VITA ET MORTE I HARRY POTTER I Up For Adoption

s o m e t h i n g o l d

A black feather floated down from golden clouds, shifting left and right in a tilting path. It cut through the rain that flooded the atmosphere, droplets of water creating an earth-shaking roar as it clattered against gleaming rooftops and the slick pavement. 

A woman who was noticeably pregnant walked into a bar whose noise nearly rivaled that of the rain. Inside could be heard the smashing of glasses and the uproaring of men sloshed beyond belief. 

The atmosphere inside was almost stifling, the air warm and sticky as Venera navigated through the swaying bodies, one man falling face first in front of her, to reach her location in the backroom. 

The only person located in the back was a man with black hair and green eyes who had an air of mischief around him. The baby within the woman seemed to sense the man's presence, giving a harsh resilient kick. 

"Sh Sh fauntelet, it's ok," Venera's voice was thick, her words syrupy as they floated out of her mouth. The kicking subsided minutely, allowing the soon-to-be mother to focus on the man still seated in front of her, his smirk turned into a thin line. 

His eyes were intense, calculating as he assessed the heavily pregnant woman before him. She had a deeper beauty than most he surmised. Her brown hair flowed like a river down her back, two separate braids laying in front of it all. Her eyes were like flowers in mid-bloom, sweet and inviting, attracting all those who gazed upon them. She looked delicate as if she could break any second, which he knew to be quite false.  Her body sagged, exhaustion radiating off of her in waves, a feeling of sympathy arising in him at her state. 

"Sit," he gestured towards the seat in front of him, which she took with little hesitation. "You are well aware that neither you nor  Áile can stay after she is born? I can only give you a couple days at most."

"I understand, we will be out of your hair soon enough, I promise you." Her voice was colder than the harshest winters, the man letting out a breath at her venom. 

"Do not be like this, you know this is not what I wanted, my father —"

"Is a scared little man too afraid to take charge of his own fate and now you fall prey to the same curse." Venera had already danced this dance, the only reason she was here was for final goodbyes. "You may be her blood, but you will never be her father, of that you have made sure."

"Quite so, I will not doom my child. May I speak to her before you go?" His voice had changed none, showing no regret, his facade holding true. 

"If you must," she grumbled, sitting back as he moved around to be directly in front of her, eyes level with her protruding stomach. 

"This is not the last time you hear my voice fauntelet, I swear that to you. No matter how dark it gets, no matter how clouded your future, just know—"

"Alice! Alice, c'mon we have to head out!" Ron's voice resonated through her wooden door, his too loud voice successfully rousing her from her dream. This particular dream she had been having for the past few weeks, it becoming more and more clear the more she progressed in her animagus training which had been going exceedingly well over the past month. McGonagall said she was showing results already and that she may achieve it even by the end of the term if she kept up the pace. 

"Coming! Just give me a minute!" She shouted the words, moving about her room, changing into her clothes for the day and quickly putting her hair up into a ponytail before hurrying out of the room with her trunk floating behind her. 

Nearly everyone was in the sitting room, all waiting for her, some looking at her strangely which she was used to. She could hear them constantly speaking behind her back as if she couldn't hear them, wondering where exactly she came from, why she was here, or what her exact purpose was.