Chapter 6

Holding her head high, Shanara stepped out of the fire place and looked at one of the house elves for directions. The tiny creature was agitated and kept wringing its hands as it told Shanara that her father was waiting for her in his study.

Standing outside his door, Shanara braced herself for what was to come. As soon as she had received her fathers howler she had known that she would be severely punished. She had never heard her father so angry before. She knew that the two families were close and that Lucius and her father had many business agreements and worked well together. Their mothers had been friends since they themselves had attended Hogwarts and even her elder sister, Marya, had married Lucius's nephew Adrian. Shanara's marriage to Draco had meant a lot to both families. As the male, Draco had the right to call off the engagement for whatever purposes he deemed worthy. However, she thought bitterly, he would never be blamed, he would never be punished. That joy was reserved only for her as dictated by the ancient laws of pureblooded society.

Knocking, she let herself in.

"Father?"

"Come in"

Shanara's father, Beren Montgomery was an impressive looking man. Despite his cold exterior, Shanara knew that he adored his two daughters and greatly valued their happiness. She knew that the punishment he was about to bestow upon her would hurt him just as much as it hurt her.

She would get her forty lashes. She knew that. And he would be just about it. Striking evenly and emotionlessly. And afterwards he would drown his sorrows in firewhisky and be unable to look at her for months. For a fleeting moment her hatred for Draco surfaced, he had abandoned her, knowing full well what awaited her. As quickly as it came, it vanished, she couldn't hate Draco. She wished that she could but she knew it wouldn't help anything.

Beren Montgomery watched his beautiful daughters face quietly. Though he showed no emotion, his heart was breaking. Shanara stood before him, showing no fear. Even in the midst of his anguish he couldn't help but smile wryly at that, she had always been a fearless child, so impulsive and caring.

She knelt before him gracefully and slipped off her outer robe, leaving her back bare. Flinching inwardly, he raised his whip and struck her square across her back. Detaching himself from his task, he noticed that though his strokes did not vary, she did not make a single noise. The only sounds were the crack of his whip and the anxious murmurs coming from the next room where Marya and his wife were.

After he had given her the specified 40 lashes he dropped his whip and moved forward to pick her up.

Shanara rose by herself, unsteadily but sure of herself. Smiling gently at him, she slipped on her robe and before she left the room, threw her arms around him and kissed him on his cheek. "I'm sorry, Papa" she said.

Beren smiled at her and left her to the mercies of her mother and Marya as he poured himself a glass of firewhisky, cursed the laws of society that demanded that he inflicted pain on his own child and said in a low voice "No, my love, It is I who should be sorry".

Draco Malfoy was in his own private hell. It was so easy to forget things when he was with Harry but as he faced Pansy Parkinson, Blaise Zabini and Theo Nott in a silent hallway where he and Harry had been trying to get some time alone, he knew that his time had run out.

Blaise spoke first, his voice dripping with emotion "You bastard", he grabbed Draco and threw him up against a wall.

Theo said " you're a shit, Draco, I cant believe that you did what u did"

Pansy was apparently so angry that she couldn't speak.

Draco didn't fight it and he stopped Harry from intervening with a look of warning. He knew that he deserved what he was going to get.

"I'd like to give you exactly what she gets" snarled Blaise, "Infact, I'd give you 10 more lashes for being such a fucker"

"lashes?" asked Draco, stunned out of his passive silence.

Pansy laughed a little hysterically, "Yes, lashes! You know…with whips…it's the fucking penalty, Draco!"

Draco was bewildered "but that's ancient…they wouldn't follow that rule!"

Theo laughed bitterly and said "oh but they do, Draco, I just had a letter from Marya, Shanara paid in full for your bullshit".

Disgusted and angry, they left, as they walked away, Pansy fired her parting shot "I truly hope you get what you deserve, Malfoy"

Draco sat on the cold stone floor. He felt Harry's arms encircle him and vaguely realized that Harry was whispering comforting things in his ear.

He had never felt so alone in his life.