The Darkness In The Light

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Esmeralda Gaunt slouched comfortably in her worn armchair by the fire in her dimly lit muggle cottage. A radio crackled softy from the corner reporting the latest political problems the Ministry had encountered. The drowsy witch ignored the buzz and was reading a thick book in the firelight. It was rare for her to have quiet moments like these due to her dangerous lifestyle. After the first war when Lord Voldemort and been defeated by the baby Harry Potter, Britain's wizarding community seemed to come back to life and thrived in the new light that the Oder of The Phoenix had provided them. But this was not the case for Esmeralda. The Order was set on destroying everything and everyone that had connections to Voldemort. They rounded up the Death Eaters, they fired ministry workers, all the dark creatures were shunned from society and the Department of Records was used to track down any family, friends or acquaintances that Voldemort had before he was diminished.

It was then that Esmeralda had learnt how dangerous fear could make people. Tom Riddle was her older and only cousin. They were the last of their bloodlines. Because of her blood and connection with the dark wizard she became a wanted witch. At first Esmeralda had been angry and felt betrayed. She had never taken the mark, she never killed or tortured anyone. She sided with her cousins opinion, yes, but she never acted on them like he did. She was just part of the audience on the sideline. Yet her friends, co-workers and society had turned against her so willingly after a few convincing newspaper articles and a speech from the Minister of Magic himself. Instead of accepting her fate, and fuelled by her anger, Esmeralda faked her death. She Imperiusd an auror and had set him up with Polyjuice Potion and The Draught of The Living Dead. Then she had him walk into a public area full of aurors and ministry workers. Her fake twin was then arrested and sent to Azkaban that same night. It was then reported in the Daily Prophet the next day that Esmeralda Gaunt had died during her first night in prison, the cause was unknown.

Now, fifteen years later, she lived her life on the run and was keeping out of the public eye. She had no friends and she didn't work but her private vault in her home at the Gaunt Manor kept her alive. She couldn't reside there due to the publicity but her loyal house elf brought her money when she needed it. She owned a few cottages around England under a false name and had excepted her fate. She would live on nothing and survive by herself for the rest of her lonely life. All luxuries of her pure blood upbringing had been stripped from her the moment she had been forced into hiding.

Esmeralda was lazily enjoying her midnight coffee when firm knocking on the door startled the light witch from her lethargic wondering. A flick of her wrist shut the radio off and banished the coffee back into her tiny kitchen. She quietly stood from her perch and warily looked down the hallway. Her cottage was located in the middle of the English country side, a small town was situated six miles down the road and her closest neighbours were on its outskirts. She wasn't expecting any ambitious muggle girl scouts or a terribly late mail man at this time of night.

Slipping into her house shoes she grabbed her emergency bag in case she needed to bail and raised her wand as she approached the door. A look through her invisible eye hole gave her a restricted view of a man clad in dark robes with bleach blonde hair. Esmeralda opened the door a fraction and allowed herself to peer out, her wand hand poised for action.

"Yes" She asked her voice husky from lack of use.

"Miss Gaunt is it?" The man stated rather than asked "I am Lucius Malfoy".

Esmeralda tensed when he spoke her name and her wand twitched when she recognised his. Her heart began beating faster as she realised she had been discovered. When she heard a creaking coming from the back of the house she felt her adrenaline spike. Esmeralda looked at Mr Malfoy grimly through the crack when she realised he had not come alone and that her options of escape were extremely limited.