Servitium| Theodore Nott

Chapter Sixteen

Ivory hadn't spoken with Fabiola since that Tuesday morning, it had been at least two weeks and it seemed that Fabiola was making it a point to avoid her, she had seen her around with Susan Bones, but even in the lessons they shared together Fabiola had changed her seat, sitting with Parvati Patil and Lavender Brown. Fabiola would rather sit with Lavender Brown whom she barely got along with rather than Ivory her best friend all because her godmother happened to be Bellatrix Lestrange. She could understand Neville not talking to her, at least he had a valid reason, but Fabiola? 

Susan Bones had said in Herbology the next day after the Daily Prophet dropped the bomb that she understood how Harry felt, apparently her aunt, uncle and cousins had been a victim of one of the escapee Death Eater's attacks before they were captured and sent to Azkaban. Fabiola had comforted her and then said rather loudly "yes, I suppose victims of such heinous actions are at Hogwarts as are relatives of the perpetrators and you wouldn't even guess who."

Even so, there was one bright side to Ivory's misery, people didn't seem to be content with the Ministry's explanation on just how ten Death Eaters had managed to break out of Azkaban, a fortress. Now, the disbelievers saw there was only one explanation, maybe Voldemort truly was back. Perhaps on this realisation, they could start to take action, although, Ivory wouldn't go too far.

Even Professors seemed to be as paranoid as the students, they could be found conversing their theories in groups of two or three outside classrooms, Ivory supposed they couldn't really talk about it in the staff room with Umbridge around, not when she was so adamant that there was no such thing as Voldemort.

"Aren't you going to open it?" Theodore asked, Ivory looked down at her hand where the letter she had received that morning was being scrunched up.

"For what? What's it going to say? I barely know her and here I am suffering the consequences of her actions, Fabiola won't speak to me, Neville looks at me as if I'm the one who tortured his parents." She sat on the windowsill opposite Theodore looking out onto the Black Lake. It was Friday and so Ivory had just finished her Occlumency lesson with Snape however she had decided to skip dinner altogether and hang out with Theodore instead.

"Well you've had it since morning, if you really weren't interested you would have burnt it by now, also Soren is doing okay, Snape's been making sure he's eating and attending his lessons, and he's got his girlfriend Rowle looking after him, so I wouldn't worry if I were you."

Ivory sighed fiddling with the letter, she knew that Bellatrix would write to her, after all Pansy had said that the woman used to dote upon her as a child according to her father, she also knew that aside from her sister Narcissa Black, Ivory's mother was Bellatrix's closest friend, best friends practically, that was how Bellatrix came to be Ivory's Godmother.

"Alright, I don't care what she has to say but I might write her to tell her to sod off." Ivory fiddled with the wax seal, it was a black seal with the symbol of the Black household and around the circle seal were the words 'Toujours Pur'. She tore it off and unfolded the piece of parchment.

TO IVORY MERIDIA GALLIANO

It was written in the most uncharacteristically neat handwriting, she hadn't expected such calligraphy from her godmother who was a minute past delusional and a quarter past psychosis.

My Dearest Ivory Meridia,

Did you know I gave you that middle name? It was what I was going to name my own daughter had I been able to have one, alas Rodolphus was less than a man and couldn't do his duty to me, what did I expect? Men are only useful for manipulation. 

You cannot get letters in Azkaban but your mother paid off some Aurors to smuggle letters in, she has told me all about you and the woman you've become, but she's vague. I would have thought that you'd write to your best Godmother first, but you have failed to do so, I suppose as the adult I should take the first step. Did you see me in the Daily Prophet? They didn't get my good side, I'm much prettier in person.