A/N: This fic was the one I started writing as soon as I finished 'Antique Shop' more than a year ago and felt the need to write something completely different, again. As you will see from the first lines, it looks like a long ride, and it will. I decided on adding a bit of Japanese Mythology on this one so things will be a bit different from canon [you might know by now that I tend to ignore canon] and I will create my own universe using part of what JKR crafted. My only advice, please keep an open mind while reading my craziness, as usual.

Second birthday gift to my readers.

Enjoy!


The darkness within


1.- Sakuya-hime


"Mama, flowers!" a four-year-old Fleur pointed at a nearby stand sprinkled with a few snowflakes. It was the beginning of winter, just before Christmas, and the temperature had been dropping, particularly at night. Despite that, the morning had been uncharacteristically warm, so the second generation of the Delacour's decided on taking their children along for a stroll and finish their holiday shopping.

"They are cute, aren't they?" Camille smiled at her oldest daughter. They had been spending some time in a nearby town's market while waiting for Apolline that was buying Fleur and Gabrielle's Christmas presents.

"Those are crocus" Camille explained while securing Gabrielle's legs around her shoulders. The toddler just turned two and was extremely energetic.

"Cro…cus?" Fleur struggled before taking a purple flower "I like it"

"Do you want it, mon petite oiseau?" Camille asked, "would you like to have some at home?" Fleur nodded with a wide smile "then, let's go inside."

The older woman held her daughter's hand and entered the store while trying to balance a bouncing Gabrielle on her shoulders. Since the store just had a few customers, she let go of Fleur's hand to grab some gardening tools. Camille planned on teaching her oldest daughter how to plant and grow her own flowers back at the villa.

When Camille was paying the flower lady, a soft pop was heard but the women didn't pay attention to it. The French witch grabbed the bag with her purchases and turned to grab her daughter's hand just when Gabrielle started sobbing desperately. Green and azure orbs raised surprised and her youngest daughter cried louder.

"Fleur let's go that maman must be waiting for us" Camille called but her oldest daughter was nowhere to be found. Knowing how much the small blonde liked to play hide and seek, the older witch looked for her daughter all over the flower shop, but she couldn't find her anywhere.

It was just at that moment that Camille Delacour left the store and walked around the small but crowded town's market looking for her oldest daughter. She sent a Patronus to her in-laws and wife, and in a matter of seconds Josephine, Antoinette, and Apolline apparated. They looked for Fleur more than four hours straight and the young girl was nowhere to be found as if the young witch simply had vanished into thin air.


"Here's another one" a tall man with dark eyes stated while placing an unconscious Fleur on a shabby couch along with two more toddlers that were kidnapped. The four hooded men had abducted magical children from their mothers that must be desperately looking for them.

They were part of the scorpions de platine a group of devious traders that trafficked with rare ingredients and species. They normally sold their products on Knockturn alley during the midnight market celebrated on the last Friday of each month when the sketchiest people popped up to buy the most polemic ingredients. Of all the goods, the most expensive and rare was anything related to the veela since they were very secretive and were rarely seen outside their highly protected villas.

Fortunately for the dark traders, they stopped in that small town to buy some provisions before continuing their journey to England when they saw a young adult veela with her two children. Seeing that it would be impossible to snatch the younger one since she was on her mother's shoulders, the tallest scorpion stayed in the flower shop perusing through the wide array of medicinal plants on sale while observing the adult veela enter the store with her two daughters.

The tall man called Avanth Delacroix was a dark wizard that hated creatures, especially veela since her father fell for one and when he was rejected by the beautiful creature, the man went insane and murdered his wife and younger son. Avanth survived since he was in his second year at Durmstrang at the time of the terrible crime. Unbeknown to him, the veela rejecting his father was none other than Josephine Delacour.

There was no way that Avanth was aware that the little veela he had kidnapped was Josephine's first granddaughter. The tall man was simply satisfied by the fact that he had been able to abduct one of them, so he didn't dwell on the little girl's origin.

It was Thursday night and the men knew that if they wanted to get to the midnight market with enough time to show and sell their products, they would need to move faster to avoid being caught by the French Ministry or worse, the veela looking for their children since other men of their group were able to kidnap two more young veela children, one of them was an adorable toddler of around three years old who had long silvery blonde curls that reached her shoulders that they abducted from the forests of the north.

