The atmosphere at Malfoy Manor was extremely different, the approaching summer had brought with it more people and more hustle about the home. The children entered the building and exchanged looks of concern. During their ride home, the pair engaged in some sort of conversation. Aurelia was extremely agitated which troubled Draco, he watched her as she trembled in her seat, she wiped her nose on the sleeve of her cardigan and blinked small droplets of tears into her lap. Draco leant forward and placed a concerned hand over her knee, Aurelia jumped at his touch and they made awkward eye contact before finally talking to one another. They talked of the events of the school year and Draco admitted he was excited for the return of Voldemort. Naturally Aurelia wondered on who this man was, Draco had obvious admiration for him.
Draco took off towards his quarters after he dropped his trunk in the lobby and Aurelia hauled hers up the stairs to her room because she wasn't about to risk the safety of her books and wand. Her bedroom was empty. Instead of her large four poster bed and furniture, the room contained nothing but a rug.
Aurelia threw her trunk and swung her door out of the way to find her master. She grew angrier and the ground vibrated with each step she took. She searched in each room that was unlocked, Aurelia found strangers in her home but no Lucius Malfoy. A note pinned to the back of Aurelia's bedroom door told the girl where her new room was. She was just given a larger room, larger bed, grand furniture, and a private bathroom. The note was signed 'as promised'.
"promised?" Aurelia questioned, tore the note from the door and found her new room. It was nothing like she had ever seen; the wooden furniture was engraved with scrolls, her toes disappeared in the soft pile of the carpet and the bath was big enough for 4.
She looked over the note again and paused at the final part. Aurelia had never been promised anything, other than a beating perhaps. Over her shoulder there was someone watching.
Narcissa Malfoy stood and looked through blank eyes at the girl, who noticeably looked a different person to the one she had said her whispered goodbyes to last September and suddenly Aurelia had new sleeping quarters, new clothes, and new furnishings. Only one name put a sour taste to her tongue. Lucius. Her husband was trying to corrupt this poor girl and she knew the reason, Aurelia's mother was to be freed from the rotted walls of Azkaban prison and the plans were already set in motion. The possibility that Bellatrix Lestrange would learn of her husbands' crimes towards Aurelia was very high. Coward, she thought as she stared at Aurelia. Mrs Malfoy advanced towards the girl but just as she put her foot forward her husband, Lucius entered the girls room. Narcissa tip toed and pressed her ear against the wood to listen. She could also peek through the gap between the doors, her eyes dropped as she followed his hands to pluck Aurelia's cardigan from her bodice.
"Why have you done this?" Aurelia whispered. She shrank in his presence, she held her hands together in front of her privates and waited for his cruel hands to touch her.
Lucius Malfoy was perplexed, she had replied to his letters and therefore should show more gratitude.
Narcissa's view was restricted but she witnessed her husband's hands fly across the girl's face, not once but twice. Aurelia's cries leaked through the crack she spied through.
Narcissa stood with her hand to her mouth, she had a chance to act and put a stop to this but instead she fled, her husband was not one to cross.
Lucius Malfoy struck Aurelia around her head once more and she flew from her feet and to her bed, she screamed and pleaded with "whys" and "don't". Directly across the hall was Draco's bedroom, he could hear Aurelia and pressed his hands to his ears as hard as he could.
Aurelia's foot collided with the mans chin, and once again in his chest. She kicked again, and Lucius's wand shot from his hand and to the other side of her room. She scrambled from underneath the weight of his body and raised his wand to his head.
The girls sucked air through her nose and her eyes burned with angry heat, "why" she demanded, her voice was course and deep. "Why all this? Why send me a ballgown? Why treat me so?!" Aurelia screamed at the man who sat on his knees at her bed side.
She was becoming so desperate for answers that mentally she felt conflicted. Conflicted in her feelings for Lucius, he could help her, and he could hurt her. Just which one she wanted was becoming a blur. Lucius shuffled on his knees, adjusted his shirt, and tutted with disapproval.
