Delphi
Hogsmeade was quiet, a few people milling around the streets. It was cold and those who were out wore thick cloaks that blew in the wind. Delphi shivered – she was still wearing the dress that she had worn in Azkaban, torn and thin. She had no idea what she was going to do now – she had nowhere to go, no money, and she knew no one. She didn't want to go back to Rodolphus' house if she could avoid it because the memories it would dredge up would destroy her, piece by piece. She sighed and took out her wand, fingering it gently, almost scared of it. This was the wand that had killed, tortured, harmed. And she'd never forgive herself for letting it happen. Despite the insistence that she had just been a pawn. She knew that she should have, could have, fought harder. Yet, she hadn't. And now she was here, hated, afraid, broken. She walked slowly down the street, walking in time with the slow drip from some gutter or other. Rain began to patter down, and she hurried underneath an overhanging roof. She sunk down, cold, curled up in a ball, trying to stay warm. She looked at her wand again, wondering whether she would be able to conjure flames while keeping them under control, knowing full well that she had not attempted magic in five years.
"Incendio," she murmured, trying to make sure the fire didn't jet out of the end of the wand. It glowed for a moment and then returned to its normal shade of brown. Delphi sighed and put her wand back in her pocket. She yawned before realising she had not slept for over a day. Slowly, half-trying to keep herself awake for fear of nightmares, she began to drift to sleep.
There was someone standing in front of her when she woke, somehow still tired. Their wand was out, pointing down at her. She blinked at the bright, cold sunlight that had appeared, and sat up groggily. There was a tall, angry-looking man standing over her.
"Get up," he snapped. Delphi didn't move.
"Why?" she muttered. Some part of her wanted to fight back. After twenty-two years of being ignored, being shaped, being threatened, she wanted to fight back. She wanted to fight the overwhelming fear that coursed through her, "Why should I move?"
"Because you're sleeping in my spot," the man snapped again, "So, move."
"No," Delphi closed her eyes again. She groaned as something hard came flying into her stomach.
"Get up," the man demanded. Delphi curled up, trying to ignore the pain blossoming in her abdomen and draw breath. The man kicked her again, "I recognise you," he sneered, "Who are you?" Delphi didn't reply. He laughed and forced her to stand up. She leant against the wall, taking deep breaths, trying to calm everything rushing through her, "You father was a murderer, wasn't he?" the man whispered, "And you're just like him. You bitch."
"No," Delphi whispered, fear beginning to take over again, "No. I'm...I'm not like...not like them."
"Aren't you?" he smirked, "You murdered," he put his wand against hr throat and Delphi tried to struggle away from him, "Where you off to?" he pulled her back.
"I didn't–"
"Didn't do anything wrong?" the man raised his eyebrows.
"Didn't hurt them," Delphi finished quietly.
"Then where did the dead body come from?" he smirked, raising his fist. Delphi shrunk back.
"HEY!" someone yelled from across the street, "PETER! WHAT IS IT NOW?" Delphi's heart missed a beat – Albus was standing opposite them, somehow defending her. Delphi realised he probably didn't know it was her who stood there, otherwise he would not have stopped it.
"What?" Peter called back.
"Who 'crossed you' this time?" Albus asked, walking over. Delphi tried to shrink away.
"She was sleeping in my spot," Peter said irritably.
"Well," Albus said placentally, "If you took that job I keep offering you, you wouldn't need the spot. Anyway, who is it this time?" Peter stepped out the way, trying to reveal Delphi, but she bolted out, trying to hide her face, and raced down the road, "Wait!" Albus shouted after her. Delphi ignored him, running until she didn't know where she was anymore. She was terrified of it all; the memories, the pain, the scars that were embroidered on her skin, in her mind, after everything. She didn't want Albus to know she had been there, even though he could easily find out, she didn't want to crash into his world again.
