THE FURIES ▸ Draco Malfoy

Chapter Twenty-Three: THANATOS

◤ ❝Can you imagine how boring the world would be without Slytherins there to entertain them? Granted, there would probably be less death, I'll admit we have a bad running streak, but you can never have everything good within our house. That would just be a disrespect to Salazar himself.❞ ― Tracey Davis ◢

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CHAPTER TWENTY-THREE:  THANATOS

March 28, 1983

           Celicia and Athella Nott kept to themselves. They were not the sisters who involved themselves too deeply in political affairs, nor did they overstep any boundaries when they were younger by asking the wrong questions to the wrong people. Athella, being older than Celicia by nearly ten years, made her the role model of the two―and a role model, she was. Celicia learned a lot from Athella. She taught her how to deal with their mother on her worst days, explained to her every small thing that she should remember before joining the Slytherin house at Hogwarts school, she was the sole reason by Celicia did not die of a heart attack the moment she discovered she was pregnant, but above all: Athella Nott was regal in her own sense, and the pureblood parties sodded deep with the Dark Lord's demise never phased her. Celicia was still learning that.

The sisters, although personable in their own natures, tended to stick to the side of the room where the other wives were and hold light conversation with anyone close enough to listen. This party, however, was different. It was being hosted in the Nott house this time, and Athella had no choice but to socialize with those in the room. Eldrice was fanning out around the entire room drunkenly, tugging his younger wife into his side every time she tried to escape. Celicia could never do anything, though, so she stayed in the corner and watched with distaste. Eldrice had never been a gentle drunk.

Celicia's eyes moved away from Athella when her sister walked over to the Goyle's, and they caught instead on another distasteful sight. Alastiare was conversing with the siblings, Amycus and Alecto Carrow. She had never liked them. Although there were many people in the room she shared that opinion about, there was always something about the Carrows that twisted her insides. Perhaps it was because she knew Alecto had always been infatuated with her husband, or the looks that Amycus would always momentarily show the children in the room. 

Thankfully, the conversation Alastiare was having with them did not last much longer because he was walking over to her with an expressionless stare burning his green eyes. She waited with raised brows, noticing that Alecto started glaring at her the moment Alastiare came over. Her husband must have seen too because he gently grabbed her elbow and turned their bodies so that their lips were turned away from the rest of the room. 

"One day I am going to wipe that look off that wench's face―" 

Celicia started her complaints, but she was interrupted when her husband sent her a look, making her stop in her threat. She felt her teeth tighten menacingly before she waited expectantly for him to begin talking. Immediately, whatever blank look he once wore was replaced with a shadow of the man she fell in love with. Alastiare's eyes always gave him away, and she could see the ghost of a haunted pain lingering behind. There was only one thing that could create such a painful expression, and Celicia's heart twisted at his hurt.

Alastiare hesitated, his stare flickering darkly to hers. "He has been placed in solitary."

"What?" Celicia asked in disbelief. "How do you know?" 

"Amycus overheard an Auror while visiting the Ministry, talking about how the Dementors have taken a particular liking to him when they went to speak to him last. They say he still claims he had no involvement in the deaths of those muggles, but Crouch doesn't believe his word enough to let him have a trial..." Alastiare's mouth pulled down, lip tightening to keep from showing his disgust. "Lupin has been spoken to. He gave his statement on the relationship between him and those friends of his...apparently even he believes...."