The sun never shone on the Manor anymore. Only dark clouds hung in the air, showering the place with drizzle and cold wind. Hermione looked up at the wrought iron gates and swallowed; hard. Coming here had been a mistake, she could feel the cold creeping into her bones that had nothing to do with the chill in the breeze. The missive in her hand was the only thing forcing her onwards. The parchment was a research order from the Ministry but it wasn't that what was bothering her. She paused at the gate, knowing that as soon as she walked through, there would be no return. He would know she had arrived and then she'd be forced to confront him.

Never one to flee from difficulty, she inhaled a deep breath and pushed the gate. The creaking of the hinges was a little disturbing, but not nearly as much as the state of the grounds. Walking carefully down the main path, she was highly aware of the desolation. The hedges that lined the path were in desperate need of attending to and as she looked over the vast garden she noticed the boarders were beginning to fade. The flowers needed trimming, the soil turning and weeding, the grass could use a cut and the edges a snip. As she turned in the other direction, she noticed a birdbath that had been overturned and left lying on the path.

Whatever had happened here at the end of the war must have been bad. She took a deep breath and forced her legs to keep walking. The manor came closer, looming over her with its dark presence. A shiver shuddered its way down her spine and she drew her cloak closer around her. The feeling that she was about to make the biggest mistake of her life thundered through her veins as she mounted the steps to the huge wooden front door.

As she rose her hand to knock, the door opened. It took her a moment before she thought to look down. There in the doorway was the smallest house elf she had ever seen. It was dressed in a faded, tatty cloth that seemed to make her look even thinner than she was. "Is Miss here for the Master?" she asked. Her voice was soft, meek and she kept her eyes to the floor as she spoke.

Hermione looked at the pathetic little thing, a pang of sadness flowing through her. There was a fresh cut on her cheek and she dared not wonder at the cause of such an injury. She tried to smile at her, it was half way to blooming until she remembered the real reason she was here. The letter in her hand fluttered in the wind and she sighed, "Yes, I'm here to see Mr Malfoy," she said. She pressed her lips together into a firm line, "I'm here from the Ministry," she added.

The tiny elf bobbed her overly large head and took a step backwards, "If Miss comes and waits in the reception room, I be letting him know you here," she said. Her large eyes flicked into the house and she wrung her hands together. Hermione only nodded and followed her inside the house. Once inside the reception room, she was urged into one of the high back chairs and left alone. It gave her time to look around the room with an appraising eye. Something was not right within the household. When she had been here before, it had been perfectly manicured; there wasn't a thing out of place, not a speck of dust to be seen or a sign of wear anywhere.

This room told a different story entirely. It hadn't been aired for what felt like months, the musty smell of unused furniture hit her instantly and she suppressed a little cough. There was dust clinging to what used to be well polished surfaces and she got the distinct impression that the place just wasn't used anymore. It did not bode well for the rest of the meeting. The idea that this once lovely house was falling into disrepair was somehow disturbing. She dismissed the thought however, as the little elf had returned, a fleeting expression on her face. It looked as though she wanted to run, her eyes were that wide.

"Master will see you," she said.

"Will he come here?" Hermione asked with a cheer she didn't really feel. The creature shook her head, refusing her smile.

"Dusty take you." Hermione thought that her name was surprisingly fitting, but suppressed a smile before she could see it. The creature led the way through into the larger room, which was in marginally better condition than the one she had left. The curtains were drawn against the grey day and a fire was lit in the grate, creating a hot atmosphere. At least the room didn't smell fusty, nor was there dust clinging to the surfaces. A slight cough drew her attention and she jumped, turning on her heels.

When her eyes met those of Master Malfoy, she found her throat dried and it was difficult to swallow. His grey eyes seemed to bore into her, looked at her as though she was something to be studied under a microscope. However, when she stood looking at him in return, she saw there had been more than a few changes in him too. He allowed no further time for thought though. Extending his hand, he indicated the missive that she had. She passed it to him so he could read it before clasping her hands behind her back.

It didn't take long for him to scan it. She heard the sharp intake of breath and watched as he read it again, this time with more care. "Well?" he said. She looked up when he spoke and gave a small shrug.

"It's a last resort I assure you," she said. The snort that followed told her more than words and she folded her arms over her chest. "I have no wish to be here."

Something in his eyes seemed to flash at her words and she wondered whether he was going to shout at her. She almost wanted him to, the letter said that there would be dire consequences and when she looked at the haughty way in which he sat, she realised she wanted nothing more than to see him returned to Azkaban on a more permanent basis. She absently rubbed her forearm where the scar was still very visible and glared at him, as if it was entirely his fault. It was.

