The Sparrow and The Serpent

Chapter 5

Margot knew her father was rising to power again. She could feel it in every fiber of her being. She felt it when she woke up in the morning and went to bed at night. Margot felt it the most strongly when Harry brought Cedric's dead body back during the Triwizard Tournament in her 4th year. Of course, The Ministry had questioned her and assumed the worst of her. They raided her home and ripped apart her belongings. She had wept in Pansy's arms as they interrogated her waitstaff and house elves. "They don't know anything!" she had cried as they tortured her very favorite house elf, Nimona. The anger she felt for her father was nothing she felt for The Ministry after they ripped her life apart. Cedric had been killed in her family cemetery, essentially in her backyard as she sat in the stands next to Draco and Pansy at Hogwarts.

"She must have known."

"It's her fault."

"Evil bitch."

Her classmates did little to hide their disgust in her and Margot was, of course, furious at her father. The father couldn't stay around long enough in his human body to meet her, to help her through this. Like so many other times in her life, she was alone as she endured. Well, mostly alone.

A knock sounded late at night during the first weeks of the summer holidays Margot was sitting on the couch, still wrecked with grief and sick of being terrorized by the Ministry.

Margot peered through the hole in the door to see Draco waiting on the other side of the door.

"Draco – I" an embrace enveloped Margot as she spoke. But she didn't need to say anything, so she wept. Draco closed the door behind them as she cried, she didn't need to explain why, she didn't need to keep her composure - so she didn't. For hours, Draco held onto Margot, right on the entryway floor as she cried.

"What am I Draco?! What the fuck am I? Why... why Draco."

"I don't know, Margot but it's okay. You are strong." Draco ran a hand through her hair.

"I don't know how much longer I can be Draco," Margot said.

"Then don't be strong, just for tonight. Just for tonight, we will be 14 years old." Draco laughed slightly and pulled her face up to look at him.

So she did, she wiped her tears on her sleeve and let Draco hold her. When she could, she pulled herself up and played chess with Draco. Eventually, he got her to laugh. He stayed with her for 3 days. They coexisted in the silence, spending time walking the grounds and playing games. They practiced quidditch in a nearby field and ate pasta for almost every meal. Eventually, Draco had to leave. Margot wept again.

"I can't be here Draco, there are ghosts," Margot had cried as he packed his things.

"Make them fear you."

And he left.

~

Margot's head collided with cold marble tile. The voices above her murmured anxiously above her before someone pulled her to her feet. Margot quickly realized that she was in Malfoy Manor. The manor was familiar to her and she felt soothed by its cold grey interior, it was consistent.

"Narcissa!" Margot hugged the woman fiercely to her.

"Oh, child!" Narcissa hugged her and rubbed her back affectionately.

The crowd around her was full of unfamiliar faces and it made her cling to Narcissa tighter. The manor was decorated for Halloween and the entryway was filled with candles suspended in the air. As she got her bearings, confusion became more and more troublesome. Narcissa took Margot by the arm and wiped her clothing off. Narcissa gestured for Margot to follow her and she led her up a narrow staircase in the inner part of the manor. A door swung open to another hallway and Margot took in the wall tapestries and paintings that adorned the walls. Finally, Narcissa stopped in front of a closed door and took a deep breath.