8. Linking Clues
Draco Malfoy swept through the dimly lit halls and corridors of Slytherin Manor huffing exasperatedly all the while.
His last few weeks had been a living hell, hell on Earth.
After the Dark Lord had told him, well, more like ordered him to return to Hogwarts, to retrieve Potter's things and then to return to Slytherin Manor Draco had left immediately. And not one second to soon he suddenly realized with dread.
While Draco and his parents had been waiting for their Lord to tell them what to do, the remaining Professors and surviving Aurors had been searching frantically for him at Hogwarts. The surviving Professors hadn't appeared all that happy and relieved when Draco had stepped out of the secret room harbouring the Vanishing Cabinet, but he had to admit that they didn't looked too sad either that Draco had finally been found.
The Aurors on the other hand showed their displeasure openly and the crazy bastard Moody went so far as to demand that Draco hand over his wand for inspection. Draco had merely shrugged and observed with glee as Moody tried in vain to connect Draco to the attack and the dark side. When he finally had to admit defeat he handed the wand back to Draco and sneered hatefully at him. Draco, however, wasn't fazed. He grabbed the offered wand with a fake, polite smile, inclined his head in gratitude and farewell and made his way to the Slytherin dorms.
If Moody wanted to connect Draco to the dark side, he would have to try a lot harder. Draco wasn't brainless enough to use the wand known as his for his dark duties.
Draco smirked darkly to himself. Too bad, bastard, I won't be your scapegoat for this mess you have.
When Draco arrived at the Slytherin dorm entrance and stepped into the common room, Pansy had bounced from her chair. Draco ignored her as he made his way to his personal quarters but Pansy, ignorant and single-minded as she was, ignored his obvious dismissal and followed him into his room.
She was gloating from ear to ear and had the biggest self-assured and self-important grin on her not so beautiful face that Draco had ever seen. He watched her warily as she turned around, charmed the door close and put a silencing spell over his room. With the charms in place Pansy approached Draco.
Her hips swinging dangerously from one side to another, a seductive smile plastered on her face as she made her way to Draco's armchair. Slowly she leaned forward offering Draco the view of her uncovered and bare breast as she wasn't wearing a bra and her red pained lips brushed hotly over his ears.
While Pansy was trying desperately to look and act seductively Draco had to fight the urge to gag. What was it with people thinking he was a dumb blonde this day? He knew what Pansy wanted.
When they had started their school career at Hogwarts Draco had been pleased to deepen the former superficial friendship he had shared with Pansy. She was from a dark family, a pureblood heiress and of equal standing as Draco. It had only made sense to seek her friendship. And he hadn't regret his decision. Pansy may not be the smartest witch of her year, but she was fierce, powerful, and strong-minded and had a sadistic streak. It was a pleasure to use her to torment weaker and lesser students.
In their seventh year, however, something had changed between them. Pansy had been clingier and sought his attention and approval. She would often laugh overly loud and boisterously when he said something funny, would praise him excessively for minor deeds and would constantly bat her eyelashes at him. It had taken Draco longer than he was proud to admit that she was trying to seduce him.
The mere thought had made him gag.
It wasn't that Pansy was ugly, but Draco had never seen her as a potential spouse. She was a friend, a comrade and a fellow Slytherin and that was it. He had never been romantically interested in her.
Draco had tried to explain his standing regarding their possible romantic future to Pansy, but the young woman had been stubborn. She was determined to make him see reason. It was sad and Draco mourned the loss of their easy friendship, but he had to disassociate himself from her.
Not that it made any difference to Pansy.
She was crafty in her attempts to sway his mind and woo him. Draco had been mentally prepared that she might try to feed him a love potion – Uncle Severus had been most helpful in providing the necessary countermeasures – or try to use an infatuation spell. And Draco had been prepared to forgive her those actions should she chose to try to win him over with spells or potions.
He could understand her motivation. She was a pureblood heiress and was only trying to win the best candidate as a spouse and father of her children. But Draco was a pureblood heir himself and whereas it was flattering that he was her best option to improve her family's name, standing and reputation Draco was guided by the same motivation.
And whereas Draco was Pansy's best option, she wasn't his.
It seemed as Pansy was growing desperate in her attempts. There was no other explanation why she would chose to disregard her pureblood upbringing and throw proper behaviour out of the window.
Pansy was trying to seduce him into going to bed with her.
