Chapter One

The Arrival

(A/N- There is some reference in here regarding the 6th book. It's not that much yet but I think more will pop up in case you haven't read it yet. Read and review!)
The gravel underneath her foot gave off a small crackling sound as she set out of the car. The bitterness of the air around her stung at her cheeks turning them a soft shade of pink.

"Here you are Miss." The Muggle cab driver hissed at the blonde haired girl. She turned gracefully as she watched the man heave out a black trunk with no sign of offering a helping hand. Thinking, yet still, that this form of transportation was the worst way she could arrive at 276 Harth Drive seeing what she was trying to get out of it.

"Good luck Miss!" He sneered, almost as though he knew why she was there or what her mission was. Almost as though he knew how difficult this was going to be. But of course he couldn't. He was but a mere Muggle she told herself as she hooked her hand around the silver hoop on the end of the trunk.

A Muggle couldn't comprehend what she was doing even if they did know what it was that she had spent year training for. A tedious year filled with hard work, careful planning and the most horribly spent at Drindious Cave with none of her friends nor relatives near by.

The cab sped off leaving a puff of dust circling around the short girl. She frowned and started off down a crooked path to her destination. Though it was in the peak of summer, during which the days were most dreadfully hot, there seemed to be some kind of barrier surrounding the pale white house aloft a small hill. Purple-gray clouds hovered above the plot a usual omen for a snowstorm in deep December or January and frost coated the few dieing plants next to the path.

But the thing Clare, the name her mother had given her, had found most unusual about the place was the lack of life. No sign that a family of three bore anywhere. Not a footprint in the gravel and not a single candle or fire could be seen burning through the heavy dirtied window. In fact, the place looked as though it was left years ago and had never seen a living thing, (but perhaps a rat) in decades.

She very much wanted to just flick her wand and have her trunk levitated just to the front door but she knew she couldn't do. Clare had to make this family and anyone else who resided in it to believe she was no more magical advanced then an average fifiteen-year-old girl with very little schooling, at least until she got inside.

As far as they knew, Clare had gone to Beauxbatons for three years and then quit once her 'parents' died. After that the family who resides in this house thought she had sought other family members at which to stay in their presents. Seeing as this lot was the only one that she could locate, it was them that had been given the burden (or so they had called it) of raising her for a short while.

This, of course, was not the case. Clare was the first-born child of Lupin and his wife who was more commonly know as Tonks. Both of her parents were well trained Aurors at the time of Clare's birth so naturally, she was brought up to be brave, curious and have a natural knack for magic.

Since the age of seven, her parents had brought her up under what the Ministry might call 'illegal conditions' in which they taught her as much magic as she could handle for such a tiny frame. So years went on and by the time she was old enough to attend school, she had been accepted into every wizarding academy from Hogwarts to Beauxbatons all the way to Reggleigh and every school in between. Beauxbatons, however, was the choice of her parents because it was the second closet school out of the bunch next to Hogwarts.

Clare had reached the front door of the weary looking house. She rapped loudly on it with both the knocker, her fist and on the adjacent window but there was no reply.

After letting out an exasperated sigh, "Hello? Hello?" Clare called at the solid oak door in front of her. She stared at it but it neither it budged nor spoke back. Appearing in the center of was a sign tightened to the door that read, in an almost undecipherable scrawl,

Home of the Malfoys

Send for an appointment

What kind of an appointment did she need? Did it simply mean that they didn't want unexpected visitors or was their some kind of business running there?

Clare guessed that it was a Dark Arts business. At least all the evidence supported this or something of the nature.

After Voldemort had disappeared yet again, there was a new wave of disbelief that he was ever going to come back again. Most of the Death Eaters were housed in Azkaban for life but most of the few that remained out were loosing interest in Voldemort. This caused an outrage and much revenge for the few wizards left who still believe the Dark Lord was alive.

"Revenge Quarters', where faithful Death Eaters would plan revenge on the non-believer, were popping up all over the country. The Malfoy residence was thought to be one.

