Author's Notes: Chapter edited and corrected by Scott Fellman.
December 31, 1976 - PoV
"Whose idea was it to go to this stupid party?" I asked, annoyed as I finished putting on my makeup, hearing Bellatrix snort behind me.
"Yours for being friends with Malfoy and wanting to go support him." Bellatrix scoffed. I rolled my eyes. Really, it wasn't just Lucius; yes, it was primarily because of him, but Arcturus had surprised us two days ago with the news that we were expected to attend the party. I, rather than Bellatrix, as I was now Lady Prince.
We had spent Christmas quietly at Black Manor; luckily, Bellatrix had explained to me that I wasn't expected to give anything to any member of the Black family. However, I had still picked up something with Bellatrix's help for Arcturus, who was Lord Black as well as Bellatrix's parents, something rather generic, but something they would like.
Meanwhile, our group had decided among the four of us that no gift was necessary; we were too busy preparing for other things to have time to pick up a Christmas present at the moment.
"I'm really feeling the love you have for your brother-in-law, Bella." I laughed mockingly as I looked at her in the mirror. Bellatrix made a face of disgust.
"Just finish getting ready so we can get this over with." Bellatrix snorted, and I chuckled. Then, I quickly finished applying my makeup and turned around.
"You look beautiful, Bella." I said, completely enthralled at the sight of Bellatrix dressed in a ball gown. Bellatrix blushed slightly before looking up at me and smiling.
"You're not so bad yourself, Sera." She purred, I snorted, but felt my cheeks burn. Aria had transformed into a ball gown, much more elegant than my normal black dress.
"Alright, let's go, I'm sure they're waiting for us." I said as I offered my arm to Bellatrix; she immediately put hers around mine without hesitation. "Bella… if everything goes south…"
"Don't worry, I'll protect Narcissa." Bellatrix said firmly, without a hint of doubt, "That was good," but I still looked at her and raised an eyebrow. She rolled her eyes, "... and I suppose Lucius too." She added reluctantly, I laughed amusedly as we walked down.
One time when we met up with everyone, most of the Blacks were there to attend the end-of-year gala; Lucius was also present, next to Narcissa, in a corner. Typically, it would be unusual for Lucius to join the Black family group, to send… A specific message. Still, it was a calculated move on Lucius' part; the more time he spent away from his father with strong alibis, the less anyone could link what would happen at the party to him.
We would sell his father in the middle of the gala.
Initially, the plan was to do it in the middle of the ministry, without any of us present, but unfortunately for us, Abraxas had never left the manor during the whole week. It would be a horrible idea for Abraxas to disappear inside Malfoy Manor.
Rabastan Lestrange's disappearance hadn't caused much of a stir, despite being a student and a pureblood; he was still a person. However, after I sold out Rodolphus, Goyle Sr., Crabbe Sr., and Rosier while the Aurors were holding them, it became a crisis.
Doing it during the gala would give us much more room to maneuver so as not to be accused in any way.
Once we approached Lucius and Narcissa, I handed Lucius a cigarette immediately. He took it almost eagerly, I placed one to my lips, and with a click I lit both. Lucius took a long drag before sighing in relief. I took a shorter one before Bellatrix took the cigarette from my mouth and placed it to her lips. I raised an eyebrow in her direction, something she returned as she took a drag and blew smoke in my direction.
Arcturus was looking at us questioningly. I thought about it for a few seconds before shrugging and offering him one. To my surprise, Lord Black snorted heavily but took it and lit it with his fingers before taking a drag. He blinked a couple of times before looking at me.
"This is good." Lord Black praised, and I nodded in his direction. "Very well, now that we are all here, let's go, it's our turn." Arcturus said as he looked at the time.
All the Blacks nodded, already accustomed to the order, and headed to the fireplace. During a party with a large number of guests, it was necessary to schedule appearance times for each guest. A single fireplace and many people trying to use the same floo network did not end well at all. So it was either wait for the agreed time or arrive via apparition, as most people would do. Lord Black agreed to floo for us.