"We need to move fast, or the creatures will hunt us down and kill us for sure" A short bald man stated before wiping the sweat off his fat neck.

"It's the best haul in years, this one especially" Avanth commented while pointing at the sleeping figure of young Fleur "she must be from the royalty since her eyes are azure with a golden hue"

"I think all of them are since I saw that teinte royale in the eyes of other two, too" a skinny man placed his shaky hand on the thigh of a slumbering redhead veela girl "they all look cute, even the little rousse"

"Don't you dare to damage the merchandise with your filthy hands, perverti sexuel" Jacques, the bald wizard spat while shoving the skinny man who stumbled back and cackled amused.

A light blue hummingbird Patronus delivered a message and the tall figure of Avanth looked more menacing when he turned to look at the other two men with an unreadable expression.

"Our border contact is ready to help us cross" the tall witch added before carrying Fleur in his arms "you take the redhead veela and you the little one with lighter hair" when the skinny man approached the redhead, Avanth raised his wand at pointed it at the face of the creepy man "you will take the veela with lighter hair while Jacques takes the redhead, I said"

"Aw, you ruin all the fun" Alexander, the skinny wizard clicked his tongue while grabbing the smallest blonde that was taken when she sprinted towards a lake that was beyond the guards hiding the villa she lived in and ran into the men that just captured a werewolf pup.

The moment they recognized the nature of the young toddler, they took her and apparated. Seconds later, her mother crossed the guards and screamed in horror and despair when she didn't find her oldest daughter. As to the redhead, she was snatched from an injured Russian veela that was killed defending her offspring.

Several soft pops were the only sounds heard when the room went completely dark and empty the moment the most notorious and dangerous members of the scorpions de platine apparated to an unknown location.


When she opened her eyes, everything was pitch black. Now sitting, the terrified girl jumped out of the bed when the blankets covering her tinted black and started melting. She ran out of the room to find that everything turned into some sort of dark maze. Looking up, she gasped surprised when a sole light was shining in a distant room. The girl ran desperately when the walls started dissolving around her threatening with swallowing her alive.

After running for what it felt like hours, the young girl finally entered the lit room. She stopped in her tracks when she observed how the beam was pouring over a sitting figure of a younger girl. Blonde hair covered her shoulders while her face has hidden between her arms that were hugging her delicate knees. Soft sobs escaped the petite shaking body.

"Aidez moi" the little blonde whispered with desperation "Aidez moi, s'il te plait"

"Are you okay?" the older girl kneeled in front of the blonde that raised her face and azure orbs locked with amber for the first time and the smaller girl smiled brightly when the older one wiped her ears.

Unseen to them, a magical golden threat came out of the younger blonde and entwined with a royal blue one protruding from the brown-haired girl. A special bond was created among the two youngsters when their entwined magical threads wrapped around the blonde's left and the brown-haired girl's right little fingers.

"What's your name?" azure blinked confused at the question since it was in a language that was foreign yet, slightly familiar, to her ears. In a matter of seconds, the dark matter started swallowing the now screaming blonde while she kept on screaming aidez moi.

A piercing scream made the door of her room open and a worried woman with light brown curls hugged the screaming child that was tossing and turning with tears in her eyes. It was not until the woman held her tight and whispered loving words that the young girl stopped yelling and started sobbing while holding her mother tight.

It took her several minutes to calm down under the warm embrace of her mother. Just when she felt that her daughter had relaxed a bit, the woman dared to speak softly once more.

"What's the matter, honey?"

"Mommy" small arms reached for her mother who held her tighter.

"Tell me, dear, why were you screaming?"

"I had a nightmare" the young girl's sobs started receding.

"What was it about, baby?"

"Everything was dark…" the child hiccupped trying to stifle a sob "…and I was scared because the darkness was trying to swallow me alive…" the girl sighed when her mother engulfed her in a tight embrace as if reassuring her that nothing would harm her "…and then, there was this little girl…"

"A girl?"

"She was so cute mum" the girl smiled with rosy cheeks "with long blonde hair and eyes like two shiny sapphires"

"Oh?"

