I think we all know that I do not own any of the characters or places, just the plot and the ones I make up!

The calm before the storm

The cold air hit his face, but it was not un- pleasant, it was refreshing, and he was happy that he was out with his mother, instead of stuck in side with his father.

The grounds were quite and so beautifully still. The thick snow that had settled on the ground was glistening in the winter sun, and it was like glitter had been sprinkled on its surface.

Trees were bare of leaves; the only thing covering them was a thin sprinkle of snow that fell on their branches.

In summer the gardens would be full of flowering: crocuses, blue bells, daffodils, fox gloves and Narcissa's prize roses of every colour. But the winter had commanded them to sleep now until the spring would wake them again.

There wasn't a single footstep to break the sheet of snow, apart from a robin's tracks and the paw prints of a vixen who was hunting for food to feed her cubs.

But it was now that Draco and Narcissa trod the snow, walking in comfortable silence.

Every now and then Narcissa would ask her son how school was going, if he had a girlfriend, in which his pale cheeks gained a noticeable shade of pink, how many quiddicth awards did he have, all questions a mother would ask if she was deprived of seeing her son often.

She avoided two important questions, 1) how do you feel about your father's wish of making you a deatheater and 2) do you think your father is right or wrong to punish you the way he does.

She wanted this to be a nice, leisurely walk with her only son.

Lucius stumbled out of the pub, the hogshead, a fellow deatheater with short hazel coloured hair named Hanlock, followed him out, just as drunk as he was.

"Well, hic, Lucninus, Hic, I had, had, a fine time with you, Hic, and I await, await, our next get together!" his fowl breath came out as steam in the cold air.

Another drunken deatheater, an ugly witch with long black hair came running out singing "O, all the money e'er I had, I spent it in good company, and all the harm I've ever done alas! It was to none but me, and all I've done for want of wit to mem'ry now I can't recall so fill to me the parting glass good night and joy be with you all!" and with those last words she collapsed in a drunken heap.

Hanlock roared with laughter and thumped Lucius on the back good heartedly, who looked like he had an extremely bad headache, but had a glazed darkness in his eyes.

"So, Lucius, old boy, you'll be Hic! going back to your lovely, lovely wife and Hic! Son, will yeh?"

Lucius growled and glared at the looming image of his manor on the hill. "Yes, knock 'em about a bit, remind 'em who's boss"

Hanlock laughed, not really hearing what Lucius had said, "Yea, give 'em a Hic! hug from me!"

And with that Hanlock was gone, stumbling of into the night.

Lucius steadied himself as best he could, then "Yea, show 'em who's boss".

He set off for his manor.

A raven was sitting on a broken fence nearby. It squawked once then spread its ebony wings and flew of into the night.

The sun had set on Draco and Narcissa's time, and they walked up the snowy path, laughing and talking.

"Thank you mother, I had a great time today"

She smiled, knowing that this had been one of those rare quality times with her son away from her husband, it may never happen again, at least for a long time. She felt tears well in her eyes, but the tears were so delicate, she could keep them from falling.

They both entered the manor, in a second their winter cloths were of and were replaced by casual night ware.

Then a loud knock sounded on the door, they spun around. No, Narcissa thought, not Lucius, not yet!

Draco's heart beat so fast, he was sure it was about to break out his rib cage, his father would surely know he had been out! He would beat him for sure!

None other then Severus Snape ran through the door "Narcissa, Draco, you must go to the cellar now! Lock the door, do not let Lucius know you are there, keep quite until he is asleep then go to your beds, he is drunk, I've heard him talking, he means to hurt you!"

Narcissa knew that if Lucius was drunk he would mean to more then "hurt" them. She was so obliged to Severus and she told him so over and over again, if it weren't for him they would have certainly been attacked by Lucius for going out without his permission, he would have found out.

Narcissa and Draco did as they were told, Draco was left silent, he was afraid, not for himself, he could take it, but for his mother. She had never yet been hit by Lucius, not to his knowledge, and he didn't want himself to be the reason Lucius would start.

As they sat in fearful silence they briefly wondered how Snape had managed to get the information and get here before Lucius without him knowing.

It was times like this that Narcissa resented Lucius the most, how one man could bring so much fear. But again Narcissa was grateful to Snape, if they could avoid the abuse, they did.

They sat for a while, not daring to speak, then they heard a voice call "NARCISSA, DRACO!"

Grateful thanks to my reviewers:

Ladylilymalfoy, ShadieLadie, Gin, Morbid-Jessica, IceAngel89 and TwistedSilver.