Little Augurey {Delphini Riddle}

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The door to Delphi's room creaked, groaned at the hinges, and finally, opened.

Beyond the door was only silence, almost empty, at first. The little light from the landing sprayed the gloomy room of colour, revealing a small girl no older than nine or ten years old.
As she looked up at her company, Roldolphus was drawn to her image: Besides her black, frizzy curls, the angular bones of her hollow cheeks, and even though below her heavy lids were two opals, there was something familiar in her wary gaze. It brought a sudden, unexpected grief to Roldolphus, because the young girl that stood before him was a splitting image of her mother.

"Where are your manners, Delphini?"
Narcissa chided, pulling her niece up. The girl, who stumbled at her grip, turns to stare directly at Rodolphus.
"Who are you?"
What took him aback was how her tone was so harsh and flat, lost of all a child's innocence. It was fear, anger and dread, like the voice of a dementor, Roldolphus thought, if they spoke.
He cleared his throat, and put on his best attempt to smile, hoping the child would take likeness.
"I am Rodolphus Lestrange, and I dare say I'm here to...er...escort you to a safer place, if you pr-."

"I haven't a choice." She interrupted, either her voice nor expression changed at all. "Do I?"

"That's enough." Narcissa's thin hand closed around Delphi's shoulder, the two exchanged a look, Delphi pouted her cheeks, but made no comment. Then to Rodolphus, the woman said, "You must leave before day break."

Roldophus nodded, his eyes still on the girl.

With the brief utters of a final goodbye, Narcissa decided it was time for them to leave. Delphi realised that the two, who clearly recognise each other, made few acknowledgements, and avoided meeting the eye as much as possible. She also noted that never in the past, had her aunt ever mentioned Rodolphus, or anyone else out of the ministry for the matter.
Something mysterious and terrible was buried in the past, and that, of all things, had never made her more curious.

Narcissa retrieved an old coat that hung too big on the girl, tucking her long, dark hair under a grey newsboy cap.
"Don't be any trouble." she instructed Delphi in her usual brief demeanour. But for a moment, Narcissa Malfoy's worn, hazel eyes contained something more than annoyance. The hand on Delphi's shoulder was almost gentle, almost loving, or perhaps it was just the shadows of dawn playing tricks on the eye.
Delphi studied her aunt's face once more, but Narcissa had turned away.
"I will."

"Well come on, aren't you going to give your auntie a goodbye hug?" Rodolphus sounded close to amusement. Not before receiving a glare from his sister-in-law.
"Go on, Delphini."

Slowly, the girl stepped forward, falling into an awkward embrace. Narcissa did the same, holding her niece loosely, though the thin girl barely had anything to hug.

Rodolphus took Delphi by one hand, stepping down from the manor's porch, "Goodbye, Narcissa." he said without looking back.

"Goodbye." the woman muttered sourly, shutting the door.

Delphi had expected a carriage to be waiting for them, or at least a car, as the muggles call it. Instead, Rodolphus led her around the manor estate. It was much smaller than she imagined it, but anything can seem large than her inhabitance for the last decade or so.
Something rustled in a nearby bush, making the man draw his wand alertedly. But after a moment, from which emerged none other than a white, majestic peacock, flourishing his pristine feathers with a signature pride of the Malfoys.
" Peacocks," Rodolphus spat in annoyance, stalling his wand. "Lucius have not changed at all."

They reached the back of the manor house. The inferior side, boarded, one side by an untended, overgrown bush, and the other, by the high, bared fences. From here, Delphi could see the shuttered window of her old attic,  looking out into the town's outskirts.

Suddenly, she was aware that Rodolphus had gotten hold of her arm, on instinct, she snatched it back, harshly.
"Give me your hand," the man smiled warily, "Just for the apparation. Please."
Unwillingly, Delphi outdrew her hand, letting him take it,  still glaring with suspicion at Rodolphus.

"Don't let go now, Mademoiselle." Roldolphus teased, drawing his wand.

Delphi didn't have the time to realise before the ground below her shifted. All the air seemed to have squeezed out of her lungs, and a crushing, burning sensation replaced it. Her lips formed the shape of a scream, but no sound came out. She was trapped under Roldolphus' steely grip.

The sensation ended almost as it began. Blinking her watering eyes, Delphi studied her surroundings. The air was colder here, dry for the mid-summer, a little town lay beneath the hilltop. She could no longer see the Malfoy's manor.