Broken Justice~ JP/RB

11"

"Was my instincts correct?" Regulus asked as he sat down on the stool Infront of  Zenevievas dressing table as she laid staring up at the ceiling.

"You were. Dumbledore came" She replied monotonously

"What did he want? Did you manage to hide everything in time? I saw the dragons circling when I arrived" Regulus pressed

"I don't think he suspected anything. He asked me to spy for the order. I refused and he still believes I'm loyal to Voldemort. For all Tom knows I am. Speaking off, what happened at the meeting?"

"Nothing that you didn't know of before. It was mainly just updates. I'm not too sure why he didn't want you there. Still we'll never know the workings of his mind"

"So it was a waste of time basically?"

"No..." Regulus drifted off, "I visited Grimmauld, mother had been requested that I stop by"

"Is she still unsure about the idea of you staying with me?" Zenevieva laughed at the thought

"She's warmed up to it. She trusts you. She also wants us to wed, a Gaunt and a Black" Regulus laughed along with her at the irony

"Centuries of inbreedings has messed with her head. With all of our heads honestly" Zenevieva hummed, "anyway, you were saying?"

"Right, I visited Grimmauld and our house elf, Kreacher, had some interesting things to tell me"

Zenevieva sat up sharply, looking interestedly at Regulus

"He had mentioned Voldemort. Kreacher claimed that he had used Kreachers house elf magic to test the defences around a locket, leaving him to die afterwards. He was able to escape, House Elf magic is different to our magic. A different branch"

"A locket?" Zenevieva asked standing up and walking towards the window looking out onto the grounds where the guards stood and dragons flew, "what's Tom doing with a locket?"

"I don't know" Regulus replied standing up and walking behind her, pushing her hair to the other side of her neck, "nothing good. I suppose it's not for his jewellery collection"

"We'll work on it" Zene nodded as Regulus untangled her necklaces that were wrapped together around her neck, "I can feel that it's not good. I can just tell"

"Me too, I have a bad feeling about it" Regulus agreed resting his head on Zenevievas shoulder from behind her.

"Any updates on Pettigrew?"

"Jugsons located him. Give them a few days and he'll be at the castle. Whatever you do Zenevieva, don't kill him. We need him. He plays a large roll in this war, we can bend it to our will"

"And this is why you're the brains and I'm the braun behind this operation" Zenevieva hummed as she turned around to face him, "Dumbledore is suspicious of the centaurs and know that the Dragons have gone missing"

"He doesn't know Zenevieva" Regulus reassured, "you're being paranoid. His visit has put this idea into your head. He only visited because he thought he could convince you to spy for him. He doesn't know"

"It's Dumbledore. He's not an imbecile"

"That is true. But there's no possible way that he could of found out. I'm telling you know Zenevieva, he doesn't know"

"I know" she nodded, "how'd he find the castle? Did Toms men follow him here?"

"They couldn't of" Said regulus, "the protective enchantments that I put around this places means that he couldn't be followed nor recognised"

"You really are a genius aren't you Black?"

"It's a different way of thinking Zene"

Zenevieva walked through the courtyard watching the families sit on the grass chatting and laughing within the safety of the walls.

She looked down as she felt a tugging on her dress.

A little boy, no older than perhaps one or two, gazed up at her, his arms outstretched wanting to be picked up.

Zenevieva tilted her head looking at the toddler strangely.

"Go. Go and find your mother and father. Go on now" she said trying to pull her dress away

The little boy only carried on looking up at her, eyes filling with tears as he clutched the skirts of her dress tighter.

"Let go" Zenevieva said quietly as the little boy let out a wail making the people surrounding them look over curiously.

He only tugged tighter as tears spilt over his chubby cheeks.

"Sh" Zenevieva hushed irritably at the small boy with  tufts of blond hair

"Up" he cried letting one hand go, reaching up while the other was still clutched into the material

Zenevieva sighed, reaching down and lifting the boy into her arms.

His crying suddenly stopped as a large grin broke across his face. He reached up grabbing a piece of her hair and playing with it giggling to himself.

Zenevievas face remain cold looking down at him confusedly. He'd quickly become bored with her hair and placed both his smalls hands on her face, poking her.
She tried to lean away out of his reach only for the boy of carry on prodding her while giggling.

"Cedric?! Cedric?! Where are you?" A woman called frantically searching through the crowds of people.

She burst through a particularly dense group of before spotting the boy.

"My goodness there you are- oh! My lady!" She stopped realising that it was in fact Zenevieva that was holding her child, "I'm ever so sorry, he's been in a mood all day. I don't know how you can forgive us-"

"Not to worry. He is after all, a child" she replied passing Cedric his mother's arms.

"Thank you My lady" the mother nodded, "how can I ever repay you for all this? For your hospitality and kindness?"

"There is no need Mrs...?"

"Diggory" she finished

"As in Amos Diggory?" Zenevieva questioned

"He is my husband" the mother nodded, "you know of him?"

"Yes, he was a few years ahead of me in school" Zenevieva nodded, "if you don't mind me asking, how did you end up here? Not that you're not welcome to spend your time here"

"Well with Amos' position at the Ministry we were worried for our safety. We wanted to protect Cedric the best we could. We had heard of your hospitality from a friend that is staying here and thought it best to seek your protection. My husband is currently still working at the Ministry for you My Lady, under your command"

"And I am thankful for it" Zenevieva nodded, "I am glad I was able to help provide a safe space for you to  raise your son. It was lovely talking to you however I must go" She smiled as best she could before giving one last nod and stalking off back into the halls of the castle.

The truth was Mrs Diggory felt a wash of terror, fear and worry as she watched her son in the arms of the notorious death eater, killer, mad woman Zenevieva Gaunt. Zenevieva was not the type of person a mother would want their young children to be around.

But she took her time checking over Cedric to see if he was okay and saw a wide smile on his lips and his little hands on her face. Zenevieva looked at him blankly as her son giggled.

Perhaps not all bad people are bad; often good people can be presented and warped into a different illusions.