Anna kept her eyes down, not even bothering to look up at the Malfoy adults. So she was slightly afraid of their judgement? It was completely, 100% normal. Probably.

"So, Anna, what class do you like the most at school?" Mrs Malfoy asked her from across the dining table.

Anna looked up from her plate and put her fork back down. She finished chewing and swallowed as slowly as she could, making sure to meet the woman's eyes. Beside Anna, Draco gave her an encouraging smile but she just stayed quiet for a second before answering.

"Potions. Defence would have been interesting if the teacher hadn't been completely useless." And if she didn't get an extremely uncomfortable feeling in her stomach every time she got close to him.

"I see." Mrs Malfoy smiled. "How about flying, do you like that?"

Anna opened her mouth to answer but Draco cut her off.

"Anna's never flown before, she didn't take part in the flying lesson."

"Oh? But the lessons are given specifically to teach those who have never flown before." Mr Malfoy cut in. "Why did you not take part?"

Anna scowled as she looked at him. "I'm in Slytherin, mr Malfoy, one must keep the honor and pride of the house before one's own. Maybe I would have learnt how to fly but, not only do I not trust a rickety stick to hold me up, I think it would have quite damaged the image of our ancient house to let anyone see such... incompetence."

Lucius stared at her for a second. He didn't doubt for a second that her being afraid of flying had also been a reason -she had never flown before, it was only natural- but she had presented her arguments in a very... elegant way. Where had she learnt to talk like that? Normal eleven year olds didn't speak formally unless taught to do so.

"Do you read much?" He asked.

"Quite a bit. Only what would be useful later, though, I cannot waste my time on frivolities." She looked back down at her plate and kept eating.

The conversation ceased and not long after, they were done eating, the food had been better than the food at Hogwarts in a way that it was much more... classy. Mrs Malfoy stood up and beckoned for Anna to come to her. As soon as she stood in front of the woman, her hands went to Anna's curls, entwining her fingers in the thick black locks. A smile curled Narcissa's lips and she grabbed Anna's hand.

"Come, we want to show you something." Gently, she led Anna through halls -which Draco hadn't shown her before- with Lucius and Draco not far behind. The people in the paintings followed them with their eyes but never opened their mouths, unlike the ones in Hogwarts, who would comment on every single one of the students' actions.

They reached a tall, dark wooden door, carved with beautiful flowers on the sides, running to the top where coloured crystal let light from the room into the hall, casting all sorts of shades over them. Narcissa opened the door and let Anna in. The room was spacious, with light paint on the walls and wooden bordering. Large couches stood on the sides of the room and a large vase with dark roses stood on a small coffee table in the center.

"This is the family room. The paintings all show our family members. Go look at them." She urged Anna with a soft push on the back towards the wall in front of them.

Anna's small feet tapped on the floor as she numbly walked to the the painting. There were three people in it. A woman, sitting, and two men who stood side by side behind her. The woman's eyes were dark and fixed on her, she sat stiff in her black chiffon dress and her mass of black curls was held back in a elegant bun. Emeralds shone on her neck and ears and she had pearls in her hair. She looked like Anna.

The girl's eyes turned to the men. One was taller, broader, his jaw was more set and had a slight stubble, his hair was dark and fell to the back of his neck in small waves. His nose was straight and neither small nor big, but his eyes drew her attention. The grey eyes.

The other man had the same eyes, he looked almost identical to the first but was slimmer and had a darker look about him but they were very clearly brothers.

"Who-"

"That's my sister, Bellatrix." Narcissa said, coming to stand beside her. "The larger of the men is her husband Rodolphus and the other is his brother Rabastan."

"Where are they?" Anna asked, her mouth becoming very dry. There was a hole in the bottom of her stomach and the acid was slowly rising up her throat and she knew, she felt what was going on, but then again she wasn't sure. Could this possibly be-

"They're in Azkaban. They are Death Eaters and so were imprisoned after the war." Narcissa was just watching her sister blink, mesmerized at what she saw. The people on the paintings couldn't speak unless dead, but painting Bellatrix could feel something surely? "A year before the fall of the Dark Lord, she had a child, a daughter called Annabelle Lestrange. She was a beautiful baby girl, but she was taken from us and no matter how hard we searched, we could not find her. It broke our hearts, mine, Lucius', Rabastan's, Rodolphus', and even if she did not show it, also Bella's."

