A/N: Thanks for being so patient for this chapter!

These characters belong to J.K. Rowling.

Chapter Eleven: Freedom

Draco and Amelia were called down to the Headmaster's office later the next morning. Lucius met them outside, with a tight smile. He had arranged for them to have a private breakfast in Hogsmeade before he had to deal with the events of the previous night.

"Good morning, children." He greeted them. "I trust you had a pleasant evening."

"Of course, Father." Draco replied.

Amelia had to stifle a yawn. This was an acceptable response for Lucius, who glared menacingly at her.

"Amelia, please refrain from spending the entire night out of bed." Her father said, "We all know that you need plenty of sleep to have a proper constitution. If your duties are keeping you from doing do, perhaps I should speak to your professors about keeping you too busy. Then again, maybe you should learn to manage yourself."

She blushed and looked down at her shoes. "Yes, Father."

"Shall we go?" Lucius said.

He and Draco walked side by side, conversing easily. As Amelia walked behind them, she found that both of them behaved quite in the same manner, the same pride, ambition, and disdain for people who they deemed of lower status. No wonder Lucius was so proud of Draco.

Amelia was silent for all of breakfast. Not that she ever had an opportunity to speak. Draco had plenty to say about his own year. Amelia had very little. That is, she had very little she wished to share with her belittling father. She may be more apt to explain the friendship between her and Neville if she was with her mother, but as it was, she was occupied at one of her friend's house.

Just as their meal was finishing, Amelia felt a presence loom behind her. Her father looked up in surprise.

"Cornelius! Whatever are you doing here?"

"There have been attacks, Lucius. You wouldn't expect me to not make an appearance after such an event." The minister addressed her father sternly, as if he was a young schoolboy who had misbehaved.

Lucius had not yet caught on to the tone of the conversation. "If you're here to speak with Headmaster Dumbledore about the dreadful affair, you shall wait for me. I'm only finishing breakfast with my children."

"I have actually just come from Dumbledore's office, Lucius. It is you I have come to see." Cornelius glanced at Draco and Amelia. "I'm afraid it's a rather uncomfortable business. It would be better to speak with you privately."

Lucius dabbed at the corner of his lips with a napkin and stood from his place at the table gently. "No matter. I was full anyway. Children, stay in here while I speak to the minister outside."

Draco and Amelia looked at each other in curiosity before running to the window to watch their father's and the minister's conversation.

At first, it appeared as though they were close friends, exchanging words easily. However, Cornelius had a forced smile on his face the whole time. There was then an obvious shift in the mood. Lucius' smile dropped and he became angry. Amelia could see him shout ferociously at the minister, not caring that people in the streets were watching them in disdain.

"What do you suppose is happening?" Draco asked her.

Amelia bit her lip, "Nothing good, that's for sure."

When their father returned, he was in a far worse mood than he had been before. He summoned them immediately, leaving behind a large sum to pay for their food. He didn't speak at all on the way back to the castle and scarcely gave them goodbyes before he set off for Dumbledore's office.

Amelia and Draco looked at each other before heading to their own dormitories. She was glad for some time for herself, as she had much writing to catch up on.

Recently, Amelia had been dedicating the majority of her time to studying for her exams. She was not going to let herself fall behind in her first year and give her father more ammunition to use against her.

The common room was empty when she arrived as well as the dormitory. It was very rare that she had the place to herself, so rare that she couldn't recall the last time it happened. She wanted to scream at the top of her lungs just because she could and not draw attention to herself.

Amelia didn't do this, of course. She was far too anxious of discovery to do so.

Instead, she went up to her dormitory. Richard cooed admiringly when he saw her enter the room. When she sat down on her bed, he curled up beside her and began purring and rubbing his nose affectionately on her hand.

She complied with his demands and began petting his head gently.

"Morning, Amelia." Daniella said as she entered the dormitory. "Morning, Richard."

"Morning." Amelia said quietly.

"What have you been doing this morning?" Daniella asked as she rifled through her school bag.

Amelia bit her lip, "Nothing much. My father is here for business with Professor Dumbledore so my brother and I had breakfast with him. That was nice."

"I'd imagine." She replied, some laughter in her voice.

This struck Amelia in the wrong way, "What?"

"I'm just saying, I'd imagine breakfast with your father and your brother was nice. Nice in the way that getting bit by a garden gnome is nice."

There were a few seconds of silence. Amelia wasn't usually one to defend or stand up for her family openly. But she felt like she owed them this.

"That's my family."

"What?"

"Draco and my father. You can't talk about them like that in front of me."

