Aurora Rosier & the Year of the Snake

The Delivery

August 19th, 1981

Against the dark Wiltshire sky, the Malfoy Manor stood, stately and proud, a reflection of the long legacy its inhabitants upheld. All was dark, the only light source coming from the moon, still shining brightly despite the sheets of rain that poured down.

A mangy dog huddled by the front hedges, hidden from view, its black fur matted down as it kept a watchful gaze fixated on the manor. It was careful not to approach the gates too closely, much too familiar with the security measures that had been placed to keep the unwanted out, guests and pests alike. Instead, the dog kept its distance, tensed and listening for the smallest disturbances in the night.

He had been stationed at the Malfoy Manor every night for the past few weeks, keeping a trained eye on the manor while the rest of the world slept. It was the first night of quiet. Usually, the manor was aglow, the child awake and temperamental, screaming into the night. His wails would echo into the night, often shrill enough to nearly pierce the dog's highly tuned ears. From his perch in the bushes, he would watch Narcissa pace the halls, cooing to her screaming child, her willowy figure a ghostly silhouette as she swept past each window. Motherhood fit her like a glove, the dog noticed, half-impressed and half-furious.

But tonight, there was nothing. Dark and silent, it was like watching an empty house.

Pop!

The unmistakable sound of apparating broke the stillness of the night.

A woman stumbled forward, clutching a bundle tightly to her chest. Even from a distance the dog could smell the desperation and fear on her, wrapping around her like the black cloak she wore. The rain didn't seem to hit her. Instead, it simply melted around her, as if she was sealed under an invisible barrier. The hood of her cloak had fallen as she stumbled, a dark mess of hair framing her sharp jaw, her gray eyes darting around the empty drive.

The dog instinctively backed deeper into the hedges, its hackles raised in defense. Only its eyes were visible now, to those who knew where to look. It watched silently, fixated on the stranger.

She approached the gate without hesitation, her stride never faltering as the gate swung open for her noiselessly. This marked her as someone who visited the Manor often, or at least, as someone important enough to remember. As she moved she clutched the bundle tighter to her chest, as if she feared someone was lurking in the shadows, ready to snatch it away.

Behind her, the dog raced to follow, darting through the already-closing gate before disappearing once again into the underbrush of the hedges. The woman whipped around at the sound of the bushes rustling, her eyes wide with fear. From his hiding place, the dog could see she was trembling uncontrollably, and that tears were streaming down her flushed cheeks.

Upon reaching the front door she placed the bundle gently on the doorstep and raised her hand to grab the snake-like knocker, but paused before she could bring herself to. Instead, she muffled a sob, her hands covering her mouth to muffle the sound. She knelt beside the bundle, adjusting something within it and muttering frantically, too low for the dog to make out anything specific. Before she could take a moment to reconsider, the woman stood stiffly, knocked twice on the door, and vanished as quickly as she had arrived.

Ignoring all threats of being spotted, the dog bolted forward, barely registering the icy sheets of rain as he raced to see what the bundle contained. Once closer, he padded cautiously, nudging the blankets away with his nose.

The dog found himself nose-to-nose with a baby girl. She was sound asleep, her breathing slow and deep as if she were under the effects of a sleeping draught. The tufts of hair peeking out from under the blanket were honey blonde, and a thin silver locket was around her neck, a rose engraved on the front with two small ruby-red roses on either side.