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It was hard to co to my senses as if sothing was holding back.
"Dream spell. Powerful. I took so of it out on myself. It's hard to think," Rowena's thoughts echoed in my head. Because of the strange state of slumber and sleep paralysis, a phantom sensation of pain or sothing else went through my body now and then. But the headpats were absolutely clear, real. Sowhere in the back of my mind, I heard voices. Familiar voices.
"...decided to co," it was Delphine's voice. The aromas of fruit and wine crept into my consciousness along with it.
"You called, Fina," and that voice was familiar, too. Narcissa?
"I did. A month ago. Tardiness is permissible for a lady, but not like this..."
"I was busy."
No one said anything for a while, and the silence almost made float back into the darkness. I stayed afloat by the sll of other wine.
"What's Mr. Knight doing here?" said Narcissa again.
"Asking to be an apprentice."
"Lying on your lap?"
"Don't be a bitch, Cissy. It doesn't work on . Listen."
Silence.
"Is he purring?" the surprise in Narcissa's voice could be felt physically.
"Very similar. Too funny. I couldn't help myself."
"Very... Not according to etiquette. You're a married lady."
"Co on," Delphine replied friendly. "If I can communicate with soone without a convention, I will. And if I want to pet sothing so amusingly purring, I will."
Judging by her voice, Delphine was smiling, not stopping to stroke my head, sotis burrowing her fingers into my hair. Am I really purring?
"I guess. Very similar..."
"Do you ever dare to talk to him?"
There was only silence in response to Delphine.
"Cissy..."
"You don't understand. I don't rember. I don't rember anything about him at all. I'm far from a weak occluns, and I can reconstruct the last twenty-five years in seconds. There isn't a single blackout mont in those seconds. Max is not there. I definitely rember the diagnosis, I rember the birth, I rember Draco. Max isn't there."
"Snape?"
"What "Snape"?"
"I am not the one who should tell you that he owes his skill to the deep processing of the aconite potion. By combining a ntal ingredient with a potion. Although not certified, he is a master of occluncy and legilincy."
"I've already thought about it. I don't want to think that way about Lucius and Severus. There must be sothing left in this life..."
"Sothing bright and kind?"
"Yes."
"Not for us."
Another portion of silence was accompanied by the distinctive clinking of the glass - against each other.
"I recently saw Draco in, shall we say, a natural appearance."
"I'm shocked at him, Fina. Lucius's upbringing is terrible. Draco doesn't listen to at all."
"He needs to be brought under control imdiately. In his current state and outlook, he will lead the House to ruin. But it is not for to give advice on upbringing - I have problems with my daughters myself. But still, why don't you talk to Max? Sit down and discuss... Anything? What are mother and son talking about?"
"What for, Fina? Even if he does turn out to be my son, I don't rember him. I can't recover my mory. I wasn't in his life...ever. I'm just a stranger to him. What is it for?"
"Blood is not water, Cissy. And he needs an anchor — a powerful one. I've made inquiries, done a few investigations. He's so deep in a shell of occluncy that he's been losing himself for a long ti. He's almost faceless. When Max ca to talk about apprenticeship, he didn't do it for a purpose. He wanted to learn because he could. He had killed before, and he felt no remorse. Why did he do it? Because it suited his plans and because he could. No regrets, no tornt, no hesitation. He needs an anchor. He has no purpose, no aning. He does because he can and because it's what's best for him."
"Isn't there anyone to act as an anchor?"
"There is a girl. A muggle-born."
"Pff."
"Don't play neglect, Cissi. You've never fooled yet. You don't despise or hate them. You don't care. The girl doesn't want to get close yet. And Max ALREADY does not care. A year, two, three? How long will it take him to beco like a golem?"
"And what do you want from ?"
"I was at his family's house, looked up mories of his foster parents and neighbors. He was a cheerful, talented, and hardworking boy, but also serious. Enjoyed all kinds of little things and his first underage magic, thinking no one could see him. Happily explored everything around him. But now he walks over corpses, disregarding his sense of self-preservation, conducting master-level rituals. I want to make sure that this talented boy does not turn into another Dark Lord. One beca obsessed with ideas, the other beca a psycho killer. How soon will the mont co when Max becos like this? When, in order to make everyone happy, will he decide to destroy all the discontented, or sothing else?"
Another silence nearly sent into darkness again, but the clinking of glasses, the sll of wine, and the hand that occasionally buried itself in the hair on my head - it kept afloat.
"I can't deal with an ordinary naughty teenager ... What do you suggest?"
"I don't know... Cissy... I don't know..."
The sounds grew farther and farther away, and the darkness squeezed its arms tighter and tighter.
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