The Many Lies of Elaine

[Delani Frost]

Delani walked around The Ramblings, not able to settle herself to do one thing at a time. For once the house was empty, except for nine-year-old Charlotte and her cousin Laci. Delani smiled as she watched the two girls run around the fields, flapping their arms like wings. Delani loved to watch her family play, there was something about childhood innocence that made Delani want to watch.

The two girls disappeared from view, and Delani walked into Natasha's room. She hadn't been here for a while, and she was surprised that there wasn't any enchanted water on the floor. It didn't look like underwater now, it looked like a garden. Delani guessed Maisie would have done it, her sister had always been good at that sort of thing.

Delani crossed the hall and went into Charlotte's room. She frowned and paused at the doorway. Maisie was the only remaining Frost sister, apart from Delani. The eldest of the Frosts, the ex-Ravenclaw had completely ignored Delani at Angela's funeral. Just a year younger than Delani, Angela had been in Gryffindor during her time at Hogwarts. Her youngest sister, Madeline had died a year ago. Maddy, the sweet, kind Hufflepuff. Why she had dropped out of Hogwarts and moved to France was still a mystery to Delani.

Del herself, or Ellie as she had been known then, had been a Slytherin. Elaine had never been the stereotype Slytherin, most of her friends had been Hufflepuffs after all. But her best friend, Rose had been a Slytherin like herself. Delani missed Rosie, but they couldn't keep contact without looking suspicious.

After all, if anyone else found out that Delani was really Elaine, terrible things would happen. Delani walked down the two flights of stairs to the kitchen. Delani sighed as she looked at the breakfast dishes that Charlotte and Laci had left on the bench. She filled the sink with water and soap, and began to wash them. She could have used magic, but she wanted something to occupy herself.

 

[Adelaide Garnier]

Adelaide walked through the open front door of The Ramblings. "Huh, empty for once." she smirked. She walked into the kitchen, and looked at Delani. "Hello mother!" she said, grinning. Ever since she had found out Delani was her mother, she had taken to teasing her about it.

"I found out one of your secrets, Del! Addy sung, prancing around the kitchen and poking out her tongue at Delani like a little kid. Adelaide often acted like a child, it was probably something to do with the cheering charms that her cousins kept putting on her.

 

[Delani Frost]

Delani looked up from the dishes and rolled her eyes. "Hey Addy." she said. She put away the dishes and looked at Adelaide oddly. "Cheering charms." she mused, chuckling to herself. "I found out one of your secrets, Del!" Addy said. "What secret?" Delani whirled around and glared at Adelaide. It couldn't be... no, surely not. It was impossible for Addy to find out that she was Elaine!

 

[Adelaide Garnier]

Adelaide stopped prancing around the kitchen, but continued to grin like an idiot. After a few seconds she collected herself, but couldn't stop feeling extremely happy. I am so going to get them. she thought darkly. 'Them' were three of her over-age cousins who thought it amusing to jinx Adelaide.

It wasn't a secret in The Ramblings, that Adelaide had wanted to join the Death Eaters. It seemed so long ago, when Adelaide had been 'evil'. Now she was just hiding out in Delani's big house in New Zealand. Her sister would never find her here.

"I know who you are!" she suddenly blurted. Great, just how she wanted to tell Delani that she knew everything. Not. "When are you going to tell the triplets, Elaine?" Addy said smoothly, her voice a hint of what it had been a year ago.