When I am retrieved the next morning by Draco he makes polite small talk, seemingly to distract me from last nights events. During breakfast it was much of the same type of conversation as I discover I am to dine with just the Malfoys as my 'father' was away taking care of some business, which I can assume is guise for murdering and causing pain. However, as long as I am not expected to perform any more curses I think I view this as a silver lining.
'Aria dear' Narcissa begins after dabbing her face with a napkin. "Your father wishes me to teach the ways of pureblood society to ensure you become a role model of a daughter for other pureblood women entering high society." I cringe inwardly, sure I enjoyed putting on nice makeup and cloths, styling my hair to make myself feel pretty… but etiquette classes, ballroom dancing, the complete history of pureblood society? I thought I was being trained to be the dark heir not the dark princess. Regardless, watching Voldemort kill Samwell so easily ensured I was terrified enough to go along with whatever he asked.
After pushing around a bowl of oatmeal I am escorted towards a beauty parlour, we begin with the history of pure blood society and expectations of women through this. "Aria, Aria dear, are you listening, I was explaining the importance of knowing each member of pureblood society, for networking purposes and such."
"mm. I nod along… "and such?" I ask the question to appear as though I was listening inquiringly.
"Yes, such is time for your father to find you a betrothed it helps to know who is who and which are better than the other." I swallow.
"Do you mean I'll have to do that, like my mother?"
"Well of course, such was her mother's destiny and her mother before that."
"But you saw what happened with my mother, she ran away, you were there that night." All of a sudden I found Narcissa standing two inches from my face, the pointed tip of her wand against my throat.
"You will do well to hide that memory deep within the expanses of your mind, if the dark one discovers I was there that night not only will he hurt me but also what is most precious to me. That being Draco, do you understand?" she breathe harshly into my face. I nod but don't dare speak.
Narcissa gracefully takes her seat and pats down her long skirt. "As I was saying, when the time comes your father will chose a suitable suitor, but we're talking ahead of ourselves, lets go back to learning the faces of important wizards and witches." Narcissa pulls out a deck of photocard containing the faces of every relevant person, normally in pictures people smile, here though everyone looked miserable yet pristine.
The coming weeks continue is such fashion. I spend much of my days at Malfoy manor attending etiquette lessons with Mrs Malfoy and private tutoring from Snape. I had been forced to perform the imperius curse on some bugs, Snape said it was better that he could report that I had practiced this in this manner than on an actual person before the dark lords entire entourage, which I agreed.
I only saw Draco when he escorted me between lessons or meals and even then there were house elves and other magical folk roaming the grounds, having a genuine conversation with him that were not subject to an audience became increasingly difficult.
"I miss school." I blurted out once as Draco was escorting me to dinner time. He chuckles at this and side eyes me.
"I didn't think those were words I would ever hear coming out of your mouth." I playfully shoved him as he descended the grand stair case.
"Hey I care about my education, but I just miss my friends, that includes you, I feel like you're my guard here more than a friend." I laugh quietly.
"I am your friend, but I am also your guard, I'm on strict orders from your father to do so." I huff.
"I don't really need protecting in the manor though do I?" I ask rhetorically. "What other orders has my dear daddy given you?" I as playfully, but honestly this may be useful information to feed back to Dumbledore's army. Draco shuffles his feet awkwardly.
"I can't say." Is all he says on the matter.
"Oh come on Draco, you can tell me, you oldest and most wisest friend." He chuckles but simply shakes his head. "Draco tell me pleaseeee." I say, extending my eeee's. he remains silent. "You can tell me, I want to know what my so called guard is up to when he's not, you know, guarding me."
"Draco." I hear sternly, we turn to see Lucius. "He is requesting an audience with you." I look up to Draco's face and see him swallow a lump.
"Yes father." Is all he says as he opens the dining room door for me, turning on his heals and retreating into his father's direction.
I dine alone that night, as I do for every meal for several days. Draco is no longer escorting me and instead I find myself being taken everywhere by Broderick, a plump little melon of a man who although looks slow, walks faster than me and often tells me to "hurry the bloody hell up." If I so much as stop to admire a painting I had erased from my memory due to the curse, or to look out of the window because the sun is setting.
On a particularly brisk walk to the dinning hall, as per usual thanks to Broderick I catch a glimpse of Draco walking at the opposite end of the hallway, I call his name and he looks up as his train of thought it broken. I smile widely and wave, the hallway was tremendously long. As Draco lifts his arm to wave back his father appears from behind him and grabs his arm, pulling him into the side room. I feel deflated as Broderick tells me keep up. I was trapped in the chasm of a manor alone, all I wanted was one conversation with a familiar face, to talk about something that wasn't for educational purposes and to just for one day not feel so alone. That evening as I sat in my room, brushing my hair and staring longingly out of the window I thought about the time Harry told me the twins and Ron rescued him from his impressment at the Dursley's house. How I wished that was me, standing there whilst Fred reverses the car through the floor to ceiling length window and George hurriedly ushers me into the back.
It was in that moment as I daydreamed about my nearest and dearest friends that I was interrupted by a knock at the door. I told the intruder to come in and Draco stepped past the threshold of my door. Surprised by his presence I walk towards him and gather him in a hug, I would be outright lying if I didn't admit I missed him dearly. He hugs me back and I am surprised by how solid his arms feel wrapped around me. I break the hug first and step back.
"Hey." I say, slicing through the silence.
"Hey." He returns. When I look him over I noticed grey eyebags beginning to form.
"You look like you could use a rest." He chuckles, but its one that lacks humour.
"Yes I believe I do."
"Off doing secret missions that you can't tell me about were you." I ask smugly. He just gives me a pointed stare and rakes his hand through his hair.
"How have you been these last few days?." He inquires politely.
"Lonely!" I exclaim. "Bored out of my head." I add. "I'm tired of learning about who to converse with and who to avoid, which is the correct fork to use and torturing poor defenceless bugs." I continue even more. "I thought when I was bought here that I would spend most of my time being a wallflower, quietly expected to sit there as my fathers latest accessory, but mostly I thought I would be catching up with you, visiting our old tree house, I didn't imagine I'd spend so much time alone wishing you were here or anyone for that matter that doesn't force me to regurgitate information regarding pureblood society or evil spells." I pause mid rant to continue but Draco stops me there.
"I know I told you, but there are other things expected of me, were not those little kids in those memories we regained, we both have our duties. The silence is heavy and I realise he was right, I'm not just an accessory, I am the dark heir, training for a purpose.
"But it's good your learning all these things." Draco adds in a lighter tone, attempting to alter the dark mood that had washed over me. "You are the dark heir and people have a lot of expectations of you." I sigh inwardly, I forgot Draco doesn't know I'm not really the dark heir, there was no one around that I could drop these false pretences around.