[8]
LIANA
The Christmas Ball was a formal event for the families of Sacred Twenty-Eight and therefore a crucial event to attend for Persephone. Her presence needed to be remembered. She needed recognition for when the time comes.
Persephone carefully looked at herself from the mirror. She wore a long black halter dress delicately embroidered by small silver floral patterns made from silk-like material. The dress hugged her, peppering her body with soft kisses. She carefully slipped on a thin diamond necklace that matched the silver on her dress and a pair of long pearl earrings. Her emerald family ring was magically tightened to fit on her index finger, creating a contrast to her colourless attire. She applied a dark contour, mascara, eyeliner and painted her lips to a ruby red. Then she waved one of her hands making a pair of exquisite black gloves to appear on her hands. She made her way to the front door and took her ordinary pair of black heels. With a swish of her wand, the heels rose a little in height, creating fine patterns at the front area and essentially creating straps around her ankles.
Crack. She disapparated into the night.
A puff of wind swept through her dark hair before brushing against the rustling leaves. It flowed weightlessly behind her as she walked lightly, to the opened gates of Malfoy Manor. At the sight of the doorman, she stopped and sent him a dazzling smile before handing him a fake duplicate of her wand. She quickly looked around to see if anyone was there before leaning in to whisper to the doorman: "tell me if you see anyone you don't recognise. You know how to get to me," her soft voice made the doorman quiver a little with comfort, almost slipping a purr, but instead noded professionally to save himself the embarrassment.
She then straightened and walked through the gate in the same elegant manner. As soon as she entered the room, a wave of warmth hit her, the entry room was empty except for the polished wooden cupboards and expensive art pieces that hang sadly on the wall.
She then turned sharp right, down the wooden hallway and entered another set of doors where she was immediately welcomed by a crowd of voices, and music.
The doors opened to a grande ball room, two long glass table sat at the centre of the room that was filled with different types of deserts from all over the world. Malfoy's were luxurious in their own way, filling the room with food and drinks that you can only normally find native to a specific way as well as the fragile, magical decorations around the room. Glass stalls that were all around the room providing drinks due to their preferences, done completely with magic. Crystal butterflies flew around the ball room, occasionally landing on people's shoulders.
As soon as she stepped in, she made sure to release a wave of dark magic attracting almost all of the eyes of the general crowd. It surrounded and suffocated the entire room as if oxygen have suddenly been squeezed out of your lungs. However, she covered it back down as fast as she had released it when she was approached by a smiling Mrs Malfoy.
"I was wondering when you would arrive Persephone dear," Narcissa announced, giving Persephone a soft peck on the cheek. Persephone gave the same soft smile back.
"It's an honour to be invited," Persephone replied, her voice quiet but firm. Whispers had already roused around the room some of recognition, some of curiosity and even some of fear. Fear for the darkness that the girl had brought as she entered the room. She quickly spotted the rest of her group waving at her from the centre of the room. She made her way there slowly, making note of everyone in the room making sure everyone was supposed to be here. She first spotted Liana Carrow, who was standing by herself with a long green dress which didn't look right for the girl. Liana had an aura that kept people at bay even whilst looking very uncomfortable herself.
"I take it you see her," Scarlett said in a low tone coming to stand next to the Persephone.
"Liana isn't it? She's the one who heard about us," Blaise asked with raised eyebrow, joining the two girls with the rest of their friends behind them.
"Through London, I already obliviated him," Daphne said, Draco, Theo and Pansy following close behind her.
"How was France?" Persephone asked, turning to face Pansy. She noticed that Pansy was wearing the dress she had gifted her last Christmas, and gave Pansy a smirk of recognition.
"It was splendid, we went to many shops of all unique style. The colours in the shops were blinding, I've never seen hues work so perfectly with such magnificence—" Pansy replied, her voice full of enthusiasm
"We get it," Draco cut her off making Pansy turn to him, giving him a teasing glare.
"Sounds wonderful," Persephone said before turning her focus back to the crowd that is making their way to greet her. They've finally recognised her. It truly had taken them far longer than she had thought. She overestimated their intelligence. "Take Liana to my Manor after the ball, we are going to have a splendid chat. We'll meet up there," her friends nodded in subservience.