"I tried to talk to her, but she didn't look as if she understood me…" the girl frowned pensive "…because she kept on repeating a phrase that I didn't understand…"

"What did the little girl say?"

"She said something like Aid mua or something like that" the girl added before new tears went down her cheeks "and then…the darkness swallowed her…and I couldn't save her"

"Hermione, look at me" the woman stated in a soft tone while wiping her daughter's tears "it was just a nightmare, and nothing will harm you"

"But, the girl…" Hermione sobbed softly while nuzzling against her mother's neck.

"She was just part of your dream" Jeanne Granger whispered while tucking her daughter in once more "now, close your eyes and I will stay here making sure you are safe"

"Okay"

"Good night sweetheart"

"Night mum" Hermione stifled a yawn before closing her eyes and leaned her head against her mother's shoulder who hummed a soft French lullaby her grandmother used to sing to her when she couldn't sleep. In a matter of minutes, the young girl dozed off.

Making sure that Hermione didn't wake up again, Jeanne Granger kissed her daughter's forehead before whispering a soft good night baby before closing the door behind her deep in thought at the words her daughter told her.

The one in her dream was asking for help in French.

I wonder who that little one was.

Checking on Hermione once more, the older witch undid a charm she had cast on her daughter and her normally brown curls turned softer and lighter in color, her features turned even more delicate and her closed eyes turned amber with a golden hue. Unbeknown to her husband, Jeanne Granger was a veela and her children were half creature as well.

Jeanne was part of one minor branch of one of the three main veela families in France. The Moreaus were a small family related to the Dubois that decided to give their offspring the freedom to choose where to live and what to do with their lives, unlike the main branches that opted on staying at their villas and attend Beauxbatons.

After graduating from Hogwarts, the brilliant Ravenclaw decided on studying in muggle London following being admitted to a prestigious college. It was there where she met Thomas Granger, and both fell madly in love. Jeanne had found her mate.

Three months after graduating from college, the couple got married and exactly a year and a half later, twins Hermes and Hermione were born. Just after a few days of being born, young Hermes got pneumonia and had to stay in the hospital for an extra month. Seeing that and knowing that male veela tended to be sickly and weak, Jeanne dotted on Hermes more while Thomas spoiled both babies. Years later, they tried to have more children, but it was as if they were destined on having just the twins.

Since Jeanne never revealed her magical lineage, the moment the twins were born, the veela cast a disguising spell on them to mask their creature features and magie. The witch decided to stay in Muggle London and raise her children along with her husband. Despite that, she had noticed how prone to magic both Hermione and Hermes were.

And now, that she had connected with one girl in her dreams, that Jeanne was sure was a young veela, the Granger matriarch was certain that her daughter would be a powerful witch and a remarkable half creature.

The next morning and with only seven years of age and disguised as French lessons, young Hermione and Hermes Granger started their secret education in their veela heritage taught by their mother, the smartest witch of her generation.


Somewhere else, scared azure orbs opened when the small blonde woke up from a dream where an ebony liquid swallowed her alive under the helpless stare of an older girl with wild brownish curls and vibrant amber eyes.

"Maman…?" Fleur yawned softly when cold arms engulfed her and raised her from the hard ground of the metal cage, she was placed in. Her curious azure orbs locked with dark ones.

"She's perfect" the one with dark eyes stated with a cackle "I'll take her"

"It will cost you dearly" Jacques added with a smirk while holding young Fleur back.

"Do you really think that money is a problem for me?" the woman glared at the bald man that swallowed hard when the witch's wand pressed against his fat neck "I am not only rich but with a lot of power" the wand pressed harder against the flabby skin "want to have a taste of what I can do?"

"Jacques, don't be an idiot" Avanth reprimanded in French before standing in front of his fat companion "I apologize for his insolence madam, he is just an ignorant and rude man" raising his hands, the tall wizard tried to placate the ire of the witch in front of him "we don't want to offend one of the most loyal and powerful followers of the dark lord"

"That's the way you treat a paying patron, you heard that, lard ball?" the witch lowered her wand with a satisfied cackle "so, let's do business"

"Let's" Avanth added "the price is twelve thousand galleons"

"How about ten thousand?" the witch offered.

