A Daughter of Snape, a Son of Malfoy

Chapter Five

Nerissa shifted uneasily in her seat as her eyes darted from Dumbledore's face to Professor McGonagall's.

"What do you mean, 'the truth'?" she asked, perplexed.

"Nerissa, do you know what your grandparents' occupation was?" Professor McGonagall responded.

Nerissa looked at her feet. She had never seen them work, never heard them discussing their jobs. Come to think of it, she couldn't recall any of her family members going off to an office or a shop or even discussing their work around the dinner table.

"No," she said softly.

McGonagall and Dumbledore looked at one another. At last, Dumbledore nodded at her.

"Nerissa," McGonagall said slowly. "I think it's time you learned who you are. But first, I think we need to go back to the day you came to Hogwarts."

Nerissa nodded.

"Your grandfather contacted Albus Dumbledore a few weeks ago when he sensed your family might be in danger," McGonagall began. "That is why your Aunt Portia and Uncle Alistair came from Edinburgh to live with your family in London. They thought it best that the family be gathered in one place, rather than scattered throughout the kingdom. We had been arranging to bring all of you to Hogwarts, which is the safest place you can be. It was going to happen under cover of darkness that night. Unfortunately, it seems our plans were found out by agents of the Dark Lord before we could evacuate everyone."

"But why would the Dark Lord want to kill my family?" Nerissa implored.

"Do you recall ever feeling alone as a child?" McGonagall returned. "Were your cousins were your only playmates?"

"Yes, until I made Muggle friends, at the urging of my grandparents."

"Ah yes, the irony of the Council," Dumbledore smiled. "Muggles could know of your existence, but not wizards."

"The Council?" Nerissa asked, her eyes narrowing. She had no idea what he was talking about.

"Yes," McGonagall replied. "Your grandparents, and your aunt and uncle and their spouses were all members of the Council of the Magus, a wizarding alliance formed hundreds of years ago, by several families sworn to uphold good in the face of all evil.

"It was an honor passed down through the generations. There were seven families who began the Council: the Steeles, the Revelles--which, as you know, was your grandmother's family--the Mackenzies, the Everroads--your Aunt Veronica was from this family--the D'Autremonts, the LeMasters, and the St. Clairs. Slowly, over the years, the families' numbers dwindled. They intermarried with Muggles and other wizards, many of whom never knew their husband or wife was a part of the Council of the Magus, but many of them were killed as well, a fate they freely accepted.

"They operated outside the Ministry of Magic and fought the Dark Lord. I suppose you could say they were independent agents of good magic. Their whereabouts were usually unknown, even to other wizards, good or evil, because they blended in and lived among Muggles. They opposed Voldemort when he rose to power. But standing against him meant living a life underground, and it meant sacrificing their lives if need be. It was a risk they were willing to take. It meant for a solitary existence, with most confined to their family groups and other Councilors. It was dangerous work, as evil lurks in every corner of the world, in every form. Many Councilors lost their lives in the fight against Voldemort. They worked side-by-side with the Order of the Phoenix, though most of the members of the Order were unaware there were Councilors in their midst. At times, even the Ministry would hire Councilors of the Magus to do work for them, mostly covert work or surveillance, but only on the condition that should they be caught, the Ministry would disavow any knowledge of their existence.

"But throughout the years, Voldemort and his Death Eaters closed in on the Council. Your family, meaning your grandparents, and aunt and uncle, were the last Councilors left, which means you are the final Councilor of the Magus, the last of your kind. That is why you were not allowed to go to school with every other wizard child. That is why you moved so often as a child and why you spent so much time by yourself. It was to protect you Nerissa, for you and your cousins were all that was left of the next generation of the Council. And now, you are the only one left."

McGonagall paused for a moment as she let all this sink into Nerissa's brain.

"When your family was killed last August," she continued, "Voldemort thought he had succeeded in destroying the Council. But when the Muggle newspaper revealed they were looking for a girl who had survived the fire, his suspicions were raised. He rightly concluded that we would bring you here. We believe he is behind the note you received today."

"Is he going to try to kill me?" Nerissa asked. "Is that why he sent me that note?" She looked down and added, "Am I really that important to him?"

"You are his enemy," Dumbledore observed sagely. "And there is something else that you must know about," Dumbledore added, glancing at Snape, who looked back at him with a pained expression on his face. "Severus, I believe it's time."

