Once again I really want to thank you all for reading this, it truly makes me feel great.

iopgod: That's the way yes!

Brian1972: being adopted without any issues indeed is terribly overdone. I won't go into a lot of detail, but keep in mind that these people destroyed their son's mind for being a squib, and closely related families permantently broke contact with relatives who married the 'wrong' people.

JuliSt: Thank you. I try to go for slightly realistic portrayals , and Moody was supposed to be utterly paranoid at this stage. Yaxley will come up a little more in this update.

Uchiha Aimee: Thank you very much. I try to avoid some of the common pitfalls, but will probably find a few more along the way that I walk right into.

Tirion I: She indeed would do well to hide some things, but the issue, as always, is that strong feelings are hard to hide.

Chapter 19: Windermere

Rainbow feels her heart racing when she is taken to Yaxley's office. All of her things have been returned to her bag, but none of them matter. What matters is the little parchment that she hasn't hidden. She should have never taken it, or if she had, she should have burned it. Now it only leads to suffering. With a wand things would have been easier, she would have fought, but that's not an option now.

The Death Eater closes the door behind himself, before turning to the girl. "Where did you find this?"

Rainbow avoids his eyes, replying softly: "With my father's things. The things that he had as a little boy. When they found him."

"And what did it read?"

She isn't stupid, and knows what he's actually asking. "Just his first name, and his birthday. I thought that it looked like there should be something more, and suddenly it appeared."

"Did you show or tell anyone?", he asks in a harsh tone.

"No. I didn't. I didn't know how to say it."

"Name?"

"Rainbow Star."

For a few moments he thinks, before sneering: "Who is your mother?"

"Ashley. She's an artist."

"She's a muggle.", it's a statement and a question in one. One that she fears to answer, but must.

"She is.", she almost whispers it, fearing the reaction.

"Mudblood.", He mutters, showing a twitch in his face. "How did you come here?"

"The police came to destroy our house. They arrested everyone, but I escaped. I fled to London, because it should be easy to hide there. And then I saw some very strange people entering a pub. I followed them, and found a street, and went there. And then they arrested me."

"Go to the corner and stay there. And don't make a sound until I tell you to."

XxXxX

Rainbow doesn't know how long she has been waiting, all that she has been doing is thinking, trying to drive her fear away. Trying, and failing. She heard him, she knows what he thinks, and she has an awful suspicion of what he's doing. He sent a few owls, but that's not it. He's waiting, until it's late and he can take her away without anyone seeing them. And then he'll take her to a secluded place, and murder her. All she can do is preparing herself, to murder him first.

That's one of the lessons she has drawn from the war. Capturing did nothing, and now there is even less she can do. No, if she wants to hurt the enemy, she has to do it, even if she doesn't want to.

An owl arrives, the first arriving one, and Yaxley eagerly takes the short letter, tearing the envelope before looking at it. He stands up, looking at Rainbow: "Come."

She obeys, standing up. Immediately she feels dizzy, and blackness pushes on her eyes. She sways, feeling the world disconnect. Only a voice comes through: "I said come."

Rainbow breathes deeply. She can't have this happen now. She's sick, and struggles against unconsciousness. She hears something vague, but understanding is difficult.

Slowly, she regains control, first her breathing, and then the rest. She opens her eyes a little, sound and light return to the world, and she understands: "...ong with you?"

"Sorry", she mutters "I, I haven't eaten all day."

"Come. Now."

He doesn't extend a hand. Of course not, he would never touch someone like her. But she obeys, following him. Under her clothes she can feel her wand pressing against her skin. It's not comfortable, but she needs it. It's better to be uncomfortable than to be dead.

The ministry is empty by now, but Rainbow still has to watch her feet, she doesn't want to step into the filth. They walk to one of the chimneys, and he takes her hand. "Do exactly as I tell you. Don't speak unless spoken to. And show respect."

He then steps into the fire, taking her: "Windermere End!"

XxXxX

Rainbow looks around a large hallway lined with portraits. A house elf, a miserable creature wearing only a loincloth made out of an old handkerchief bows deeply: "Master Corban, the master and the mistress await you in the drawing room."

Yaxley ignores the elf, commanding her: "Follow me."

The house elf gives her a dirty look as she walks by, giving her the feeling that he hates her. She assumes that it's because she is dirty, and the poor creature has to clean it all up. She feels sorry for him, but can't focus on it. Something awaits her.

The girl struggles to keep pace with the wizard. Normally she would pay more attention to her surroundings, but now she only thinks. Master and mistress? Perhaps Yaxley's sibling and their spouse? The more sensible idea strikes her. His parents. Who could, when she looks at Yaxley's age, easily be her grandparents.

She swallows when she enters a drawing room with the Death Eater, seeing an elderly couple sitting in deep leather chairs. Both remind her of Neil, confirming her suspicions.

The woman looks at her with cold eyes: "This is the child?"

"Yes mother.", Yaxley replies, "This is the child."

"It had the parchment?", The loathing in her voice is obvious.

