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Just to clear up something from the last chapter – Hugo went to go stay with Percy and Audrey.
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I wasn't quite sure what to expect when I first arrived at Malfoy Manor. Perhaps a crypt with bats hanging from the ceiling or even a dark, dingy castle surrounded by dragons and moats. However, what I actually found when my Dad and I apparated into the hallway of the Manor was a clean, bright, modern building. The walls were neutral colours furnished with beech wood and marble floors, there was an intricate spiral staircase leading upstairs and frames of both beautiful art and of the Malfoy family dotted on the walls. I looked closely at one of the pictures of the family; there was Draco, a tall, slender man, his wife who was as beautiful as I imagined (she had produced Scorpius – I admit, he is good looking...if you like that sort of thing), Scorpius, and a small girl with sleek blonde hair, no older than 5 or 6. It was the sort of picture you would use on advertisements to sell the perfect family, all blonde and beautiful, all happy. It was hard to imagine the darkness that captured the family not so long ago and even harder to imagine any sort of evil taking place in what could only be described as one of the most beautiful buildings -bar Hogwarts, of course- that I'd ever seen.
"Where is he?" my Dad grumbled, scanning the room for any sign of life. "Wait here, I'll go look for Draco."
Before Al and I left for Hogwarts we'd both been sat down by our parents and told about what happened during the wizarding war, about how our parents fought, how they saw death first hand, they told us why some people at school may treat us differently because of our last names. It had become a tradition for the Weasley-Potter children to be told the stories of our parents before we start school, for us they were just our parents but to the rest of the world they were the saviours of the wizarding world and to others they were the enemy at some point. One story that had stuck in my mind was the one that happened right here in Malfoy Manor, my Mum was tortured by a witch named Bellatrix Lestrange; maybe that was why my Dad brought me here today. The thought of my Mum being tortured in this very building sent a shiver down my spine, deciding it best to put those thoughts to the back of mind whilst I had to stay here.
"Lost Weasley?" a smug voice called from one of the doorways, Scorpius was leaning effortlessly on the archway. He was dressed casually in sweatpants and a zip up jacket, it felt almost unnatural to see him so under dressed.
"Actually I'm waiting for my Dad to find yours, I don't know if you kn-" I began to explain unsure if he'd been told of the plans – I, myself had only just found out about the whole arrangement it was entirely plausible that Scorpius hadn't been told and had just found me roaming his hallway.
"I know," he interrupted "follow me."
I did as he said and followed him through the winding corridors of the house, catching quick glimpses of the beautiful paintings and sculptures until we reached the kitchen where my Dad, Draco and his wife all sat around with serious expressions as they quietly spoke, stopping abruptly when they noticed Scorpius and I.
"Hello Rose," Draco Malfoy rose from his seat, stretching his hand out to me, his face morphed into a smile as he gestured for me to take a seat. "It's nice to meet you, I'm Draco, this is my wife Astoria and I take it you know my son, Scorpius. You two are in the same year at Hogwarts I understand?"
"We are." I said shyly choosing not to add that we'd never spoken to each other in the whole time that we'd been there.
"We have some classes together." Scorpius's stool scraped across the marble floor as he took the seat opposite me, did he always look so smug? I was honestly surprised to know he realised that we had class together, I didn't think he even knew my first name. When you're not in the 'popular' crowd at Hogwarts then it was unlikely that they even acknowledge your existence.
"Maybe you can help each other with homework over the summer." Astoria said kindly. This was funny for two reasons. Number one – I was top of my class, I doubted that Scorpius could help me. Number two – it was laughable to think that Scorpius would want to spent any amount of time with me that wasn't forced upon him. During my first few weeks at Hogwarts everybody wanted to be my friend and I mean everybody, even most of the Slytherins attempted to talk to me and Al just because of who we are. I suppose most kids thought it would be cool to be friends with one of the Weasley-Potter children, something to write home to their parents about. As term went on they realised that I cared more about getting good grades and spending time in the library than I did talking about my parents and gradually lost interest in me to the point where no-one gives me a second glance anymore. Al, however, still does use his last name to get dates, as did every other male (and Dom) in our family. It seemed that girls really enjoyed the thought of snogging the son of Harry Potter.
"Maybe" we both said at the same time, though I knew neither of us really meant it.
"Rosie I want you to know you'll be safe with Draco and his family," my Dad looked at his watch before he reached out to clasp his hand around mine, squeezing tight. "I can't promise I'll write to you, I don't want anything to trace back to you here, you understand? We're going to get this sorted out. I've got to go Rosie but I love you, I love you to the moon and back then back again."