Draco felt as if someone had slapped him in the face. Pansy was either currently fertile or she had taken a potion to ensure that she would become pregnant. As she was the sole heiress of a pureblood family, Draco would be honour bound and obliged to marry her so that his and her child wouldn't be born out of wedlock and considered a bastard. There was no bigger disgrace for pureblood unmarried young woman to become pregnant and give birth to a child. Especially when the young woman wasn't a rape victim.
That she would go so far to shame both his and her families' names was unbelievable.
Breathing hotly into his ear Pansy whispered into his ears that Potter had been kidnapped. She licked her dark red lips and breathed hotly into his ear. Carefully she placed her hands onto his chest, stroked and crawled them up him like a little cat in heat. Her teeth scraped over the shell of his ear and she started to nimble the tender flesh. Daring to be bold, her fingers worked to open his robes slowly and carefully. She was about to place his hands onto her hips and nudge him into becoming a more active part in her game when suddenly Draco's flat backhand connected with her cheek.
Breathing heavily, his mind and heart filled with righteous anger, Draco glared darkly at the offending and half crying girl. His mind was raising, unable to process the disbelieve that Pansy would dare to do that to him.
Draco stood up with trembling legs, grabbed Pansy by the wrist and dragged her towards his dorm door. With a harsh twitch of his wand he cancelled the spells, threw the door open and then threw her out of his rooms.
When the door was shut again, Draco leaned against the dark wood and dropped his head against the door. He was breathing heavily but not due to Pansy's ministrations. Ire and anger were burning heatedly in his heart clouding his vision. He felt betrayed.
That Pansy would try to do something that disgusting.
It was a disgrace.
Years ago he had promised his parents he would be careful. It was too risky to sleep with a girl, especially a pureblood heiress, without being married or at least engaged to her. One moment of carelessness and his hands would be tied. His parents would be forced to agree to a wedding and joining of families no matter who the girl was. And even though this rule officially only applied to pureblood girls Draco almost snorted dismissively.
As if he would touch a girl of lower status.
Once his head was clear enough to think properly, Draco warded his rooms against each and every person that might try to enter. The house-elves were ordered to double-check his food for potions and aphrodisiacs and to keep their eyes open for people lurking around his quarters.
He had finally been able to convince his parents that none of the girls residing at and attending Hogwarts was good enough to please him and more importantly to live up to their family name. It had been an exhausting and long enduring fight but in the end he had won. And no girl would spoil his victory.
The next few days after Potter's kidnapping had been the strangest in Draco's whole life.
He had honestly expected that the news of Potter's disappearance and possible defeat at the hands of the Dark Lord would throw the British wizarding society into a depression. What he hadn't expected was the wave of utter despair and hopelessness that suddenly crashed over the Britain's wizarding population.
Students were suffering from breakdowns, falling to the floor with tears staining their cheeks and their eyes wide with horror. Most of them seemed to think that they would inevitably die a soon and most horrific death as their saviour had been brought down. The Professors were lethargic and unmotivated as if they didn't see any hope and reason in teaching a student body that would most probably not live long enough to even enjoy their graduation. It didn't seem to matter that their education might save their students' lives in the future. And finally the politicians were at a loss at what to do. They had lost everything that stood for their hope, after all. There had never been a proper plan B.
Draco had been most disgusted and annoyed.
He had known that most of the British wizarding population had relied on Potter to save them. But for them to fall in a bottomless hole of despair and hopelessness was even low for them. They must have deluded themselves into thinking that Potter and Potter on his own would bring the Dark Lord and his masses of followers down. There could be no other reason why for Potter's disappearance to hit them so hard.
It annoyed Draco to no end but the current depressive mood had its advantages as well. Due to their weak emotional state of mind it had been most easy for Draco to hex some weak, young Gryffindor into bringing him all of Potter's remaining possessions. And thanks to the utter chaos no one had even noticed that their saviour's few possessions had vanished into thin air. Students, Professors and Aurors had other things to think and care for as Potter's disappearance wasn't the only shocking event of that night.
Weasley, Weaslette and Granger had died in the fight, too.
Draco knew that the Dark Lord had wished for Potter to survive the battle. Why Draco didn't know exactly but it wasn't his place to ask. His Lord wished for him to live so Potter would. That had to be the reason for the Dark Lord to order Draco to retrieve Potter's things.
Potter would need his school books, wand and other personal possessions should he have to live at Slytherin Manor. Perhaps someone would have the presence of mind to burn Potter's clothes and buy something for him that didn't look as if the former own had died wearing the rags.
