A/N: The Harry Potter books, world and characters belong to JKR. I take no credit for any repeated quote or event from the original source.
Bad Faith
Chapter 3
It's actually depressing what Draco's grown to be. Before it had a slight sense of adorable lingering on how insufferable it was watching him act like Lucius. He was quite literally a broken cassette, saying the same words from the same man without actually thinking about what those words meant. The sad part was that I hadn't exchanged a single word with him for the past two months until today, and even then it was a bare minimum.
In a twisted way, mum and I where lucky that Lucius didn't care about us, since this wouldn't have been possible if he had actually not be so sure about his own 'secure' power. Which brought us to Gringotts while Lucius was somewhere with Draco, most likely a much more illegal side of town for they Hogwarts shopping.
"How may we help you Aurum Empress?" The goblin asked politely. Nefeli's lip twitched when she saw her mother eye's widen in surprise. Getting any reaction from her mother in public was an achievement she could be proud of.
"I would like to see Lord Iruk, I already arranged for this meeting to occur." She explained with a slight bow.
"That he did. I believe you know the way?" He asked as she nodded in confirmation, walking towards the office which had pretty much made her a billionaire.
"How may I help our least hated client?" Iruk said as Nefeli's mother closed the door.
"Just needed the papers I left, the latest one's please." Nefeli said in amusement as they both sat down.
"I hired the other two as we agreed." He commented as he went through the shelfs containing the many folder's the two had made over the years. At this point I'm his main client.
"Good, have they been fitting in?" She asked curiously as he pulled out a folder.
"They have, by the end of the year they will be at the same level of the other three." He commented as he took out the few papers in the folder.
Narcissa let out the strangest of sounds when she read through them as Iruk's lip twitched in amusement. At this point I had reached the conclusion that Goblins only worked in a bank to satisfy they amusement in humans. To both of their surprise, Narcissa started laughing hysterically as she finished reading the paper.
"You richer then Lucius is. Oh Morgana, that's beautiful!" She finally said between quick breaths as she kept giggling.
"Roughly 3.5 times richer, actually." Nefeli said proudly as the goblin snorted.
"The sad part is that this were only, what did you call them? Ah yes, minor test runs that you could afford to lose." Iruk said in amusement as she flashed him a smile.
"Of course they where, since I'm about to become heir Black we can now start investing actual values." Nefeli explained as Iruk snorted, long since having realised that he had made the most successful deal any goblin had made in history, with a child.
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A happy mother and daughter left the building some twenty minutes later. Nefeli was now, technically speaking heir to the house of Black. While it was a lot more complicated then what they had done today, it served it's purpose well enough that the detail's didn't actually make an important difference.
"Mrs Malfoy." Malkin greeted as her mother nodded in acknowledgement.
Only now did Nefeli realise that while using the excuse of clothe shopping had been an effective strategy to get rid of the two males, it presented the slight problem that her mother used it as an excuse to go 'all out' and pretty much buy anything that looked good on her. She may have miscalculated...
As she mentally chastised herself for such an obvious miscalculation a small girl walked in, eight or possible nine years old. She had jet black coloured long hair, her fringe covering most of her eyes. However they still shined through clearly, a beautiful coloured emerald green scanning the room looking around the shop nervously.
"Hogwarts, dear?" Malkins asked the girl as she was directed at the fitting stations towards Nefeli's left.
She had a fairly solid idea of who the girl was. She hadn't been sure as to how she would influence this world, or if she should do so any time soon, but the girl seemed completely terrified of everything, and well, children always had been my weakness.
"Good morning." Nefeli said cheerfully making the girl jump.
Now, in my previous life I may not having abused myself, but I had led a seven year long complain against it which had lead me to many first hand experiences with abuse. She was raising many alarms of in my head as she momentarily looked at my eyes before looking back down.
"I'm Nefeli, are you starting Hogwarts this year as well?" She asked kindly as the girl nodded weekly. This was really starting to worry me now.
"Did you come here with someone?" I asked worryingly as she looked at the door before realising that someone was there and waving shingly.
