Arabella Black, The Daughter Of Padfoot (Redux)

Chapter 6

Everything about pureblood beliefs made Arabella's stomach curl. It was ignorance, and inbreeding, and cruel.

She was a firm believer that no one was born evil, and that evil was created. But it was never that easy. No one just fell on a spectrum of good and bad, it was more complicated than that; something Severus had inadvertently taught her between potion lessons.

But sometimes it didn't seem true. How could you disown your child, treat them like dirt because their young, eleven year old mind wasn't up to your standards right there and then?

Treating your child the way Arabella knew her family treated traitors, well, that had to be the definition of evil.

The girl let Madam Malkin to fit her for robes silently and allowing Narcissa to drag her all around Diagon Alley without so much of a sound. The sour look never left Arabella's face, not even when Narcissa brought her to the book store and insisted Arabella get whatever she wanted.

The mood had changed, Narcissa wasn't daft, but she ignored it and tried to fix it with her wealth, just like she did with the rest of her life.

When Narcissa and Arabella reunited with Draco and Lucius, the young boy immediately smirked at her darkening scowl, "Did mother lecture you?" He couldn't help but to laugh as she half-heartedly pushed him, "I expected you were in for it when you left. Do you wanna get some sweets to make up for it?"

Arabella had a feeling he was humoring her, but she could never turn down candies. Severus rarely allowed her to indulge in such things, despite having a secret stash of chocolate frogs in his office.

"So, what did she say to you?" Draco asked as the perused the candies and pastries, "You look like Severus when you glare like that"

"Of course I do, he's my father" She shrugged, trying to loosen the glare before speaking, "I can't believe you told her I asked Severus to let me go to Durmstrag instead"

"I thought if Severus allowed you to go, Mother would let me go too" Draco defended, inching away from his cousin before she could hit him again, "But that's not all she said, right?"

Arabella snatched a few pumpkin pasties and chocoballs before answering with a sigh, "She just wanted to remind me where I belong at Hogwarts"

Draco narrowed his blond brows. His mother adored Arabella just like she adored him, so he doubted that whatever his mother said could be that bad.

"You don't think it's wrong?" She asked, turning to him, "That I want to be a Ravenclaw instead of a Slytherin?"

Draco shrugged, "Whatever you want, as long as you're not a Gryffindor or a Hufflepuff"

"That doesn't leave me with many options, now does it?" Arabella scoffed, rolling her eyes, "You know what? Never mind, Draco, let's just pay and go back to the Manor"

 ~~~

As it turned out, not even the sweetest treats could lift Arabella's mood.

As they returned to the Malfoy Manor, her mood only further deteriorated. She politely declined Narcissa's offer for tea, and forgotten herself as she barely glanced at Lucius as she followed Draco up to her room.

Dobby, the poor house elf, was even subjected to Arabella's nasty glare. He scurried away, never being on the other end of Young Mistresses temper before.

"You're still mad" Draco pointed out as they entered his grand bedroom, "Do you want to talk about it?" He asked bluntly, aware that he was poking the beast.

"I'm fine"

She sounded so much like his mother, it actually startled him. "You look like you've eaten a rancid Berie Bott, and when Mother looks like that..." He trailed off with a shiver. Narcissa Malfoy was a woman with an unmatched temper. It must be a Black trait. Draco thought idly.

"I'm afraid" Arabella admitted, surprising herself with the truth, "I...I'm afraid of Hogwarts"

Draco hadn't known Arabella to be afraid of anything, not spiders, not heights, not even Severus on a bad day. "Why are you afraid?" He asked, suddenly looking ready to fight something on her behalf.

"Look at me, Draco" She gestured to herself, "You and I, Lucius and Narcissa, we all know that I'm not a Slytherin"

"That's ridiculous," Draco scoffed, "You're the most cunning person I know"

"That's not enough!" Arabella snapped, "No matter what Narcissa wants, no matter what I tell the hat, I won't be a Slytherin!"

Draco's eyes narrowed into slits, "You're not telling me something" 

"I don't want to be a Slytherin!" She said, throwing her hands up in exasperation, "Don't you get it? I don't want to be a Slytherin!"

Draco stared, surprised that Arabella had so freely admitted what they all thought.

"I don't understand" The girl cried, "How can a magical talking hat define who we are? No one is just brave, or smart, or cunning or loyal" She began to pace in front of Draco's poster bed, "A stupid, magic hat can't tell me who I am at this moment, and you purebloods treat something as foolish and trivial as disloyalty!" She turned on her cousin, flashing a gnarly sneer at him.

For a brief, the briefest moment, during her passionate speech, Draco almost agreed with her.

"Typical" Arabella spat, "Nothing to say because Daddy hasn't influenced it"

Draco puffed out his chest, glaring back at his cousin, "Just because Severus raised you, doesn't mean you know everything"

"I never assumed that I did!" Arabella argued, "But it's clear that your views are the wrong views"

Draco's scathing words went unspoken as Dobby appeared in the boy's bedroom, "I'm sorry to interrupt" The elf squeaked, speaking so quickly Arabella almost didn't understand him, "But Master as requested your presence in his office"

Arabella barked, "Fine" the same time Draco had snapped, "Leave"

Dobby never apparated so quickly in his life. Young Mistress never spoke to him like that; he didn't want her to be angry with him ever again.