Another chapter to read and as always I am very sorry for not updating sooner. I have family staying at my house and I've had no time to write. On a lighter note, I wish you all a very Merry Christmas and Happy New Year!

Disclaimer- I do not own Harry Potter or any of its characters. They are all owned by J. K. Rowling but I do own those characters, which you don't recognize.


Hermione placed herself on a couch in the east wing study and sighed. Placing her cane carefully on the floor in a position that she would be able to reach, she leaned back and rubbed her forehead. It had been a rather exhausting week. What with Charles always trying to make some sort of move on her, Hermione had no rest at all for she was constantly trying to avoid him. It had been rather hard to do so without Draco around to stop him but for some reason, she found a bit of fun in it.

He was not really a stalker or a person with an odd obsession with her. He was just another one of those annoying sorts of people whom she encountered in her life. She supposed that everyone had a person like Charles. He liked her but she had no interest in him. He pursued her relentlessly, she avoided him generously. It was life.

It was fun for some reason. She felt no loathing towards him like she had towards Draco. Well, her loathing towards Draco had decreased quite a bit but that was beside the point. Hermione would wake up and groan to herself about how she would have to constantly be wary of where she went but she also looked forward to it.

There was also something rather strange about him. Some days, he would seem carefree and jolly and he would do whatever pleased him rather than what was allowed. On others days though, he reminded Hermione of a cold and callous person. He would speak with a monotone voice and say rude things to anyone who dared approach him. She supposed that it was normal behavior for him as he would change his attitude almost every day.

At the moment, Charles was apparently out of the house. That was what she gathered at least. He hadn't cornered her once all day. She liked it. Narcissa was out somewhere as well. Hermione suspected that she was at her sister's house for she was sitting in the dining hall one day when the fireplace made a noise and a woman's voice came asking for Narcissa. Narcissa had rushed into the room and rudely shoved Hermione out of it after muttering, "Andy" under her breath.

Draco was at work as usual. Hermione could only sigh, thinking about it. She longed to go to work again. Though she liked being at home with nothing to do, it got lonely and she couldn't stand it. Draco was the only other person with whom she could have an intelligent conversation. The only time they ever talked anymore was in the night after dinner. He would go into his study and she would go with him and ask him about work. He would tell her not to worry about it as she was till getting paid though she was not working.

He had become softer since she had come to stay with him. Hermione did not want to say protective of her but when it came to Charles, she could detect a sign of possessiveness and maybe even jealousy towards Charles.

Currently, Hermione had a horrible headache that she could not get rid of. One of the house elves had even given her a potion but it was not working at all. She guessed that it probably had something to do with the food she ate this morning. It had tasted a bit funny but it had been made by the house elves so there was nothing much she could say about it.

She felt her eyelids close as pain washed through her head. Hermione sighed and squeezed her eyes shut, willing the pain to go away.

Hermione woke a few minutes later to the ringing of a bell, meaning that someone had come into the manor. She turned over on the couch and let out a small groan as her forehead erupted with pain once again. She rubbed her head and was not at all surprised to find that it was coated with sweat. Letting out a groan, she turned over and tried to get back to sleep.

She wasn't able to however as something prod her on her back. She turned over and frowned. "Malfoy, is that you?"

"Yes, it's me," came the reply. Hermione frowned as she heard him. He sounded as though he had a sore throat. It was a bit peculiar as he had been fine this morning.

"What are you doing back so early?" she mumbled, sitting up.

"I live here, don't I?"

Hermione sighed and said, "Yes but, I thought you said you would only be back late this whole week."

"Mr. Ringler let me out early today. He said I needed some rest."

Hermione knew for a fact that something was not right. Draco would never leave work just because he was tired. He worked until he could do no more.

"Is something wrong, Granger?" he asked.

Hermione shook her head and replied, "No, not at all. Well, I've had a horrible headache this whole day."

"You do look rather pale and sweaty. Have you taken a potion? I thought there were quite a few in the-

"Yes, yes, yes, I have. None of them work."

"Then let me escort you to St. Mungo's."

"What? I'm not that ill." Hermione frowned wondering what the matter with him was.

"It could be a side effect of your...affliction."

