tw: lucius being abusive
NARRATOR'S POV
Turns out, Lucius Malfoy had planted Tom Riddle's diary in Ginny's cauldron that day at Diagon Alley. Or so Harry had told the group before going to a meeting with the Headmaster and Lucius. The twins, Carina and Draco are all standing outside of Dumbledore's office as he chats with Lucius and Harry. The pairs of siblings are standing feet away from each other, against opposites sides of the hall, avoiding the other's gaze, "I told you you couldn't trust her," Fred murmurs to George, finally glaring at Carina.
"Shove off, Fred," whispers George as a response, huffing. "I trust her. Okay? Trust me on this." Fred narrows his eyes but says nothing in return.
Meanwhile, Carina and Draco eye each other in silence, "Did you know about this, Dragon?" The older girl asks Draco in a low voice, biting the inside of her cheek.
The younger boy shakes his head quickly, "I had no idea... Did you?" He replies. Carina sighs, mimicking his actions. Draco looks torn, and he is: torn between hating his dad for what he's done and obeying everything he's ever taught them. Fred scoffs in disbelief and Carina shoots him a glare before turning back to her brother. "Do- Do you really think he -"
"Mr. Malfoy, I have something of yours," Harry's voice pulls them all from the conversation. Lucius is walking in their direction and they all turn to face him, Dobby is in front of him and Harry catches up from behind. "This belongs to you. I think it was you who put it in Ginny Weasley's cauldron that day at Diagon Alley," the Gryffindor hands the diary to Lucius, who looks as though he's been stabbed. Carelessly, he shoves it at Dobby, who holds it against his chest with a pained look on his face.
Carina eyes the elf with a sorrowful expression, realising he has a bruise on top of his head, "You okay?" She mouths, the elf nods discretely as Lucius speaks.
"Is that what you think then?" Lucius asks Harry tauntingly, kneeling down to his level, "Why don't you prove it?" Harry doesn't bat an eye at the threatening way Lucius is looking at him. "Come, Dobby," Lucius turns around, looking at his children. "Carina, Draco, I'll be seeing you in a few days -" The black haired girl watches with wide eyes as Dobby opens the diary as per Harry's instruction, revealing a small, black sock.
"Master has given Dobby a sock!" The small elf cries in shock, his big eyes turning even bigger.
"What? No I -" Lucius turns around with a disgusted look on his face before it dawns on him.
"Master has presented Dobby with clothes!" Dobby takes it in his hand with a smile forming on his lips. Carina covers her mouth as a grin etches upon it. "Dobby is free!" Lucius snarls as Harry raises his trousers slightly, showing off his now sock-less foot.
"You lost me my servant!" Lucius screams, pulling out his wand, pointing it at the young boy. Harry takes a step back, not having expected Lucius to react in such a way.
"Father, wait!" Carina rushes to his side, putting her hand on his arm to stop him but he dismisses her by removing it forcefully, almost causing her to fall to the ground. "Don't -"
"One more word out of you, one more - and you will not be coming back to Hogwarts for Fifth Year, Carina," Lucius mutters under his breath, fumigating her with his gaze. The twins and Draco watch in surprise. "You know what I'm capable of," the second phrase is only loud enough for her to hear. He may be a monster, but he isn't stupid enough to let others hear his real threat.
Everyone stares as Lucius raises his wand, "Cru-" Is her father really about to practice the Cruciatus Curse on a twelve year old boy? Yes, he is.
Thankfully, Dobby shoves the man back with his own magic, sending him flat on his back. Carina remains in her spot, Draco now next to her, holding her hand. The boy hadn't managed to catch Lucius' second threat, but the first was more than enough to make him furious. "Your parents were meddlesome fools too!" Lucius mutters loudly, fixing his robes as he gets back up. "Mark my words, Potter. One day soon, you're going to meet the same sticky end." He puts his wand back into his cane, facing his children. "I don't want you hanging around these people, understood?"
Draco opens his mouth to snap at their dad but Carina gives his hand a squeeze, prompting him to stop. She knows what Lucius is capable of. Draco stiffens and nods, "Yes, father."
Carina's eyes shift to George's, who has his fists balled up by his side, eyes soft and pleading. Even Fred appears moved by the scene going on in front of him. She wants to scream.
You can't make me do this. I'd rather get hit in the face a hundred times over. I'd rather have you practice the Cruciatus Curse one me than tear me away from my best friend. I won't let you. I can't do it. I can't.
So, she lies, "Y-Yes father..."
