Born Into Darkness

No Child Of Mine

Only in my house was it considered normal to see a muggle being dragged through the house, screaming out for help as you read a book. Or to see deranged witches and wizards floo into my home without warning whenever they felt like it. But nothing takes the cake like seeing the Dark Lord stroll through your kitchen, brewing a potion as if he owned the place. "If I can't leave the manor, the least you can permit me to do is go up to my room." Bellatrix shook her head as she walked down to the base where the dungeons are. Since I was new to the household, she insisted on keeping me away from anything that might scare me, such as observing the deatheater's process of torture.

"Because hearing someone be killed, is far less worse than seeing it?" I continue to rant to myself, not noticing that I'm being watched from behind. Feeling someone's else's presence, I swiftly turn around, wand in hand. Only to drop my wand as I witness the dark lord, himself, stare me down. "You're very observant of your surrounding and alert of possible dangers. And I can see that your wand that you are quick with your wand. Very good." He walked over, picked up my wand and handed it over to me. "Though your grip seems a bit loose, don't you think?" He cracks a smirk as I glare as the insult. "I grib happens to just fine, thank you." I snatch my wand out of his hands, slightly forgetting who I was mouthing off to. Then remembering I don't care.

Voldemort, chuckles, grabbing my chin. "That ssharp tongue of yourss, will get you in trouble." My body shivers at the sound of his hiss. And I break the stare that we're at, just as Lucius walks up the stairs. "M'Lord, she's talking." Voldemort pushes my face away, causing me to stumble in my seat a bit as he glides down the stairs. My uncle kneels beside me, rubbing my cheeks. "He knows about your history with Potter. Don't provoke him or cause him to do you harm." I shrug my shoulders. "Let him. I'm a prisonor in this house. My mother refuses to spend anytime with the daughter she claims to have missed all these years. No one here cares about me." Lucius stands up straight, hitting his cane to the ground. "It's that we do not care. We have important matters to attend to. With your real identity out, it's not safe for you to me visiting people right now. And as for your mother, if you want to spend time with her then do so. No one is stopping you."

As he left, I closed my book rethinking his last statement. Bellatrix was right downstairs. I could go down there and finally see what it's like. "No, I'm not one of them. I'll never be like them." Grabbing my book, I set off up to my room, ignoring the fact that Bellatrix wanted me downstairs. Later on the evening tends started to conclude, for me at least. Although, the deatheaters were gone for the night, Bellatrix was leaving to perform her deatheaters duties. Like every night since summer started, she'd leave without even saying goodbye. It was as if she forgot I was here. The only difference about tonight was that I wasn't alone. Voldemort stayed here, instead of returning to his estate. I snuck downstairs, past the kitchen, past the living room and the back porch then the fireplace. Past the three bedrooms on the westing of the manor and up the one flight of stairs to the corner of the hall where his study was.

I always found it strange how he had a study here, eventhough it wasn't his house. I'd never ask why, though. Instead, I stood in the corner, observing him through a crack in the door. The room was dim, only lighted by a candle. He read, while his quill wrote down information on a paper on his desk. He never said a single word. Just when I thought I'd get away with it, I heard something coming up behind me. Right below my feet as I rose, his snake wrapped herself around one of my legs. "Your Masster, is sssneaking in placesss ssshe ssshould not beee." Rolling my eyes, I tried to shake Nagini off me. I then saw Voldemort standing over me, with the door wide open now. "Welcome, Hermione. I wondered when I'd see you here."

Faking a smile, I continue to shake Nagini off my leg. "She won't bite. Not unless I say so, at least." He smirked and I gave with the "-_-" face. "Come, Naginie. Let Hemione pass." The large snake uncoiled herself as I walk into his study. "Not too many people understand parseltongue. How did you come to learn it." I shrug my shoulders, unsure of the answer myself. "My hidden talent, I suppose." He eyed me over as I took a seat. "You do not strike me as someone who is afraid of me." I smirk. "That's because, I'm not. I mean you're creepy, but to an extent." His laughs lightly. "It must be from all those years of fighting me with disgusting halfblood and disgraceful blood traitor." That's when I freeze up. "Is that why you wanted to see me? To decree me a blood traitor. Have I brought disgrace to my mother's name by saving the wizarding world from the likes of you?"

His eyes went dark and he floated over to me, grabbing my by the sides of my face. "You have tainted yourself by associating with the likes of those isolent fools. You put yourself in harm's way and wasted all your skills on a losing battle. You disowned your mother and betrayed this family. You're lucky I don't end your life, right her." My eyes watered as I stare him down furiously. "And yet here we are. You've decided to let me live. Why?" I attempted to read his eyes, to see if some secret lied beneath them. He groans pushing himself away from me, facing the fireplace. "Your mother has always been a faithful servant to me, and this is how I shall reward her. By allowing her disgraceful child to live." I roll my eyes as he swiftly turns back to me and raising his wand. "But, make no missstake. If you fall out of line even onccce, I'llll kill you where you ssstand."