Born A Weapon

the choice is yours

Content Warnings: This chapter contains parental abuse, emotional manipulation, physical violence, threats, imprisonment, torture, depictions of injured and frightened prisoners, coercion, dehumanising blood-purity ideology, and a character actively participating in torture and violence. The chapter also deals heavily with moral corruption and the loss of empathy.

please read at your own risk

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Delphini ran until her lungs burned and her legs ached, until the darkness of the forest had begun to thin into the pale grey of morning. She didn't stop until she was certain she was far enough away that no one had followed her. The forest was waking around her, crisp morning air slipping through the branches and cold against her flushed face, birds beginning to whistle somewhere high above as the first rays of sunlight found their way through the thick canopy. She finally stopped beside a cluster of ancient trees and lowered her bag to the ground, pressing both hands against her knees as she struggled to catch her breath. She had no idea how far she had travelled or where she was. She only knew that she couldn't go back. Not yet.

Her thoughts immediately returned to the Burrow, to Sirius, to everything he had said to her. He had told her that she could choose. That she didn't have to become what her parents wanted her to become. That being born into something didn't mean she had to belong to it. She remembered the way he had looked at her when he said it, as though he genuinely believed she was capable of being something different. For the first time in her life, someone had looked at her and seen a person rather than a name.

A twig snapped somewhere behind her.

Delphini froze.

She turned sharply, wand already half-raised, but there was nothing there. Only trees, shadows and the faint movement of leaves in the morning breeze. She lowered her wand slowly and swallowed, forcing herself to breathe. Sirius had told her to run if she ever needed to, not because he wanted her afraid, but because he wanted her safe. He hadn't tried to control her. He hadn't demanded that she choose him. He had given her the one thing nobody else ever had.

A choice.

Delphini picked up her bag.

Then she walked deeper into the forest.

It took her a long time to quiet her thoughts enough to Apparate. When she finally managed it, the landing at Malfoy Manor was anything but graceful. She stumbled onto the cold marble steps outside the front door, catching herself with one hand before she could fall completely. She stayed there for a moment, breathing heavily, trying to convince herself that she was fine. From inside the manor came the sound of raised voices and hurried footsteps, followed by what sounded unmistakably like Bellatrix having another fit about something.

Delphini slowly pushed herself to her feet and looked around the grounds. The enormous hedges stood perfectly trimmed despite the early hour, their dark green leaves still wet with morning dew, the tall wrought-iron gates separating the manor from the outside world. She had barely had time to straighten her clothes when she noticed someone approaching along the path.

Snape.

Something flickered across his face before disappearing almost immediately.

Concern.

Delphini almost missed it.

S: "Miss Delphini."

There was no accusation in his voice, no demand for an explanation, but she knew Snape well enough to understand that, coming from him, the absence of questions could mean far more than questions ever would.