Chapter Fifteen – A Family Legacy
Days had passed, yet Archimedes – the Malfoy family owl – had not yet brought Jessica any messages from Hogwarts, nor had any of the school owls delivered to her since she arrived. Jessica sat at the window in her bedroom and sadly stared outside waiting, hoping and praying that today would be the day Snape wrote her back. From the moment she woke up Jessica had been sitting there on the cushioned windowsill. She sat with her knees tucked up under her chin and her arms wrapped securely around her legs.
Despite the multiple calls for breakfast, Jessica continued to sit alone and stare into the snowy, white sky. It was a particularly dreadful morning thus far and if Jessica were an owl, she knew she certainly would not want to be flying in this frigid weather.
Jessica leaned her head up against the window and closed her eyes. She thought hard about the wizard she loved. She knew exactly what he was doing. He had already been up for at least an hour and was still in his chambers procrastinating until the very last moment before he had to go up to the Great Hall for breakfast. In his procrastination she hoped that he would be thinking about her and the letters she had written him. The letters were probably sitting in a neat pile some place where no one would be able to see them in the unlikely event that a visitor dropped by unexpectedly. Since she had been gone, his chambers had probably become quite solemn.
A quiet knock on the door startled Jessica. Her head rose immediately and she realized that she had fallen back asleep with the left side of her face pressed up against the window. She looked over as the door slowly opened and Pinky's head appeared, her eyes were wide with caution and her pupils were so large and black Jessica thought she looked like she was practically terrified to tears. Such an assumption couldn't be far from the truth for someone who lived to serve the Malfoy family.
"There's a wizard from Hogwarts School waiting in the drawing room," she said in her high, squeaky voice. "He comes to call on Miss Van Eden."
Jessica's heart skipped a beat and she stood up immediately. She gasped and uttered a soft, hopeful whisper, "Severus." She could see her reflection in the mirror across the room right next to the door where Pinky stood. Her hair was a mess and her face was red and spotty from sitting next to the cold window all the while.
Never mind that, she told herself, he's here – now!
Jessica swallowed hard and nodded. "Thank you, Pinky. I'll be down shortly."
Without making a sound, Pinky disappeared and closed the door softly. Once the door clicked shut, Jessica rushed over to the closet and grabbed the first piece of clothing she could reach.
The robes she had pulled vigorously from the hanger were velvet and indigo in color. On a day like today she knew she'd keep warm in these clothes. Jessica changed as quickly as possible and took a tiny glimpse at herself in the mirror. Her hair was still untidy but she shrugged it off knowing that Severus had seen her in worse shape than that having woken up next to her many mornings in a row.
Still in her slippers, Jessica rushed down the stairs and skipped straight over to the drawing room where –
"Uncle Albus?" Jessica said, the surprise in her voice quite evident. She stopped in the doorway and felt her heart sink into the pit of her stomach. "I was – "
"Expecting someone else?" he finished for her. Dumbledore stood up from the chair he had been waiting in and walked towards her with open arms. "I know, Love, I know."
Still more than happy to see him, Jessica smiled warmly and walked into his embrace and gave him a hug. She hummed into his chest and then reached up to kiss his cheek. "I've missed you."
"Oh, I've missed you plenty, my darling." Dumbledore held her shoulders and took a good look at her as if expecting to notice that she had grown since he had seen her last. "You look well," he said. "But I do believe you have lost some weight. Are you eating well?"
Jessica nodded. "Of course," she said, trying to sound as convincing as possible. "The proportions at meal time can almost be compared to those at Hogwarts."
Although the meals at the manor were very generous, Jessica often found herself eating only what she needed to survive. She knew her uncle had already determined that, but he said nothing further about her malnutrition.
"How is Severus?" she asked casually. "He must be very busy, I haven't heard a word from him since I left the castle."
"He is doing only as well as the rest of us are," the elderly wizard said and pat his hand atop hers. "I'm afraid worse events have occurred since Lucius came for you, which brings me to why I came to see you today," he said a little more loudly.
Dumbledore turned away and began to pace towards the window. He looked out into the blizzard and crossed his arms behind his back. "A terrible thing has happened, my dear. More attacks, one involving a young student, and another involving a ghost, Sir Nicolas, which is quite peculiar. It happened all in one instant as it appears to be."
