𝑮𝑹𝑬𝑬𝑲 𝑻𝑹𝑨𝑮𝑬𝑫𝒀 [𝑺𝑰𝑹𝑰𝑼𝑺 𝑩𝑳𝑨𝑪𝑲]

i.

╔═══*.·:·.☽✧ ✦ ✧☾.·:·.*═══╗

HERALD: The misery is past; it is past, so that the dead never

 even care about rising again, while for us remnants of the 

Argive army our gain prevails and the anguish does not outweigh it

-Agamemnon, Aeschylus. 

╚═══*.·:·.☽✧ ✦ ✧☾.·:·.*═══╝

Phaedra Elouise Malfoy was used to being subpar. She was, after all, a Malfoy - the youngest in a bloodline so long that her ancestors attended the first classes at Hogwarts, so standards were astronomical in the high society she was a part of. But for some reason, Phaedra Malfoy could never please her father. It didn't matter how many Sleekeazy's potions she doused her hair with, it was never straight nor shiny enough. It didn't matter how much concealer she put on the small birthmark on her cheek - it was always too visible. No matter how hard she tried, her father could always find a flaw in his youngest child. Everything his children did - every tiny, miniscule flaw was caught by Abraxas Malfoy.

Her father was a true Slytherin - shrewd, observant, self-sufficient. Phaedra typically knew him to be silent, almost constantly analytical - unless, of course, he decided his children had once again failed him. For getting an 'Acceptable' on her Charms final, Phaedra had been locked in the dingy cellar at Malfoy Manor the second their results had arrived. Her only interaction for a week was thrice daily, when the Malfoy family house elf, Dobby, would give her scraps from her father's plate. If there was one thing Abraxas was talented in, it was making his children feel worthless.

Phaedra's older brother, Lucius, managed to escape harsh punishments, for reasons beyond her understanding. He was almost perfect; of course, nothing would ever be good enough for their father, so Lucius, too, would get punished - no supper, or he would have to scrub the kitchen floor under Dobby's supervision. If there was one thing their father delighted in, it was reminding his children that they were dirt under their shoes. But never once was Lucius locked in the lightless cellar, with only Dobby to squeak at him. Phaedra could no longer count her imprisonments on both hands.

On the morning of September 1st, 1975, Phaedra awoke on the cellar floor. Though she wasn't an infrequent visitor to the grimy, stone dungeon, each time she opened her eyes in the limited light, it took her several moments to recognize her surroundings. She moved to adjust her plush emerald comforter, only to remember that it was her third day locked in the cellar. Her warm, chocolate brown eyes fluttered open to see Dobby sweep into a low bow, his nose brushing against the dirtied floor, "Misses Phaedra is needing to wake up. Master Abraxas wishes to see her."

Phaedra knew far better than to keep her father waiting, and the pale-haired girl pushed herself off the floor, dusting off her floor-length black dress. She supposed it was good that her father had pushed her into the cellar immediately after the ball three nights ago, seeing as her elegant gown would conceal the layer of grime that covered everything in the cellar - even though Abraxas was the one to decide her punishment, she knew her father would have a fit if he saw his daughter covered in dust and dirt. A familiar feeling sank in her gut, like a weight had been dropped in her stomach. Her breath hitched, catching in her throat without permission.

"Misses Phaedra is needing to breathe," Dobby straightened from his bow, clutching anxiously at the dirty tea towel he had wrapped around him in a make-shift smock. Phaedra waved a hand in the air, silencing the House-elf with a look. She sucked in a breath, counting to four as she inhaled sharply through her mouth. Her chest heaved without permission as she did so, aching to hyperventilate, but Phaedra forced herself to continue breathing slowly and purposefully. She held her breath for seven seconds, finally releasing it through her pursed lips as she counted to eight. She repeated the breathing exercise until her chest no longer shook each time she inhaled, and her mind began to clear.