She kept walking, not sure of where she was or what she was doing, lost inside her mind. She walked up towards the mountains, turning back as the sunlight began to fade slightly beyond the horizon. She had no idea where she was going to go, but she knew she needed somewhere. The cold and the dark were closing in and she didn't want to try to use magic to keep herself warm. She didn't want to use magic anymore. As she reached the edge of Hogsmeade again, she saw an old shack, crumbling and rotten, but sheltered. Safe. And that was what she needed now. It didn't look as if anyone cared about it and that was confirmed when she pushed open the boarded-up door and it crashed to the floor. She sighed and picked it up, pushing it back into the frame. The house looked no better on the inside, but it was warm. Delphi wasn't tired anymore and she paced the rooms, trying to forget everything that had happened that day. She walked round and round, again and again, part of her wishing that she was still in Azkaban, where she was safe, where she didn't have to think about how she would survive each day, where her nightmares had started to stay away. But, she was here. And she was also determined to get herself back on track. She just didn't know what 'back on track' was because she had never been 'on track'. She sighed and sat down in one of the rooms, staring at the paper as it peeled off the walls and wondering why there were brown, bloody stains covering the floor. She wondered what the person who had lived here had gone through for the shack to end up in that state, all the furniture broken, all the windows boarded up.
A few days past. Delphi didn't leave the house, didn't eat, didn't try to convince herself that she could pull through because she didn't know how to pull through. She had never really known. She slept in the only bedroom, not entirely sure why as the bed was just as hard as the floor. No one tried to enter the shack; no one came looking for her. She liked it like that. It gave her time to think. When she could bring herself to think about everything. One morning, when she had managed to get her sleeping patterns under more control, she had woken to hear quiet voices from outside the corridor. She didn't recognise them and stayed quiet as three figures appeared from behind the door. They were laughing and talking avidly, but one girl broke off awkwardly as she saw Delphi, sat up on the bed, watching them nervously.
"Uh...Will," she muttered. Will turned around.
"What?" he asked. The girl pointed at Delphi.
"What happened, Jessa?" someone else asked. They stopped short as they saw Delphi. Delphi tried to smile as she stood up.
"Sorry," she mumbled, "I know I'm not allowed to be here. I just...I had nowhere and it was a ruin, so I thought..." she trailed off.
"Who are you?" Will asked, "I feel like I know you."
"You won't know me," Delphi said quietly, "You couldn't know me."
"Why not?" Will said curiously.
"Because I remember every face I have ever seen, and I have never seen you," Delphi said. Will took a step back and frowned.
"I've seen you before," he said, almost inaudibly, "I saw you when you convinced them that you weren't a sadistic, murdering bitch."
"Will?" Jessa looked worriedly at him.
"She...she got out..." Will gasped, "They let her out."
"Let her out of where?" Jessa said, keeping her tone calmly. Delphi felt herself beginning to lose herself in a pit of emotion and memory and she forced herself to take deep breaths, desperate not to let it get out of hand now.
"They let a murderer, a torturing, thieving murderer, out of Azkaban," Will snapped.
"No," Delphi whispered.
"You're denying it?" Will demanded. Delphi shook her head frantically, hugging her knees.
"I...I didn't kill...didn't kill anyone," she couldn't keep herself calm now, "I...I swear...I–"
"So my brother just dropped dead of his own accord?" Will snarled, picking up a scrap of furniture from the floor.
"Will," the other girl said, placing a hand on his shoulder, "Will, step back. Just, slow down."
"SHUT UP AELIANUS!" Will roared, "She killed my brother and got away with it. Am I supposed to sit and watch too?"
"No, but–"
"SHE MURDERED MY BROTHER!" Will yelled, throwing the scrap of furniture across the room towards Delphi. She shielded her head and dived down, burying her face in the bed, trying to distract herself.
"I didn't," she cried, over and over, "I didn't. I didn't. I didn't." The scraps of wood kept flying towards her, despite Jessa and Aelianus' best efforts to stop Will's uncontrollable anger. Delphi slipped down the side of the bed, trying to hide. She crawled away, trying to reach a corner, and screamed as her arm dragged over some sort of loose nail, tearing through her dress and slicing at her arm. She pulled herself up to the bed, leaning against it and trying to count her breaths. Objects were still being thrown at her, but she tried to shield herself as she ripped the hem off the bottom of her dress and pressed it to the wound.
"Will, slow down," Jessa said, trying to do something or other – Delphi couldn't see what.
