The winter holiday meant Anna had to pretend to be in love with Theodore for most of the day. On the bright side, she was no longer caught between her father and Balthazar Blackwood. By all accounts, Blackwood was quite the gentleman when she was not engaged to him and he was not trying to get his hands underneath her dress in the corner of a room. The memories still surfaced every now and then, sending chills of disgust and repulsion down her spine. Since Solomon was Theodore's best friend now, which meant his sister was also around a lot more often, Blackwood had changed his target.
Vesuvia Abbott had a small and frail frame, but she was shorter than Anna, which made it easier for Blackwood to overshadow her entirely. She barely reached his shoulder while in heels. At Blackwood's suggestion, she began growing out her hair from a chic chin-length bob to her shoulders, because her now fiance thought it was more beautiful for women to wear long hair. It didn't take long for the girl to start wearing long sleeves with lace and bows around her wrists, which seemed pretty at first, but Anna recognized them as cover-ups. The neckline of her dresses and blouses climbed up to her neck while the hem of her skirts grew longer, past her knees, to her mid-calves. Her stockings became darker to conceal the marks from etiquette training. Soon, a few sparks of silver framed her face, contrasting with her chestnut hair. Whether Vesuvia chose to color the strands or pluck them, Anna couldn't be sure, but she knew Blackwood didn't appreciate them. As much as Anna wanted to comfort her, she couldn't. Blackwood had made his way to Vesuvia first, complimenting the girl on her feeble attempt of keeping a hairclip from sliding down pin-straight hair, and on her supple and feminine neck.
"Oh, what's the matter, dearie?" Bellatrix asked in her baby voice.
"I'm sorry, I just gagged a little," Anna whispered back. She hinted at the pair with a subtle glance. Empathy won't reach Bellatrix very easily, but insult would.
The witch grinned in amusement. "He's so gross, isn't he? Acting like a teenager..."
"No, he's much worse," the girl said with a small smile.
Anna stole a quick glance at Severus as he joined the breakfast table. Ever since she's mastered the animagus transformation, they have been able to see each other in secret. Anna would fly to his window almost every night and tap on the glass, waiting to be let inside. Most often, they cuddled and lay together on the sofa or in bed. Sometimes they kissed, read to one another, or discussed their worries and looked for solutions.
"Look, it's snowing!" Bellatrix shot up suddenly, her eyes bright with glee. "Let's go outside! Come!"
Well aware she had no choice, Anna stood up. "Only briefly, it's quite cold." She reached for the cashmere cardigan she had draped on the back of her chair. Her other hand hadn't registered in time it should have left the teacup on the table. No matter, she thought. It was something to keep her hands warm.
"We'll be fine, come on!" Bubbling with excitement, Bellatrix skipped to the patio door and threw it open. She stepped outside, arms spread wide, laughing in the heavy snowfall and turning aimlessly.
For a moment, Voldemort's most loyal Death Eater didn't look like a psychotic serial killer. She looked more like a little girl trapped in the body of a woman forced to grow up too fast, reaching for glimpses of a lost childhood. Anna held the cashmere close to her chest, hiding her bare arms in it. The dress she chose for today was sleeveless and quite short. Her father would have never allowed her to wear something so revealing, even with black tights concealing her legs and a cardigan over her shoulders. It was too obscene for him, too provocative - because everybody knows how sexy a woman's arms and knees can be.
Suddenly, they heard a door slam inside the manor. Anna quickly stepped inside to see her father boiling with rage. His round face was the color of wine, all the way up to the top of his balding head. He huffed over to his close friend and business associate.
"I can't believe she's done this to me, three days before the Ball!"
Blackwood kissed Vesuvia's hand before she could pull it away, then turned to Siberius. "Evelyn? What did she do?"
"She's hanged herself!" the man huffed. He hobbled to the table and reached for the liqueur, only to find his arm too short. He levitated the bottle instead. "Three days before the ball, can you imagine? I already bought her a dress. Now," he poured himself a glass much too full, "I have to prepare a funeral for her!"
The sound of shattered ceramic drew the attention of those around her. Her teacup had slipped from her hand. Blue eyes remained fixed on his figure. Anna stood frozen, the wind and snow blowing in her hair while the warm tea soaked her tights. The shards surrounded her shoes, glistening gold.
