It was dark. Wind wiped around the trees making them move to an unknown beat. The clouds were moving quickly; passing over the full moon like clockwork. Something was going to the nature seemed to that something big was about to happen. All the animals had disappeared into their burrows. No sound was made. A faint car horn could be heard off in the distance, yet everything was still.
A large 'pop' echoed through the air reveling the presence of a man. He was tall, handsome but there was something wrong with him. He was limping, I could see blood dripping down from his stomach fore which he clutch to with an iron grip. A soft coo came from a bundle that was slung across his stomach. The man in question hugged it to his body gently and looked around. His dark green eyes looked for any sign of human life.
"Antonio," a male voice muttered making the man turn around. Standing in the middle of the road was a large figure dressed in a billowing, black robe. A skeleton mask decorated the face obscuring an facial features the person had. Antonio pulled out his wand and glared at the man.
"Leave, Lucius. Before this goes too far..." He growled clutching the bundle tighter. A cry echoed through the air making Antonio cringe. He had to get her safe.
"No, I can't do that. The Dark lord wants your baby. I have to obey him." Lucius muttered wiping away the mask with a wave of his wand. His blond hair illuminated a pale light making everything shimmer. Antonio shook his head in disbelief.
"How could you do this, Lu?" Antonio hissed. His eyes radiated with grief and anger as his former best friend stood in front of him. The look in his eyes...Antonio had the urge to kill this bastard and he didn't know whether or not he could control it.
"His word is law. Maria will be raised by him. Its inevitable."Lucius stated his eyes never leaving him.
"I can't let you have Maria. I won't give her up to the darkness. I won't allow it." Antonio growled. "My children are Zambini's, Lucius. We are neutral in this god-forsaken war. You shouldn't have brought this upon us." Grey eyes glanced over to the bundle in his arms and looked back up at Antonio. "Everything has gone to hell, and its your fault!"
"I can raise her, Tony." Lucius stated using Antonio's nickname from their days in Hogwarts. "He will permit it. All that power...she doesn't have to be raised by his hands alone." Antonio shook his head before glancing around. "Maria will still have a brother."
"I'm sorry, Lucius. That can't happen." Antonio seethed. A bright blue light erupted from his hand swirling around them. Antonio watched as his surroundings began to shift and dissolve. He watched as the form of his best friend disappeared. A sharp pain erupted through his body as new surroundings began to form around them. So much pain...
"Maria...Maria, wake up!!" a familiar voice growled making Hermione open her eyes. It was so dark. Hermione could barely make out Blaise's face. Hermione could instantly feel that her body was covered in sweat. Chills ran through her body as the dream she had ran through her mind like a movie. It was like a memory, but how could she be dreaming about her father. She never met her father and is it even possible to be dreaming a memory of another person? Lucid dreaming perhaps.
"Wh-wha-what happened?" Hermione asked after she was finally released from Blaise's grasp. She watched as Blaise ran his fingers through his black hair. He was dressed a tight, white shirt and silk, black pants. Hermione could see a black "Z" embroidered on the left leg. There was something about the way he was looking at her that made Hermione feel sad. Blasie had tear stains etched on his face. Why though?
"I heard you. You were screaming. I had to rush in here." Blaise muttered looking around. "I can't let anything happen to you, Maria." Hermione watched as Blaise got up from her bed. A sudden wave of anxiety overcame her making her cringe.
"Don't leave me." She blurted. "I don't think I can sleep alone right now." She looked up into Blaise's green eyes. "Harry and Ron sleep in my room sometimes to keep me calm. I was hoping..." She watched as Blaise got on the bed and leaned up against the headboard. Hermione instantly crawled over and placed herself beside him. His arm wrapped around her shoulder letting Hermione use his chest as a pillow. She could instantly feel his body heat warm her making her sigh. Maybe having a brother wasn't as bad as she thought. Her eyes began to flutter as a soft melody floated around her. It was the music box that their mother gave her. Blaise began to hum to the melody as he watched Hermione fall asleep. Sweet darkness enveloped her as the haunting melody came to a close.
"Ah Draco, you're early." Claudia stated watching as the young Draco Malfoy walked through the fireplace. The boy was dressed in a pair of black slacks and a tight, black button-up shirt. His blond hair was messy like he just woke up. Maybe it was a style; Claudia had seen her son sport that hair-do more than once. Those grey eyes were lagging desperately in need for coffee or any type of caffeine. The last remnants of the green flames disappeared before he spoke.
"It's best to always be early." Draco muttered throwing himself onto the couch and yawning. Claudia smiled as she snapped her fingers. A small house-elf appeared before her and bowed.
"Yes, Madam?" It asked looking wary at Draco. That boy always seemed to cause trouble when he was at the Zambini Mansion. The house elves had been attacked by the young master many times; even during his childhood. It seemed to grow worse with age.