"When did this happen, Uncle?" Jessica asked curiously. She took one step closer to him and rested her hand along the back of an antique armchair.
"Just yesterday." Dumbledore spun around and eyed Jessica over the top of his spectacles. "Mr. Harry Potter was the first to discover the pair after the attack, and I must say, the prospects are not looking very bright for him either."
"How do you mean? What sort of trouble has he gotten himself into now?" she asked, knowing that the boy had a knack for getting himself numerous detentions.
The Headmaster stifled a chuckle by pretending to cough. He covered his mouth and literally wiped the grin off of his face. "No, no, unfortunately this incident has caused him far more grief than simply missing a Quidditch practice to serve detention." Dumbledore pulled his sleeves up a little and then folded his hands in front of him. "It has become common knowledge that Harry is also a Pareselmouth. In front of a very large crowd he unknowingly announced his ability during a dueling demonstration led by Severus and Gilderoy. Since then, many students seem convinced that he is the heir of Slytherin and is the one responsible for opening the Chamber of Secrets. Now, being the first to be spotted with the victims yesterday has placed him in an especially awful predicament."
Jessica looked curiously at him for a moment. "But Uncle, you know it isn't true. He can't be Slytherin's heir, you would know it if he were. I would know it if he were a distant cousin or so."
"Whether or not he is a descendant or not isn't what is most important," Dumbledore began. "It is more a matter of proving his innocence and convincing all those at the school that he is not responsible for opening the Chamber of Secrets."
A bout of discomfort rippled through Jessica's body. She shifted uncomfortably and crossed her arms. "Are you sending him off to live with a Death Eater as well?" she asked, sounding a little more uncouth than she should have. She slumped herself down into the chair and looked over at the row of books on the opposite wall.
Dumbledore closed his eyes and shook his head. "No, we will not be sending Harry anywhere for the time being. However, time is running short and if the real culprit isn't caught, the school will most likely be closed and all of the students will be sent home."
She nodded in agreement and sat down on the arm of the chair beside her. She absentmindedly began rubbing the soft velvet of her robes with her thumb as she thought. "Well, I suppose the good news is that the attack on the boy and the ghost proves my innocence and I can go back to the castle. I can't very well have attacked anyone while being stuck here, could I have, Uncle?"
It was more a statement than it was a question, but Jessica did not like the sorrow look on his face as he slowly nodded in agreement. "You're absolutely right, Jessica. However, it isn't anyone at Hogwarts that requires proof that you have had nothing to do with the effects of the Chamber being opened again. It is for the Ministry to decided when you may return to Hogwarts."
He watched Jessica's body slump in disappointment and grief. "Wait, Uncle Albus, that makes no sense at all! I am sitting here miles away from the castle! How can I have anything to do with what goes on there anymore? How can the Ministry accuse me of having anything to do with that stupid Chamber? They can't do this to me just because it's a limited known fact that I am a descendant of Salazar Slytherin!"
Dumbledore lifted his hands as if to calm her. He sat down in the armchair closest to her and pulled it a little closer so that their knees were almost touching. "It's just a precaution the Ministry has taken. They are taking all the precaution they can now days."
"I hardly agree," she declared in an angry voice. "If they were taking precaution, why aren't they removing Harry Potter from the school? You said everyone thinks he's the one doing it now, so why is he still there and I'm still here living with the very man who I believe knows exactly who is behind all this?"
Dumbledore swiftly lifted a finger as if to silence his grandniece. He gave her a very serious look and then leaned forward and whispered something very softly to her. "Because Jessica," he looked around as if expecting to catch someone who might be eavesdropping in on their conversation. When it appeared to be safe to continue speaking, Dumbledore whispered even softer. "I am depending on you to prove just that."
Moments after the Headmaster had arrived at his home, Lucius Malfoy reached to the bottom of his pocket for his Enchanted coin. It's correspondent was in the possession of the Potions Master. Lucius used this coin to contact Snape instantly. After delivering one simple message, Lucius dawned his thick, wool cloak and disappeared into the gardens out back.
