The Good Slytherin

Chapter Seven: Delphinia

Delphinia awoke with the worst hangover she'd had in a long while--not since she once drank too much firewhisky on a dare. And as she rolled over painfully in bed, she pieced together her encounter the night previous. The events slowly came back to her one by one--Ahmed, too many drinks, Lucius Malfoy, getting lost, two Muggle men, Lucius Malfoy again. Then . . . . She groaned and grabbed at her head and remembered the Killing Curse.

Reminded of Lucius's request to meet her at half past eleven, she fumbled around for her watch before she realized that it was still on her arm. In fact, she was slightly disgusted with herself to discover that she was still in her clothes from last night and they reeked of Ahmed's cigarettes. She held her wrist up and squinted at the watch face--a little after ten o'clock. There was plenty of time to run to the apothecary, fix her hangover, bathe, and eat breakfast before meeting Lucius. A voice in the back of her head screamed for her to pack her bags instead and head back to England and forget any of this ever happened, but the reckless part of her was more than a little curious to find out what he wanted with her.

One look in the mirror revealed just how rough she looked after her stint in the café. She didn't even bother to change her clothes, only managing a cursory brush of her long blonde hair. Each stroke shot pain through her scalp, further aggravating her headache. No longer looking like Medusa, her next priority of the day was to do something about her hangover.

Delphinia left the inn and wandered about for an apothecary, feeling like death was imminent. Inside a shop not far away, surrounded by strange looking ars of dried herbs, a wizened Moroccan mixed her an odorous yellow powder that he folded into a small envelope of parchment. She took this back to the inn, mixing it with a small cup of thick coffee provided by the caretaker and in thirty seconds she was hangover free.

By half past eleven, Delphinia was in a far better state than she had when she first woke. Her clothes from the evening previous had been discarded in favor of something smarter and she headed towards their appointed location. Casually yet nervously, she paced the small square that contained the seedy café looking for some sign of him. The second hand of her watch had barely left the half-hour mark when Lucius apparated in front of her with a crack.

No longer encumbered by four drinks, she gazed at him, properly noting his sleek, pale blonde hair and long, thin face. His light weather robes were clasped at his shoulders by a silver serpent fastening. From within her stirred a curious feeling--a feeling she hadn't felt since Hogwarts--and she remembered a time when she had been fifteen and consumed by a silly school girl crush on him.

Lucius smiled at her in his faintly condescending way; he hadn't changed one bit. "You remembered after all."

"I'm not as useless as you think I am," she replied and crossed her arms.

"Quite the contrary, Delphinia. In spite of your performance last night, I do see potential."

Feeling cautious, she was unsure what he meant and she hadn't forgotten incident the Killing Curse. She mentally located her wand just in case.

"Shall we discuss this somewhere else?" he continued, placing a hand gently against her back and steering her towards a passage between two buildings off the square. At first she thought they were headed back towards the Muggle market, but she soon discovered that this passage led somewhere far different. They entered a narrow street lined with sinister tented stalls selling all sorts of Dark Magical items and the merchants who sold them looking as dodgy as the merchandise. She was immediately reminded of the few times she ventured into Knockturn Alley long ago.

"Lucius, where are we going?" Delphinia asked, ducking by a wizard on a flying carpet.

He made no answer, but soon it was clear: past the merchants, the street dead-ended at a building with geometric decorations around the door and windows carved right into the ancient stone. Over the entrance hung a weathered wooden sign with Arabic lettering. Not able to read the language, it wasn't till they pushed opened the heavy door that she realized that it was a café of sorts with low seating around small round tables illuminated by ornate lanterns suspended from the ceiling. An equally elaborate wooden screen separated each table, serving to ensure a level of privacy between the patrons.

As they entered, she was met with the cloying smell of incense. Lucius showed her to an empty table. No sooner did they sit down on a pillow-covered bench than a small Moroccan in saffron colored robes approached their table for their order. Lucius asked for some strangely named tea.

"Now will you tell me why we are here?"

His pale skin was tempered by the warm glow of the overhead lantern. "Well Delphinia, I am here to tell you of an opportunity. Think of it as a sort of job offer."

"A job offer? Please don't tell me you're taking the piss again, because I'll march right out of this . . . whatever this is." The incense was making her head heavy.

He pursed his lips and ignored her threat. "You showed a burgeoning talent for the Dark Arts back at Hogwarts. I was hoping that you would consider further developing those abilities," he said casually, as if describing the weather.