With Potter's best friends dead this could either come in handy or prove to be a rather difficult disadvantage. It depended on whether Potter wanted to live. If Potter chose to survive and live his life then their deaths would be useful as Potter wouldn't have to cut those strings himself. But if he wasn't too sure about wanting to live then their deaths could be the last point of throwing him into a deep depression.
It was a difficult game and Draco couldn't guess about its outcome.
Draco would have to wait and see.
Once he had had gotten hold of Potter's treasures Draco had had to wait another three days until he had finished his school career and was able to return home without raising suspicions. The one week he had had to wait had been horrible and his heart was filled with utmost joy and happiness the moment he was allowed to floo home from his personal quarters.
At home everything would get better he had thought.
Draco had always been an only child and whereas others boasted about the joy a younger sibling could be, Draco had always relished that he was his parents' centre of attention. It wasn't as if his parents spent all their time with him, but it was common for them that they show great interest in his well-being, his day to day activities, his opinion on certain matters and such things. It just had always been that way.
When he had returned to Malfoy Manor after his last school year had officially ended his parents had been there to greet him. However, after Draco had inclined his head in greeting to his father and kissed his mother's cheeks, his parents didn't lead him towards their personal sitting room with the comfortable couches and the lush armchairs. Instead they had expressed their regret that they didn't have the time to inquire about the current happenings at Hogwarts as they had to leave.
Draco was more than a little bit surprised by their curt and nearly dismissive behaviour but he covered his hurt and his smarting ego. With a polite and interested smile Draco had asked whether it would be possible for him to accompany them. To his great and immense shock his parents had declined and ordered him to stay at home and to get settled back in.
Draco was shocked at first – never had his parents treated him this way before – but he soon dismissed their actions as something unique that wouldn't happen ever again. To his even greater bigger shock his parents acted strangely for the next few weeks. His mother would leave just after lunch and return home barely before dinner. And while his mother was gone doing whatever she was doing, his father would disappear in his study to search through old scrolls or to do his paperwork.
Draco had always prided himself with the ability to find out everything his parents were hiding from him even when they thought it highly improper to reveal this information to him. But no matter what Draco did after his return from Hogwarts, he was unable to find out why and where his mother was leaving. It annoyed him to no end that no matter what he did his parents would keep absolutely quiet about their newest business.
It came nearly as a relief when he was finally ordered to visit Slytherin Manor and deliver his little treasures to Potter. At first he had been mortified that he was supposed to act as a common massager boy to the great Potter but soon anger and mortification diminished.
He had been informed by the Dark Lord that his Master had chosen to blood-adopt Potter as his heir. After all this time Potter wouldn't be Potter anymore. He was now called Lord Slytherin. He would look different, act different and be someone different.
It was gravely disconcerting.
Potter was the Dark Lord's heir, one to be respected and followed. Draco knew that his Master wished for him to befriend Potter, no, his son so that the boy would have less difficulties finding his way and learning about the dark side while he lived at Slytherin Manor. To Draco it was an important and rewarding demonstration of trust that Draco was the one chosen to help the new Dark Heir as he was to be called and not someone else. It showed him and especially all those others that his Master held him in high regards and trusted him more than others.
What a pleasing thought.
With the Dark Lord's son's things shrunken and neatly placed into his trouser pockets Draco bid his parents farewell. He didn't expect them to act any different than they had for the last few weeks so he didn't pay too much attention to them. Had he observed his parents he would have noticed that his father was looking a little bit nervous and his mother more than a little excited and expecting.
Draco took a handful of floo powder, approached their antique fireplace, threw the soft powder into the fire and waited patiently for the red flames to change into sickly green one. With the green flames burning in the fireplace Draco shouted out the name of his destination and swiftly walked through.
Mere seconds later Draco arrived at Slytherin Manor. With careful steps he left the fireplace and dusted off his robes. As no one was there for him to lead him to the Dark Lord's son Draco felt his annoyance grow. The Dark Lord wanted him to collect his son's possession but didn't see it fit to actually show him the way to the Dark Lord's heir. Huffing angrily Draco decided to try his luck and start his search at Slytherin Manor's visitors lounge.
While he was walking through the strangely deserted hallways and corridors Draco idly wondered what sight would greet him. He had never liked Potter, well, more like hated him like hell but he couldn't even say what exactly had bothered him so much. It had just started in their first year and had developed into a full fetched rivalry and later hate over the course of time. But now with everything that had changed Draco was expected to start anew and to form a firm friendship with the new Potter. Draco's mind was plagued by countless different emotions running wild. There was excitement, wonder, suspicion, a tiny amount of fear and hope beyond measure.
