Cradled In Darkness

A/N: Hey, I just saw COS last night (rock the world!!) and I was so inspired, I had to write a story. I wanted it to be different than most of the 'run-of-the-mill' fics about romance at Hog warts (hey, I luv 'em too!!) and to show why it is that some people hate muggles and that the Malfoy family can have a good side. Anyway, just wanted to be uniquish, so read and review J

Lucius Malfoy cringed as he stepped inside the cheerful looking muggle orphanage. He couldn't remember the last time he'd been to muggle London, and had wanted to keep it that way. But duty and loyalty to his late best friend made him grit his teeth and walk inside.

A plump, good-natured looking woman with messy brown hair looked up at him, taking in his strong build and cold gray eyes, and was immediately intimidated. Her eyes roved down to the black leather gloved hand holding a hideous looking snake staff. She smiled at him nervously and stood up to shake hands. Lucius eyed her with disgust and ignored her hand, saying brusquely, "I have arranged to meet a child here."

Faltering a little, the woman, whose name tag read "Marge," shuffled through some paper work and said, "Ah, Mr.Malfoy. Right this way sir," in a higher tone than she had meant. He cringed as she lead him down an overly lit hallway passing about a dozen doors. Lucius, now in the lead as he didn't have the time or patience to deal with this blundering woman, stopped abruptly at a door marked "Ages 5 to 9."

"Er, no sir," said Marge in forced cheerfulness, "She's a, er, 'special case,' and we found it necessary to keep the other children away from her; for some reason she was terrified of them and cried quite often."

"I wonder why," mumbled Lucius sarcastically. He couldn't stand any kind of muggles, least of all their annoying children. He was already disgusted from having to even be here. They had better be treating her right.

Marge bustled down the hall, saying"I'm not even sure if we should allow you to visit her, might scare her, you know." when they arrived in front the last door on the hall. Lucius turned on his heel, and drawing himself up to his full height, he looked her in the eye and said, "No. She won't be afraid of me."

Fumbling with her keys, Marge unlocked the door. At a little red table and chairs in the corner sat a small figure in a sweater , bent over looking at something. She was tracing the shiny black button eyes of a doll and drawing.

"Emily dear?," began Marge, "You have someone who wants to see you." At this Emily noticeably cringed and sniffled loudly. Lucius stiffened, but his eyes softened noticeably.

"Oh dear," said Marge. "She's drawing again--she draws the most dreadful pictures…I think there's something wrong with her you know…"she babbled on. Until she trembled under Lucius' icy stare and he nearly snarled "Could I have a moment please?"

"Oh yes," said Marge hastily slamming the door in her hurry.

"Emily," he said as nicely as he could, "remember me?"

Recognizing his smooth voice, the little girl turned around and gasped, giving him a huge smile, and yelling "Uncle Lucius!"

She ran over to him, knocking over a chair in her wake, and hugged him tightly around the legs, burying her head into his cloak.

He got down on his knees to hug her back, and then pulled away to look at her. He saw a little girl, no older than five, with short black hair and a smiling face peppered with freckles and round brown/green eyes. She hugged him again. Last time he'd seen her she'd been much younger.

"You've grown up, Emily."

"Do you still like me?," she asked, eyes shining with tears and looking terrified that he might say no and leave her there.

"Yes, of course I do."

"I've been so scared since…mummy and daddy are gone…I'm all by myself…" and a cascade of tears streamed down he pink cheeks as she clung fiercely to his cloak with her little fingers, "I--I don't want you t-to leave."

"I won't. You don't have to be afraid anymore. I'm here."