Hermione scowled and said, "My affliction?"

"Don't talk, it will only become worse."

Hermione sighed and wobbling slightly, managed to pick up her cane. She grasped his arm for support as a whole wave of nausea overcame her. For some strange reason, she felt him flinch away from her as her grip on his arm tightened.

She stopped and asked, "Are you feeling alright, Malfoy?"

"You are feeling rather warm."

As they entered the blue study, Hermione felt the familiar sensation of dark magic swirl around her. It felt suffocating for some reason though. It seemed as though there was more of it than usual. Before, it was like a constant breeze that flowed smoothly past her. But now, there was so much of it that Hermione was wondering how she could have thought it beautiful before. It must affect sick people, she thought to herself.

"Wait, we should leave a note for your mother that I'll be at St. Mungo's."

"My mother?" he asked. "Oh, mother, right." He conjured a piece of parchment and scribbling something on it, brought Hermione to the fire. Throwing floo powder into it, he murmured something and the two of the disappeared.

It was around ten o'clock at might when Draco finally came home. He had been through quite an exhausting day. As he stepped out of the fireplace, he was almost knocked over by Charles who had run up to him and asked, "Is she alright?"

Draco glared at him and asked, "Is who alright?"

"Hermione, is she better?"

"Hermione, is it? I wasn't aware that you were on a first name basis with her."

Charles smirked at his cousin and replied, "What can I say? Anyways, is she alright?"

"I don't know. I haven't been home all day." Draco brushed past his cousin without a word and stalked out of the room.

He groaned as he heard footsteps behind him. "What do you mean you haven't been here all day?"

Draco whipped around and answered, "I have been at work filling out mounds of paperwork. I have not been home since seven this morning."

"But your mother found a note in your handwriting saying that you had taken Hermione to St. Mungo's because she was feeling sick."

Draco looked at his cousin with contempt and said, "I haven't been home all day, you numskull. I just told you that if you had cared to listen."

"Tell that to your mother." Charles ran a hand through his dark hair nodded towards Narcissa who was walking towards the two of them with a worried look on her face.

"How is she, Draco?"

"Who? Gr- Hermione?"

"Who else?" Narcissa frowned at Draco, waiting for his answer.

"Like I told Charles, I'll tell you. I have not been home this whole day. I did not take Hermione to St. Mungo's at all. I have not even seen her since this morning."

"Are you mad?" demanded Narcissa. "You yourself wrote a note saying that you took her there." Draco looked at her blankly. "Oh come on, you don't expect me to believe you, do you?"

"Shouldn't you? I'm your son."

Narcissa chuckled slightly and replied, "That hardly gives me a reason to believe you."

"When will you stop being so paranoid?" asked Draco shaking his head.

"When you have a gift like I do, there is no reason not to be paranoid!" Narcissa stepped closer to her son. "Now, I want the truth. Did you take Hermione to St. Mungo's?"

"No, I did not." Draco scowled at his mother who looked at him suspiciously.

Without warning, Narcissa's eye suddenly began to glow an eerie shade of blue. "Is there something wrong with her?" asked Charles from next to Draco.

"She's seeing," he muttered. Draco realized who he was talking to and said, "I think it would be best if you stayed clear of us for a while."

"What about Hermione? I care about her too. Probably more than you do…" Charles smirked at Draco, whose mouth took on an ugly sneer.

"You care about her, do you?" The sneer hung about Draco's lips, never wavering. "If you truly care about her, then she wouldn't be gone."

"I could say the same for you, cousin." Charles smirked.

"Well, unlike you, I work. You do nothing."

Charles clutched his chest and with a look of despair said, "That hurt, it really did." He yawned once and said, "I'm not going anywhere."

At that moment, Narcissa's eye returned to normal color. She looked at Draco with a look of confusion and horror on her face. She looked at Charles, her blue eyes never leaving his. Without warning, she had her wand out and a blue light had issued from it causing Charles to be blown backwards into a portrait.

Draco looked at his mother and raised an eyebrow. "Mother?"

"That boy," she said breathing heavily, "has always been trouble and always will be." She straightened herself up and looked at Draco. "Tie him up and bring him to the dungeons, will you?"