"YOU DON'T KNOW WHAT IT'S LIKE!" Will screamed, "YOU DON'T KNOW..." Delphi tried to keep everything out of her head, tried not to see Craig's body fall, over and over.
"Will," Aelianus said, a more-steely tone beginning to edge her voice, "Will, you need to stop now. You're going to hit someone."
"It's her!" Will picked up another piece of wood, "You don't get it, do you? She destroyed everything. You don't understand that. You don't know what that's like."
"I know what it's like," someone said quietly from behind them. Delphi backed up into the corner, trying not to scream again. Scorpius stood on the other side of the room, watching them worriedly.
"How would you know?" Will snarled, "How would you know what this feels like?" Scorpius glanced at Delphi, who was desperately trying to keep her thoughts out of her mind, trying to keep them in a place where they would not hurt her. But it didn't work. It hadn't ever worked when she had needed it to.
"Delphi," Scorpius said. She looked over at him, terrified, "Delphi, slow down. I'll be over in a moment." Delphi nodded frantically, holding onto his words.
"So, you believe her too?" Will snapped, "You believe the sob story she told to get herself out?"
"Will, it wasn't–"
"She lied to you in that letter," Will interrupted angrily, "She admitted that freely. What's to stop her from lying to you again."
"Will," Scorpius said calmly, "I understand that you're angry–"
"HOW WOULD YOU KNOW?" Will screamed. Jessa pulled him back and he pulled away from her.
"I was there," Scorpius said quietly; Delphi could see he was struggling to talk about it, "I was there when Craig died."
"You were there when she killed Craig?" Will stopped.
"When he was killed," Scorpius nodded.
"And you still believe her?" Will muttered.
"Will," Delphi whispered hoarsely, "I have...I have some sort of proof."
"What?" Will demanded.
"When I was in Azkaban," Delphi murmured, "I was attack, by...by him."
"And how is that proof?" Will snapped, "You failed him, even if it wasn't forced." Delphi removed her hand from her wounded arm, gritting her teeth at the pain, and swept her hair away from her neck to reveal a jagged scar in the shape of an 'A'. She had tried so hard to forget that scar, tried so hard to forget it had ever happened, but now she felt a shimmer of pride rushing through her. The scars proved that she had made it, that she was safer now, no matter how scared she was.
"He..." she paused, "Rodolphus gave me that scar. It was supposed to be a reminder that Albus and Scorpius weren't safe. I didn't notice it until it had scarred." Will remained unconvinced.
"Listen, Will," Scorpius took a deep breath, "When you get back to the school, I want you to go to my office, in the library, and wait there for me. We can talk everything over. Okay?"
"Okay," Will said quietly, his tone still holding a trace of anger.
"Jessa and Aelianus," Scorpius turned to them, "You should probably come up with a valid excuse as to why you are in Hogsmeade on a Sunday morning," he said it sternly and then smiled kindly, "Off you go." Will, Jessa and Aelianus scurried nervously through the door. Delphi pressed the cloth back to her arm and tried to stand up, gritting her teeth to stop herself from yelling out.
"I shouldn't...I shouldn't be here," she muttered, knowing that talking properly would mean that she would scream, "I'll go," she started to leave.
"Sit down," Scorpius said firmly. Delphi shook her head.
"I'm fine," she said.
"You not," Scorpius insisted, "You're bleeding everywhere." Delphi looked at where she had been sat. The floor and bed were soaked in blood, her blood. She sank down on the bed, taking her hand away from the wound. Blood was still trickling from it, slowly now, but Delphi was beginning to feel faint. Scorpius sat down next to her, taking out his wand and pushing Delphi's sleeve up to her shoulder. He murmured something, sighing, relieved, as the wound closed itself, the pain fading into a faint throbbing. Delphi let out a breath that she hadn't realised she had been holding in. Scorpius smiled at her and he began to siphon the drying blood off her arm.
"Thank you," Delphi said quietly.
"Don't mention it," Scorpius smiled, "How are you? Albus told me that you got into a bit of trouble a few days ago."
"He knew that was me?" Delphi asked.
"Peter told him," Scorpius explained. He paused, "What's that? On your arm?" Delphi down at her arm, recoiling slightly at the spidery scars that covered it. She was not scared of them, not ashamed of them, she had just tried to forget them, forcing herself to keep them from her thoughts. Scorpius looked her in the eye, "What is that?"