Hopefully he would be able to get along with Potter.
Otherwise the consequences wouldn't be too endearing.
Reaching the last corner Draco started thinking about what questions he wanted to ask Potter first. What does it feel like to be the Dark Lord's heir? How was his sudden relationship to his father developing? Did he call him Father? Dad? My Lord? Or even Voldemort? What has he been doing during the last month? Were the other Death Eaters giving him trouble? Were they respecting him? Were they even bowing to him and following him?
With all those thoughts running wild through his head Draco turned around the last corner and stopped dead in his tracks. He didn't know what he had expected but to be honest not this sight.
The visitors lounge was empty except for one person. This in itself was nothing too shocking. However, the person who sitting on one of the armchairs caused his mind to spin and his heart-beat go wild.
In the plush arm chair nearest to the window was sitting a young woman staring out almost mindlessly into the well-kept gardens. She wasn't moving nor doing something special. She was just sitting there, a book lying on her lap but forgotten and therefore closed. Her chest was rising and sinking slowly with each breath she took.
Draco didn't know how long he had been staring at her but with a jolt of his heart Draco suddenly realised how beautiful she was.
She had long, midnight black hair that cascaded down over her shoulders, reached down to her waist in soft waves and caused a great contrast to her only lightly tanned skin. Her face was fair, beautiful even. A slim face with high, defined cheek bones went over into a slim throat, fine shoulders and a nicely formed chest. From his place near the door Draco could see that she had a very slim waist but nicely pronounced hips that went over to a pair of long, well-shaped, feminine legs.
Flicking his gaze back to her face his eyes passed over her nice, short snub nose, her plump, soft pink lips, to her perfectly trimmed midnight black eyebrows only to stop dead at her big, almond-shaped, expressive sky blue eyes.
All in all the young woman was a beauty to behold.
She was dressed in a knee-length dress with a sweeping skirt, a heart-shaped bodice and puffy sleeves. The dress was made of dark blue, patterned lace. She wasn't wearing any jewellery but short-heeled dark blue shoes. She was dressed impeccably as one would expect a pureblood heiress to dress.
He didn't know her name as he had never once seen her before. Not knowing what else to do to catch her attention Draco uncertainly cleared his throat. The young woman must have been much deeper in thought than he had anticipated as the young woman jumped immediately up from her seat and spun around, her sky blue eyes spinning around wildly. He could easily see her nice breasts heaving and sinking as her delicate fingers clutched her heart.
"I'm sorry, Miss." Draco addressed her smoothly, his voice soft live velvet. "I didn't mean to startle you."
Her eyes immediately fell upon him and even though her heart beat seemed to slow down considerably, the young woman still remained tense. Draco could see directly into her eyes and what he saw surprised him greatly.
The way her gaze wandered over him as she scanned his face as if she knew him and remembered him made him feel extremely uncomfortable. And he didn't seem to be the only one. Her eyes immediately took over a resigned look as if she was surrendering herself to her unfortunate destiny even if she didn't like this destiny at all.
As the young woman was still not speaking but merely staring at him with those beautiful sapphire blue eyes of hers Draco uncertainly stepped from one foot to the other.
"Excuse me, Miss." Draco tried it again. "Could you tell me where I can find the Dark Lord's son and heir? I have several objects I shall need to return to him."
The young woman swallowed painfully several times before she was obviously ready to even answer his question. She opened her mouth to answer when suddenly the door leading to the rest of the Manor flew open and loudly crashed against the grey painted wall. Before Draco or the mysterious young woman were able to spin around and find out who had entered the visitors lounge in such an overly dramatic way, a dark shadow appeared behind the young woman and a pale and a slim hand was laid on her shoulder.
Lord Voldemort had just entered and Draco couldn't help but stare. He still wasn't used to seeing his Master in his normal human appearance that he acquired some months ago.
The smile was frightening even on his handsome features. "Ah, young Mr. Malfoy." The Dark Lord addressed him pleasantly. "I see you are returning my daughter's possessions." He paused in a poised manner and inclined his head in interest.
"I'm very pleased to see that you fulfilled your task so nicely." The Dark Lord turned his head and motioned towards the young woman. "Follow my daughter to her personal quarters and help her get her possessions settled in. Afterwards I expect you both to behave nicely and wait for someone to collect you."
