Deception

The sweet humming sound could be heard throughout the house. It was a happy tune, lighthearted and fun.

Little bare feet padded across the hardwood floors towards the kitchen. Dark brown curls were held back by a pale blue ribbon – her favorite color. The little girl poked her head into the kitchen and watched as her mother hummed the sweet tune while rolling dough.

Her mother’s hands where white from the flour, and a few splotches had smeared onto her face. But she did not seem to mind or even notice her messy appearance. The little smile on her face and her swift movements made her mother seem happy.

“What are you making?” The little girl asked her as she fully came into the kitchen. She stood on her toes to get a better look.

Her mother’s gaze drifted from the dough to her daughter, her smile widening. “I’m making bread. I found a recipe in some Muggle book.”

The little girl gave the dough a skeptical look. “Will it taste good?”

“We can only hope it will,” her mother said, a hint of a laugh in her voice. “Where is Mia at, Amara?”

Amara frowned, her brown eyes furrowing and her nose scrunching up in distaste. “She’s upstairs, reading in our room.”

“You should try reading; you may find a wonderful book." Her mother suggested, looking at her daughter with an amused expression. “You may find that a story can take you to a whole other world.”

“Doesn't sound fun to me,” Amara said with a small shrug. “It sounds boring.”

This time her mother did laugh. It was a tinkling sound, one that would bring a smile to anyone’s face. It was Amara’s favorite sound.

“Your birthday is coming soon,” her mother stated, once her laughter had settled to a soft chuckle. “Do you know what you’d like?”

“Well,” Amara started, tapping her index finger to her chin as she ran through the many ideas in her head. “Mia wants a pony, and she says I can’t copy her.”

Her mother raised a brow but said nothing. She gave her daughter an encouraging nod to continue.

Amara touched the end s of the ribbon in her hair and looked thoughtful. “I’d ask for a ribbon, a bright green one, but Mia says she wants a ribbon as well. So I want daddy to build me a tree house for my birthday.”

Silence followed this confession. Her mother raised a brow while her daughter shifted from one foot to the other. “You know your father isn’t great at building things.”

“He can use his wand.” Amara stated in a matter-of-fact tone. But this statement caused her mother to frown, a troubled look overcoming her features.

“We don’t like using magic unless we have to,” the haunted expression on her mother’s face made Amara feel guilty, though she wasn’t quite sure why it did. She never liked to see her mother upset, for it would mean her mother would become quiet and become lost in her own world.

“I’ll help daddy build the fort,” Amara said quickly, her voice squeaking high at the end, an eager look in her eyes.

That seemed to be enough to snap her mother back into the present. She gave her daughter a timid smile before continuing fussing over the bread. “Why don’t you go find your father? Let him know that dinner will be ready within an hour.”

Amara gave her mother an unsure look, but decided she wasn’t needed in the kitchen and that it was best to leave before she upset her mother once more.

She left the room in a hurry and straight into the living room where her father sat lazily on the couch, reading a book. Amara scrunched up her nose before plopping down next to him. “Dad, will you play with me?”

Her father glanced up from his book, a small on his face. “What is Mia up to? Why don’t you play with her?”

Amara frowned, crossing her arms over her chest. She stuck out her bottom lip and narrowed her brown eyes. “She’s reading. Besides, I want to play with you.”

She rested her head against her father’s shoulder and sighed quietly. “Can it always stay like this daddy? Can we always be together?”

Her father was quiet, not quite sure how to answer this question. He didn’t like lying to his children, but he also believed that his five-year-old was far too young to know yet. “But you’ll grow up, meet someone and get married. You don’t want to stay here forever.”

“But you and mommy are my best friends. I don’t want to leave.” Amara stated. She wasn’t sad at the prospect of someday growing up, but she didn’t quite understand why she had to leave. “I guess Mia can stay too. But I’m not sharing a room with her when I get older.”

