters as they passed.

"Dante went into the Inferno," She reminded him quietly as they passed between the pillars and under the looming ceilings of the large building, her filmy dress swishing around her ankles, her sandaled feet whispering on the smooth stone, "He was not actually the Devil."

"Come now," Theodore replied just as quietly with a flourish of his black cape, as Bellatrix and Rodolphus passed them dressed as Roderick and Madeline Usher, "I have the look of one who has seen The Inferno, do I not?"

"I believe we all do," Luna sucked in her breath as they walked into the main hall, taking in the walls draped in black and silver and green, the greenish glowing lights hanging high above their heads, from a ceiling strewn with shadowy paintings. Servers dressed in black robes with black veils over their faces were moving between masked guests, serving wine and entrees as the Death Eaters laughed, whispered and scowled at each other in turn. And at the head of the room, on a raised dais, was a large empty seat, draped in black and green.

Orla meandered through the party slowly, pushing Oubliette's carriage and watching the crowd of players while Rabastan conversed with his peers. He always said she wouldn't enjoy such conversations…that they were dull and task-related. And so she amused herself with studying the characters around her.

Resting by one of the balconies that looked out over the gardens and grounds surrounding the hall, Orla took Oubliette in her arms, to give the baby her bottle. She wondered where Luna was at the moment. The older girl tended to stay by Theodore's side, even when he was caught up in conversation. Orla had asked Luna why she did so, many times, but all Luna was ever able to say was that it was better to listen first hand than to hear second hand…whatever that meant. Orla was soon to find out.

"Oh this is simply divine," An airy, high voice said nearby. Orla looked up from her baby, as Narcissa Malfoy and Bellatrix stepped out onto the balcony as well. It was odd, seeing her sister-in-law with her hair charmed white as Madeline Usher, but it certainly made her no less unsettling. Narcissa looked as if she'd stepped out of a muggle fairytale, in blue ball gown and matching eye mask. She was the one who'd spoken, and who was still laughing gaily, "This, this is what I have been looking forward to all these years! Parties among respectable folk again! As it was when we were girls…"

"You've been at the elven wine a bit early," Bellatrix pointed out with a stinging smile. At catching notice of Rabastan's wife, that smile went perfectly wolfish, "Ah, Orla...and dear little Oubliette, how sweet of you to bring her!"

"She's my Door Mouse," Orla said quietly, holding her daughter closer. Bellatrix laughed, looking back at her sister,

"See Narcissa? He doesn't even attempt to hide it," Bellatrix gave Orla a rather patronizing smirk, as Narcissa coughed lightly, "And Rabastan is the White Knight? My dear, you do know you are married to an entirely perverted fellow? Now granted, his big brother is no better, but I would hardly think such would be your cup of tea…"

"Bellatrix, you always say these things," Orla sighed, for once not pretending to be fed up with the older woman, "You hint and you sneer and you express your general dislike for me, which I understand, but you never actually…SAY anything."

"My gods," Narcissa hiccupped, "Bella, I think she actually has a backbone!"

"Only because he keeps her locked in that glass cage in Salem," Bellatrix sneered, staring down at Orla, "Fine then, brat. Your husband clearly has a demented fixation with young girls. I give him a few years before he tires of you, once you finish growing up."

Orla stood up, taking a deep breath as she set the appeased Oubliette back in her glass carriage, "Is that all?" She asked primly, working to keep her voice unaffected, "Because I have heard it plenty of times," She looked back up, meeting Bellatrix's eyes steadily, "He loves me, and plans on doing so for quite a long time. So…I don't know why you are bothering telling me such things."

"Because you are blind, girl," Bellatrix said softly, reaching out and touching the edge of Oubliette's buggy, "Your husband has been going out and killing…getting blood under his fingernails, while muggle screams fill his ears…and coming home to his child wife…" She trailed off, reaching up and touching the bow in Orla's hair. The girl took a step back, biting her lip, "Whom he shelters from all unpleasantness…remember that time he and Antonin transfigured furniture into muggle food? And then when it changed back after they'd eaten it…"

"Stop," Narcissa sighed, wincing and touching her temples, "Can't you find any better sport, Bella? She's no threat to you anymore, after all…"

Bellatrix gave her sister a look that might have frozen hell, and Orla lifted her chin, squaring her shoulders, "I…I'm going now," She said softly, her voice shaking. Bellatrix turned and watched her as she left the balcony swiftly, pushing the baby carriage ahead of her and feeling a bit sick.

