6. Noelle
Dinner was always a quiet affair in the Lestrange household, all sitting with straight backs and prim manners. As much as they loved each other, as much as they knew they could relax around their family, some things were just too drilled into them to ignore. They shared polite conversation, stated the latest gossip, tads of information that could be used to help the rest of the family and even though their true selves showed underneath, they kept up their masks and relied on the fact that they knew each other well enough to know what all the little mannerisms meant and what was hiding beneath them.
Rudolphus whisked his napkin off his lap and dabbed his around his mouth before setting it on the table. Persephone looked up at him questioningly as he cleared his throat, and Bellatrix too set her napkin down, Persephone following her cue.
"We will not be staying here for the rest of the year," Rudolphus said simply in his deep baritone. Persephone blinked.
"Pardon?" she asked.
Rudolphus gave her a look that suggested that she was the strange for even hinting it was weird that they would not be living in their house for the year.
"We will be in our Lord's manor," Bellatrix supplied.
Persephone blinked again. They would be living for a year in the Dark Lord's manor.
Were they mental?
"Why?" she demanded as her mother shot her a warning look.
"We have business we need to attend to."
"For a year?" Persephone reiterated.
"Did we just not say that, Persephone?" her father said.
"I don't want to go."
"You will be going."
"But I-"
"Will be going," finished off Bellatrix for her with a warning tone. Persephone's shoulders slumped. No matter how many contacts she had, no matter that she currently held master status and was now allowed to use magic outside of tutoring, no matter her high position in society, at home she was still a child. She closed off all expression from her face and looked into her mother's dark brown, heavily lidded eyes.
"Yes mother," she said stiffly. "May I be excused?"
"You may," her father replied. Persephone stood up and walked quietly out the room, not pushing her chair in or closing the door: a subtle hint of rebellion.
She walked up the grand staircase briskly. Why, why were they moving for a year? Why was it necessary? Was it so bad to be cross about this? She turned down the hallway, not bothering to take in the familiar surroundings. Why was she even reacting this much?
'Noelle,' whispered her mind, and her steps faltered.
'Oh.'
She threw open the door to her pristine room and sat down on her bed heavily.
"Don't think about her," she muttered to herself. "I don't want to think about her."
'Then why are you thinking about her?' her mind returned.
"It doesn't matter, it doesn't affect me."
'It affected your whole life,' her mind prodded back gently.
She glanced out the window looking almost guiltily at the wildflowers popping up in the grass, only visible from her room before turning away quickly.
"No it didn't," Persephone said. "It didn't!"
'Then let me show you,' the voice said, and she lost herself in memories.
…
Two girls stood in a garden, wild flowers poking up at random intervals, the colours breaking up what would have otherwise been a green monotony. They were maybe four, one dressed in silken robes the other in clothes that were too old, raggedy and too big. The red haired one looked out the corner of her thick eyelashes at the other. She was golden blonde and pale, a button nose, round features. Her eyes were her most noticeable feature, they were an aqua blue; a throwback to fae heritage. Her tiny face was screwed up in concentration, aqua eyes focused on a violet wild flower.
"Noelle," said Persephone curiously. "What are you doing?"
"I'm talking to the flower," she said simply, not taking her eyes from the petals. Persephone blinked.
"Talking to the flower?" she repeated before deciding against asking her about it. "What are you telling it?"
"I'm asking it to tell the others not to die, so you will always have colour outside your window." Persephone was sceptical, but a warm feeling bloomed in her stomach.
"Thank-you," she told her friend, the first true smile to someone outside her family spreading across her face. Noelle glanced up and smiled back.
…
A blonde girl of perhaps six ran to catch up with the well-dressed red haired girl.
"Seph, wait up!" she called out, and Persephone turned around to wait for her. Noelle stopped a meter away from her and panted to help catch her breath.
"You shouldn't have been down there, Noelle," snapped Persephone. "Do you know how dangerous a place like Knockturn Alley can be for someone like you?"
"What do you mean 'someone like me'?" demanded Noelle, her aqua eyes narrowing.
"An orphan of fae heritage," she returned mercilessly. "Do you know how valuable you would be in a market, Noelle? What would happen to you? Do you want to be kidnapped?"
"Of course not, don't be stupid. I don't know what you're going on about anyway, you showed me Knockturn Alley."
"You followed me into the Alley, and they know not to harm me, somehow… They seemed to be warned against it. I think mother might have done it."
"Then it's solved, I'll just go when you go," declared Noelle, and Persephone thought it over.