"Now let's calm down Aurelia, don't be foolish" Lucius said, his hair was dishevelled, and he looked mad. The girl stood without falter, she pressed the tip of his wand into the hollow of his chin. She knew she couldn't perform the spell she wanted, she lacked the knowledge and she would lose her place at Hogwarts. But she enjoyed being above and looking down on him. Malfoy looked down at the wand pushing his chin upwards and then to Aurelia, their vibrant blue eyes connected, and he noticed a flicker in her confidence and twisted his wand from her small grip. Aurelia stuttered and fell on her bottom; the girl broke into tears when she realised that she could never win against this man.
"There's a good girl" he slid his knees onto her bed and pushed her beneath him, her entire body convulsed with shivers "tell me more of this gown" he pressed his wand into the slight cleavage she had hidden beneath her shirt. Aurelia remained silent, the water in her eyes wobbled until she blinked. His tongue sat between his lips "you must be a very silly little girl Aurelia; no such garment ever came from this house nor did I promise one", the elder Malfoy's words were like ice, the air slipped through his teeth with malice. Aurelia turned her face away from him and bit her bottom lip. In her sight was a large marble vase. Quickly, she reached both her hands for the vase and swung it at Lucius's head, he wavered, and a loud growl came from his throat. Aurelia fled the room, but the vase was launched in her direction but smashed on the floor just behind her feet. Aurelia ran and ran until the air burnt her throat, she hid in a small sideboard on the 2nd floor.
Lucius stumbled from the bedroom, cane in hand and his silvery hair tousled over his shoulders was stained crimson with blood, his nostrils were flared with his fury at seeing his pet in such rebellion. Inside Draco's room Draco sat at his desk, he tried desperately to block out what he could hear, he wanted to help Aurelia but also feared his father, he'd rather seek his approval and knew he'd unavoidably have to help Lucius if he exited this room. Down in the dining room Mrs Malfoy held her eyes lightly closed but her jaw was clenched with tension, she took fast but steady breaths which heaved her breasts from the corset dress which held them tight to her body. Both the other members of the Malfoy family felt powerless to stop the ghastly actions of the man of the house. They only sat and waited for the silence. With every interrogation, prisoner or woman who took his fancy, there was always silence when his work was done.
That night Draco felt the covers of his bed lift and he startled when an arm slinked around his middle, the body was freezing. He turned to look behind him and saw the unforgettable black mess of hair that belonged to Aurelia. Her shoulders bounced with her cries and her face was buried in his back, the girl's toes touched at the backs of his ankles and her knees were cupped into the back of his.
"What are you doing?" he whispered and held her forearm that was at his stomach.
"Shh, just hold me" she told him, to which he increased the pressure of his grip. "I hate it here".
"Father is a powerful man, anyone with brains should dream of becoming just like him" Draco had that familiar feeling of loathing inside his stomach at her words. His decadent home had everything he wanted and consequently Aurelia should then love it.
Aurelia flinched at his words, she withdrew her arm and climbed from his bed, "why did you buy me the dress for the ball?"
Draco rolled to look at her, he internally questioned if he should tell the truth, but Aurelia left his room without an answer.
The wizarding world was plunged once more into darkness with rumours of the Dark Lords' rise, things in the Malfoy Manor moved swiftly as increasingly more people filled the home, some never left, and others left dead. Screams of agony filled the otherwise quiet hallways and rooms as people were probed for answers and their loyalty questioned. Strangely Mr Malfoy hadn't made himself present to Aurelia since she arrived home from Hogwarts. Also, she had free reign of the manor which was just as bizarre. Nobody seemed to take any care of her or Draco and they had noticed each other more throughout the summer break at Malfoy Manor.
Mid-summer Aurelia wondered out of an unlocked door and into the heavy forests that surrounded the home. There was no breeze and the evening sun shone through the trees which turned the scenery into gold, glowing white insects whizzed around and whirred in the air. The grass beneath her feet was brown and sharp in places, her mind was busier than the bugs going about their business, she was bored and when she was bored she overanalysed her existence. She was just an object, many times she considered drowning herself in the lavish bath tub in her newly acquired bathroom, 'nobody would notice' she encouraged herself, the mirror in her bathroom further reminded her of her torments through scars. But Aurelia needed to know who her parents were, she ploughed through the scorching summer and waited for Hogwarts. Outside, she felt able to breathe there was no ceiling above her to crush her soul and no people. Suddenly Aurelia noticed the Manor was nowhere in her sight, only trees and thick bushes were around. She had mindlessly wandered and walked, she was enjoying the heat of the evening however it was dwindling, the sun dropped slowly out the sky. The hairs on Aurelia's arms stood on end when the wind gently whipped around her, Aurelia lifted her hands to rub her shoulders and began to panic as each way she turned to look there were just more trees. She only wore boy shorts and a tank top with flip flops and began to feel cold as the sun disappeared.
