Author's notes: Thank you to my beta 62442alMan (from the Chamber of Secrets forum)
Unlucky-amulet- Thank you for the review, I'm glad you like it so far.

Family Betrayal

Chapter one: Home again.

As Amelia completed her sixth year at Hogwarts, she looked ahead to a summer in the only home she had ever known, Malfoy Manor.

Amelia Malfoy was a soon to be seventh year Slytherin, raised from the age of two by her grandparents and uncle. Her mother was the sister of Lucius Malfoy, a man who was currently a school governor, was killed along with her father while on a routine dragon check for their job at the Ministry of Magic. They researched Magical Creatures in the Beast Division. Since their death, Amelia had hated dragons and thought them to be foul beasts. Her parents' tragic demise also had other effects on Amelia, and now even at almost eighteen, Amelia constantly worried that something awful would happen to those she loved. Not that love was a very large part of Amelia's life.

Despite being the only child of his dead sister, Lucius Malfoy showed no love for the girl, and onlookers may have even said that Amelia was a burden on his lavish lifestyle. Amelia was living in luxury off the Malfoy fortune. Anything she wanted, she could have it, with the acception that she desperately wanted affection. This was the only thing her life lacked. Amelia spent her free time daydreaming of meeting her 'Prince Charming' and spending her life being the textbook perfect wife and mother. Her idol in these daydreams was her aunt Narcissa, and Amelia often imagined herself growing up to be like the beautiful, charming woman she adored.

As the late June sun was setting, Amelia sat alone in her bedroom writing in a journal she had kept since the age of ten. Amelia's journal had little mention of her Hogwarts friends or of their plans for the summer holiday, but contained almost exclusively musings about the ideal life she wanted. Amelia hoped that when she graduated Hogwarts, she would grow more. Despite being of age and about to embark on her final year at Hogwarts, Amelia still appeared to be a child of twelve. Her frame was small and wraith like and people often thought her to be ill and malnutritioned. Amelia longed to be seen as a beautiful woman; someone adored by all, which you would give anything to marry and have as your own. Someone like Narcissa.

Placing her journal on her bedstand, Amelia crept silently into her aunt and uncle's room. The room was still filled with the overbearing fragrance of Narcissa, musky and almost sickly-sweet. Amelia inhaled closing her eyes, for a few seconds she imagined she was her aunt. The ash-blonde girl walked around the room, intoxicated by everything she saw: dress robes, jewellery and make-up caught her eyes. A glittering tiara in a glass case caught her attention and temptation made her forget the house rules. Thinking of nothing else, Amelia took the tiara out of its case and placed it on her head. Turning towards the mirror, Amelia went to admire her reflection, but was aghast to see the image of a child playing dress-up looking back at her. Amelia placed the tiara back in its case, and ran to her own room, despondent that she would always look this way and never like a woman.

For the next few days, Amelia absorbed herself in books, reading materials for her final year at school, along with the large collection of books in the Malfoy library. Anything to distract herself from her own thoughts and worries.

Amelia enjoyed reading and prided herself on the fact that in some subjects, she was beyond her years. To her, Charms and Transfiguration was fun and exciting. Her upbringing had helped her in Defence against the Dark Arts and she was happily among the top in her class, expected to get an 'Outstanding' in her N.E.W.T's.

Potions, on the other hand, was something Amelia loathed. She spent many hours reading Advanced Potion-

Making, hoping to find anything that would help her achieve the expected result of 'Acceptable' that her teacher had predicted.

No friends contacted Amelia, which was not really a surprise as she spent most school holidays alone. For the first three years of her school life, Amelia had been friendless, and had spent her free time in the school's library studying alone. During a Hogsmeade trip near the end of her third year, her fellow female classmates had accepted her and she had formed an uneasy friendship with them. The other Slytherin girls in her year took no particular interest in Amelia or her life and she became a bit of a dogsbody for them; helping with homework when they needed it or carrying their books. Amelia did not seem to mind though, and was more than happy to do what ever it took to be accepted.

Amelia's school holidays carried on as normal for a week or so. She spent hours in the library studying or writing in her journal. During the time that was not spent in the library, Amelia spent with Narcissa.

Amelia and Lucius had a very emotionless, almost brother-sister relationship, barely speaking unless it concerned schoolwork. Whilst Amelia and Narcissa had a warmer, closer sisterly relationship. Amelia loved hearing tales of Narcissa's school days or how she met Lucius. Narcissa was also forever trying to make Amelia look more her age, and delighted in taking her to Diagon Alley or Hogsmeade village to buy robes.