After the Yule Ball, everyone went home for Christmas. Well, except for Potter and his friends. Draco Malfoy missed Luna more than he missed spying on the Gryffindors, though. Luna he actually got to talk to.

His mother and father were happy to see him - smiles all round once they were out of that ridiculous train station. The Manor was done up as it usually was, greens and more greens, and just a smattering of gold and red. Quiet and peaceful, even with all the marble.

Snape pounced into this halycon paradise like a dark avenging angel. Draco had expected him to sequester himself with Draco's father in the study, but instead, Narcissa grabbed him and said, "Lovely! We were just about to have dinner!"

As Narcissa Malfoy never invited people to dinner on a moment's notice, Draco knew something was wrong.

Dread turned over in his stomach as he sat down to dinner. They exchanged the usual pleasantries (Including the customary disparagement of Dumbledore's latest project).

Lucius Malfoy turned to his old friend, and asked, "And how is young Harry Potter?"

Snape, rather than instantly turning acerbic, turned towards his friend and pointedly asked, "Is there some reason he'd be of interest to you?"

"No more than the usual. Celebrities are often found with their pants down, are they not?" Lucius Malfoy said.

Snape did an impression of a vomiting vampire bat (though luckily, it was dry).

Lucius smiled an impressively thin smile, "I didn't mean that literally."

Snape, volatile as ever, looked impassive again, as he nodded.

Draco was watching the volley with a passion he'd never had for Quiddich.

Snape fingered the left sleeve of his robes, saying, "What news of the Ministry? Are there any fresh developments?"

Draco Malfoy abruptly stilled, and would have paled if that was possible with his complexion. Snape was asking his father if Lucius Malfoy knew about the return of the Dark Lord.

"Oh, just the usual," Lucius said, utterly bored, "Fudge continues to look to both myself and Dumbledore for advice, thus making himself a completely useless nincompoop." Malfoy rolled his eyes, "Nott is trying to make a play to subvert the Aurors, but it won't work because Shacklebolt is no fool."

Draco's eyes hadn't left Snape as Lucius had spoken. First there was the ghost of surprise, followed by not-so-surprising relief, and then Snape was clearly plotting something. But what?

"That, and you've already secured his loyalty." Snape said.

"That too," Lucius amiably agreed.

Narcissa Malfoy skillfully turned the conversation to her gossiping about society wives, and everyone pretended to find it fascinating.

[a/n: Snape thought Draco had his knowledge from his father. It appears Snape was wrong. Leave a review?]