"Why are you telling me this?" Anna ripped away from Narcissa and stared up at her.

Narcissa just stepped forwards and placed a hand on Anna's cheek. "You look so much like your mother, Annabelle."

Anna's eye twitched. Annabelle. Was that her... real name? Annabelle Lestrange. She was a pureblood? Draco was- Draco was her cousin? She stepped back, falling into one of the couches. Her eyes snapped from the Malfoys to the Lestranges. Were they her family? Had they found her? Anna's hands fisted in her dress and she shook her head. Draco's eyes, Rodolphus- Father's eyes, she had seen it. Why hadn't he told her? Her face contorted with a mix of emotions she couldn't properly name; anger, pain, sadness, disappointment, relief, happiness, shock and... what? What was she feeling?

Hurriedly she stood up, clutching herself so as not to fall apart, and pushed her way out of the room. She ran, following the hallways and stairs she passed, not knowing where she was going. Her breath ripped out of her in rough huffs and she could feel blisters forming on her feet from the damned shoes, but she didn't care. She ran for what seemed like hours until, by some miracle, she found the hallway of Annabelle's bedroom -no, her bedroom. She swung the door open and closed it behind her. With a last sigh she sank through her knees against the door, shivering, sweaty, and crying.

Narcissa was about to knock on Annabelle's bedroom door -she had been in there for a few hours already- when Draco tugged at her dress. He looked up at her with sad eyes and shook his head, then he pointed to his ear and to the door. Narcissa and Lucius took the hint and listened closely, straining their ears to hear through the thick wood.

There was humming, and sobbing. They could faintly recognize Annabelle's voice as she tried to breathe calmly and keep up a gentle melody. Narcissa's heart almost stopped when she realised that it was the same song Rodolphus used to hum to her to get her to sleep. They looked back down at Draco as he stepped closer to the door.

"Annie?" He whispered.

The humming stopped and it was silent for a second for they heard a shift on the other side. "What?" Her voice sounded distant and raspy.

"I'm sorry."

She didn't answer.

"I should have told you before but... I was afraid you wouldn't believe me and if... if they realized that you knew who you are they would take you away from us again." Draco said. It was true, mother had explained it in one of her letters. Hogwarts, Dumbledore, was dangerous to their family, they couldn't let him hurt them again.

"Who's they?" Anna asked after a moment.

"Dumbledore and his ilk." Lucius said. He sighed. "The truth is that Bellatrix and Rodolphus were very fanatic in their following of the Dark Lord, Bellatrix was his right hand. She... offered you to him and he wanted to make you his ultimate follower. He became your godfather and... altered your magical core. The problems you have now wouldn't exist if he had been allowed to finish the ritual. It was a dark ritual and as a new born he couldn't open your core and close it back up again in one night, he had to wait some time for you to heal. Before he could do that, Dumbledore took you away. I suppose he was afraid that you would become too powerful." He placed a hand on the door. "If it weren't for Dumbledore you would have grown up with family and you would have been healthy, Annabelle."

It was silent for a long while after that.

"What happened after I was taken away?"

"We were furious. The Dark Lord wanted you back, we wanted you back. We ransacked every house of Dumbledore's followers we could find, but you weren't there. When he was... defeated, Bellatrix, Rabastan, Rodolphus and Barty went looking for him. He was their only hope, of greatness, of power, of getting you back, but they were sent to Azkaban."

"What happened?" Her voice sounded agitated, somewhat.

"They went to Frank and Alice Longbottom, followers of Dumbledore, and... questioned them."

"Tortured them, you would mean." Anna corrected in a whisper.

"Yes. They wouldn't have been caught, nobody actually knew that it was them, except.."

"Go on."

"Igor Karkaroff betrayed them, he betrayed Barty Crouch first and then they drew the other names from him. They were deemed guilty in a trial as they never claimed to be innocent. They announced their loyalty to the Dark Lord for all to hear."