She sobered at the mention of her use of Dark Magic in the past. "What? That was a bit of a schoolgirl lark, Lucius. You can't be serious."

"I assure you that I am completely serious." He gave her his familiar condescending smile as the waiter returned with pot of tea and two cups in addition to a small bowl of pomegranate seeds.

After he poured her a cup, Delphinia took a cautious sip and discovered that it tasted of mint and anise.

Lucius continued. "There is a war brewing and we need more people like you."

Delphinia looked up from her tea, startled. "A war?"

"Yes." His cold grey eyes flashed impatiently. "There is someone who will finally do something about these filthy mudbloods and Muggle lovers who are a detriment to the wizarding world."

There was a familiarity to these words. He and many of her fellow Slytherins openly discussed their disdain for the more liberal elements of society. She too had once got caught up in pureblood mania, which had only waned once she left Hogwarts. But now Lucius hinted that it was no long just talk--that there was actually some movement behind these words. She didn't know what to think. This, coupled by casual use of two of the three Unforgivable Curses the night previous, did not bode well.

"You're wasting your time and your talents at the Daily Prophet, Delphinia," he continued.

"And what is it you are proposing exactly?" she replied cautiously as she took another sip of her tea.

"There is a small but growing group of us who are determined to make a difference, led by the greatest wizard who ever lived. I want you to join us."

She merely stared at him trying to fully comprehend what he was saying. "Lucius, I just can't leave my job." For some reason, that was the first thing she could think to say.

"Oh right--money. With your family's ancient fortune nearly gone, I suppose you do need the wages. Well, you can always work with us in addition. Would be to our advantage to have contacts with the Prophet." He looked slightly bored. "A pity that there aren't many Thorpes left. You were once a mighty family," he added almost as an afterthought.

Delphinia resented his implications. But in a way she felt his comments mirrored her own disdain for her disappointing choices post Hogwarts. She suddenly got the distinct impression that he was purposely trying to goad her and a small fury erupted within her. "I know what you are trying to do, Lucius."

He smiled patronizingly. "You're very beautiful when you are angry," he drawled and took a sip of his own tea. Now she knew he was toying with her.

"And those two Muggles last night that you so remorselessly murdered? I know they don't teach the Killing Curse at Hogwarts. Is that how you have been spending the last five years?"

"Delphinia, those Muggles were expendable. You should hardly worry yourself with them."

She wasn't sure how to respond to that.

Suddenly Lucius was leaning closer, his face a mere inches from her. She could feel the heat of his breath on her neck as he whispered in her ear, "Imagine what you could do to that miserable ex-boyfriend of yours--channel all that anger into a swift and fitting revenge. Delphinia, you are a powerful witch. You just do not know it yet."

For a moment she was under his spell, seduced by the vocalization of her deepest fantasies formed after the breakup. Her head swam and she wasn't sure if was the tea or the incense. And for a moment she was overcome with the idea to kiss him. Just as she was about to make a fool of herself, he leaned back and the spell was broken.

He held the small ceramic bowl of pomegranate seeds towards her with a knowing smile. "Have some."

Delphinia struggled to regain her composure, feeling flushed and intoxicated. She shakily reached for bowl, taking a few of the ruby colored seeds into her fingers. They sparkled like jewels in the warm glow of the overhead lantern. Lucius was watching her movements with faint curiosity. Placing the seeds in her mouth, the tangy pomegranate juice washed away the bitter anise taste of the tea. Wait, what was she doing?

"Will you consider what I have said," he said seriously.

"I--" she faltered, remembering the surge of satisfying power she felt as she hexed the two Muggles the night before. Suddenly it became clear why she had been so dissatisfied with her life, why she felt something was missing. It was power and Lucius was offering it to her.

"You don't have to respond now. I will find you in London and you can give me your answer then."

But what was it that he was exactly proposing? Join a group bent on furthering the ideals of blood purity? She didn't know what to think. It seemed rather mad . . . and strangely tempting at the same time. His offer of something new filled the void carved out by her frustration with life.

Delphinia returned to London a day later feeling dazed and hollow, mulling over his offer obsessively. It took weeks to fully understand of her chance encounter with Lucius and her job seemed ever more meaningless after her conversation with him. Going through the motions of work and life for a couple months, she silently anticipating Lucius's arrival. As promised, he appeared one night in June for her answer.

"What do I have to do?" she asked.

"I need you to meet someone first."