O Beija-Flor - Regulus Black (Complete)

XXIX -

TW: TORTURE AND CHILD ABUSE - NOT TOO EXPLICIT!

Constance looks pale as the newspapers in her hand as she shook it to straighten it up, and though Emma's consoling hand was on her shoulder and a worried face of Luna turned to her, Cecilia couldn't understand what was happening as she sat down on the breakfast table, hearing mumbling coming from so many places in the Great Hall.

"What's happened?" she asked, reaching for a toast.

"Anthony Dolohov escaped Azkaban," Emma said, glancing at Constance to check on her once more. "He's a Death Eater."

"He's my cousin," Constance said. Her voice wavered. "I really don't like him, Lia. He's a... more than an awful person, really. He's a cruel man, and he likes to prove it. My parents are too afraid of him to stop him from doing anything."

"Perhaps you'll be able to spend the summer at my house," Emma said. "I can explain the situation to my parents, they'll understand."

"Your father hates me," Constance said.

"Yes, he does. But he would never want any harm upon you, Connie, especially coming from your own family. He knows a thing or two about family being cruel, there's a reason he moved away from America," Emma said. "Mum knows too, ran away from marrying an old man. They'll understand! They'll let you come."

Constance said nothing, the whole group of friends knowing that Emma's sayings were nothing but fantasy.

"You could come stay with me," Luna said. "Dad always says that 'the more, the marrier'. I never had friends before, much less friends that would come visit me. He'll be happy."

And the days went from bad to worse from then on.

With Hagrid, a member of the Order, in probation in school (even if Cecilia didn't take his classes), Constance being constantly terrified of her own shadow, Luna's shoes being stolen by sixth-years again (and with that Cecilia dealt with until they gave it back to the girl and apologised), the Educational Decree Number 26 came, forbidden teachers from giving out any information that not about subjects.

That meant that now her comings and goings from Professor McGonagall's office were no longer something that Dolores Umbridge allowed.

"I can't very well ask her, but something happened, Professor, and I thought it was for the best for me to ask you or tell you, in case there is something we can do about it," explained Cecilia about Constance's situation with her cousin.

"Oh, you don't know," McGonagall said, sighing. "Dolohov was arrested for torture, not just for being a Death Eater."

"Alright?" she mumbled, confused.

"She was the one being tortured, Miss Salazar," McGonagall said, now clear. "He kept her locked in his bedroom torturing her for three days before she even got to Hogwarts because she wasn't showing signs of magic when she was nine. She still has to take potions to overcome some of the lasting consequences of that abuse."

"How could he get out?!" she said, stomach dropping.

"He shouldn't have. He was supposed to stay there for the rest of his life, according to his sentence," McGonagall said. "Cecilia, do take care of Constance, alright? She'll need friends and support right now. She won't feel safe, not even in her own house anymore."

"During the summer –"

"I've already thought about it, and I have been talking to Professor Dumbledore about the possibility of relocating her into one of the safe houses of the Order if she agrees to work with us. I want to relocate her right now, but Albus needs to make sure she's safe to know everything," she answered.