It was still snowing hard and once he was sure that he had disappeared into the blur of the wicked weather, Lucius gave his snakehead cane a squeeze and Apparated himself directly outside of the Hog's Head in Hogsmeade. He entered the dark, quiet bar and took a seat at a small table towards the very back and waited.
Lucius observed each of the patrons sitting around the bar. They all looked to be involved in some very boring conversations, if any at all. The pair of wizards at the table closest to him was the most interesting of them all. One particularly large, unsightly wizard was sloshing his drink around in his hand while droning on in a cluster of slurs about his mother. Lucius chuckled to himself when he realized that the wizard to whom the drunken wizard was talking to was passed out in his seat.
Behind him, Lucius heard a pair of heels clicking coming down the old wooden stairs. He crooked his head slightly, knowing who it was that was walking down towards him.
"Lucius, welcome" he heard a soft, sensual voice say. "I saw you come in."
She came up behind him and swept her long, blood-red fingernails across the back of his neck before slowly spinning around to face him. Lucius smiled crookedly at her as she slid herself into his lap and wrapped her arm around him.
"Jasmine," he acknowledge, "you're looking exceptionally stunning this morning." Lucius put his hand on her thigh and paid particular attention to her enticing décolletage.
"Thank you, Lucius. It's always a pleasure hearing a compliment from you." She smiled at him in a way that made his blood run hot. Jasmine was a very enticing and very mysterious witch. As far as Lucius was concerned, she was far too beautiful to serve as a prostitute in a place like the Hog's Head. She had these majestic, purple eyes; perfect lips and she had the curvy body the average wizard could only conjure up in his imagination.
Lucius' left hand came up slowly along her side until he could feel the underside of her breast at the tips of his fingers. "How have you been, my darling?"
"I've been all right," she said. "You know, I've been thinking a lot about you since you stopped coming around. What's been keeping you?" Jasmine's fingers danced along his collar and then swept through his platinum hair.
Lucius hummed excitedly and leaned closer to Jasmine. He smoothed his lips across her cheek and spoke into her ear. "I have been very, very busy with some very important business." His hand squeezed her thigh and moved further up her leg until he could feel the warmth of her excitement.
She purred into his ear and squirmed excitedly in his lap. "Oh Lucius, let me take you upstairs," she said and turned to look into his alluring blue eyes. He raised a gloved hand to her chin. And slowly shook his head.
"Not today, I'm afraid," he said. "I'm here on business, not pleasure. Another time perhaps." Her expression dulled, but before she could moan or groan in disappointment, Lucius drew her lips towards his and kissed her.
His kiss was passionate, yet savage at the same time. He held her face firmly in one hand and let his tongue dance with hers eccentrically. Lucius groped greedily at her body with the other hand as if trying to cram everything he wanted to do to her upstairs into a matter of seconds.
Once he pulled back, Lucius wiped the back of his hand across his mouth and then nodded sternly at Jasmine. "Enough. Now get off of me."
Jasmine knew better than to argue with him. She took her arms from around him and began to slowly stand up. Before she was upright she felt Lucius raise a hand to her backside. She quickly stifled a yelp and started for the stairs.
"You'll come back once your business is taken care of?" she asked.
Lucius watched as a hooded figure entered the bar. He recognized the black cloak immediately and knew it was Snape. "Of course," he said without looking at Jasmine.
As Snape walked silently towards the table, Lucius could hear the heels of Jasmine's shoes making way back up the stairs. Snape lifted the hood of his cloak. His narrow eyes glanced at Jasmine.
Halfway up the staircase she turned around and caught him glaring at her. She winked and blew a kiss his way. Snape merely snarled and sat down across from Lucius. He casually brushed the snow off of his shoulders and then crossed his arms on the table.
"Cheer up Severus," Lucius said and waved in the direction of the bartender. He held two fingers up for him to see and then looked back at Snape. "You're in for a treat."
"I suspect that's why you had me meet you here during the Headmaster's absence," he said and picked a small piece of lint from his cloak.
"Of course!" Lucius smiled and leaned back into his chair. He assumed a casual position as the bartender brought two large glasses over to their table. Lucius reached for his drink and took a rather large sip while Snape left his untouched.