The party was just as tedious, if not more so, than I had expected. Everyone was a pureblood, and I did not doubt that the majority of those present were sympathetic to Voldemort's cause. I, as the newly promoted Lady Prince, was forced to speak to most of those present.
Lord Abraxas Malfoy came first. As a person sponsored, or formerly sponsored by Lucius Malfoy, it was only natural that I would know Lord Malfoy.
The talk was what I expected: a lot of nothing and a very vague reminder not to forget who the person was who helped me before, but nothing too aggressive.
With my engagement to Bellatrix, I was in the Black 'camp', and with my partnership with Lucius and him marrying Narcissa, we were practically one unit at this point. Abraxas didn't really seem worried about anything.
The gala continued to be so dull, even Bellatrix seemed to be trying hard not to grimace as we continued to go through all the pureblood politics.
"Ah, Lady Prince, I suppose I owe you my congratulations." I heard a new voice behind me, and I sighed tiredly. Another one. I turned and gave her the same soft, fake smile I had been wearing the entire gala.
"Thank you, Sir-" I said, looking at him as I waited for his introduction. He smiled.
"Lord," he corrected me in a tone of voice that made my hair stand on end, "Lord Voldemort." I suppressed all impulses with force to avoid reacting to his name. I could feel that even Bellatrix was alerted, so I just smiled and nodded in his direction.
"Thank you for the congratulations, Lord Voldemort." I said softly. He smiled just as softly, and I allowed myself to look at him more closely. He… didn't seem to be insane. He didn't seem to have the madness that Severus remembered when he first met him, much less the madness that he had during the second war. He… seemed completely sane, without any disfigurement. He was objectively handsome. I could undoubtedly say that he was attractive. The only disconcerting thing was those red eyes.
"I have wanted to meet you, Lady Prince, for some time now," Voldemort said softly. "I met your mother some years ago; I wanted to know how she had been." Voldemort smiled, and I frowned.
"Unfortunately, she passed away almost a year ago," I said easily.
"I'm sorry, my condolences." There was not a hint of pity in his voice; he was still smiling.
"I'll go get some drinks, Sera, I'm getting bored," Bellatrix said suddenly, with a frown. I looked at her questioningly, but she gave me a flat look. I glanced over at the table where the drinks were and saw Narcissa and Lucius standing to the side. I stopped and nodded in Bellatrix's direction.
"It's okay, Bella, I'll come find you in a little while." I kissed Bellatrix quickly before she left. My gaze went to Voldemort, who had never stopped looking at me with a smile that became more and more disturbing. "Excuse me about that. Where were we?" I asked demurely.
"I understand that you are an excellent potioneer, inventing the Wolfbane potion at your age, truly impressive." said Voldemort, and I nodded.
"Thank you for the compliment, but I still have a lot to improve on," I said humbly, "I still have to take my Master's exam next week." I added, Voldemort's eyebrows twitched barely noticeable; if I hadn't been using so many metals to enhance my senses, I would have missed it.
"Really? Such a young mastery... impressive." Voldemort repeated to himself, I nodded. "If you don't mind, I've been trying to create a potion, a... little project of mine, would you take a look at it?" Voldemort asked as he pulled out a small scroll from one of his pockets. I frowned and took it, unrolling it and looking at it for a few moments. I recognized the recipe immediately: the emerald potion.
The Emerald Potion, the potion Voldemort had used to protect one of his Horcruxes, specifically Slytherin's locket, in the cave. A potion that was both a poison and an antidote, it first caused unimaginable pain, followed by terrible hallucinations, past experiences, or their deepest fears, and finally, an incalculable thirst after the last drink.
It wasn't something that Severus had invented. It wasn't something that Voldemort had taught Severus to prepare either. I was sure that Voldemort would want to keep the potion as secret as possible, as it was one of the defenses for one of his Horcruxes. He would be an idiot if he were to reveal it to anyone.
