"Mother? Where's Callum?" A small voice called from the drawing room's entrance. "We were supposed to go to the stables today and go riding, I haven't been able to find him…Come to think of it…I haven't seen him since before dinner last night…" He finished more to himself then to her.

"He must be hiding somewhere Draco, don't worry yourself…" Came an equally small voice, but this one was feminine and breathy. Narcissa Malfoy looked like she had fallen over her own skirts, her hair was unusually untidy, and her clothes, usually neat and classy, looked slept in and crumpled. Draco quirked an eyebrow but knew not to ask, he gave a respectful nod and left his mother to her tea. Once outside in the hall, Draco sighed and continued on his search for his brother. Today was special, it was their day, they shared it together every year, and it was strange that on their tenth birthday, Callum was nowhere to be found.

Sullen and disappointed after searching the entire manor, Draco made his way to their wing to unwrap his presents alone. Each step echoed off the walls mournfully. It was like they were upset that Callum had left his brother by himself on their birthday.

Draco was the younger of the two, thus he felt naturally that his older brother should have been there for him. Draco had no friends and those that were allowed to see him were only there because they were the sons of his father's friends. He felt cheated and anger slowly made it's way to the surface, burning the sadness and just as fast, replaced by pain, Draco would have to face his father's personal present without Callum, he would have to…do what he was told…

It was several days before the household began to notice the absence of the eldest of the twin Malfoy heirs. No one but Draco and the walls around him, really noticed his absence, he was a recluse, his head constantly stuck in some sort of book, only emerging for meals and time spent with his brother, playing with or defending him. Only when Draco noticed his mother's edginess and constant nervousness did he ask his faithful house elf Dobby to go in search of his brother. When Draco had ordered the little creature, it burst into tears unexpectedly and nodded it's head looking everywhere but Draco. He found this odd and unnerving, but kept to himself, it seemed in the absence of his brother, his father visited him more often.

It hurt every time…but he learnt not to cry long ago, only after his father would leave, would he sit by his window and let tears roll silently down his alabaster cheeks.

The summer was always his least favourite part of the year, he loved it when it was cold, when the land was barren and only partially resembled the cavity where his heart should have been. When the rooms were lit by massive fireplaces, deliciously warm, perfect for a game of wizard's chess with Callum. He loved it for many reasons but mostly because his father was more then often reluctant to leave the warmth of his wing, to venture the glacial halls of the rest of the manor, to his own.

Draco felt no need to be close with his bed-hopping mother, for agonizing moments of his father's 'attention' was more then enough payment for nine months lodging in the womb. It seemed that Callum felt the same…

It had been two weeks since Draco's tenth birthday, and Dobby had yet to return with any word of Callum. It seemed that the raven-haired boy had disappeared, vanished without a trace. Lucius' last visit had been…odd…he only stepped into the room, asked how Draco was then after receiving an answer, left the room.

Draco had been doing the work his uncle Severus had sent him, and answered with a simple, "I'm fine father…" and continued with his work. Draco had felt strange, like part of his daily routine had been muddled, he was disappointed but absolutely gleeful at the same time. He could not place the look in his father's eyes, a deep sadness, but a glint of satisfaction laced the glassy orbs also.

Draco stayed away from everybody after that occasion and stuck to his room, waiting for news of Callum. He only ventured outside when the entire household was sleeping; He would walk through the grounds and think about the next year, his first year at Hogwarts…

XXXxxxXXX

One night in the first few days of September, Draco was walking through the south courtyard when in the corner of his eye he saw movement. Thinking of Callum, Draco went in the direction of the movement he had seen at the western entrance, hoping to find whatever it was. He saw another flash of movement, and what looked like a pale hand whipped around the corner, in the moonlit maze of hedges. He was panting and a drop of sweat dribbled down his temple, its final destination was the collar of his black cotton pyjamas.

He turned left then left again came to a dead end and backtracked then turned right, left, left again, down the middle of a three pointed fork, right, reached another dead end, paused for breath then continued a particularly long lane and finally reached the centre, he had not been in the maze for a very long time, not since it was installed on his fourth Christmas, and he had completely forgotten the path through to the centre, but pushing these thoughts out of his mind he squinted into a shadowed corner of the paved area as he saw a figure rise from where they were crouching, he could here sobs, broken and choked out, he could sense rather then see the tears, and sniffs were muffled by what looked like the persons scarf. Slowly Draco moved over the figure and watched as they turned around to face him.

Draco was surprised as the person walked into the moonlight revealing their identity. 'Mother?' He thought

"Draco! What are you doing here? You shouldn't be out at this time of night!" She scolded in her best attempt at composure.

Draco watched in stunned silence as his mother dabbed vigorously at her swollen eyelids.

"Mother? What are you doing out here?" He asked nervously, he did not pry when it came to his mother's business, but on this occasion he was too surprised to find his out in the middle of the night, crying in the shadows of the families abandoned maze, to care for the consequences.

"That's none of your business Draco! You will do as I say! Go to bed!" Draco took a step forward, still looking slightly up at his mother, and placed a hand on his mothers wrist, which was defensively clinging to her chest.

"Why are you crying mother? Has father done something to you?" he said softly as he walked over to the round bench in the centre of the paving. "Please mother speak to me…" He said even more softly as he sat her on the bench and took a seat himself. He was beginning to feel hot so he removed his robe and placed it on the bench beside him. After making sure it wasn't going to fall onto the dirty floor he swivelled around and looked at his mother carefully, he almost fell out of his seat, at the terrified look on her face. "What is it mother?" He said more urgently, he could not shake the feeling that something terribly wrong had happened.

