The Slytherin Mudblood: Book 1

Chapter 11

MYSTERIOUS GIFT

Trigger Warning for Abuse.

On Christmas Day, I woke up bright and early. 

I decided to put on my quidditch jumper and some black dress pants to look extra fine today. I put on a pair of black boots and slowly, quietly crept downstairs to find a large pile of boxes under and around the Christmas tree. All were wrapped in unique paper with different names on them. I looked through them to find three gifts with my name on them. One from Daphne, one from my parents, and one from an anonymous person. 

I opened Daphne's present first to find a necklace with my name on it, there were two tiny diamonds for dots of the Is in Victoria. I admired how gorgeous it was, then I set it aside and opened the gift from my parents. It was a pair of snake-like ear cuffs and they were gorgeous. I set it down and was about to open the anonymous gift until someone came down the stairs. It was Draco, "Ah! Oh my god, Draco! You scared me," I shrieked, trying to laugh it off.

"Eager to open presents, I see," he smiled at me.

"Uh, yeah. I got one from Daphne, my parents, and some anonymous person. That reminds me, I have one for you," I remembered, rushing upstairs to get his present.

"Wait, what?" He asked confusingly. I don't think people get him presents much. I came back downstairs with a small black velvet ring box and gave it to him. "I'm hoping we can start over since the start of the school year was not so good. It was quite expensive, but it's nothing."

"Thank you, Victoria. No one has ever gotten me anything," he thanked softly, looking down at the box.

"Oh, I'm sure that's not true," I scoffed, trying to lighten the mood.

"No really! All I've gotten are family heirlooms and that isn't necessarily a gift. It's more an object you're obligated to pass down," he explained, looking at his family ring.

"Well, this is a gift. So open it before I take it back," I sarcastically said.

He chuckled and opened the box to reveal a dark grey ring engraved with a snake pattern on it. He thanked me and slipped it onto his thumb, admiring it. We agreed and shook hands, to start over on good terms. Then, Draco looked over my shoulder to see the present I hadn't opened yet, "You forgot one," he pointed to the anonymous present.

"Oh that? I don't know who it's from, there's no name on it, but it's for me," I responded.

"Well, how bout opening it?" He suggested with a wicked smile.

I shrugged and tore off the paper to find a big box, I opened it and inside was a little blood-red apple with a singular bright green leaf attached to the stem. It was surprisingly ripe and had no bruises or discoloured spots. It reminded me of Snow White's poisoned, red apple. There was a tiny letter in the box and I could barely read it:

For thou who takes a bite,

Will see into one's mind.

But be careful in there,

Only bad things shall you find.

IV.B

I was extremely confused! Who? What? Why? Me? What? 

Apples! The most suspicious of the fruits! 

See into one's mind? I think if I bite this apple, I would be able to read minds. But I'd only read the bad or negative thoughts. But, who is IV.B? The paper and the hand-writing looked very old, so how is the apple fresh? I wanted Draco's opinion, "Hey, Draco, if I bite this apple, I can read minds, but I will only see negative things. Do you think I should take a bite of it?"

"Are you blithering mad? Absolutely not! You have no idea who it's from or what it will do to you!" He tried to snatch the apple from me.

"What's going on with you? Stop it! It is my gift after all," I said, trying to hold the apple out of the way of his hand.

"It's probably something infested with dark magic! Don't take it, Victoria!" He pleaded.

"Why would anyone send me, an eleven year-old, something with dark magic? I certainly don't think someone would try to poison me. Nobody knows who I am!" I shook my head at the crazy thought.

"Just please, think it through," He said cautiously, calming his voice down a bit.

I sat and thought, staring at the apple weighing the pros and cons of taking a minor bite. There is technically nothing wrong with said apple, and this could be beneficial possibly! Besides, this gift was for me, I must have some sort of purpose to take a bite. So without hesitation, I took a large bite of the red apple. 

Immediately, the bright red apple disintegrated into nothingness. After I swallowed, I felt a feeling of... nothing. Literally nothing. No vision loss, no passing out, no mind transformation, or something. It was anti-climactic. Then, I looked at Draco and I started having visions.

There was a midnight black door. The door swung open at and out stepped Draco's father, Lucius Malfoy. He had his signature large cane with a silver snake head on it, in his hand. I saw Draco there too, small and innocent. Abruptly, his father charged towards Draco and swung his cane at him, Draco crashing to the floor in enormous pain. Draco looked back at Lucius, bleeding slightly from a major scratch on his cheek. 

My vision then blipped into another. Draco was talking back to his father about something he didn't want to do. His father decided to make a back-handed swipe straight to his other cheek. Draco looked back at him in tears and ran off, up a grand flight of white, marble stairs. Then, my vision went black. I snapped out of it to find Draco staring at me with a concerned look, "Victoria, are you ok? I told you not to eat it!" Draco scolded lightly.

"Draco?" I questioned as subtly as I could, regaining my consciousness. "Are you abused by your father?" He stepped back, scared at the question. Draco glared at me in surprise, then looked down ashamed. I could tell he knew I had read his mind. His silence told me he definitely was abused by Lucius. 

Draco finally spoke after what felt like forever, "My father is a very harsh man. Father doesn't understand my beliefs or wants. I know he wants the best for me, so I follow his. He sometimes makes me do things I'm uncomfortable with. Mum tends to talk him out of it, but it's painful to think about. The marks, the scars, inside and out."

As he told that, he shed a single tear down his pale cheeks. I stood in front of him and gave him a comforting hug, in which he embraced. Right after, the other Slytherins started pouring into the common room to go open their presents too. We quickly ended the hug before anyone saw us and laughed the hug off, trying to forget the pain I saw.