Written for Hogwarts School of Witchcraft & Wizardry (Challenges & Assignments), Ancient Runes.

Task 1: A light in the darkness. You can interpret that however you'd like, but it must be clear in the story.

Prompts: (Color) Yellow and (Word) Protection

Word count: 2,511

Beta(s): 3cheersforidiots and octocelot

Even though the dementors had been gone for many years, there was a chill that would always run down Teddy Lupin's spine whenever he came to visit Azkaban. It was as if the presences of the condemned and tortured were still lingering there. That alone was enough to stop anybody else from coming to the prison, but Teddy wasn't the kind of person to leave someone behind, even if that person was the daughter of the darkest witch and wizard to ever exist. Even though she had planned to take over the world and had killed a boy from the past, there was something about her that bugged Teddy.

The guard beside him was stern and quiet, not much a conversationalist as it seemed, which was fine with Teddy. He wanted to be alone with his thoughts anyway. The first he came was when he'd refused to let his grandmother see her alone when it had turned out that Delphini Riddle was the daughter of Bellatrix Lestrange and Lord Voldemort. The first visit was memorable for him, which is why he came back. When the guard had let them in her cell, he saw that she was chained to the post of the bed—or what was supposed to be a bed. Delphini's hair was a silvery blond with blue tips, but at the roots, it was black, making Teddy believe that it had been dyed. When she looked up, Teddy noted that her eyes were pale blue, hardened with anger.

"Well, well, if it isn't my traitorous relatives," Delphini sneered.

"I wouldn't talk about blood traitors if I were you, girl," Andromeda sighed, looking down at the girl.

Delphini pushed herself up and leaned against the wall behind her. Her blue eyes narrowed before looking away for a moment. She then slowly shook her head and turned back to Andromeda and Teddy, flashing a rather disturbing smile before chuckling.

"Oh, I know that I'm a halfblood. My father's mother was foolish enough to fall in love with such a disgusting creature," Delphini said, the disgust and shame evident in her voice.

She stopped chuckling and looked at the elder woman. "Just like you, Andromeda."

She spat the name with such hatred that Andromeda had to stop Teddy from advancing on her. Delphini turned towards him and looked at him. Teddy had no doubt that it was because his hair wasn't its typical blue, but a fiery red. She looked into his eyes, and her smile widened as she stretched out her legs, tilting her head slightly.

"Teddy Lupin, eh? You know, believe or not, we're more alike than you think."

Teddy was already shaking his head, anger coursing through his veins. "You're wrong! You're evil and-"

"Oh, save the self-righteous act." Delphi rolled her eyes. "I know that's not what you came here for. You wanted to get a good look of me, so Andromeda, dear, do you like what you see? Is it what you've expected?"

"It's a shame that you went down this road. Haven't you learned from your parents' mistakes?"

"What mistakes, you foolish, old woman?! My parents made no mistake; they were right about keeping Purebloods in power! No blood traitor, Muggle, Mudblood, or Halfblood should have that kind of power! They don't know how to handle it, and even if they did, they would use it against wizardkind and wipe us out! It only make sense for somebody born into this world to take over."

"Your father wasn't born into this world; he was born in a Muggle orphanage. He was one of those 'filthy' Halfbloods that he hated so much. Voldemort wouldn't have been fit to take over, as you put it. And there would have been no room for you either," Andromeda pointed out.

"That may be true, but he had the blood of Salazar Slytherin, which overlooks the fact that he was a Halfblood. He was the Slytherin heir, and I am the Slytherin heiress. I have the blood of the Most Ancient and Noble Houses of Black and Slytherin running through my veins. It makes me a threat, more powerful than any witch or wizard that has ever been born. I'll admit it'd been foolish of me to think that Harry Potter was my father, when he'd drunk that Polyjuice Potion, but it won't happen again."

"There won't be a next time," Andromeda said. "You'll be imprisoned for the rest of your life, and you will die here, never seeing the light of day again."

