Chapter 1: Work begins

I used to live in Malfoy village with my parents. We had lived there my entire life. It was a small town, named after the malevolent family that ruled over us. We were still happy for the most part. Now I work for the Malfoys. My parents worked for them before they died. I was seventeen when I started work for them, my hair was a light chocolate with caramel highlights that fell around my shoulder blades, just like my mothers. My eyes were a deep, deep blue. Both of my parents had blue eyes but mine were the darkest. My mother and father were beautiful, kind people. They helped anyone and everyone when they could. We used to live in a small cottage. It had small seven rooms, my bedroom, my parent's room, a bathroom, and the kitchen. A living room/dining room and the last room was used to do magic in, or if my parents had to bring any work home.

They died a year ago, and I was on my own. Until I received a small letter entailing that I would be coming to work for the same people my parents had worked for, now that I had mourned their deaths. Apparently a year was all it should take a year to recover from a death in the family, I didn't think so at all. The hand writing was sharp and precise.

I didn't want to but I knew I would lose the house eventually if I couldn't pay the rent, so on the given day I headed out to the cage that awaited me. I had never met any members of the Malfoy house hold until today. I was traveling by carriage.

There are three members of the Malfoy family. Mr. Malfoy, who I had heard nothing good about, now that I thought about it I hadn't heard anything good about any of the Malfoys. There was Mrs. Malfoy - Narcissa, previously a member of the Lovegood house hold - and their son Draco as well. Draco goes to Hogwarts School of Witch Craft & Wizardry. I'd always wanted to go there but my parents could never afford to send me. I do know a lot of spells for not having gone to Hogwarts, I don't even need a wand to perform them. I only have a few bags full of my belongings. Sadly we couldn't afford a lot of stuff. I felt the carriage come to a stop. I looked out the window and saw a huge, almost castle like, house.

"Wow" I whistled.

The carriage door suddenly flew open. I jumped and clutched the bag in my hands. I slowly grabbed the rest of my belongings, got out of the carriage and walked towards the huge front doors. They were almost a black oak set into the dull cold colour of the walls. I stood there for a few moments and looked up at the sky, it was still an ominous gray that foretold of thunder, lightning and rain. I was about to knock when the door slowly swung open, a black abyss seeming to wait for me on the other side.

"Come in" came a disembodied voice.

Creepy I thought to myself, as I entered. The door swiftly slammed shut, making me jump once again. "What's with the doors?" I muttered under my breath. It was a dismal looking place, it was all gray stone work and a fairly dark house. Hardly any windows on the walls and when there were window they had deep green satin curtains hiding the out side world. It almost felt like I was actually in a prison. There were quite a few paintings of gaunt looking faces all around the house.

"Let me show you to your room." Came the same voice as earlier. I turned around to find that the disembodied voice belonged to a rather solemn looking ghost. He had a very trimmed moustache, slicked back hair and sad looking eyes. The ghost looked rather thin as well. He started to glide towards the grand stair case. As we went up the stairs, that didn't even creek, and reached the landing I realized there were a lot more of the paintings on this level as well. My foot steps seemed to echo thought the oddly silent house. The eyes of the paintings seemed to follow me with a glare. I kept my eyes on the long green carpet that snaked it's way down the middle of the hall.

"Here we are" He opened the door and I entered the small room.

"Thank you" I said turning back to him. He just nodded.

"My name is Jeffrey by the way."

"I'm Kassa," I cheerfully replied.

"I will leave you to unpack now" He started to turn to go.

"Wait, may I take a look around?" I asked.

"Yes" was his reply and then he vanished through a wall.

Gently I exhaled and looked around my cold little room, it looked like there was no life here, it was a little creepy. I unpacked quickly so I could take a look around and get out of my room.

"I think I will start on this floor and work my way down." I said to myself, quietly closing the door. On the top floor it was a lot of bed rooms and some rooms that were locked, I wanted to unlock them and explore but I thought on my first day that was a bad plan. I would come back to them later, once I had seen how bad this family really was. The walls were the same as the entry way, stone work and gaunt looking paintings, most of the main floor was like this, I was running out of time for exploring before dinner had to be ready, so I had to skip several levels. As I made my way to the kitchen, I found a brightly lit hallway with lots of cute baby pictures. The baby had blond hair, extremely pale skin and silver gray eyes.

"Aww," I couldn't resist. The baby looked so grumpy but still cute! I looked to see a name on one. 'Draco Malfoy at age two' I mouthed as I read the letters engraved in the frame. I looked back at the picture again.

"I wonder what he's like now," I whispered stifling my laughter at the thought. I came to the end of the hallway where Draco was giving an evil grin. This one was one of my favourites. Draco Malfoy age four. Voices sounded from a room not two feet from me.

