Malfoy Manor
Wiltshire, England
Date: Thursday, 2nd of April, 2020
"Momma and dad,
I'll hold your love in my heart.
Always."
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"Twenty- Five days, Arabella Malfoy."
Jenna woke up with sweat dripping from her forehead. Her breathing was uneven; it almost felt as if she was having an anxiety attack. Surveying the room, she saw nothing. The early stages of the morning light cast shadows all over the walls, had someone been there she would have seen them. She flung back on her pillows exhausted. Yesterday had been so tiring she didn't even unmake her bed before crawling in.
Her body was too tired to make its way to the bathroom. Her dark eyes slowly began to close on their own. Despite, her trying her best to fight it. Sleep overcame the teen shortly after. The stress of the world slowly fading away. Of course, it was too perfect. The rising sun shining beautifully throughout the room. Jenna finally getting the peace and rest she needed. Perfect.
"Jenna! Jenna! Help!"
Her eyes shot open, an adrenaline rush overtook her body. In an instant, her bedroom door was wide open, the rest of the room deserted. The pitter-patter of her bare feet filled the air. Jenna's legs not stopping until the screaming got louder. She gasped when she finally made her way down to the foyer, seeing Elliot with a wand pointed in his direction. Narcissa and Lucius stood with their backs straight, faces emotionless.
"Miss. DuBaer." Jenna tensed, Kingsley Shacklebolt came out from behind Elliot. "You have some explaining to do." His tone filled with anger. He looked her up and down. "Go change and make yourself look like the Order member I know and take seriously."
With an arch of her eyebrow, the room watched the young witch disappear in a cloud of black smoke. Only for it to clear and reveal her more put-together self. Her dark hair was neatly curled with some of it pinned back. She wore black ripped jeans with a cropped dark green sweater, her feet still bare. Jenna waved her hand and suddenly the wand pointed at Elliot was now aimed at the auror of who the wand belonged.
"Better?" Sarcasm leaked through Jenna's voice. "Now, what is all of this about, Minister Shacklebolt? And why on earth did your auror's have their wands pointed at unarmed people."
Kingsley eyed the young girl and sighed, "Jenna, release my auror and I will speak to you in a moment." He rubbed his hand over his face as he heard the clatter of the wand hitting the floor. "I'm too old for this."
"What the hell, Kingsley?" Elliot was furious. "I understand aiming wands at them, but me?" He watched the dark man grab Jenna's shoulders, his complaints echoing through the empty hall.
"I want you both along with your protectees," Kingsley's tone was sour. "to follow me." He stated, ignoring Elliot's complaint.
The group followed the Minister and Lucius to his study. He stood by one of the sets of French doors and waited for everyone to find a seat. Jenna stood behind Anita and Druella, Elliot behind her. Her heartbeat quickly against her ribs. She knew deep down today was the day. Once Kingsley found out their secret, the entire world would know. No longer would she be "Jenna DuBaer; Harry Potter's American Friend" but, "Arabella Malfoy; The Lost Malfoy".
"I received these the other day," Kingsley pulled a stack of letters from beneath his cloak. "All in your handwriting, Miss. DuBaer."
Jenna narrowed her eyes, "Of course they are, Kingsley. It was in our instructions to write to you at the end of every week we were here." She crossed her arms over her chest.
"Every week?" Anita whispered. "That's a bit excessive, is it not?"
He flung the letters on the coffee table for everyone to see. There was enough for everyone to be holding at least one letter. Jenna picked one up and her eyes widened with shock. Looking around she noticed the same thing about each of her letters.
"Acta deos numquam mortalia fallunt." Kingsley read out loud in perfect Latin. "Do any of you know what this means?"
"Mortal actions never deceive the Gods," Jenna answered, sitting down in front of the fire. "But I don't understand why someone would write that on my letter's to you, Minister." Her eyes narrowed at the golden script that went across the envelope.
"Exactly. If there is anything any of you would like to share with me, now would be the time to do it." Kingsley's authoritative tone was quieter than the volume they had heard earlier.
"Where do we begin, Mr. Shacklebolt?" Lucius asked.
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Malfoy Manor
Wiltshire, England
Date: Saturday, 8th of March, 2020
Jenna huffed dramatically and rolled over onto her back. Her parents were finally leaving her alone. The entire trip, she had been communicating with them via, Hermès, the Malfoy family's owl. It took a lot of parchment to explain to them why she was with a family she had only spoken ill of in the past. Melissa and Peter DuBaer were very much well informed on what was going on in Wizarding Britain. They had supported Jenna in all of her adventures, the only thing was that she must return home; alive.