"Were you this sure when my mother first went to Azkaban as well?" Delphini asked. "Of course, and look what happened! People underestimated her and my father, and millions were killed, and among them was your disgusting, filthy daughter and your husband."

Andromeda turned towards the girl her eyes harden with fury, while Teddy felt his anger rise again. Delphini laughed as this, smiling at them menacingly as she gave them a look of triumph. It was at this moment that Teddy realized that she was riling them up on purpose. She wanted to get this reaction out of them, but Teddy wasn't going allow her that satisfaction anymore.

"They underestimated my godfather, and now they're dead too," he said.

Delphini stopped laughing for a moment, and Teddy caught a glimpse of uncontained anger before she gave him an eerie smile.

"See? One and the same."

After that, Teddy would visit her twice a month. Sometimes, they would stare at each other for an hour; other times, they would argue and insult each other. On rare occasions, they would talk or banter playfully. He was very curious about Delphi—during one of his visit, she gave him the shortened version of her name—and he wanted to know more about what she meant when she'd said they were the same. Other than the fact that he had said that one time, he couldn't see why they were one and the same.

Hopefully, she would be in the mood to have their rarer moments this time.

The guard let him in before leaving the two alone. Teddy looked over to her and noticed that her silvery blond hair with blue tips was gone, replaced by her natural black locks. Her hair was longer than what it had been seven months ago, and the straightness of it was gone to, replaced with what seemed to be her natural, messy hair. He couldn't help but note that she now looked like a young, blue-eyed, black-haired version of his grandmother Andromeda.

Delphi turned to face him before scoffing and turning away.

Teddy sighed inwardly. This visit was going to be like most. He was really hoping for some answers.

"Does your godfather know that you're here?" Delphi asked, practically growling out the word 'godfather.'

"No, nobody about my visits," Teddy said, shaking his head.

"So, I'm your dirty little secret? I wonder what your family would say if they knew about these visits."

She was angry, and that made Teddy wonder what kind of news she'd gotten this time. He mentally shook his head; that was none of his concern, as he was here for answers to other questions, answers that he hadn't gotten in the seven months. Anybody else would have given up by now, but Teddy was persisting. He would get those answers, one way or another.

It had been nine months since Delphi's imprisonment, and eight months since Teddy had started visiting her. This day hadn't seemed too special, as it was one of those days where they would stare at each other for an hour.

Until Teddy went to her side of the cell, that is.

Delphi blinked in surprise as she pushed herself up against the wall, struggling to stand up. The chains that kept her hands behind her back for this visit weren't long enough for her to rise to her full height, so she was slightly hunched over.

"Will you answer a question for me?" Teddy asked, looking down at her.

"That depends on the question," Delphi said as she eyed him suspiciously.

"Do you remember-"

She interrupted him with a snort and gave him a look. "Aside from your visits, I'm always alone and bored out my mind. The isolation is driving me closer and closer to insanity, so I'm always surrounded and suffocated by my thoughts and memories and mistakes. So yes, of course I remember anything you're about to mention."

"Of course," he agreed softly, making a mental note to visit her more often.

He stared into her blue eyes for a moment before Delphi cleared her throat. She raised one eyebrow that told him to get on with it because she was already becoming bored.

"What did you mean when you said we were the same?"

Delphi rolled her eyes as she gave a short laugh. "That's your question? The best one you could think of?"

"It's the only reason I visit twice a month," Teddy retorted before immediately regretting it.

Delphi's eyes hardened and she looked away from him, a cruel smile forming.

"Perhaps another day, dear cousin," She said, turning her head back to him. "You've waited eight months, so what's a little more?"

Teddy cursed himself inwardly; why did he have to push his luck?

He surprised her by coming back a week later, making this the first month when he visited her three times. Delphi had refused to talk to him after his outburst, so, Teddy left early, feeling frustrated with the turn of events. The rest of the week went by uneventfully for him, though he did visit Victoire Weasley. Speaking of whom, she was concerned and a bit curious as to why Teddy had seemed to be frustrated after his secret visit to Delphi. She had pressed him for details, but he gave her none and feigned a headache so that she could leave him alone.

