Lady of Flowers (Fred Weasley)

Chapter Five

Anthea slowly started to open her eyes blinking rapidly as she noticed that she was laying on a cold floor in the middle of a garden. She pushed herself off the ground brushing off her robes so they were straight. Her dark eyes scanned the garden but it wasn't like any garden she has ever seen. She wrinkled her nose in confusion as she saw jewels that seemed to grow out of the ground and trees made out of crystal.

Walking over to the tree she ran her hand along what should have been the bark of the tree. Anthea could feel the power that radiated off this place where ever she was. It was like the darkness of the garden was drawing her in. She had always felt a connection to the darkness and the earth, and this place felt like a combination of the two.

(Flashback)

Anthea had been running around outside during one of her mother's tea parties with the other noble pure-blood ladies. She couldn't have been more than six at the time, but as she ran through the garden she felt free. Free from the constant watch of her parents and their teachings of how she should act.

In the garden where they couldn't see her, she was just Anthea, not Anthea Malfoy. Her last name carried weight in the community that she always felt weighted down and controlled by.But that day in the garden was like none that ever came before. Because in the back of the garden where a large marble fountain was placed there was one of the most beautiful women that the little girl had ever seen. The lady wore a flowing dark green dress that was decorated with lace flowers with flowy black hair.

Anthea stood behind the flower bush not knowing whether if she should go talk to the lady or go tell her father about her. But before she could debate it anymore the lady's striking warm brown eyes made there way over to her and she called out, "Come here little one."

She didn't feel warry of the stranger like she should, instead, the voice felt familiar and welcoming. Anthea slowly made her way over to the fountain, careful not to trip over her own dress that came all the way down to her feet.

"Who are you?" she asked politely not wanting to anger the strange lady. The lady just smiled down at her with something that Anthea couldn't quite pick up in her eyes.

"That my darling is something you will find out when the time is right. For now, you may call me, Persephone," the lady told her, but she almost looked sad, Anthea though as she said it the last part.

"Like the goddess?" Anthea asked her eyes widen in excitement. She had remembered Lady Persephone from the stories her mom told her. She was the queen of the Underworld and she was married to Hades.

"Exactly, my smart girl," Persephone said with fondness as she looked at her daughter. She knew she couldn't tell her who she was to her, but she could still take a moment like this to talk to her and Hades' child. This could be her only moment in a while where should take a minute to get to know her daughter before Zeus would sense her presence lurking in one place for too long. Persephone got off her the ledge of the fountain and bent down so she was more on Anthea's level and looked into her daughter's dark eyes that reminded her of her husband's. "I have to go now, but I want you to remember darling when you need me most I will be there," Persephone told the girl with a certain conviction in her voice that held promise. Before Anthea could say anything Persephone vanished with a scent of pomegranates left in her place.

(Present)

Anthea frowned as she remembered the lady from the garden. She hadn't thought about her in a long time, she had told her mother about Persephone, and she had told her it was just her imagination. Before she could think more about it a voice broke her from her train of thought.