Dark Secrets: Revelations

[Lapis Lazuli]

After sending the letter to her mother, Lapis still had one missive to post. She would have preferred to speak to Katie in person, but there hadn't been a chance to do it, and . . . Lapis hated to admit it, but she was still scared of Cassandra. And after the secret was out, Katie probably would be too. Sighing heavily, Lapis gave the mission to a nearby owl.

Dear Katie,

I know this will come as a shock, but I just have to tell you. Please, please, do not let your aunt read this letter.

I have some information concerning the death of your parents. I ended up eavesdropping when Cassandra came to our house (you know she's a friend of my mother's). She told mother that she murdered your parents- her own sister- out of her own greed. I'm sorry about this, but there's no way to say it nicely.

Your friend, Lapis.

Lapis had thought long and hard about what to put beside her signature. Even now, she wasn't sure that your friend was appropriate. Would Katie still think of her as a friend, after that? Lapis hoped so, but she wondered long after the owl was out of sight.

 

[Katie Swan]

Katie was lying on her bed when she heard the owl tap on her bedroom window. She was grounded and she didn't have the energy to sneak out. It's not like she could go and see Lapis, she was at Hogwarts now. Sighing she sat up and untied the letter attached to the owl. Unrolling it she began to read...

Dear Katie,

I know this will come as a shock, but I just have to tell you. Please, please, do not let your aunt read this letter.

I have some information concerning the death of your parents. I ended up eavesdropping when Cassandra came to our house (you know she's a friend of my mother's). She told mother that she murdered your parents- her own sister- out of her own greed. I'm sorry about this, but there's no way to say it nicely.

Your friend, Lapis.

Katie froze, 'was this true?!' she thought and she dropped the letter to the floor before she grabbed a peice of paper from her desk and scribbled a note back to Lapis

Dear Lapis...
What?!
You're kidding HOW?! WHAT?! WHY?! I know these are stupid questions...
I don't know what to say!
Thanks for telling me... at least I have some closure,

Love Katie

Ps. There is no way I will let HER get the letter...

Tying the letter on the owl she felt the tears begin to drip down her face, and there was nothing to do to stop them. She knew the letter was brief and messily written but she wasn't in the mood. Picking up the letter she threw herself back on to the bed and she began to howl into her pillow.

 

[Lapis Lazuli]

Lapis was shocked to see the state of Katie's letter. She had guessed the younger girl would be upset, but could never have forseen that it would result in this tear-blotched scribble. Feeling some anxiety about how to phrase her reply, Lapis hastily penned her own letter in return. Despite the crowded state of the common room, she made sure no-one saw what she was writing.

Dear Katie,

It's very complicated and hard to explain. I'm not even sure that I heard all of the conversation, but this is what I did find out.

Cassandra told my mother that she had been approached by Death eaters and asked to kill your parents. I didn't understand why, but she said that they had offered her various things that she would want, and then not followed through when the deed was done. She was most irritated to get landed with you instead of the riches she'd been promised . . . I guess that goes some way towards explaining why she hates you so much. That's all I got that related to Cassandra. The other stuff I overheard . . .

Lapis.

Lapis could not bear to finish her final sentence. It was still too horrible to think about. She could barely believe what her mother had done, although technically it was no worse than Cassandra. Perhaps this was why Katie was so hysterical. Despite how calm her letter sounded, Lapis herself was (obviously) far from calm. The tears in her deep blue eyes magnified them out of proportion as she tied the letter to the owl's leg and send the bird away again.

 

[Katie Swan]

Katie was hugging her knees on her bed. Silent sobs rumbling through her as she waited for Lapis's reply. Although not wanting to hear anymore she was impatient to get the letter.
The owl fluttered gently through her open window and landed beside her, her shaking fingers stumbled as she untied the letter and she began to read.

Unabled to comprehend what Lapis had just written she reread the letter through again and again trying to make more sense of what was written in front of her. Her tears smudged the words and she folded the letter back up before she picked up another piece of paper and quickly writing a reply.

Dear Lapis

I don't know what to say! I didn't NEVER thought she was capable of murder! I new knew that she was evil but i didn't think she could do that to me! I mean, she HATES me! Shes never liked me she says it all the time! Why did she risk getting landed with me if she hates me so?!
Sorry, I'm just SO frustrated and I have to let it out!
Why? What is with the hanging sentence? What's happening?? What other stuff??!! Please tell me!

Love your best friend
Katie xx

She finished the letter her eyes now dry, she couldn't cry anymore. Now she had to wonder if she was going to confront her Aunt of what she had done.

Sorry about my reply its hard being 7 again

 

[Lapis Lazuli]

Several months passed before Lapis replied to Katie's letter. She had filed it carefully, kept it in a safe place, but she couldn't bring herself to answer until now. Now, Lapis had recovered enough from the shock of the scene she had overheard to be capable of writing about it. And now, there was something else, almost as important, that she had to tell Katie.

Dear Katie,

I'm sorry I didn't tell you the rest of what I heard, but I was too shocked by it to even consider putting it down in words. Mother told Cassandra that she killed my Father. Apparently he, as a Death Eater, wanted to pull out, or something, and Mum really wanted to join them so-

Now she has joined the Death Eaters and he's haunting her and I don't know what to do.

Also, WE'RE RELATED!!! The last letter I got from Mum said she's discovered that she and Cassandra are cousins. By extension, that means we're, um, second cousins? I figured SHE wouldn't tell you, so I thought I would instead. Enclosed is a copy of the family tree, so you can see for yourself.

Love Lapis.

Lapis wept as she wrote the letter, out of melancholy, joy, and frustration all at once. She still couldn't quite believe the events of that night, but just recently her father Lorenzo had appeared in ghostly form and assured her of the truth in every word. The family tree she had painstakingly copied out from the original Esmerelda had sent her; that one she wanted to keep.