"Very well, let's hear it."
Once the bartender was out of hearing distant, Lucius continued. He leaned forward again and gave Snape a particularly smug look. "for lack of better words, I have been monitoring Jessica's cycle. It was brought to my attention this morning that she has reached ovulation. If you're going to take her, I suggest you do it tonight."
While watching for any reaction from Snape, he took another large drink and then set the half empty glass back on the table.
Snape contained his reaction and simply nodded. "I see." He looked down at his drink and dismissed the thought of ever picking it up. "Exactly how have you been monitoring Jessica's menstruation?" he asked curiously. "I highly doubt you have been able to slip her regular doses of Ovulatum without her knowledge."
Lucius chuckled. "No, of course not. As a matter of fact I have left the task up to Pinky, the House Elf tending to her. She assures me that if Jessica is to conceive, the next twenty-four hours are critical."
"Very well," said Snape. He stood up from the table and pulled his hood over his head. "I'll be coming for Jessica this afternoon."
"Jessica!"
Jessica almost jumped out of her seat when she heard Narcissa calling for her. She was sitting with her feet up on a large couch by the crackling fire in the library. She was just about to fall asleep with one of the Malfoy's books in her lap. Jessica turned her head just in time to see Narcissa walking in. She was dressed in a heavy winter cloak and a warm, furry hat. Her leather gloves were lined with identical gray and white fur.
"Ah, there you are, darling," she said with a smile. "I'm going to London to do some last minute Christmas shopping, won't you join me?"
"Are you going to Diagon Alley?" she asked, having serious doubts that someone as smug and tenacious as a Malfoy would venture anywhere into any Muggle shopping areas.
"Of course, dear. I probably won't be more than an hour or two."
Jessica quickly decided that she'd rather get out of the house with Narcissa than be left behind with only Lucius, who she had seen come in from the frozen gardens only minutes after Dumbledore's departure.
"Sure, I'll come along," she said. "Just give me a minute to get my cloak."
Jessica was standing almost precisely where she had a year ago when she bit Lucius with her deadly fangs. It was more than a little ironic that his wife now stood on the very spot of earth where Lucius had nearly poisoned to death. A wee smile appeared on her face as Jessica wondered if Narcissa even knew about that little incident that had nearly made her a widow.
After perusing the magical gadgets in the shop window with a look of distaste on her heavily made-up face, Narcissa moved on down the alley with Jessica at her side. "Come along Darling, I want you to see something far more interesting than this rubbish."
At a modest pace, Narcissa led Jessica down a darker path of Diagon Alley. The atmosphere suddenly changed. Jessica noticed the sign next to her pointing down what was called Knockturn Alley.
Many books and telltale stories had told Jessica all she needed to know about this dark and mysterious place. Thankful that she blended into the crowd by wearing a black traveling cloak, Jessica lifted her hood to hide as much of her face as she could. As she slowly trailed behind Narcissa incognito, Jessica watched the ground and listened carefully to all that was around her.
As much as she thought she blended in to the crowd, Jessica could still hear the dirty, ugly witches and wizards laughing and cackling sinisterly to each other as she walked by. She had a gut feeling that they all knew she was somewhat of an intruder and slowly looked up at them.
Sure enough, a number of long, bony fingers were pointed at her. Wicked smiles bearing black teeth or no teeth at all were everywhere. Jessica put her hand over her nose as the awful stench seemed to grow stronger the deeper Narcissa led her into Knockturn Alley.
It amazed Jessica that a woman like Narcissa Malfoy even ventured into such ungodly, filthy places such as this. The witches and wizards who clung to the building walls or sat on the ground with a sheet of snow practically covering them looked anything but as refined and prestigious as the Malfoy's.
"They'll not harm you," Narcissa said over her shoulder as if she knew they were all frightening Jessica. "Come along."
Just as Jessica stepped closer to Narcissa, one particularly gruesome looking wizard howled and quickly snatched a corner of Jessica's robes and pulled the material to his face. Jessica screamed and turned just in time to see the old, stooped wizard closing his eyes and taking a deep breath, smelling her robes.
