Summary:

On the run from her past, Hermione believes she's finally found reprieve from her troubles when she lands a position as a governess for a distant lord. Unbeknownst to her, the Lord of the Manor has a much darker reason for calling her there.

In a home filled with skeletons from the past, will Hermione be able to escape the fate that awaits her, or will she fall victim to the darkness in Malfoy Manor?

AN: This is an 18th Century AU & it's going to be a DARK! Dramione.

Dark!Possessive!Obsessive! Draco

Please Read and Review to let me know what you all think and whether or not I should continue my story.


Wiltshire - 1847

Hermione Granger peered out of the window of her carriage and up at the grey, cloudy sky. As she looked around outside, a robin caught her attention as it swept down from the sky and plucked a worm from the ground with its long, sharp beak.

As she watched it fly away, she happened to spot a wooden sign up ahead which read Wiltshire. The sign was adorned with carvings of berries and brambles which surrounded the word and made its letters stand out in sharp contrast as she looked at it.

We're here, Hermione thought. We have finally reached the Malfoy's estate - and today I begin my duties as a governess. The thought alone made butterflies begin to flutter in her stomach.

You have had several governesses, Hermione quickly reminded herself. It shouldn't be difficult to act as one to a little boy.

Suddenly the carriage took a sharp turn down a curve in the road, and the estate came into view up ahead. Hermione almost gasped out loud at the size of the estate. It was enormous, with two tall towers rising up from its ivy-covered walls.

Hermione shivered as she took it all in. She couldn't help being reminded of another building with fortress-like towers.

The prison...

A feeling of gloom settled over Hermione. No! she quickly reprimanded herself as she shook her head. This is no way to start a new life, ruminating on her troubled past.

Refocusing her attention on the Manor house up ahead, she was quickly reminded of the fact that Malfoy Manor was a house that was in mourning. Of course, there was an air of sadness surrounding it, but she was determined to help change that.

Just as the thought came into her mind, the carriage came to a halt in front of the flagstone path leading to the front door. She could hear the driver as he jumped down from his seat to come around and open the carriage door for her. Hermione climbed down from the carriage and had a quick look around while the driver pulled her travelling bag out and tossed it to the ground just in front of her feet.

"Thank you," she said, smiling warmly at the man. "My goodness. This is by far the most vast and impressive home I've seen by far," she continued, in hopes of striking up a conversation.

The servant remained quiet but nodded his head gravely at her observation.

Perhaps he's not much for conversation, Hermione thought as she looked at the man's face.

"Where will I find Lord Malfoy?" she asked, wondering where the lord of the Manor was at this hour of the day.

"You won't find him here Missy," the man told her gruffly. "He's not at home." And with that, the man turned and climbed back into the driver's seat of the carriage.

"Git!" he yelled at the large black horses, snapping the reins in his hands as he did so.

Hermione watched as the carriage rounded the drive and disappeared as it headed towards what she presumed to be the stables. Turning back to face the house, she took a calming breath before picking her bag up and hoisting it over her shoulder. It's light, she thought. One of the good things about owning so few possessions.

She walked up the wide path towards the huge front door. A brass knocker resembling a snake's head stared back at her almost menacingly, and she hesitantly reached out and rapped it three times. Bang! Bang! Bang!

She stood there in silence for several moments, before deciding to knock several more times.

Still, no one answered.

Hermione waited a few more moments in the cold dreary weather before deciding to go against her etiquette lessons and try the doorknob. The knob met no resistance as she twisted it and the door swung wide open as she let it go.

She let herself into the vast entry hall and began to look around at the extravagantly decorated space. None of the oil lamps were lit, and even though it was hardly past noon, the room was submerged in darkness which made looking around virtually impossible. Though Hermione didn't let it stop her from trying to have a look around regardless of the room's tenebrous air. Taking a few guarded steps further into the house, she stopped dead in her tracks as a cold draft blew down her neck.

"Hello?" she called out nervously, "Is there anyone here?" she continued, her voice echoing around the large room. Hermione took a few more cautious steps into the house, before feeling a small icy hand slither its way into her own before intertwining its fingers with her own.

Hermione squealed and sharply yanked her hand away before looking around to see who had touched her.

She looked down and found a child of about five at most, staring back up at her. "My goodness!" she exclaimed. "You gave me quite the fright young man!" she admonished, "Where did you come from?"

The little boy giggled mischievously before answering her, clearly proud of himself for scaring an adult. "I'm rather good at sneaking up on people," he confessed to her. "Missy!" he hollered. "The new governess is here! And she's really pretty! Come see!"

"So you know who I am, do you?" Hermione asked and the boy nodded his head in response. "That's good, Scorpius because I know who you are as well," she told him with a warm smile.

"How do you know my name?" Scorpius asked, grinning up at her toothily.

"Because your father wrote to me about you, and told me what a fine young boy you are," she told him and his grin grew even wider at the praise.

