Switched some things around and added a little to the Flourish and Blotts scene. Other than that it's the same as the previous upload. Sorry for it not being another chapter lol.
Other than the visit with Sylvia, Carina spent most of her summer with Draco or Adrian. Carina played Quidditch with her god-brother around the grounds of the Malfoy Manor and occasionally Blaise and Adrian would stop by and join as both were only children and readily welcomed at the manor due to their blood status.
Carina would also occasionally write letters to Fred and George, but she had to be extra careful when penning those compared to the ones for Sylvia.
But as the summer dragged on for a few weeks, Carina grew increasingly aware of Lucius plotting something. He often locked himself in his study or spoke in harsh tones with Narcissa. It wasn't until she found him in the drawing-room one evening that she learned why, even if he hadn't outright said it.
"Carina," Lucius called out from his seat on one of the lounge chairs.
The young Lestrange turned away from the bookshelf she was browsing, and replied, "Yes, sir?" Moving away from the shelf after grabbing a book, she walked towards her godfather.
"What do you think of the Muggle Protection Act that was recently proposed?" he asked, not looking up from the Daily Prophet paper he was reading. Carina had read about it in the Daily Prophet a few days prior. There must've been yet another article about it if Lucius felt the need to bring it up.
She knew immediately that his question was a test, and if she waited too long to begin her reply, she would automatically fail. "It's abhorrent." His eyebrow raised the slightest bit as he looked over the paper in his hands, but he didn't say anything, wanting her to continue. "Why should we condone the Ministry searching through our possessions simply because we might have something that is harmful to Muggles? The Ministry is supposed to be protecting us, not them."
The slightest hint of a smile graced Lucius's features. She had passed. "My thoughts exactly." He gestured to the couch near him. "Please, join me." Carina complied and sat on the couch, leaning against the armrest while maintaining her perfect posture. "Draco was telling me about how Harry Potter is attending Hogwarts."
"Yes, he's in Draco's year." Carina kept her tone polite and devoid of all emotion as she opened the book.
"What do you make of him?"
"Can't say I think much of him, sir." Draco can have a strong vocal opinion on the Boy Who Lived, but Carina couldn't. She had to remain aloof and unconcerned because of not only her family and status but also her house and year. there was no reason for Carina to have a strong opinion of the boy, so she had to play it up. "He's a Gryffindor and spends his time with the Weasleys. He hasn't warranted my attention for much more than the basics."
When the Malfoy patriarch remained unfazed, Carina knew she said the right thing. "I wish I could say the same for Draco," he told her. "He told me how Potter managed to worm his way onto the Gryffindor Quidditch team as a first-year. I'll admit I'm not surprised that rules were bent for a. . . celebrity Gryffindor."
"His placement on the team hasn't done much for them," Carina assured, staying consistent with her drab tone. "Slytherin still won the Quidditch Cup."
"Good. A house full of Muggle-lovers and blood traitors doesn't deserve to win, even if they were handed their victory for the House Cup as Draco said."
Her body threatened to wince at his harsh tone, but she couldn't show weakness. "If only there was a way to do something about them and the ones they care so much about." She had said it on reflex. It wasn't the first time she'd had to say it before. But for some reason, that time garnered a reaction.
That time, Lucius did showcase one of his rare smiles. Wicked and invidious, Lucius secretly wished Carina was his actual child and not the whiny boy he had been stuck with. How the two had ended up so incredibly different despite growing up in the same household, he didn't understand. "All in due time, my dear. All in due time."
Carina didn't like the way his voice lowered as he spoke. He filled her with unease and made her blood run cold. It only continued with his next question.
"What do you know of the Chamber of Secrets?"
After Lucius recounted the legend and how it had been opened before, he retired to his room for the rest of the evening. He didn't need to say what he had planned. Carina simply picked up on the clues: the Chamber of Secrets, his disdain towards Muggle-borns, and his malicious tone of voice. Lucius planned on opening the legendary chamber at Hogwarts. She didn't know how or when, but somehow, Lucius planned on releasing the monster that lied within. She knew neither the Lestrange family nor the Malfoy family were descendants of Slytherin, so she couldn't fathom how Lucius planned on opening it or how he knew it truly existed or even its location in the school. Frankly, she didn't want to find out either.
As she left the drawing-room, her eyes caught a purple-bound book on one of the shelves. Protection Charm Your Mind: A Practical Guide to Counter Legilimensy by Franciscus Fieldwake. Switching it out with the book she currently held, Carina hurried to her room. She had a feeling her life was about to get more dangerous.
At midnight while reading the book on Occlumency, Dobby arrived with Carina's nightly hot chocolate. The house-elf set the tray down on her nightstand, picked up the cup, and held it out to her. "Here you go, miss," he said quietly. Dobby's voice didn't shake as he spoke to her as it did around Lucius and Draco, but he did stay quiet to avoid drawing unwanted attention from the other occupants of the manor.
Carina smiled and graciously took the mug. "Thank you, Dobby."
Dobby paused before he left her room. "Are you alright, miss?" He could tell something was wrong by the way she didn't meet his eyes. She was the only one who would.
