BLOOD TRAITOR [HARRY POTTER - BOOK 1]

Chapter 10

Disclaimer: I do not own the Harry Potter world, all rights go to J.K Rowling. I do however own my original character Nova Malfoy and her story.

The flames that surrounded the bathtub danced in her eyes as she leant her head against the cool tiles of the bathroom. She had always had a slight obsession with fire, the sheer beauty of it masking its destruction from the world. As she sat in the silent serenity, her mind recalled the fear that she had put into her brother's eyes with every blink and her head pounded with inner torment. Nova knew that she did not deserve her twin's unconditional forgiveness; she could have killed him and deep within the roots of her tangled mind, she thought that perhaps a part of her wanted to and that simple idea festered like a virus, convincing her that the recent change in her did not warrant his undying loyalty.

Loyalty can be so incredibly fickle, yet it often presents itself as an unrelenting devotion to another person. For the Malfoy twins, it was unyielding; an irrevocable alliance forged in blood that could never be tainted by the pressures of the world. It was the one thing that had remained constant in Nova's life, whether or not she deserved it. As morality swung back and forth like a pendulum, it remained an unspoken law that should the need arise, either would tip the scale into unwanted territory to protect their other half. Uncompromising loyalty makes people dangerous and there was nothing that Nova wouldn't do to protect her brother.

As this thought matured in the depths of her mind, Nova knew that it was the reason that she had been so devastated with her earlier actions. The reason that she had sat in the shallow water for a number of hours despite the array of apologies and the gifts of forgiveness that had been shared among the family. Her lips quivered slightly as cool air hit her and the water drained from the grand porcelain bath as she pulled her pyjamas over her dripping wet hair. Dragging a hand across the misty mirror, she scanned the silvery scar that crossed her collarbone. It always seemed to captivate her in the most manipulative of ways, a constant reminder of her differences – a gateway that allowed the darkness to seep into her pores and cultivate her mind.

The dripping of the faucet caught her attention, forcing her to tighten the tap before turning to exit the bathroom. Her bare feet padded against the black marble tiles until the dripping of water brought her to a halt with a soft sigh, forcing her back towards the sink to tighten the tap once more. Running a hand through her damp hair, she frowned when the sound of running water echoed through the room yet again. She turned around and glanced at the sink, only to find that there was no water. The frown on her brow grew deeper still as she checked the bath also – no running water. Drip, drip, drip. The sound pounded at her ears as she glanced around the bathroom, reaching into her pocket to retrieve her wand. Drip, drip, drip. The hair on the back of her neck stood on end as the young witch felt the air around her freeze and she was firmly rooted to her spot on the marble floor. Grey eyes narrowed and darted around the room to find the source and pale hands clutched at her dragon heartstring and cedar wand. A deafening silence suffocated the room prompting the girl to hold her breath as she shivered in apprehension, instinctively backing towards the door until a whispering caught her attention.

It was a language that she had only heard in her dreams, in the Dark Lord's memories and it instantly sliced through her heart as it leapt into her throat. The hissing grew steadily louder as it shouted foreign commands at her and begged for her to listen and in her mind's eye she saw a snake, stalking her like prey as its yellow eyes watched her every moment. A scream caught in her throat as her hands clutched at her head begging to dampen the sound as the snake drew itself backwards, ready to strike. The scream escaped as nothing but a whimper as the snake dived through the air and disappeared into her chest. Into the scar that slithered across her collar. Into the gateway that welcomed the darkness and offered it a safe haven within the confines of her heart.