The Secret Cousin

Chapter Eight: An article and a vial

Emalia looked at the woman standing in front of her, noting how frail she was how she had prominent wrinkles around her eyes and the corners of her mouth; one that may have held a smile but now tended to be pursed together tightly as if she was in constant pain. 

'When He Who Must Not Be Named came to power and began to hunt down Oliver's family, Robert and I swore to dedicate our lives to ensuring the safety of your entire family. We failed and both of your parents and my love died that terrible night.'

Corisande Guinevere turned to face Emalia, tears shining in her eyes. 'And ever since then I have been broken. I told you that we feel more intensely than others, so we feel grief more; but we are also cursed for when we lose the one person who means everything and more, it breaks something inside of us. Something deep down in the core of our being and we are never able to get back.'

As Corisande was talking she did not realise that she partly shifted her visage; she no longer looked fully human, she looked more like a distorted being covered in scales. Emalia looked at the woman terrified.

 'It is our curse, and it is one I wish you never ever have to bear.' 

And with that Emalia turned and fled the room.

In hindsight Corisande realised her folly, but she felt better; like a weight had been taken off her shoulders. She began to take on her normal features, still not realising that she had changed at all. 

She felt freer than she had in years and the constant pain she had felt since Robert's death was now nothing more than a dull ache. It was then Corisande realised that in sharing and forgiving those who she had deemed had wronged her, had a calming effect on her soul; and for one blissful night she slept unperturbed by the shadowy figures and the monster that lay within her.

Emalia was confused. She was scared at what had happened to Professor Guinevere last night. 'Why and how did she change. What was she changing into?' she wondered to herself. It had terrified her so much in that moment that her fight or flight reaction kicked in. Her subconscious had chosen flight.

Emalia felt slightly ashamed. She should not have run off in the face of the unknown, or at least she thought she should not have run off. Professor Guinevere was the only real connection that she had to her parents and her Veela heritage.

 'Whatever secrets she is holding on to, I have to find out' she told herself sternly.

Emalia vowed to herself that after her next class she would go find Professor Guinevere and apologise for her behaviour. She owed the woman that much, and plus, Albus had raised her better than that.

 A few minutes later class ended, and Emalia dashed out of the classroom past her friends and went sprinting down the hall. She even ran straight passed Fleur who was calling after her. Nothing was going to stop Emalia from apologising.

Corisande knew that she had royally fucked up during Emalia's last visit. But she was happy that she did. She felt more like herself than she had in the past ten years. She even began to look like her old self and her own age. 

She no longer had deep prominent wrinkles on her face, nor did she look gaunt. And she was no longer crippled by that pain that had haunted her since Robert had died.

 She was free.

The brief reprieve she received from the nightmares had allowed her to think clearly for the first time in years. She was worried, she always knew that she would be more fragile after she lost Robert. 

What she did not count on was how easily her psyche was rocked. The smallest upset could set her off. She needed to see someone. 'That's it. I will go see a Healer at the end of term' she thought to herself resolutely.

Albus Dumbledore looked down at the letter he had just finished composing. The next couple of weeks were about to get very hectic. He sighed deeply and leaning back in his chair he closed his eyes for a few minutes rest. Well that was the plan until Minerva McGonagall came barging into his office.

 'How dare you Albus! HOW DARE YOU!' she shrieked.

Albus sighed once again. 'Minerva I am afraid I don't follow. Would you care to enlighten me as to what is it I have done?' 

Professor McGonagall looked at him, anger radiating from her. She threw down a newspaper onto his desk. The headline read 'More than one Potter to attend Hogwarts'. She folded her arms across her chest.

 'Tell me you did not write an article about Emalia Potter in the Daily Prophet.' She asked her jaw clenched tightly.

Albus looked at her 'Minerva' he said 'I did indeed write this article. Well most of it, it seems like the Prophet put a more sensationalised spin on things.' 

Minerva looked at him in disbelief. 'I assume you have not taken leave of your senses Albus?' she asked him her frustration and confusion evident on her face. Albus chuckled much to Minerva McGonagall's distaste. 

'I am, Minerva still of fairly sound mind. Emalia will be starting at Hogwarts this year. And I thought it prudent to let the rest of the wizarding world know of her existence.'

Albus looked at Minerva began to answer her question before she had even asked it. 'Why didn't I send her here for her first year? Yes she had a place here at Hogwarts, her name has been down since she was born, but due to the circumstances that she came to be under my care, she had to go to Beauxbatons to discover things about her parents that she needed to discover by herself.'

Albus got up put of his chair and began rummaging through one of the drawers near his cupboard and brought out a vial for Minerva to look at.

 'And here in Hogwarts she will discover even more about her parents. For I promised Oliver and Aven Potter that I would look after their daughter and once she began her second year that I would show her what is in this vial.'

Minerva looked at him 'What is in the vial Albus?' she asked him quietly. 

Albus hummed 'Oh I can only guess Minerva; I have never looked in it. It's not my place.' Albus put the vial back in the drawer. He was always curious as to what is in it, but he would never look. When it was time, he would give it to Emalia and if she wished to share what it was then he would know, but only then.

'But why that article in the Prophet Albus? Surely the wizarding world would know about her by now seeing as she is in school?' sighed Minerva. 

'No, that was the great thing about Beauxbatons Minerva, over there the story of the Potter boys is only known to a few and none of the students would think to connect Emalia with them. I doubt any of them really know about her past.' Albus sank back down into his chair slowly. His old bones were weary. He really needed a short nap.

Suddenly a patronus came running into the room.

 'Sorry to disturb you so late Minerva but it seems that I have found the two Weasley twins skulking about after hours. I assume you would like to deal with them.' Drawled the voice of Severus Snape. 

Minerva's face hardened. 'I am afraid I must go Headmaster. Duty calls.' Albus chuckled as she left the room. 'Don't be too hard on them Minerva' he called after her.

She stopped just in front of the door 'The Weasley twins have quite an aptitude for seeking out trouble, its quite amusing sometimes' she said with a small smile playing at the corners of her mouth.

 With that Minerva left to reprimand the students out of bed after hours. Albus smiled and closed his eyes. 

'Just a few minutes' he said to himself as he drifted off to sleep in his chair. The candles extinguished themselves and the room was lit only by the glow of the phoenix in the corner.