Perpetual Mirages

Author's Note:

This chapter is really dark. It's sort of like CoS, where Ginny got manipulated by the diary, only Vivian is a bit smarter then her. Lucius realizes the seriousness of what has happened; someone interesting finds Vivian and brings her to refuge.

***

"Am I too lost to be saved? Am I too lost?"

-- "Tourniquet," Evanescence

Lucius awoke the next morning, please to have made Narcissa see the light about his plan. He was looking forward to a nice celebratory breakfast, to talk to his son about what it was like to serve a great man, and keep an eye on his niece.

Getting into his morning robes and collecting his paper from the owl, he strutted downstairs and took a seat at the table. Narcissa was by the counter, pouring his coffee. Draco was staring blankly ahead at Dobby, and Vivian...

Wasn't there.

"Draco," he snapped. "Go upstairs and get that blasted cousin of yours."

His son remained still and silent in his seat. "Did you hear what I said, Draco? Go upstairs and get Vivian."

"She's not there," Draco mumbled.

He blinked a couple of times. "Not there? What do you mean, 'she's not there'?" Dobby involuntarily gulped, trying to skulk away into the shadows. Lucius turned to the house-elf. "Dobby. Come here. Now."

Dobby obeyed his master and walked over cautiously. "Master, I is telling you where Miss Vivian be."

"Yes, you shall, right this instant!" Lucius roared. Dobby shuddered, feeling the heat from Narcissa's and Draco's eyes as they stared at him with fear and horror. His pillowcase began to slip off of his bony shoulders, and he tentatively pulled it back up.

Whimpering, he said, "Miss Vivian runs away last night. She takes Young Master Malfoy's broom and has me put a Stunning Spell on him. She escapes last night."

Narcissa let out a horrific scream; Lucius slammed his hand onto the table. "God damn it, Dobby!" he sputtered. "And you let her go? You stunned my son?" Dobby whimpered again and nodded.

"But, Sir--She is being a Malfoy. Dobby must take orders from her."

Lucius's lip curled at the realization that this ignorant, stupid creature was right. "Nevertheless, Dobby, she was in your charge at the moment. I have a good mind to give you clothes." He ignored his breakfast and jumped out of his seat. "I've get to get to Hogwarts, if Dumbledore knows about this already--"

He snapped his fingers, and closed his eyes, but nothing happened. He tried again. Draco stared at him in amusement. "What the hell," Lucius muttered, opening his eyes, "why can't I--?"

"You is forgiving Dobby for saying so," said the house-elf, "but you is not being able to Apparate on Hogwarts grounds, remember?"

He stared at his servant and cursed. "Damn you, Dumbledore," he threw on his cloak. "Very well, then. I'll have to go to Hogsmeade. Dobby, you look after Draco, do not let him out of your sight and don't Stun him. Narcissa, you come with me."

Lucius sighed again and disappeared. Narcissa shot a sympathetic glance to Draco and Dobby, and then disappeared as well. Draco stared at Dobby with a look of confusion and hatred. "Why did you Stun me, anyway?" he asked.

"Dobby has to take orders from any Malfoy," the ragged old creature magically cleared the table. "Miss Vivian is being a Malfoy, and she is asking me to Stun you so she could get your broom. I had to do it, Master Malfoy. Dobby apologizes."

Draco sneered at Dobby. "You are sad. And pathetic, and...I wish my dad did give you clothes!" With that, he ran up the stairs and slammed the door to his room.

"I wish so, too, Master Malfoy," Dobby said sadly.

Lucius found himself in the middle of a chilly Hogsmeade, with Narcissa by his side. "Lucius," she whispered, "do you think she's okay? What if someone finds her? Oh, I hope she hasn't gone too far."

Her husband sneered. "Stupid girl, what could have possibly driven her to run away from home?"

"Maybe she heard what you had in store for her." Narcissa said coldly. Lucius stared at her, knowing she was probably right. But he didn't acknowledge that fact.

They strode to the front castle in a few, quick steps and were greeted by Filch, opening the door. "Lucius," Filch said in a disgusting tone.

"Argus," he said abruptly. "I have no time for your insults that are undoubtedly brewing inside of you. My niece has gone missing, as you may know. Or has Dumbledore only chosen to tell real Wizard kind what has happened?"

