Estelle

Chapter 13

What are you doing here, Estelle?" Septimus asked me surprised. We had met unexpectedly at the base of the stairs of The Hotel in Exeter. He was preparing to ascend the stair case, I was walking down. He was surrounded by his friends, a few I recognized from Hogwarts, I quickly surmised they didn't recognize me.

"Oh, hello Septimus. I'm here for the Christmas ball of course." I said quietly dropping a quick curtsy.

"Of course." He acknowledged. "These are my friends, you of course remember Charles Prince, Abraham Greengrass, and Hiram Bulstrode."

"Of course, it's a pleasure to see you gentlemen again." I curtsied again, as the men addressed bowed.

"These lovely ladies are Theodosia Gaunt Greengrass, and Ester Peverell. They attended Beauxbatons." I could Theodosia didn't care for me too much but Ester, she seemed to want to know more.

"It's a pleasure." I said curtsying, the ladies curtsied back.

"This is my cousin, Estelle Malfoy." Septimus introduced me.

The scene changed to me talking to my grandmother later that evening. We had dinner together in the privacy of my chambers at the Inn. I had told her I was moving out of my mother's place and she had warned me that my grandfather was going to have a fit when he found out, though she understood. It wasn't fit for a young woman to be on her own, never mind my mother had done so. Of course my mother had my father to support her, and she was all the way in the Colonies.

She gave me a gift fir my birthday after we ate, a beautiful oriental fan. She also gave me a gift from Septimus, who I knew cared, even though he didn't show it. I opened it up to find a tortoise comb. As my grandmother was leaving my companion Nadia walked in, they greeted each other and my grandmother left.

Nadia then informed me that she had seen Septimus steal a private moment with Ester and give her a necklace. As she described the necklace I realized it was one that my grandmother had promised me. I felt a pang in my heart as I realized my grandfather had given it to Septimus to make sure I would never have it.

The scene changed again and I was sitting in a chair in the sitting room at Malfoy Manor. My grandmother was across the room, with her was Septimus. Septimus' parents stood nearby observing with thinly veiled anticipation for my punishment. My grandfather was pacing, I had asked for a property to live in, like he had granted my mother. He had refused saying I could either stay with my mother or get married. I was not welcome at the Malfoy properties without being married. Then he back handed me with such force I fell out of the chair onto my hands and knees on the ground tears falling down my cheeks. Then he conjured a whip and brought it down as I jolted awake gasping for breath

the dream raced through my head, a dream but not just a dream - a memory. I wasn't sure what brought the memories tonight but I knew I wasn't going to sleep any more tonight. I got up, got dressed and wandered the house, eventually finding myself in the small library. I sat down on a love seat near the window.

I had always loved this room though it has many changes over the years, it still had that comfortable, welcoming feeling it had the first time I walked into it. Not many outsiders had seen this room, it was strictly for family, something that had been kept just for family even during the Wizarding War when Tom's forces lived here.

The first time I had seen this room, I was probably two or three. My mother had dropped me off, probably on one of her searches for my father. She'd leave me with my grandparents and then take off to who knows where. I got on well with my grandmother and my cousin, but the rest of the family disliked me, and I saw them often over the years. This room became my refuge, Sanguini had taught me to read early so I found solace in books.

My grandfather and I had never gotten on, he didn't care much for my mother, and I was just a Disappointment to him. They had done their duty raising me to be a proper Malfoy witch, but I was odd, the black sheep of the family. I had know that my grandfather would not be pleased but I had to try, and I had never expected that outcome, he had never lashed out at me like that before.

"Can't sleep either?" Draco asked walking in the room, interrupting my thoughts - my memories.

"I had a dream of memories I thought were long forgotten." I said softly.

"Of Tom?"

I shook my head, "No, of my grandfather. Of what happened right before I turned 21 and tried to run, from my mother, from my grandfather, from my life as I knew it."

"What happened?" He asked taking a seat in a chair nearby.

"He ordered me to stay with my mother or get married. I wanted neither, he didn't give me a choice." I sighed. "I knew my mother was getting paranoid of me, I wasn't compliant enough for her. I hadn't been since I had met my best friend Nadia while at Hogwarts, she lived in the woods nearby."

"The Forbidden Woods?" He asked.

I nodded as my father interrupted us. "Why do they call it that?"

"Werewolves, vampires, centaurs, and other magical creatures live in there. It's very dangerous." Draco explained. "I had to serve a detention in there with Harry Potter and Ron Weasley my first year. Came across a Professor who had the Dark Lord living on the back of his head. He had been feeding from a unicorn, to keep the Dark Lord alive." He shuddered at the memory.

"It was just as dangerous if not more so back when I first attended Hogwarts." I spoke up.

"And yet you went in?" My father asked shaking his head. He came and sat down beside me.

"I loved the thrill of danger back then, and it wasn't forbidden back then." I explained as I lay my head on his shoulder and I went back to my story. "I was desperate, I knew what would eventually happen if I stayed with my mother and my grandfather refused to help me so I ran, taking Nadia with me.

"What happened next?"

"Well, my mother took it as a betrayal and sent out one of her soldiers to try and kill me. Sanguini intervened and saved my life, he had tracked the soldier after finding out what my mother had decreed. He traveled with us for a bit. Then we made a mistake."

"What happened?" Draco asked

"We had been on the run for about 5 years and were in France. We crossed the path of some wizards and word got to my uncle. My grandfather had passed away of what they claimed was a heart attack fairly soon after I ran away. I suspect my grandmother or Septimus poisoned him, with me gone there was No one to distract him, I was favorite target.

"Anyway My uncle, Septimus' father came after us, after me. He hired a werewolf to come after Sanguini and Nadia, they escaped but while it kept them busy my uncle came for me. He took me back to Malfoy Manor and forced me to marry Charles Prince, Septimus' best friend."

"How long were you married to him?" My father asked.

"A fair bit of time." I stifled a yawn. "It didn't go the way my uncle thought it would. He wanted to punish me, instead my marriage to Charles was in my favor. Charles was kind to me, we never loved each other but there was respect. Charles made sure I never saw my uncle, and protected me during our marriage."

Silence filled the room when I finished speaking. I was too emotionally drained to continue and they seemed to pick up on it. It still amazed me how something so long in the past could still affect me this way. My father turned slightly so I could lean up against him, laying my head on his chest. He pulled me to him, stroking my hair and the silence settled on us like a comfortable blanket. I closed my eyes and focused on breathing in - deep breath in, hold for a few seconds and breathe out.

After a few minutes my father asked, "Why have you never asked why I left? Why I wasn't there for you when you were growing up?"

I opened my eyes, sat up slightly, and glanced around. I saw Draco had slipped out in the silence leaving me alone with my father.

I lay back and closed my eyes again. "I used to wonder, but then Uncle Nik told me about Mikael. I know you left because of him, I understand why you left."

My father kissed my forehead and I drifted off to sleep, I barely heard him whisper, "I love you Estelle, my little star."