"Ms Black, isn't it? How lovely it is to meet you?" The first lady gushed. Persephone reached into her mind, trying to find any useful information. She was disgusted by what she found. What filth. Persephone replied with a polite smile, and gave a small curtsy but when the woman reached in for the hug, Persephone stuck out her hand as a form of rejection. Understanding, the woman quickly left, quite embarrassed. Then it went on, no one dared to reach in for another hug, Persephone merely kept her polite demeanour and used her natural charisma, earning praiseful looks of approval from the guests.
Persephone found time going quite slow, as she went to family to family, person to person, she started familiarising the entirety of the relationships of the families. The Avery and the Carrows are seemingly close but are actually always in competition in their markets and power over the ministry. The Nott and Abattage are very close to the Yaxley and Travers, but only for the matriarchal side of the families. On the patriarchal side, the Nott mostly like the Greengrass and Flint while the Abattage are closer to Macmillan and Burke which is an extraordinary friendship as the Burke and Macmillan positively despise each other to the point where twenty years ago, a Macmillan tried to burn Borgin and Burkes. And so on, the purebred wizarding families did not lack on any gossip and found themselves unknowingly drift to Persephone.
Persephone knew she was a skilled listener and an even more skilled talker. She could make people say things that they would never say to another, and for her, it was as easy as cutting a cake. Usually, she wouldn't have relied on her charm to get people talking, there were easier ways. But today was different. Today, she was surrounded by men and women of the superior class who are experienced in blocking the penetration of the mind. She could be certain that almost all of the Sacred Twenty Eight practiced Occlumency.
"I take that your husband does not listen to you? Idiot," Persephone questioned the woman she had been conversing with for the last few minutes. Feigned curiosity sparkled in her eyes but her voice was quiet and soft.
"Not at all, not a word. Sometimes I tried to convince him that my sister is a good person and not all Burkes are evil but he would just not listen to me," Mrs Macmillan rambled, she was relieved that there was someone in this world that was still interested. Persephone was good with people like her, desperate for a listener, desperate for attention because Persephone could easily fulfil their wish and trust.
Three hours passed, the ball was going to a close. People were still dancing to the slow songs while others had given up dancing and were now chugging down alcohol like water. Most were drunk by now, the majority of them being male, their wives and children helping them away and disaparating quickly to avoid any more humiliation. It was safe to say the Christmas Ball had been a successful one. Many people waved to Persephone goodbye as they left with their family, and Persephone nodded at them all in recognition.
"Is she there yet?" Persephone asked hastily to Draco who had come to join her side.
"I think so, Pansy and Blaise went to find her. They're all there already. I had to convince Liana's family, they were grateful that she was coming with us," Draco replied quickly.
"Foolish. I will go say farewell to your mother, you don't have to come with us," Persephone said.
"It's tradition," Draco said with a small grin. Then, Persephone heads off to say a quick thank you to Mrs Malfoy.
The two disapparated to the front gate of the Gaunt Mansion. Persephone hid a smirk as she felt the dark aura welcoming her while Draco swallowed uncomfortably. Draco had never liked the darkness Persephone loved, it made him feel controlled like a puppet. It was ironic since Persephone had once told Draco that her favourite thing about the darkness was, in fact, the freedom it brought.
The two walked in, the gates opening as it felt their presence. Moving past the fountain in which Draco remembered dripping his blood in the year before, they walked up to the door. Persephone waved her hand, the doors opened to the rest of their group who were all standing around the unconscious girl, whispering.
"Wake her up," Persephone commanded. The group turned around in surprise. She came faster than they've accepted. Scarlett, being the first to recover, muttered a spell making Liana stir awake.
Persephone watched as Liana begin to wake up, slowly, she opened her eyes. Liana looked around the room, she did not recognise the place at all. Then she remembered. Seeing the people in the room, she stood up quickly. She went to grab her wand in her back pocket before realising that it's not there. "What do you want?"
"Let's talk," Persephone said before eyeing her friends who quickly left to go further into the house, leaving Persephone alone with Liana.
"What about?" Liana was scared. She wasn't the type to be scared. She may be extremely quiet but she wasn't dumb. She recognised everyone in the room, it was hard not to. They were so famous in the castle's walls. She knew why she was there, in front of Persephone Black, out of all people.
"I think you know," Persephone replied shortly.
"Are you going to kill me?" Liana said, her voice shaking slightly.