I looked up at my Dad biting the insides of my cheek to stop myself from crying. "I love you too Dad, to the moon and back then back again" I repeated what he'd said to me for as long as I could remember. It was going to be hard without my family, not being able to contact them, to know if they're safe. Who knows how long I'd be trapped at the manor for, hopefully not all summer, they would be able to send me back to Hogwarts in September, wouldn't they? It was legend that Hogwarts is one of the safest places you can get, I don't see any logical reason that I wouldn't be allowed to attend my last year at the school. With McGonagall in charge I'd like to see any deranged wizards even attempt to kidnap any of her students, I was almost certain I knew who would come out top in that fight. My Dad left the room silently before apparating out leaving me alone with the Malfoy family; in all my life I had never felt more of an outsider. Why did I have to stay here? Al, Lily and Hugo had a much better deal than I had, they were with family (Neville was honourary family in my book) and at least Hugo and Lily had our cousins to talk to, Al even had Neville's daughter Alice. Who did I have? I had Scorpius bloody Malfoy.
"Are you okay Rose?" Draco's words stirred me. I realised I must have looked awfully odd to the family, my sitting in silence and internally cursing whoever decided to allocate the safe houses probably didn't look normal. "Astoria will show you to your room, Scorpius carry the girl's stuff."
"It's okay, I can carry my own," I tried to say not wanting to inflict any more of a nuisance than I already was onto the Malfoy's.
"No, I insist" Scorpius smirked before a flick of his wand levitated my trunk above us. It was strange for me to see magic in such common practice at home, with my Mum being muggle born she tried to make us do things 'her' way as often as possible – apart from the washing up, she loathed doing that by hand. "I'll show Rose to her room Mum, you need to pick Grace up from her friend's anyway."
"Thanks dear" Astoria leaned into her son and gave him a light kiss on the cheek before turning to me. "Get settled in Rose, dinner will be around 5, is that okay with you?"
"That's great Mrs Malfoy, thankyou" I answered.
"Call me Astoria" she smiled before fleeing the room, obviously in a hurry to pick up Grace, who I assume to be the little blonde girl in the photographs. I wondered what it would be like to have such an obvious age difference between me and Hugo like Scorpius has with Grace – there's only a two year gap between Hugo and I, making it much easier for me to torment him with no feelings of guilt about him not being able to fight back (which he did, of course).
"Come on Weasley, haven't got all day" Scorpius started up the stairs that twisted around the house in a beautiful way. The place was a far cry from my house and even further from the Burrow with it's rickety wood staircase. At least if I'm being imprisoned here for the summer it looked pleasant.
Scorpius stopped at an open door just off the landing next to a bathroom, along the corridor was around 5 other bedrooms and across the landing probably another 5 bedrooms – the place was huge. My room had modern furnishings, a large four poster bed with satin covers and a mountain of pillows resting on the bed. I noticed that what colour the room did have was soft red and gold – Gryffindor colours. Maybe they'd known about my visit long before I did. It was the sort of room you'd expect to find in those ultra posh muggle hotels that Mum forces Dad to take her to.
"Will this be adequate Weasley?" he lowered my trunk into the corner of the room beside the massive wardrobe.
"It's great, thankyou" I said whilst peering out of the window, the room faced the back garden – although could acres of land really be called a garden? I should say I had a perfect view of the grounds of the manor. It was filled to the brim with sculptures, flowers, ponds, gazebos; everything you could imagine from such an exquisite place.
"Bathrooms next door," he said smoothly "my rooms across the hall."
"And why would I need to know your room Malfoy?" I said absent-mindedly.
"So you don't accidentally walk in on me naked, of course" he said naturally with a wink.
"I think I could vomit at that mental picture" that was an exaggeration; I doubt I'd vomit, maybe just feel exceptionally uncomfortable and want to die from embarrassment.
"I doubt that," he said casually before turning to leave "see you at dinner Weasley"
At least if I got bored here I could turn my attention to annoying Scorpius; he seemed like he would make a good partner to insult and with him being a Slytherin it brought an entirely whole new world of insults that I can't use on my family. I would also be able to actually concentrate on my school work here, at home I'd constantly be distracted by Al wanting to play Quidditch or Hugo throwing things at me and definitely by James just being James. I had a better chance of getting good grades next year if I got ahead in my work over the summer, every cloud has a silver lining I guess.
You know that feeling of disorientation when you wake up from a nap? That momentary feeling of not having a clue where you are, who you are or what day it is. It took me a good 2 minutes for me to establish that I was in Malfoy Manor, I am Rose Weasley and that it is a Saturday. The clock on the bedside table told me it was quarter to 5 (hopefully in the evening, I was starving), I decided to head down to the kitchen, maybe I could help Astoria with setting up for dinner. I didn't want to be waited on hand and foot whilst here, I felt like I was using them enough already.
"I don't know Astoria, it's pretty bad." I hesitated at the door not wanting to interrupt what sounded like a serious conversation between the husband and wife. "The Ministry are scared, really scared. Potter has no clue what to do, none of us do."
"And the killings?" she asked in a low voice.
"Another one today, a muggle born," Draco sighed heavily "we've had tips on who the leader is, Nathanial Carrow"
"As in?" Astoria's voice clipped.
"Alecto's son, we've had reports of him approaching ex-Death Eaters to sign up," I hated hearing this. I hated not being able to be with my parents when all this was happening. "he's dangerous."
I couldn't listen any more. I took the plunge and swung the door open, plastering a false smile across my face, no sign that I'd been listening to the dark conversation between the two.