They heard movement on the other side of the door and it swung open to reveal Annabelle, curls messed up and all over the place, a few locks sticking to her face. Her skin was patchy red and her eyes were puffy, her lips were trembling and she looked so tiny and fragile. But her eyes were hard, she looked at them with a strange coldness as she kept her distance.

"Dumbledore stole me from my family, Karkaroff stole my parents' freedom and if I want to be healthy again, the Dark Lord must be back." Her voice was oddly devoid of emotion as she turned back into her room, leaving the door open for them to follow her inside, which they did. She sat in a corner beneath the window, still staring at the ground. "If I brought him back, would that make them proud of me, Aunt Narcissa?" She asked.

Narcissa pretended not to be surprised at hearing her call her that -she had not expected Annabelle to call her that so quickly- but she sobered up immediately as the deep bitterness leaked through Anna's voice. "It would make them very proud." She said, sitting next to Annabelle.

"I'm still angry at all of you." Anna said.

"We know." Draco said as he and his father sat on the bed, watching her.

"But I'm furious at Dumbledore."

The days until christmas passed in a whirlwind of lessons and new experiences. Her new family taught her so many things that she would need to know as Annabelle Lestrange; pureblood etiquette, dancing, lineage, history and, of course, flying. She had to admit it had been exhiliarting but... she would prefer never to do it unless extremely necessary. She just didn't feel safe on a broom, no matter how many cushioning and safety charms had been cast on said object.

Anna didn't just get lessons either, Aunt Narcissa said that she didn't just have to play the part of a pureblood daughter, she also had to look it. Anna got a whole new haircut in which she was given a straight fringe and her hair until her jaw was straightened, the hair below that was styled into shiny corkscrew curls. She had never looked so fancy, she believed, until Aunt Narcissa took her to Twilfit and Tattings, where she was given a whole new wardrobe. Anna was sure it must have cost a fortune, but she couldn't bring herself to care. It was childish, it was selfish, it was wrong, but she was still angry at the fact that they hadn't found her until she popped into their line of sight by herself, and if they wanted to spend money making it up to her, then she wouldn't stop them.

It was on the morning of the 24th that Dobby woke her up by gently tugging at the sleeve of her nightgown -which was as tradition stated long and white- until she groggily opened her eyes. As soon as she blinked at him he placed a large tray of food on the bed, like he did every morning. Anna pushed herself up on the unbelievably soft mattress and sleek sheets and started eating.

"Master and Mistress Malfoy request that young Mistress Lestrange meet them in the parlour dressed for outside when young Mistress is done eating." Dobby squeaked, bowing lowly.

Anna's eyes snapped to the window where a large mound of snow had accumulated during the night and swallowed her potion. She nodded. "Alright, thanks."

Dobby's huge green eyes snapped up at her and he nodded enthusiastically before popping away. Anna might have been... less than pleasant to the muggle children in the orphanage, but Dobby was a magical being who wanted to make her happy. There was no reason to treat him badly, at least in her eyes. Uncle Lucius and Draco really treated him badly, though Aunt Narcissa and her ignored him when they were around. She tried to treat him alright when she was by herself.

She finished her breakfast quickly and washed up before dressing in warm black wool leggings and a green long-sleeved dress. She combed her hair and put a small silver pin in her hair, it had emeralds in it which she liked. Aunt Narcissa said it had belonged to her mother, though Anna felt a closer connection to her father even if he had never met either of them. Hurriedly, she grabbed a long grey jacket and ran to the parlour, careful to stop running and start walking shortly before she got there as it was bad manners to run in the house.

Aunt Narcissa, Uncle Lucius and Draco were waiting for her there, all prettied up.

"There you are, Annabelle." Aunt Narcissa said, extending a hand which Anna took with a raised eyebrow. "We have a surprise for you. We'll be apparating."

Anna looked over at Draco as he grabbed his father just as a strong pulling sensation filled her stomach and she felt like she was being pulled through a drainage pipe. Her lungs were bursting for quite a few seconds and she kept her eyes closed until she felt firm ground under her feet. She didn't bend forwards but clutched Aunt Narcissa's hand tightly until the nauseated sensation left her. She had apparated before, but it was always unpleasant. Then she noticed the cold wind licking her skin and the cold around her ankles.

She opened her eyes.