Siberius turned around and frowned. "Get over it already! I've got more important things to worry about, not you having another breakdown of yours. What, are you going to kill yourself, too? Are you that desperate for attention? You've already tried to set that up once. You just couldn't wait to fuck, could you?"
"You cruel and filthy little pig!" Bellatrix stomped back inside, her dark curls still sparkling with unmelted snowflakes. She moved Anna out of her way with surprising grace. "Don't you have a heart?!"
"As if you do! You've been trying to kill your own sister for years!" Siberius spat back.
"Now, now, let's calm down, all of us," Blackwood attempted to hold his friend back. As soon as his hand reached the lump where the other's shoulder should have been, Siberius slapped it away.
"You leave Andromeda out of this! Did you kill her? Did you?!" Taking out her wand, Bellatrix stepped in front of Anna, who stood frozen.
Siberius pointed his wand back. "I never killed my own family! Don't mistake me for a Black!"
Having witnessed the incident in horror, Severus rushed to take Anna away from the scene. Curses and hexes began flying. He shielded her with his body and led her to the side by her shoulders. Trying hard not to show too much affection, he set her down on a fainting sofa and brought her a glass of water. The girl pushed his hand away with barely any force at all. It was enough for him to understand. Severus set the glass nearby on an end table.
"Annelyse, do you hear me? Do you want to leave?"
Although her mouth did not move, the answer formed in her mind and Severus was able to hear it.
"Alright, we'll stay here." He positioned himself in such a way that he blocked her view of the duel. "Look at me," he asked. "Breathe in... and out."
Her eyes followed his hands. She took a double inhale, followed by a brief exhale.
"We all know you killed her!" Bellatrix yelled. "You killed Evelyn, just like you killed Yvonne!"
"Yvonne disappeared after Evan's murder!" Siberius struggled to keep up with the pace at which he had to block hexes from his opponent. "Women tend to do that when something happens. This is why men rule the world while you only spread your legs and carry our heirs! You break under pressure! Just cause we never found the body doesn't mean she didn't do it!"
"Cockroach! Yvonne was strong and independent! She would have never committed suicide!"
Suddenly, a small clank echoed above them. The crystal chandelier above Siberius fell with no other warning. The man barely managed to throw himself out of the way, rolling to the side, while the witch chuckled.
"You know I'm right! Evan would burn you alive, heal you, then do it again! You killed the most brilliant witch you have ever laid your eyes on!"
Siberius struggled to stand. "For the last time, tramp! She committed suicide after the Aurors murdered my boy!"
"How did Mad-Eye run into Evan at the right time?! There were so many of us - he was the only one alone! For barely five minutes! He should have met me and Severus, but he never came."
"How the hell should I know?! Go torture Mad-Eye for answers! Ask him, not me! I wasn't there!"
Disturbed by the noise, Osborne and Voldemort walked into the hall. There were broken crystals everywhere and the chandelier was in the middle of the floor. Siberius was struggling to stand. The patio doors were wide open, allowing the winter wind and snow inside. The curtains were stained yellow. Bellatrix stopped with her wand raised towards Siberius.
"He's killed Evelyn!" she yelled breathlessly, eyes wide, waiting for permission to end Siberius right then and there.
"Lies!" Siberius yelled in his defense, panting and using the wall to stand upright. "I've discovered her already dead! Cold and rigid!"
"Because of you!" the witch blared out.
With a wave of his arm, Voldemort demanded silence. He moved his other hand over his eyes, frowning. "Why is it that every single time something disturbs me, it is always related to you, Siberius?"
The man expected a continuation. He wanted to shout, and her! And Bellatrix! I am not the only one! Yet, with his last trace of self-control, he held back. "My Lord-"
A wordless spell melted the man's lips together. Bellatrix giggled, finally breaking the offensive stance.
"...What must I do for a few hours of quiet?"
Since he was facing her, Bella felt the question was directed at her. Unable to restrain her joyful smile, she lowered her head. "Apologies, My Lord. We'll be quiet."
The leader sighed. He knew everyone was watching him, waiting for a decision. Evelyn Rosier was dead. He had to react somehow, even if he didn't care much. After a moment's thought, he spotted Annelyse on the side. Her thoughts were a whirl of images and accusations - he didn't want to look too long. The second option would have to do.
"Balthazar, would you go retrieve her wand and documents?"
Blackwood bowed his head. "Of course, My Lord. Is there anything else I should do...?"