"Scars," Delphi's voice cracked. She had not seen them properly since the day she had gotten her tattoo.
"Rodolphus?" Scorpius asked. Delphi shook her head.
"Euphemia," she said quietly, pulling her sleeve down again, "When...when I was seven, I began to show signs of magic. I knew it wasn't unnatural – I had seen Euphemia use magic – but she punished me for it. The rest of the wounds healed, but she wouldn't let these ones go. She said I needed to have a permanent reminder that I was worthless and would never belong. And she was right."
"She wasn't right," Scorpius said firmly, "You are not worthless. And you will belong, soon enough."
"I should go," Delphi said quickly, standing up, a sudden urge to get outside overcoming her.
"Are you sure?" Scorpius asked.
"Yeah," Delphi tried to smile, "Yeah, I need to go somewhere."
"A home?" Scorpius said.
"Uh, yeah," Delphi tried to smile again.
"You haven't got anywhere to go," Scorpius saw right through her, "Have you?" Delphi shook her head.
"I have if I'm desperate," she said quietly, "I just don't want to go back to his house."
"That's fine," Scorpius smiled, "Listen, this house is Hogwarts' property. I'll have to speak to some people, but I'm sure they'll be okay with us fixing the place up and you could stay here for as long as you needed to get back on your feet."
"Okay," Delphi smiled, "Thanks."
"Don't mention it," Scorpius smiled back, before he left and returned down the passage.
Scorpius returned the next morning, smiling. Delphi didn't notice as he emerged from the passage – she was pacing, walking the same corridors over and over, knowing that if she stopped, Euphemia and Rodolphus would find a way back into her head. No matter how brave she felt when the sun rose, no matter how many times she told herself that it would be better the next night, it never was. So, she never noticed the mornings. She didn't notice Scorpius.
"You're allowed to stay here," he smiled, "Wait, Delphi, are you okay?" Delphi shook her head.
"I had a bad night," she said quietly. Scorpius nodded.
"Do you want to sit down?" he asked. Delphi shook her head.
"It...it comes back when I sit down, when I stop," she murmured.
"Okay," Scorpius said, "That's fine."
"Thank you," Delphi smiled, pathetically grateful.
"Don't mention it," Scorpius smiled back, "I have nights like that too."
"That was my fault," Delphi pointed out.
"Do you think, if I blamed you, even slightly, that I would have made sure you were allowed to stay here?" Scorpius asked, "Do you think I would be offering to help you repair the place, so you don't have to live in a shack?" Delphi shook her head.
"Thank you," Delphi said again. Scorpius smiled and took out his wand. Delphi hesitated, "I left my wand somewhere," she said, "I'm trying not to use magic, but I can go and find it if you want some help."
"I can do it," Scorpius said, "If you don't want to use magic."
"Thanks," Delphi smiled gratefully. She wasn't scared of magic, didn't hate in the way that others would have assumed that she would, but she knew how her power could be manipulated and she knew what it had done. And she would never let anyone get hurt because she couldn't control it. Never again. Scorpius smiled at her as he raised his wand, murmuring soundlessly, and the broken scraps around the room began to move, transforming around them. The peeling wallpaper resealed itself to the wall, the furniture repaired itself and floated to where it was meant to be placed, the boards on the windows transfigured into panes of glass set themselves in metal frames. Objects continued to fly around them for a few more minutes, and then Scorpius turned to Delphi.
"That should be it," he smiled, "And I fixed the door."
"Thanks," Delphi said.
"One more thing," Scorpius pulled a small key from his pocket, "I believe this is yours." Delphi looked closely at the key.
"That's...I sent that with the letter," she frowned.
"Yeah," Scorpius nodded, "We only needed it once. There's plenty of money left in Gringotts."
"Thanks," Delphi pocketed the key," Is...is Will okay?" Scorpius sighed.
"He's all right," he said quietly, "He...his whole family...didn't cope well with Craig's death. Will...Will gets angry. A lot. I didn't really think it was that bad until yesterday." Delphi nodded. Scorpius sighed again, "Well, I should probably get back to Hogwarts," he said quickly, "I'll see you soon?"