But Voldemort not having taught Severus how to make it didn't mean anything. During the Harry Potter movie marathon with the rest, I had time to come up with some ideas about the Emerald Potion.
Nothing too detailed, but I had some idea. Seeing part of the recipe tied together everything I was missing. It wasn't a complicated recipe; the most important part wasn't actually in the potion.
"This... is an interesting potion," I said simply as I handed the scroll back to him. He made no effort to retrieve it.
"As I was saying, it's a little project of mine, and I must admit I've gotten stuck. Could I ask you to look it over?" Voldemort asked with a smirk. I frowned. What's his game? Trying to test me? Gauging my level to see if I was worth bringing into the fold? I wrinkled my nose. "You can keep the scroll; it has my address to send my owl to when you find the answer." He added, I snorted.
"No need." I held out the parchment once more, and Voldemort frowned for the first time.
"Are you giving up, Lady Prince?" For some reason, he almost looked disappointed. I rolled my eyes.
"No, I already solved it." I said simply, Voldemort paused for a few seconds before looking at me.
"You… solved it? With just one look?" he asked slowly, his face showing no expression, almost so unnatural. Occlumency, he was hiding his expressions. I nodded.
"An interesting poison, it works as its own antidote, it will cause pain, hallucinations, and extreme thirst, it's not meant to be lethal, just to make whoever drinks it suffer. If I may digress, it was created to protect something, some object within it. I would say that the potion cannot be vanished, divided, collected, sucked out, or removed in any way other than by drinking it." I said quickly before wrinkling my nose.
"If it is really used to guard something, I'd say it's to… test someone, or make them suffer. In this last option, I suppose the real trap would be placed in a nearby water source. This potion would force the person to drink from the nearby water." I added while twirling the parchment in my fingers. "Truly insidious, but… simple." I said boredly, while shrugging, and I almost wanted to laugh. Voldemort had been unfazed throughout my entire rambling, unnaturally still, but at my last statement, his control broke, and I could finally notice a note of emotion in his eyes- anger, a blow to his ego? Perhaps. And something else… There was something else back there, inside of him.
…
…I really should stop pissing off possibly mortally dangerous people; it was stupid.
…
Too late, I mentally shrugged as I looked at Voldemort. During the split second I was distracted by my thoughts, his expression had calmed back to his smile. I ignored it as I focused on the noises his magic was making. At this point, I was used to it and knew how to differentiate many of the noises magic made around me.
Voldemort's noise was… easily distinguishable now that I focused on it.
"Impressive, truly impressive, Lady Prince, you have exceeded my expectations." Voldemort said with a smile as he took the parchment from my hand, which I raised in his direction as I continued to listen to his magic more attentively.
There was... something about it that sounded so familiar yet so unfamiliar... I couldn't place it.
"You flatter me, Lord Voldemort, but it was a simple thing to do." I said humbly as I nodded. His horcrux, his magic, sounded just like Ravenclaw's diadem... obviously, but that wasn't the only thing; I tried to isolate the noise even more.
"Very well, Lady Prince, I must take my leave. I still have people to meet." Voldemort said with a smile, raising an eyebrow in his direction.
"I still haven't told you the recipe for the simple potion, don't you want it?" I asked dryly, and there I could see a trace of anger in his eyes; he immediately smiled and shook his head.
"No need, it was just… a test, we'll be in touch, Lady Prince." With that, he finally walked away. I watched his back go as I continued to listen to his magic before stopping stiffly, finally recognizing the noise.
…no…impossible… it was ancient magic… but its noise was not like Dumbledore's, nor like the castle's, nor like the hotspots where ancient magic naturally escaped. It was similar; its noise was definitely that of ancient magic, but… it sounded different, distorted, like something corrupted.
My eyes opened wide, the repositories!