Teddy wanted to know what Delphi meant when she had said that they were one and the same. He thought about those eight months, but only came up with the fact that both of their parents died in the same war. It didn't necessarily make them one and the same; there were a lot of kids Teddy knew that had been born before the Battle of Hogwarts whose parents died there. Sure, a lot of those kids were bitter and depressed, but none of them tried to screw up the timeline and bring their parents back. None of them killed anybody to get their parents back.

Delphi did, but Teddy wouldn't have, even if he had no choice.

Today, he stayed on his side of the cell and he sank onto the dirty floor, staring into her curious blue eyes. Delphi tilted her head back and lifted an eyebrow, and Teddy could tell that she was waiting for him to say something. However, he kept his mouth shut and stared back at her. He wouldn't start the conversation this time; it will be her, and it will be curiosity that would get the better of her.

Much to his dismay, though, Delphi said nothing either, and by the time the hour was over, Delphi looked a little smug, rather than annoyed.

So, for the rest of the week, Teddy visited Delphi every day. Both of them would stare into each other's eyes for an hour, waiting for the other to crack. To Teddy's triumph, it was Delphi who gave up first. They were staring at each other again on a Sunday morning when she sighed loudly all of a sudden.

"Okay, okay, I give in," Delphi said. "You want that answer to that question?"

"Questions," Teddy corrected.

Delphi tilted her head, and Teddy couldn't help but note that she looked like a confused puppy. This thought made him smile, which caused Delphi to narrow her eyes.

"What?" she barked.

"I have questions, and I was hoping that you would answer each and every one of them."

"Two per visit."

Now it was Teddy's turn to look confused. "What?"

"You get two questions per visit." Delphi clarified as she rolled her eyes.

Of course, Teddy thought.

"Deal," he said.

"Okay, good. Now, what's your first question?"

Teddy would visit three times a week, asking Delphi questions and receiving answers. He started out slow, with questions about how she knew who her parents were, and she told him that she knew because when she was seventeen, Rodolphus Lestrange had escaped Azkaban and told her everything. He continued with asking whether it was Rodolphus that sent her on her way, to which she answered with a yes. When he asked why, she gave him a smug smile and reminded him of their deal. So, Teddy waited until the next day to ask, and he was stunned by her response:

"I wanted a family."

So stunned that he blurted out: "Why?"

Delphi looked at him surprised and she even looked a little angry, and Teddy hoped that he just didn't rude this slow friendship that they had going on.

"Why?" She repeated slowly, and Teddy could practically see her anger raising. "Why else would a child want a family? So that they can have the love and protection of their parents. I didn't get that-"

"Neither did I." Teddy interrupted.

Delphi snorted. "You didn't, did you?"

Teddy paused for a moment and realized that she was right. He might have lost his parents during the Battle of Hogwarts but he had his godfather, grandmother, and the Weasleys to look after him. Even Narcissa Malfoy visited every once and awhile. But Delphi had nobody, except for. . .

"What about the woman that took care of you?" He asked.

Delphi's expression darken and she laughed bitterly. "I was an inconvenience to her, I was like that Muggle fairy tale with the wicked mother and the stepsisters-"

"Cinderella?"

"I suppose," Delphi said. "She hated me, and every time I walked past that dratted bird, she would say, 'Do you hear that Delphini? Answer me, girl! You'll meet a sticky end, girl. A sticky and cruel end. Just like your crazy mother.'"

Teddy felt a chill go down his spine as he heard the bitterness and anger in Delphi's voice. She was told from the start that she was destined for this, and Teddy couldn't help but to feel sympathetic towards her. They weren't one and the same, more like two sides of a coin. Delphi suffered in the dark and loneliness, and Teddy was lucky enough to be in the light with a loving family and friends to care.

She was never given the chance but Teddy was willing to give her one.

He would be the light in her dark world.

He smiled at her as he reached over and grabbed one of her chained hands. She looked down at their linked hands and then back at him, confused. His typical blue hair was yellow, offering something that Delphi never had.

Hope.