Animo flounced back on the sofa with a grunt of frustration, setting down the textbook as angrily as she could without bending any of the pages. She had been researching horcruxes for ages, hoping that the Malfoy Manor would at least have some sort of description. After all, what dark magic weren't the Malfoys connected to? However, if there was a section on horcruxes, it was tucked away behind some secret panel. The enormous library was filled with every record of genecology imaginable and Animo was growing rather tired of sifting through article after article boasting of the Malfoy's "superior" blood.
Fiddling with the ends of her hair, Animo reached back to braid her pale tresses tightly. There had to be some way to get rid of a horcrux. She patted the inside pocket of her robes as she stood, making sure her map was securely hidden. It had grown to be a bit of a paranoia of hers and Animo was flung into instant panic the moment its familiar weight was absent.
She took a sharp glance over her shoulder, but the corridor beyond the library was as empty as it had been all day. Tom had seemed determined to avoid her since their latest encounter, blatantly ignoring Animo's calls after him in the manor. Or perhaps he was preoccupied with whatever plot he was currently building. Abraxas had told her that the Slytherin rarely spent the night at the manor during his travels.
Creeping towards the window, Animo was for once thankful for the ridiculously patterned rug, which swirled in various hues of green that chased after each other beneath the shelves. The expensive threads muffled her footsteps while she leaned forward, unclasping the iron hinges that secured the glass pane to its frame. Whispering a quick silencing charm, Animo slid open the window with a shove. A rush of freezing air sprouted a row of goosebumps on her skin.
She ducked her head outside and winced at the torrent of snowflakes that assaulted her cheeks, her breath billowing out in the air in a bright cloud. The gardens behind the manor were covered beneath a blanket of ice, the array of strange plants sending an unfriendly air even from Animo's great height. She tested her weight on the frame, pressing down on the wood before sliding both feet out the window.
"I wouldn't try that if I were you."
Animo slammed her forehead against the top of the frame, cringing in pain as she reached up to clutch her skull. "Merlin, Abraxas—"
"You were the one trying to sneak out of my house," Abraxas leaned against the doorway, looking rather amused in a silk suitcoat, the white of the material washing out his skin tone. "Don't blame me."
Climbing awkwardly out of her precarious position, Animo sent a last regretful look towards the outside. There went her chance at going to Nurmengard. "I suppose you'll tell Tom about this."
There was a long enough pause that Animo looked up uncertainly, her hair falling in pieces in front of her eyes. Abraxas's lips were pressed into a thin line while he crossed his arms over his chest, seeming lost in thought.
"When I want to escape my father's rebuttal, I like to take a walk among the apple groves."
Animo glanced towards the boy sharply, but he had disappeared, the only sign of his presence the retreating footsteps down the corridor. Fastening her cloak tightly to her throat, Animo scurried down the hall at a rapid pace, kicking her short heels off into a corner.
Waving her hand, she summoned her more practical pair of boots from her bedroom, shoving them on her feet as she stumbled outside. Even the blistering wind couldn't somber her hopeful mood while Animo trudged across the snow, leaving behind a series of deep tracks that she was sure to cover.
Avoiding a clump of greenery that looking disturbingly akin to a Mimbulus Mimbletonia, Animo headed towards the back of the gardens. The marbled walkway was slick beneath the ice, making her steps awkward as she approached a cluster of dead-looking trees. Their straggly branches jutted towards the sky at painful angles and chunks of bark peeled back from the trunk in large clumps, exposing the tender wood beneath.
"Tis a nasty place for miss to visit!"
Animo was rather embarrassed at the squeal that escaped her mouth, her boots clambering for grip on the slick surface while she attempted to face her stalker.
"Dobby apologizes, miss!" Dobby snapped his fingers and Animo's legs grew stiff, righting her on the ground. Gulping in a breath of air, Animo shoved a handful of hair from in front of her eyes, fixing the house elf with a scandalized expression.
"Dobby! What are you doing out here?" She frowned at the house elf's shivering arms, his pale skin even more sallow under the winter sky. "Here," she unwrapped the Slytherin scarf from about her neck before handing it over.
His eyes wide in horror, Dobby withdrew immediately, his head ducked low towards the ground. "No, Dobby mustn't miss. Not fit for the clothes of wizards, he is."
"That's a load of nonsense," Animo leaned forward, gently wrapping the scarf about Dobby's throat before he could protest. The ends of the knitted yarn hung at a ridiculous length, dancing about his toes. "You might want to shrink it a bit though," she added sheepishly.