Luna was still at Theodore's side, as he listened to the various accounts of Blaise Zabini, Serena Roper and Vincent Crabbe's Extermination posts in China. Luna was used to these conversations, and used to tuning them out. Theodore rarely contributed to the chatter, he only listened and watched, while his wife let her eyes wander through the crowd. Now and then, her gaze drifted up to the head of the room, wondering when The Dark Lord would make his appearance. They had nearly been there an hour already…

Catching sight of a familiar face over Theodore's shoulder, Luna tilted her head, tucking her curled hair out of her eyes and dropping her mask slightly. She felt a bit cold in the pit of her stomach, as Su Li Zhen passed by, on the arm of a rather tall Chinese fellow Luna recognized from a gathering of Death Eaters at Nott Manor, months and months ago. The pair were caught up on conversation with Draco Malfoy (dressed quite pompously as Hamlet), and as the two men spoke, Li also scanned the crowd, her gaze meeting Luna's. The two girls and former Housemates regarded each other in a moment of mutual surprise, before Li's eyes quickly went cold, her face positively icy.

"Good evening, Mrs. Nott," Li said as she approached, smiling tersely behind her white, doll-like mask. Luna looked back at her, taking in her blue silk robes and ornate paper fan. Drawing herself up to her full height, which was a bit taller than most women, Luna nodded,

"Hullo Li," She greeted civilly as the conversation to her left continued, though Theodore now had his eyes fixed on the two girls to his right, "I see you've been well…"

"And I see you've been alive," Li smiled coolly, turning her head to look at Theodore, "Thanks to dear Theodore here…"

"Li," He said quietly, fixing her with a steady stare behind his mask, "Congratulations are in order, I hear,"

"For you as well!" Li glanced back at Luna, looking her over as if she were wall-paper, "And here I was, thinking you had no interest in long-term relations, Theodore," She looked back at Theodore sharply, narrowing her eyes, "Apparently, that only counts when the female in question has a backbone?" Looking at Luna again, she smirked, "I'm sure this one would go along with anything…"

"…And you wanted to stay in London, instead of waiting while I did my Lord's bidding in Salem," Theodore reminded her coolly. Li pressed her lips together, glaring at him for a moment, before glancing at her husband, who had just noticed her missing from his side. He looked back at her, standing with Theodore Nott, and his gaze as well seemed a bit chilly. Li looked at Theodore and Luna once more over her shoulder, as she made to leave,

"He's pretty, isn't he?" She directed at Luna lightly, whilst glaring at Theodore, "For your sake, I do hope he doesn't get tired of you…" And she walked away. Theodore stared after her, and Luna looked down, slowing her breathing. One of the red flowers in her hair started to fall down to her brow, and she reached up to tuck it back, only to find Theodore's hand already there.

"…She's always so beautiful…" Luna said distantly, as he tucked the blood-colored blossom back into her curls.

"She is," He nodded, running the back of his hand along the side of her face, holding her gaze steadily. Luna bit her lip, looking back at him…

"The Dark Lord has arrived!" A voice called out, and all eyes were drawn to the head of the room. The candles went lower, and the murmuring in the hall quieted. Behind the tall seat raised on the dais, two tall iron doors opened, and every lantern in the great room flickered. Luna had to say, this was far more theatrical than any night Voldemort had spent at Nott Manor. He entered in a gust of ice cold wind, his fine black robes billowing out behind him. His face was covered by a black mask, his red eyes glowing out from under his hood. His followers greeted him with a darkly echoing applause, and he spread his arms wide in greeting, the torches burning suddenly brighter,

"My Faithful!" Voldemort called out to those gathered, his voice seeming to come from all corners of the marble palace, "The long-awaited days are upon us, the days of our absolute rule!" Again, applause greeted his haunting voice. Bellatrix even raised her wine goblet in rapturous salute, "The evening following tomorrow will mark the one year point of my Victory!" He paused as the praise continued, Draco Malfoy letting out an uncouth whoop. Luna was rather stoic of course, slapping her gloved hands together in a whisper, "This week, I will display to all the spoils of our swift and successful War and The Great Extermination! Beginning with the choicest!"

Voldemort surveyed those before him in a long, dramatic gesture, before turning, and raising a hand to the open doors behind him. After a moment, a pale figure shone in the doorway, a light spring snow beginning to fall behind her in the darkness. She was all light where Voldemort was dark, dressed in a pale rose gown and white corset, her titian hair lightened and piled atop her head in a wreath of roses. Her small form looked positively tiny alongside The Dark Lord's, her hands small and white and her face ghostly behind her eye mask. She walked and walked until she stood at Voldemort's side, staring straight ahead, blankly, seeming to be as a living statue of Tolstoy's ill-fated Anna.

All who saw her murmured gaily amongst themselves, while some gave approving shouts and others worrisome glares. As Voldemort sat, Luna fancied that only she (and perhaps Orla, wherever she and Rabastan were) had a saddened, pitying look on her face…a look that did not change, not until the girl moved her head of her own free will, scanning the crowd until she caught Luna's eye, making the former Ravenclaw gasp. It was Ginny, and she was not bewitched.

Author's Notes: I am still here! And still writing! And hey, if you want to read HAPPY fanfic, go check out my best friend denajane and her work...to read the documented history of Ernie and Luna he he. More to come! Snape was supposed to be in this chapter. He shall be in the next.