"No," Persephone answered honestly. Persephone took a slow step closer to Liana, their eyes met.
"But I found out about it, the Macabre isn't it?" Liana asked. Her face remained expressionless like usual.
"Yes, it is," Persephone confirmed nodding.
"What do you want to do with me?" Liana asked again. As Liana met Persephone's eyes for a second time, she suddenly realised. "You want to recruit me?"
"We would be glad if you joined, yes," Persephone replied with a small smirk. She knew Liana wasn't an idiot and if she wanted Liana to trust her, she had to be honest.
"I don't even know what you do."
"The Dark Lord will rise again Liana, I think you know it," Persephone said gravely, "we will stop him."
"A band of kids?" Liana questioned in disbelief.
"Do you really think you're a kid Liana? Do you think I am a kid?" Persephone asked laughing humourlessly.
"Not anymore," Liana replied, her honesty sipping through her facade. "I can't kill people."
"Why?" Persephone asked, her voice laced with curiosity. Liana could not sense a single thread of judgement.
"I made a promise to someone important to me. I won't ever kill," Liana choked out.
"You don't have to do that, I can do it for you. Once you join Macabre, you won't ever be alone again," Persephone told Liana softly, almost like a whisper. But her words, in Liana's head, was so loud. The truth was that Liana was so, so lonely, she was so, so sick of being the Cold Slytherin. She was so sick of pretending that she didn't care.
"How do I join?" Liana asked, her mouth acting faster than her mind.
"Unbreakable vow."
"I don't want to die," Liana said, her voice soft and desperate. Her consciousness was now kicking in, "I'm scared. I can't," Liana whispered. "If you-know-who comes back, my whole family will be with him. I can't abandon them. I'm a coward. Sorry. I can't," as she rambled on and on, her facade, breaking down, tears running down her face. She lowered herself down, hugging her knees.
Persephone glared at the girl. Liana was just someone ordinary, someone scared. Ordinary people can't do extraordinary things. Persephone let her go. "Obliviate."
The girl slipped to unconsciousness.
"Legilimens," Persephone whispered again. She dug straight into Liana's mind. She ripped through her weak barriers, and into her memories, her thoughts. Persephone couldn't help but pity the girl. Liana was truly alone, no friends, no family willing to talk to her except her older brother who was as conceited as any pureblood fool. Extracting the memories of the meeting and the Macabre, she left the girl's mind.
She levitated the girl's body up, then disapparated to the location she had seen in Liana's mind. Breaking the protective shield on the Carrow Manor with ease, she disapparated again into the girl's room. Laying the girl carelessly onto the bed, Persephone left, as quickly and soundlessly as she had come.
She was the only person in her manor who has the ability to disapparate in and out. Every one else had to enter through her set of enchantments all the way from the front gate, she made sure all unwanted visitors would be unconscious by her first set of enchantments and dead by the second.
"Why didn't you recruit her?" Scarlett asked as she and the rest of the group of friends made there way back to the entrance room.
"She didn't want to," Persephone replied shortly, not meeting her friends' eyes. To be honest, Persephone didn't know why she hadn't tried harder to persuade Liana. Persephone had already found everything she needed about Liana to make her believe in Macabre, to have faith, to die for Macabre. Perhaps, somewhere in Persephone's broken soul, she was too good to let Liana see the world as it truly is, broken, cruel and twisted.
"You couldn't convince her?" Blaise asked her, surprised, trusting Persephone's persuasiveness.
"No, she wasn't suitable, she had too much to lose," Persephone responded, her voice was quiet and pensive. "Let's go upstairs."
The group followed her up the stairs. It was obvious Persephone was deep in thought from her distant eyes, it made Blaise wonder if Persephone was learning something new, feeling something new. It was second nature for Blaise to attempt to understand Persephone, it interested him and kept his mind racing. Blaise liked challenges, and things that made his heart and mind race, the same way he liked puzzles. Unlike Draco and Theo who used hard work and staying up late to get perfect grades, Blaise got them effortlessly. His mind was sharp and his memory was even more brilliant. It made him desirable the same way it made Persephone. He enjoyed his position as 'the strategist' on the Quidditch team, not really participating actively into the games. He didn't like getting hurt, but he still wanted the attention, to put his actions blandly. He was Slytherin for a reason.