Hagrid was standing next to the door, grinning at her showing her two large ice creams to show why he couldn't enter the shop.
"Oh, you came here with Hagrid then?" Nefeli asked now knowing for sure who she was talking to. "I'm surprised it wasn't Professor McGonagall." Nefeli said thoughtfully as the girl looked at her with a very faint amount of curiosity. This was going to be a complete one sided conversation, wasn't it?
"She's out Transfiguration teacher, she has other jobs, and one of them is she introduces first years into the magical world. Not that Hagrid was a bad choice mind you, he's the gatekeeper at Hogwarts. I heard that he usually cheers people up whenever they come to visit him." I explained as the girl nodded with a very small smile.
"We've finished dear, you mother is already waiting for you outside." Malkin's assistant said as she took the robes with pins of Nefeli.
"I guess I'll see you in Hogwarts then." She said flashing her a smile before jumping down the stall.
"Iris" She heard the girl say behind her as she turned around and looked at Iris.
It was quite, and very week, but it greatly reminded Nefeli of a musical sound.
"That's a pretty name." She said showing her another smile. "Then I'll see you at Hogwarts, Iris" Nefeli said as she opened the shops door, leaving a blushing Iris inside.
As she walked with her mother, a much more pensive look replaced her features. She vaguely remembered J.K. Rowling stating that she had downplayed the abuse that had occurred at the Dursleys, but if that where true then the few things she had seen in the book's had been very minor compared to what Iris had experienced. She didn't care how, but Nefeli made a silent promise that she would get Iris out of that family, through any means if necessary.
"Nefeli, do you still want a pet?" Her mother asked curiously as her daughter blinked in surprise.
"I don't think that..."
"But do you?" She repeated as her daughter nodded slowly.
"Follow me" She said as they walked into a tiny shop at the very end of Diagon Ally, it was behind a large store, which was the reason she had never seen the shop in her previous visits. "Andi used to take us here when we where children." Her mother explained.
There where thousands of cages with different animals in them, the majority of which she recognised as magical. Her mother smiled in amusement at her reaction.
"The Hogwarts list may say which animals to bring, but it isn't an actual rule."
"How Slytherin." Nefeli commented with a smile as her mother winked at her.
A meow caught her attention as she turned around at a certain cage.
A beautiful green-blue fur coloured cat was observing her almost analytically. A beautiful pattern adoring in a parallel form staring from just under it's eyes, passing over it's eyelids towards a slightly higher part on top of the felines eyelids. She didn't move, as she did so the same, noticing the most distinguished feature of the feline. A beautiful gem was embedded on the felines foreheads a red glow coming from it like fire in the dark, which made the felines amber coloured eyes all the more beautiful.
"Hello there, aren't you a beautiful one?" Nefeli finally said as she kneeled in front of her cage, slowly reaching out to the feline who eagerly rubbed her head on the hand.
"Do you want to come with me?" She asked as the feline let out another melodic meow in a manner that could only be understood as affirmation.
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The beautiful feline had turned out to be a Carbuncle, which was considered an extinct race. They had the ability to hide the gem on their forehead, which made them appear as blue-green coloured cat. She only had recognised her from Book of Imaginary Beings, and even then she knew close to nothing from the species apart from the fact that she was from America.
The now appropriately name Amber was purring on Nefeli's lap as she brushed the feline's tail. Ambar liked being spoiled.
It wasn't long until the train started to move, the train station slowly being lost from her sight as the train started to gain speed. I would happily admit that I was exited, who wouldn't be? I was going to Hogwarts's, school of magic. I massively doubted that there was any eleven year old that would say no to learning magic.
At least she was wasn't mad any more, the past month had been incredibly tense at Malfoy manor. Lucius had decided that it was 'way past it's time' for Nefeli to have a marriage contract, and half of the options had been inhumane, with the other half being disgusting. Her father's words at the station had been 'You have until the end of the year to stop falling around, I want a decision the first week next summer'. It was only because the wouldn't be a next summer for the four of them together, and her mother holding her hand tightly that she hadn't hexed that man there and there.
