Armilla II

Chapter 30

"Until tomorrow then," Dumbledore said, nodding at each of us as he went out on the front porch.

"Yes," Severus said quietly, his eyes on the small, slumbering child still in my arms.

Malfoy walked by me without comment, his eyes fixed determinedly on the floor. When he reached the doorway, he turned and looked at my brother.

"I...er...was sorry to hear about your father, Professor."

Severus didn't say a word; he just nodded curtly.

Malfoy hesitated.

Severus' eyes narrowed. "What do you have to say, Draco?"

"I...don't know how he died, Professor...your father, that is, but I, the Dark Lord..."

"Yes?" said Severus sharply.

"The Dark Lord was annoyed about it."

"And who informed him?"

Malfoy shook his head. "I don't know, sir."

Severus stared at him for a moment and then inclined his head. "Thank you, Draco."

Malfoy nodded before turning and following Dumbledore out into the night.

I turned away as Severus closed the front door after them.

"Dumbledore's mad," I said heatedly, all but stomping down the hall and up the stairs.

"Then you share the view of most of the wizarding world," my brother replied dryly, following me. "It's a difficult situation, Armilla."

"Difficult?" I repeated. "I would have more trust in the Giant Squid to care for her than Draco Malfoy."

"That may be so, but it is not for us to say. The Headmaster has ordered that the boy go into hiding and take the child with him. You heard him say that he'd return for her and then perhaps, we may be privy to more information."

I scowled as I reached the top of the stairs and turned to wait for him. "All we know is that she may be muggleborn. What's so special about that, that it means she must go into hiding with Malfoy?"

Severus shook his head as he reached me. "Dumbledore has his reasons...he always does, though I cannot say that they are always rational. He may not let us in on this at all, though after asking me to be the Secret Keeper for Draco, I hope he does."

I shook my head, looking down at the small girl I was carrying.

"So we seem to have become childminders in the meantime," Severus said gruffly, walking down the hall.

I sighed, following him to my bedroom. I didn't like any of this; Malfoy showing up at my father's house with an injured child, whose family had just been slaughtered, claiming that he wanted to end his life, Dumbledore seeking to hide him to cater for his own mysterious agenda. No, I didn't like this at all.

"How does Dumbledore even know who she is?" I asked, as we entered my bedroom once more.

Severus gave me an annoyed look. "Armilla, I have made it quite clear that I do not have the answers."

I was silent, not quite ready to get over my indignant brooding.

"I think it best that the child stay in your room with you," Severus said, taking out his wand. He picked up a wooden ornament off the mantelpiece and transfigured it into a cot. Well, an attempt at a cot.

"Severus," I said slowly, "it looks like a cell."

The dark wood wasn't inviting to start with, but the whole bed seemed to have a menacing presence. Its bars were thick and set closely together, and the bedding was a rough, scratchy material.

"I cannot claim to be experienced in this area," came my brother's snide reply. "Improve it if you must."

"Here," I said, handing him the child. Severus' expression became a little uneasy as he looked down at the sleeping child. He looked about as comfortable as a bowtruckle in the direct path of an oncoming bludger. I took out my own wand and attempted to improve on his work. When I had finished, the bed looked a little more hospitable for a two year old.

"Bravo," said Severus dryly, as he placed the girl on the soft, blue sheets. I pulled the blue coverlet over the top of her.

"It doesn't seem as if she's going to wake any time soon," I said quietly, as both watched the girl sleep.

Severus grimaced. "Having her sleep is preferable to dealing with a child who will wake up to find herself in a foreign environment and without her mother nearby."

I pushed back at the sudden anger that washed over me. This wasn't the first child to suffer at the Dark Lord's hands and I very much doubted that she'd be the last...but standing there, watching her sleep, knowing that her family had been tortured and killed that very night was too much to bear.

o o o o o o o o o o o

I woke to the sound of high-pitched crying and loud hooting. At first I thought I must have been dreaming it, until it dawned on me that there was another occupant in the room besides Morag and myself.

I sat up in bed and glanced through the darkened room towards the crib. I could make out the figure of the child standing at one end of it, her hands rubbing her head.

I got out of bed and cast Lumos with my wand.

