The Slytherin Princess - Year Five

July 1995

As Lucy stood on the platform at Kings Cross, she watched as Draco headed in the direction of his mother. She scanned the crowd and her gaze fell on those familiar green eyes that she saw in the mirror every day.

"Hi mother." She whispered, taking in Alissa's embrace.

"Hi my darling. How are you?" She asked Lucy, stroking her hair.

"Good. Where's father?" She asked looking around.

"He couldn't make it." Alissa quickly responded, before giving her other two sons a kiss and ushering the three of them out of the station.

Lucy sat in the back of the car as Alissa drove them home for the summer. She was trying to come up with a way to ask her parents about the attack at school when they pulled up to the Parcivall Manor.

"Before you all run off, your father would like to speak to you." Alissa announced to them. Lucy looked to Grayson who had no clue either.

Lucy, Grayson and Reuben made their way into Ellion's study and sat down. "Hello father." Grayson said happily as his father looked up at them from the parchment in front of him.

"Hello my children. I hope you had a great year." He said, watching them all.

He was dressed in his work suit and had a tired look on his face. Alissa stood at the doorway and waited for them to begin talking.

"So, we heard what happened, and your mother and I just want to check if you all are happy to head back to school next year?" Ellion asked.

Lucy frowned, is that really all he wanted to know? "Why wouldn't we?" Lucy asked.

Ellion looked up to Alissa, before looking back at Lucy, "well, dear, we don't want you somewhere you don't feel safe." He answered, smiling at his children.

"Hogwarts is safe." Lucy said. "It's the Death Eaters and Lord Voldemort that make it unsafe." She added and watched as her father's face dropped.

"What on earth are you on about, child?" He asked back. 

"That's what everyone's saying isn't it? That the Death Eaters and the return of Lord Voldemort are the reason Cedric died." Lucy said. She had all eyes on her as she spoke. "They're the reason Hogwarts could become unsafe, are they not?" She asked.

"Alissa, why don't you take Reuben out." Ellion said looking up to his wife. Alissa smiled and nodded and led their youngest out of the study, closing the door to stop any noise from escaping.

"You have something to say?" Ellion replied, raising his eyebrow at Lucy. She suddenly felt her confidence disappear. "Say it now before you never do." He snapped at her.

Lucy stared him in the eyes. "Are you a Death Eater?" She asked him bravely. She had managed to keep herself confident and calm as she asked the question but even she couldn't ignore her sweating and shaking hands that hung beside her as she spoke. She could hear Grayson gasp beside her, but she focused all her energy to hold onto the gaze she had with her father.

Ellion let out a sick chuckle and Lucy watched as he took off his suit jacket, unbuttoned his cufflinks and began to roll up his sleeve.

He held out his forearm to show Lucy and Grayson. Etched into his skin was a black skull and snake moving. Lucy gasped in surprise and moved swiftly around her father's desk where she stood before him.

She lifted her hands to take his arm in her hands but hesitated. She waited for him to rest his arm in her eager hands and Lucy clasped his skin around her fingers.

She traced her fingers over the mark. She wasn't sure what she expected but she was intrigued. Lucy felt her stomach drop. She was angry at him, angry that he had chosen this path, chosen to take his family down with him, but something in her still trusted him. Trusted that he would do the right thing for his family. "The Dark Mark." Lucy whispered, half to herself, half to Ellion.