"I don't know," she replied, eyes gazing down at the book opened in front of her. "I fear things are about to change, but not for the better."
Dobby's ears twitched up as he looked at the girl. "Is there anything Dobby can do to help?"
Carina shook her head. "Not unless you can keep everyone from attending Hogwarts this year. Thank you for the drink, Dobby, but I'd like to be left alone now."
"Yes, of course, miss." Dobby bowed, grabbed the tray, and apparated out of the room, returning to the kitchen and leaving Carina alone in her thoughts and study.
For what remained of the summer, Carina tried not to close in on herself as the sense of dread grew within her. She focused on her reading and spell work when not sleeping, playing Quidditch with Draco, or entertaining Adrian on one of his visits.
Adrian became aware of some of Carina's worries as he was the only one around that she could confide in. She didn't tell him about the Chamber of Secrets, but she did reveal her awareness of Lucius plotting and that something was bound to go wrong during the school year. Thankfully, Adrian didn't look at her like she was crazy. He listened to her. He had a feeling about some of the things she implied.
Neither she nor he were in danger, but rather a certain group at school. So as the two sat on Carina's bed, he realized she shared the same thoughts as he. Adrian didn't hate Muggles of Muggle-borns either. He had never sneered at Sylvia when she spoke about certain Muggle things, but that didn't mean Carina had immediately believed they shared the same thoughts on the matter. He kept up a facade, the same as her.
"Do we tell someone about what he's doing?" Adrian asked quietly, partially fearing being heard by any of the Malfoys.
Carina hugged her knees. "I can't. If I do, he'll know it was me. I-I'll be disowned. I just can't, Adrian, but I don't want anyone to get hurt either. But I also don't know what he has planned anyway. What if I'm wrong? What if it makes it worse? What if it doesn't change anything? I can't put my neck out like that. I can't." Part of being a Slytherin meant self-preservation. It wasn't something many of them could break, and Carina definitely planned on preserving herself and her status for as long as possible as long as it kept her and others safe.
"I know." Adrian rubbed her arm. "I know." He shared her same fears. They were friends and in the same house after all. If anyone could understand her thought process, it was Adrian. It brought them closer.
Lucius planning some horrendous thing wasn't the only major thing they young wizards took away from the summer. No, Carina and Adrian's dynamic changed in more ways than one. Something happened between the two growing teens going through puberty as they blew off steam with each other once. Something that left them embarrassed for the remainder of the break. They were both young and attractive, and they trusted each other.
It was good. Awkward, but good.
The day Draco and Carina received their Hogwarts letters containing the necessary supplies for that school year, Lucius took them to Diagon Alley. Narcissa had originally planned on taking them, but Lucius needed to run an errand, so he decided to bring them instead, leaving Narcissa to attend to a social call at the Parkinson household. Carina couldn't tell if Narcissa was pleased with the change or not. It was hard to discern her true feelings towards the Parkinson family.
Carina fastened her grey cloak over her shoulders before meeting Lucius and Draco in the foyer, her heels clicking against the hard floor. Draco and Carina held onto Lucius's arms as he apparated to Diagon Alley. The three then made their way to Knockturn Alley for the errand at Borgin and Burke's.
The group of aristocrats entered the shop and a stooped man emerged from the back room. "Mr. Malfoy!" Mr. Borgin greeted excitedly. "What a pleasure to see you again. If I may, just in today-"
Lucius cut the shopkeeper off. "I'm not buying today, Mr. Borgin. But selling."
"Selling?" Mr. Borgin repeated. It wasn't often that Lucius would sell something to anyone.
"You have heard, of course, that the Ministry of Magic is conducting more raids," Lucius explained as Carina left his side to wander around the shop. Draco stayed near his father.
Over the years, Carina had been to the shop a few times. She knew as the last descendant of the Burke family, she technically owned half the shop, so she had become well acquainted with it and Mr. Borgin at Lucius and Narcissa's insistence. Carina eyed a pretty necklace further back in the shop before opening the cabinet next to it. She made a noise of surprise to see none other than Harry Potter sitting in it, his eyes wide behind his broken glasses and body frozen as he stared at her. The walls and ceiling of the cabinet slowly moving back to place.
Lucius had heard her make a noise, though. "Did you find something of interest, Carina?" he asked, his silky voice easily carrying throughout the room despite the number of items lining the shelves and aisles.
Carina raised an eyebrow at the second-year boy who waited for her to announce his presence, but she didn't. "No, sir," she replied. "Only admiring a necklace." That seemed to please Lucius, who returned to his conversation with Mr. Borgin.
The Lestrange looked at Harry with an amused smirk, plucked off the note on the cabinet door, and showed it to him. Crushing Cabinet. He grimaced in realization. He hadn't known why the cabinet had been closing in on him, but the name made sense. Carina glanced around, spying Lucius and Draco still at the front of the shop, not paying attention to her. She grabbed Harry by his shirt and pulled him out of the cabinet, pushing him lower to the floor so he wouldn't be spotted. She then made a shooing motion and Harry crawled away out of sight. Carina then returned to the Malfoys and Mr. Borgin just as the shopkeeper handed a roll of parchment back to Lucius.