Draco narrowed his eyes at his mother. "The…dungeons?" He watched with surprise as a cold, emotionless mask settled on her face. Watching his mother do that was like watching a beautiful piece of art being painted. It was as though it was the most natural thing for her to do in the world.

He watched as his mother glided away, her wand clutched firmly in her hand. Shaking his head, he turned to his cousin who was bleeding slightly. His mother had always been good at knocking people out right when they least expected it. She must have practiced quite a bit in order to do it for as hard as Draco tried, he had never been able to do it with as much stealth as she had. He pulled out his wand and conjured some rope, which he tied around Charles's ankles and wrists. Then, levitating him, Draco strolled to the dungeons.

The dungeons in the Malfoy Manor had last been used by Lucius Malfoy during the war. Lucius had been famous for keeping hundreds of prisoners of the light in them. Not one had ever escaped. The dungeons were full of dark hexes and jinxes that without proper knowledge of the dark arts, any normal wizard wandering about in them was as good as dead.

Draco levitated Charles's body into one of the cells and promptly dropped him. He took Charles's wand and slammed the door to the cell shut. Looking coldly at his cousin, Draco felt an enormous amount of rage rise up in him. Rage for coming into their lives. Rage for ruining the family, which was not at all Charles's fault but Draco did not care. Rage for living…and most importantly, rage for Hermione. Every time he saw him look at Hermione, Draco felt a feeling of sickness rise in his stomach. Charles would give her a gaze of pure lust that never went unnoticed by Draco. He felt that he had to protect Hermione from him. Draco knew he would get her back. It pained him to admit it but he cared for her on some level.

He was snapped out of his thoughts by his mother who had silently come in. She was holding a glass vial about the size of her pinky. Following her was another lady, who was taller then her by about five inches. She had dark brown hair streaked with silver that shined even in the darkness of the dungeons. Her brown eyes showed no emotion as she leaned casually against the stone walls of the dungeon.

Narcissa looked at the extra wand in Draco's hand and said, "Snap it."

Draco smirked and said, "I'll wait till he's awake to-

"Do it now, Draco," the brown haired woman said. Her brown eyes bore into his, commanding him to listen to his mother. He pulled his eyes away from hers and snapped the piece of wood in his hand. Splinters of what had been a tool of magic showered the floor in front of Draco's feet. With a wave of his wand, the wood vanished.

The brown haired woman looked approvingly at Draco before walking towards Narcissa. She whispered something, which Draco could not hear. Narcissa frowned at the woman then nodded. Narcissa dropped the vial in the other woman's hand and stepped back so that she was next to Draco.

"Who is that?" he muttered.

"My sister, Andromeda."

"The blood traitor?" asked Draco, keeping his eyes on Andromeda.

Narcissa scowled at her son and replied, "All offenses against her have been forgiven."

Draco looked at his mother with fascination. Forgiving people was hard for her. It was hard for him. Draco knew for a fact that blood traitors were never forgiven under any circumstances. For example, say the Weasleys did something great for the Malfoys, which Draco knew would never happen in a millions years, they still would never be forgiven because both families had different values that contradicted each other so greatly that peace could never be achieved.

A crack echoed throughout the dungeon. Draco turned to look at Andromeda, his eyes growing wide. Not believing what he was seeing, Draco took a step closer. Andromeda was suspending Charles in midair without her wand. Wandless magic. That took years to learn. No one else Draco knew besides Dumbledore and Voldemort, both of whom were dead, could do wandless magic. Blinking slightly, he took a step closer and saw that, Andromeda's eyes had become solid black. Not even an ounce of white was showing.

Narcissa came and stood by him. "The three of us, Bellatrix, Andromeda, and me, we were all on the receiving end of a gift. A family inheritance, you could say. Tell no one, Draco." Narcissa looked him in the eye. Draco bowed his head slightly with respect.

This was a bit strange to him. All he wanted to do was to find Hermione and have everything go back to how it was. But no, she had to be kidnapped by some deranged wizard who took pleasure in taking away people who weren't even able to put up a fair fight.