Nerissa stared at her father, who tried hard to avoid returning her gaze.

"With respect," he choked out, "I don't think I can. Forgive me."

Without looking at his daughter, he strode out of the room and shut the door. Nerissa tried to steel herself against the cold truth that her father had yet again walked out on her, was still unable to face his past. She had always been so good at pretending she didn't care that her father couldn't be bothered with her and that it didn't cut at some deep place every time he ignored her. But she couldn't keep the tears from welling in her eyes this time.

"Oh my dear girl," McGonagall exclaimed sympathetically, and rushed to Nerissa's side, embracing her. "We can do this some other time."

"No," Nerissa sobbed. "I want to hear. I want to know."

Professor McGonagall exchanged glances with Dumbledore, as if both silently debated their course of action.

"Nerissa, perhaps this is a subject best discussed with your father," Dumbledore observed.

"No!" Nerissa insisted. "I want you to tell me what you know."

She wiped tears from her glistening eyes and looked at Dumbledore imploringly.

"Please."

Dumbledore sighed heavily and glanced at McGonagall, who gave him a look telling him to proceed.

"I suppose I shall have to start at the beginning," Dumbledore began. "Your father was a very good student while he was at Hogwarts, excelling at Potions, as you can imagine. But it was always the Dark Arts that held his attention more. Unfortunately, his social skills were, shall we say, lacking in many areas, so he found it difficult to make friends.

"When a former student who'd been several years ahead of your father began recruiting seventh years from Slytherin to join the ranks of the Dark Lord. He promised Severus that he would be part of a group, accepted and cared for, and for someone who has been an outsider his entire life, I suspect that was too good an offer to pass up. I do not believe Severus was, or is, in his heart, an evil wizard. But still, he became a Death Eater. And his first assignment to prove his loyalty was to kill the Steele family, who were enemies of Voldemort. He came to the family claiming his life had been threatened by agents of the Dark Lord and was told the Council could hide him. But Alexia Steele, your mother, who was about Severus's age, was so kind to him, it took him quite by surprise. He found himself forming an attachment to her, and I have no doubt that she is in part responsible for his abandoning his past as a Death Eater. They married, and Severus realized what a mistake he had made by joining the Death Eaters."

"It is amazing how love can change a person," McGonagall put in. "Alexia saw something in Severus that almost no one else had. That changed him, Nerissa."

"But my mother was still second best," Nerissa noted.

"And how is that?" Dumbledore asked.

"Because my father only ever really loved Lily Potter," she said glumly.

"Ah, yes," Dumbledore nodded, understand what Nerissa was hinting at. "Severus developed a liking for Lily almost the first day he saw her, that much was evident. She pitied him and was always kind to him, when most students were not, indeed, when most people in Severus's life, including his parents, were not. And when one is not used to such kindness, it is easy to think there is something more behind it."

"But of course, there wasn't," Nerissa said mordantly

"No," McGonagall granted. "There wasn't. Not on Lily's part. But Nerissa, you really must take this up with your father. I'm sure he could explain himself far better than we can."

"And what about how she died?" Nerissa implored. Dumbledore and McGonagall exchanged glances. "My mother? I mean, I've been told the medical reason, but I can't help but feel there was more to it than just that."

The look on McGonagall and Dumbledore's faces told Nerissa they knew exactly what she was getting at, but they decided she had been through enough that day.

"Nerissa, it's been a very long day for you," McGonagall said compassionately, placing her arms on the girl's shoulders. "I think it might be best if you get some rest now. I can call for Ginny Weasley or Hermione Granger to come here and walk with you back to Gryffindor, if you'd like."

"No, thank you," Nerissa said morosely. "I can make it on my own."

In a daze, Nerissa trudged back to Gryffindor against the tide of students headed to the Great Hall for dinner. She had no interest in food, no interest in school, no interest in seeing anyone. She found Gryffindor nearly empty when she arrived and went straight to her dorm, where she collapsed on her bed and did not move until the morning.

* * * * * *

Nerissa was late to breakfast the next morning, though no one appeared to notice, much to her relief. She slipped into a spot next to Ginny, who was busily chatting with a girl in their History of Magic class. Nerissa grabbed a piece of buttered toast, though she didn't feel much like eating.

