Circi | 2

TWENTY ONE

"Big Brother"

January 1996, 1 month later

After the visit from the one woman with sole claim over the nervous state Lucius Malfoy spent the remaining weeks of the christmas holiday in, Circi suffered from much more vivid dreams and nightmares. Some nights, in her dreams, she told her mother everything and confided in her all of her worries. Other nights, however, her mother was in her dreams but she looked much healthier than she did on Christmas Eve; her face was almost distorted and she was decked in a black robe with her forearm revealed to show off the dark mark on her arm.

Oh yes, the knowledge of her mother having been a death eater in the first war made her nervous. Her father may have lied to her but all good lies come with an element of truth. Perhaps Serenity really had been ruthless, maybe she was a killer...

Returning to Hogwarts was all the more dreadful. Umbridge was rising in power thanks to the ministry and it was evident they were attempting to hunt down her mother as the denied threat of the rising dark forces dragged itself into the light. After the introduction to her legilimens uncles, she was anxious of any new ministry official in the school- especially now she had been in direct contact with the woman they were searching for.

After the students had settled in to the new term, it seemed to Circi that her interrogation would cease.

She worked harder in Harry's lessons, determined that she would be able to protect herself if her deepest fears came true. The DA was becoming harder to keep quiet now that Umbridge and her inquisitorial squad suspected members and began following them.

Draco had taken the liberty to question Leslie before Circi, an action which irritated Circi considering she had not spoken to her brother properly since the last summer and he had the nerve to question her best friend about her personal life. Leslie, of course, knew nothing and had returned to his opinionated and bluntly judgemental mannerisms.

As a result, Draco resisted questioning Circi so she could only assume that was why Umbridge had summoned her to her office once again.

The room seemed to stink of pink these days. The walls were still the same horrid shade of pink as last time, decorated all over with portraits and photographs of cats which mewed and crawled between their frames. On the desk, next to a self-standing framed photograph of a flat-nosed cat, was a photograph of the minister Cornelius Fudge.

Behind the desk sat Umbridge and a few members of her inquisitorial squad stood behind her. Circi sat adjacent to them and could feel Draco watching from his position by the door.

She shuffled in her seat nervously, comforted only by the knowledge that she was unlikely to be physically harmed in the presence of other students.

"We have been patient with you, Miss Malfoy," she began in her sickly sweet voice, "we gave you the opportunity to talk to Dumbledore alone and have asked nicely in person but I am done with being nice." She reaches out and pushes the photograph of Fudge face down on the desk. "You have been a naughty girl and as we know, naughty girls must be punished." Gripping the arms of the seat and leaning back as Umbridge stood up, Circi glanced over her shoulder at Draco who was trying his hardest to look stoic as usual. "You have one more opportunity to tell me what you know of Serenity Rier or I will be forced to use other methods of persuasion which I do not like using." She hummed, a half giggle, and looked on expectantly.

"I haven't spoken to Serenity Rier. I don't know where she is."

"I don't believe you." Umbridge sighed, raising her wand. Circi squeezed her eyes shut, biting her lip to stop it from trembling. Her heart rate sped up in anticipation of what was to come. What would she do? Nothing legal, perhaps, and that was more terrifying.