A/N: Another Chapter right away! Originally I planned to at least kind of stick to the plot in the book, but I decided to go more AU & eventually more OCC. Anyways, hope you're as happy as I am about the new chapter! Thanks again for all the fave adds & alerts! - Reviews never hurt, they only make me happy :)
Sixth.
She had kept the dress. The day she had to leave Malfoy Manor she had put it in her trunk, without a word to Narcissa she had taken the dress with her and kept it know like treasure, hidden between her belongings. The young witch didn't knew why she had taken the dress with her, why she had wanted it so bad, but there was something about it, something which created a want for the very dress deep inside her.
The remain of her first year in Hogwarts was unspectacular, still she managed to stay on top with her grades without doing much for them – same counted for her second year, luckily for her. So she could spend the better of her time with Draco and Pansy, casually she dropped here and there a question about Bellatrix, Draco's aunt, but still she didn't knew much about the witch. All she had managed to find out in the last one and a half years, was that she was in Azkaban for the crimes she committed during the war. As far as she remembered, was Bellatrix sent into Azkaban for murder and several other crimes. Saiph knew, that she should react like everyone else, when she heard Bellatrix' name. She should flinch in horror, fear and disgust. But she couldn't. This witch fascinated her, after all.
Snape watched her, as she made her way towards the Hogwarts Express. It was the end of her second year and just as last year, she had managed to stay away from her parents as long as possible. Again she had spent the Christmas break together with Draco. Well, she had spent almost most of her time with the young Malfoy heir. The young witch had changed over the past two years, more than she ever had, since the years Snape had started to watch her from afar. She was much more skilled, and had learned to control her anger. Her friendship with Draco and Pansy had deepened. She had become much more cruel.
Snape wasn't sure if it was Draco's influence or if her real personality started to develop more and more, but she had started to bash towards Potter – much to the Professors amusement, and his friends closely after the Christmas break in her first year.
Saiph hadn't asked any further questions about her family, about the fact that she was a pure blood. She stayed silent around him, but he knew only too well that she had gained knowledge about her past, about her family. Of course, Narcissa had to drop something. The young witch now finally knew that the woman she'd seen in a book at her beginning here in Hogwarts, was named Bellatrix Lestrange, a born Black. And of course, she had tried everything to gain more knowledge about the dark witch. He didn't knew what exactly she had found out, but so far he was sure that she knew were Bellatrix was, and probably she also knew why. But still the young Slytherin did never flinch, nor showed horror or disgust when someone brought up the Bellatrix topic. Now, she always showed fascination and a want for knowledge.
He knew it'd be only a matter of time, till she finally would find out who she really was and what had happened the night she was born. And no one knew, what would happen then.
She had successfully managed, to ignore her parents as good as possible, over the first summer weeks. Again, she hadn't paid them any visit during her stay in Hogwarts, and wasn't willing to catch up with all the missed time, how her mother called it, now. She wasn't willing to do that after her first year, and she wasn't willing to do that now. Well, after her first year she had at least pretended to show some interest in her families boring life.
Her parents, her siblings, her friends, just everything annoyed her. Everything she used to love seemed so alien to her. It felt like she tried to live someone else's life. The girly room, with all the stuffed animals and dolls, the pictures of fairies, horses and dogs, that wasn't her anymore. She had changed, and wanted a change.
After her parents had refused a couple of times, to re-decorate her room, she finally had managed to convince them that she had grown out, of all the pink in her room, she now found herself comfortable in a whie, panted room, with one emerald green wall. Her white furniture had been replaced by dark brown, antique furniture. Most of the stuffed animals had disappeared, only a few had found a new place in her new room. Fairies, horses and dogs had been replaced by several old paintings of castles and landscapes. Also much more books, mostly magical-nature books had found their place.
But still, Saiph felt out of place. Something was wrong, and she wasn't sure what. No matter how hard she tried she didn't manage to feel comfortable around her parents or siblings. Everything just seemed different. Only Milou was still the same. He now slept in a basket next to the young witch's bad, even when she was gone he laid there waiting for her.
Still, he would do everything she demands from him, knowing how horrible the punishment would end for him.
She'd attempt more than once to write Mrs. Malfoy, but no matter how she formulated her words, it still sounded like she was begging for Narcissa to get her out of her muggle home. The now four weeks she had spent at Malfoy Manor, she finally felt like she was at home. Of course, she knew she couldn't call Malfoy Manor her home, but everything was better than her muggle home. Even the island she had created within the walls of her room, couldn't stop her from hating this place more and more. She never really had belonged there, but now after her year at Hogwarts, she didn't belong here at all.