"Eleven thousand six hundred" Avanth promptly replied and took a step back when two hooded witches pointed their wands at him.

"How about eight thousand galleons and we spare your lives?" the dark witch stated while raising her wand once more "we already paid good money for the other two we bought from you."

"Sold" Avanth stated through clenched teeth. He knew better than going against Voldemort's people. Besides, they had already sold all the ingredients they had brought but Fleur since the price they were asking for her was quite high.

"A pleasure doing business with you scorpions de platine" the witch added in flawless French and the men raised their eyebrows in surprise.

One of the hooded witches took Fleur in her arms and whispered reassuring words so the petite blonde relaxed, and closed her eyes when the same woman cast a sleeping spell on her. After throwing a medium-sized leather bag at the tall wizard, the three witches turned around and apparated with their new acquisitions.

"Idiot, you almost had us killed" Avanth pushed Jacques who just wiped the sweat from his bald head "those were the Black sisters, and the one that almost murdered you was the most dangerous of them, Bellatrix"

"But they didn't" Jacques added with a smirk and a shrug.

"We sold everything so we can relax, now" the skinny man added with a thick English accent. He was one of the few members of the scorpions de platine that wasn't French "such a shame that the redhead was sold, too" Alexander commented nonchalantly "it would have made a great pet"

"Shut up" Jacques spat before starting to dismantle their stall "you should help instead of drooling over little girls, perveti sexuel"

"Fine, fine" the skinny wizard sighed and used his wand to help his fellow wizards.


The trio apparated at Bellatrix's home in one of the noblest parts of London. Young Fleur was still asleep in the dark witch's arms and just opened her azure orbs when the woman placed her in a fluffy crib with mauve covers.

"Maman?" young Fleur asked slightly confused while trying to sit on the soft mattress.

"What's your name little one?" Bellatrix asked in fluent French.

"Fleur Delacour" the child replied softly "where's maman?"

"Your name is not that, little princess" Bellatrix cooed while pointing her wand at the blonde's forehead.

"Cor obliviate" a light green glow hit the head of the young French girl whose eyes widened in horror to immediately close when she fell limply on the crib.

A golden threat containing all her memories came out of her left temple and was stored in the skull pendant Bellatrix always wore, making the contract complete after a small version of the same pendant rested around Fleur's neck to keep the spell stable.

Only when both necklaces were destroyed, the memories would be released. In the meantime, Fleur's normally straight blonde tresses got curlier and ebony in color, just like the ones of the Slytherin alumna.

"Your name is Persephone Black, my daughter" Bellatrix stated quietly while casting a second wordless spell so it would be easier for the now dark-haired girl to understand her new mother tongue.

"Ma…ma" Persephone opened her eyes and the formerly azure orbs shone steely gray now. Petite arms stretched towards the dark witch that uncharacteristically smiled before reaching and holding her daughter in her arms.

On the other side of the city at 12 Grimmauld Place, the Black family tapestry changed when Draco Senior, his son Draco, Pandora Black, Bellatrix real daughter along Nymphadora Tonks died under mysterious circumstances a few months ago.

In the Black tapestry, Pandora was replaced by Persephone, the dark witch's new recognized offspring of Bellatrix of the noble house of Black, while Nymphadora was replaced by Eudora and Galatea, was added below Narcissa's. All three veela toddlers were now adopted by the Black sisters and became part of their family.

The now gray-eyed girl nuzzled up against Bellatrix's neck and smiled content when the dark witch held her tighter and gave her a kiss on her forehead. Unbeknown to young Persephone, in a veela villa back in France her real mothers were brokenhearted due to her mysterious disappearance and would continue looking for her in the years to come.


A/N: Fun fact: The title of the chapter refers to the goddess of spring in Japanese culture which in Greek Mythology, is represented by Persephone, ergo Fleur's new name. Please bear with this new way of calling Fleur as it will last for the first arc of the story; do not fret, she will eventually be back to be Fleur Delacour. Can you guess who her cousins are? One of them appeared on Antique Shop and the other one was only mentioned once, I think. They will be important to this story, though. As usual, let me know your thoughts in a review, and again, thanks for reading.