Running a small hand over the scarf, Dobby observed the fabric so keenly that Animo felt the faint prick of tears at the back of her eyes. "Dobby loves knitting. Toddy caught him once with a pair of Mistress Malfoy's old needles," the elf flattened his ears back against his head, "gave him a fierce scolding, he did."
Animo started out again towards the grove of apple trees, although this time she tried to tread a deep enough path for Dobby to follow behind her. However, the action was needless as she turned back to see the elf happily skipping on the topmost layer of snow, his narrow feet not making a dent in its surface.
Pushing back a low-hanging branch, Animo pursed her lips in a quiet sadness while she observed the wizened old grove. Several of the trees lay where they had fallen into the undergrowth, nothing but dead leaves adorning their stripped limbs. It reminded her of some sort of graveyard.
"This was Mistress Malfoy's favourite place," Dobby observed mournfully, his throat quivering as he too seemed to mourn the loss of life, "but after she died, master forbid any of the house elves from touching the trees." His shining eyes flickered with a flare of joy, "best green apples there ever was, Miss Annie."
The edge of Animo's lip quirked as she thought about the number of times Draco was seen with a green apple in hand, usually using the fruit to gesture violently at Harry Potter. Perhaps the groves would not lay in shambles forever.
She awkwardly stumbled through the undergrowth, bits of reed prodding painfully at her legs while she searched for some sort of portal that would allow her to access the outside world. Dobby followed her silently, catching snowflakes on his tongue while she ambled from one side of the grove to the other.
Finally, Animo threw her hands into the air in a fit of frustration. "Bloody Malfoy was probably trying to get me in trouble!" She stalked back towards the manor in a bit of a temper. "Guarantee he and Tom are in there now, have a right chuckle—"
"Oh, Dobby is Miss Ani's way out!"
Animo stared as Dobby blinked back at her, not at all sheepish as he gave a jumbled sort of bow. "Master Malfoy often uses us elves to apparate from the manor! He told Dobby to take you, he did."
"No," Animo shook her head immediately, her shoulders sinking in defeat while she blew a warm breath on her icy fingers, "it's too dangerous, Dobby." The thought gave her pause. "Hold on, can you apparate anywhere?"
Dobby beamed proudly, bobbing his head so fiercely that Animo was afraid he might be sick. "Dobby thinks so. Toddy even went to Hogwarts to visit with Master Dumbledore once!"
Trying to ignore her curiosity at what Albus would want with Malfoy's house-elf, Animo observed the enthusiastic creature with a hesitant stare. She supposed she could leave Dobby with the Demiguise. At the very least, he would be out of trouble. "Alright," she conceded slowly, fixing Dobby with a serious look, "but at the first sign of trouble, I order you to leave. Even without me."
Dobby simply held out a tiny hand, his pillowcase appearing grey amongst the brilliant white of the snowfall around them. His bulbous green eyes glimmered with a bit of mischief that Animo had only seen glimpses of. "Dobby's afraid Master Malfoy ordered Dobby bring Miss Ani back in one piece. And Dobby must always listen to Master Malfoy."
Reaching for the creature's fingers, Animo's lip twitched in amusement at his incorrigible behavior. She couldn't even summon the will to be frustrated. "You know, Dobby, you're going to get someone in a lot of trouble one day."
Dobby responded with a toothy grin. "Uncle Toddy always tells Dobby he finds the worst ways to help."
The second their hands touched, there was a large crack and Animo at last felt the heavy air of the manor lift away.
They stumbled (or rather Animo did, Dobby seemed completely at ease) in the midst of the Austrian forest, the trees heavy with snow. Animo brushed a few pieces of dead grass from her robes before she stood, spinning around to observe Dobby in amazement.
"How did you—"
"Dobby told his magic to take them where Miss Ani wanted to go," Dobby shrugged, as if the feat was rather unremarkable. He patted the scarf about his neck, watching the hushed forest with a sort of child-like wonder. "Where did Miss take us?"
Animo swallowed uncertainly, grabbing her wand from where she had stowed it in the pocket of her robes, her fingers sweaty despite the aching cold. "Dobby.. do you think you could get us inside there?" she pulled back one of the nearest pine branches, the needles pricking into the tender skin of her palm while she revealed Nurmengard.
Dobby frowned, although the action didn't add any further wrinkles to his lined forehead. "Dobby can always try, miss."