"Tinky, bring two cups of coffee please." she stated with a smile on her face. The house elf bowed before apparating out of the study. Claudia gently picked up that latest edition of Hogwarts: A History. She had heard that Maria loved this book. Another gift to give her later on. A sudden thought ran through her head making her look at the clock. Where were her children anyway?
"Here you go madam: two coffees." Tinky stated reappearing with a silver tray in hand. She softly rested the tray on the coffee table and smiled up at her mistress. "Anything else, mistress?"
"Well, since you are asking..." Draco began to state before being cut off by Claudia.
"That will be all, Tinky." she stated smirking at Draco as Tinky disappeared. "I would like it if you stopped harassing my house elves, Draco. It gets quite annoying when I have to keep fixing them. Making their faces turn different colors was rather difficult to remove." Draco laughed as he remembered that prank. Beautiful...
"I'll stop, Mum." Draco muttered. He always called her mum even though she truly wasn't his mother. Draco spent more time at the Zambini Mansion then he did at his own. He even had his own room. "So where is Blaise?" Claudia shrugged.
"Probably still asleep. So is Maria." she muttered sipping her coffee. "Go wake them up. We need to go to Diagon Alley by noon." Draco took a sip of his coffee before getting up. Draco could feel the caffeine rushing through his body like wildfire. Good ole coffee...always there to wake you aimlessly walked out of the study and began to climb up the long staircase. Something felt wrong; Draco couldn't stop thinking about Maria. She was a new riddle that he hadn't figured out yet. Blaise's sister...where was she all these years? Did he ever meet her? Draco and Blaise had been inseparable since birth. Draco had to have known her. There was something else. Maria seemed familiar. The way she acted was familiar to him; too familiar for comfort. Draco finally walked up to Blaise's door and opened it.
"Blaise?" he yelled looking around. There was nobody in his room. The covers on his bed were messed up, like Blaise had suddenly flung them off. Draco pulled out his wand as he walked in. Draco looked around and sighed. A door to his left was cracked open. Where did that lead to? He slowly walked up to the door and opened it. Now there was a sight that Draco never thought he would see.
Lying on the bed was Blaise. His arms were wrapped around his sister, almost in a protective way. Draco smiled at the sincerity. He walked quietly into the room and observed the pair more closely. Maria had her head buried in Blaise's chest. Black hair was sprayed across his chest; covering the white shirt he was wearing. Draco seriously wished he had a camera. This was great blackmail for the upcoming year at Hogwarts. Draco looked over at Maria and sighed. He had to admit: she was beautiful. Something newer...he wanted to know more about her. There was enough time to figure her out. Now was the time for sweet revenge.
"Aguamenti," Draco muttered watching as water was sprayed onto the sleeping forms of the twins. To say their facial expressions were funny would be an understatement. Draco watched as they suddenly jumped up drenched head-to-toe. Their eyes went directly to Draco who was leaning against the wall laughing.
"I AM GOING TO KILL YOU, MALFOY!!" Hermione screeched reaching for her wand. Draco looked at Blaise who was less than happy.
"YOU ARE DEAD, DRACO!" Blaise growled his wand appearing in his wand suddenly. Draco ran out of the room as a bright red light hit the wall beside him. His legs didn't stop until he reached the study. Draco walked in to find Claudia reading with her glasses on. Her green eyes looked up to find Draco walking in; his chest puffed out as if he had been running.
"Are you okay? Did you wake Blaise and Maria?" she asked looking over the book. Draco smirked.
"They're up."
"So where do you want to go?" Claudia asked as they walked into the bustling alley. She turned to find Maria beside her glaring at Draco. A large smirk was adorned on the blond's face making Claudia cringe inside. He must have done something to Maria. Blaise was glaring at Draco as well, yet Draco didn't seem affected by Blaise. He had taken a particular liking in teasing Maria. She rolled her eyes at the thought. "Childern?" Maria looked up at her mother and smiled.
"I was thinking about going to Flourish and Blotts. There are a couple of books I need to get." Hermione stated ignoring Draco's glances. Blaise nodded his head in agreement. Books were need; he had read most of them last summer. Claudia nodded as well watching Draco stare at her daughter.
"Fine. I will be at Madam Malkin's. Don't get into any trouble." Claudia looked at Draco. "Please, don't."
"Yes, Mother." Maria and Blaise stated making their mother watched as she disappeared into the vast crowd of buyers. Hermione glared at Draco before walking into Flourish and Blotts. Her anger radiated off of her making Blaise cringe.
"Stay away from Maria, Draco." he muttered as they walked into the bookstore. The smell of old and new leather instantly hit the two boys. Blaise could see Maria up on the second floor in the DADA section. Her head was buried in another book; probably learning about something ahead of their year. Draco watched Blaise as he combed the aisles of Transfiguration books. He was bored. It wasn't like he didn't read. Its just that he had better things to do...like Qudditich.
