Rhapsody of a Veela

Part 75 - In Bluebeards castle

December 24th 1997

You only had each other for comfort, during the times spent at the dark mansion. The Dark Lord was away, but still the atmosphere felt as heavy-weighing and sombre as usual. You sat in front of the crackling fire of the mantlepiece in the library, where there seemed to linger less eyes and ears than anywhere else in the mansion. Draco was there by your side, looking bored as he skimmed through a rather thick book. In your hands you cradled a cup of hot chocolate, prepared by one of the house-elves at your request.

The curtains to the room were drawn, but there were still a slit there to reveal the bright white of the snow outside. You found yourself dreaming of Christmas at the Burrow, late nights with Fred, Christmas cookies, a Christmas tree star replaced with a bedazzled garden gnome and no one seemed to notice the difference. Regardless it felt fruitless to dream of such sweet dreams, at this point in time you had more than accepted that what you had in the past would never be yours again.

For the past few miserable nights, you had woken up to the sound of hollow wailing coming from somewhere in the mansion. The first time you heard, you had almost convinced yourself it was a bad dream, but by the second time there was no doubt. Your scalp still hurt from a rather torturous braiding session, after Bellatrix Lestrange had caught you sneaking around the mansion at night, searching for the source of the ghost-like cries.

"And what might you be doing up at this hour? No need for beauty sleep?" she had asked you with a crazed glare, and for a moment you had almost wondered if it was her cries that you had heard. Before you could have answered however, she had screamed for a house-elf to prepare some warm milk and then dragged you along to the living room, making you somewhat fearful for your life.

"I used to braid all my sister's hair, but for whatever reason, 'Dromeda could never quite stand it" Bellatrix began as she busily started separating your long hair into different sections.

"Said I was too rough, but that girl was never quite right.."

You had quickly come to understand why, you had to bite your teeth tightly to not let out a whimper as she pulled your hair back harshly, starting her work with the braids.

"No one has ever braided your hair.." she suddenly stated, as if it was some strange clairvoyant observation. Her speech was slurring, you had come to believe she was drunk.

"Your mother never had a chance too I suppose, and the girls....they must have been too fearful around you to offer to themselves"

"Actually, my friends have braided my hair several times" you had blurted out to correct her, something which you quickly came to regret, forgetting that you were at her mercy.

"Ow!"

She had quickly yanked your hair back, causing your neck to bend down so much that you suddenly met her sadistic bewildered eyes.

"Poor girl, no mother to love her... and no friends" she whispered menacingly, and then broke into an obscene laughter, causing the house-elf which had entered the room to falter and drop the silver-tray that carried the glass of warm milk. It to shatter into a million pieces and soaked the carpet. Bellatrix had finally let go of your hair to turn to the unfortunate house-elf, and so you sprung to your feet and ran out, up the stairs and all the way to your sleeping chamber.

Now as you finished your cup of hot chocolate, you felt tired and downhearted all at the same time. You still had it fresh in your mind how Luna Lovegood had been abducted on the Hogwarts express, how there had been so little you could do to stop it. Scabior, the snatcher who had spoken to you had suggested you took it to your father, if you had any complaints. But if only it had been that easy, as unfortunately your father was the most hated and feared man in the wizarding world. You had attempted to kill him the first time you met, Afterall he was the one responsible not only for Cedric's death but so many others as well. It seemed the only life you in the end could not blame him for, was that of your Veela mothers.