Her musing was brought to a halt as a week knock sounded on the door. Looking up Nefeli immediately smiled seeing Iris on the other side.
"Hello Iris, want to seat with me?" She asked kindly as Iris nodded nervously. As a matter of fact she seemed even more terrified that she had looked the last time we met.
"Did you read any of the books?" Nefeli asked curiously. This life or the previous one shed never be a social butterfly, so books and lectures would have to do. She responded with a week nod. Shed have to find a way to break her out of her shell.
"Did you find any subjects interesting?"
"Charms and Defence..." She answered quietly as Nefeli nodded in agreement.
"Yeah, those are good ones. Unfortunately Defence is a wild card, since every year we have a different Professor. Rumour has it the position is cursed." She explained to the girl who absorbed every word like a sponge. As I said, every eleven year old wants to learn magic. "On the other hand Professor Flitwick is a champion duellist's and a brilliant teacher. As a matter of fact I seem to recall that he's the one that helped your mother get her mastery in charms." I commented as Iris eyes widened.
"My mother?" She asked in shock. She blinked, mentally cursing herself. It was obvious that only because she was a girl Petunia would have told her about her mother.
"Yeah, do you know what a mastery is?" Nefeli asked as Iris shook her head looking at the ground.
"Hey, no worries. This is why we go to school." She reassured the girl. "It's a grading system. OWL's are more or less the equivalent of GCSE's, and NEWT'S are the equivalent of A-levels. Once you finish all seven years you considered a fully educated which. So then, you either start working, or take a mastery. While not the same, the closest I can think of it in terms of similarity is a university degree." She finished explaining to the girl.
"I-I...Do you know anything about my mother?" She whispered nervously as I smiled in sympathy.
"Not much." Nefeli admitted regrettably. "I do know that she was at the top of almost all of her classes, and she was greatly admired. I can ask my mother about it if you want? I know that they were at Hogwarts for some few years before my mum graduated." Nefeli said as Iris nodded shily.
What followed was an hour of explaining each subject and it's teachers. While Iris hardly talked whatsoever, Nefeli did note that the girl did seem to become slightly less tense as she explained the school. The poor girl had probably been terrified that she wouldn't fit in. She could sympathise to that, not having fitted in her own school in her previous life. After almost an hour the door was thrown open with a loud bang as red-headed first year looked inside. Iris, the poor girl, jumped right next to Nefeli as she hid behind her. Such a skittish little thing, and she meant that the kindest way possible.
"Can I help you?" I asked as I straightened my back, slightly protectively for Iris.
"I'm looking for Iris Potter, have you seen her?" The red haired, who Nefeli would assume was Ronald, asked in a rude like manner.
"No, thought it would be polite to introduce yourself." She pointed out unimpressed by the brats action. The brat narrowed his eyes -and yes, she would call him a boy until he stopped acting like one - glaring at her as he ignored Iris, which had been her objective to start with.
"Ron Weasly." He finally said.
"Right, it's a pleasure to meet you Ron." She said as she stretched out her arm, like him or not, he couldn't be brattish enough to antagonise her if she was nice to him. "I'm Nefeli Malfoy." Obviously he could, since he immediately snarled at her.
"Malfoy? I've heard of your family." He said darkly as he glared at her. "As if I shake hands with a death eater." He practically shouted as he slammed the door closed, leaving without a second glance as she let out a sigh, turning around to look at Iris.
"You okay?" She asked in concern. Iris was shaking weekly in...fear? Now she was starting to really worry about what type of life the girl had lived if she was scared from the brat.
"Sorry." She whispered after some few seconds.
"No need to apologise, it was Weasley that was rude about it." Nefeli comforted as she looked at Amber. The feline tilted it's head before a look of understanding crossed it's face as it jumped on Nefeli's lap.
She lifted the cat gently before slowly putting her on Iris's lap, careful not to scare the girl that seemed to be seconds from a mental brake down.