After another stern look at the young Malfoy heir who merely stood there, his mouth shamelessly hanging wide open Voldemort turned around to look at his daughter. The small flicker of a nice and soothing smile that threatened to break over his lips was nearly invisible if one didn't know where to look. He squeezed her shoulder comfortingly before he vanished again.
"Be nice to him." He whispered almost inaudibly. "He didn't know about your change."
A low and suffering sigh escaped the young Slytherin heiress. When she straightened up and raised her gaze from the floor she noticed that Draco Malfoy was still acting rather out of character. His grey eyes were wide open, his mouth was flipping open and closed soundlessly and his hands had started to tremble lightly. But there was even more to him, a small but bright blush slowly crept over the pale cheeks making him look more alive than she had seen him in all her life.
As Draco was still too shocked to think and function properly the Slytherin heiress carefully but sternly grabbed the sleeve of his formal robes and began to drag him through various hallways and corridors. While she was walking she held her head carefully bent as if she was feeling ashamed and couldn't bear the thought of someone looking into her eyes directly. Had Draco been able to pay more attention he would have noticed he was right about her rather off behaviour.
But Draco was still too lost in his thoughts that he didn't notice the young woman stopping in front of a beautiful portrait and whispering the password to be able to enter. He couldn't believe it. It didn't make any sense. He had been told he was to come to Slytherin Manor to return Potter's possessions and to befriend the new Dark Heir.
He hadn't paid much attention to his thoughts as his mind was still too troubled by the implications of who this mysterious young woman might be. He had never seen her before, something that was strange itself but a little fact had slipped his attention.
The Dark Lord was supposed to have a son. Potter was supposed to still be a young man. Draco hadn't been too focused and concentrated on the young woman. It was true, she was a beauty and Draco had for a short moment honestly hoped that he would be able to see her again but not under those circumstances.
Groaning in dismay and shame Draco suddenly realized he had been fantasizing about Potter, a thought that made his cheeks burn crimson red.
The young woman shook her head softly and sighed. "I know you are shocked but could you please snap out of it?" She asked. Her voice was melodious and soft like velvet. "I would like to settle in but I won't be caught dead searching for my possession in your robes." She extended her hand and cocked her head to the side. "So, please, hand me back my things."
Her stern and slightly annoyed voice caught Draco off guard and threw him off his train of thoughts. He had to blink several times before he was fully able to understand the meaning of her words. But once he did his cheeks reddened even further although this time out of embarrassment. With slightly shaking and clumsy movements Draco searched through his trouser pockets. His head was still bent and he never meet the young woman's eyes. Finally his fingers found the shrunken box. With his fingers wound around the box Draco handed the young woman her things.
The young woman grabbed them carefully before she placed the items on her the couch table behind and enlarged them with a flick of her light brown wand. Not sparing Draco a second thought or word the Slytherin heiress began walking around the room as she placed objects in different cupboards and shelves. She did this with more elegance and finesse than Draco had ever seen Potter acting or moving around in Hogwarts. Her midnight-black waist-length hair swayed slightly over her shoulders as her light blue eyes swept searchingly through her generous rooms.
Draco watched her every movement and tried to memorize the way she walked and acted. Once or twice he saw her swaying lightly on her high heels, dead give-away that she had problems walking in those murderous shoes of hers. Once she had finished the young woman sat down slowly in one of the armchairs, her hands neatly folded in her lap and her eyes never leaving his face.
This was what finally broke Draco out of his stupor.
"You are Harry Potter?"
He hadn't meant to blurt his question out like this as it was going against everything his education had been standing for but he couldn't stop himself. Hundreds of thoughts were running wild and troubling his mind screaming at him and demanding answers. He couldn't believe what he was seeing and the more he was starting think about it the more he didn't want to believe it. It was just too extreme.
Even for Potter and the Dark Lord.
The young woman inclined her head. "Yes, Mr. Malfoy."
The young woman had been trying to keep her face neutral but seeing him suffer from so much confusion and denial, the young woman was struggling very hard to keep her facial features under control. One would have thought she should be the one to start raving and screaming, raging about the unfairness of the world while he was the one enjoying her misfortune. But here she was calmer than ever while Draco was at a loss at what to think.
Draco gulped heavily. "You are a girl now?"
This question endowed him a nicely raised eyebrow and a dark grin. Straightening herself up further in the deep blue armchair the young woman bent her head and stared at her nicely developed chest without any shame or wonder. Running a hand over the left side of her chest the young woman leaned back into her chair and looked at the Malfoy heir with a small, empty smile on her lips.