Hogwarts' caretaker's eyes flashed, with no words to say. Lucius took Narcissa's hand and rushed into the corridors. Bumping into various teachers, like Flitwick and McGonagall, they all stopped him.

"Albus wants to see you, immediately. He'd knew you'd be coming,"

Dumbledore was situated in the Great Hall. Classes had been put on hold, because he needed to address the teachers. It seemed that only the Slytherin students who had Death Eaters for parents seemed to know what was going on.

The wise, old, white haired man was on a podium, and seemed to spot Lucius immediately. "Ah, just the man we needed to see. Lucius. Have you had any leads on her whereabouts?"

"Just that she escaped on my son's broomstick." He watched as the teacher's murmured accusations and whatnot into each other's ears. "She had the house-elf Stun my son, and virtually escaped right under my nose." He felt himself grow hot at the hushed whispers. "If you've got something to say to me, I damn well suggest you say it to my face--"

Dumbledore got to his feet. "Lucius," he said sharply. "I know you're...upset, but we are just trying to help you get young Vivian back home." Then he softened. "Did you know her name means 'alive' in Latin? I daresay she'll be safe, if she's true to her name."

Lucius scowled. Sure, he wanted her to be alive, but weakened and malfunctioned. Those are when the strongest views come into play...Strong and sturdy...Just the particular vision he'd want her to see...He cleared his throat. "Ah, yes. Of course. But, Professor Dumbledore, sir, what if someone--unpleasant--finds her?"

"You mean to say, a Death Eater?"

He nodded.

"Well, Lucius, I'm willing to take that chance. I'm sure your niece is far too smart to fall into the wrong hands. Unless of course, you want her to?" Albus stared at him, the twinkle in his eye there, but not shining as bright as it usually did.

Go on, Vivian. You trust me, do you not? Just take this wand I'm about to give you and whisper 'Morsmordre.'

But, why Tom?

If you do it, I can live again. I can rise to be a great wizard, and give you everything you ever wanted. Have you ever heard of Voldemort?

There isn't a witch or wizard alive who hasn't...

He did great things, did he not?

My parents served him.

They were great to him. He appreciated their noble work. Will their daughter be going down the same route to Voldemort's path?

Voldemort's dead, Tom. Harry Potter killed him nine years ago.

Voldemort lives. He never dies. Just say the word, Vivian. And he will rise again...

Vivian stared at the diary in fear. She had somehow managed to reach London, her diary burning in her pocket. Tom had shown himself to be a friendly companion, but he had wanted her to do things...Thing that she had foreseen as evil...

She outside the road of Diagon Alley, in her view were stores she'd visited with her aunt and cousin. She was in another alleyway, darker, and lacking the warmth that Diagon Alley had. A sign informed her she was in Knockturn Alley.

"Lost, m'dear?" Asked a gangly witch with missing teeth and stringy hair. Vivian shook her head, and turned fast, with the broom, diary, and trunk weighing her down. How her uncle dealt with this place frequently and took walks down here to clear his head, she'll never know...

In the windows of stores, there were skeletons and books that advertised dark magic and whatnot. Every witch or wizard seemed to have a couple of teeth gone from their gums, limp hair, or none at all...and they all seemed to be stroking a spot on their left forearm...

Growing tired and the sky growing murky, she looked for refuge by a deserted walkway, away from the shops and bustle of darkness. Slinking against the hard stone wall, she secretly wished she had never left home, and that she still had the warmness and loved she had received from Dobby, if she couldn't get it from her family.

"Well, well, well," said a voice behind Vivian, making her eyes pop open.

An extremely ugly man was hovered over her. He had oily patches on his head where hair was missing, yellowing teeth, and a tight skull. He held out a battered hand. "I know you," he said, his breath shallow and rancid. She gulped.

"How? It's...Impossible," she sputtered.

The character gave a laugh, which didn't reach his eyes. "My name is Igor Karkaroff. I know--knew--your father. I know your uncle. I'm the Headmaster for Durmstrang." Durmstrang. It sounded familiar...The diary burned hot under her arm.

Karkaroff cocked his head and beckoned for the girl to give him the book. "This should not be in your possession, Miss Malfoy." He took it in his long fingers. "I'll be sending it back home." He paused. "Why are you here, may I ask?"