"Yeah," Delphi smiled. Scorpius walked back down the passageway. And then he was back.
"I forgot," he said, "Don't use this passage if you can avoid it. There's a very violent tree at the other end."
"Okay," Delphi smiled, "'Very violent tree'?"
"I'm serious," Scorpius said, "It's meant to stop people from getting down her." Delphi nodded. Scorpius smiled again and walked back down the passageway.
Delphi had hope – she had had a good day, a day when she could stop, sit, think, and she was safe from the memories. But then the sun set, then darkness came. And everything had come flooding back. Something had whispered, over and over, into her ear, that Scorpius had not entirely forgiven her, that he partly still hated her. She knew Albus would not have come to terms with what she had done, but part of her had hoped that Scorpius might have. But she couldn't help feeling like he hadn't. She didn't know why she felt like that – he had helped her, given her a place to stay, but she couldn't help but feel like he didn't want anything to do with her anymore. She didn't sleep that night, her mind forcing her back into the Locked Room, back to Euphemia's mansion. She didn't want to be there, and she told the memories, but they laughed it back at her and kept forcing the images through her head. In the morning, she sat wearily at the kitchen table with a mug of tea, trying to calm herself down. There was a knock at the door and she wiped her face clean, choking back the tears that insisted on falling. She made her way slowly to the door and opened it. She recognised the woman standing there and took no pleasure in seeing her again. It just pushed memories of St Oswald's through Delphi's head.
"What do you want, Skye?" she asked wearily. Skye smiled hopefully at her.
"Hi, Delphi," she said, "Are you doing all right?"
"As it's probably obvious," Delphi snapped, "I'm not. So, if you could explain what you're doing on the doorstep and then leave, I'd be grateful."
"Can I come in?" Skye asked awkwardly, "I need to explain something...a lot of things."
"Fine," Delphi muttered. She didn't really care much now as she closed the door and led Skye through to the kitchen before sitting down and sipping her tea again, "What?"
"I...my name isn't..." Skye paused and took a deep breath, "My name isn't Skye Bulstrode. I'm not a Bulstrode. I'm your cousin." Delphi looked up at her, torn between curiosity and annoyance.
"How?"
"I'm Gem, Gemini Gaunt," Gemini explained, "You're Delphini Gaunt–"
"I am not a Gaunt," Delphi snarled, "I'm not a Riddle. I'm not a Lestrange. I'm not a Gaunt. I want nothing to do with those families."
"Oh, sorry," Gemini said, "I'm not a 'normal' Gaunt though – I'm not a Pure Blood. That's why I called myself Skye Bulstrode; I didn't want them to know. Anyway, my grandmother was a muggle and her family thought she was mad. So, they locked her up for it. Marvolo Gaunt – my grandfather – got in and...well, my grandmother ended up pregnant with my father. He went to Hogwarts and he and my mother had me a few years later. They passed away when I was sixteen and I've looked after myself since."
"And what does this have to do with me?" Delphi asked quietly, anger creeping up on her.
"You never had a family, Delphi," Gemini said, "I'm not stupid. And I lost mine. We're each other's only family."
"And you want me to acknowledge that?" Delphi muttered angrily, "Acknowledge that I'm related to man who watched calmly as I was tortured."
"Not...not that you're related to him, but to me," Gemini begged, "Please."
"No."
"Why not?" Gemini asked.
"Because I don't need a family," Delphi said quietly.
"Yes, you do," Gemini said, "Look at you. You've not left this house since you arrived a week ago. I know you pace the house every night. You need the support. Look at you."
"Yeah," Delphi said, beginning to cry, "Look at me. The woman who was given three chances and ruined them all."
"Did you?"
"Let's see," Delphi spat, starting to sob, "My first friend was a bird. Because there was nothing else. And I didn't help it to get out of the situation that we were both in, and yet I was able to get away. And the others? I was forced to manipulate them both within an inch of all our lives and then torture them. I nearly got us, and their families, killed," she paused, "So, maybe, you can see why I don't want a family. Or deserve one."
"Give it one more chance," Gemini pleaded, "Please. I can look after myself. I just..."