"Draco…I'm sorry…" She choked out, tears streaming down her face, eyes wide as dinner plates and lips trembling, " Callum…OH! Why? Why must I be weak!" She was hysterical now, and Draco had taken a few moments to realise that she had said something about Callum. He sat straighter and waited albeit impatiently for her wrenching sobs to finally finish.

"Mother it's okay…" He said in an awkward, yet soothing voice, he was out of his element when it came to some one else's feelings, and patted her back in a twitchy almost robotic kind of way. "What were you saying about Callum?" He said a little more forcefully then he intended.

"Draco…Callum…OH MY! Why…Why…I Shouldn't…WHY!" She was wailing so loud he was sure he heard something leap out of the hedge and scurry away, in an attempt to get away from the screeching lunatic. Draco's eye widened at his mother's incessant crying and mumbled words. "Draco…forgive me…I …he…it wasn't my fault…your father! He forced me! I swear! he was my son…I didn't mean…PLEASE!" Narcissa had crumpled and was now cling to her son for support. It took Draco a minute to get passed his shock at his mother's breakdown, before she realised what his mother had said in her fit of sobs.

"What do you mean was? Are you talking about Callum? WHERE IS HE?" Draco stopped trying to calm his mother and pulled her by her slender shoulders up to look him in the eye. "WHAT DID YOU DO?" he bellowed into her face, and immediately she stopped crying and looked terrified once more.

"HE made me do it…he said that he didn't want a snotty faced little brat for a son, if I did as he wished…he said he would…be with me, if I obeyed him…Callum…he was my son…he was my son…" She was murmuring, the terrified look gone, instead to Draco's own horror, they became lifeless and a shadow was cast over her face as she stared unblinking into his face, "He said that if I obeyed he would treat me like I wanted…he said that he didn't want him…Draco…" She finished softly, then as a cloud moved out of the moons way, shining celestial light poured over the entire maze, revealing the corner he had found her in…

He felt his stomach turn over, his mouth went dry, his heart pumping a twitch in his leg as he stood up and finally understood what had made his mother break down so badly.

Ther,e where she had been crouching were several pavers lifted out of the ground, revealing the soil beneath it, and in the clearing freshly turned soil lay piled up in a long heap. A grave…

"What did you do?" His voice was deadly quiet, for a moment Narcissa was reminded of her evil, manipulative husband, and she slid further back on the bench, fearful eyes watching as his shoulders trembled in suppressed rage. "What have you DONE!" he finally bellowed and turned to glare hell's fire into her. He was so fast she hadn't even realised he approached until he had his small hands digging into her shoulders. Something had snapped and the little boy she once knew had vanished, replaced with a menacing devil, teeth bearing, eyes bulging. He drew a ragged breath and stared at her.

Then the menace faded and the little boy once again took over, overwhelming sadness filled his eyes, and he dropped his head as well as his arms. He unlocked his knees and fell to the ground silent tears rolling down his face.

Narcissa felt that she had cried enough, and decided that she would feel better if her only remaining child knew the truth about what she had done. "Your father…he didn't want him…he said he was giving you ideas…what those were I don't know…" She started, but halted when she saw that her son had stopped trembling, his head bowed, kneeling, shattered and empty. "I was to do it so that you would never find out…I went into his room, before dinner and told him to come here with me…he was suspicious, I could tell, and refused to join me…I didn't have my wand, but I knew there were other ways…he died quickly, he did not suffer…" She finished in a monotone, an aching cavity was all that was left of her heart, she was a murderer, she had murdered her own son, and as she sat there in the silence, she knew she had lost her only other son, he would never forgive her, and neither would she herself.

Without warning he lifted his head and gave an ear-splitting screech that went on for a few seconds before his throat went hoarse and he collapsed face first onto the pavement.

XXXxxxXXX

"Draco! Draco! Wake up! Where here!" he head from somewhere above him, "GET UP!" he felt a tug and landed with a 'phlump' on the compartment floor. He got on his hands and knees and pushed himself off the ground before opening his eyes. He had a perfect view up the head girl's skirt, and was slightly mollified after his treacherous nightmare. Yet even with this pleasant view, he still could not erase the chill that swept his spine whenever he thought or dreamt about his brother, he was so chilled in fact he did not notice the girl, now looking down at him glaring in indignation.

She had every right to be glaring, as he was still looking up her skirt, it only intensified when a bright crimson blush swept across her cheeks.

Hermione had never felt more, aggravated, as he continued to look up her skirt. She felt anger bubbling inside her but the warm blush that adorned her face, provided evidence at how flattered she was that he liked what he was seeing.

Suddenly she tensed, and felt a grieving, mournful sadness, drift into her mind, it was so deep it felt like it was burning her. She stepped away from him, and felt the feeling diminish somewhat. She had read about telepathy over the holidays, and knew that she was having some sort of telepathic connection with the blonde heir. This did not make her the least bit happy, 'How am I supposed to last a year with his nonsense?' she thought frustrated. As soon as he had fallen asleep she had had the mounting feeling of foreboding, unwelcome in her state of happiness to about going back to school. Nevertheless if they were to work together through the year, shewas going tohave to personally find a way to quell his dark thoughts, before hefell into a pit of depression, and dragged her along with him…

A/N: I'm sorry this took so long, I hope it doesn't disappoint you…I was busy with other stories and forgot about this one…thanks to all those reviewers…hope you enjoyed this one, and review, review, REVIEW!

With love,

Hpobsession.