They stood in front of tall, black gates. Beyond the gates was an expanse of white and white covered trees for what seemed like miles, that was until Uncle Lucius waved his wand and the gates and they opened. As soon as that happened a path started forming through the snow which led to the center of the expanse where a tall mansion stood, dark and deserted. Anna looked at her aunt.

"Welcome to Lestrange Manor, Annabelle, welcome home." Aunt Narcissa smiled down at her and Anna had to smile back.

It was amazing. Everything was covered in dust and cobwebs but no creatures had gotten in, that was part of the Lestrange family magic, and Anna ran through hallways, looking at the paintings and vases and tapestries and other innumerable ornaments. There was white marble, black marble, all sorts of woods, gold, silver, copper, mother of pearl, velvet, silk, all dark, all elegant. She loved it. She was happy and felt like her heart was about to burst, though for some reason she felt like someone was ripping her heart out of her chest.

The Malfoys just took a seat in one of the drawing rooms, the cleanest they could find, and let her run around and explore. They thought it was best if she did this by herself, but when the sun started to set and she hadn't come back they started worrying. Maybe the anti-creature wards had failed in some place? Had there been a black magic trap which didn't recognize her blood? They hurried up the extensive stairs, asking the paintings where the Lestrange heir was, though none could definitely tell them, she had been running around a lot they said.

Finally, they found her in what had been her nursery. She sat on the ground in front of her crib and cradled a stuffed bear in her arms, not caring of her clothing got caked in dust. They heard her sobs before they saw her. She was staring ar a picture of her father, he had her in his arms and her swung her over his head and placed kisses on her cheeks and on every single one of her tiny fingers.

Narcissa crouched next to Anna and placed a hand on her shoulder.

"Annie." She whispered. "Annie."

Annabelle turned to look at her. "Aunt Narcissa." She croaked. "I- I wish-" Then fresh sobs ripped their way up her throat again.

"Oh, baby." Narcissa mumbled as she pressed Annabelle against her chest and rubbed soothing circles on her back. "I know. We'll be a family again, just you wait."

Annabelle nodded, her face still buried in Narcissa's fur coat, and held on to the woman's shoulders as tightly as she could.

"We love you, dear one, so very much."

They stayed there until Anna was calm again, then they had to return to Malfoy Manor. It was Christmas eve and other purebloods -Death Eaters- and their families would be showing up for Annabelle's formal introduction and the Malfoys' annual feast.

"You'll stay with us for the summer." Lucius told Anna as he placed a stray lock of hair behind her ear. "We've already handled you orphanage ordeal, you will live with us from now on until you come of age." Meaning, they had wiped the memories of all the inhabitants of St Joseph's orphanage and bribed quite a few politicians to make 'Anna Connor' disappear from the muggle government's sight and memory.

Anna looked up at her uncle from her spot before the fireplace. She had traded her briefcase for a large trunk in which she had put all her new clothes, all her new books and all her new jewelry and tiny belongings. The guests on Christmas had truly done their best to make her happy this year, though she supposed since she had part of the Dark Lord's magical core in her -from what she understood from Uncle Lucius' complicated explanation- they must be hoping that she would bring back their lord. Something which she would do her best to accomplish. She didn't understand them. The Dark Lord was cruel to everyone, even his subordinates, he cared not for them and would probably punish them for denying their loyalty to him at the end of the war, why would they want him back? For revenge, she supposed, but she truly didn't care about what they wanted. She wanted him back and she would get him back. She would succeed where these fools had all failed.

"Thank you, Uncle Lucius." She said and dragged her trunk into the fireplace with her. Floo powder, address, fire, and then she was in Professor Snape's office. They hadn't invited Professor Snape to Christmas -which had been just as well since he had to stay in Hogwarts for Christmas every year- because, even if he was their friend, they believed that there was still a possibility that he had spent too much time with Dumbledore. They didn't want him telling the old coot about Annabelle.

"Hello, professor." Anna said, pulling her trunk behind her. The man just nodded at her from his seat in an armchair to the back of his office and she waited for Draco to arrive.

With a flash of green light Draco stood there and they hurriedly said their goodbyes and went to the Slytherin Dungeon, where Theo, Blaise, Pansy, Greg, Vince and Daphne were waiting for them.