I apologize for the delay in updating. I've just been terribly busy with Christmas hols and what not. Hope you all had a great holiday. –Sevy14

*I own nothing.

"Are you unwell?"

I look up, surprised I hadn't heard him come in. Standing there in the doorway his eyes boar holes into mine, and I wasn't sure what he meant really, "Unwell?"

He sighs and pushes his left hand into its pocket. "Yes, Mippy informed me earlier that you had said you were unwell."

I nodded and looked at him. Was I really unwell or was it exhaustion from this life? He stared back at me before he took a step into the room, I inhaled and he stopped, apparently he noticed.

"You are afraid of me…"

I didn't say anything at first, just looked at him. He seemed uncomfortable, not domineering, not-not like he usually is, it made me feel awkward, wary, it made me feel like I could speak without worry for repercussion. "I-Well how do you expect me to feel towards you after last night?" He just nods and walks into the room, the door shutting with a click.

"I see." He says as he sits down on the window seat and reclines against the wall looking out the glass panes.

"I-I just don't understand how I let myself I get like this…" I mutter to myself shaking my head.

"Perhaps you're worn down from this life."

I look at him, his face is bathed in sunlight, his hair, so bright that the shine is almost blinding. "I'm suffocating." That's all it is really. At this his eyes come to meet mine. I look down at my book and put its marker in its place, sighing as I do so. He looks away back out towards the window and I'm left staring at his golden hair once again. He sighs, his hands clasping together in his lap.

"I am not so bad am I?"

Within those few words there was uncertainty, apprehension, fear, there was mostly fear. His gaze is steady out the window but I look at him anyways, trying to see his face and gage his feelings, I can gather nothing though. "I-I well…. You were horrible last night, and there were those-those other times I say," my voice breaking a bit and he looks over at me.

"I am sorry for that-that abuse. I…. My mother would be most ashamed."

I nod at this, he stares at me a minute more and then looks back out the window. "Regardless of your abuse Malfoy, you-you gave me my son. And that is a bright spot in my otherwise bleak and dark world." Silence only answers me and again, I sigh. Seems that's all I do these days. He huffs a bit, as if amused and I quirk an eyebrow at him, he doesn't see my face but he responds none the less,

"That and my library."

"Oh…" I smile a bit, "Yes, your library is a place that I enjoy." And the silence takes over once again. Minutes pass and my eyes grow blurry from the haze of his golden hair. I grew tired of the silence after what must have been ten minutes, yet he seemed unfazed or bothered by it. I do the only thing I can, "You seem to be in a good mood, work went well then?" He looks sharply at me, his eyes narrowing but I refused to be cowed and I narrow my eyes back at him.

"Yes. Yes I suppose you could say that."

"Ah…" was all I could say in response, he hadn't given me much to go off of. Of course, his work was not something I am allowed to talk about or question. The minutes begin to race by again and I my thoughts are now blank with boredom when out of nowhere his voice slices through the thick silence.

"There was an attack today, wiped out most of our forces-the opposition it… It's much larger and stronger than previously thought."

I dare not make a face of approval at the opposition that he speaks of-at the mention of my friends. He turns to look at me and I can feel his eyes upon my face before he opens his mouth but then closes it, a frown dressed upon his face. He looks back out the window and the minutes begin their race again.

"You haven't received any mail as of late have you?"

I snort and he looks over at me, eyebrows raised. "Draco, I don't receive mail. You know that."

"Do I?"

He says and I don't quite understand at first but then I get it. "Oh… No. I haven't received any letters from old friends if that's what you're implying."

He shakes his head, "Wasn't implying Hermione, just asking." A pause, two breaths to be exact, "You would tell me if you had?"

I suck in a breath and look at him. Would I? And then I nod, "Yes. Yes I would." It'd be the smart thing to do, to keep my son safe, to keep me safe. After searching my eyes he turned his head back to the window. "Is that why you're being nice, because you have to ask if my friends have contacted me?" No response, at least not at first. A large sigh,

"No, that's not it."

"Oh… Alright." Weird, he's definitely being weird. "I-You should know, a card and flowers doesn't make terrorizing a person okay."

A nod, "Yes I know… It's the least I can do though."

I nod in response, "I suppose…" But my thought drifts off and I fall silent. "What else? Why are you being so… Weird?" The "to me" is there but unvoiced. He looks at me, a withering look.

"I went to see mother today. I brought her some flowers."

I nod. His mother is a topic he doesn't like to talk about so whenever he does it is one of delicacy.

"I remembered the first time father hit her in front of me." A sigh and a glance down at his hands, "I remembered how I felt, how-how angry and sad I felt, and last night flashed before my eyes and all I could feel was guilt for my actions."

I just nod at him. He continues on though, not seeing me, off in his own world.

"By doing what I did last night, with Constellation hearing your cries, I-I am continuing on the tradition that my father showed me to him… I don't want that. I-I…" He stops and takes a deep breath, "I could never forgive myself if the habits I learned from my father were passed onto him."

Finally, he looks up, his eyes now focused and he can see me, he looks worn and tired and somewhere deep down in my chest something stirs. I get up from the bed and walk towards him. "I don't think that she'd be ashamed of you for following in your father's shoes," he looks at me sharply, "No, instead she'd be proud that you and I are even having this conversation." Now only if you can act on these feelings and thoughts is the real test. He moves to stand and I roll back onto my feet from my crouched position and stand as he does. I watch as he walks towards the door, with his hand on it he pauses and turns to face me.

"The Dark Lord has requested that I produce another child."

I only look at him.

"That is why I sent Constellation away…"

I just stare into his eyes.

"We will dine tonight and then perhaps, retire, a bath, and then, well, you know." He says with a slight nod.

I only look at him, not moving.

"I can ask Uncle Severus if he'll provide a potion to make-make it more pleasurable for you."

I don't know what to think or how to respond so I continue to bath him with my gaze.

"If you'd like."

Still nothing from me, only my soft stare in his direction is indication that I've heard him.

"Hermione."

I quirk my head to the side a centimeter,

"You understand what I have told you?"

A nod.

"Very well. Until dinner then." He says and then he turns and opens the door. Just as its shutting I hear him call out, "Which is at 6:15pm." And the room fell silent with the click of the door.

Well, that's that for this chapter. I know it's short but I have a lot of stories to get to. I hope you all had a great holiday. Have a good night. –Sevy14