"This is Amber." She said as the feline looked up at Iris, beautiful jewel sized amber eyes looked into an equally beautiful emerald pair until Iris relented, gently starting to stroke the feline as Amber purred in happiness.
"Um...what he said..." Iris said nervously as Nefeli nodded in understanding.
"My father isn't a good man Iris, he was one of Voldemort's mains supporters, and the only reason he's not in jail is because he bribed his way out." She explained as Iris blinked in surprise, not having expected her to admit it.
Before either of them could say something, the door was opened again, this time it was at least slightly more gracefully, slightly. Nefeli mentally groaned as her brother appeared with his two bodyguards. Iris was again hiding behind her, thought this time slightly more awkwardly since Amber was on her lap.
"Yes?" She asked Draco, politely, but with unmistakable amount of annoyance. Discreetly pointing her wand towards Iris as she casted a notice me not charm, that only Iris herself may noticed. She would have a mental breakdown if she met him now.
"I've been looking for you sister." He finally said in a superior manner. "I was wondering if you could help me look for Iris Potter, we should after all introduce ourselves together." He stated.
"No thank you, Draco. If Potter hasn't been seen yet then it's obvious she doesn't want to be disturbed. If you could please leave it would be greatly appreciated, Draco." She said dismissively as he narrowed his eyes.
"Careful with what you say, sister, I do after all get a say in your contract. Say, I don't know, Walden Macnair?" He commented offhandedly.
Nefeli's only reaction was a twitch in her finger that inevitably scratched the chair's handle.
"You should be careful yourself, Draco, all that power may just make you head bigger." Nefeli said her eyes looking at him in a lazy manner, but threatening one none the less.
"Why you-"
"Is there a problem here, Malfoy?" A female voice said with a clear snarl as Draco turned around and glared at someone.
"I already told you to get lost, mudblood, what's wrong, cant even follow simply instructions?" He snarled back in clear disgust.
"Get out Draco. Get. Out. Now!" Nefeli threatened as she let some of her own magic slip.
With a slight amount of fear, Draco left the compartment realising that he wasn't going to win this one. Nefeli let out an exhausted sigh as she looked at the person that had helped her out. A Hufflepuff seventh year, but not any she recognised from memory. She was head girl, and obviously a talented which from the way her magic had just reacted when she had let it slip.
"Thank you for helping us out." Nefeli said as she dispelled the notice me not on Iris, no need for someone to ask questions.
"Don't worry about it, the Malfoy's are a horrible lot, can't believe I actually tried being nice to that brat." She said as Nefeli lip twitched in amusement, this was going to be fun.
"Tell me about it. It's why I'm trying to get disinherited before next year." She said as the which eyes widened. "Pleasure to meet you, I'm Nefeli Malfoy." She said as an honest, if not slightly amused smile formed on her lips.
"Oh... er… Sorry about that..." She said blushing as Nefeli waved it off.
"No apologies needed, if I understood it right he already said something horrible to you, Ms...?"
"Tonks, just Tonks." She said slightly nervously as Nefeli blinked in surprise, that was an interesting timeline change.
"Oh, you're Andi's daughter, that means we cousins right?" She said cheerfully as Tonks visibly relaxed.
"Yeah, thought I'm surprised you're now that, didn't expect...well..."
"Mum told me about Aunt Andi whenever Lucius or Draco aren't around." She explained as Tonks looked at her curiously before nodding.
"Well, it's good to know I have some good family that isn't my parents. I need to finish my patrolling so Ill be off now, well be at Hogwarts in slightly over an hour so you should probably get changed." She said as she closed the door, the first one to do so gently as well.
"You hanging in there Iris?" Nefeli asked as the girl nodded slowly.
"That spell you used." She asked quietly as I nodded.
"Notice me not charms, I didn't think you'd like to meet Draco." She explained as Iris nodded murmuring a week thank you.
Things had gone surprisingly fast out of the window. Eh, at least I got to meet Tonks... She mentally commented to herself as she started continuing her mostly one sided conversation with Iris.