"Get out," Delphi croaked, "Get out."
"Delphi–"
"GET OUT!" Delphi screamed. She could see Scorpius screaming and sobbing at her feet, see Craig's body falling, see the hate in Albus' eyes, feel Rodolphus' hands clamping over her mouth and throat, "GET OUT!" Gemini looked at her, hurt, but Delphi didn't care. Eventually, Gemini turned and left; Delphi fell to her knees, sobbing, as she heard the front door click shut.
Something inside Delphi wanted to let go. Opening everything up to Gemini in a moment of anger had left her vulnerable. Suddenly, she had a hundred secrets again. Suddenly, she was holding them too tightly. But she couldn't bring herself to a point of letting go. Somehow, she had reached a stage where she could sleep through again, where she stopped pacing, but she couldn't leave the house. Because every time that she came close to the door, something overwhelmed her; she broke down crying again. She wasn't scared now, but everything seemed to fly at her faster than she could think it over, piece by piece. She barely registered anything as she sat in her room, close to tears. She felt worthless, completely and utterly worthless, despite trying to convince herself that someone cared. Even though she had yelled at Gemini, screamed at her to leave, Delphi knew that she would still be open to the offer of a friendship, of a family. Part of her was ashamed for turning it down – it was obvious how much Gemini needed it – but part of her wanted nothing to do with it. She didn't want to let anyone else get hurt because she was vulnerable. Because that reality stared her in the face. There was another knock at the door. Delphi sighed as she went to open it, wiping her tears away. Albus stood, waiting patiently.
"Hello," he smiled, "Are you okay?"
"Yeah," Delphi lied, "You?"
"I'm fine," Albus said, "Gemini said you were upset. I wanted to make sure you were okay."
"That's new," Delphi muttered.
"What is?"
"The good guys wanting to make sure the villains are okay," Delphi turned and walked back into the house. Albus followed her in, closing the door.
"What's that meant to mean?" he asked. Delphi sat down in the kitchen.
"I'm not a good guy," Delphi said quietly, "You are. You wouldn't normally care about the story's villain."
"You're not a villain," Albus said, sitting down opposite her.
"Then what am I?" Delphi said, "What is my role within this story?"
"You're not a villain," Albus said again, "You're in some sort of grey area."
"A grey area?" Delphi raised her eyebrows and stood up, starting to pace again.
"Yes," Albus said, "You're not a good guy, not entirely, but you're not evil."
"So," Delphi said, her voice cracking, "You haven't forgiven me, I take it?" Albus didn't say anything. Delphi sighed, "I don't blame you," she said quietly, "Why would you? Everything I ever did was evil. Don't try and say otherwise, because you can't. No matter how much you and Scorpius twist everything that happened. I'm 'the hero' because I tried to protect you. Through everything. I'm 'the villain' because I didn't stop it. I'm 'in the grey area', according to you, but that's a lie too. I don't stand there. No one does. No one can. Because no one ever sees it. Certainly not when faced with a 'villain'. Because the whole world is painted in black and white. No room for grey. No room for me."
"There is room," Albus protested, "There is room for grey. If there isn't any room yet, we can find room." Delphi shook her head.
"Don't try and say you're sorry," she muttered, "I don't want it. Because I didn't, I don't, look for that room either. So, by my own standards, I'm evil. We didn't choose this reality, but we have it. And it's the reality where no one looks. Where no one ever has their story told because the world is afraid to tell it."
"If that's your outlook on it," Albus muttered, "I can't entirely see why Scorpius forgave you. You seem so desperate not to forgive yourself." Delphi sighed.
"I don't know why he forgave me either," she whispered, "I never deserved it." Albus didn't say anything and Delphi wiped a few tears away, "Like I said, everything I ever did was evil." Albus stood up and left the room. Delphi sighed as she heard the front door click shut. She had ruined another relationship, yet again.
Delphi left the house the next day. She didn't feel like she was going to lose herself anymore, just numbness. She felt numb. And she wanted to apologise to Gemini. If she could. She walked down the street, shivering slightly as the wind roared around her. She looked for Gemini, half-dreading the moment they met.