Then, there were his mother and aunt's powers. They scared him. To know that his mother and aunts had so much power was not a comforting fact. People would kill to have power like that and people would kill those with power like that. Draco hated it. He hated even more the fact that this power had every right to come forth in him as well.

Draco looked at Charles as a gurgling noise erupted from his mouth. Charles's head fell back, but immediately snapped back up with a crunching sound that sent chills down Draco's spine.

Andromeda's hand lashed out and grabbed Charles's neck. She opened the vial and poured its contents down Charles's throat. Draco could only assume that it was Veritaserum. As soon as all the liquid had gone down Charles's throat, Charles began twitching.

It was horrifying to watch, but Draco said nothing and his face told nothing. One of the most valuable and rewarding things he had learned growing up was to let your face show nothing. Showing emotion was the key to weakness. That was one thing that Draco would never forget.

Charles stopped twitching right after a little bit. His neck rolled backwards with a crack. Andromeda pulled in her fingers slightly causing Charles's head to come back up. Charles's eyes slowly opened and a twisted smile appeared on his face as he lay suspended in the air.

Draco looked at his aunt and saw that her eyes had returned to normal. She carefully set Charles back on the ground and left the cell. "Nasty bit of dark magic that was," she muttered as she stood next to Narcissa.

Narcissa said nothing but patted her sister on her shoulder. She turned back to Charles and asked in a silky tone, "Are you Charles Ignatius Duprés, son of Ruin and Renee Duprés?"

"Yes."

"Why have you come here?"

"On my parents' orders."

"What have they asked you to do?"

"They told me only to stay at the Malfoy Manor till they called me home."

Narcissa remained as composed as ever and asked, "Where is Hermione Granger?"

Charles looked at her oddly before a hearty laugh erupted from his throat. "Hermione Granger?" he croaked. "The mudblood? Well, obviously I don't know." Charles smiled allowing his white teeth to gleam brightly.

"Charles," began Andromeda. Narcissa shot her look of "what are you doing", which she promptly ignored. "Has your...master been telling your parents what to do and say?"

An odd look appeared in Charles's eyes. "The master is too great for anyone to talk about but if you must know, yes, he has."

Andromeda exchanged a quick glance with Narcissa who said, "Tell me more about your master."

"He is the next Dark Lord." That is all Charles said before smiling once again.

"What else?" pressed Andromeda. "What is he like?"

"The master is too great for anyone to talk about."

"Do you value your life, Charles?" cut in Draco. His mother and aunt sent him a look, which he silenced. "Is your dear master more precious than your life?"

Charles's smile faded slightly as he replied, "My master is the most powerful wizard in the world. He will use the weaknesses of others to get what he wants. The ministry is already under his control." Charles coughed. "Hogwarts is almost under his control. Without Dumbledore there to stop him, no one is in his way." Charles erupted into another fit of coughs. "My master has power. He will kill all the weak and spare no one but those deserving to live. My life is nothing compared to his."

"Who is your master?" spat Draco. He narrowed his grey eyes at Charles waiting for an answer.

"My master?" asked Charles. He cackled loudly. "My master? My master is none other than your dear..." Without warning, Charles's eyes began bulging slightly out of his head. His neck snapped backwards as he started choking. The three watched with horror as his body began convoluting in ways not possible for the body to move. He kept twisting and twisting and twisting until all of a sudden, he was gone.

Andromeda was the first one to see what had happened.

"Is he dead?" asked Narcissa.

Andromeda touched the floor where Charles had been sitting and muttered, "Someone summoned him." She looked back at Narcissa and Draco and said, "You know what this means, don't you?"

Narcissa let her head fall into her hands for a second before taking a deep breath. "We're all being watched."

Draco looked at his mother with confusion before asking, "How?"

Narcissa looked at him coldly. Draco knew it was just her way of hiding emotions but there was a part of him that wanted his mother to comfort him and tell him that she would fix it, as juvenile as it sounded.

"I've let my-our defenses get too lax since the Dark Lord has been gone. I've been careless."

As Narcissa uttered those words, a tall man in a long black cloak watched her from a red glass ball. His pale hand came out and tenderly stroked the glass. He let out a slight chuckle before replying, "Too careless in indeed..."