"Yes, inspect the body and the room. If this was a murder, I trust you will find evidence."
Siberius tried to protest, but he could only make noises like an animal.
An idea immediately came to Anna. She lifted her eyes to Severus, who immediately understood. He did not agree with the plan. He stepped in front of her, trying to communicate wordlessly and subtly that there would be a different occasion, but Anna stood rapidly, using his shoulder for support and then the arm of the sofa.
"Um, I apologize, but if possible... Could I go, too? Please?" Anna side-stepped Severus to look towards Voldemort, Blackwood, and the rest.
Blackwood cleared his throat. "With all due respect, I don't think being in the manor at this time would do you any good."
"I'll be fine, I promise." The weak attempt earned her an amused grin from Voldemort. "It would bring me closure, and it's a chance for me to take some of my mother's jewelry, that I know my father would never allow me... Sentimental value. He's thrown away everything Evan or Yvonne ever owned, he's going to do the same now."
Bellatrix raised her eyebrows in surprise. "He did?!"
"...I didn't even know about Evan until recently. Professor Snape told me when I found his name on a book in the library."
Sensing an opportunity for drama, Barty Junior flicked his tongue. "Almost like... our fellow friend tried to erase one of the greatest of our dear Lord's servants. What a coincidence!" He sucked a breath of air through his teeth with a grin.
Siberius fell quiet. He could sense everyone watching him, inching nearer, like the vipers in a snake pit. With his lips still merged, he couldn't speak to defend himself, so he gripped his wand tighter.
"If it's sentimental jewels that you want, I see no problem with that," Voldemort finally spoke. "I believe you're well acquainted with Balthazar."
Anna nodded, even if it made her stomach turn. "Yes, sir."
"The Rosier Manor seems to have a taste for blood, Balthazar. I trust you won't lose the girl...?"
"Annelyse shall be safe in my presence," the man offered a polite smile. He glanced across the room at Vesuvia. The girl was pale with horror, almost clinging to the wall, trying hard to control her breathing. She kept a hand over her mouth to prevent any sudden and unfortunate noise form escaping and attracting attention to herself in such a terrible circumstance.
Theodore was gone, and so was her brother, Solomon. This meant that the chestnut-haired girl was left alone again. A crystal had shattered at her feet after the chandelier had fallen. Nagini was slithering behind her. Although she couldn't see the snake, she could feel its cold, scaley body slithering past the back of her ankles. Blackwood decided it was a good time to play hero and take her away from the scene and from Voldemort's pet.
"My dear, how would you like to go on a walk? It is the first snow of this winter, after all. Let's go see the fair in the central park, drink some hot chocolate maybe?"
Vesuvia couldn't speak yet. Instead, she clung to his arm, hands clammy and shaking. Without the man by her side, she would have tripped and fallen right over Nagini. The girl swallowed a scream and quickly regained her balance, straightened her dress, then finally managed to speak. "Thank you."
Voldemort paced the room, his cloak dragging a few shattered crystals. Nagini had changed her course to follow him. "In the meantime, you will return this room to its former state. I trust it won't be a problem, Siberius?"
Unable to speak, the rotund little man nodded to the best of his ability, his neck not used to this set of movements. He inhaled deeply and rapidly, pleading with his eyes and hands to be allowed the freedom to speak again.
Bella's heels echoed as she approached Anna. "Are you alright, sweetheart?" Now that her anger had had a moment to set, she remembered Evan's sister.
"...I'd like some air," she admitted in a low whisper. She couldn't leave with Severus, but there was nothing stopping her from staying with Bellatrix for a while, and for her, in this situation, Bellatrix was safe.
Barty Jr. was the only one to notice every now and then how the two looked at each other. For a fraction of a second, he glimpsed emotion. He also remembered the dates he reported to Voldemort from the Chat Gris. The Dark Lord considered it nothing but gossip. He had only been interested in confirming that Severus had moved on from Lily Potter. In his mind, Lily's death was the only reason why Severus might betray him. Whether the one he dated was a student or not, wasn't important. Yet, Barty found it intriguing. They denied it whenever confronted, and they were both such honorable members of their circles - who could even suspect them of something so... unethical? So scandalous! What would the rest of the world think if they were to be exposed? The thought excited him.
Author's notes:
Here with another update. Please consider leaving me a review and let me know what you think so far.
