Chapter Four: Her Turn
Voldermort looked up as his daughter and Draco Malfoy hastily strode into the meeting room. His eyes landed on the hand that Ava held tightly, the hand belonging to the young Malfoy. Voldermort bristled and he had to remind himself, Ava was holding on to Draco's hand and not the other way around. Otherwise, he'd have to deal with Malfoy.
"M'lord," Draco bowed deeply after Ava had let go of his hand.
"Good. Sit down both of you," Voldermort nodded, watching the teenager's body language carefully.
He was satisfied when there was nothing to see, not a secret glance of lovers or an affectionate look. Draco followed Ava to one of the empty cushioned chairs. There was no touching and Ava no longer held his hand, though she very much wanted too at the moment. The whole thing seemed very. . . professional, formal, in other words. . . serious.
"Draco Malfoy," Voldermort started, "you know of your plan once you're at Hogwarts?"
"Yes sir, I do," Draco answered solemnly, ignoring the curious brief glance that Ava gave him.
"That arrangement is henceforth canceled until further notice in October," he informed, "you will be escorting Avelina with her assignment until that month, when she understands her goal and is able to proceed alone".
If it didn't strike other people as rune and if it wasn't a place where there was no room for rudeness whatsoever, Ava's jaw would have dropped straight towards the floor. It would have dropped so heavy that she would have a nice bruise on her chin come morning. Who knew of this assignment that was presently bestowed on her? She certainly didn't. Ava didn't want nor favor anything to do with her father's 'business'.
"I'm a talented Legim-," he paused at her confused look, wearily decided to assign her a tutor, "I'm a very talented mind reader Avelina. I'll assure you that the last thought in your mind is very displeasing".
"Oh. . . sorry?" Ava felt the widened stares from his friends, "I was just having some doubts"
Instead of all the heat going to her, it turned expectantly on Draco. He didn't shift in his seat under Lucious's furious gaze nor did he show any sign of fear. He was supposed to be teaching Ava the things she needed to know about her father. It was Draco's fault that he didn't tell her that her father could read minds. Ava groaned inwardly before blurting out something that made her father change his mind on taking the boy under his wand.
"It's not serious or anything so don't blame Draco. I thought it, not him," she hardly felt nervous, "besides, I'm knew to this 'having a father' thing. I mean, I've only been in orphanages so it's a little new to me. A little doubt never hurt anyone. No bigge," she shrugged.
Voldermort sighed inwardly. Patience is a great trait. Excessive amount of talking is not. Now all of his followers in here had a curious question. Orphanages? Where was her mother? Was she just some common scarlet woman?
"Is there anybody else that has questions?" he said loudly eyeing them testily and they all flinched, "now, down to business before I get a migraine. Avery?"
"The Boy Who Lived is going to Hogwarts this year," Avery informed him, "Dumbledore is keeping a close watch on him. He's not alone m'lord, he has followers also.
Voldermort knew of this. There was a great plan he had in mind and he was sure that it would work if it went well. For that, he needed a young Death Eater. No, Draco wouldn't do and Finch wasn't in school anymore. All the Jr. Death Eaters were males and no females were recruited yet. It left him a final choice.
Voldermort nodded and turned to Avelina, "you will be attending Hogwarts this year and in most of Draco's classes. He will assist you while you complete this task. I've been in want of a word with The Boy Who Lived. It has been far too long since our last talk".
His companions smirked in agreement. Voldermort finally looked at his daughter, wondering if he should sent her. Katherine would not. He smirked, Katherine was not here. Avelina was of use to him, but was she of this particular use? Voldermort cursed himself for questioning. Of course she was!
It was just the whole concept of it. The girl was his daughter, his flesh and blood, his heir. The girl was barely of age and had a lot to learn. She was just a young child. Out of nowhere buried in a deep small pit of horrible sentiment, Voldermort had a flash of a small baby girl in his arms with small smiles and baby laughs. Today she was older, sixteen to be exact, and still with a whole life ahead of her.
Bloody hell! Was he going soft?
"There is a boy at Hogwarts, a young man," Voldermort said firmly, "he is of Draco's age and in your year- this is who I want to talk to. However, he's as slippery as a snake and has managed to slide out of our previous. . . conversations. I wish to speak to him," he looked at his one and only daughter, without realizing how important she was to him, with a seriousness in his eyes, "Avelina, this is your task".
Ava nodded obediently, sensing the tension in the large room, her brown eyes met his uncertainly, "I-I uhm, don't have to kill him or anything right?
Draco was among those impatient people who sighed frustrated. Her father was the only one who did not. Ava gave a light apologetic smile. It was only a question. She felt an odd feeling in her head and heard Voldermort's voice while his lips did not move, a foolish question.
"No, you will not kill anyone. Leave that to the more experienced people," Snape drawled.
Voldermort gestured for quiet, "your task is to befriend the boy, to be a person he can trust. I want you to report to me after you have gained that. If I see you are correct that we'll move on to the next stage. You'll gather information from him and those from friends of him. You'll inform me of anything important".
"So you'd like me to spay on him?" Ava asked quietly.
"Yes- no, we have enough spies at the school. I want you to befriend him, Avelina, so that he trusts you. None of this peeking around the corners and interrogating other people. I want you to get the facts from him, not anybody else".
Ava was silent for a few seconds. She had asked that question to stall, giving her more time to think. It wasn't exactly dangerous and she wasn't doing what her father did. It was harmless. All he wanted to make friends with this Boy Who Lived.
"Do you understand this task?" Voldermort asked.
Once again, she felt all eyes on her as if she was most important. Ava lifted her brown eyes to meet his, not knowing what it would lead to, "yes, I do".