On December 7th (Clare had been required to memorize anything having to do with the Malfoys and the accusations), Gregory Goyle was tortured then murdered. There were several Muggle wittiness that said a hollowed cheek, evil looking, and blonde haired man walked into the house of Goyle just before the commotion of his death. There were several other murders and all of them, in one way or another, led to Draco Malfoy as the murderer.

Almost every department of the Ministry but mostly the Aurors have been trying since the murder of Goyle to convict Malfoy but there always seems to be some kind of loophole that gets him out of it. Like that fact he had been a great friend of Goyle, was said to have given up Dark Arts, there were many other blonde haired wizards and much more were always lurking up.

It was Clare's job to go undercover as Draco's niece and see if she can root out any of these stories from the truth.

Clare, after tapping her foot impatiently while waiting for an answer, she pushed open the heavy black door. Her action revealed a large entrance hall filled with some of the most beautiful things Clare had ever seen.

The brass candleholders that glittered from the light of an enormous crystal chandler most certainly didn't reflect the gloomy appearance of the outside. The emerald walls were lined with portraits of dark and mysterious looking wizards and witches all of which, Clare ventured a guess, were of Malfoy family members.

A long and wide set of stairs flooded down to the center of the room in the most sophisticated fashion. Draped on it was a stone gray carpet accented with a large snake print slithering up the stairs.

On either side of the entrance door and on the sides of the stairs were silver doors that opened up into even greater or most expensive looking rooms.

Clare closed the door rather loudly hoping it might draw attention to someone within this disguised mansion. This action was not all that necessary because after further investigation, Clare noticed a tall man in a black and green cloak smirking at her down below. She immediately recognized the man to be no other than Draco Malfoy.

"Uncle Draco." Clare spoke while setting her belongings down next to her.

"Clare." The smirk still in place as Draco descended the stairs, taking his time. They watched each other in silence until Malfoy's foot touched the bottom step.

"I thought you might be a bit taller." He spoke as he stepped forward to get a better look at what he thought to be his niece.

"And you not so sick looking." Clare retorted, a small smirk appearing in the corners of her lips. Instructed to say things such as this was just one of the things Clare was told to do during her year of training for this day. The Aurors thought it best that she seemed to be more like a Malfoy then be friendly. They were hoping, the Malfoys would then interpret her to be of true Malfoy blood not a spy.

Draco merely evaluated her and tsking to himself. "Yes, well, I guess looks can be deceiving as I hear that you my dear," He hissed as he pushed a strand of her long blond hair behind her shoulders with a black shiny cane. "Are said to be one of the most finest witches that Beauxbatons has seem in a very long time."

Clare inclined her head as he went on, "Rumors also have it that you are a bit of a nosy child as well." Draco said this with a bit more seriousness and anger.

That 'nosy' reason was the only way the Ministry managed to get the Malfoys to let Clare stay with them. That nosy reason being that she knew the truth about Draco's scheme years ago to murder one of the most well known and accomplished wizards. This scheme which was a success, though Draco did not commit the murder, the evidence was enough to get him in a bit of trouble with the Ministry.

After Clare had written him a letter explaining exactly what happened that night. He agreed that he would take Clare in for a few months seeing as it would be much easier for him to let a fifteen year old girl stay in his house then have to deal with the Ministry.

"Indeed I've heard the same rumors about myself as well." She spoke calmly. Draco raised an eyebrow and snapped his fingers. POP! A tiny house elf appeared next to him a second later. The elf was draped in the filthiest rags Clare had ever seen. He wore large circle eyeglasses, which enlarged his already enormous eyes. Skinnier than the average house elf, he gave off the appearance that an invisible hand was squeezing him so hard around the middle that his stomach was constricted and had caused his eyes to bulge.

The house elf bowed so low that his long crooked nose brushed the spotless ground. "You called Master and Harpy came." Harpy crooked, still in his bow.

"See that Clare finds her room alright and carry her things." Draco spoke, jerking his head towards the small black trunk that lie on the ground.

"Yes Master."

(A/N- Thanks for reading and please review. I don't really like the waythis chapter ends but I think if I continued now, the chapter would be far too long. The nextone will be up soon. If you have any suggestions please let me know. Thanks again. –Kacey)