Hey guys! I'm gonna try making the chapters a bit longer, I hope no one minds. I hope you guys like it, I'm very happy it already has 20 follows ^^

Again, I'd love some reviews and suggestions. Please don't be shy~

...00000000

The snow outside had stopped and left the Malfoy Manor in a thick sheet of white.

The dark hedges surrounding the plot of land stood still and unmoving against the winter breeze. And the pavement in the driveway was 6' inches deep in snow.

If not for the man that lived there or the crimes committed inside, one might think it was a rather peaceful place. A winter fantasy, a place to spend time with loved ones at Christmas.

The Malfoy's had never been big on holidays, except for Draco who had gotten everything he could have ever wanted.

As he got older the style of gifts changed with him. From enchanted drumming bears with shiny brass symbols to absurdly expensive gold embellished stationary. Each year chocolate frogs, cream filled devil cakes, licorice snaps, and sugared butterfly wings awaited him. Even at age 17 he got childish gifts. His parents could not see he was no longer the fussy spoiled child he once was.

Lucius would give anything just to have things the way they were before. To have his family together once more on Christmas day hunkered down by their warm fireplace.

But the Christmas he wanted would never come. Draco and Narcissa would now only stay the night on Christmas Eve but soon be off the next morning.

Since she had left him he had spent Christmas getting piss drunk on expensive wines and cheap fire whiskey. He'd wallow in self-pity, end the night passed out somewhere like the garden. Most of his Christmases had an uncomfortable experience that he took them for granted.

There wasn't a thing Lucius wouldn't do for Narcissa and on Christmas Eve she was treated more like a queen than she ever was. He truly cared for her during their marriage but somewhere down the line they drifted apart.

As their romance crumbed into nothingness it made Christmas time all the more tense. Draco was not a little boy anymore and they no longer had to hide their fighting. Now free to squabble and yell, they didn't hold back during their arguments. Christmas was just another reminder that each year had brought them further apart.

Yet he still longed for the wife he once knew, as she was much more than that to him. She was his best friend and confidant, they shared gossip and she'd listen to his problems. As for his son he still saw him more often than Narcissa, but it didn't stop him from missing Draco. Draco was his only son and he took pride in him even if he couldn't show it.

To think that this man with a heart made out of stone could have ever truly loved someone as he loved his family is unfathomable.

Hermione's Christmas's were different however, during the holidays she was surrounded by family from all over England. It seemed every year that passed her family grew and grew.

And being around all these people who had their own lives to live make her uncomfortable; All her cousins where either years younger or years older than her. She had no one to relate with.

Although she was surrounded by people she still felt so alone.

Her family tried to be inclusive, inviting her into conversations. But how could she keep them going if she didn't have anything to talk about other than school? Despite the love and understanding her family gave her she still managed to feel alienated from the Christmas parties her Aunt held each year.

Her aunts and uncles would only want to talk about her love life. They teased and mocked her about having a boyfriend and she hated it. Their sarcastic tones about being a "heartbreaker" were more than she can handle. She knew they meant no harm but that fact didn't ease her embarrassment.

As she got older Christmas got less and less magical to her. It was just another reminder that she couldn't live up to her family.

She just wanted a Christmas like other kids had, like Sarah who had a simple Christmas at home with her brothers. She never had to deal with pressure of dating from her family or feeling alone.

Christmas was only a few days away, the only thing she wanted was to be back home with her mother and father.

-ooo-

Lucius pushed the door open and stepped forward into the room. He was prepared to find her sitting on the floor crying still.

But much to his surprise she was missing, he even turned his head to peer into the bathroom. Not a trace of the girl anywhere except for the puddle of water in the bathroom and the wet skirt by the vanity.

The air in the room was still and cold, and he could feel the breeze of winter air pour through the barred window. "Enough games Muggle."

He almost walked forward to further inspect the room. Lucius felt it was most like she was hiding under the bed, a stupid place to hide but she was a stupid muggle girl.

He would have if he didn't feel something brush up against his side.

He quickly turned around to see Hermione bolting away. The clever girl had hid behind the door and swiftly moved out from behind him. It was her mistake, she was too anxious to leave that cold uncaring room and accidently pumped into his side.

Everything was happening so quickly that she was almost to the steps of the cellar stairs before she felt Lucius' tight grip around her waist dragging her back into the darkness.