He steps forwards, giving it to her. After a glance she lets it fall to the ground. "Hmf! It looks real. And it's Andrew's hand."

She turns to the elderly man who has so far remained silent: "I told you that we should have put him out of his misery. Now look at the mess! In our house no less."

"He was our flesh and blood. You can't kill that!"

"You can if it brings shame to the family. I let you convince me, that the signs could come later. But no.", She glares at Rainbow again: "Or is he a wizard?"

"No madam.", She replies politely, not wanting to draw more bile and hatred.

"And your mother?"

"No madam."

A deadly silence drops, broken after a few moments by Andrew, the old man: "What's your name?"

"Rainbow, Sir, my first name is Rainbow, my last is Star."

"So that's the name they gave Neil?"

"No Sir, his last name isn't Star."

"Then your parents aren't married?", He asks kindly. Or rather, not as unkindly as her grandmother.

"Yes, they don't believe in marriage.", She states, feeling judged. The desire to defend her family is hard to suppress.

"Hmpf!", Her grandmother sniffs, "Filthy muggles."

"Is it true that they're in prison?", Andrew asks.

"Yes. They arrested them this morning. Sir."

"And you?"

"I escaped. I, ehm I made the lock open, and ran away and went to London."

"You made the lock open?", He continues.

"Yes. I wanted it to open, and it did. That often happens when I want it to. But I have to really want it.", Rainbow replies, feeling proud of what she achieved while an idea strikes her. For now she however stays silent, waiting for her opportunity.

Unfortunately she doesn't know what she can do magically, so that remains a last resort.

"But you didn't escape the aurors.", Grandmother states.

"I would have, if there wasn't a monstrously huge man in the way.", Rainbow becomes defensive, she can't seem useless or stupid.

For a moment, the elderly couple lock their eyes, and Andrew claps his hands. A moment later an elf appears. She looks a lot like the other one, but younger. It's still an obviously unpleasant creature. That doesn't surprise Rainbow, the misery of such a cruel kind of slavery would make nearly everyone like that.

"Dilly.", He commands, "Bring this girl to the guestroom. Wash her, and lock her in."

The elf bows deeply: "Yes master! Dilly is happy to serve."

"No!", The woman interrupts, "It can sleep in the basement."

"Yes mistress!", She can hear the glee in Dilly's voice.

Rainbow feels her stomach again, and asks softly: "Could I also get something to eat? I haven't had anything at all today."

"Give her the leftovers.", Andrew commands in response. "I won't have her starve here."

The elf takes her hand, and with more strength than one would expect from such a little creature, drags her away, forcing Rainbow to almost run to keep the pace. Nails push into her hand, but she doesn't show her pain. She won't let anyone take joy from her suffering.

They go through the hallway, where Rainbow sees and hears the portraits sneer at her. She wants to burn down the whole house, with everyone in it. That would at least be satisfying. Behind her she can hear raised voices, but it's impossible to make out what they are saying.

Dilly practically pushes her down the stairs, into the barely-lit basement. Unlike most, it is free of dust, and actually looks clean, although everything looks old and bent. It's clearly not meant to be seen. She can walk normally, but it's all too clear that many adults couldn't walk upright. The ground feels cold to her feet, but perhaps she can find a way to escape, she can't stay here, with these terrible people. They'll murder her.

There are several heavy wooden doors, and Dilly opens one, which surprisingly doesn't creak. It reveals a small room, mostly filled with cut wood, for a fireplace, Rainbow concludes. The room is much warmer than the hallway, which she concludes must be the effect of some sort of magic, probably to properly dry the wood. There however is no light in the room.

"Go inside.", the elf pushes her, and the girl does as she is told. The heavy door closes behind her, leaving her in the darkness. She hears the sound of a key turning, and knows that she's trapped. But what does it matter? She was trapped anyways, and if necessary, she can try to fight her way out. At least they underestimate her. And they don't know her yew secret. She remembers the command to wash her, and takes out her wand, quickly shoving it into her bag which she puts on the ground.

Rainbow sits down, giving her feet some rest while she tries to think about her options. She can go back to the muggle world, but they would probably take her away from her family. That's what Shirley always warned her about, and it's all too likely. Their methods wouldn't be liked by the authorities. And that in turn would mean being sent to a home, with others. She would be forced to go to school, and to waste most of her time on things that don't matter at all. She can't afford that.

She considers just running away, trying to survive on her own. She knows that there are some things that she can do, but she would have to live somehow, and would have to do things that she can't in order to do so. Magic can do many things, but that doesn't include making food. And without food she can't do anything. And then there is the underage magic thing, they would catch her all too easily.

Another idea strikes her, but she knows that it's silly: Going to her real parents, with Hermione. She can't force herself onto those people, they don't deserve all the issues. And again, she would have to go to school, something that she wants to avoid.

That leaves one more option. Staying here. But that too is difficult. She doesn't know what it would be like, and has plenty of reason to suspect that it won't even be possible. No, they'll come to kill her, and that means that she has to stick to her original plan. It won't be easy, but perhaps she could manage to steal some things when she leaves, she knows that she wouldn't feel bad about that.