The elder Malfoy nodded, pocketing the list. "Very good. I'll expect you at the manor tomorrow. Come, children." Lucius turned on his heel. Draco and Carina followed him out of the shop and up to Diagon Alley. Carina hoped Harry made it out of the shop and the alley without raising too much suspicion or attention.
Both Draco and Carina needed more parchment and ink as well as more potion ingredients. After that, they went to Flourish and Blotts to buy their books. The three didn't particularly care for Gilderoy Lockhart being there for a book signing, only focused on ordering the books they needed and having them sent directly to the manor so they didn't have to carry them around the alley.
While walking down one of the aisles, someone grabbed her arm and pulled her further into the shop. Before Carina could react, she noticed it was only Fred and George with their standard impish grins.
"Fancy seeing you here," Fred greeted, towering over the girl. They had grown a few inches over the summer. At fourteen, the twins were taller than most of their classmates. Carina didn't particularly like it.
Despite them cornering her in public, she was pleased to see them and allowed herself to smile. Most of the inhabitants of the shop were focused on the celebrity in the main part of the store, so there was little chance of the trio being spotted.
"I can't say the same," she countered.
George laughed and replied, "Missed you, too, Car. Who you here with? Narcissa or Lucius?"
"Lucius and Draco." The twins frowned, accurately showing Carina's exact feelings. "Don't count on a gift this year. I'm not sure if I'll be able to escape Lucius's eye to get you dungbombs."
"That's alright," George said. "We'll just have to improvise for the first few weeks. Shouldn't be too hard."
"You can make it up to us," Fred added. He bent at the hip and bared his cheek while batting his eyes. "I'll take a kiss."
Carina shoved him away, rolling her eyes, which made the twins laugh. "Like hell, you tosspot. I'd sooner kiss Percy than you."
Fred didn't look put out, offering up a grin and a haphazard shrug. "Shame really. You're missing out, Rina. But Percy'll be glad to know he's got an admirer." The boys sniggered.
Carina couldn't help but smile and chuckle. "That's likely." She raked her eyes over them. They were practically bouncing in place. "Out with whatever's plaguing your minds. It's distracting."
Fred couldn't contain himself any longer. "We flew a car last night!" he exclaimed.
"Shh!" George smacked him on the arm. "Could you be any louder?" Fred grimaced and rubbed his arm while George continued to explain in a quieter tone than his brother used. "Harry hadn't been responding to any of Ron's letters, so we went to get him from his aunt and uncle's with our dad's flying car."
"Flying car?" Carina couldn't quite believe it. "Your dad has a flying car? Isn't that illegal?"
Fred shrugged his shoulders. "Who cares?"
She rolled her eyes and laughed then jutted her thumb behind her. "As much as I'd love to hear more, I should get back to Lucius before he suspects anything."
The twins sported exaggerated pouts. "Alright," they said together.
"See you at school," Fred told her before they scurried away, returning to their siblings that they had left near the door of the shop.
Carina waited thirty seconds before following in search of Lucius or Draco. She found both by the Weasley kids which definitely wasn't a good sign. Neither Arthur nor Molly were in sight, but the Weasley kids were joined by Hermione Granger and Harry. Carina kept her face passive as she walked over to Lucius's side, trying not to make eye contact with Fred or George.
"Let me see," Lucius said, gazing at the red-haired siblings as Carina joined them. "Red hair, vacant expressions." Lucius turned to see a book in Ginny's cauldron and pulled it out. "Tatty, second-hand book. You must be the Weasleys."
Arthur came up behind his kids, trying not to pay Lucius any mind. "Children, it's mad in here. Let's go outside."
"Well, well, well, Weasley Senior," Lucius sneered, still holding Ginny's book.
"Lucius," Arthur clipped. He matched the tenseness of his children.
"Busy time at the Ministry, Arthur? All those extra raids. I do hope they pay you overtime." Lucius studied the old book in his hand. "But judging by the state of this, I'd say not. What's the use of being a disgrace to the name of wizard if they don't even pay you well for it?"
Arthur tried his hardest not to show that Lucius was getting to him. "We have a very different idea about what disgraces the name of wizard, Malfoy."
"Clearly. Associating with Muggles." Lucius took a step forward, both men glaring at each other as Lucius slipped Ginny's book back into her cauldron along with a leather notebook, but no one noticed as all eyes were on the two men. "And I thought your family could sink no lower. I'll see you at work." Lucius turned around and walked out of the store.
Draco stepped up in front of Harry and Ron, and said, "See you at school." Carina placed a firm hand on his shoulder and steered him out of Flourish and Blotts, not chancing a glance at the twins or Harry. She was pleased to see he had made it out of Knockturn Alley unscathed, if not still a little dusty.
The moment Carina returned to her room at Malfoy Manor, she penned a short letter to the twins. It only had one sentence.
I'm sorry about him.
When it arrived at the Burrow, Fred and George were both happy and sad. Happy that she had taken the time to apologize on behalf of Lucius, meaning she cared about how they felt, but sad because she felt the need to do so. She shouldn't have had to apologize for her family's actions.