A/N: Re-uploaded for your enjoyment! Please review.
I was back at the Riddle House in Little Hangleton, with Wormtail and the Dark Lord. It was early summer, and I was home for the holidays. Not that this qualified as a home.
In case you didn't know already, my name is Amy Potter. And, yes, I am fully aware I live with the most evil wizard alive, if not of al time. And yes, I am also aware he killed my parents and attempted to kill my brother. Thankfully, my friend Draco Malfoy convinced his parents to owl my 'caregivers' and request I come stay with them for the holidays. I wasn't particularly fond of Mr and Mrs Malfoy, but at least staying at the Malfoy Manor wouldn't leave me half starved and deprived, unlike my time spent at the Riddle House.
Right now, though I was standing behind the high-backed chair where He always sat. I wasn't even sure if He could sit, for the last time I had seen more then his chair back; he was attached to the head of my Defence Against the Dark Arts teacher, who died at the end of my first year at Hogwarts. I assumed – sadly – that the death of his host didn't kill him as well, though I do not know what state He was left in. Whatever it was, I hoped it was painful, I thought angrily.
I jerked my wandering mind to the present.
"You will be staying at the Malfoy Manor. They will come to collect you shortly." He dismissed me, and I returned to my bare room, seating myself on the bed and packing my meagre possessions, talking quietly to Caliga, my sable-coloured barn owl.
'So Draco was serious about me spending the holidays there.' I thought to myself, remembering my night in the Hospital Wing at school, where he had offered to open his home to me over the summer holidays. At these memories, the corners of my lips turned up; something they only did rarely. Draco Malfoy, Slytherin, and enemy to my brother, was the most beautiful person I'd ever seen. He was also my best friend, being able to understand my situation more than my brother and his friends.
'You like him'' A little voice inside my head accused, as I thought of the times Draco and I spent together. I didn't deny it, sighing quietly to myself.
"Why the sighing? Missing me, were you?" A cool, mocking, voice said from the doorway. I jumped, startled. Draco laughed lightly, walking over to me. "Scared you, did I?" He teased me, laughing still. I punched him playfully in the arm.
"No." I lied, sticking my tongue out at him. "I thought you would take longer to get here was all."
"Yea, yea. We live in a world of magic, it was only an apparition." He pulled me into a hug, briefly, before stepping back again, grabbing my bag for me. "Come on. We're going."
I grabbed Cali's cage and followed him out into the main room, where Mr and Mrs Malfoy were; pretty much exactly in the same positions as they were the first time I saw them. Mr Malfoy was kneeling near the chair in which He sat and Mrs Malfoy standing meekly by the door.
"Yes my Lord. It will be as you command." Mr Malfoy was saying when we entered.
"Leave me now." He commanded in his high-pitched voice.
Mr Malfoy said rose, beginning to walk towards his wife. "Come, Draco. Amy."
Draco and I spent the first week together exploring the Manor without getting in his parents way, and he showed me the neatly manicured gardens surrounding the house. The gardens were even more extensive than the manor, including several private courtyards often filled with fountains and gazebos, and one section of the estate even contained a hedge maze. We talked idly as we explored, and he told me some of his funnier stories from his childhood. I wondered what it would have been like, growing up knowing of my magic. Learning to ride brooms and meet goblins. I wondered what it would be like to grow up privileged, as Draco had, rather than on the streets. I dragged my mind away from those bitter thoughts.
One sunny day when we were sitting outside underneath a beech tree in the kitchen garden he told me of his first broomstick, which he managed to get stuck in a tree while he was still learning to ride it. Laughing, I leaned back against the tree, looking up at the manor, stretching in the sunlight. I tensed slightly when I spotted Mr Malfoy in one of the windows, scowling at his son and me so clearly enjoying the summertime. Or scowling at us enjoying each other's company.
Surely enough, within a week of that time though, I was using any excuse I had to spend time away from Draco. I assumed his father had scolded him for getting along so well with a Potter, and a Gryffindor, as he seemed colder towards me after that. He'd greet me at meal times, but he stopped smiling at me like he used to. Loneliness threatened to swamp me again, no better than my days at the Riddle House.
I was exploring the Manor alone on a rainy day five weeks into the holidays – three weeks after Draco had started being so unfriendly – when I came across a room I hadn't noticed before, tucked away in a small dark wing behind the kitchens. The door was slightly ajar, and I was about to push it open when Mr Malfoys voice emerged from the room. I had no idea who he was talking to, but it didn't sound good.
"The Chamber of Secrets… opened…"
I frowned, confused, leaning closer. Curiosity got the better of me, as it often did. A secret chamber sounded promising. Certainly the manor was large enough to contain at least one secret room.
"Hogwarts… monster..."
I stumbled away from the door, eyes widening. This did not sound so innocent a conversation anymore. I fell heavily, tripping on the expensive rug spanning the hallway. The door swung open and Mr Malfoy was standing in the doorway, looking at me scathingly.
"Eavesdropping, Miss Potter? The Dark Lord will hear of this. You are nothing but a nuisance to us all." He swept off down the corridor, and I ran in the other direction. I was in big trouble.
As I moved away, I thought of what Mr Malfoy had said, and I wondered what was going to happen. Secret chambers with monsters sounded far more ominous than a hidden room behind a bookshelf or somewhere similar. So lost in thought, I walked into someone in the dark hall.
"Oh, I'm sorry!" I squeaked in surprise. I frowned, looking around for the figure I'd strode into. I'd thought only the family lived in the manor.
"Sorry?" Said a high voice, trembling as if the person was going to cry. My eyes adjusted and I looked down at a quivering figure on the floor.
