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xxxvi. THIRTY-FOUR
MALFOY MATTERS
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NARCISSA MALFOY WASTHE FIRST TO KNOW THAT DRACO HAD FINALLY WORKED OUT HOW TO GET THE DEATH EATERS INTO HIS SCHOOL. She wasted no time in getting such vital information to her sister, who would then triumphantly announce it to those who would be joining her with the break-in.
The plan was near flawless. Melora could've passed it as completely, but she knew that nothing could ever be exactly perfect. When her aunt had told her that she would soon be going into Hogwarts to be there when her former headmaster gets killed, she was anything but thrilled. And what she had meant by soon, was over the next month.
Not much had happened during April. She had missed the nineteenth birthday of both Fred and George Weasley, but that was all. During the day, she had felt horrible. It wasn't as though she was breaking tradition by not being there, but she just couldn't ignore the fact that she'd completely ditched the twins.
On the day that the Death Eaters were brought to Malfoy Manor to plot Dumbledore's death, Melora was taken into the drawing room to join them. It wasn't an official meeting, since it was only attended by the few who were breaking into Hogwarts. But nonetheless, it counted as one and it was technically Melora's first.
She sat opposite a girl who seemed to be roughly her age, which was useful. Melora had never met a Death Eater before, besides her family, and therefore found it comforting to know that one of them was nearer to nineteen than the others were. She sat there beside Thorfinn Rowle, and Melora noticed how similar the two looked: the same sweet blonde hair, the same face structure. She put it down to the two being related, but didn't question it aloud.
As each of the people took a seat around the table, Melora tried to name each of them. There were only a few people whom she didn't know. Both Amycus and Alecto Carrow were there, along with Corban Yaxley, the werewolf - Fenrir Grayback, and Thorfinn Rowle. There were only three people left whom she couldn't recognise.
Melora met eyes with the girl across from her, who's name she still didn't know, but her expression remained the same. Neutral. Focused.
Bellatrix then told the group that they were now able to get into Hogwarts, and that Dumbledore didn't stand a chance against them. Of course, Draco had done it. Yet she wasn't too thrilled with him, it was just the fact that she was able to complete another task set by the Dark Lord. She was like a potent queen gaining more power, yet not quite the royalty people admired.
To say that Melora was nervous would be an understatement. She was outright terrified. Never before had she taken part in one of the Dark Lord's tasks; the only time she'd been offered had been the time she had somehow managed to decline and escape off to the Burrow for two months. The thought of witnessing Dumbledore's murder seemed to grasp at her, pulling and twisting her emotions around like a toy. It was her duty to do, but she couldn't help but feel overly doubtful.
Expressing that feeling would never go down well with the people she was surrounded by, so she apprehensively bit down on her lip and waited for the meeting to pass. She had heard all of the relevant information before anyway; Narcissa had explained it to her earlier when Draco's confirmation arrived.
Once it was over, Melora didn't wait to watch the people leave. She pushed back her chair as quietly as she could, before hurrying out of the room. She had barely reached the door when she felt a hand on her shoulder. Sharply, she turned around to face them. The girl who had sat across from her, now stared back at her.
"Rowle," she said quickly, offering her hand, "Atlanta Rowle."
"Melora Lestrange," she returned, taking the girl's hand and shaking it quickly. She glanced behind the girl to see that the other people had started to leave, but there were still a few waiting behind.
"I know who you are," she smirked. "We all do."
Melora was unsure of how to respond. She simply nodded, hoping it would pass as polite in some form.
"I'm assuming you know of my father, Thorfinn," Atlanta said casually, before folding her arms. "But there's also me in the ranks. I doubt you've even heard of me before; you've never taken part in any of this up until now."
Melora continued to stare at her, not speaking. She was unsure whether or not she was being insulted. It certainly came across as that, but then, most pure-bloods spoke in quite a snarky manner to one another.
"So, you're new to this, aren't you? I'll just pre-warn you: times like this won't get you any assistance from your mother. And at some point, you'll want help. I'll be there for you if you want," Atlanta smiled, and to Melora, it seemed genuine enough.
Melora smiled back gratefully. "Thank you."
Atlanta turned back to her parents, before the two Rowles left the manor. The last to go were the Carrows, before the entire drawing room became empty. Melora didn't particularly want to spend much time with her mother after the meeting, and therefore desperately hurried out of the room before she could notice.
And if she could bring herself to trust Atlanta? Of course not; they had only just met one another. But she was a Rowle - a pure-blood, and a Death Eater. She would always be doubtful about where people let their loyalties lie, and not least because of her own personal experiences. Stop being so paranoid, she told herself, she's not going to do anything, is she? But Melora would always have the thought in the back of her mind, that maybe not everyone was always truthful.
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alright FINALLYYY i get to introduce atlanta to you lmao she's mostly in part three, but there are a few mentions beforehand (only two chapters to go until deathly hallows!!)
