Set Fire to the Rain

Summer vacation had just started and I could already imagine the tortures my family had in store. I wasn’t sure how this year would differ from any other, since summer vacation was always the same for me; I just knew it would be worse. Each year facing my family got gradually more excruciating to endure.

Now, you’re probably wondering how going to spend the summer with your family could be this bad. Trust me; summers on the Lestrange estate are never pleasant, especially when Aunt Bellatrix pays us a visit. She’s always followed by a horde of Death Eaters and I hate it when they rummage through my things looking for something. They never tell me what they’re looking for exactly, but I presume it has something to do with the Dark Lord. I think they’re trying to find evidence that I’m not a loyal servant. I’m smarter than they give me credit for. I wouldn’t leave something like that just lying out in the open.

I want to be alive to see the Dark Lord fall, which I won’t be if his Death Eaters ever find anything on me. I’ve learned to keep a low profile at school, too. Not that I don’t do anything, I just refrain from doing things that scream “I won’t work for you Voldemort! I’d rather die than join you!”

Because, of course, doing anything that would even whisper this would have my family shun me or worse, bring me in from of Lord Voldemort to be killed. So, I don’t do anything crazy and above all else, I never befriend Harry Potter.

My name is Anais Ophira Lestrange and you are about to bear witness to the conquering of my fear.

I had just left the safety of the Hogwarts Express behind. Looking around, I knew my family wouldn’t be at the station. They never were. They were too public about their involvement with Voldemort to be able to pick up their only daughter from the train. As usual, I would have to find my own way back to my family’s estate.

One year they rented a muggle car for me to drive back, but I doubt they’ll do that this year. Not when I’m nearly seventeen. I’ve already taken the Apparition test and passed. I just have to wait another day to use my new mode of transportation.

Pushing my trunk in front of me, I looked for the usual sign that my family had been here and that I wouldn’t have to walk or worse, take the Knight Bus the hundred and fifty miles to the country manor house I’m forced to call home. Nothing.

I now knew how this year would be worse than the others. My family had forgotten to arrange a ride home for me. Or, had done it purposely. Either way, I would be walking until nightfall when I could board the Knight Bus or just Disapparate home.

I thought I might have gotten lucky and no one had noticed that I had started walking into the heart of London alone. But no, someone would have to make this already disastrous day worse.

“Where are your parents this year? Did they forget you again?”

“Shut up, Malfoy. I didn’t see your parents anywhere, either.”

“They sent the butler. They had business to attend to. In fact, they’re probably with your parents right now. Too bad you’re not seventeen or you could just Disapparate there. Looks like you’ll just have to stay in London until tomorrow. You only have six more hours left. You better get walking Ani. Don’t want to be late for the big meeting. Too bad you will be. And it’s at your own house, even. Not a very good host, are you? I’ll see you there, whenever you decide to show up.”

And he walked away before I could even say the retort I’d been building up as he spoke.
Seeing the Malfoys had to be the number one worst thing about summer vacation. I could manage to avoid Draco and his little cronies at school, but at home, they were always coming and going on some business for the Dark Lord.

Sighing, I began walking down the road that would lead me out of London. My encounter with Draco had reminded me of the event I had spent all week trying to forget. Once the meeting place was chosen it stayed there the rest of the season. Unless, of course, security was breached. So, I would be spending the rest of the summer entertaining Draco and his lackey’s Crabbe and Goyle.

Crabbe and Goyle weren’t awful, at least when not around Draco. They weren’t real bright. They just went along with whatever Draco told them. Draco, on the other hand, was horrible. He was vain, cruel, and treated everyone like they were inferior to him. He was one of those wizards who thought being pureblood meant that they were better, that they alone could be wizards. Muggleborns and even half bloods didn’t deserve to use magic.

I was what Draco would call a blood traitor. I was pure blood, but I also thought Muggleborns deserved their magic, too. Probably more than us purebloods did, at least some of them anyway.

Lost in my thoughts, I hadn’t realized I’d been walking for several hours now and it was growing dark. Glancing at my watch, I discovered I still had three and a half hours before I could Disapparate home, but it would soon be dark and nearly pitch black once the sun had completely set. I would be able to fly home without fear of muggles spotting me. Or I could flag the Knight Bus, but I really don’t like riding it. It leaves me feeling rather ill. Seeing Draco at my home will make me sick enough. There should be no need to add to it.

Luckily, since leaving London, I had not met another person as I made my way farther into the countryside and closer to home. I didn’t want to try and explain why I was pulling a trunk and carrying an owl in the middle of nowhere to a stranger. Not my idea of fun, we’ll say.

With my family there weren’t many “fun” times to be had. In fact, the only fun memory I have of my childhood was when I got sent to a boarding school in America for being disobedient when I was nine. I stayed there until I was eleven and my Hogwarts letter was due to arrive.

Two years without sight or sound of Bellatrix or my parents was bliss. Unfortunately, it couldn’t stay that way forever. I needed to be trained to be a servant of the Dark Lord when he returned was what my parents told me.

Since I had been away so long, my parents forced me to accompany them to Azkaban to visit “my favorite aunt” before I left again to go to school.

Another hour had past and it was finally dark enough to get out my broom and ride the rest of the way home. Not that I was thrilled to be home mind you, but I would be glad to not be walking around with my trunk anymore. It was starting to get heavy, even after the lightening charm I placed on it before leaving the train. It was probably starting to wear off.

If it was, I knew I had to get home quickly, and I also knew I still had nearly a hundred and thirty five miles to ride before I reached home. Not that I cared, but I wanted to be off the street and curled up in my bed. Not that I would be able to; I probably will be getting a lecture about how I should have been there hours ago. Just like Draco. Stupid Draco. Always ruining everything for me.

It’s unfortunate that Voldemort was using our estate as his headquarters right now; otherwise I would be able to sneak in through my window and just ignore everyone downstairs to go to bed. Since he was there was no way I’d be able to get past the Death Eaters to get to my window. They’d think I was a spy or something and probably just kill me before they got a chance to see who I was.

I hate my life.

I had made good time; I flew the hundred and thirty miles in just over an hour. I landed at the end of my driveway and walked the rest of the way up to the house. I was practically dragging my trunk at this point since the charm had completely worn off. I was expecting to get stopped by Death Eaters, but I hadn’t seen one by the time I got to the door.

I didn’t push my luck in trying to wait for them. I quickly opened the door and pulled my stuff in behind me. Being as quiet as I could, I crossed the foyer to the staircase and started taking my things up to my room. Hopefully, if no one noticed I was here, I could skip out on the rest of the meeting. I was in no mood to see the Malfoys or deal with Bellatrix.

Somehow, I managed to get upstairs without anyone noticing my presence. Or if they had, they didn’t say anything. I knew I wouldn’t want to unpack everything in the morning, so I went right to work even though I was tired and the only thing I wanted to do was go to sleep. But as I’ve heard so many times, you can’t always get what you want.

I decided to push my luck a little further and venture downstairs to the kitchens. I wanted to see if I could find something quick to eat before the meeting was over and would make sneaking away or out of my room impossible.

Unfortunately, for me I never made it to the kitchen. A voice from the dining room called out to me just as I was about to step through a door. A voice that made my insides fill with rage. A voice that made me want to punch something. A voice that belonged to none other than Draco Malfoy.