Beauty is Only Skin Deep

Disclaimer: It's not mine.

Ooo- Deep meaningful title!

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It was a labyrinth. Passages and cathedral ceiling halls, rooms and cold marble. Ron was getting more and more panicked by the second. Where WAS the lounge? What would they do to him if he didn't turn up in time? Briefly he reminded himself that he LOOKED like their son, but somehow, the ice in the eyes and touch of Lucius Malfoy and his steely wife suggested event that wouldn't stop them if they felt he needed to be punished, and he had a sneaking suspicion tardiness annoyed them enough to be a punishable offence

He peeped into room after room, some bedrooms, some bathrooms or studies, sitting rooms. He was trembling slightly. None of them looked like a lounge at all… oh what was he going to DO?
His panic vanished however, when he discovered something that stopped it cold.
The master bedroom was huge, bigger then Draco's own. Ron's curiosity burned, and after a quick look over his shoulder, he slipped in, shutting the door behind him. What manner of secrets would Lucius and Narcissa's own sleeping chambers hold?  A bedroom was the best place to hide something…

Where to begin? The room was the same colours as the other rooms, dark green carpeting, stark walls, and dark furniture; there was a heavy huge bed in the centre, rich coverings of a similar dark green to the carpeting. Ron suppressed a grin and fought the childish urge to jump on the bed…

He tiptoed about, opening a wardrobe, and peering in, eyes wide as saucers at the amount of clothing. Satins, velvets, brocade… Ron was sure most of the stuff would cost more then his whole family had combined. He fingered a very thick fur cloak and shut the door quietly, looking around for more to poke his nose in.
A bedside table revealed a very shiny, rather evil looking dagger. Ron brought it closer, trying to make out a thin engraving near the blade edge, there seemed to be black ink rubbed into it to make it more legible, when it was inches from his nose, he dropped it with a curse, realizing the black in was really ink at all, but dried blood.
He picked it up and hastily shoved it back into the draw with a shudder of revulsion. What sort of family was this? He knew they were evil, but…

He pushed open a door at the far side of the room, shaking a little, the question what would they do to HIM if they found out raced about his head, the dagger's bloody secret suggesting horrible pictures of racks and hot irons in his head.
The door led into an ensuite. His mouth dropped open, tortures forgotten. The bathtub was like a small pool, everything was clad in white marble and the towels were large, thick and dark green. The basin had a curved silver snake head as the tap. Even the toilet looked luxurious.
He backed out slowly, goggling.
Seeing he was backing out, he of course didn't notice Lucius right behind him until he slammed into him.

Ron made a strangled noise and spun around, facing the towering Malfoy senior. Lucius was looking at him with an extremely cold expression; and Ron began to tremble, thinking fast. HOW would he explain this?

"We've been looking for you, Draco- WHAT; may I ask are you doing in here?"

The question hung like a threat. Ron swallowed a couple of times, a few alternatives popping to mind. However, the silence it's self suggested a reason…

"L-looking for you…" He said, trying to make his voice a little vague "I thought you were her.. Or maybe not…" He looked about, trying to flatten his expression. Lucius frowned slightly, hooking a finger under Ron's chin and forcing his head upwards. Ron noted Lucius skin was very cold.

Ron wanted to look away, but Malfoy's eyes pinned him effectively. He felt himself begin to tremble. His father had always said the Malfoy's were corrupt, but the heart of someone's soul lies in their eyes, and the frosty grey eyes that pinned Ron made his realize with a sickening lurch the full extent of the Malfoy's depravity. He wanted to run.

"Are you feeling well, boy?" he asked finally. Ron licked his lips, and shook his head as much as Lucius' grip would allow.
"A little light headed, I didn't think anything of it. I can handle it though." He said, trying to sound both arrogant and disjointed at the same time. He was now convinced his life hung with however well he acted. Lucius raised an eyebrow but let it lie, turning on heel and sweeping from the room.

"Come Draco. Your mother might want to see to this. I am no expert in illness."

Ron followed meekly, the little relief at being found and led combated with the fear of what might happen to him next.
They went down the main staircase and across the entrance hall, through a door to a huge room lit by a fireplace a little shorter then Ron's (Draco's) head, couches and divans were scattered about and a deep silvery white rug was in the centre of the room. Paintings of witches and wizards were everywhere, all baring the Malfoy resemblance. Although not all of them had the pale hair, grey eyed fair skinned look, the majority did, and none held even a twinkle of humanity in their eyes.

Narcissa was, in fact very beautiful. She was fair and her features were stunning. Her expression was not, and if it were possible, he felt as if she would flay him with looks alone.