The crying stopped abruptly. As I moved towards the girl, her eyes weren't fixed on me, but on my wand, or rather, the light coming from my wand.

"Damn," I said quietly. Should I have used magic in front of a child who had supposedly not seen magic before. Wasn't she too little to understand it anyway?

"Damn," the child repeated, pointing towards my wand. She kept her other hand on her head, which was probably still sore.

"Not that I'm an expert, but I do believe it's a bit early to be teaching her bad language, Armilla," came a voice from the doorway.

I glanced over at Severus before returning my gaze to the child. "I thought perhaps that I shouldn't have cast Lumos," I said quietly, watching the child strain to reach for my wand.

"It doesn't matter when it's a child this small," Severus replied, coming over to join me. I noticed now that he was wearing his dressing gown and was looking very dishevelled, not to mention unshaven.

"What time is it?"

"Just after four," he answered. "I am sure even Jiffy was awoken by-"

The child suddenly let out a cry as she rubbed her head again. The volume of the howling seemed to rattle the room. It got especially louder when she started screaming for her mother.

"How can one so small omit a sound so ear-splitting?" Severus wondered out loud. He turned and headed for the door. "I shall go and find the pain relieving potion I brewed last night."

"Can't you just summon it?" I called over the loud cries.

"No," he called. He turned in the doorway. "I really don't mind the walk the walk to the lab."

I shook my head, turning back to the girl. She seemed caught between fussing over the pain she had, calling for her mother and reaching for my wand.

"Wait." I thought for a moment, recalling some charms I had learnt the other evening in one of my Charms books. I waved my wand and conjured up some tiny twinkling, dancing lights, the size of marbles.

The girl stopped her cries and watched them, her mouth wide open. After a moment she giggled and reached out for them.

The lights were still entertaining her when Severus came back holding a small cup. He sneered when he saw the twinkling lights.

"Having fun?"

"What would you do?"

He didn't answer; he looked down at the girl, who had stopped reaching for the lights to look at him instead. She was looking at him in the utmost wonder.

"I am not that intriguing, I assure you," he told her gruffly, holding out the cup.

She looked at it, then back at him. "Mum," she said, looking away.

"I don't have time for this," Severus grumbled. He took hold of the girl's arm and showed her the cup once more, this time coaxing her into holding it. "Drink it," he ordered, holding his hand nearby, as if half expecting her to throw it.

The girl seemed far too occupied with the twinkling lights, so I cancelled the charm.

"Oh," she said softly, looking disappointed as she looked around.

"They'll come back if you drink it," I said to her.

"Yes, of course," Severus scoffed.

She looked down at the cup, letting out a small whimper.

"Go on," I pressed.

After a moment, she raised the cup to her lips and drank the whole potion.

"More," she said, looking up at Severus.

He frowned. "I have never been asked for more."

"It was a child's potion, wasn't it?" I asked. I remembered from my childhood that the milder LittleWizard and LittleWitch potions were far sweeter.

"Yes," he answered, taking the cup. He stared down at the child. "I don't suppose you could tell us your name?"

She stared back at him.

"Mum," she whimpered, looking away. She pointed to where the lights had been dancing.

"What is your name?" I asked her.

She looked back at me, still pointing towards the ceiling and I repeated my question.

"Leedah," she said after a moment.

"That is not a name," Severus told her. "Not a sensible one at any rate."

'Leedah' didn't seem to care. She smiled at me at pointed above her, clearly wanting more lights, which I finally obliged her with.

"Do you think she remembers what happened?" I asked my brother, as we watched her jump for the lights. I had though she would wake far more distressed than she was.

"I am not sure," Severus answered. "I am refraining from delving into her thoughts to find out. If she is happy enough now, I don't wish to have her relive what would have to be horrific memories."

Severus left to go and shower and dress and 'Leedah' continued to be entertained by the lights for another twenty minutes. At was at this point that she started howling again, calling for her mother. This time, no amount of magical lights would entertain her.

Finally, feeling terribly underqualified for the task, I lifted her from the cot and tried to soothe her in the best I could. I really had no idea what I was doing. I needed Merle for this sort of thing. She would have known what to do. Did it come with being a mother or was this ability something that some females naturally had within them? I contemplated this in distress as I struggled to comfort the crying child.

