The Raven and The Snake

Laughter went about the table. Bellatrix scowled in anger and embarrassment, her face going blotchy. Many of those present were taking great enjoyment at the expense of the Malfoy clan who until now had had such a place of honor in their ranks.

Bellatrix tried to clarify that she and her family had nothing to do with Andromeda or her family. They had cut her off as soon as she'd married Ted Tonks, a muggle-born. None of them had so much as sent a letter in years.

"We - Narcissa and I - have never set eyes on our sister since she married the mudblood. This brat has nothing to do with either of us, nor any beast she marries." Bellatrix cried imploringly toward her master. Voldemort's vicious smile turned toward Draco. "What say you, Draco? Will you babysit the cubs?"

The Death Eaters cackled even more ferociously. Draco sent a terrified glance toward his mother who gave the barest shake of her head and continued to retain her firm constraint.

Ariadne waited. Though she was more distantly related, she alone had had contact with Tonks and her family. Nobody present was aware, but Ariadne had been in attendance to the wedding that had taken place between Nymphadora Tonks and Remus Lupin. Her wedding gift to them had been their rings.

The wedding ceremony hadn't been anything large. The only thing that had kept it from being an elopement was that Ariadne, Andromeda, and Ted had all been invited to witness.

None of them had worn dress robes as it was a little spur-of-the-moment. Tonks had arrived on the arm of her father who'd had tears in his eyes. When he'd smiled, he'd been extremely handsome. Ariadne could easily imagine how Andromeda had fallen in love in their youth.

Andromeda bore a strikingly similar appearance to Bellatrix. Heavy eyes, quirky hair, the only real difference was that her full lips were pulled into a darling smile. She had fretted about her family, taking a ridiculous number of photos by levitating cameras.

They hadn't had time to find rings, but Ariadne had swooped in with her heavily enchanted gold rings. There was truly no knowing at this point whether or not the rings would protect them. Ariadne had made them in the hopes of keeping them safe during the Battle of Hogwarts that had been written about in the books. Any number of factors could potentially come into play and few things were known to be able to stop the unforgivable curses.

Still, Ariadne had smiled and wished the couple a happy marriage. Tonks's hair had been a gorgeous pink like a sunset, squeezing Ariadne's hand, her face bright with happiness. Lupin had been more reserved about showing emotion, his eyes misty throughout and his voice breaking with emotion during his vows.

"Enough!" Voldemort called his Death Eaters to calm, pulling Ariadne from her reverie. "Many of our oldest family trees become a little diseased over time. You must prune yours, must you not, to keep it healthy? Cut away those parts that threaten the health of the rest."

"Yes, my lord." Bellatrix whispered, her tone filled with reverence for her master and her eyes filling with tears of gratitude. "At the first chance."

"You shall have it." Voldemort assured. "And in your family, so in the world. We shall cut away the canker that infects us, until only those of the true blood remain."

Voldemort extended the borrowed wand from Lucius toward the body that was hanging above the table and gave a little flick. The woman gave a little groan as she awoke and began to struggle against her magical confines, unable to do anything more than rotate vaguely so that everyone saw her in her helplessness.

"Do you recognize our guest, Severus?"

Snape had barely glanced at the body since entering the room. Until Voldemort called attention to her, no one had seemed to want to acknowledge her at all. With his permission they all now looked up curiously, save for Draco who hadn't been able to stop looking while she was unconscious, but now dropped his eyes unable to take in her face now that she was awake.

Ariadne resumed the slow stroking of Antigone, not bothering to raise her eyes. She stared fixedly at Snape, watching his calm expression of apathy. "Severus! Help me!" The woman cried in fright as she continued to revolve in place helplessly.

"Aw, yes." Snape replied calmly, knowing very well who it was.

"And you, Draco?" Voldemort asked.

Draco shook his head a little violently, unable to look into the woman's face.

"But you would not have taken her classes. For those of you who do not know, we are joined here tonight by Charity Burbage who until recently taught at Hogwart's School of Witchcraft and Wizardry. Yes, Professor Burbage taught the children of witches and wizards all about muggles. How they are not so different from us."

One of the Death Eaters down the table spat on the floor. Ariadne's nose wrinkled in disgust. She had spoken to her grandfather before the meeting about learning from Professor Burbage, he was not keen to reveal that she had taken an interest in Muggle Studies, albeit under the guise of exploring her own bloodlines and the consequences of mixed blood.

