Behind the mask

Chapter two ~ Spilling out

17:58pm... Novell Family Home, Muggles World...

I hiss, running through the flames before looking down at the burning red fire. "Jake!" "What?" I look to him, finding him wrapped in a blanket, mouth stuffed of popcorn. "I was cold!" I groan, placing the bag of goodies down on the coffee table before chucking him his two pouches of coins. "This should do us until next time." He nods, counting each pouch and thanking me before ruffling through my bag as I head to the kitchen, taking a couple slices of left over pizza, placing tomato sauce on the side to dip into. Weird, I know, but don't knock it until you try it. "How was it?" "Busy. It seems they're all shopping for school again." He hums, flicking through the older book as I swat his feet away, sitting down next to him. "Did you get caught?" "Clearly not or I wouldn't be here." "You know what I mean." He looks to me as I take a bite of pizza, avoiding his gaze. "Malfoy." "What about him?" He slams the book shut as I quickly sneak a glance at him, soon regretting as I see the anger rise in him, or is it concern. "He um, locked eyes with me and chased after me into Flourish and Blotts but Mr Barkwith chased him away, he didn't get a full look at me, so I don't think he knew." He curses, rubbing a hand down his face.

"Of course he knows." "And so what? If he shows up in a few days' time he'll know it's us anyway. Regardless, he's going to see us, they all are, and we hope they don't rat us out to the Ministry." "They might, considering they seem to all be working for them." I sigh, taking another bite. "Or they might not, which is why we are taking the risk and hoping we can trust them to help us." He side eyes me, stealing a bite of my other slice as I slap his arm. "Karma for almost being caught." "Almost." He rolls his eyes, but I know he's worried. I think we're both worried as we don't want to be separated but we could be. Something we're avoiding.

"Do you know who my mother is?" I look to him as his eyebrow furrow. "Why are you suddenly asking?" "I was compared to her again. I was curious on who she was, what she looked like, if I have any resemblance etc." He hums, taking a sip of his beer. "I guess it's best to tell you in case they do." I stare at him suspiciously as he gets up, wondering to a nearby cupboard and pulling a box out as I finish my slice of pizza. "I have been trying to keep to fathers promise by not telling you until you were thirty, but I guess this time is more convenient in case they mention her." I tilt my head as he places the box down, looking up and whispering a 'forgive me' to our father. "You knew and never told me?" He sighs, sitting down next to me. "I wanted to tell you; I promise. Just, we wanted to protect you for as long as we could but now is as good as a time as any and any questions you have, well, I hope I can answer. I've done as much research as I can on her, before the situation." I nod and look to the box, feeling nervous to open it or doubting if I even want to know her now and maybe I just acted on the spur of the moment and feeling. They do say curiosity kills the cat, but I always say at least it died satisfied.

I take a deep breath, pushing in the gold button causing the lock to click before I push the lid open with a slight creek. I instantly notice a picture on top, a smiling one as I pick it up, studying her. Black wavy hair like mine, a little insane looking but, I can see the resemblance. Similar nose, eye shape and eyebrows, the rest I get from my father. Jake clears his throat while also stealing my slice of pizza, but this time I don't mind. I seem to have lost my appetite. "Her name is Bellatrix Lestrange. I guess you can say she was part of the dark arts, I think, but mostly known to be part of the whole death eaters club." I look to him as he takes a bite nodding in approval. "Now do you see why we never said? She was bad news. Strange as her last name says." I look back to her, seeing her smile and waving her wand before laughing. "She has a daughter with Voldemort. Delphini but she isn't aware you exist. It's best it stays that way." I nod slowly, taking in everything he's saying. "Did my mum know of me? Raise me even?" He nods again. "She raised you until she was killed in the battle. That's when father took you in and raised you. I think he was relieved to learn you didn't have her tendencies to kill or be insane in a way. She loved you; you know." I look back to her, rubbing my thumb over it as I sigh, knowing she did, as if my bones are telling me, yet I feel disconnect in a way. Maybe it's because I never knew her but even now it's as if my soul knows to have nothing to do with her. 'But she's your mother Hope'.

"How did she meet father?" "They met at the Whomping Willow. Clique I know but she actually chased after him by leaving a letter to meet there. I guess the rest is history from there." "Do you think they loved one another?" He thinks it over a little, finishing the last of the pizza slice as I watch him, studying him. "In the words of father, 'once a upon a time we did'. I assume they fell out of love when she became more, you know, erratic." "But she was pregnant with me when she became, like that?" He nods, picking up a notebook from inside the box. "This is, well, a diary written for you." I stare at it in shock. "I didn't read it, but I could tell from the first page it was. I would like to read it with you though. I think I'm just as curious about her as you are." He nervous chuckles, placing it back. "I believe she was still pregnant with you when she went a little loopy. Then father split with her after finding out about the dark mark and she turned completely insane. I think he was also relieved you were born without one as he thought you may have since it was in the blood stream." I nod, looking to the box again as I place the image down, pulling out a necklace box.

"Ah, she wanted to give you this on your twenty-fifth birthday. You're almost there." I slowly place it down. "I better respect her wishes. I know I never knew her but, she wanted me to have it at that age for a reason." I look to him as he smiles sadly, looking into the box and pulling out a ring. "Take this at least." I look down at the little silver ring in a vine shape with a red crystal rose in the middle. "I can't. I'll end up destroying it or something." "Take it." He places it in my hand, closing it around it. "Keep something of hers on you. She was crazy but she was strong. You're stronger but maybe you'll feel comfort or confidence on having something of hers on you." I nod, looking down at my closed hand. "She wore this, didn't she?" He nods, digging out a photo of her younger self standing with her friends, roughly my age, as the ring shines in the sun. "It looks beautiful on her. She is beautiful." "In her own wicked way." I nudge him as we chuckle, staring at the picture for far too long but in a trance about my past, a past I never knew yet feeling some comfort with the information I now know and will cherish for the rest of my life. "Oh, and your real name is Nova. Not Hope.".