"Delphi," someone called hopefully. Delphi looked over to see Gemini smiling nervously at her from the other side of the street. Delphi smiled back, glad that Gemini hadn't started in the angry tone that she would inevitably reach. Delphi hurried over.
"Hello," she said, "Look, I'm...I'm sorry about yesterday. I just...I don't know...I'm just scared, I guess." Gemini nodded.
"I'm sorry too," she said quietly, "I should have remembered that you would be reluctant, after everything. I didn't really think. I just wanted something stable."
"Me too," Delphi admitted, "But I don't know what stable really is. Euphemia would always make sure I was one wrong step away from an excuse to hurt me. And Rodolphus...well, you know what happened." Gemini nodded again.
"I found the writing in your room," she said, "At St Oswald's."
"Why didn't you report it?" Delphi asked.
"I only found after they announced your arrest," Gemini explained, "I know we didn't talk much, but I felt like there was something about you that connected us. When they left your room open, I went in to look around. You know how much I used to fiddle and I unscrewed an oil-lamp absent-mindedly. And...well, the rest is obvious."
"You found the writing – you're a Parselmouth," Delphi nodded, "And assumed I was evil?"
"Not entirely," Gemini said, "I overheard Rodolphus' threatening you and I knew it wasn't as it had been presented. But yes, I thought you were partly to blame."
"I don't blame you," Delphi smiled, "Do you...do you want to get a cup of tea? At my house?" Gemini smiled back.
"I'd love to," she said. They walked back down the road, talking, and Delphi began to realise what stability was, what it felt like.
Gemini left the Shrieking Shack a few hours later, promising to come and see Delphi again before the end of the week. Delphi smiled as she watched Gemini walk down the road. She made Delphi feel more normal, made her feel safer. Delphi knew that it might have been inside her head, but even when Gemini was gone, Delphi had hope that the night would be okay, that she could get through it and see the morning. And it was. The next day also okay. Delphi went for a walk, wrapping herself in a makeshift cloak to protect herself from the biting wind, ate meals at the right times, and looked through the village in the hopes of finding a bookshop. When she didn't find one, she went back to the Shrieking Shack and tried to tell herself one of the Greek Myths she had loved so much. She couldn't remember much of it, but the few positive memories of Euphemia's manor made her smile. But the walls began to close in on her again as the sunset threw shadows through the windows. The nightmares pushed to be the vision that she saw; she saw flashes of everything that had happened – the Locked Room, the woods, the Maze, the Church, the cell in Azkaban – until she screamed at it to leave, until she forced her eyes open and stumbled to a window, pushing it open and taking deep lungful's of air. Her forehead was slick with sweat and she was grateful for the cold. Moments later, there was a knock at the door, a violent, insistent knocking. Delphi glanced behind her, blinking to force the shadows out. The knocking continued; Delphi could hear someone calling.
"Delphi?" they called, "Delphi?" Delphi pulled herself away from the window and walked slowly to the door.
"Who's there?" she called back softly.
"Gemini," Gemini replied immediately, "I heard you screaming." Delphi opened the door weakly, trying to smile, to appear okay.
"How did you hear?" she asked.
"I was sleeping outside," Gemini said quietly, "I got kicked out my home a few weeks ago. I couldn't keep up with payments after I lost my job." Delphi stared.
"Why didn't you say anything?" she asked.
"Because you were dealing with enough already," Gemini said simply, "I didn't want to force my way into your life if you didn't want it."
"Thank you," Delphi smiled gratefully, her eyes swimming with tears, "Come in. It's freezing out there." Gemini stepped inside gratefully, shivering as Delphi shut the door.
"Are you all right?" Gemini asked again, "You had a nightmare?"
"I'm okay," Delphi nodded, slightly shaky as she walked back down to the kitchen. She poured some water into the kettle and hung it above the dying fire, placing another log in.
"I can do that," Gemini offered.
"If you want to," Delphi smiled, "I'm just not using magic anymore." Gemini nodded and took out her wand.
"Incendio," she murmured. A small jet of fire landed in the fire, making it roar. Delphi poured tea into two mugs and poured some water in. She stirred it slowly, distracted, and picked up both mugs, hands shaking. Gemini stood up and took one to make sure it didn't spill.
