A/N: Thank you guys for the support! So far we're at 7 favs and 3 follows. I never accepted that many so soon.
"Riddle, shower time." The gruff voice echoed through the cold stone corridor of Azkaban. Delphi Riddle looked up from her cell, accustomed to the routine.
As twelve Aurors, including James Sirius Potter, appeared to escort her, James found himself surprised. "Does it always take this many of us?" he whispered to a fellow Auror, who simply shrugged in response.
They walked through the darkened halls, passing by numerous other cells. Suddenly, an old woman clutching the bars of her cell caught their attention. Delphi rolled her eyes. Dolores Umbridge. The woman had been a constant nuisance since her arrival.
"Mark my words, Delphi, my dear," Umbridge cackled, her voice grating against the silence. "You'll escape one day and lead us back to glory."
"Back away from the cell door, Umbridge," a burly Auror barked, nudging the old woman away with his wand.
The rest of the trip to the showers and back was uneventful. When Delphi was safely back in her cell, James couldn't help but ask, "Does it always take a dozen Aurors to escort you?"
Delphi, who had been silent till now, looked at him. "When they first brought me here," she began, her voice surprisingly soft, "I was escorted by two dozen Aurors, your father, and the Minister for Magic."
"Wait, Aunt Hermione was there?" James blinked in surprise. Aunt Hermione rarely talked about her work as Minister, let alone her involvement in incarcerating high-risk prisoners.
Delphi nodded, a bitter smile playing on her lips. "Yes, your Aunt Hermione. She made sure to oversee everything herself."
James was left in quiet contemplation. He hadn't expected Delphi Riddle to be so forthcoming, nor had he anticipated the significant involvement of his family in her imprisonment. It seemed his assignment was more intertwined with his personal life than he had initially realized. It was an unnerving thought, one that added a new layer of complexity to his responsibilities. And it made him all the more determined to do his job well, to uphold the legacy of his family's commitment to justice.
The Potter family sat around the dining table, their plates piled high with Molly Weasley's famous treacle tart and roast beef, she had just dropped off some leftovers. Despite their varying schedules, they made it a point to have dinner together as often as possible. On this particular evening, James had brought back a story from Azkaban.
"Dolores Umbridge, of all people," Harry shook his head, chuckling at James' recount of Umbridge's support for Delphi. "I have no doubt Delphi is glad to have supporters inside."
James, however, shrugged nonchalantly. "Didn't seem that way to me," he replied, his eyes focused on the slice of treacle tart on his plate. "I caught her rolling her eyes."
This statement elicited a surprised look from Harry. Ginny, on the other hand, laughed heartily. "Well, maybe there's more to her than we thought."
Lily, the youngest of the Potter children, looked confused. "But isn't she a bad person? Why are we laughing about her?" Her innocent question managed to silence the table.
Albus, having been quiet throughout the conversation, looked at Lily. "Just because someone is a 'bad person', Lily, doesn't mean they're not human. They can still get annoyed, feel emotions, and roll their eyes at silly comments, even someone as monstrous as Delphi," he explained patiently.
Ginny nodded in agreement. "Your brother's right, Lily. It's easy to forget that those in Azkaban, despite their crimes, are still people."
The conversation took a more serious turn then, with Harry, Ginny, and Albus discussing the complexities of human nature, of good and evil. James, however, was lost in thought. His encounter with Delphi, their conversation, and now his family's words had given him a lot to ponder over. The idea of seeing Delphi as a human, not just as a prisoner or Voldemort's daughter, was a difficult one to digest. But maybe, just maybe, it was an idea worth considering.
Delphi had grown accustomed to the constant chatter of James Sirius Potter. He filled the oppressive silence of Azkaban with his casual banter, bringing an unexpected dynamic to her mundane existence. So, when one day his voice fell conspicuously silent, she found herself feeling uneasy.
For a moment, she caught herself wondering if he was okay. It was a strange thought, one she pushed aside quickly. And yet, the silence was too discomforting.
"Say something, Potter," she finally blurted out, surprising both him and herself.
James sighed, leaning against the bars of her cell. "I'm just...thinking," he admitted, his tone unusually somber. "About my father."
"Harry Potter?" Delphi asked, raising an eyebrow. The name was spoken with a bit more venom than she intended.
James nodded, a rueful smile crossing his face. "He saved the world from a Dark Lord, and here I am, guarding prisoners in Azkaban."
Delphi's eyes narrowed at his words. "In case you've forgotten, Potter," she said, her voice sharp and biting, "I'm the daughter of that Dark Lord."
James just smirked at her, clearly unfazed. "Yeah, but you're nice and sweet, Riddle," he teased, his tone light and playful.
Delphi's eyes widened, her anger flaring at his audacity. "Excuse me?" she exclaimed, her hand instinctively clenching. If she had her wand, she'd hex him into oblivion. "Do you know who you're talking to?"
James merely laughed, clearly enjoying the spectacle of a flustered Delphi. "Yeah, I do," he responded, his laughter still echoing off the walls. "I'm talking to Delphi Riddle, the nice and sweet daughter of the Dark Lord."
His words hung in the air, their absurdity rendering Delphi speechless. She couldn't fathom James' audacity to mock her so openly, yet the absurdity of the situation and his unexpected humor left her with an unfamiliar emotion - she was annoyed, yes, but a part of her was also strangely amused.