Her dad laughed loudly, shaking his head. “One day you’ll realize how much your sister matters to you. Someday she’ll be important to you.”

He kissed the top of her head when he saw her skeptical look. “I suppose,” she started and bit her bottom lip. “I’d like her better if she wasn’t always trying to make me play with her dolls.”

“I don’t always play with dolls!”

Amara started from surprise and looked over at her sister who had both hands on her hips and an angry look on her face.

“Why don’t you come sit with us?” Their father suggested, and patted the empty space on the couch. “I’ll read to you both.”

“Fine,” Amara mumbled and snuggled closer as Mia sat down on the other side of their dad.

It wasn’t long until their mother came into the room, calling them for dinner. But instead of find them racing to the table, she found the three of them snuggled together sleeping peacefully.





Amara walked alone in the corridor, happy to be alone for once. Almost everyone was outside, wanting to enjoy the last few days of school. Not to mention that it was a beautiful warm day. And Amara intended to use her quiet time to its full extent.

She hummed a soft tune she had heard long ago. A smile threatened to find its way onto her face and for the first time in a long time, Amara felt truly happy.

But this happiness didn’t last long as she was rounding the corner and spotted Malfoy, Professor Snape and McGonagall, and a retreating Potter. She knew something must have happened, with Potter stomping off like that. Not to mention Malfoy’s face was a light shade of red and his hands were clenched into fists.

Watching him made Amara’s heart skip a beat while it dropped to her stomach. She cared for Malfoy, she realized. But the thought of what she was doing to him and his family made her sick.

Not for the first time, Amara thought what her parents would want her to do. She was certain they never planned for her life to turn out like this.

Amara sucked up feelings, pasted a concerned look on her face as she continued walking. But instead of heading outside like she wanted, she headed into Malfoy’s direction.

“There you are,” Amara said as soon as she was in earshot of him. “I’ve been looking everywhere for you.”

She could have sworn that Professor Snape rolled his eyes before excusing himself. Professor McGonagall gave Amara a concerned look before taking her leave as well.

“I heard about your father,” Amara said, a frown on her face as she grabbed Draco’s hand. “I’m so sorry that all of this happened.”

“It’s Potter’s fault,” Malfoy growled, he clenched his jaw and the grip he had on her hand made her want to cry with pain. “I’ll kill him.”

“I’m sure you say that every year.” Amara sighed and rested her head on his shoulder. “Look, your father will be fine. I doubt he’ll in there very long.”

Amara hoped he’d rot in Azkaban.

“Come on, let’s go outside and plot Potter’s murder.” Amara encouraged, pulling him towards the doors. He finally let out an irritated sigh but allowed himself to be led outside.

Amara couldn’t help but feel happy that Lucius was locked away just like her parents had been. Now he could suffer there and cry out for mercy until he could speak no more. He’d know what it felt like to be left to die in a tiny cell.

Her letter had arrived to Jonathan in time. He was able to alert a few Ministry officials, in which they ultimately found Dumbledore, Potter, and all the trouble that seemed to follow them.

But seeing Malfoy so upset made Amara feel awful. She knew that feeling, having a parent taken from you. And though Amara was not a fan of Mr. Malfoy, she realized that he still was someone’s father.

Her parents wouldn’t be proud of her. She knew that. Ruining lives because they had ruined hers. Wasting her life as someone else, never to know who she really is.

If she were Amara, just Amara, would she be with Malfoy now? Would she like him as much as she pretended to? Or would she be with someone else? Would she have real genuine friends? How different would her life be now if she never agreed to Jonathan Revenge plan?

And what would happen after? What would she do with the rest of her life once she got her revenge? It won’t bring her family back. She’d be forever alone. Everything in her life would always be a lie.

Suddenly Amara wanted Malfoy to say her name, her real name. She wanted to hear him say it. She wanted to be just Amara for a moment.

But she knew that would never happen.

She will always be Jane Hart.