A soft knock let her escape her thoughts. Turning, she found a black owl sitting on her windowsill. "What are you doing here?" she greeted the owl as soon as her window was open. It wasn't Narcissa's, at least it wasn't the owl Saiph had seen delivering letters and presents to Draco over the past two years. Tilting her head, the proud animal presented its leg. The owl hadn't carried a letter, something which looked like a small book, wrapped into brown paper, was tied around its left leg. Curious she untied the cord and unwrapped the paper, only to prove her guess. She hold a small book in her hands. "Who send you?" she asked, looking up only to find the space where the owl had been sitting, empty.
Sighing, she closed the window and moved her attention back to the book in her hands. The book cover was made out of leather and looked rather old and used. There wasn't any title, nor a note telling her from whom the book was. Curiously she flipped it open, and hear heart skipped a beat.
Bellatrix Black. Was written in fine italic letters on the first page. Swallowing heavy, she turned to the next page, only to find out that she held Bellatrix' Diary in her hands. Flipping through the pages, she noticed that at the beginning, the entries were almost daily, till they became weekly, monthly and later on all few years. Bellatrix had never managed to finish the book, but Saiph noticed a different and unfamiliar handwriting at the book's last page. "I know who you are, meet me tonight at Midnight. I'll be waiting in the park"
Tilting her head, she glanced at the clock on her desk.
Once again, she had managed to sneak out of the house, unseen and unnoticed. Still, the darkness was her best friend.
Nervously, she walks towards the park entrance, almost stumbling over her own feet. Who ever had send her the book, knew more about herself then she did. At least she knew, whoever she would meet, would be able to provided with information. The information she desperately needed.
"I knew I could trust in your curiosity" a low, dark voice greeted her. Spinning her head, she tried to find the spot and the person the voice was coming from, but she couldn't see a thing but darkness.
"You don't need to know who I am, at least not yet" the voice commented her attempts to find its owner. Sighing, she accepted and asked "Who, am I?"at first she was greeted with silence, she would have believed that whoever had wanted to see her, had left already but she still could feel the presents of another person, somewhere close to her. "You, my dear" the voice finally started, sending shivers down her spine. "Saiph Willow Black. Daughter of –" the voice never managed to finish, sudden noises and steps coming closer cut it off. And the next thing she noticed was the missing presents of whoever had been with her.
But that didn't matter, she just had heard what she had wanted to hear. She was Bellatrix Black Lestrange's daughter. Finally her guess, her hope had been proven. She didn't care if the source was reliable or not. She finally had her prove. Her mother was one of the most feared witches the whole wizard world had ever seen, and no one else would probably be happy or proud about the sudden discover. But Saiph was, after all she was different.
Smirking, she turned around, awaiting Professor Dumbledore and McGonagall who approached her slowly. She knew, as well as they did, that she just had discovered the truth. At least partly.
"Miss Matthews, it isn't save these days for young women and witches to stay outside. Nobody knows, what the darkness hides" McGonagall greeted her. "I'd prefer Black, Professor" she responded the comment about her safety. McGonagall froze in her tracks. "Miss Black" Dumbledore greeted her. Smiling, she enjoyed the sound of her new surname. "I believe you agree with me, Professor, that I can't go back and continue my life with the Muggle family?" she asked, knowing whatever response he would give her, she would find a way to get what she wanted. She never questioned why they were here. Probably they had known about her past already, only waiting for the moment for her to discover.
"Miss Ma…Black" The Transfiguration Professor struggled "This people raised you, they love you" Tilting her head, Saiph smiled dangerously. "Only because they believed, I am one of them." She almost spit the last word. "What would lead me to my next questions, how is it possible that a pureblood grows up in a muggle family?" she asked, almost sounding disgusted. Forgotten, about all the happy moments and years with the people she used to call her family.
Right when the Headmaster of Hogwarts was about to respond, unimpressed by her coldness towards her formally home, the young witch noticed the presents of someone else. Narcissa.
"There surly will be away to find out, how this was possible" the blonde witch responded to her niece's question. Her gaze was cold and knowingly when she starred at the two wizards in front of her. "If you don't mind Professor, I'd like to take my niece with me. I think it would be in my sisters interest, to know that her daughter was surrounded and raised, but the right people" Professor McGonagall flinched at the comment about Bellatrix. "Of course I will inform her parents, that she'll spent the remain of the summer with Draco. I am sure, they don't mind" Narcissa smiled and placed a hand on the young witches shoulder.
Not awaiting a response from either McGonagall nor Dumbledore she disapparated together with Saiph into the night.