The Forgotten Twin

Chapter 15

It wasn't until Christmas Eve night that Voldemort came without warning.

"Draco! Delilah!" Narcissa's sharp voice carried through the house. "Come to the parlor immediately."

Draco and Delilah glanced at each other and hurried down as fast as they could while still appearing presentable.

She grabbed his arm when they reached the corner before the parlor.

"Wait a second."

She flattened his hair and straightened his collar.

"Mother told you to make sure I look presentable, didn't she?"

Delilah shrugged innocently.

"She might have mentioned it. Now come on, we don't want to keep the Dark Lord waiting."

He nodded and they turned the last corner.

And there he was, the Dark Lord himself. Delilah resisted the urge to shudder. He was intimidating, with cold red eyes and... no nose. That slightly ruined the effect, but at the same time added to it. Odd.

As soon as the Dark Lord saw them he turned and entered the parlor, his dark cloak billowing batlike behind him. So that's who Snape learned that skill from.

"Draco, come inside with me. Delilah, wait here. Draco or I'll come fetch you when it's time, I'm sure he'll want to talk to you."

Delilah nodded curtly as he followed Narcissa into the room.

While she waited, she went over her memories, content that Voldemort wouldn't find anything that would get her killed or obliviated.

It seemed to take forever, even though it only was a few minutes. She would have been tempted to listen at the door, but the Imperturbable Charm had been placed on all the doors in the Manor so trying to eavesdrop was useless.

Finally Narcissa came out and motioned for Delilah to enter.

Normally she would have studied the room, it was one of the many she hadn't been in, but instead she sat down beside Draco, who looked even paler than normal.

"So you are Delilah," Voldemort murmured, studying her.

She nodded, feeling him pushing his presence into her head. Instead of fighting, like most people would have, she didn't resist. There was nothing she needed to hide from him.

So Delilah kept her mind blank, letting him poke around, until he asked one simple question.

"Why are you helping us?"

"I care for Draco and hate Dumbledore," she said simply.

She felt him prod a little more in her head, but he seemed content with her answer as she felt his presence leave.

"Leave us," Voldemort said, looking at Narcissa and Draco.

They hesitated, but did as he said.

Then he just stared at her. It was slightly unnerving, his red eyes boring into her green.

She felt his mind enter hers again.

"Why would you really do this? You must know that Harry will never trust you again."

Delilah felt that all-too familiar pang at Harry's name, before remembering all the things he had done to her.

Leaving her alone at Christmas, talking to her only during the summer, pretending to not care that she was a Slytherin while hating every other Slytherin, and she suspected that he only had been talking to her recently to find out about Draco or because Hermione or Dumbledore told him to. The list went on and on.