The DuBaer's decided they needed a tropical vacation a couple of weeks back. They left for Punta Cana this morning and would be gone for a month. Therefore; no more owl mail. She laughed quietly, if the DuBaer's only knew what it was like with her...well, the adoption wouldn't have happened. Two muggles, knowing nothing of wand magic for starters, adopting a girl who could do both. Not only that but had ties to wizards in another country. All due to a magical mishap of course.
"What's with the dramatics?" Elliot asked, popping his head into her room.
"It's so boring, not being able to leave. If we do, we have to take them with us. They don't want to go anywhere because they will get stared at the entire time we're there!" Jenna groaned. "It's a frustrating situation." Elliot laughing at her ranting didn't help her mood.
She sighed and waved her hand. Her entire room began to fill with sparkling butterflies. Their unique blue coloring drawing Elliot further in. He gasped as they left a trail of blue, almost resembling the northern lights. Jenna only did this sort of thing when she was bored or if she couldn't get children to calm down. "They're babies, who are they going to tell?" She told him once.
Soon, the entire manor was beginning to fill with them. Druella and Anita watched them fly one by one into the tea room. Their afternoon tea session is soon forgotten. Cygnus and Lucius were in the study, drinking glasses of fire whiskey when one landed on the desk. Their glasses were left empty like the chairs they had been sitting in. Abraxas was reading when one landed on his nose; making eye contact with him. A 'thud' echoed in the library as the book landed on its spine.
"Cissa!" Lucius called out to his wife as she stood frozen at the edge of the stairs. "Narcissa!" She looked at him wide-eyed.
"Are those...?" She couldn't finish the question.
Druella and the others approached them, "They have to be." The older woman held out a finger and everyone watched as a butterfly slowly landed on the edge of her finger.
Draco called out, "Mother!", followed by, what sounded like Jenna screaming. Narcissa pulled up her dress robes and ran up the steps in a hurry. The others following behind slowly. Her heart raced as she ran toward Draco. She watched as he walked quickly into Jenna's room, knowing she was close. Walking in, her heart stopped. Lucius ran into the back of her and gripped her shoulders for stability.
Draco stood in front of the fallen mirror, Elliot with his wand aimed toward it. Jenna was balanced on the balls of her feet between the two. Her mouth was covered by her small hand. Her skin shade had grown pale and she stood to face them.
"Sixteen pieces." Jenna's voice was shaky. "W-wh-why?" Tears began to well up in her eyes. Those same eyes met Narcissa's in an instant every memory flashed before her eyes.
Druella's lullaby.
Anita's french.
Cygnus insisting on calling her Cosette.
The secret special meetings between her and Abraxas as he lifted her into the mirror and told her how beautiful she was.
Lucius always wanting to hold her.
Her being stuck to Narcissa's side.
"Jen?" Elliot asked. "Are you alright?"
The group watched as her eyes, which had turned purple, slowly turned back to brown. Her lips parted slightly as if she wanted to say something. Narcissa and she never broke eye contact. As if they both thought the other would disappear if one of them looked away. She watched as the older woman took a step forward.
"What did you see, Jenna?" her voice was soothing, like summer rain. Something she hadn't thought of before today.
A tear slid down her cheek, "Everything." She bit her lip. "Mommy?" Not caring about easing her into it, Narcissa practically launched toward the girl. Pulling her into a tight embrace against her chest.
"My sweet, Arabella." She kissed her forehead. "Welcome home."
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Present time
"The moment Anita got you out of the house, you should have gone to the Burrow or ministry for help, Miss. DuBaer." Kingsley replied.
He was caught up completely on all of the events that had taken place since Jenna and Elliot arrived at Malfoy Manor. The look of shock on his face when it was revealed that Jenna was a Malfoy was picture-worthy. You could see a brief glimmer of disappointment mixed in as well. Nothing that wasn't shocking, considering her new family's history.
Elliot sighed, "had we not gone in when we did, who knows what would have happened."
Kingsley nodded and stood behind Jenna. "This one is special. Protect her at all costs. We will be taking our leave." He looked at Lucius, "I shall be placing Aurors around the house. If you need anything, we are all a Floo away." With a 'pop' he was gone.
"Well," Jenna huffed. "That was fun."