"Severus, please... please..." Charity cried toward Snape as she revolved past his face again. Then she spotted Ariadne when she turned and called out for her as well. "A-Aria! Help me!" "Silence!" Voldemort waved his wand.

Charity's tear-stricken face gave a little jerk, her throat convulsing and lips moving, but no further sound came from her as though she'd been gagged. Ariadne gave no sign of distress at the woman's situation. In her mind, Charity was already dead.

"Not content with corrupting and polluting the minds of wizarding children, last week Professor Burbage wrote an impassioned defense of mudbloods in the Daily Prophet. Wizards, she says, must accept these thieves of their knowledge and magic. The dwindling of the pure bloods is - says Professor Burbage - a most desirable circumstance. She would have us all mate with muggles or, no doubt, werewolves."

Nobody laughed as the fury in Voldemort's tone quelled all humor.

Severus Snape looked up calmly at the face of his former co-worker. She was crying, fat tears running down her face and into her hair. Her lips continuing to move in a silent plea. Ariadne had to admire his perfect mask. His beautiful face betraying nothing of what he might be thinking.

"Avada Kedavra." Voldemort hissed. The room was lit with a green light and the air seemed to rush like in a vacuum. Charity's body fell hard onto the table, absolutely lifeless.

Several of the Death Eaters leapt back in their chairs. Draco fell out of his next to Ariadne who merely paused for a moment in stroking Antigone and resuming without a sound.

How many times had she warned Professor Burbage to keep her head down during these rocky times? Had she not expressed her worry and tried her best to impress upon the woman how dangerous her situation could be? Ariadne could not allow herself to cry at this time.

"Dinner, Nagini." Voldemort whispered softly to the snake.

Nagini stretched away from her master toward the table, unhinging her jaw to engulf the body of the woman that had taught Ariadne.

Down the table, Bellatrix gave a noise that was a mixture between a giggle and a pained hiss. Ariadne rose gracefully from her seat, allowing Antigone to drape herself over Ariadne like a feather boa. She and Narcissa helped raise Bellatrix away from the table. It was time.

Bellatrix screamed loudly in the birthing room they had prepared. Her face covered in a heavy sweat, her wild black hair sticking to her. Though the pain must have been considerable, it sounded like she was screaming in victory. Finally, Narcissa lifted the child away from her sister, passing her off to Ariadne to clean. Bellatrix pulled herself up at once, sitting forward to get a look at her baby. She had a wild gleam in her eye and her teeth were bared in a fierce smile. "It's a girl." Narcissa cooed happily, toweling off her sister's face.

Slowly, the gleam faded from Bellatrix's eyes. The smile dropped from her face. She stared at her baby that Ariadne was showing her. It struggled and gave a strong wail, kicking its tiny feet in the blanket.

It took Ariadne a moment to realize that Bellatrix was disappointed. She shared an anxious look with Narcissa before swaddling the child. When Bellatrix gave no indication that she'd like to hold her, Ariadne bowed out of the room to present the baby to Voldemort.

"Its name?" Ariadne asked before exiting.

Bellatrix almost scowled, sinking back down onto her bed. "Delphini."

Ariadne held the baby to herself, Antigone sliding along the marble floor a step behind. Her chest tightened, almost feeling like she might cry as hard as the baby. She hushed the little thing, not wanting her to first meeting with her father to be uncomfortable.

"My Lord, it is a girl. Delphini." Ariadne bowed low, stretching her arms out to show him his child.

Voldemort hardly glanced at the child, waving his hand dismissively. "How long before Bellatrix has recovered?"

Ariadne slowly brought the child close to herself again, watching to see if he might change his mind. "There were no complications, my lord. It shouldn't be too long."

He gave a little nod, turning away from the child.

"H-her name, my lord?" Ariadne asked uncertainly. "She is not a Lestrange. Will she be called Black, Riddle, or Gaunt?"

Voldemort's ruby red eyes flashed to Ariadne. The vertical pupils widening like a cat then narrowed down to slivers. "She will not be able to inherit as it will change when she's married. Does it matter?"

Ariadne shook her head, bowing to leave. Then a question occurred to her. "Will I change my name when I am married?"

She said it more to herself than to either Voldemort or Snape. She was surprised when Snape was the one to answer from his place at the table. "No."