It was dark outside. Of course, it seemed to always be dark at the manor. It hadn't been that way before; years ago after the ruckus of the First Wizarding War died down and before the present turmoil began. It had seemed a lot... warmer. Malfoy Manor could hardly be considered a homey place, no matter when you looked at it, but it was far less welcoming now. Particularly with the current guests.
"Now, who was that pretty?" Bellatrix asked in her almost frighteningly sweet voice. She gave a somewhat taunting smile, her wand poised over her shoulder.
This was to be the first of many lessons Draco would receive in Occlumency. And so far, his aunt seemed to be getting most of her enjoyment from teasing him about everything she saw in his mind. He tried his hardest not to outright glare at her, but it was quite difficult when she was making it so easy to resent her.
"Well if you don't want me to see, then block me out!" She said, aiming her wand at him again. "Clear your mind, Draco." And she plunged into his thoughts.
He was honestly trying, he really was, but now he could tell she was doing her damnedest to get under his skin. After the glimpse she'd seen of Remington, he caught flashes of bright cyan eyes, an amused smile, a kiss-
"Awfully friendly, are you?" Bellatrix goaded with her smile when she withdrew once more from his mind. "What's her name, Draco?"
"Alvers." He responded tightly, not much caring for her to be enlightened to this particular subject.
"Alvers?" She repeated, tapping her chin with a dark fingernail. "Yes, he wasn't much younger than me. Married that Orpington girl- had a daughter, did he?" When Draco declined to say anything more voluntarily, she prodded, "Well, her name, what's her name?"
"Remington." He replied, shifting slightly on his feet.
"Remington Alvers," Bellatrix said in a mildly mocking tone, then her voice softened to jeer more at Draco than Rem, "Remington... Malfoy?" Before any surprise from her remark had time to register, she'd turned her wand on him again and dove into his mind.
This time, he managed to close her off the slightest bit. In a pleased sort of trouvaille, she ceased her assault, grinning at him in a contented way. "That's better."