"Okay," she said hesitantly. Noelle smiled.
"Come on," she said, "let's get some ice-cream."
…
Seven years old Persephone studied a book before placing it back on the shelf with a huff. She had been tutoring under Ollivander for two months now, and if she wanted to complete her masters within the next eight years (which was the time Ollivander had hinted at) she had to work hard. She studied the names of the texts closely with pursed lips.
"How long until we have to go home?" Persephone asked over her shoulder.
"Until you go home and I go back to the orphanage you mean?" Noelle said. "About an hour."
Persephone glanced at her worriedly. "You're alright there, aren't you? No one is hurting you or anything, right?"
"I'm fine. I'm out most of the time so it's not like I have time to make enemies or anything, the matrons don't even notice. But it's just not home, I have no one I love there, no family. Do you know what I'm saying?"
"Yes," Persephone said quietly. "I do." Then she smiled brightly and turned to look at Noelle. "We'll just have to fix that." Noelle gave her a quizzical look.
"What?"
"Maybe I can't give you a home, but I can give you a family. You can be my sister, everyone needs someone for family."
Noelle smiled widely. "Really?" she asked enthusiastically.
"Sure," shrugged Persephone. "We already do everything together anyway."
Noelle surged forward and hugged her. "You're a great friend, Seph."
Persephone smiled and hugged her back. "No, Noelle. I'm a brilliant sister." Noelle giggled.
"Yeah," she nodded vigorously. "You really are."
…
Two eight year old girls sat cross legged under a tree in a garden filled with wildflowers despite the cold weather. Persephone shook her head.
"I can't believe they actually still haven't died in all these years. It's even snowed on them, for Morgana's sake!"
Noelle frowned. "Why do you always say Morgana instead of Merlin?"
"I'm from a dark family, and Morgana was dark," she explained.
"But you're not evil!"
"Dark and evil aren't the same thing. We just grew up differently."
"I suppose," said Noelle. "Since you are dark and you have never done anything cruel. On purpose, anyway."
"Yeah," replied Persephone. "But never mind me, it's your birthday. I got you a present!"
"Really?" asked Noelle excitedly. Persephone grinned and handed her a small wrapped box which Noelle all but snatched out of her hand and ripped the paper off with trembling hands. She pulled the velvet lid off the box carefully and revealed a necklace. It was a clear aqua stone about the size of a thumbnail held in place by a single golden snake attached to a chain of fine, delicate looking gold. Noelle's mouth fell open.
"No," said Persephone. "It is not too much, I am not taking it back and yes I am sure. Nothing is too good for my sister."
"I-but!" Persephone gave her a warning look. "Alright. It's a beautiful crystal, Seph. Thank you very much."
"It's a diamond actually," she said smugly and Noelle's jaw dropped once again.
"A diamond? But it's aqua!"
"Oh, it's not a normal diamond. It's a fae stone," Persephone said nonchalantly.
"A fae stone!" Fae stones were very powerful and valuable. Those who knew how to use them could use them for scrying, extra power; aid in precognition warding, and in healing and protecting spells; to help speak with magical creatures and legilimency.
"Yes."
"Persephone-"
"No Noelle, it is yours."
The two bickered long until the sun set, but Persephone eventually won.
Despite the fact that she didn't want Persephone to waste her money on her, Noelle didn't want to give back her first birthday present from a family member.
…
A blonde and a redhead pair of nine year olds once again were sitting in a garden. The blonde was talking excitedly to the other, who watched her amusedly with hazel eyes.
"And he's just so wonderful, Persephone! And he's going to adopt me! Me! People hardly ever adopt the older kids! I would have never have met him if I hadn't been with you that day, Seph!"
"That's great, Noelle."
"I know. I'm going to meet him tomorrow at the Cackling Hag," Noelle said very quickly in her excitement.
"The Cackling Hag? As in Knockturn Alley?" asked Persephone, suddenly apprehensive.
"I know what you think about me being alone in Knockturn, Seph, but i'll be fine! I'll have Damien with me." Persephone still looked apprehensive.
"I know!" exclaimed Noelle. "You can come and meet him!" Persephone considered.
"Okay," she replied. "I'll be there."
"You can come at noon. You should get to know him too, you are my sister after all. Give him the tick of approval and all that."
Persephone laughed. Noelle sobered.
"How are you going? It must be hard…" Persephone's shoulders slumped.
"I'm swamped, I'm doomed, I'll fail and be disinherited," moaned Persephone.
"That bad?" asked Noelle said sympathetically.