"I don't want you here either but I'll not be the one to defy the Ministry its wishes," he said. His tone oozed with sarcasm and his eyes never left her.

"Start in the library. Dusty will show you what you need," he said with an airy wave of his hand. With that, he returned his attention to the paper he was reading and ignored her from then on. Knowing a dismissal when she saw one, she spun on her heels and left the fair haired twit to his paper. Dusty bobbed her head and she turned to leave after her. Lucius spoke again however, without looking up, "Do not touch any of the objects on the high shelves on the eastern wall." She nodded that she had heard and left the room.

All thoughts of him were dismissed when the house elf led her through the vast house to the library. It was located on the eastern side of the house and was stunning. In here, there was no dust. The soft candlelight chased away the gloom, covering the room in a golden glow. There wasn't a book out of place and a warm smile crept onto her face when she thought of all the knowledge that the room contained. To think that she had the opportunity to go through the entire room, cataloguing everything, what a treat it was going to be too! "Miss likes being here?" Dusty asked.

"It's wonderful," she managed to whisper, "I just don't know where to begin."

"Begin?" Dusty asked.

"I'm here to list the texts here, the Ministry is looking for a couple of rare volumes on the origins of the magicless," she said. The elf nodded, not saying another word and looked at the floor. She really was a rather sad little thing and Hermione gave her a soft smile.

"Is Miss needing anything?" she asked.

"No, thank you." Hermione said absently shaking her head. She was far too busy to notice the amazement on her face before she was left in peace. She let out a small sigh and set her bag down on one of the tables. Knowing where to start was going to be a tough decision. Perhaps she should begin with looking around properly, rather than just turning on the spot and hoping to find something good.

She headed for the set of spiral stairs that led to the upper floor. The giant windows were curtained but let in enough light, or they would if the day wasn't as grey as it was. There was a large balcony up here that offered a view of the floor below and from where she was, she could see the artefacts he had requested she leave alone. With all the books in the room, she knew that wouldn't be a problem.

Descending the stairs, she looked around the room and spotted a desk by one of the large windows. Claiming it as her own, she moved her bag to it. The wood was polished to a glimmering sheen and there was a cushion on the chair that was tucked underneath. She pulled out the notes she had already made and placed them on the desk. Her quill and ink followed along with some parchment. When that was set up, she moved to peruse the tomes that were on the nearest shelf. A small thrill trickled down her spine when she realised that these books were ancient. Some of them were hundreds of years old and she was going to be allowed to touch them, read them and catalogue them.

She summoned some paper towards her and began jotting down the titles of the volumes as she moved along the bottom row. Most of the titles were innocuous, nothing more than actual books. History, for the most part in fact. Her eyes fell on a volume that was entitled, "The Traditions of a Pure-Blood Family." Unable to resist the tome, she pulled it from the shelf and moved to place it on the table for later on. It might prove an insight into the workings, or previous workings, of the family. Now however, she was focussed on the task before her. She returned to the shelf with a smile, glad to be working alone and in peace.

When Dusty returned, the day had turned into evening and the room had darkened significantly. "Does Miss need anything?" she asked. Hermione jumped and looked around.

"Dusty!" she said with a chuckle, "No, thank you," she said when her heart had returned to its normal level of beating.

"Is Miss staying much longer?" she asked. Her little hands wrung a small dish cloth in her hand and she shifted her weight from one foot to the other.

"Want's me out does he?" she muttered drily. Dusty didn't nod but her eyes sort of bobbed, which was as close as doing so.

"Master…. He –"

Hermione held up her hands, "I have no interest in the day to day life of your master. I'm here to work in the library and that's it, but I will respect his wishes." It was true too. Lucius had been nothing but cruel to her and her friends in the previous years. As such, she wanted as little to do with him as she could but it was his house and his property that she was working with. Dusty seemed a little relieved when she spoke and have a small nod.

"Will you come back Miss?" she asked.

"Tomorrow," she replied. Hermione rose and stretched her back, realising that she had been sitting in the same position for a long time. She gathered her belongings but left the books she had been using on the desk, "Can I leave these here?" she asked. Dusty nodded and she gave the creature a warm smile, "Thank you." Dusty seemed a little taken aback by her thanks but again, remained silent on the matter. Hermione headed to the floo but before she left, she looked at the elf, "Good bye," she smiled. Dusty gave her a little wave. Hermione called out the name of Grimmauld Place, where she was staying, before stepping into the fireplace. As she stepped from the grate and into the house, she had a positive feeling about her task, she was sure it was going to be fine.