I eventually resorted to slowly pacing the room and patting her behind in the way I had once seen Matilda do with a baby, a relative she's been looking after. I'd thought 'Leedah' might have been too old, but this tactic seemed to work.

Severus came in again, fully dressed, just as the child had calmed enough for me to stop pacing. I sat on my bed with her, looking at her tiredly. I shook my head. How was it that I'd come to Snape Manor for my father's funeral and had ended up trying to comfort a two year old before the sun was even up?

"I don't know who looks more worn out," Severus commented as he stopped by the foot of the bed, clearly keeping his distance.

"It's almost your turn," I replied evenly.

He raised an eyebrow. "For what?"

"To take her, of course." I did feel terribly sorry for the child, but I couldn't see why Severus could not help too.

We both looked down when we heard a soft whimper. The child's mouth was moving slowly, unintelligible mumbles escaping her lips.

"You'll be fine," Severus said, looking away.

I gave him a cross look. "I have to look after her?"

"You're the better option. It's only until Dumbledore comes to take her away."

I shook my head. "No. You're just as responsible for her, if not more so."

He gave me a calculating look. "Why?"

I stared back at him. "You're the adult here."

He scowled. "I don't know anything about small children."

"You think I do?"

He shook his head. "Armilla, I barely knew what to do with you. It's in the child's best interest for you to care for her."

"No, we're sharing it," I replied.

His scowl deepened. "On your head, be it," he grumbled.

She looked around again, before mumbling something incoherent. I knew the time would come where she would barely remember her mother and family, if at all. I wondered if she was better off having some memory, or none at all, like me when I lost my mother.

"I'm not sure Professor Dumbledore's doing the right thing," I said suddenly. "How can Malfoy take care of her?"

"Perhaps in Dumbledore's happy families mind, Draco will be won over by the affections of a small child and will see the Light, change his views entirely and become a model figure of the wizarding world."

"What do you think will happen?"

"He won't harm the child," Severus replied. "He loves his own family too much to risk it."

We were silent. The only movement came from 'Leedah', who had discovered my hair and was amusing herself by pulling on it.

Severus suddenly grimaced. "Something smells."

I already knew what it was. "She needs changing."

He took a step back, "Well, I'll leave you to it then." He made to turn around, but I got up.

"No way, I did the last one." Actually, I had just redressed her after the bath, but it still counted.

Severus looked indifferent to that. "Congratulations. That means you're experienced enough to do the next one."

"It's your turn."

He sneered. "Don't be childish."

"I'm not. Why do I have to do it?"

He frowned at me. "Why? Because you're..." He stopped short, suddenly at a loss for words.

I folded my arms. "Because I'm a girl?"

"No," he said, abruptly, glaring at the whimpering child. He sighed. "Fine." He strode over to me, reaching out for the girl. "Come here, child."

The girl's whimpers immediately turned to wails when Severus took her. He held her under the armpits and away from his body. He gave me a furious look. "You see?" he said, raising his voice to be heard over the girl's wailings. "She'd much rather have you change her."

"Maybe if you didn't hold her like that," I suggested, making no move to take her from him.

"Like what?" he asked impatiently.

"Like you are going to catch something from her if you hold her any closer," I snapped. "Here." I moved forward and took the girl for a moment before pushing her into his chest, the same way as he'd held her when she'd been sleeping. Severus closed his arms around her, looking positively mortified at the closeness of the child. 'Leedah', who had ceased her crying, looked more startled than anything else as she looked up at my brother's face.

I stood back, shaking my head. "You can hug me," I pointed out.

"You don't have sticky fingers that have been in your mouth," he retorted.

"Sticky," 'Leedah' repeated, looking at her fingers.

"She listens," I added.

Severus gave me a dark look. "Be thankful that I didn't have you at this age."

"Oh, I'd be such a well rounded person," I said.

He scowled, as 'Leedah' shifted uncomfortably in my brother's arms. She looked up at him, her teary brown eyes wide. "Potty," she said, before sticking a finger in her mouth.

Severus looked up at the ceiling in annoyance. "Damn the Dark Lord."