She kicked and punched, hollered and wailed. She was so close to leaving, she could not give up. Even if she did not know where she was she could call out for someone to come help her. If she was lucky that is.

With all her might she struggled against him, resisting the force of him. He was too strong; he had a grip around her waist that was firm and solid. In the heat of the moment there was no way to tell if he was really putting much effort into holding her.

"Stop resisting Muggle!" Those words didn't even register in her head.

He tossed her away from the stairs with great force.

She slid slightly against the floor, hitting one of the pillars.

She opened her eyes and look towards him, his wand was pointed right between her eyes.

"Try running again and I will hurt you."

This was the second time he had threatened her with wand didn't pose any threat to her, she couldn't have known it was real.

She also had no idea what he'd killed many men and women with it to pursue a dark cause. She didn't come from a world of magic and spells, so she felt no fear from it when she got up and started to run for the stairs once more.

"Crucio!" His voice was booming loud like the first clap of thunder before a storm.

Hermione fell hard against the smooth wet stone floor.

Her blood felt like it was hot boiling lava, bubbling deep in within her. A spell that was described to feel like hot knives being driven into deep into your flesh felt a thousand times worst to the girl who'd barely felt a period cramp. Hot skin pressed against the cold ground was little no relief to her and seemingly made things worse. Her skin felt like a sea of never ending fire. Burn, Burn, Burn….

Hermione screamed out, she tried to call for him to help her, to make whatever was happening stop, but all that came out were blood curdling screams. She would have urinated from the pain, but thankfully she hadn't had any fluid in her system prior.

Lucius watched her wither around floor, gripping for nothingness.

Using the crucio spell on her was uncalled for, by the time she actually tried to make it out towards the stairs she'd discover the cellar was inescapable. The only way she could leave was by being escorted by a Malfoy or their house elf.

As he stood above her he kept telling himself that she deserved it, she must learn the hard way. Another lie.

What seemed like hours of pain for Hermione was only seconds for Lucius. He lifted the curse and her body felt like it sunk into the floor, almost unconscious but not quite.

"See what happens when you try to defy me?"

She's too tired to move or to even open her eyes. She can barely let out a moan. Whatever he had to her stopped but she swore she could still feel her skin boiling. Lucius slid his want back into its holder and continued gazing at her.

This silence was uncomfortably uncanny. If it had gone on any longer her might have started to feel guilty.

"Get up now or else I will make sure the next time it is cast it will be much more unbearable."

He was almost certain she would not get up, but surely enough she slowly lifted herself back up.

It was remarkable how fast she got up, not to say she was as quick as a whip but most people pass out from the pain. Lucius figured he hadn't put enough force into the curse last time.

Using the wall as support she pushed herself into standing upright. Her hands slipped against the wet stone, and her feet struggled to keep her up. It took a full 5 minutes but she was back up again.

Hermione's eyes were filled with such hatred and pain that it almost seemed if instead of running she would try gouging out his eyes.

"Now then Muggle," he held his head eye looking down over her, "Are we done trying to rebel?"

Her expression was still pissed but she nodded, she didn't understand how he did that but she didn't want to feel it again.

"Good", he gave a small shit eating grin, "I've already given you a days' worth of rest, which you spent sleeping like a lazy oath. I thought it was time to put you to work."

"A day?" she thought, "Surely by now someone is out there looking for me."

Lucius moved towards her. "I will give you a tour of the Manor, show you want needs to be cleaned each day. I need not to repeat myself; if you do not listen the first time and do the chore incorrectly I will punish you again."

Hermione tensed, she was always a good listener and could remember things the first time but she still feared she might slip up. She couldn't deal with the pain again; she had never felt anything like it before.

"Do not make any attempt to leave the manor. I have warded the entire lot with a protection spell. If you try to leave you will be unable to. Again punishment will be served if you try to run away again. You are mine now, muggle. Do I make myself clear?"

She nodded.

"Come", he spoke in a demanding yet casual tone.

He grabbed her for her arm with a soft grip and escorted her out of the cellar, up the stairs, and into the hall up above.

As they walked down the dreary and cold hallway he pulled her closer and whispered something to her.

"I'm sure if you'll learn to behave, we could become a lot…. closer…"