"Thank you," Delphi said quietly as they sat back down, "Thank you for staying. After everything I said."
"Thanks for letting me in," Gemini smiled, taking a sip of her tea.
"You're staying," Delphi said, "You do know that? You're staying until I get myself somewhere permanent to live. And you can stay after that, if you need to."
"How long are you allowed to stay here?" Gemini asked.
"I don't know," Delphi sighed, "Scorpius didn't say anything about Hogwarts needing this place anytime soon, and they obviously hadn't used it for years when I got here." Gemini nodded, "I don't want to rely on it," Delphi said quickly.
"Yeah," Gemini smiled, "Thank you, by the way. Thanks for letting me stay."
"You turned up, in the middle of the night, to check I was okay after you heard me having a nightmare," Delphi smiled back, "I'd be an even crappier person than I already am if I didn't let you stay."
"You're not a crappy person," Gemini said, "You tried."
"Yeah," Delphi muttered. She didn't really want to talk about it at that moment.
"We should probably get some sleep," Gemini said, finishing her tea, "If that's okay with you." Delphi nodded and stood up.
"There's a spare room down here," she lit a candle and led Gemini to the room where she had met Will, Jessa and Aelianus. Delphi had taken to sleeping in the other room to avoid dredging up the memories of a hundred other scars that she carried, "Is this okay?" she asked Gemini, a little too aware of the bloodstains on the floor – her's.
"It's fine," Gemini smiled, "Thank you so much."
"I should go," Delphi said, "I'll see you in the morning?"
"Yeah," Gemini said, sitting down, "Sleep well. I'm here if you need me."
"Thanks," Delphi said as she left the room.
The next morning, Delphi woke early, not finding as much urge to sleep as she thought there would be. She was sitting in the kitchen, scratching down some ideas onto a scrap of parchment, when Gemini came in, smiling wearily.
"Sleep well?" Delphi asked.
"Yes," Gemini nodded, "You?"
"Don't lie," Delphi said, "You didn't sleep well, did you?"
"I don't sleep," Gemini shrugged, "I have insomnia – where you can't actually sleep – and I haven't slept for about a week."
"Oh."
"It's how I heard you were having a nightmare," Gemini said, "I don't really mind it anymore. It's normal." Delphi was about to ask how normal it could be, when she realised that it hard partly become her norm, too. She was used to sleepless nights. She was used to seeing the faces everywhere. She was used to the feeling of terror. It was just normal.
"Yeah," she said quietly, "Listen, I can't rely on the money in my Gringotts vault – I don't know how much there is – and I don't have the Lestrange vault anymore, not that I want it, so we need to make money somehow."
"Okay," Gemini said, sitting down, "Did you have any ideas?"
"I want to open a bookshop," Delphi said after a moment, "There isn't one in Hogsmeade and...well, it's one of my few good memories." Gemini nodded.
"I've never found many stories written by wizards," she said, "There's the Tales of Beedle the Bard, but not much else."
"I read a lot of muggle stories," Delphi said quietly, "When I was younger. Plays, and stories, and myths and legends. I'd like to sell them, if we can get copies of them."
"That would be nice," Gemini said, "But where?"
"I could try and see if we can buy this place from Hogwarts," Delphi suggested, "It would mean we could stay here. We'd struggle financially for a while, but it should be possible. It's just getting hold of the muggle books."
"The Ministry will have access to muggle money," Gemini reminded her, "I could speak to Albus about it."
"You're friends?" Delphi asked.
"Yes," Gemini said, "He offered me a job. I turned it down because I wanted to help you."
"You stayed without a place to sleep," Delphi gaped, "To help me? I will never understand that."
"I did it because you matter to me," Gemini smiled, "And because I don't want to lose what little family I have. And because I don't really sleep anyway."
"Why me?" Delphi asked, "Surely you can surround yourself with people who you can call family."
"I tried," Gemini sighed, "I tried, but it was never what I imagined family would feel like. I guess it was because they never had that same need of it as I did."
"Thank you," Delphi said, not sure of how to get across what she really wanted to say, knowing that, whatever she said, it wouldn't be enough to get it across, "Thank you, Gem."