“Any minute now, we will be joined by a very special guest.” He spoke softly and quietly, only just loud enough for the person at the other end of the table to hear. The man had never been one of much patience let alone one that would wait around for anyone.
Draco malfoy, nervously perched on the edge of his seat eyed up the empty chair beside the dark lord, another empty chair sitting untouched opposite it. The two unoccupied chairs were obviously meant for some very important people as the dark lord would normally not let someone get so close to him. Although he was feared and highly respected by the group of followers and he surely knew he was in control of all of them and had nothing to fear, he still remained guarded. He never let anyone in, never told them things they need not know and never let anyone understand what was going through his mind. The young boy wondered what he was doing there. He sat in wait four chairs down from the dark lord himself, nestled between his mother and aunt. He had never known growing up what it must have been like for his family, all the secret tasks and evil intentions of the dark lord. He could’ve only imagined what it must have been like to sit in the company of the lord himself. And now he sat, regretting ever wanting to join his band of followers. Most death eaters hadn’t had a choice and joined for fear of their family. The rare few because they had lost their mind, even fewer because their mind was twisted and dark. But Draco had joined because he saw it fit to. Opposite him sat the two newest members of the clan, Crabbe and Goyle, each sitting next to their fathers who also happened to be death eaters.
Bellatrix, who had been silent all this time, spoke up.
“My lord, has it come to your attention that Severus...” but just as she was about to continue the fireplace lit up with green flames.
“Sorry I am late, my lord.” Snape’s drowsy voice mumbled through the cloud of smoke.
“Ah, Severus, I take it you managed to find my guest?” the dark lord smiled at this new arrival, hiding behind the dark flowing cloak of Severus Snape.
The dark haired man hesitated. Almost considering whether to floo himself to the nearest fireplace.
“No, my lord. I had a little trouble tracking her down and it seemed...” he hesitated again, walking to the empty seat he clearly thought was for him and exposing a young girl behind him. The dark lord’s smile dropped as the table all turned to look at their guest. Some faces lit up in recognition, especially Draco’s. After a closer look, a faint smirk reappeared on Voldemort’s torn face.
Snape cleared his throat, willing to continue, but the dark lord raised his right arm, silencing his faithful servant. He raised himself from his seat slowly, eyes gleaming.
“Miss Granger is it?” he spoke in a patronising voice. He walked from his seat gliding past Snape and softly laid his hand to rest on Miss Granger’s cheek. She didn’t move, not even make a sound. She didn’t even seem to be bothered by him at all. Draco watched, confused. He knew Hermione Granger and this was not the way she would act in front of someone as intimidating as Lord Voldemort.
“How dare you bring a filthy mudblood like ‘er in my family’s house?!” screamed Bellatrix, hissing at Hermione. Snapping out her wand, again Hermione seemed unfazed.
“Brass little one isn’t she?” Voldemort spoke softly, twisting a strand of her hair with his dirty finger. She had no expression on her face.
“Who would have thought we would have Harry Potter’s very own girlfriend in our presence,” he sneered.
Draco lowered his head and looked at the floor, avoiding all contact with the guest. No matter how hard he tried he couldn’t forget their past together and the look of disappointment on her face that night he told her of his mission. All he could remember was the first, and last, kiss they had shared, hours before his life changed.
The girl started laughing, but not the sort of laugh that you would have expected from a girl like her. It was a cold and sadistic laugh, evil lurking within.
“What’s the mudblood laughing for? Is she laughing at us? Filthy little...!”
Voldemort’s face tightened. He looked deep in the girl’s eyes. She met his eyes, coldly staring at him, her expression stone cold. Without breaking his gaze he ordered Lucius to give him his wand.
Lucius Malfoy quickly obliged. Handing him his willow and dragon’s skin wand.
“Let...us...see!” the dark lord spoke slowly, raising his wand to the forehead of the deviant girl. “Maybe the cruciatus curse will teach you some respect, you filthy little muggle.” He spat at her.
She hit the wand out of his hand and backed up into the fireplace. Pulling out a black and silver wand she took one look at the people sitting around the table.
“Have to catch me first.” She winked at Snape and then with a snapping sound, disappeared.
Voldemort turned his attention back to Snape.
“So Severus, where is our special guest?” his voice calm with a hint of rage.
“She was right there.” Snape muttered.
Shock struck the lord’s face.
“You mean, that muggle girl was my daughter?”
Snape nodded. “In polyjuice potion form obviously. I was about to tell you but...”
“Silence!” he looked around the table. “As my plans to introduce you to my daughter seemed to have failed temporarily, they will continue. I need you all to try and find my daughter.”
“What does she look like? What’s her name?” the death eaters round the table fired questions knowing that the dark lord would reward the first to find the girl heavily!
“All I know is she is 17 years old. That is all.” Voldemort spoke, almost looking ashamed at his lack of knowledge of his own daughter. “The first to find her will be rewarded. Now be gone with you.”
He shook his arm, ushering the deatheaters out of the room. Lucius seeped behind slyly.
“My lord...” he bowed slightly in the presence of his master. “What about the boy? Harry Potter... what about him?”
His voice was low and scared, he dared not speak the boy’s name in his master’s presence but he had no other choice.
“Ah, Lucius. Trust you to bring up such unimportant matters. This is far more important. Not only is finding the girl of high priority but finding her may lead us to the boy himself.” Voldemort replied, staring out the high, beamed window of the mansion watching his followers depart, some on brooms, some by apparation.
He did not turn to look at Lucius but he already knew what his face would be like. He knew of the exact expression featuring on his face.
Lucius’ eyes darted around the room, he had not been in the best of relations with the dark lord the last few months and he knew that he must redeem himself. He opened his mouth to speak as he stood slightly behind his lord, but before he could speak the lord raised his hand, silencing Lucuis Malfoy. In response, Lucius bowed and then made his way to the fireplace. He took some floo powder and with a snap he was gone.
Snape stood in the corner, pretending to examine one of the tapestries hung on the wall. It was a very big tapestry consisting of an image of a pool of black liquid which looked like blood and muggles drowning in it. The words “For purer the blood, for darker the soul” stitched in black thread in reasonable sized font at the bottom of the picture.
The dark lord turned to stare at him.
“Severus,” he snapped and the dark haired man instantly swung round.
“Yes my lord?” he bowed nervously, half knowing that he had failed his mission.
“Where was she? What have you learned of her?” he was full of questions.
“She found me, my lord. She was in the form of Miss Granger when she came to me. I, of course, took her right here but she is a clever witch, far beyond her years, with powers one could only dream of.”
“And...?” he persisted to know more.
“Well, my lord, she came to me saying she had heard I was looking for her. She knew me from when she resided at Hogwarts. She was not too happy to come with me to find you, but still I told her of your whereabouts.”
The dark lord nodded.
“Good.” He spoke the word slowly.
“Shall I go and find her again?”
He nodded once more.
“Find her Severus. She is in grave danger and if anything happens to her, then so am I.”
His eyes turned red. And with a flash of green light he was gone.
Severus sighed. “Agini, where are you?”
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Serenity- A Harry Potter fanfiction/ short story.