Jessica watched in disgust as the wizard's long, yellow-nailed fingers clutched her clothing.
"Get back you old fool!" Narcissa yelled and pulled her wand from her robes. She pointed it directly at the elderly wizard and he immediately released Jessica's cloak and scampered away like an overgrown sewer rat.
Narcissa took Jessica by the arm and hastily pulled her into a shop on their right. A bell rang as the door swung open and closed again. Inside the quiet bookshop everyone had stopped reading and looked at Narcissa and Jessica as they made their mildly dramatic entrance.
The cackling of the witches and wizards outside slowly dimmed and Jessica was thankful that none of them had followed her into the bookstore. The witches and wizards within all appeared to belong to a higher social status than those outside. They were all dressed in nice clean, dark robes and prior to the sudden arrival of Narcissa and Jessica, they were reading, which was probably more than any of the lot outside could do. Slowly everyone began to return their attention back to the books in their hands.
With the exception of a few enchanted books making odd noises and the wood floor beneath creaking under each step, the shop was virtually silent. Narcissa stepped up to a shelf along the wall and began perusing a section labeled BIOGRAPHIES. Jessica paid more attention to the people around her than to the books in front of her.
Down the aisle there was a small female House Elf standing on a latter stocking the shelf with some new books. There was also another young woman in the shop, presumably the same age as Jessica, who was keeping a more than obvious eye on her. She was dressed in clean robes of deep plum and black, and she wore a small pair of spectacles attached to an elegant chain. Her hair was shiny and midnight black and was tied up in a bun. She didn't smile once when she caught Jessica's eye. Jessica managed a weak smile, but the young woman simply maintained a straight face and turned to walk away.
"Ah, here it is," Narcissa whispered and reached up to pull a large, black leather-bound book from the shelf. She blew the layer of dust off the pages before opening it to the first page. "Written by Solomon Slytherin himself in 1804 and revised by Edwina Slytherin in 1963." Narcissa handed the book to Jessica who slumped slightly when she felt the full weight of it. "I know Christmas isn't until tomorrow, but I want this to be my gift to you."
Jessica looked at the title along the spine. "A Family Legacy?" she read and began to study the intricate configuration along the boarder. She squinted slightly at the familiarity of the design.
"There must be so much you want to know about your forefathers," Narcissa said. "This book will take you back even generations before Esmeralda ever became the Mistress of Slytherin. This book even has a picture of her, and I must say, if I didn't know better, I would swear she was standing right in front of me."
A tingle soared up along Jessica's spine as she recalled what Snape had told her about the reincarnation, and Jessica somehow knew that this was no strange news to Narcissa. Something in her eyes that held Jessica captive said it all.
Obviously already familiar with the book she held, Narcissa seemed to flip right to the page the picture was on. She walked around behind Jessica and looked at the picture over her shoulder. To Jessica's surprise, the picture was unmoving. It was simply a tarnished black and white picture of a woman who indeed looked exactly like her. The only difference Jessica could see was that Esmeralda had long, dark hair that must have gone down to her knees and she looked like she could have been a little bit taller.
A skinny, little Elf suddenly appeared next to Jessica with his hands held out. "For delivery?" he asked.
"Have this sent to the Lucius Malfoy Manor immediately," Narcissa ordered.
Jessica promptly closed the heavy book and let the little House Elf take it. The book was practically his size and he wobbled back and forth as he brought it over to a counter. Jessica gave the book one last look and then discreetly pulled her wand from her robes. She examined the handle of the wand and realized that the carvings in the wood were perfectly identical to the boarder she recognized on the boarder going around the book.
Jessica then noticed that the young witch who had been watching her earlier was now standing behind the counter where the Elf stood wrapping her book. She was watching the book, the Elf and Jessica all in equal measure. Her gaze was becoming more intense as her eyes moved swiftly from the book to Jessica and back again.
Fed up and tired of being scrutinized so carefully, Jessica walked towards the counter with her eyes set upon the nosy witch in black and purple. As Jessica came nearer, the strange woman moved swiftly from behind the counter and then came out to stand right in front of her. They held each other's stare for a moment in silence before the young witch suddenly withdrew her wand.