Aurelia began to wonder if she'd ever find her way back to the manor as she pointlessly meandered through the dark woods, the foliage grew thicker and thicker, vines swung down from branches and thorns grew on ground bushes. Any noise that the girl heard made her ears sting, her hair got tangled in twigs with long spikey hands that reached out and grabbed at her and the leaves overhead made faces with the moonlight. Aurelia picked up her pace she took no notice of how sore her feet were or that thorns ripped her skin and clothes, but she begged to be back at the Malfoys and in her comfortable warm bed, she apologised relentlessly for her mistake of running away. The night creatures kept a watchful eye on her.
By now tears gushed from her eyes as she sobbed together with strained breaths. The girl had to catch herself because she was abruptly on the edge of a tall cliff, below her was a lake with edges that rippled slightly against the shale. Aurelia clung to a large tree root as she peered over the edge, her were white with the strength of their grip on the rocks. Above her the night sky was in plain view, the stars twinkled and winked, to Aurelia it looked too inviting. The sky looked just like the wonderous sky that she had spent so much time looking up into at Hogwarts. Without even a moment for a second thought she gracefully let go of the tree root. She graciously fell the 20 foot drop and crumpled onto the small stones below.
Back at the Malfoy Manor the young Draco Malfoy timidly knocked on Aurelia's bedroom door and looked either side of his shoulders with fear of getting caught. He entered and was greeted with a dark empty bedroom, the curtains wafted in the breeze and he briefly checked the bathroom. Draco immediately knew something wasn't right because she would always be in her bedroom reading by this hour, although Draco would not like to admit how he knew that. He scarpered in search for his mother, his shiny black shoes slipped on the plush carpet of her room as he ran. The time was now, together they'd have to put a stop to whatever his father was doing with her. However, he ran clean into Mr Malfoy just outside of her bedroom. Lucius's chest rose with anger but before he could unleash it, Draco spoke.
"Where is she?" his voice didn't come out as powerful as he had hoped as he tried to be the man his father wanted him to be.
Lucius's cloak swished when he pushed his son out of his path and planted both his hands on the door frame to Aurelia's bedroom. Lucius and Draco proceeded to pound the manor's floors in search of her. Lucius's long strides, powerful and strong never fell out of rhythm, Draco however started to break out into a small run, his shoes clacked along the floor in an uneven beat. Mr Malfoy was the first to find the open doors out to the back of their estate, he paced through them and looked out into the black abyss. The ground he stood on was disturbed, the tip of his shoe broke the outline of a small footprint in the mud. He swore and spun around back into the building. His wife and son were standing in frantic conversation in the lobby, Lucius strode up to his wife with iron eyes and spoke through gritted teeth.
"Stupid girls gone! Why now? Just when things are going well for us! Why now does she prove to make a mockery of us?"
"Shouldn't we go find her mother?" Draco asked, ignoring his father.
"No leave her!" Lucius barked, he was more worried about himself and his position than Aurelia. His hand found his temples and massaged them with thumb and fingers.
"Lucius think of the consequences...we've kept her here all these years and on the very cusp of her mother returning, we lose her! How would that suit the dark lord" Narcissa spoke quietly with her hand poised over her heart.
Draco was confused to say the least, it was as though both parties were speaking a different language.
"Wife! I've left her alone to keep her sweet!" Lucius pointed a finger in Narcissa's face and spoke with spits of rage. He quickly realised what he had said and apparated in a billow of black smoke. Narcissa Malfoy fell to her knees, her silk dress stretched tight over them. Draco simply placed a supporting hand on his mother's shoulder.