"It seems so, Mr. Malfoy."
When she noticed Draco blushed deeply and started to sweat lightly the young woman secretly congratulated herself to her daring move. During the last few weeks she had been told that no pureblood woman would ever show sexual actions or motivation that could be interpreted this way in public. It was unbecoming and not of her standing. But she wasn't in public, no, Draco Malfoy was alone with her in her rooms and seeing the look of utter discomfort on his face had made it worth it.
Though she already knew that she would never do something like this again. For no one in this world. It had just felt so wrong.
Draco shook his head as if it would chase his embarrassing thoughts from his troubled mind. "The Dark Lord adopted you?" He finally asked.
This question was rather easy to answer. The young woman fetched the necklace that was hanging from her slim neck and had been hidden under her dark blue bodice. She held the necklace in front of her face and Draco could easily see the Slytherin emblem engraved on the silver pendant. In the same movement the young woman extended her left hand and held forward her hand so that he could see the elegant ring sitting on her finger.
The very sight made his breath hitch. It was the Slytherin family ring enchanted like every other family ring that no one but a member of blood could put the ring on. No one but her Head of Family could take the ring off her finger where it would remain until she married into another family. This ring would remain on her fingers, only to be replaced by her husband's family ring.
"Yes, Mr. Malfoy." The young woman commented needlessly.
She had been very patient with him Draco suddenly realized. Not once had she laughed at him or rolled her eyes at him. Neither had she insulted him. Instead she had been sitting there as if she had expected him not to understand what was going on. An aura of utter calmness radiated from her differing so much from what Potter used to be. His rival had always jumped at the first possibility to hex and curse him. But this Potter was different. She was collected, controlled and at peace with herself. There would be no fights between them should she keep on acting this way.
Not that Draco would try to provoke a fight with Potter. He enjoyed being alive, thank you very much.
Draco shook his head vehemently. "Okay, stop, no." He demanded, his voice shaking. "I have to repeat this. You are Harry Potter, you are a woman and the Dark Lord adopted you? What the hell!"
A soft chuckle escaped the girl's beautiful lips sounding through her brightly illuminated room. Her bright blue eyes were shining with mirth and joy as she flipped a strand of her black hair back over her shoulder. Still looking into his eyes the young woman smiled tentatively at him.
"What the hell, indeed, Mr. Malfoy." She parroted wittily. "Those were my exact thoughts once the whole procedure was over and I was able to think clearly again."
This mirthful chuckle finally brought Draco back to his senses. There he was with a female and blood-adopted former Harry Potter sitting in front of him. She had answered each of his questions calmly even though they had been stated rather crudely and had been more than a little private. She had been friendly and helpful and had even tried to ease his denial and shock while she was at the same time trying to calm him down. This wasn't the Potter he had started to hate and fight with. No, she was different.
She was a better person.
Blinking again in surprise Draco sat down on the armchair opposite of her.
"Why do you keep on calling me Mr. Malfoy?" Draco asked. Her choice of address had bothered him from the beginning. "It's not like you cared much for formalities before, Potter."
As soon as the last word had left his mouth the friendly and nice atmosphere all of a sudden changed. Her eyes suddenly lost their warm glimmer and became hard and cold like ice in mere seconds. Her posture stiffened and her face grew hard. He must have insulted her somehow, Draco realized belatedly, now she reacted with cold and detached behaviour.
"I was told to be nice and try to befriend you and surely you were told the same." The young woman stated coldly. "Now tell me, Mr. Malfoy, how should I accomplish this if I keep up the old grudges and hateful feelings by calling you by only your last name? It isn't as if I could easily go around and call you 'Draco'." Her eyes narrowed and a lopsided cold grin graced her lips. "You know as well as I do that the privilege to address someone by his or her given name has to be earned and rewarded."
She leaned back in her armchair and levelled a stern and cold glare at Draco silencing him even before he was completely able to open his mouth.
"And please refrain from calling me that name." She continued to argue calculatedly. "I am Lady Saphira Slytherin and I want you to call me by this name." Her eyes narrowed to dangerous cold ice-orbs. "No one except the my father, your parents and Professor Snape can connect me current to my former self and it is supposed to stay this way."
Draco felt like gulping but her intense glare kept him from reacting in any way. "The remaining Death Eaters don't know. If you call me by my former name in public or even in these warded rooms, there is a high possibility that you sign my immediate death this way."
Looking from the door back to Draco Saphira smiled coldly at the young Malfoy heir.
"And yours, too, you know?"