Instinctively, Jessica drew her wand up in front of her and stepped back. She watched carefully as the witch quickly examined Jessica's wand. Her eyes popped wide open as she recognized the carvings, too. She suddenly dropped to the floor in front of Jessica and set her wand at her feet. She outstretched her arm, placing her palm flat against the hardwood and bowed her head before finally speaking.
"I know who you are!" she proclaimed and remained kneeling before Jessica like a servant to a queen.
Confused, Jessica turned to Narcissa who suddenly looked as if she wanted nothing more than to melt into the floor beneath her. Everyone else in the bookshop stopped what they were doing and slowly began to step closer to Jessica. All but Narcissa, who backed away into the corner.
"All hail! The Mistress of Slytherin has returned!" the strange witch on the floor had decreed.
All around her, eyes widened and people slowly began to kneel to the floor, too. Soon Jessica and Narcissa were the only ones standing, and then, even the distraught looking Narcissa made her way down to the floor, bowing he head and outstretching her arm, palm flat and fingers spread.
"She has come to unite us as our Dark Lord returns!" the witch continued. At this announcement Jessica had no doubt in her mind that every single witch and wizard in the shop was a prospective Death Eater.
All at once the gathering began to hum in melody. With fear gripping her around the neck, Jessica moved back against the counter and shouted, "Stop! Please!"
No one moved, not even Narcissa. The all at the same time, the deep, synchronized hum turned into a chant. Loud voices began chanting in an eerie, unearthly choir. They began beating their hands against the floor in rhythm, slow and steady at first, then faster and faster while their voices became louder and louder until they were practically screaming.
Tears of sheer terror began to well in Jessica's eyes. She knew she had been the center of attention in other dark, evil rituals such as this before, but – thankfully – she had no memory of the event.
"Stop!" she yelled again, but no one had heard her. Even Jessica couldn't hear herself over the volume of their chant. Jessica had just begun looking for a place to run, but she was physically trapped between the counter and the worshippers.
Just when she had thought to hop over each of the bodies and make a run for the door, each of the witches and wizards suddenly sprang to their feet and began to conjugate around her, all reaching out to touch her anywhere they could.
She screamed and tried to push all of the clawing hands away from her, but there were far too many. She could feel her hair being pulled and her robes being tugged on from all different directions. They were even trying to touch her face.
Jessica shook her head and screamed again. She lifted her arms to shield her face from all of the reaching hands and tucked her body down as much as she could. "Please, Narcissa! Make them stop!" she begged, although she doubted Narcissa had any more control over the crowd than she did.
Just as Jessica thought to reach for her wand again, a roar of thunder shook everything and everyone in a shop. They all backed away and sharply looked behind them to see what had happened. A puff of thick, dark purple smoke appeared behind the crowd. Everyone slowly backed away from the cloud and watched anxiously as a tall, dark wizard emerged from the smoke with his black wand in hand. He forcefully moved everyone away until there was a clear path between him and Jessica.
She timidly peaked out from behind her robes just in time to see a very angry Professor Snape. Her heart filled with relief and happiness the instant she knew it was he.
"Severus!" she had barely managed to cry his name before Snape threw his cloak around her and wrapped his arms tight around her tiny body before voicing a soft incantation.
She could feel her feet lifting from the floor and in the next instant she felt as if her entire body was being squeezed through a hoop half the width of her waist. She squeezed her arms around his body even tighter until the sickening feeling subsided and she could feel her feet touching solid ground again.
Jessica slowly lifted her face from his chest and looked up into his eyes. His expression was empty but she could feel the longing and affection she had been missing so much.
"Oh Severus!" she cried. "Severus, those people were – "
Snape lifted his hand to her mouth and silenced her. He shook his head and swept the hair that was wet from her tears out of her face. Then he wiped his thumb under each of her eyes to dry the rest of her tears.
Once her face was dry, Snape brought his hands down to her shoulders and he drew her closer. His eyes closed as he touched his lips to hers and kissed her softly. Jessica melted into his kiss and wrapped her arms around his neck. She welcomed his silent form of affection and let his love and warmth carry her right back to a time where she had been safe and happy.