Eternal Silence

The large wooden door stood closed in front of her. Cautiously she pressed her ear against the door to hear for any movements inside the room. Breathing out the air she had been holding in she knocked lightly on the door, the small letter clasped in her other hand. The door opened itself and she stepped into the noticeably colder room, her flowing skirt billowing in the wind of the open window. Turning to close the door she crumpled the letter in her hand and threw it onto the floor.

“No! Please, I didn’t mean for it to offend.” Narcissa shrieked from the corner of the room, her hair pulled in different directions, very unlike her normal pristine appearance. Adara turned and glared at the older woman, scoffing at her in pity before moving towards the open window her eyes never once leaving her fearful ones.

Adara inwardly sighed; she had so many questions running around in her head and the inability to voice them was a constant frustration. She let her eyes fall to floor and took a seat on the elaborate armchair, clad in dark green velvet. Narcissa stood up straight, “Would you allow me to explain my actions?” Adara stayed inanimate and closed her eyes before nodding her head slowly.

The older witch crouched down in front of the girl, pushing her hair behind her ear like a mother would. Adara’s eyes slowly opened as she looked at the woman in confusion, commanding her to speak with her eyes. Narcissa stumbled over herself and left a considerable distance between her and Adara.

“I only want protection for my Draco, you see he’s been through some ordeals this year and I was hoping you would understand that.” A small pale hand stopped her, her bright eyes moving from the floor to Narcissa, a smirk playing on her delicate features. Her free hand then moved to her left leg as Narcissa’s eyes widened in fear, as everyone knew that was where the young witch stored her wand.

Adara pushed herself up from her comfortable position and circled around Mrs Malfoy, her eyes dancing menacingly over Narcissa’s worried features. She placed her wand against Narcissa's chest, her smirk growing bigger showing her teeth. She shook her head from side to side, the way a mother would if she were disappointed in her child and took a step back.

Adara turned her back on Narcissa, who didn’t dare move, before pointing her wand into the air and writing a single word with the tip of her wand. Suspended in the air was Snape’s name formed by golden fireflies which now twirled and danced their way back into her wand and with it too the name disappeared.

“Are you sure he’d be willing to help me?” Adara rolled her eyes and turned back around with a hand on her hip. She quickly placed her wand back into her leather boot as Narcissa let out a sigh of relief knowing she wouldn’t feel the ire of the young Riddle. Adara skipped her way past Narcissa, leaving her to think over what had happened.

Adara was sure that Snape would be willing to help; she also knew that with his skills in occlumency he would be better suited to the job of keeping it from her father. Of course, she would never admit to this in front of anyone, not one soul would ever know of a weakness of hers. She passed it off as if she were bored of the idea and unwilling to do it.

She slowly made her way down one of the multiple corridors in the Malfoy Manor without a destination in mind. Narcissa almost ran out of the room before remembering herself and standing up taller, fixing her suit and shouting a “thank you” in Adara’s direction to which she merely raised a hand in acknowledgement before turning the corner out of sight.

A grin spread onto her lips as she took off running to her favourite spot in Malfoy Manor, the extensive library. She was embarrassed to say she had been lost in there multiple times over the month she had been there, but it still remained her favourite place yet she hadn’t explored it all. She quickly arrived at the library and stared up at the door as it was at least twice her height. A wave of giddiness ran over her body as she pushed both doors open with one swift motion.

The grandeur candlesticks that lined the room lit instantly as she entered the room, she imagined this library would befit a fairy tale with all the magnificent fittings. She twirled on the spot, laughing only inside her head as she turned and turned, all the books becoming a blur until she jarred into the wall and fell onto the floor.

A cold laugh erupted from above as she stared into the eyes of Draco Malfoy, who was the wall she had bumped in to. Shaking his head he offered her his cold, pale hand to help her up from the ground. Adara glared at him, their eyes never leaving the other’s and stubbornly crossed her arms over her chest.

“Suit yourself.” Draco stepped around her and continued to the back of the library. She pulled herself up effortlessly and began to walk out of the library, not wanting to breathe the same air as that pompous git. Just before her booted foot hit the marbled floor she quickly turned on her heel and stared in the direction Draco had walked to, a mischievous grin breaking onto her face. She quickly pulled off her boots and flung them to side, not wanting to make a noise as she walked. She tip-toed her way to the back of the room, spotting the wizard placing books onto the small reading table.

Adara positioned herself behind a bookshelf and moved three books to the side so she had a clear view of Draco. Just as he reached for another book she quickly moved it with her eyes, Draco’s arms dropped to his side as he mumbled to himself. He lifted his arm for the book again, but as before Adara moved it this time the book fell to the floor.

“Trust me to pick an enchanted book.” Draco bent over to pick the leather bound book from the floor. Adara’s smile couldn’t have been bigger as she blew out the candles and made several books fall at once. Draco quickly turned with his wand raised and looked directly at Adara who hadn’t managed to duck down in time.

Draco lowered his wand, a smirk playing on his own lips as he darted round to where she was sat reading a book on the other side of the bookcase, a seemingly innocent smile on her face. “I saw you duck down, you don’t need to pretend you’re reading.” He sat down next to her pulling the book from her hands before laughing, “Well, I never knew you spoke Swedish.” She grabbed the book out of his hands and looked at the words. Her cheeks turned pink as she placed the book back onto the shelf before pushing herself up from the ground.

“Don’t go. I’ve not had much company these past few weeks.” She turned towards him, her brow furrowed in confusion. This wasn’t the Draco Malfoy she knew; at first she thought he was joking, but his eyes were genuine. She wasn’t sure why she sat down again but she did. She pulled her legs up to her chin and rested her head on her knees staring at him. She’d always thought he was handsome; he was a Malfoy after all. But, now as she closely examined all his features, the sharp angles of his face, which were strangely beautiful. His normally cold eyes, despite their colour were warm with emotion.

Adara couldn’t make herself avert her eyes from him, “Silence is quite calming, isn’t it?” He let his head fall into his hands, running his hands through his platinum hair. She nodded her head even though he couldn’t see her.

He pulled his eyes to meet hers, “I’m nervous.” She knew exactly what he was talking about, his task. She knew the consequences of him not completing what her Father had asked of him. She couldn’t begin to imagine the pressure he was under and something inside her felt sorry for him. She smiled at the fact she felt sorry for Draco Malfoy, she seen at lot of things in her life but she wasn’t expecting this to ever happen.

His eyes looked up to hers as realisation hit him because he remembered who he was talking to. If she told the Dark Lord he was nervous, unsure on whether he could complete the task he wouldn’t survive much longer. Adara noticed the look on his face and placed her small hand on his shoulder, before picking up her wand; golden fireflies lighting up the dark library: You can trust me. .

He nodded his head before standing and walking out of the library, he needed to clear his head, a headache hammering in his skull from the stress.
Adara angered as the golden fireflies died around her, her only means of communication gone as she had used them too much. She dropped her wand and tried to speak, her throat burning as soon as she tried. Tears escaped her eyes as she ran back to her room and locked the door, kicking it in frustration.