Following Persephone, Blaise's mind once again pondered to Persephone's actions tonight. He knew for a fact that if Persephone wanted someone to do something, regardless of their suitability, regardless of their 'want' and regardless of their 'position in the world', they would conform, understand and even die for the idea Persephone had gifted them with. He wondered what was so different tonight. Perhaps Persephone saw the similarities between her and Liana, maybe Persephone saw pity for Liana or maybe it was just the invisible goodness of Persephone's soul. He almost wanted to laugh at his thoughts. The thoughts made him wonder a question, was Persephone good?
There were moments that Blaise was certain Persephone was good. Moments liked the ones about to take place where Persephone will show vulnerability. Moments like when she sucks on her strawberry lollipop making horrible jokes about quidditch, moments like when she would fall asleep on his lap, and sometimes Blaise finds himself believing the acts Persephone pull around the castle as the perfect girl. Blaise knew Persephone was often tired after pretending to be flawless all day round. He found her often sad and lonely, he'll give her comfort as she would for him when he was feeling that way. Anyhow, Blaise loved the person Persephone was even if she wasn't good, because at the end of the day, neither was he. Why did it matter? When Blaise was feeling despondent, Persephone was always the first to notice, the first to act, the first to make him feel better and often the best at it. They were family, no matter to what end.
As they arrived in their usual room next to Persephone's private room, the group sat comfortably around the queen bed. They all respected Persephone's privacy with her room from day one. They all changed from their formal attire to their casual clothes with a flick of Persephone's wrist. Draco made his way to his usual spot at the corner of the bed, where he leaned against the wall. Persephone laid carelessly on his laps, still entranced by the previous events that have taken place. She was most bewildered by herself, not by Liana, but by her own actions. Why would she care for a girl like that? Daphne and Pansy sat opposite Persephone engaging in their own small chat, most likely Daphne catching up with Hogwarts gossips. Scarlett sat on Theo's laps as they pulled their usual armchair over to the bed. Blaise made his way to sit next to Draco and Persephone, where he was too most comfortable.
"Let's play a game," Daphne initiated after a little while. The group turned their attention to her, some more subtly than others.
"Is it 'that game'?" Draco asked, not wanting to be part of the game, pulled a mortified expression.
"It so is," Scarlett budged in sending Draco a smirk.
"Do you bring the Bertie's Bott's today, doll?" Theo asked, smirking at his girlfriend who flashed a knowing grin.
"How can I not?" Scarlett replied sweetly, batting her eyelashes fiercely.
"This is why I love you," Theo said, kissing her nose, earning a swift kick from Draco in which in reply, Theo gave him a wry smile.
"And the say love isn't conditional," Scarlett humphed jokingly opening her packet of beans. She then quickly transfigured a pencil on the counter into an empty fire whiskey jug.
"I don't want to," Draco whined.
"It's part of the tradition," Persephone chided him mockingly, coming out of her faze, taking the empty beer jug from Scarlett and casting a spell on it.
"If you don't join, we'll throw you off the manor," Blaise added, his tone serious and mocking.
"And they say negative peer pressure doesn't exist in Hogwarts," Draco mumbled making Persephone laugh incredulously.
"Whoever said that is the world's biggest lier," Blaise responded reading Persephone's actions with ease.
"For the sake of Merlin's underpants, suck it up Draco," Scarlett said. Draco flipped her off making Theo jokingly glare at him and mouth 'don't threaten my fiancé'.
"Who wants to start?" Daphne asked, wiggling her eyebrows suggestively.
"I will, I have one," Blaise said immediately, Daphne handed the beer bottle and Bertie's Botts to him. He spun the beer bottle, it landed exactly at Draco's toe making him mutter curse words under his breath.
The room burst into cheers and laughter. The game went on, the group stayed up till the crack of dawn playing games, talking, occasionally dozing off and playing exploding snaps. It was safe to say Scarlett was the Exploding Snaps master. To quote her, 'the only thing that I am much better than Persephone and Blaise is Exploding Snaps and I am hella proud of it.'
For a second, it did not matter that they still had so many hocruxes to find. It did not matter that the Macabre was not yet fully ready for a war. It did not matter that Voldemort was going to rise again. Because for that second, Persephone was just Persephone. For a second, she didn't need to carry the weight of the world on her tiny shoulders.
A/N
Stay safe! Keep social distances and stay at home. <3