Vivian tried to speak but found herself so weak and drained when she got to her feet, she collapsed into Karkaroff's arms. "Ah. I know exactly what to do with you," he murmured to her unconscious body.

Lucius was now back at the Malfoy Manor, ignoring Dumbledore's owls that informed him that Vivian was very much alive. "We've got to find her," Narcissa pleaded. "Lucius's...She's your niece."

He rolled his eyes. "Believe me, someone will find her. Let's just hope it's someone who can take the plan into action. She's out of my charge now."

Narcissa didn't take this an answer. "What do we tell Draco? What do we tell him became of his cousin who he has grown up with?"

"She's dead."

"Lucius, no, I can't--"

"You can and will, Narcissa. I'm going to the Ministry to inform them of our loss. You'll be using this time to talk with Draco. Make sure he knows the seriousness of Vivian gone."

And he Disapparated. Narcissa cursed under her breath, and trudged up the stairs to have a talk with her only son. He was in his room, of course, where else would he be?--playing with some sort of toy that Lucius bought him. At Knockturn Alley, no doubt.

"Draco," said his mother softly. She stepped into the room, sighing. "Please, put that away. I need to talk to you." Draco obliged, and stared at his mother, trying to read her mind. He sat--more like jumped--on his bed, and his mother conjured up a chair beside him. "I know you've noticed that Vivian is gone,"

"How can I not? I was Stunned because of her, and the house is eerily quiet." He paused to let his mother laugh, he was sure she was going to laugh. She didn't, but she cracked a smile.

"Listen, Draco. Your father thinks...he thinks your cousin...He thinks Vivian is dead," Narcissa said quickly, closing her eyes so she wouldn't see Draco's face.

She heard her son gasp. "But, Vivian only left last night! How could she be...dead?"

"He heard word that a girl that fits her description was found outside of Scotland."

Scotland?

Draco thought ridiculously to himself. Vivian has never even been further then Diagon Alley, and all of a sudden she shows up in Scotland? He didn't even notice his mother leave the room. She couldn't be dead...Who was going to annoy him and ask to share his bed? Who was going to sic Dobby on him for every little thing? Who was going to be his cousin?

Draco shut his eyes tightly as the door to his bedroom slammed. Several tears streamed down his face.

When Vivian finally awoke, she felt herself being jerked around helplessly. Getting conscious enough to actually recognize her whereabouts, she realized she was on a bus.

"Where...am I?" she asked a man she didn't know. Closing her eyes, she suddenly remembered. All the recent events came rushing back: Her uncle's plan, her leaving, Tom wanting to cast a certain spell, being picked up by that horrible man, and fainting in Knockturn Alley.

The man looked up from his newspaper. "You're on the Knight Bus. You fainted. I took you. Don't worry, you'll be fine," he said, trying to smile.

"Who are you?" she asked, bluntly.

He tried to smile again, revealing very yellow, crooked teeth. "Igor Karkaroff. Headmaster of Durmstrang."

"The Dark Arts school," Vivian said, now remembering where she heard the name.

Karkaroff sneered, and folded his newspaper and stuck it in his shirt pocket. "Not quite. Your father was considering sending you to Durmstrang when you reached of age, did you know that?"

"No," said Vivian, icily. She got up out of her bumpy bed. "I don't know anything about my parents except that they served Lord Voldemort and got themselves killed by Aurors when I was almost four months old."

Igor cocked his head and stared at the girl, with some thoughtfulness. "You look just like them. The Malfoy/Merdoc gene, I daresay. It was remarkable though. Your mother was a Merdoc and they looked just like the Malfoys. And you've got the Malfoy attitude," he noted, staring at the seething expression on Vivian's face.

"What's a Merdoc?"

The headmaster clicked his tongue. "So uneducated, shame. The Merdoc family are like a clone to the Malfoys. Purest of pure blood, goes back for centuries. You have Malfoy and Merdoc blood. How lucky for you."

"Where are we going?"

"To Durmstrang, of course. You look a fright, silly girl, and you need care. I want to fulfill your father's wishes. Your uncle, of course, would like you to learn under my ruling as well."

At this, Vivian had to protest. "What? No way! I want to go to Hogwarts, with my cousin. We're going to be in Slytherin together and I want to continue the Slytherin dynasty!"