"Damn," 'Leedah' repeated.

o o o o o o o o o o

"I do hope you have information to share, Headmaster," Severus said, as we sat in the sitting room the following morning.

After having something to eat, 'Leedah' had played for many hours in my bedroom. She had stopped frequently to ask for her mother and father, but I was able to distract her each time. She finally went to sleep again at around 9:00am.

I had left her there when Dumbledore had said I was welcome to join in the conversation. Severus has looked unsure about this, but had said nothing. I was just as confused; I generally wasn't allowed to be around for Order business meetings.

"I do, Severus," Dumbledore replied, "and I was more than satisfied with my findings." He looked at me. "The child we just left in your bedroom is who I suspected her to be."

"And who is that?" Severus asked.

Dumbledore smiled. "A Riddle."

"Headmaster, it's not the time for games," Severus said tersely.

"Riddle," Dumbledore repeated. "Miss Lydia Riddle."

"Riddle?" Severus and I said in unison. We had a Riddle in the house?

"I am sure you have quite an explanation for this?" Severus said, looking stonily at Dumbledore.

"I do not believe the child to be in any danger," Dumbledore said. "I do not believe Tom Riddle knows of her value...or else he would have made it his mission by now to put an end to her existence."

"I take it that she is a related Riddle?" Severus asked, as he passed a cup of tea to the Headmaster.

Dumbledore nodded as he took the cup. He waved his wand and a little family tree formed in the air above us. "Lydia's great grandfather, John Joseph Riddle was the elder brother of Voldemort's father, also named Tom Riddle - they are definitely blood relatives."

"If there was a killing at the house of this particular Riddle family," said Severus, watching as the family tree faded away before handing me a cup, "then the Dark Lord must have had some inkling that they were relatives."

"Oh perhaps," Dumbledore admitted, waving a hand aside as if it were a trivial matter. "Young Draco knew last night that the child was a Riddle - he just wasn't about to tell you so. I managed to obtain this information from him later in the evening. It would seem that this is not the first Riddle family that has suffered in the last few months. For fun, it would seem, Tom has been intent on gradually destroying every family in the land that bears the unfortunate name of Riddle."

I shuddered. How very twisted.

Severus was looking sceptical. "And why is this child in particular important, Headmaster?"

"This is the most important piece of information to give you," Dumbledore answered, suddenly looking very grave. He moved his sleeve suddenly so that we caught sight of his blackened hand. "I do not have the gift of time on my side," he said quietly, looking at each of us. "I will also inform selected Order members of the girl's existence, as well as the two of you. There is a prophecy..."

Colour seemed to drain from Severus' already pale face. "A prophecy?" he said quietly.

Dumbledore nodded. "Sybil Trelawney very recently made this prophecy...two weeks ago in fact. She's...ah...been on the cooking sherry lately and I confess I have not being setting much by what she says, but this was quite different." He waved his wand once again and words seemed to float out from the tip of his wand.

Out of the darkness, a child shall live,

A child of pure heart, sharing the blood of the Dark Lord,

The blood which he abhors

Her power shall be great and her Light has the means of neutralising his Dark,

And her marked protector will be her guidance and light

A task reluctantly undertaken,

A witness to her suffering and loss; a new traitor to the Dark Lord

The time shall come when her value may be seen

And her protector's gratitude will be eternal

"Draco Malfoy." Severus shook his head slightly. "Guidance and light indeed."

"It is amazing where one finds strength and purpose in times like these, Severus," said Dumbledore, giving him a meaningful look. "I have come to believe over the years that the very existence of trials is to test and form who we are."

Severus inclined his head. "Thank you for your counsel, Headmaster." His voice was laced with sarcasm.

Dumbledore merely smiled. "Oh, don't get on your high horse, Severus. I was not lecturing you; simply an old man reflecting."

"You are willing to place all trust in this prophecy then?" Severus asked, ignoring him. "Place this...Lydia Riddle with Draco and hope that it will not be detrimental for her."

Dumbledore cocked his head. "But this is touching, Severus. Has little Lydia warmed your heart already?"

