The Eagle and The Snake: A Tragic Love Story

52. House Or Home

Although Carly found the king size bed very comfortable, she couldn't get a good nights sleep in a room that was not her own.
The bedroom she had been assigned at Malfoy Manor was large and spacious, but it wasn't like her room at home.
And even though she knew she could never return to Andromeda's house, as she had been kicked out, she still longed for her home.
Living with knowledge that she could never go back there, was slowly tearing Carly apart.

Bellatrix collected Luna the following morning, and took her straight up to Carly's room, hoping that she would improve Carly's mood.
"Carly!" Squealed Luna, as she ran across the room, and threw her arms around Carly.
"I'll leave you two alone" Bellatrix said awkwardly, before closing the door.
"Are you O.K? Bellatrix told me what happened with Andy. How are you doing?" Asked Luna.
"I'm fine" mumbled Carly, as she pulled Luna's arms off her, and went to sit on her bed.

"You can't lie to me. I know you too well" said Luna, before sitting down beside her.
"I know you do... And I know that Andy isn't my mum, but she always felt like one. She's raised me ever since I was born, and cared for me every single day. But now she never wants to see me again... This room is wonderful, but it doesn't feel like my room. I was only able to leave home with the bags that I could carry, so some of my things are still in my old bedroom. And it doesn't feel right here, without all my things. It doesn't feel like home" admitted Carly quietly.
Luna placed her arm around Carly's shoulders, "You should've come straight to mine last night, so that I could've comforted you".
"I didn't want to intrude on you and your dad, as that wouldn't have been fair. Besides, Narcissa has a spare room for me to stay in here, and you don't" replied Carly.

"But Narcissa doesn't love you like I do, and she cannot support you like I can" reminded Luna.
"No, but she does care about me. And so does Bella, she even offered to become my new surrogate parent. But I have a feeling that her style of parenting is going to be very different to Andy's" sighed Carly.
"Yes, Bellatrix is very different to Andromeda, even though they look alike" agreed Luna.
"She is... And I guess another reason that I didn't want to stay at yours, was because I don't know how long we would be able to live there, before getting kicked out"
"What do you mean?".

"Well, it's only a matter of time before your dad also finds out that we're death eaters. And I didn't want to move in with you, only to be kicked out a month later, when Xenophilius finds out what we are" explained Carly.
"That would never happen. My dad would never kick me out" insisted Luna.
"I thought the same about Andy, yet here I am" replied Carly.
"My dad loves me. And I know that he would never kick me out, no matter what I did. He might not be happy with my life choices, but I know he would never throw me out"
"I hope you're right, for your sake".

"It doesn't matter what my dad would do, because he is not going to find out that I'm a death eater" announced Luna.
"You know as well as I do, that you won't be able to keep this a secret forever. One day your dad will find out. There is only so long you can keep your dark mark covered up, and your death eater clothes hidden" replied Carly.
"Well, I will do my very best to keep this part of my life a secret for as long as possible. Because I don't want to lose my dad. He's the only family I have left. You have your brother, and a whole bunch of cousins. You also have like half a dozen places you can live in, now that you've been kicked out. I only have my dad, and our little house. I don't have anyone else in my family. It's just me and him" admitted Luna.
"That's not true. You have me, my Atlantis. And I'm not going anywhere".

****

Later that morning, the girls headed down to breakfast, where Narcissa had laid out a magnificent feast for them.
"Wow, that is a lot of food. There's nearly as much here as there is at a Hogwarts feast" commented Carly, as her and Luna took their seats beside each other, at the dining table.
"Thank you. I thought I would do a special breakfast this morning, to celebrate you coming to live with us" revealed Narcissa.
"Well, thank you. I'm honoured" replied Carly.
"It may not be as good as what Dobby used to prepare for us each morning, but I did my best"
"It all looks delicious".

"Thank you for allowing me to dine with you, Mrs Malfoy" Luna said politely.
"You're very welcome dear, and please call me Narcissa. Afterall, we are practically family at this point, since you are here nearly every day" replied Narcissa.
"I will try not to come even more regularly, just because Carly is living here now" promised Luna.
"I'm only teasing you dear. And since you come here in the dark lord's name, you may come as often as you like. Even if it is just to spend time with Carly. For I have no intention of keeping you two apart"
"Thank you, Narcissa".

"I've finished" announced Draco suddenly, before getting out of his chair and leaving the room.
Narcissa's face fell as Draco stood up.
"You've barely touched your food" Narcissa called out after him.
"I'm not hungry" replied Draco before disappearing from view.
"Oh dear. I hope my presence here hasn't upset Draco. I didn't mean to make him feel uncomfortable, by moving into his house" Carly said awkwardly.
"Don't worry dear, his mood has nothing to do with you" reassured Narcissa.

"What is wrong with Draco then? I feel like he's been getting paler, and quieter this summer. He was fine at the beginning of the holidays, but recently I've noticed that he's starting to decline. Is he O.K?" Asked Carly, as she began piling up food on her plate.
"He's fine" mumbled Narcissa, as her and Bellatrix shared a knowing look, which Carly didn't understand.

"Are you sure? Because he doesn't seem fine. He looks ill" admitted Carly.
"Draco is just a little preoccupied at the moment, don't worry about it. He is not unwell" replied Bellatrix.
"Yes. You see, the dark lord has given him a mission, and it has been on his mind a lot recently, as it is a very important mission. That is why Draco has been distant with you lately" added Narcissa.
"Cissy, you know we are not allowed to talk about that" hissed Bellatrix.
"Carly is family, and is currently living in this house, so I'm sure the dark lord won't begrudge me telling her" insisted Narcissa.
"The dark lord forbade you to speak of it to anyone, so you should hold your tongue".

"So, Draco has been given a mission by the dark lord, like me and Luna were last year?" Questioned Carly.
"Yes, but as Bella has mentioned, we are not allowed to talk about it" Narcissa answered quietly.
"Oh. O.K" muttered Carly.
"If the dark lord wants you to know what Draco's mission is, then he will tell you himself. If he does not, then we will not speak of it again" announced Bellatrix.

"Yes. Of course. I won't ask any more questions about it" reassured Carly.
"Don't worry, we understand what secrets are, and how important they are" added Luna.
"It's good to know that someone does" Bellatrix said coldly, as she glared at her sister.
"I will say no more about it" promised Narcissa.
"No, you will not" agreed Bellatrix.