"Blaise," a feminine voice stated making Draco look up. Standing across from them was Ginny Weasely. Her hair was down to her shoulders. She was wearing a pair of ragged jeans and a white turtleneck. Her eyes went from Draco to Blaise. She was apparently looking for someone. Blaise smiled at his sister's friend. It was best to be nice. He was going to see her more often anyway. Why not make it pleasant.
"Where is she?" Ginny asked ignoring the ferret's glares. She came here because Hermione asked her. Ron and Harry were being butts like usual. She would have to straighten them out before they spoke to Hermione. She was going through a rough time. Hermione didn't need Ron's sarcastic comments. Harry was jthe middle ground; it was usually like this in all the other fights that occured between them.
"Upstairs. DADA section." He answered. Ginny nodded and glared at Draco.
"Ferret," she spat running off before Draco could utter a word. Draco glared at his friend who was watching the redhead run up the stairs to his sister. One single thought cross his mind making him cringe. Everything seemed to fit as he watched the redheaded weasel walked up the stairs. Maria's familiarity...her being friends with Ginny.
"Bloody hell, she's Hermione Granger!" Draco spat looking up the stair spotting Maria and Ginny talking like the best of friends. Blaise glared at Draco who was glaring at his sister. This was going to take alot of explaining.
"Are you okay?" Ginny asked watching Hemrione run her fingers through her hair anxiously. "I bet Draco is giving you hell." Hermione glared at Ginny as she picked out another book to buy.
"Oh, he has." she hissed thinking about the blond ferret. How dare he pore water on her as she slept? Draco had a knack for ruining everything. Why couldn't he just leave her alone? "Revenge will be mine." Ginny smiled. Now here was the old Hermione Granger. Ginny sorely missed her friend. Being stuck in a house full of boys wasn't pleasant. Too much testorone and stupidity for one girl to handle.
"Does he even know that you are you?" Ginny asked gesturing at Hemrione. She shook her head at the thought of Draco actually knowing her secret. That would be a field day.
"No, but I have a feeling that he will realize it soon enough. He has been questioning me. I almost sent a Stinging Hex at him yesterday. "Ginny smiled. Hermione watched as Ginny grabbed her heart dramatically.
"Why couldn't I see that? Did you at least get a picture?" Ginny asked with a begging tone. Hermione laughed at her friend's callousness and shook her head.
"No, and please keep it down. He might hear your shouting." Hermione hissed looking over the railing. She instantly spotted the two Slytherins conversing in the corner. Draco appeared agitated. Wonder why?
"He can go to hell, for all I care." Ginny muttered placing the books on a small endtable before sitting down in a plush chair. Ginny pushed her red hair out of her face and smiled. "I would have payed to see you put Draco in his place." Hermione smiled at Ginny and looked over the railing. The boys disappeared...where were they?
"Hello Blaise." Ginny stated making Hermione turn around. There they were standing in the doorway of the second level. Blaise was looking at her with a strange look; Hermione could almost feel the pity radiating from his eyes. She glanced at Draco and cringed. The way he was looking at her sent chills down her body. Everything about him was tense. One thought crossed her mind making her look at him. His eyes bore into her with such hatred that she instantly knew what was going on.
Draco knows.
"Hello Ginny." Blaise stated walking over to the pile of books Hermione gathered. "Is this all?" Hermione nodded still too shock to say anything. Blaise nodded feeling the anxiety rolling off of her. His attention turned to Ginny who was watching them like an engrossing film.
"Mother is waiting for you two at Madam Malkin's." Blaise stated glancing over at Hermione who was leaning against the railing. She wouldn't look at Draco. The best thing was to act like he wasn't there. "Why don't ya'll go ahead and we will meet you there in a bit." Hermione smiled at Blaise and nodded. She walked over to Blasie and gave him hug. She could feel his breath against her ear. "Don't worry about it, Maria. Draco won't say anything." Hermione stepped away from her brother and nodded.
"Let's go Ginny." Hermione stated walking towards the exit. Ginny quickly followed glaring at Draco before disappearing behind the wall. Blaise glared at Draco who was leaning against the railing. He was watching Maria-wait...Hermione walk out of Flourish and Blotts with Ginny following her. Draco should have known; he felt stupid for not realizing it sooner. The way she held herself was different though. More regal...Draco had to admit that he liked it.
"Don't tell anyone, Draco. I mean it." Blaise hissed. He levitated the books placing them on the counter below. The cashier looked up to find the Zambini heir gazing at him."Charge them to my account." he stated with authority. The cashier nodded giving Blaise the time to look back at his friend. Everything was changing now. Blaise couldn't help but feel anxious. Draco wasn't known for keeping his mouth shut. Especially to his father; Draco sought to please his father with everything he did. Blaise knew this. "I won't have you ruin this." Draco glanced at his friend and nodded.
"Fine."