Prologue
August , 1994
'Do you think they can hear us ?' Draco quelled , tapping his foot on the wooden slats between the balcony hallway looking over the dining hall at Malfoy manor .
Celia was perched next to him ,' Shh , they will hear us if you keep asking . Just listen.'
They both hid behind a giant porcelain statue of a mermaid as the meeting began - the usual people : Draco's parents , his family , some other newer people Celia didn't recognise . She ducked her head beneath the mermaids tail and over the balcony to get a better look.
'Three brothers ,that is what he had said to me in Albania , what he had said as he had retaken his corporal form .' a woman with a crazed psychotic expression began , her black hair bouncy like inky tendrils of death as she stood up on her chair .
'Now isn't the time for the occurrence of dramatics Bellatrix .' Lucius cooed.
'You should be careful speaking like that Lucius , or you'll be gone next !' the woman's eyes expanded to hysterical saucers as Lucius blanched , Celia even noticing from the balcony that his hand now gripped the cane at his side .
'As I was saying ,' the woman , Bellatrix , quipped ,' These brothers were named Antioch , Cadamus and Ignotus - all brothers , the Peveril brothers .'
'I hate to disenchant you dear sister ,' Narcissa Malfoy , Draco's mother, responded ,' But we all are already aware of the tale of the Deathly Hallows .'
'That's not the point Cissy ,' Bellatrix hissed , swiping her tongue over her bottom lip ,' It's a riddle . '
'Explain.' A man Celia did not recognise said . Her and Draco exchanged looks of curiosity at each other , where was Bellatrix going with this?'
'Each letter ,' the woman paused for dramatic effect , Celia swore she saw Narcissa roll her eyes ,' The first letter of each of their names , it stands for an Unforgivable Curse . Cadamus , he created the cruciatus curse - so all could feel his pain he was plagued with when the resurrection stone didn't work . He was stupid ,' she cackled further ,' to be so hurt over the lady he loved dying . Then there was Ignotus , who loved being ignored . When the invisibility cloak didn't work he came up with the imperius curse instead , so he could make them fuck off himself . '
Bellatrix stopped , Celia watching her gaze around the room . She was telling this information like a childhood story , and frankly none of the adults seemed to be interested . Narcissa had mentioned her delirious sister at dinnertimes before while she conversed with her husband and Celia and Draco played games , them both often getting scolded by Lucius for being childish . When they were children . From what Celia had seen from other meetings she had watched before it seemed as though Bellatrix always had these outlandish theories , that none of the people in the meeting seemed to coincide with .
Narcissa had always told Draco and Celia that they were both safe from harm , that the dark lord would never return .
It's 1994 and she hasn't said that in a long time .
'Antioch saved the best for last . Power . The Elder Wand wasn't enough , so he created Avada Kedarvra . And so they made the unforgivables ,' Bellatrix continued ,' and I think the dark lord wants us to do something with that information .'
'He hasn't made an appearance to any of us though ' Lucius quelled , droning on ,' And the Deathly Hallows is merely a myth Lestrange .'
Celia could tell the people in this room feared the dark lord , feared Bellatrix even . And even though she was only fourteen years old she could fully tell that though they were frightened , they also didn't believe any of Bellatrix's tales . She claims to have seen the dark lord , but nobody else but her had seen him for fourteen years . Besides , everyone knows that as powerful as Bellatrix is , she's losing it . Her ringlets get knottier by the day , her teeth eroding to brown smudges in her mouth and the whites of her eyes fogging to a sullen yellow colour .
She knew that even though Narcissa now couldn't promise her and Draco that Voldemort wouldn't return , she also wouldn't be able to say her and Lucius believed someone as berserk and out-of-touch as Bellatrix Lestrange .
The meeting continued , some discussion about goblins at the wizarding bank of Gringotts . Celia muffled her yawn , tiptoeing away from the statue and down the long mahogany corridors , Draco following suit .
'What did you think of that ?' he asked .
'I think it was different this time . Though everyone looked bored of Bellatrix you could feel the nervous energy in the air . They don't know for sure , and they haven't been called by the dark marks , but I think a lot of them in that meeting have a gut feeling that something bad is going to happen this year . '
Draco sighed ,' Were not even related . I love you being here , you know that , but sometimes i just feel like i need to get you away from here .'
'The wizarding world ?' August asked , the sound of their shoes on the marble floors being the only thing she could hear now .
'No ,' Draco laughed without humour ,' this house .'
'Listen okay . Apart from Bellatrix nobody in that room seemed remotely excited or even content at the thought of his return . We're on the good side . Your parents can't be bad people if they took me in when i was a baby . Your mother couldn't have another daughter after the damage the first war did to her body , her mentality .And the fact she chose me probably lying in some crumbled ruin before she could adopt a child , it means something . We're good people Draco .'
He grimaced ,' Good people can make bad choices .'
'We all make bad decisions .' Celia took his hand in hers for a moment and squeezed ,' But you've got me , so you'll be alright .'
Draco chuckled ,' Yeah I will be , I wish you could come to Hogwarts , you've always been a great friend . '
Celia's stomach churned slightly , she wasn't aware why . Perhaps warping herself around a statue of a mermaid had been more physically uncomfortable than she had realised .
'I can't come because of that stupid programme your parents put me in .'
Celia had been trained by tutors her whole life , and in her fourth year of tutoring would just be beginning her N.E.W.T studies . Draco had exclaimed for years now that if she ever came to Hogwarts he would take severe pleasure in watching her outsmart a girl called Hermione Granger .
Draco had always hated that group of people , he said it was because they thought they were better than everyone else and that annoyed him but Celia had known him long enough to know he was only trying to mask his jealousy . She never tormented him with it though , she had never had another friend apart from Draco before , she had no clue what those situations would be like .
She was extremely perceptive on an academic level , but her knowledge of social skills she thought could be considered below-average .
But that didn't matter when it came to Draco , she smiled .' Well we can both look forward to the Quidditch World Cup can't we .'
He returned her beam with his own ,' Yeah we can , at least we can do that together before I have to go again .'
'You'll see me at Christmas .'
'I won't , ' he sighed ,' My father told me there is to be something going on at Hogwarts , something that means all the students above third year have to stay the whole year .'
'Maybe that's the thing I had a bad feeling about ,' Celia bit her bottom lip ,' What if something happ-'
'Nothing is going to happen Celia , my father would tell me if it was really serious , it's just confidential with the Ministry .' he rested an arm on her shoulder .
They had stopped in the middle of the ballroom of Malfoy Manor , the gilded ornate tapestries highlighting mosaic murals of the history of the family . Celia walked along the rows of stories on the walls , recalling nights where her and Draco had looked again from the indoor balcony above at the night-time balls Narcissa and Lucius used to host . Used to . Since the rumours of Voldemort's return had began they seemed to be a lot less decadent with their parties .
Maybe she'll get to sneak into one this year .
'Celia ! Draco !' Narcissa called from somewhere in the house . Celia had always loved Malfoy manor , but it had an eerie envelope of atmosphere that made each voice bounce off the walls . ,' Get your bags ready for the morning , quidditch won't wait for you !'