Rubbing her hands together nervously, Animo tried her best to visualize the top staircase that she had observed on her last visit. Her time window to map out the uppermost floor would be limited. She paused. If she was to put them both in danger, Dobby deserved some sort of explanation. "This—"
"DON'T!" Dobby squeaked, his voice shrill as he held out a cracked palm. His ears folded back as his voice echoed over the snow and he looked around cautiously. "If Master Malfoy asks Dobby, Dobby will have to tell. It is best Ani doesn't tell him any more."
Animo observed the loyal creature with a grim respect, grateful that he was trying to protect her. "Thank you, Dobby." She held out her hand once more. "But if something happens, you have to promise you'll leave me. What I'm doing—" she shuddered, trying not to think of her brother, "it's dangerous."
Giving a solemn nod, Dobby reached over and interlocked their hands.
Another sharp pop and Animo was pressed against one of the granite pillars that lined the top floor of Nurmengard. In fact, the floor wasn't so much a corridor as simply a platform, nearly entirely exposed to the elements. The Alps stretched out in a series of ridges in all directions, reminding Animo of the scales on a dragon's back. Despite the storm, there seemed to be some sort of enchantment in place over Nurmengard and neither wind or snow billowed between the pillars.
"Stay here, Dobby," Animo swallowed nervously, thankful that no alarms seemed to have been tripped with their apparition. She made a mental note to do further research on house-elves. They were truly the most remarkable creatures. "Stay out of sight."
Dobby gave a trembling sort of nod before he vanished in thin air, his green eyes lingered just long enough that they reminded Animo of the Cheshire Cat. Gellert had loved the book when they were children. In fact, there were times that Animo wondered if he used the Mad Hatter as a sort of twisted inspiration.
Pulling the map from the folds of her robes, Animo tapped the edge of her wand on the parchment, murmuring a quick, "phoenix." Immediately, the magenta lines of Nurmengard spiraled across its surface, along with a handful of foot marks that told her several of Gellert's crowd roamed each corridor. Escape without Dobby would be nearly impossible.
"Appare Vestigium."
The spell revealed a series of footprints to Animo's right, along with a spiked name that was all too familiar. Cursing silently, Animo tapped her head, hoping that her Disillusionment Charm would hold steady.
"Patience, Nagini."
Dauphina rounded the corner. Her heels clicked on the stone beneath in an even rhythm that warned the passerby to keep a careful distance. Her tattooed arms were on full display, the dark ink shifting into strange runes and symbols that would take Animo several hours and a decent textbook to decipher. Streaks of silver threaded through her dark curls, but the color did little to age the woman. Several steps behind stalked an Indonesian witch, her raven hair twisted back into a loose bun.
"I don't have time—"
Dauphina held up a hand, silencing Nagini immediately. Animo watched in fascination, wondering if this was the very snake that Voldemort possessed so many decades in the future. She wrinkled her nose. Or perhaps Tom found her to be some sort of trophy. It was becoming rather difficult for Animo to remember Tom and Voldemort as one and the same. In her mind, the men were separate beings.
"I suggest you focus on your orders." Dauphina narrowed her brows sharply, her crimson lips slack. "Matters of the heart have no place amongst Grindelwald's ranks. You should know that better than most." The woman's tone was unapologetically cold.
The barb seemed to find its mark as Nagini recoiled, her small frame shaking with fury. "You of all—" the woman broke off her spiteful response, realizing that Dauphina remained stoic. Lunging forward, Nagini bared her teeth in her companion's face, ire emblazoned on her sharp features. "I hope you and that bastard have enjoyed your little game. But lest I need to remind you, there are many here just waiting for a misstep." Nagini's tone dropped to a cool hiss. "And that's when your cards will topple."
Without a glance back, Nagini snapped around and disappeared down the staircase. Her black robes melted into the shadows.
Animo glanced at the map, relieved to see that the woman's footsteps were being inked permanently within the bounds of the parchment's magic. She ran a pale finger over the crimson dots. How had Nagini become nothing but a snake?
"She's been through a lot, that one."
Dauphina's voice broke through the frigid air, although the Seer didn't even twitch. Animo froze, hardly daring to breath.
"But then, haven't we all?" Dauphina spun around slowly, her dark eyes glimmering with a heavy sort of sadness. "It's been too long, Ani-girl."
The nickname brushed against the edge of Animo's memories, a painful reminder of all that she had lost. Warily, Animo dropped the Disillusionment Charm, though she was sure to keep a firm grip on her wand as she stepped from the shadows.