Carina makes sure to cross her fingers behind her back, wanting George to see, wanting George to know she'd never let him go. He was her best friend. She could never stay away from him. No matter the beating or the pain. George spots the action and feels his heart relaxing instantly, his breath catching in his throat. Fred follows his eyesight and he purses his lips.
It finally dawns on him, there is no way he'll ever get between them. And after what he's seen today, he's not sure he wants to.
To say this summer break's the hardest Carina's ever gone through until now, would be an understatement. By August, she's lost a few pounds and her skin has lost its shine. A cry leaves her lips as Lucius hits her back with his cane, making her crash against the floor before he whips it at her once again. She hisses at the sensation, but stops more noise from leaving her lips. Not that it matters, as there's a silencing charm in that damned office.
"I've been meaning to try out this new charm I just inflicted on my cane... no bruising, only pain," she can almost hear the smirk in his voice. More like agony. "That should teach you to listen to me... no more Weasleys," orders the older man, pulling her up by the hair, causing her to scream. Her hands fly to his grip, wrapping around it, trying to get him to loosen it. "Dyeing your hair was a bad idea," Carina hears him mumble before he opens the office door and throws her out harshly. "You remind me of him."
With that, he closes the door and locks it, not paying any mind to the green eyed girl, who slams against the wall with a loud thud. Carina lets herself fall as gently as possible, groaning in discomfort, trying to keep her eyes open. Dobby's not there anymore and Draco's out with his friends for the day. Fortunately, the elf left Fipsy, his closest friend and new Head of Malfoy Manor Elf, in charge of looking after Nina. "Fipsy," Carina calls quietly, knowing she would never make it to her room on her own.
Instantly, the elf apparates to the girl's side, eyes large as she takes the girl's appearance in, "Miss Nina, is you hurt?" Fipsy's soft voice makes her eyes flutter open. "Here, Fipsy helps, Fipsy has you," the elf's hands wrap around her waist, pulling her up with a grunt. Carina lets the elf help her all the way to her room, opening the door as fast as she could, just wanting to reach her bed. "Oh, Miss Nina... Fipsy will bring some hot towels, for your back-"
"Yes, yes please," Nina cuts her off, sitting on top of the bed. "Would you mind sneaking in my mail as well?" She had gotten a personal owl over one of the trips to Hogsmeade and it took her letters to the Elves' Quarters. Carina knew Lucius would never go in there.
Nodding, Fipsy disapparates out of the room, leaving Carina on her own. A shaky breath leaves her lips before tears begin spilling from her eyes. She's just so tired. A fifteen - almost sixteen year old girl shouldn't be worrying about getting beat up by her father. Carina should be out there, living life, hanging out with her friends... Falling in love.
Love. It's so weird to think about. She has been on dates before, she's kissed a couple of boys and a few girls too, but nothing serious. Nothing that really mattered. It's not because she doesn't feel ready or because she doesn't want to have that - what she doesn't want is to drag anyone into her family. They didn't know what they were in for. It wouldn't be fair.
"You have a lot of letters, Miss Nina," the amount of time it took Fipsy to call her Miss Nina instead of Young Mistress Malfoy was remarkable. The elf nears the bed, watching as Nina wipes her tears quickly, taking the envelopes from Fipsy's hands. "You is to lay down on your stomach and raise your shirt - Fipsy will put the towel on yous back!" She exclaims.
Carina follows the instructions as swiftly as she can, resting on her stomach. She tries to keep distracted by looking over the letters. George. Cassius. Adrian. Tonks... There are at least three from each. She knows they must be worried sick about her. A whimper escapes her as Fipsy places the warm towel on her hurt back, her fist clenches to avoid more noise. "Okay, Miss Nina?"
"Y-Yes, that's perfect, Fipsy, thank you," she whispers out, tearing open the letters, reading each of them one by one. The elf mumbles something about being back in an hour to check on her, locking the door on her way out and Carina starts to read.
The first letters she decides to open are Tonks'. She hasn't seen her cousin in a while, her chest tightens at the thought. Tonks knows they can't see each other until she's back at Hogwarts, and she's 'okay' with it. She asks about Carina, asks about how she's doing, wonders if they could meet up the first week back and of course, makes her laugh with some dumb joke about how she's dying to see her new hair. Nina puts the letters aside before tearing into the next ones.
Cassius sent about five letters, almost one per week. Nina bites her lower lip as her eyes shift through the words of each parchment.
'...Please, just let me know you're okay...'
' ...Nina, I know you can't reply but I just wish you could...'
'...I can't stop thinking about you, please answer whenever you're able too...'