"Durmstrang is a thousand times better then Hogwarts. Your bloodline would be delighted if they knew you'd be attending Durmstrang. As for the Slytherin dynasty, I believe that the Durmstrang dynasty is much better."

She narrowed her eyes. "This is kidnapping, you know. You have no right to take me into your possession and--" She darted her head around. "Where the bloody hell is my owl?"

"I've sent it back to your home, with that blasted diary. I've also sent a letter informing your informing your family where you are." Her mouth hung open. "Oh, please. You'll get your ruddy owl back."

The Knight Bus hit a bump in the road, sending Vivian a few centimeters into the air. "I'd watch your mouth if I were you, Miss Malfoy." Karkaroff's eyes gleamed, referring to Vivian's near outbreak about being kidnapped. "I don't take any kindly to delinquents at my school."

"Tell me about the Merdocs," she said, admitting defeat. "You obviously have great knowledge about my ancestry." Karkaroff gave a slithering smile and laid back upon the skinny, uncomfortable headrest. He nodded.

"You're right," he said, "I do." Then, he paused. "Just about any Pureblood who has been brought up right knows about the Merdocs. Haven't you ever used your Seer blood to search into your past?"

Vivian shook her head. "I didn't know I could do that," she mumbled.

Karkaroff gave a short laugh. "My, my, Miss Merdoc-Malfoy, you certainly do have a lot to learn. Lay back, and I will tell you everything that I know. ...Which happens to be practically everything. Your family is very famous. Most very famous."

He cleared his throat. "Your great-grandparents went to Hogwarts. Adalon Liaborn, your great-grandfather, was in Ravenclaw. He met Sophia Merdoc, a Slytherin, and married her after graduation. Her family was so prestigious, that the Merdocs always kept their last name, and their partners had to take it as well. So your grandfather became Adalon Merdoc. They had three children, but lost two of them. The only one who lived past birth was Catalyana, your grandmother."

"How do I pronounce that?" Vivian snickered.

Karkaroff glared at her, as if he couldn't believed that she dared interrupt him while he was explaining her family history. "Ca-tal-yana." He shot her another look. "Anyway, Catalyana was the only one to live past birth. She was also a Seer. She prophesied that the last Merdoc heir with Seer blood would be heir to the Merdoc fortune.

"Now. Catalyana never married, but she did give birth to two children. Markus and Leda, they were twins. Leda is your mother, I know you know that. They both became Death Eaters after Catalyana died, and Markus was killed about three years before your mother." He paused. "Your full name is Vivian Catalyana Merdoc-Malfoy. Did you know that?"

She shook her head.

"You were born on January 31, am I correct?"

She gaped. "How did you know--?"

He held up a bony hand with bitten, yellow nails. "Catalyana was also born January 31. She was an Aquarius, the water-bearer. Probably the most celebrated Seer of all time. She gave life to some people, as water does. And you're her heir."

Vivian scratched her head. "I'm the only living Merdoc left?" she asked in amazement. Karkaroff scratched the stubbly hair of his chin and nodded.

"Yes. That leads me to my next point. You see, Catalyana also left behind a certain gift with her Prophecy. It's called 'The Prophecy of Blood' I believe. Your grandmother left behind a certain talent to whoever her last remaining Seer heir was. You, along with being a Seer, have the power to travel back and forth in time, transporting yourself and whoever else you may want to bring back with you."

Her eyes widened. "There are so many things I could have changed! I could have brought my parents back--I could have done so much, how come my aunt and uncle never told me about this?"

"I don't know." Karkaroff shrugged. "Perhaps they didn't know, either. But you cannot use the time-traveling gift until your eighteenth birthday."

Vivian cursed out loud. "What?! I've been having visions ever since I can remember. I know I'm a Seer, why can't I--?"

"You can ask Catalyana that when you see her. No doubt you'll be wanting to visit your grandmother once you've got the power to, eh?" He watched her astonished expression and pursed his lips. "Bedtime," he said. "We've got a big day tomorrow."

The girl sank into the lumpy bed, her heart pounding in her head, ears, neck, and chest. Vivian Catalyana Merdoc-Malfoy laid in the darkness until she drifted off to sleep.