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     "GREETINGS, MY LORD", VICTORIA CURTSIED. the girl's erratic heartbeat seemed to be the only sound she could hear over her shaky breathing.

     voldemort chuckled as he turned around, observing the painting that was hung in the office victoria usually worked in over the summer when school had ended.

     "it's been a while hasn't it? I've missed you victoria. studying in france was it? how was it?"

     "it was enlightening, my lord. though I much prefer hogwarts", victoria stoically answered.

     "I see...and how are your studies?", voldemort questioned as he picked up the albino peacock quill that was placed on the girl's desk.

     "very well my lord. I have managed to place first in my class, and have received all 12 o.w.l.s", victoria informed, not even trying to brag in the slightest.

     "very well", voldemort praised, slowly clapping.

     "I'm flattered, my lord".

     "but I assume you heard what had happened at the hall of prophecy..."

     "of course my lord. it was indeed unfortunate that you had to personally arrive there and solve the issue at hand—"

"lucius has failed me, and I intend to come up with a fitting punishment for the entire malfoy family. what do you suggest?", voldemort interrupted, clearly not interested in victoria's little pity speech.

victoria silently gulped as she breathed in, finding it quite hard to do so, as she wasn't sure what to offer, or what the man had wanted to hear.

     voldemort glanced up.

     "oh, what's this? you're awfully quiet victoria. usually you or bellatrix would be the first to suggest what I should do. even I think it's sometimes too cruel", the man lowly laughed, clearly contradicting his statement.

     "I-I think that perhaps the malfoys deserve another chance. after all, lucius is already in azkaban, and—"

     "you favor the boy", voldemort once again interrupted.

     "I...I...."

     "is it true? tell me, victoria".

     "not at all my lord. the boy's merely a play toy to me", the girl immediately answered, not exactly sure how the man would react.

     "oh victoria! I am gravely disappointed", voldemort dramatically sighed as he clearly saw through the girl's lie.

     even though victoria had no qualms standing up against those who dare defy her, she knew where she stood when she was up against great wizards, whether it be dumbledore or voldemort.

     "I'm sorry, my lor—"

     "SORRY?! are you?", voldemort questioned, making victoria's lips dry.

     "you know...the first time I met you as a baby, I knew you were different like me. wizards like us don't need something as frivolous as love. you remind me of when I was younger, ambitious and determined. put it to good use, you understand don't you?", voldemort coaxed.

     victoria robotically nodded as she knew it was all a part of the dark lord's manipulation.

     for the girl was the same exact way.

     "great, now that we've established your potential, I was thinking...perhaps giving the malfoy boy a special task?"

     victoria just silently listened and occasionally nodded in agreement as the dark lord paced around the girl's office, brainstorming.

     "I've got it! murder dumbledore", voldemort grinned as victoria felt her entire being freeze.

"m-my lord, perhaps you could consider another punishment? I know lucius has made a dire mistake, but draco can't kill him! dumbledore's one of the greatest wizards of all times. he can't be taken down by a boy who's not even finished with his educa—"

"are you defying me, victoria?", voldemort inquired, lowering his tone.

"I-of course not my lord. it's just, perhaps you'd ought to give the task to someone...someone more experienced", victoria tried to bargain.

     "like you?"

     victoria felt her hands freeze, as her entire body went stiff. the girl did not know what had prompted her to say what she was about to say next, but her internal instincts was to keep draco out of it.

     "indeed my lord. I believe I am more capable than draco. in fact, I am positive I can successfully kill...dumbledore", victoria somewhat confidently said.

the girl had done many uncanny things in her short life. from simply manipulating people to get what she wanted to torturing them if they were not persuaded, victoria has done it all.

however, murder was never something the girl had done, as voldemort had always ordered the other death eaters to handle it.

"well, if you say so...but do remember my words victoria. I won't allow one of my most prized death eaters to be punished because they claimed themselves that they would complete a task...and fail", voldemort warned.

"I will not disappoint my lord", victoria confirmed as voldemort hastily apparated out the noir mansion.

victoria sighed a breath of relief as she fell to her knees, clutching her chest, trying to calm her pounding heart.

"m-miss?", pixie meekly whimpered as she creaked open the door.

"pixie, get me some parchment and my quill", victoria immediately commanded, to which the elf had hastily grabbed the said items off the girl's desk.

"get ollie. I need a letter delivered", victoria barely said above a whisper as the elf quickly ran off.

victoria then laid the parchment flat on the stone ground as she started writing, needing to grip her right hand as it was terribly shaking.

the girl's lip started bleeding with how hard she was biting. she contained her pathetic tears as she watched pixie arrive with the owl that was in it's cage.

     unlocking the mini door, victoria tied the neatly scrolled up note as she stumbled up and opened the window.

     "malfoy manor", the girl mumbled as she kissed the top of ollie's head, letting the owl fly off.

"miss...are you okay? would you like some herbal tea?", pixie asked, standing beside her master.

victoria just shook her head. "could you...get me a carriage? I need to visit somewhere".

     "of course miss".

     pixie once again hurried off as victoria leaned against the window, running her hand through her entangled locks.

     "hate me...darling..."

•♛•

     draco smiled as he dropped his book on his bed, witnessing victoria's owl that had perched on top of his windowsill.

     "thanks ollie", the boy said as he watched the owl fly off.

     after his father had entered azkaban, he had been feeling quite down. but now that his lovely girlfriend had decided to contact him, he was quite elated.

     'dear draco,

     I have wrote to inform you that due to your father's imprisonment, I no longer need you, as you are of no value to me.

please do not owl me back or speak to me in school unless it's absolutely necessary.

     to me, you were nothing more than just a game. a game in which I had clearly won. don't think we actually had something worthwhile, as it was quite troubling for me at times to keep up with your pathetic attempts at trying to keep me committed.

     forget me and burn all the memories.

     victoria m. noir'

     draco immediately crumbled up the paper as he threw it in the burning flames, resulting it to mere ashes.

     the boy aggressively pulled his chair away from his desk as he sat down and started to quickly write a letter in response, only to midway witness his tears drop onto the parchment.

     draco ran his hands through his gelled hair as he had successfully ruined his strong and intimidating image. the boy silently cried as he wiped everything off his desk out of anger.

     "shit! why...why..."

draco felt even more broken and dismantled than when he had first heard his father was captured. yet nothing could compare to the burning pain in his heart now.

"victoria..."

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