She who walks in Darkness

“Where are you?” her voice clear and sweet broke the silence of the room, the chatter of the House Elves having subsided upon the sound of their Master’s voice. “Who are you?”

“All in good time my child” the deep voice laughed, “I am here, I have always been here but I wish to give you time to acclimatise. The circumstances of your previous life, your friendships and your loyalties are not ones that I would have wished for you, they will make this transition all the more difficult for us both.”

“But I have questions for you, things I need to know! Who are you? Who am I? What happens next? Am I staying here? Will I continue to be alone?” she pushed on, words tumbling out of her mouth as it struggled to keep up with her brain.

His laughter filled the room as he took her in, her inquisitive nature reminding him of his youth whilst her beauty, even more outstanding than he could have imagined, a reflection of his lost love, of his Persephone.

“I cannot answer the question to who I am and therefore to who you are, I am sure that with your great mind you will in time work it out but I want you to take that time to form your own opinions and conclusions. I know that you will not like some of the answers you discover and therefore I want you to give me a chance to show you your life and mine, hiding in the darkness will keep your conclusions from forming too quickly and judging too harshly.”

She opened her mouth to speak again but he cut across her. “So full of questions! You remind me of myself as a child, knowledge is power my love and that it what I craved so never be afraid to ask questions. I have watched you grow, seen your schooling achievements and have always been proud. Some of your teachers and peers have kept me informed of your extracurricular activities shall we say. Whilst I cannot pretend to always approve, your courage and skill continues to amaze me.”

She blushed, her mouth opening and closing, wanting to ask who these informants had been but he continued on.

“You will not remain alone here, your Godparents, loyal and dear friends of your Mother’s will be joining you, bringing their own children so that you will have company of your own age. All I ask is that you do not judge them too harshly, their actions in the past may have seemed cruel but there are reasons behind them, hear them out. I am aware that your school has extended an invitation for all students of your year to return to complete your studies. Your attendance would greatly please me although if this is not palatable to you, you may remain here and receive separate tuition. Give it some thought, there are several weeks remaining before students are expected to return to school, the children of your Godparents will be returning I am sure, perhaps when friendships are formed you would like to return with them. Now, I suggest you continue to explore the mansion, your sleeping quarters will be found up the first flight of stairs within the West Wing. Your Godparents will now be aware of your return, you can expect them at first light one day from now. Do not try to seek me out, you shall not find me.”

“But when will I speak to you again?” The question burst out before she could stop it, her hands covering her mouth as if fearing retribution.

“You need only speak my child, I will always hear.” The voice was softer now, gentler, the warmth of a smile shining through it. And with that, he was gone.

Thea sat down heavily on the wooden bench adjacent to the table, giving her mind opportunity to absorb the conversation she had just had, the first, she realised, with her father. Seeds of doubt had already begun to form in her mind at her refusal to give his identity but she pushed them away. She had already acknowledged he was shrouded in darkness, would have been an enemy previously, but her mind was not gripped with fear or disgust as it perhaps should have been. Thinking back to her earlier musings on the current similarities between the light and dark she resolved to set aside previous convictions. It was easy to hate without reason but if reason was provided then would she know what to do with herself? No, it was easier to start again, to listening to any reasoning presented to her and form her own opinions. She couldn’t afford to lose the father she had only just found due to preconceived notions, blindly following the path that she had been led upon, not necessarily the one she would have chosen herself.