Another day dawned in Azkaban, the eerie glow of the rising sun barely penetrating the prison's thick stone walls. James was back at his post, his mind preoccupied with the monotonous routine of his job.
"I never imagined my days would be spent with you as my only source of company," he confessed to Delphi, leaning against her cell bars.
Delphi, who was sitting on her cot, glanced up at him and narrowed her eyes. "I can think of worse company," she retorted, her voice carrying a bitter undertone.
James, intrigued by her response, asked, "Oh? And who might that be?"
Delphi smirked, leaning back on her cot. "I'll give you a hint," she said, her smirk widening into a mischievous smile. "She's an old toad."
Understanding dawned on James' face. "Umbridge," he said, chuckling at Delphi's description.
The pair shared a moment of silent understanding, a common distaste for a universally disliked figure. It was an unexpected common ground, a small yet significant shared sentiment in the desolation of Azkaban. Even though they stood on different sides of the bars, there was a fleeting moment where they were just two individuals sharing a laugh at a common foe's expense.
As the days turned into weeks, Delphi found herself growing surprisingly comfortable around James Sirius Potter. His constant chatter, initially annoying, had become a familiar soundtrack to her days in Azkaban. He was like an unexpected breath of fresh air, a stark contrast to the bleak atmosphere of the prison.
In her quieter moments, Delphi allowed herself to acknowledge an unusual thought - if she ever managed to escape, she wouldn't kill James. She would merely incapacitate him. The thought, although still cold, was oddly comforting in a way, a testament to the strange bond that was forming between them.
One such day, as James was leaning against the bars of her cell, he decided to indulge in his favorite pastime - flustering Delphi.
"So, Delphi," he began, a sly grin playing on his face, "you ever consider taking a vow of silence?"
Delphi glared at him. "And leave you to bore me to death with your incessant chatter? I think not."
James laughed, clearly delighted by her retort. "Oh, come on, Delphi! You know you love hearing my delightful anecdotes."
"Delightful? More like dreadful."
"Wow, Delphi, you sure know how to hurt a guy's feelings."
"What can I say, Potter? It's a gift."
Their back-and-forth banter continued for a while, each trying to outdo the other with their sarcastic remarks. To an outsider, it may have looked like they were at odds, but there was an underlying warmth in their words, a playful dynamic that transcended their circumstances. This strange camaraderie was an unlikely refuge from the harsh reality of Azkaban, an unexpected but welcome escape from the dreariness of prison life.
Despite her usual stoicism, Delphi was finding it increasingly difficult to keep a straight face. James' antics, as annoying as they could be, were, unfortunately, also quite amusing. And while she wouldn't admit it, they provided a welcome distraction from the monotony of her existence.
"I won't laugh," she muttered to herself, focusing on the stone floor of her cell. "I won't give him the satisfaction."
But then, James did something that tested her resolve to its limits. He mimicked his younger brother Albus - the same Albus who had once been so easily manipulated by her - in a manner that was so spot on, it was uncanny.
"... and then Albus would say something like," James began, adjusting his glasses and adopting a serious expression, "'We must consider the repercussions of our actions, James. We are shaping the future with every decision we make.'"
James' imitation was so accurate, so unexpectedly hilarious, that Delphi couldn't help herself. A snort escaped her before she could stop it, followed by a burst of laughter. It was a sound that hadn't been heard in her cell for a long time - a genuine, carefree laugh.
James looked surprised for a moment before a triumphant grin spread across his face. "I knew it! I knew I could make you laugh!"
Despite herself, Delphi continued to laugh, shaking her head at his absurdly proud expression. The laughter echoed through the otherwise silent corridors of Azkaban, a beacon of warmth in the cold, bleak environment.
And for a fleeting moment, Delphi Riddle, the daughter of the Dark Lord, felt like just another person sharing a laugh with a friend. It was a sensation so foreign, so unexpectedly pleasant, that she couldn't help but cherish it, even if it was at the hands of a Potter.
Later that day, the Potter family sat together for dinner, the warmth and comfort of the family home contrasting with the cold bleakness of Azkaban. James was in high spirits, animatedly sharing the day's events.
"You won't believe this," he began, a grin spreading across his face, "but I actually made Delphi Riddle laugh today."
Ginny chuckled, shaking her head at her son's antics. Albus looked amused, while Lily seemed slightly taken aback. Harry, however, fell silent, his expression turning serious.
"James," he began, his tone unusually grave, "Delphi Riddle is not your friend. She is a very dangerous person."
The room fell quiet at Harry's words. The light hearted atmosphere dissipated, replaced by a somber seriousness that weighed heavy in the air.
James looked at his father, a flicker of surprise in his eyes. "I know, Dad," he said, his voice softer now, "I know she's dangerous. But it doesn't hurt to make the best of a grim situation, does it?"
Harry met his son's gaze, his expression softening slightly. "Just remember, James," he said quietly, "even in the bleakest circumstances, we can't afford to forget who we are and who we are dealing with."
As the dinner continued, James couldn't help but think about his father's words. He knew the gravity of his job and the danger that Delphi represented. But the glimpse of humanity he had seen in her, the shared laughter - they added a complexity to his understanding of her that he hadn't anticipated. Harry's warning echoed in his mind, a stark reminder of the precarious balance he was treading.
A/N: I hope you all enjoyed and please will free to review! I do not delete reviews at all, so be as honest as you want.