'...Salazar, I might be going crazy but I've been dreaming about you lately...'
'...I just miss my sister. I want us to be home...'
Sighing, she set them aside, making it a point in her brain to reply to him first. He's still the only one that's aware of what's going on in her home life. Or a fraction of it, at least. That explains why he's more worried than the rest of them.
Next, she picks up Adrian's, who are just fun and lighthearted. A smile forms on her lips while she reads. He tells her all about his holidays, mentioning that his little sister will be joining Hogwarts soon, lets her know how excited he is to finally have her there. He asks about her, of course, wonders if they could meet up, by chance. Adrian knows the probability's not great, but he asks anyway and that soothes her heart for some reason.
Finally, George. Carina takes a deep breath before opening the first letter and reading through it. Then the second one, and then the third, which is dated to about three days ago.
'...Something's going on with you. I know it. Something's off with us. I'm sorry if I insulted you...'
'...Nina, come to the Burrow on Christmas. They won't know. Mum's worried about you too...'
'...Did you hear about Sirius Black? Are you doing okay?'
Nina reads over the last sentence a few times trying to make sense of it, her brows furrow.
'Did you hear about Sirius Black?'
She still hadn't heard about his escape from Azkaban.
***
As soon as she steps into the Hogwarts Express, Carina feels like crying from relief. Draco skips past her, going straight to Pansy, Theo and Blaise, who all wave him over to their compartment. Pansy winks in Carina's direction, making her chuckle and nod at her in recognition. Draco scowls at the action, slapping Pansy's upper arm. "Ow, Malfoy!" She returns the strike with the same intensity, "'S not my fault your sister's hot - ow, stop it!" This girl.
"Carina," comes Adrian's voice from a few compartments away. She spots Fred and George sitting with Lee, and she sends her best friend a subtle smile, which he returns. It doesn't quite reach their eyes, but they'll be able to talk about it soon, and that's all that matters. Fred looks over at her sideways, jaw clenched and lips tight. She swallows inaudibly, avoiding his stare as much as she can, ignoring the flutters in her stomach.
Something's bothering him, probably my presence. But Carina couldn't be more wrong. Over the summer, Fred had come to realise he felt something for Carina - something more than just hate. And he despised that. Now, looking at her for the first time in months, he feels as though he can't escape those feelings. Not anymore. No matter how hard he tries.
The train begins to move soon after, bringing her out of her head as she reaches her friends. "My boys," Carina coos, plopping down next to Cassius, planting a loud kiss on his cheek before placing her legs over Adrian's, who sits in front of them. "Missed me?" Her back aches still, but this position helps her more than she'd care to admit.
"Not at all!" They chorus with small smirks. Nina places her hand on her heart in a dramatic manner, throwing her head back with a fake sob.
"Is the Emerald Trio about to become a Duo?" Asks the girl, pouting at the boys. "I'm hurt, I'm really hurt," Cassius and Adrian chuckle, rolling their eyes at their friend.
"Salazar, you really are a Drama Queen," Adrian mutters under his breath, laughing when Carina hits him across the chest softly. "We missed you, Nina," he tells her honestly, a smile on his face. "Took you long enough to reply to our letters!" Complains the longer haired boy, squinting at his friend playfully.
Nina's heart sinks slightly at his words. She clears her throat, feeling Cassius' sympathetic eyes on her, "Yeah, sorry," she shrugs, trying to look unfazed. "We had to pick a new Head of Manor elf and she's not used to delivering our mail yet," lied Carina quickly, resting her head on Cassius' shoulder. Adrian hums, putting his hands on top of her shins, "Tell me about Italy, how was it?" She questions, hoping the boy would begin to talk about his holidays so that she wouldn't have to talk about hers.
"Fantastic!" It works, and Adrian starts going on and on about how beautiful and warm it gets over there. He even tells them about a small fling he had with an Italian witch, who he's still in contact with. Cassius opens his mouth to make fun of him when the train suddenly comes to a halt. "What was that?" The boys look out the window, rain falling upon them, suddenly with much more force. Or at least so it seems. "Why have we stopped?" Adrian lifts one of his hands, putting them against the glass, watching it begin to freeze.
The green eyed girl turns to stare out the window but Cassius' face expression makes her blood run cold, "Carina, don't move," his voice is low and dangerous. It prompts her to listen. A gust of frosty wind hits her back, and she blinks as she tries to think about what could be behind her. "Look away - Adrian, look away," Cassius instructs his best friend, who listens, turning his face to the ground. Slytherins aren't known for being the bravest, but they are smart. Cassius knows better than to stare an Azkaban guard in the eye.