Daniella looked distraught, "Oh no, Amelia! I didn't realize! I don't know, I guess I just thought that you didn't like them."

"Well I do."

"I'm so sorry, Amelia."

She sighed, "I forgive you. I know you didn't mean it."

Daniella looked unsure and was quiet for a while until the rest of the girls came in. It was as though Amelia had never said anything at all. This was a relief. Amelia had been secretly panicking the whole time, worrying that Daniella would start hating her instead.

Later the next day, Amelia was walking by herself in the courtyard when she ran into the very unexpected.

Dobby the house elf was sitting between two rose bushes, looking happily up at the sky. He was smiling widely and singing some song to himself.

"Dobby?! What are you doing here?"

"Dobby has been freed, miss! I didn't want to leave until I said goodbye to you. You were the only person kind to me at the Malfoy house." Dobby replied, standing up. He had a large sock on his left foot.

"I'm sure that's not true." Amelia said bashfully.

The house elf grinned mischievously, "Tis true, miss. I would never lie to a respectable witch such as yourself."

Amelia felt her heart constrict, "Live well, Dobby. I somebody someday will recognize your potential."

"Be careful with Master Malfoy, ma'm. I've heard whispers throughout the house. There's something at work in his mind."

She nodded thoughtfully but paid no mind to his words. Although her father was a mysterious enigma that always kept her guessing, he had left his old life behind. He was no longer an avid follower of an outdated villain.

Amelia gave Dobby an uncomfortable hug and bid him goodbye. He snapped his fingers and disappeared in a chaotic wave.

"Amelia."

She turned around to see Draco walking towards her, his school robes flying behind him. In an instant, he looked like their father in his agonizing sophistication. The look in his eye looked like it could kill.

"Draco. What's wrong?"

He then changed from their father into his usual self. "Wrong? Does something have to be wrong for me to talk to you?"

"No." Amelia looked at the ground bashfully. "Is there something wrong?"

"Funnily enough, yes. Do you remember when Father was arguing with the Minister yesterday?"

"Yes." She said uneasily.

He sighed, "Well apparently the Minister was firing. Father's not a governor anymore."

Amelia was unsure of what to think of this. She knew her parents would both be disappointed, her father more so. In fact, he would be so disappointed that he would probably treat the family poorly until he stopped being disappointed.

"What are we going to do?"

Draco scoffed, "It's not like we're not well-off Amelia. We have plenty of funds in the family safe. Father doesn't need to hold a job in order to earn money. He needed that job for the power of it, the prestige. You should be more worried about our connections."

"I should be more worried for our connections than I should about Father?"

Her brother looked confused. "Father is strong, Amelia. He can handle this road bump."

"But he's going to be hurt by this, Draco. We have to be kind to make him feel better."

"Kindness is a weakness, Amelia. If you knew that, maybe you would be a Slytherin." He said this calmly, as if he didn't believe his words would hurt her. "If you're not doing anything, why don't we go on a walk. Sometimes the idiots in my dormitory can be really wearing."

Amelia smiled sheepishly, "I'd like that."

"Good. I was hoping to discuss some things with you regarding next year. I don't want you to fall behind like I suspect you did this year." He eyed her disapprovingly. "This year was pretty easy for me so I can definitely help you out."

"You know, Neville also did fairly well in his classes this year. He can help me too."

"Longbottom?" Draco's face twisted into one of disgust. "Why would you take any advice from him?"

"He seems to know what he's doing, Draco."

"You're not in class with him. He's probably different for you because he thinks he can seem interesting to an unknowing first year."

"Oh." Amelia said, looking at the ground.

"Not that you're completely unknowing." Draco said when he noticed her face. "You've done perfectly well this year. I'm proud to call you my sister."

Right as he said this, Neville passed, holding his toad, Trevor, in his hands.

"Hi, Nev." Amelia said smiling.

"Hi, Mel." Neville replied, smiling. He glanced at Draco. "Draco."

"Longbottom."

This interaction took only a few seconds, but it didn't go unnoticed by Amelia. This was one of the first converstaions she'd ever seen take place between Neville and Draco that hadn't been uncivil.

"Thank you."

"For what?" Draco replied stiffly.

"For not doing what you usually do. I hope you don't start that up again."

"I make no promises when you're not around. But I will respect the relationship you have with him as long as you're in sight. Doesn't mean I approve of it, doesn't mean I'm not going to try to separate you."

"I'll take it." Amelia replied decidedly. "But I can tell you right now, I'm not going to stop being his friend. I don't think I ever will. So good luck."