"You found him." She stated, looking disdainful. Her gown was deep green, they all seemed to have a preference for that colour…

"In our bedroom." Lucius said, shoving Ron forward towards Narcissa. The woman raised a eyebrow, her mouth pursing speculatively.
"I believe he is unwell. He has not been behaving normally since this morning." Mr. Malfoy explained, settling down negligently in an armchair

"I noticed that myself." Narcissa said, he expression softening a little. "Come here." She ordered Ron, pointing just in front of her. He tried to imitate the arrogant swagger Draco had, and placed himself in front of her, looking about pretending to be a little bemused.

Narcissa's hand was no warmer then her husbands. She felt Ron's temperature, and looked at his face, turning his head this way and that. Finally she let him go.

"I haven't an idea." She said with a slight twist of her lips. "There's something wrong- probably a minor bug. We shall get the family doctor tomorrow." She looked penetratingly at him, and Ron nodded and shrugged
"If you want. I don't think it's that much…" His protest died away with one look.

There was light conversation between Narcissa and Lucius. Draco studied the pair. There was a barrier between them… Or more so, a barrier they both carried of their own that was not let down even for each other, or, Ron noted, their son. Ron remembered his father's warning about the Malfoy's, and now began to realize what it meant. The place was luxury incarnate, but the people turned what might have been stunning into something sinister. He wondered if they had ever even hugged. That brought him to the realization Draco had to be made SOMEHOW… He squeezed his eyes shut at the mental image that the thought created. He amused himself thereafter inventing ways Draco could have come about… he could have crawled from under a rock… or maybe the Malfoy's transfigured a ferret when they decided they wanted a son…

Breakfast was announced by a stodgy looking butler. Ron's stomach growled in response to the smells coming from the room the butler had come from.
"Come Draco." Lucius ordered, getting up and sweeping towards the dining hall. Ron hurried after, breathing in the smells, mouth watering.
The dining hall was no less grand then the other rooms, Candelabras sprouting glittering candles sat along the table- a table long enough to seat many, many people. There were three plates set up under silver covers at one end and the delicious smells emanated from them. Lucius and Narcissa took their seats, Lucius at the head of the table, Narcissa to his right. The last plate was on his left.

Ron climbed up into the seat and uncovered the plate.
Gourmet sausages, lightly spiced, something involving bacon and a few other bits rolled up, thick white bread lightly warmed with melted butter, two poached eggs with a light seasoned sauce and a small wedge of rich, creamy cheese. Ron tried not to gape. THIS was breakfast?

The serving ware was silver. The goblets were silver and glass. No Pumpkin juice here, but fragrant hot spiced wine, daintily folded napkins in silver rings, pale scented flowers in wrought vases decorated the table.
Ron watched his father and mother for the day, trying not to do anything wrong. They spread a napkin on their laps, he followed suit.
Something's were eaten with different implements, but he mimicked them, delighting in the rich breakfast. Take that, greasy sausage bacon eggs and burnt toast! Everything was bursting with flavor, and the wine made him a little giddy. Was this what they ate every breakfast?

"Adequate." Lucius said, dabbing his mouth with the napkin and placing it on his tray. The serving girl who had come to take their dishes beamed at the comment as if it were a great compliment. Ron caught himself on the verge of thanking the girl as she took his dishes, Draco wouldn't thank anyone.

They sat there for a little time, again, the forced idle chatter, about work, home, and people. Ron began to realize where Draco's love for insulting people stemmed from.
"Fools, all of them." He sneered, when Narcissa had asked what the department of mysteries had been doing of late. "Wasting their time. Everyone's obsessively focused n flushing out dark wizards; they've forgotten the important business. They're passing inquiry after inquiry when there should be more done in other areas. They have questioned me twice." He looked disgusted. Ron brought up the nerve to join the conversation, still worried they thought he wasn't their son...
"They dared do that?!" He pretended to sound shocked "I didn't think they'd have that much influence."

Lucius smiled at his son, but there was no warmth in the smile. "I didn't believe it myself. I sent Fudge a rather acid owl about that. He was almost falling over himself to apologies. The blundering fool…"

Any chance of furthering the conversation was cut off by the arrival of another butler. The man came in and announced in an urbane and totally unemotional voice…

"The Malfoy's of Ireland and the Kilcutley's have arrived, sir."

Lucius stood, and Narcissa followed. Ron's stomach filled with lead. He was about to meet Draco's relations….

I'm sorry about the time it's taken for each chapter, I'm trying to hurry it up ;) I've been totally slack of late but I'm trying to fix that. I have three fics going at the moment and heaps in the works, but I'll finish the three up now before I start anything new.
Hope you're all enjoying it…