"What is it?" Whispers Carina, biting at her bottom lip. Cassius ignores her, shaking his head. "Cassius... What is standing behind me," she pushes further. Cass continues to ignore her. He knows she'll freak out. He doesn't want her to get scared. She begins to grow worried. Could this thing hurt her? However, something way more important comes to mind, "Draco," she breathes out, standing up hastily. Nothing matters more than her brother. Carina ignores the pain in her back as she draws her wand and turns around, eyes widening when she comes face to face with a Dementor.
Then, everything turns black.
She regains her consciousness moments later, she can feel the seats beneath her and the warmth of people surrounding her. A groan escapes her lips. "Nina?" Draco's voice causes her eyes to snap open. "Merlin," he sighs, feeling his soul return to his body. "What were you thinking? Why would you -"
"Easy, Mr. Malfoy," that voice she doesn't recognise. "She's been in distress, you need to relax -"
"Don't ask me to relax when -"
"Shh, Malfoy! You're pestering her -"
"Oh, you shh, you filthy Weasel -"
"Okay, everybody out," the older man speaks once again. Nina hears the sound of the compartment door clicking and that's when she realises the train has began to move. "Do you need help sitting up, Miss Malfoy?" Without a reply, the man extends his hand and she takes it without a second thought, clenching her teeth to ignore the sensation in her back. "How're you feeling?"
Carefully, she takes in the man's appearance. He has three scars running down his face, but they don't look bad at all. In fact, they suit him. His hair is light brown, feathery, and his eyes are brown, dark, almost black. He's wearing a cardigan under his robes, that screams I'm-A-Teacher, not only because of the style, but the fact that it has patches all over it. It shows he isn't earning a good living. "Who are you?" Are the first words to leave her mouth.
"Remus John Lupin," He introduces himself with a nod. "I'll be your Defence Against the Dark Arts teacher," Professor Lupin says with a tight smile. "Here, have some chocolate... It'll make you feel better," Nina takes the sweet treat from his hand, but doesn't make an effort to open it as she continues to look at him with her head tilted to the side. "You don't trust me, do you?" She can't help the half smile that reaches her face before shaking her head, honestly. "Fair enough." He responds, clearing his throat, crossing his ankles. "I was sitting with Mr. Potter and his friends when Mr. Warrington called for a Professor's help after you passed out, so here I am," explains Remus, in hopes that this would ease Carina's mind.
"I passed out... because of the Dementor?" Nina fills in, squinting at the idea. Remus simply nods. "Why?" Dementors are not harmless, but they are also not known for attacking civilians. Especially not innocent ones.
"A mere coincidence," shrugs the man, making Carina chuckle breathlessly at the implication. "Don't believe me?" She mimics his actions, shrugging in return.
"I know they're looking for Sirius Black... My father, Lucius Malfoy - he warned Draco and I moments before we boarded. He told us that they'd be looking for him since he's escaped from Azkaban," Carina admits, slowly peeling the foil off of the small chocolate. The Professor hums, and she sees his nose scrunching up for half a second before his expression turns blank once again. He's good, must've grown up with a Lucius Malfoy for a father. Her brain has a funny way of coping with abuse. "Then again, I don't know anything," she offers him an innocent smile, earning a humourless laugh.
"It appears you know enough, Miss Malfoy," the Professor chooses his words wisely - of course, he's a Professor after all.
"Not nearly, Professor," she breaks a piece of the chocolate before handing the rest to the man, who takes it without hesitation. Theres tension in the air. It's clear they both know more than they are letting on. "Remus Lupin," she murmurs into the sweet before biting down on it, appearing deep in thought. "I've read about you somewhere," she can't remember exactly where but that name has been brought up before. Either she read it in her mother's diaries or she heard it from her mother herself. "Weird," the Professor gets up, opening the cart's door.
Instantly, Cassius, Adrian and Draco, rush inside, bombarding her with questions. "See you in class, Miss Malfoy." Remus nods, fixing his robes before leaving, shutting the door behind him.
Remus Lupin.
AN: wowwowwowwww sorry for the lack of freddie but dw, you'll love what i have in store. i'm losing my mind. i just want to write it so i can show u omggg. okay. i can't believe we're already in chapter 7! i'll be posting in about 4 days, maybe. i'm trying to make it so u get 2 updates a week. i feel like that's fair for both of us.
anyway, pls vote, comment, follow, idk <3 anything and everything, u have no idea how much that means to me!
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