"Not a word Draco" she breathed with a sigh "I'm afraid our lives depend on it" she muttered and looked to her son. He nodded, although he didn't completely understand the predicament they were all in.
High above the grounds of the Manor, Lucius was in black smoky flight and dropped in amongst the trees every so often in search for Aurelia. His wand in the air lit with a Lumos spell was poised and ready to take on whatever creature he should encounter, he was determined to find the girl...alive.
It was past three in the morning when he happened by chance to apparate to the very same spot Aurelia had jumped from. His cool grey stare gazed out upon the still and silent lake, taking in how the moons reflection was dancing in the water. His silver hair whipped in the gathering winds and his ringed fingers held steadfast to branches. By now his polished shoes were scuffed and dirty, as well as his long tail coat jacket. Lucius's eyes lowered in disappointment and tiredness, after he rubbed them they focused on two white spots that floated on the water below. Lucius blinked a few times and saw that they were two flip-flops, his breath caught in his throat as he leaned over the edge of where he stood.
He came to Aurelia's side after leaping into smoke again. He inspected her, she was unconscious and half her broken body was laid in the water. Aurelia had a wound to her head and very obvious broken legs. Lucius swept the hair from his eyes and reached out with steady hands but paused with uncertainty of where was safe to touch her. With the tip of his wand he pushed her curly black hair from her face and held his fingers in front of her mouth and nose, he was relieved to feel a small slither of air there. After he checked her head injury he set about getting her home. In the most careful way he never thought he was capable of he slipped one hand under her floppy head and his other arm under the girl's wet knees. Water trickled off her as she was lifted by her master and bought home in an instant due to his ability to apparate.
The manor was dormant. The occupants were in bed and all was dark, Mr Malfoys shoes echoed when he paced with Aurelia draped over his arms into the dining room, she was placed on the table and the room was lit with a slight flick of his hand. It was at this point her eyes twitched open and rolled forward from the back of her head. She cried silently like a baby with not enough energy to produce a sound from the pain burning through her legs, spit stuck to the edges of her mouth like glue and dirt was smudged across her face. Lucius was panic stricken, his family would be to blame for this, he fled the room to find his wife. Aurelia was left sprawled across the dining room table and was bleeding from three breaks to her legs. Bone protruded from one leg and the other had deep lacerations to the skin at her thigh and knee cap.
Lucius ran through his manor, blood stained his white shirt sleeves and hands, he woke Narcissa from her sleep with a desperate plea for help, more to save his own reputation than Aurelia. Lucius Malfoy knew the nature of the relationship Bellatrix and Voldemort had before he was defeated during the first Wizarding War and was certain his family would be extinguished if Bellatrix was to learn of her daughter's condition.
Narcissa and her husband transferred Aurelia who screamed and protested until she was placed in her bed and put to sleep with a simple sleeping potion. As she snoozed Narcissa spoon-fed her tiny amounts of Skele-Gro that would replenish her bones while Lucius bound her legs in bandages to keep them straight. Narcissa didn't want her husband anywhere near the girl but she couldn't treat her alone and didnt trust him not to drown the girl with potions in his haste. Aurelia needed the maternal hands she deserved all this time. Narcissa's dark eyes looked up and down the girls shattered body, but she couldn't bring herself to look at her husband.
Things in the wizarding world were changing and fast. Voldemort, a dark wizard with evils in him worse than Lucius, was taking control. He had been risen from near death and he used the Malfoy Manor to build his army. The power of his magic was unrivalled, and it was only a matter of time before he recruited his youngest followers. Narcissa feared that the most.
Lucius had been present during the Dark Lord's embodiment, he had been heavily involved in the planning and his wife had since learned that those plans included a boy of 14 years. They did not care for the lives of children, only the greed for power. That terrified Narcissa, she had lost her husband to that book and she was to lose him again to Voldemort...and soon her son. Draco's 16th birthday was approaching quicker than she wanted and she knew her son longed to please his father and therefore could not resist the chance of becoming someone with rank, even when that rank was worthless. Her mind raced with worry as she sat and watched Aurelia heal, she decided to kiss the girl's forehead and leave for rest.