"Draco, I'm having guests over tonight. So you will need to be on your best behaviour. Is that in your power Draco?" It was an older man's voice. That must be Mr. Malfoy.

"Yes father," It was a curt, that was definitely Draco. His voice sent a shiver down my spine.

I started to peek around the corner to put faces to the names.

"ooof," My face collided with the upper torso of someone.

I immediately pulled back, slightly bowing my head.

"I-I'm so sorry," I stuttered. I looked up at the person; it was an older version of the baby pictures I had just been looking at.

"Who are you?" he snapped.

"I'm Kassa Flone,"

"Ah, you're taking over for your parents," Mrs. Malfoy said, a sad smile touching her lips. She slowly got up from one of the chairs. Narcissa was slender, had long flowing, gleaming, blond hair. She had a regale look to her. Her face was narrow and a cold mask replaced the apologetic smile as her husband glanced at her, but her eyes were still kind.

Mr. Malfoy sniffed, as he tilted his head up, he was around the same height as I was. He also hand long blond hair, not as well looked after as his wife's, but still regale looking. His face looked like it was made of stone, never flickering from the disgusted, "I'm better then anyone else" expression. They all had sharply defined cheek bones, and silver gray eyes. Draco was taller than his parents, had short blond hair, and almost an evil defiant glow to his eyes. He was wearing a black suite that accentuated his pale features.

"Well don't just stand there and gawk get to work," Mr. Malfoy sneered.

Draco snickered and pushed past me. I nodded, turned and headed down to the kitchen. How could my parents stand to work for these people? And now I hadto work for them too? I had only been here for a few hours but I already disliked Draco and Lucius, I still wasn't sure about Narcissa though. I was hoping what I had heard about them was exaggerated, but from what I had seen today it wasn't.

I walked into the kitchen and just stood there looking around the fairly large room.

Jeffrey floated in. "You will need to make a glorious feast and make a lot. Mr. Malfoy is having guests,"

"So I've heard," I whispered. It was a little daunting to have to cook for un unknown number of guests on the first day.

He chuckled. "You'll get settled in eventually,"

"I hope so," I smiled. He didn't seem as bad as I had thought.

"Narcissa is a kind woman, she just puts on the cold front so she won't show weakness for the family," he said smiling as he floated out of the room.

"Okay let's get started," I said rubbing my hands together. I had decided on what to make. Hopefully it would impress them; they hadn't given me any suggestions.

I waved to a few ingredients and the cooking began. I was able to do magic and most of the time I didn't need to speak.

"You won't last a week here," I heard a snide voice from the entrance.

One of the container fell, crashing to the floor. I spun around. How long had he been standing there? Had he seen that I hadn't been holding the container? That it was actually floating?

"You dropped something," Draco said as he leaned agents the door frame. There was a smug look on his face. I felt relieved as I realized he hadn't seen my magic.

"I have to cook for your father's dinner tonight, and if you're the reason I don't get it done on time I will have no problem telling him the truth,"

He stopped laughing and glared at me. "He wouldn't believe you, you're just a servant and have no power," he said in a threatening voice as he loomed over me.

I knew he was right and a small voice said my temper was going to get me nowhere at the moment. I should just shut up for now, so I swallowed my temper and backed down.

"Fine, but will you let me get back to work?" I asked in the nicest voice I could muster up.

He grinned, he knew he had won and wasn't afraid to gloat, but before he said anything, his mother walked in.

"Draco, your father would like to finish the conversation you two were having," she said.

He gave me one last glare, turned and left.

"I'm sorry about that," she said making sure he wasn't able to hear her. "He grows more and more like his father everyday," she sighed looking remorseful.

I quickly picked up the container of flower and started to work again.

"Your parents spoke of you often,"

"Really?" I asked looking over at her.

She nodded.

Jeffrey floated in. "My lady, your husband is asking for you,"

"Thank you Jeffrey, I'd like to talk to you more Kassa," she said.

"I would like that," I replied nodding.

She nodded back and left the room after Jeffry.

I quickly looked at the time and worked to finish making the feast. I heard voices in the hall way as I put the finishing touches on the food.

"Just in time," I said, happy with the work I had done. "Now to get it out there,"

Jeffry floated in. "They will be having a quick meeting before supper so best hurry,"

"Alright," as I turned to grab a plate a small door in the wall opened and several house elves entered. They didn't speak, didn't make eye contact just grabbed the food and ran through a different magical opening.

"Poor things," I whispered.

I grabbed a plate and ran through the halls to the dinning room. Mr. Malfoy walked in just as I put the plate down.

"I don't want anyone to see you. Jeffrey will handle the drinks. Just keep out of sight," Lucius barked, there was disgust in his eyes as he looked at me.

"Understood," I replied. I ran for it before he might think of some other snide or cruel remark. As I slowed I passed one of the windows, finally one that had the drapes open and that gave me the idea to wander the grounds.