The dark dungeon was damp and lonely. It had been that way ever since the fall of Lord Voldemort and though the dungeon was now falling apart, it had become cleaner than even the elaborate manor above. The Malfoys however were unaware of the state of the dungeons lying beneath their ancient home. It was only now that the Dark Lord had returned and now required use of the dungeons again that Draco was sent down to inspect them.
Draco pointed his wand at the invisible hatch in the cellar floor and it opened. A blast of stale air invaded his nose and he instantly began coughing. After several moments of trying to recover, Draco lit his wand and cautiously descended the stairs. When he reached the bottom he was surprised to find that it was spotless and not a single rat or spider in sight.
"Well that makes my job a lot easier." He said to himself.
He examined and repaired each cell, fixing the metal bars and as he went along, lit the torches on the walls. As he neared the end, he noticed something unusual. It was a dim blue-white glow. He put out his wand and approached the last cell ready to stun anything that might jump out at him. Before he reached it however, the light vanished. Draco lit the torches in the cell but found nothing out of the ordinary.
"Snap out of it Malfoy, you're losing it. Seeing things that aren't there."
Draco finished his work on the dungeons and turned to go back up to tell his master that he was done. He thought he saw a shadow move up the stairs but he must have just imagined it. Closing the door, he straightened his back and boldly entered the drawing room.
A ghostly white figure was seated in the soft armchair next to the fireplace.
Draco bowed and said, "It is done, my Lord. If you wish to examine.."
Lord Voldemort lifted his hand to silence Draco. "Did you find anything unusual down there Draco?"
"No my Lord, apart from it already being spotless and an unusual glow near the end I noticed nothing."
The Dark Lord considered him for a moment then said. "Very well, I shall examine your work later. You may leave."
Draco bowed again. "Thank you my Lord." Then he left the room to go to his bedroom.
Closing the door, Draco sank to the floor and buried his head in his hands. His life had become a nightmare with no escape, no hope. Even if the dark lord was defeated, everyone in his employ would be destined to a lifetime in Azkabaan. Either way, he was trapped with no way out. His only hope was somehow, someday, he would be given a chance to prove himself. He never wanted any of this and he hoped that someone would notice, hopefully someone on the other side.
Shower, that's what he needed. A good, long hot shower to melt away his anxieties and stress.