My word, Hermione thought to herself as all of her fears about the job melted away while looking at the boy. Scorpius was clearly a sweet and friendly little boy, with his adorable white blond curls and his cute little blue suit. Hermione couldn't help but think about how much of a pleasure it would be to care for such a lovely child.

"And what is your name?" Scorpius asked her cheerfully.

"You may call me Miss Scott," Hermione answered him, giving him the same fake surname she had given his father when she had inquired about the position.

Now what? Hermione thought. She had very little experience in speaking with children. As she looked around the room, trying to find something to talk about, she noticed a ring on one of his fingers. The ring was made out of silver and had S.M. inscribed on a brilliant looking emerald stone.

"That is a beautiful ring, Scorpius," Hermione said, "Was it a -"

Before she could finish her question, a bony woman dressed in a black uniform came bustling into the entry hall, drying her hands on her white apron as she closed the distance between them.

"I am so sorry," the woman told Hermione. "I was in the larder and did not hear you arrive. Welcome to Malfoy Manor. My name is Missy, which is short for Melissa, though everyone around here, just calls me Missy. I see you already met young Master Scorpius." Missy said, patting the boy's blond curly head affectionately.

"So I have," Hermione answered.

"I trust you did not have too horrid of a journey," Missy rushed on. "You must be tired, and starving to boot."

If anyone here was starving, it had to be Missy. Hermione thought as she took in the appearance of the skinny woman.

"I have a lunch prepared for you," Missy continued. "Millie! Come in and meet our new governess!"

A moment or two later a young maid came hurrying into the room and stammered out a greeting.

"She is new and quite shy," Missy whispered.

"Hello, Millie," Hermione said and the maid blushed in response.

Hermione felt a twinge of jealousy as she took in Millie's thick honey coloured bun as it sat high atop her head, with a few curly locks of hair escaping it. It looked very reminiscent of how her hair had once looked a few years ago before she was forced to leave everything she had ever known behind. She had just recently been able to stop wearing a kerchief to hide her head, but she knew it would be a long time before her hair was as glorious as it had once been.

"Take Miss Scott's bag to her room, Millie, while I feed her. We have left the poor starving thing all alone in the entrance hall and given her a terrible first impression of Malfoy Manor."

"Oh, not at all," Hermione said, cutting in to reassure the woman.

Instead of speaking, the maid simply curtsied in her direction before bending down to pick up Hermione's bag. She then disappeared up the staircase- which wound around one side of the entrance hall.

"But I must confess, Missy, the man who drove me here did seem to be in rather poor spirits," Hermione continued.

Missy crossed to the window and peered outside. "That is Lord Malfoy's personal manservant, Fred Steward, and a sourer gentleman you will never find. But I suppose he has reason to be."

She lowered her voice and put her hand to her mouth to shield her words from young Master Scorpius. "I am afraid his wife has run off and left him," she confided to her.

"Oh, I see," Hermione answered.

"Scorpius, go wash your hands for lunch, please," Missy asked.

Scorpius didn't move.

"Hurry along now," Missy said more sharply.

Scorpius grabbed Missy by the hand and pulled her away from Hermione. Missy smiled apologetically, then leaned down to listen to Scorpius.

Hermione could only catch a word here and there.

"What if. . . happens again. . . like the last time. . ."

Embarrassed to stand there listening, Hermione wandered around the entrance hall. She admired the fancy paintings that hung on the walls, reminding her of her past life before she arrived here. Though the Malfoys appeared to be even richer than she had once been.

Hermione stopped in front of the portrait of a lovely brunette woman. Probably Scorpius' mother, she thought to herself as she looked at the portrait. A shiver ran through her as she stared up at it. It must be another draft, she told herself, which wasn't out of the usual for old Manor homes such as this.

But she didn't move. The painting fascinated her - although she had to admit that she felt almost frightened when she stared at it.

It is simply a painting of a poor young woman who died here, Hermione scolded herself for the irrational fear.

She heard a small sound behind her. Someone is watching me! she thought anxiously - causing the short hairs on the back of her neck to stand straight up.

She turned around quickly and sighed.

There was no one there.

She gazed upwards and could swear she saw the faint outline of a woman standing on the stairs.

"Hello?" she called out to the person feeling foolish at having been caught staring at the portrait of the former lady of the Manor.

The figure didn't answer, instead deciding to step closer to the bannister opposite of them. As the figure stepped into the dim light coming in through one of the second-floor windows.

Hermione felt her heart stop as she recognised the face of the woman from the portrait she had just been observing.

That's impossible! she thought to herself fearfully. In the letter Lord Malfoy had written to her, he told her he was in need of a governess because his wife had passed and he needed someone here to mind his son. Hermione didn't have long to ponder that thought however, as she saw the woman step back into the shadows just before throwing something at her.

The object hurtled through the air straight towards Hermione's head.