Arabella Black, The Daughter Of Padfoot (Redux)

Chapter 10

The Malfoy's weren't the type of people who did housework for themselves.

Of course, Arabella thought the abuse of house elves was horrid. Severus never owned a house elf, something Arabella was thankful for, but the Malfoy's owned many.

"Why don't you let the house elves do that for you?" Draco whined, watching his cousin navigate the kitchen with ease, "Shouldn't you be resting?"

"I can't sit still" Arabella shrugged, "Would you like some tea, Aunt Narcissa?" She tested.

The older woman shook her head, tight-lipped as she watched Arabella prepare her tea. That's when the young girl knew something was wrong. Narcissa had never missed a chance to scold Arabella for her benevolent behavior.

That funny feeling that told Arabella something was wrong constricted tightly. Lucius hadn't shown his face and Narcissa was acting stranger than usual, of course it could have been because of guilt but...

"Does your head still hurt much?" Draco inquired, munching on a biscuit at the table.

"No" Arabella shook her head with a large grin, "Why?" She asked, adopting a teasing tone, "Where you worried about me?"

"You fell down the stairs, of course I was!" Draco exclaimed, scowling back at her.

Arabella giggled, "Poor whittle Dwaco was worried about me? D'aww"

"See if I ever do again" Draco muttered, crossing his arms indignantly as Arabella continued to laugh at him.

Narcissa smiled softly at the playful teasing. She could only hope that they would always look at each other like siblings.

A loud explosion echoed through the silent halls of the Manor, spreading a harmless mist in the den as Severus stepped out of the fireplace.

"Oh boy," Arabella muttered under her breath, "Here we go"

Here we go indeed. Narcissa thought as Severus rounded the corner into the kitchen.

"You had an accident?" Severus glared down at Arabella down in lieu of greeting.

"Oh, hello Severus" Arabella grinned up at him, tone laced with sarcasm, "I had a good day today, thank you. How are you, good? Well, I'm feeling swell, thank you for asking"

"She fell down the stairs" Narcissa explained before Severus could respond with snark of his own, "Thankfully Lucius caught her before she hurt herself"

Severus glared Arabella down but didn't see any obvious injuries, "How lucky" He drawled to Narcissa, "Give your husband my thanks" He turned back to his daughter, "Come, collect your things and we'll go home"

Arabella groaned, "But my tea" She glanced over her shoulder, longing at the tea kettle.

"I may make myself that cup of tea, Arabella, don't worry" Narcissa carefully pressed a kissed to the girl's forehead, "Go home and rest, pretty girl"

Going home sounded perfect, now that Narcissa mentioned it. Arabella's childish face lit up with a bright smile as she looked up to her dad, "I can't wait to show you my wand, it's wicked!"

 ~~~

Arabella's owl hooted excitedly as it plucked the treat from Severus's fingers, nearly nipping him in the process.

"She's a little spirited" Arabella mentioned sheepishly, keeping her hands far away from the owl, "But she's beautiful, isn't she?"

"Quite" Severus agreed, closing the gilded cage, "Did you put away your things?"

Arabella eagerly nodded, "I'm all packed for Hogwarts" She promised, admiring her pet, "I think I'm going to name her Altair" She said, "It's Arabian for the Flyer and the Bird"

Severus rolled his eyes, a fond gesture towards her, "That's very literally, Arabella"

"It's clever" Arabella corrected with a grin.

His lip twitched, "Only if other people understand it"

"Well not everybody can be as smart as us. I don't blame them for it" Arabella quipped, delighted at the amused smirk that rose on Severus's face, "Can I show you my wand now?"

Severus considered making her wait just for his own amusement but, it looked like his daughter was about to exploded with anticipation. "Fine" He agreed, "Show it to me"

Arabella reached for the box on the kitchen table and brought it to Severus.

"Ollivander said it's from a special Ash tree from Viking times that used to heal people!" Arabella spoke quickly with excitement, opening the box for Severus, "And it's a unicorn core! It almost impaled Ollivander with its horn"

Severus peered at it. It was a rather plain wand but it certainly fit Arabella; not easily stayed, stubborn, and never arrogant. And the core was a good sign; owners of a unicorn core weren't so easily turned to the Dark Arts.

"It's quite the wand" Severus complimented, watching his daughter beam at his enthusiasm, "I can't wait to see what you do with it"

"Well, there's more actually"

Severus raised a thick brow, "Oh?"

"Ollivander said he foresaw a dangerous path, and when we left the shop I heard him muttering about an exact twin or something"

Severus tensed, but Arabella didn't see it under his cool demeanor.

"He wouldn't say much else when I asked him, it was very peculiar" Arabella closed the box, "I wonder what he was talking about. Do you think there's somebody out there with a wand just like mine? I thought no two wands were the same"

"Ollivander sells thousands of wands, not just to children. Perhaps if Ollivander wouldn't tell you, then it's best to leave it alone for now" Severus warned, "I'll see what I can do, but don't get too ahead of yourself, understand?"

Arabella knew that there had to be an answer out there somewhere, in some book or tome. But she nodded, "Understood" She promised, grinning, "I have other things to do anyways. Hogwarts is waiting!"

"Hogwarts is waiting" Severus agreed.

Arabella lifted the owl cage, careful not to jostle her new friend, "I'm going to show her my room. Would you like help with dinner?"

"You may go" Severus allowed, "And please be careful"

Arabella made a quick exit. Severus listened as Arabella talked to the owl, telling it how excited she was to have a pet before closing her bedroom door.

The Professor gingerly picked up Arabella's wand and examined the cravings on the handle. To the unknowing, they were just ordinary decoration on a rather bland wand but, Professor Snape knew better.

She could be the one Trelawney spoke about but she's too young, Severus thought to himself, it's almost impossible. He brought the wand with him up to his office, scouring through his books before coming across the one he kept far out of Arabella's reach, hiding in between two wizard history books.

The golden letters stood out against the black book, reading Fantastic Beasts and Where to Find Them; Soul Bonds.

If this is true, it's a roadblock in our plans. I must alert Dumbledore at once. We must not let Arabella know, not until we find the other half.