Severus glowered at him. "I was referring," he said through clenched teeth, "to the level of care a sixteen year old boy could provide for a two year old child who has been robbed of her family. You are willing to sacrifice the level of care she requires in order to satisfy the faith you have in a prophecy...made by a drunken Seer?"

Dumbledore was silent for a moment. "I have every faith in the prophecy, Severus. I would not be going ahead with this plan if I had not. I do not flatter myself that every plan I have ever carried out has been successful, but on the whole, I do genuinely feel that this is the right course with which to proceed."

Severus didn't look convinced. "That is my point, Headmaster. You have every faith in the prophecy. What faith do you have in the child rearing abilities of Draco Malfoy? I cannot help but feel that this child is to be a pawn in your plans."

Dumbledore didn't smile. "I must do what is best for the situation. I shall see to it that Lydia will want for nothing during her time with Draco."

"Want for nothing?" Severus repeated. "This is not the first child you have place into the care of someone unworthy."

Dumbledore frowned. "Severus, it is not for you to-"

"Yes," Severus said shortly. "It is not my place. You have said so once before." He sighed before moving the conversation back to the task at hand. "Excuse my insensitivity, Headmaster, but we both know...you just stated that time is not on your side."

Dumbledore nodded. "And you are the Secret Keeper, Severus." He glanced at me briefly before looking back at Severus. "I do not see a reason why you...or eventually Armilla cannot occasionally provide assistance to them...when I am no longer able to."

Eventually Armilla? I understood that Dumbledore did not expect to live a great deal longer, but what was he implying now? That Severus would be too busy or that he would not be here either to do it?

When Severus spoke, it was with forced calm. "Let me see if I have things right, Dumbledore. Draco Malfoy showed up at this house last night with a child sharing the muggle blood of the Dark Lord, threatening to kill himself. We took the child in so that you could have time to hide Draco and investigate the child's background. Their shared value to you comes down to a prophecy. Now you inform us that Draco and the child is to be visited by myself or Armilla after your death. Is this a case of being in the wrong place at the wrong time or had you been planning this all along?"

Dumbledore's twinkle seemed to have gone. "We must all do what we can." He raised an eyebrow. "You understand that, of course?"

Severus stared stonily back. "You needn't ask that, Headmaster. One would have thought you'd have sufficient proof of my service to you by now."

Dumbledore looked momentarily abashed. "I'd never doubt it, Severus. You know that-"

"Then I would ask," Severus interrupted, "the small favour of leaving Armilla out of this. You have no right to ask her to play a role in this."

I shifted uncomfortably. My mind was torn. Technically, I had the right to sit back in this war and watch what transpired...but I was a witch of Wizarding Britain...didn't that mean I owed it to my community to do what I could, however small the part? It had nothing to do with the fact that my brother was a Double Agent and risked his life greatly every time he responded to a summons from the Dark Lord. If Merle had been alive, would I have felt a sense of obligation to the wizarding community? Merle had been a member of the Order after all. I was quite certain though, that she would have felt just as strongly as Severus did now about my becoming involved in one of Dumbledore's plans.

"I suppose I don't," Dumbledore replied, inclining his head. He looked at me. "Armilla will be seventeen before the school year is out. As the young woman Armilla is, Severus, I am sure she will do what she can to provide service."

I frowned. Dumbledore didn't seem to pride himself on subtlety. Hm, well he was a Gryffindor through and through.

"Armilla will not be manipulated, Headmaster," Severus said darkly, his lip curling. "I will not allow it."

Dumbledore met his gaze. "I did not come here for an argument, Severus. I have let you in on more information than was necessary-"

"And I am most exceedingly obliged," Severus drawled.

"And all I ask is that you do what you have agreed to," Dumbledore said, his voice a little louder, "what you owe."

There was silence.

"Armilla," my brother said a moment later. "Have you finished your tea?"

I looked down at my untouched cup. Before I could answer, he glanced at my cup and looked away again. "Take it upstairs, please."

I didn't move. I looked from Dumbledore to my brother.

Dumbledore frowned. "Severus."

"Now, Armilla."

I rose silently, not wanting to bear Severus' wrath later if I didn't obey, and left the room. Dumbledore and my brother remained silent until I had left. In fact, I was on the stairs before I could hear their muffled voices.

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