The setting sun cast the shadows of the pillars across Dauphina's face while the woman inhaled a deep breath, her nostrils flaring with the cold. Her eyes scanned Animo's form ravenously, as if drinking every detail. "You look so much like him."
The comment stung, despite Animo's certainty that Dauphina did not mean it as an insult.
"Your eyes are different," Dauphina frowned, taking a step forward. The train of her dress dragged against the ground.
Animo whipped her wand forward instantly, raising her unoccupied arm in defense. "I charmed them. Couldn't risk people figuring out who I was."
The Seer raised up her hands slowly, her lips twitching into the barest hint of a smile. "I see your fire has not dimmed. That is a relief." Her gaze darkened while she took a step back towards the edge of the platform, her toes centimeters from emptiness below. "Tell me, is the future as dark as this one seems?"
Her words hung on the air, an offering to bridge the hostility between them. Animo paused, trying to determine how to respond. She settled for a question of her own. "Have you not been able to see it?"
"Not for lack of trying," Dauphina snorted, raking her hands through the end of her curls, which tumbled about her waist. "I've been searching the stars for months, wondering if Gellert is still right in his path. But the future I see changes every time." Her lips pinched, "all I can see are a pair of scarlet eyes."
Animo flinched, a movement that did not go unnoticed by Dauphina. Lowering her wand slightly, Animo took a step closer to the edge, still careful to maintain a bit of space between them. "You doubt Gellert's motives?"
A hollow laugh whisked from the Seer's throat. "When have I not?" She closed her darkly painted eyelids, "oh, he was so disarming in the beginning. Promising me a place in his society. Where I would not only belong, but command." Her expression twitched sourly. "I had a 'talent for persuasion' he said. It was only years later I realized those talents were no longer my own, but in the hands of a monster."
"How did you know I would be here?" Animo refused to let herself be swayed by the witch's disarming words. Gellert had trained his followers the art of deception all too well.
"I had a vision of us right here," Dauphina flickered her fingers towards the pillars behind, their height more staggering under the hue of their shadows. "It was not until Nagini led me up these stairs that I began to suspect you were here. You forget, child," a smirk graced the woman's lips, "I am familiar with the feeling of your presence. Always silently mischievous."
Finally relaxing her wand arm at her side, Animo turned out to face the horizon. The sun had just dipped beneath the mountains. The last of its orange ambience trickled into dark beyond the treetops. "So, you're not going to turn me in to Gellert?"
Dauphina shook her head sharply. "Not today. But come again and I will have no choice."
Frowning at her words, Animo clenched her hands tightly in attempt to conserve some sort of warmth. "You don't have a choice?"
The Seer replied with a simple nod. "I made my choice long ago. I have dug myself far too deeply now," Dauphina paused, searching for the right words, "should I fail Gellert, I will have nothing left."
"But—"
"The punishment for my crimes would be the Dementor's Kiss." Dauphina shook her head firmly, "I have not given up everything I have to be subject to such a fate. And what would it mean for people like me?" She gestured towards the staircase where Nagini had disappeared. Her painted talons were sharp and cruel. "We will continue to be mocked and abused."
Animo' shoulders sank. "That's why you joined Gellert?"
"You brother has quite the way with words," Dauphina grimaced, "would put that filthy muggle dictator to shame. He wants to make the world free for people like us, Ani."
Swallowing thickly, Animo forced herself to face her old companion. Years of understanding hung heavily about their shoulders. Yet the illusion of companionship has been broken. They stood at opposite sides of the war. "At what cost?"
"One I have already begun to pay." Dauphina didn't offer any further elaboration as she kept her gaze trained on the dusky horizon, her eyes reflecting the first glimmer of stars. "You should go, Animo. He will be back shortly."
Slowly, Animo turned away, reluctant to abandon a figure she had regarded so fondly as a child. She paused at the top of the stairs, certain that Dobby lingered not far beyond. "For what it's worth, you made growing up not so lonely."
For a brief moment, Dauphina's mask crumbled. The Seer pressed her lips firmly, as if holding back a wave of tears. Her silhouette was barely discernable amongst the pillars. The woman was as unmoving and rigid as the granite itself.
"That boy you're with? Don't give up on him."
Animo blinked, her throat choked with a sudden wave of emotion. It was too difficult to respond. Instead, she managed a quiet nod before disappearing down the stone steps.