"There's just too much! Between my masters, my modern languages, my dark arts, charms, politics, law, psychology, arthrithmacy, runes, potions, ancient languages, history, genetics, espionage, tactics, battle, knives, occlumency and legilimency I barely keep up and they expect me to learn it all at twice the speed other people do at their normal lessons like I'm some kind of Morgana forsaken chosen one or something!"
Noelle thought for a while before leaning over towards Persephone.
"Stay still," she said, holding Persephone's left wrist in both of her and. Persephone look at her in curiosity as Noelle's face contorted into one of concentration. She gasped as a strange feeling began in her wrist: it was burning hot and freezing cold, a foreign tingling that spread throughout her body before retreating back to the place it began. Noelle let go and sat back, swaying slightly. Persephone glanced at her wrist, frowning. There was a single, small silver lightning bolt on the inner side. Her frown deepened. They were both quiet for a moment.
"What was that?" asked Persephone. .
"A fae blessing." Persephone gasped.
"Noelle!" she exclaimed. "Any fae blessing extracts a price! It returns on the owner twisted and tenfold!"
Noelle snorted. "That's just a wives tale. I'll be fine, i'll be adopted and you'll be able to balance everything just fine."
"How powerful did you make it Noelle?" Persephone asked dangerously.
"I poured my heart and soul into it, Seph. Nothing is too good for my sister."
"Noelle!"
"I'll be fine, Seph. I can take care of myself." She glanced down at the timepiece on her wrist and whistled. "I have to go. See you tomorrow, Seph!"
Persephone's feeling of apprehension returned. "Yeah," she said. "See you."
Noelle smiled and ran off.
'Should I tell anyone?' Persephone wondered before shaking her head.
No. Everything would be fine.
…
Persephone glanced around the Cackling Hag nervously. It was fifteen minutes past noon and Noelle was nowhere to be seen.
'You're probably worrying over nothing,' she thought. But, never the less, she walked over to the hunch backed bartender.
"Excuse me," she called over the noise. "Have you seen a blonde girl? My age and height, maybe with an older man?"
"Sure," grunted the man back. "She went into the back alley maybe an hour ago."
The back alley?
"Thank-you," said Persephone walking briskly for the door to the alley, her stomach doing flips. This did not feel right, this didn't feel right at all. She threw open the wooden door and screamed.
On the floor, body mangled, was Noelle. She was drained dry of her valuable fae blood, aqua eyes cut from their sockets, her ring finger missing, her blonde hair shaved from her head. Utterly destroyed for what value fae products could catch on the black market.
It felt like an hour until someone came to help.
But it didn't matter, because she, Persephone, had been an hour too late. A day too late, perhaps, and now her sister was dead.
Nobody ever went after Damien. He was a wizard with connections. There was no funeral either. Nobody really cared about what happened to a fae orphan.
…
A nine year old redhead was at another party, sitting emotionlessly in a corner.
"What's the matter, kid?" a man asked, swaying slightly from drinking too much.
"A friend is gone," Persephone replied tonelessly.
"Friend?" snorted the man. "Rule one of pureblood society, kid. There are no friends. You have allies, followers, partners, contacts and acquaintances, but not friends. You only call someone a friend when you want something, that way you don't get hurt."
Persephone considered this. She was hurting. She didn't want to hurt like this, never again.
"Thank-you," she said quietly.
"No problem," he slurred.
She carefully constructed her walls, threw herself into her work, established her social circles. It all came easy to her now.
At the price of her sister.
She would often finger the necklace around her neck absently, not even noticing she was doing it.
It was a beautiful necklace: a single clear aqua stone surrounded by a snake on a golden chain. Carved along the snake, on the underside so it was pressed against her heart, was a single word.
Noelle.
…
She woke from her memories, panting, clutching her necklace before collapsing into tears for the first time in years. She looked outside at the garden, the wildflowers that, unlike her, refused to die. Persephone averted her eyes and stood up to close the curtains.
Maybe the move would do her good.
It would take her away from the place the guilt festered, the guilt she had grown used to.
Hi all!
I'm so sorry, I thought Tom would come in this chapter but Noelle took longer than I thought and she is pretty important.
So this is one of the reasons why Persephone is the image of a pureblood princess.
Whether Noelle died because it was going to happen anyway or because fate was influenced because of the price of the blessing is up to you. Fate can be influenced, as we saw with Felix Felicis.
Anyway, I'd been toying with this idea for a while and I hope it turned out okay!
As usual, thanks for reviewing and all that jazz! :D
Electra2Pandora