Across the table, Hermione, Harry, and Ron were all gathered around Hermione's copy of The Daily Prophet, looks of disgust on their face. Nerissa reached for a pitcher of orange juice in front of Hermione so that she could lean over to see what they were reading.

"MALFOY FREED," the headline announced. Nerissa had to fight of the urge to locate Draco's face across the Great Hall. In the picture below the article, Lucius Malfoy strolled arrogantly out the doors of Azkaban and tossed his blonde mane.

"Can you believe that?" Ron exclaimed. "Must have paid off the Ministry or something."

"What does it say?" Nerissa asked, leaning closer.

"Lucius Malfoy was released from Azkaban yesterday after nearly a year-long incarceration," Hermione read. "The Ministry of Magic released a statement saying that after a months-long inquest, Malfoy was cleared of any wrongdoing."

"No wrongdoing my arse!" Ron exclaimed, disgusted.

"Ssssh!" Harry hissed, annoyed.

"Sorry," Rob said sheepishly. "But I'd still wager he paid them off."

Breakfast was ending, and the prefects began hurry everyone off to class. Harry, Ron, Hermione, Ginny, and Nerissa joined the mass of students on their way out the door, but as they reached the door to the Great Hall, a flash of blonde hair made them look suddenly to the left. There, they saw Argus Filch struggling to keep ahead of Lucius Malfoy, who strode purposely through the Front Hall.

"...not expecting to see you, Mr. Malfoy," they heard Filch insisting. "It's not normal for parents to come to Hogwarts, not now, not ever. A visit like this is most disruptive, most disruptive indeed--"

Malfoy stopped abruptly and wheeled around to look Filch in the face. By this time, he was nearly standing in the doorway of the Great Hall.

"Now, listen closely, Mr. Filch," he said in a haughty tone. "I have come here to collect my son. You'll inform Dumbledore I am disenchanted with the so-called education he is receiving here, and I wish to place him in an environment that will recognize his considerable talents. Dumbledore will deliver my son to me at once, and we shall leave. Think you can handle informing him of that?"

He gave Filch a violent shove, and Filch hurried off in the direction of Dumbledore's office. Malfoy looked up and realized he now had an audience of Hogwarts students who had witnessed. His cold grey eyes narrowed as his gaze rested on Harry for a moment, but they widened for a moment when they passed Harry's head and settled on Nerissa instead. There was a glimmer of recognition then, of which Harry couldn't help but take notice.

Filch came running back into the front hall, gesturing for Lucius Malfoy to come toward him.

"R-right this way, Mr. Malfoy," Filch stammered. "The Headmaster will be aware of your presence now. If you'd follow me, I'll take you to his office."

"Very well," Malfoy said airily, took another look at Nerissa, and then started off again down the hall.

Harry's eyes followed Lucius Malfoy's figure until it disappeared around a corner, then he shifted his gaze to Nerissa, who did her best not to make eye contact.

* * * * * *

Ginny and Nerissa slunk out of their History of Magic class, amazed that they'd managed to make it through yet another sleep-inducing lesson.

"Thought you were going to have to hit me to keep me awake there!" Ginny exclaimed, and Nerissa smiled.

They joined the other students filling the corridor and made their way toward the Great Hall for lunch. Suddenly, they saw Lavender Brown bounding toward them, chattering excitedly.

"Did you hear? Did you hear?" she asked breathlessly. Nerissa and Ginny looked at each other, puzzled.

"Hear what?" Ginny asked.

"Parvati just told me!" Lavender exclaimed. "Padma told her that she overheard Pansy Parkinson and Millicent Bulstrode talking outside the Transfiguration classroom! Oh, it's too crazy to believe! Lucius Malfoy stormed into Dumbledore's office an hour ago and demanded that Draco leave with him today. Dumbledore was going to let him, but Draco refused! So now, Lucius has disowned him and he's no longer a Malfoy, or something like that!"

Ginny and Nerissa just stared at her.

"You're kidding right?" Ginny asked flatly. "You cannot be serious."

"I am!" Lavender insisted. "I am! Totally serious!"

"That's exactly how it happened?" Ginny implored.