"Um, who are you? What are you?" For the creature before me was not human, though it had a humanoid form.
"I'm Dobby, miss, Dobby the house-elf." Orb-like green eyes looked up at me.
"And what is a house-elf?"
"A house elf serves the family it lives with until they set it free or it dies." Dobby replied matter-of-factly.
"Well, could you do something, for me? I'm not a member of the household though." I asked, thinking.
"Dobby could try, miss."
"Could you deliver a message for me?"
"Yes, miss. Most definitely."
I lay on my bed that night, thinking of my impending birthday – tomorrow it was. I didn't expect anything, and I idly wondered if Harry's birthday looked to be better than mine. Our aunt and uncle didn't sound like the nicest of people, but they sounded pretty good in comparison to my living companions. Thinking of Harry led me to wonder how Dobby would deliver my message. I had sent him to Harry, to warn him of the danger Mr Malfoy had talked about. I hoped that Dobby delivered my message right, because I had a bad feeling he didn't.
My birthday passed unexceptionally. I received a small smile from Draco, and a small cake from the house elves. Hermione and Ron owled me a small gift each – Hermione bought me a book, and Ron sent some sweets. I supposed Harry wasn't allowed his owl, as I received nothing from him. After dinner, Mr Malfoy pulled me aside into a room away from Draco and Mrs Malfoy. He turned, his wand on me. I froze, watching it, remembering the pain the Dark Lord put me through whenever I did something that displeased him, or whenever he was frustrated, or basically, whenever I was around. My stomach began to sink. Surely Mr Malfoy wasn't as bad as the Dark Lord. Surely he wouldn't use…
Sure enough, it came a moment later.
"Crucio!"
The pain exploded through me, and I sank to the floor, a scream ripping from my throat before I silenced it. It seemed to go on forever, longer then I had ever had it at the Riddle House. After what seemed like an eternity, Mr Malfoy strode out without looking back. I lay there for a moment, regaining my breath, when I heard the door click open. Footsteps came towards me and my eyes flew open, cold fear clutching at my stomach at the thought of Mr Malfoy returning. Draco's pale face swam in my vision instead, looking shaken. I'd hoped he hadn't heard me scream.
"Amy, are you okay?"
I glared weakly at him. "Yes, absolutely fine. I'm down here for the fun of it. Your wooden floors are very comfortable."
He glanced furtively over his shoulder, before helping me stand, but I shoved away from him. My legs buckled, but I remained standing, catching myself on an expensive and uncomfortable looking couch. He moved forward, attempting to support me again, but I shook him off, and left the room, tears spilling down my face. I wanted to trust him, but how could I if he was in daddy's pocket, and going to push me away because I was a Potter? Especially when his daddy so clearly hated me. I made my way up to my bedroom, collapsing on my bed and staring at the ceiling.
I was still staring at the dark ceiling when Draco came to find me late at night. I didn't look over at him as he opened the door and made his way over to me over the rich carpets. I just continued staring at the ceiling. He looked less shaken than he had before, when he found me, instead his smirk was present on his face. He sat down on my bed, pulling me up to a sitting position as well. I crossed my legs beneath me, resting my chin on my hand as I observed the blonde sitting in front of me.
"How are you, Amy?" He asked, watching me.
"Fine." I replied shortly. "You're not supposed to be in here." I reminded him.
He shrugged his shoulders, eyes never leaving my face. "So?"
"So leave." I told him, turning away to lie back down. He grabbed my shoulder, pushing my down onto the comforter. His grey eyes were dark, boring into my own as he leaned over me, lying beneath him.
I did not think this to be a good position to be in if his parents happened to walk in.
His mouth moved like he was chewing his words, a pained, bitter expression on his face.
"I'm not supposed to be here." He said quietly.
I scowled at him, trying to shove him away, unsuccessfully. "I've already said that, idiot. Go back to daddy, sit nicely in his pocket."
His scowl matched mine, and a growl sounded from his throat. "I do not sit in my fathers pocket." He spat venomously.
"Then why shouldn't you be in here?" I retorted. "Why have you avoided me for three weeks? Because daddy told you not to." A gasp tore from my throat as his hand collided with my skin. I shoved him again, trying to worm my way out from underneath him. He grabbed my arms, squeezing hard enough that my eyes began to water before he shoved himself away from me, pacing to the other side of the room.
"I thought you were my friend, Amy." His voice sounded rough in the darkness, as I stayed on my bed, eyes wide. "But it shouldn't be like this."
"Go away." I whispered into the darkness.
"Whatever." I heard him move again, and hot tears slipped down my cheeks as the door clicked shut.
The next morning, Mrs Malfoy remarked on the livid purple bruise spreading across my collarbone – where Draco had struck me last night. I shrugged slightly, and muttered something about tripping over my dresser, picking at my breakfast. Mr Malfoy took Draco aside after breakfast. I heard his raised voice through the closed door, awkwardly trying not to listen in.
"Doesn't solve anything…"
"You said…"
"Disgrace to the family…"
I hung my head, trying to block out the raised voices coming from the next room. Failing, I excused myself, almost running up to my room, Mr Malfoys comments following me. Having Draco punished was not going to help. If anything, he was just going to do it more – seeing as it was my fault he'd be punished. But surprisingly, he didn't, of which I was glad. He took to watching me whenever he could, and I tried to avoid him more, sitting in my room with Caliga all day. Occasionally he came to visit me there, standing in the doorway watching me, as I sat with my back towards him, reading, or stroking Caliga, hoping he wouldn't come closer. Which he didn't.