Never • The Lost Daughter | A Draco Malfoy Love Story

Chapter 33 - Voldemort

"Anne, you have to wake up, now."

Narssica was standing above me. I turned to look at Draco but he was not sleeping by me as I would expect him to. She didn't seem to mind in the least that she had woken me up from a deep slumber on her son's bed. I looked outside the window to see that it was raining again.

"What time is it? How much did I sleep?" I said and instantly remembered Draco and I had spent last night talking till it was morning and didn't bother sleeping in the morning. I decided to take a nap in the afternoon but now it was dark and I realised I overslept.

"Don't worry about it, sweetheart. But they need you at the dining room in a few hours and we need to pamper you up for it," she said cheerfully.

"They? Who is they?"

"It's a surprise. But we have to dress you up first," she said. Narcissa was smiling too widely.

Narcissa took me to the dungeons. She was the kind of lady that seems so polished and effortless on the outside, stunning really. But soon you realize that this image is nothing but effortless. She had built her own kingdom in the lower floors of the house, a kingdom ruled by her but ran by beautiful witches that were specializing on beautification. I noticed some very powerful potions down there, most of which explained her perfect, model-material face.

"If you say a word of what you see in here I'll be really disappointed. If you get in here, you're practically family," she said, blocking the way to her beauty potions.

She escorted me to a milder room, however. No artificial face for me. A witch fixed and curled my hair and pulled it back, took care of my skin and scrubbed me till the muggle smell wore off, cut my nails and filed then, put creams of lavender on me till I smelled like a rich witch, put powder on my face, darkened my eyelids with shadows and eyeliner. It must have taken hours. Now I looked paler than ever. When I thought it was all over, I thought that I could get away with as much. I thoughtlessly opened the door to head back to Draco's room where I was planning on wearing my light blue dress. That would smooth things up. 

"Where are you going?" Narcissa said, holding another black dress for me, laced and with silky sashes hanging around it. It was elegant even in its dark color but it was kind of getting tiring not wearing my own clothes. Even though I thought that black didn't suit me, I did as she said. I supposed it was some kind of a strategy for Lucius to like me. Then I went on brushing my hair but she told me to sit down in front of a mirror. I didn't like my sight but I didn't complain.

It seems strange to remember this day now that ages have passed. When people ask me if I ever suspected, I always answer that I did. Something in me, while I was feeling the zipper rising against my back, while I was feeling the powder touching my pace, while I was whipping a rogue curl away from my face, I knew.

I had turned to stone, an emotionless stone, preparing for a funeral - and as in all funerals, you have to put on a strong face.

But in the end, it didn't matter if I suspected all alone. What is more important and prooving of my psyche was that I wanted it. I wanted the truth; I wanted the pain; I wanted this life. I got dressed in black and went to my funeral.

"Why am I dressed like this. Are we... celebrating something?"

"Hm... Come to think of it, it is some kind of celebration. I suppose you'll be told there," I looked at myself on the mirror. I saw a different Anne. This Anne was clothed with the darkest clothes and made up with the darkest makeup. I felt like a... Death Eater.

Narcissa led me outside the dining room where the door was closed.

"Enter," we heard a cold voice from inside the door but it wasn't Lucius'. Narcissa told me to get inside. The long dining table was not empty like last night. All the seats were taken. There was a man sitting at the far end of the table but it was not Lucius this time either. The man sitting in the place of honor drew my attention as soon as I saw him. He was pale and bald but the thing that made him look ugly was that he had no nose. His eyes were blue but cruel and reflected his evil soul. He was wearing black robes and as soon as I saw him, I felt a cold stab on my chest. 

Lucius was sitting on the seat next to him, trying to avoid the sight of the bald man. Professor Snape was sitting by Lucius. I wondered what he was doing here but then I noticed that the seat by the ugly man was empty. Narcissa told me to sit on this seat. I hesitated at first but I felt a bit more comfortable when I saw that Draco would sit by me, too. I sat on the uncomfortable chair but felt even more uncomfortable when I felt the ugly man's blue and cold eyes upon me with a slight smile on his face.

"Thank you, Narcissa."

"My Lord..." answered Narcissa and sat next to Draco. But what most consented me was why she called him 'Lord'. Who was he?

"Now that we're all gathered, we're ready to start," said the creepy man slowly with a deep voice. "My faithful friends and followers. I'm very pleased to see you here again-"

"-We are most... happy to see you here, my Lord." A short and fat man that I could remember from my vision spoke. He was Warmtail. Then I started realizing who he might be. No, it can't be.

Draco reached for my hand under the table without anybody seeing. Our hands were both cold but they stopped trembling when they met.

"I am talking Wormtail! Do not interrupt me when I speak!" he said stopping Wormtail who was sitting at the other end of the table, giving him a sharp look enough to make someone scream. It seemed that the seats were sorted in some kind of rank order.

"However, thank you. And the fact that you are a coward was quite useful for me this time. If you were not on the cemetery that night, I wouldn't be here today." No, it can't be! It can't be Voldemort! "So, we are ready to begin with our first meeting. And the first issue to be discussed, of course, is our special guest!" he looked at me and stood up. He gave me his white and stiff hand with the long nails for me to take it. I hesitated and then looked Draco.

I knew the truth. All this time I had thought, suspected. Now I knew.

"Stand," muttered Draco. I did as he said. I touched Voldemort's cold and filthy hand and stood up.

"Death Eaters, let me present you my daughter, Annalise Riddle."

I didn't react in the sound of these words even though I would have. And that was mainly because I merely couldn't believe my ears.

No one had called me Annalise for a very long time. It was what Anne was sort for but no one ever called me like that.

Whatever suspicion in me had disappeared. No matter how ultimate this confirmation was, my brain reacted as if it was a secret; a lie that had to be fought and crushed.

He's lying! He's lying! A man such as him can't say the truth. He's lying. I looked at Draco who didn't seem surprised. He knew all about this. He was preparing me for it. No, there is no way!

My mind knew. My heart stopped.

Everything turned black and my head felt dizzy. I found myself falling into Draco's hands.

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If you like this story, I am sure you will like its prequel as well! 'Retribution Shall Be Ours' is all about Annalise's mother. Be sure to add it to your reading list so you can read it after this one!

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