"Yes!" Lavender intoned desperately. "And then, when Draco wouldn't leave with him, Lucius Malfoy stormed out to door, cursing this school and Dumbledore and saying that Hogwarts hadn't heard the last of him, and all sorts of dreadful things like that!"

One of those dreadful things Lavender enumerated caught Nerissa's attention.

"Wait, did he really say Hogwarts hadn't heard the last of him?" she demanded.

"Uh," Lavender stammered. "Well, I think so. I'll have to ask Parvati again to be sure, but I'm pretty certain she said he said that!"

As Ginny and Nerissa worked to untangle this third-hand knowledge, Lavender saw a gaggle of Hufflepuff girls she knew she had to inform of this bit of news.

"Well, I gotta go catch up with Hannah and Susan now!" she exclaimed, running away from Ginny and Nerissa. "See you at dinner?"

Ginny and Nerissa started to reply, but Lavender was already out of earshot. They looked at each other, and Ginny shook her head.

"Well, will wonders never cease?" Ginny asked rhetorically, then burst into giggles. But Nerissa wasn't in such a jovial mood. She was certain she had not heard the last of Lucius Malfoy.

* * * * * *

Draco was not in the Great Hall for dinner.

Nerissa wanted more than anything to know if what Lavender had said was true, if he really had defied his father that way, but she knew better than to stride up to Pansy Parkinson and ask her to confirm it. He was nowhere to be found later that night in the library, so she could not ask him personally, which she thought was just as well, since she had been neglecting her studies as of late and had failed Professor Binns's pop quiz in History of Magic earlier that day.

She hit the books hard, and once her brain could retain no more knowledge, returned to Gryffindor, ready for sleep. Barking the words at the Fat Lady, Nerissa strode purposefully into the Common Room and headed toward her dormitory.

"Nerissa!" Someone exclaimed, making her stop in her tracks. Harry poked his head up from one of the couches.

"Oh, hello, Harry," she said, exhaustion evident in her voice. He stood up, dropping several books and pieces of parchment onto the floor. "How are you?"

"Fine, I'm fine," he replied.

"That's good."

"Nerissa, are you all right?" he asked, his voice wavering slightly, as he pulled her aside. "You just have seemed a bit...distracted lately."

Distracted? Distracted was an understatement. How could she tell him the reason behind her erratic, anti-social behavior? That the murky details of her past and her father's dabbling in the Dark Arts had all become clear as of late, and she was feeling more than a bit confused?

"Oh," she managed to say while she thought of something better. "Well, you know how it is, end of the year, getting ready for O.W.L.'s, trying to figure out what I want to do with my life!"

Harry saw through the sarcasm, his green eyes narrowing slightly at Nerissa's glib response. She wanted to tell him. There was something about Harry, like Draco, that made her want to pour her heart out, unleash her entire sordid history on his bony shoulders. He already knew who her father was, for Merlin's sake, and it didn't make him recoil in horror.

"Are you sure?" he asked plainly. This caught her off guard. No, things certainly were not all right. She still had yet to get any answers from that so-called father of hers, and she was pretty sure someone was trying to kill her. Other than that, however, things were just hunky dory.

But she couldn't let him know. She couldn't draw him into her own mess. It was hers to sort out. Things were already complicated enough for Harry Potter.

She sighed, trying to force back the tears that wanted nothing more than to spring from her eyes.

"Oh, you know," she exhaled. "There's just a lot...a lot going on."

Harry's browed furrowed, and he seemed to chide himself for being so presumptuous and forward.

"Right," he choked out. "Right. Sorry to pry."

"No," she retorted. "No, don't apologize. I appreciate it, really. I just can't...talk about it. Not right now, anyway."

Nerissa hurried through the door to the girl's dormitory, and once on the other side, she paused, leaning against the wall to catch her breath. She closed her eyes and sighed softly to herself. She had never been so grateful to anyone for prying into her personal matters.

* * * * * *

Nerissa lay awake, listening to the sound of the other girls in her dormitory inhaling and exhaling, fast asleep. She tossed fitfully, burying her head with her pillow and hoping she could drown out the sound of the others sleeping so soundly.

It was no use.

She could not rest that night. Sighing loudly, she threw off the covers, hopped out of bed, and slipped on a pair of shoes. Her father had a lot of explaining to do.

But Nerissa was not the only Hogwarts student stirred from sleep that night.