mother of wands (d.m) part two

IV

"There once were three brothers," He starts, his voice thick as honey. "They we're traveling alone through the forest when they approached a river. Anyone who attempted to cross the river was met with an untimely and gruesome death."

His eyes light up as he talks, the story overtaking me as I can't help but be enthralled.

"They used their magical abilities to create a bridge, but death felt cheated so he hatched a plan. He congratulated the men on their amazing achievement and awarded them each a prize of their choosing."

I nod, wrapped up in the story already, longing to see how this somehow connected to my father.

"The second brother asked to bring someone back from the dead, the third brother asked for a cloak of invisibility, and the first brother..."

"My father?" I interject.

To my surprise, Voldemort chuckles, waving his hands in front of him signally for me to be patient.

"The first brother asked for a wand, but not just any wand, the most powerful wand that ever existed. And death fashioned one out a nearby elder tree, thus creating, the elder wand."

I wait for him to continue but he says nothing, his arms crossing over his chest as if he's done.

"Well?" I say expectantly. "What happens next."

He smiles, happy to see his peaked my interest.

"The second brother brought back his old lover, a woman he hoped to marry, and live happily ever after as they say. But she was cold and could never truly be as she once was, so he hung himself, and death took the second brother."

"The third brother used his cloak to hid from death, and though he searched for him for many years he never found him. It was only when he took off the cloak that he greeted death like an old friend."

"And the first brother?" I swallow hard, expecting the answer.

He smiles, "No, the first brother wasn't your father. The first brother went and killed an old foe then boasted around the town about the wand. It was stolen while he slept, some say by death, and he was killed. So death took the first brother."

I shake my head, "So... how did the wand end up in Grindelwald's hands?"

He shrugs, "That I don't know, but it means nothing to me how he squired it, the only thing that matters is how we get it now. And our journey begins with him."

Although he asks no question, I feel like he's expecting an answer from me. "I... I honestly don't if I can help."

"Oh my dear," He lowers his eyes to his wand, twirling between his fingers. "You already have."

My brow furrows in confusion, "My lord?"

He meets my eyes like he's caught me in a trap and I suddenly feel every hair on my neck stand. "Your mother, you saw her a while back, didn't you? Something about a ring?"

My heart beat quickens, her huddling in the corner of the dark and damp basement as she called out to the unknown visitor. The ring I found that day in Borgin and Burke's rushing to the forefront of my mind.

But how could he know about that? How could he know that the ring was a portkey to my mother's safe house? He was in a meeting with the Death Eaters in another building and the only person I ran into was...

Narcissa.

She must have outed me to Voldemort, told him how she found me inside Borgin and Burke's after coming back. This whole time I thought she might actually be one of the hood ones but I should have known, how could I have been so naive to trust her.

She only ever cared about one thing, protecting her family, and I was stupid enough to think that included me. Of course she would sabotage me after I ruined her chances of getting back in the Dark Lord's good graces by having her son kill Dumbledore.

Was this my illusive missing piece? Was Narcissa the strange twisting feeling I had in my gut?

He reaches across the space between us, his hand resting cooly on my knee. "Don't worry, I'm not upset with you dear. It's only natural that you would want to speak to your mother alone before we all met her."

It takes me a spilt second to decide how I want to play this, my throat burning with fire as I spoke.

"She's... a cautious woman, for obvious reasons. My father really traumatized her so she's not very trusting of new people." I say, feigning innocence. "Especially, dark wizards."

He nods understandingly, "As she should be, you can't trust just any old person."

"If we ambushed her, she would most likely retaliate, I needed to tell her we would be coming." I state, stupidly.

He tilts his head to the side, "And were you... Successful?"

I nod reassuringly, "Yes, my lord."

He smiles and I know my lie has worked, "Fantastic."

He stands and I follow suit, his hand reaching out as I place mine in it. He slowly brings it to his lips as he kisses it delicately. I have to stop myself from contorting my face in disgust.

"I'll see you soon my lovely. I have a feeling when we next meet will most exciting for you."

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