By the time dinner was served that night, I had a fresh set of clothes on and no sign of any past tears on my face. Apart from my mother having scrubbed me clean and reassuring me that I was going to be alright (she knew the true reason why I was crying, and it was not because of my ruined blouse), I also was royally pissed off at Draco.

So, when I joined the table for what was to be a decorative feast, I showed up with a complicit smile and a massive cold shoulder to the grey eyes sitting across from me.

It was at this dinner that I would learn that more guests were inbound, expected to arrive tomorrow. I could guess that these guests were not going to be my favorite types of people. I didn't even try to think of a bright side to this vacation at this point. I was stuck in a dreary house with my unstable family and Draco Malfoy when I could have been in Europe with my friends.

I should have just ignored the letters and bolted. Lesson learned.

That night, my mother checked on me again in the lavish yet dry room I was given. I had already taken another bath, as apart from the fountain, Malfoy Manor also happened to have a great supply of hot water. And I was just combing out my hair when I saw her in the back mirror.

"Come to wish me good night?" I asked through the mirror as I lowered the brush back on the vanity table and turned to her.

She gave me a weak smile, a hint of what she wanted to say but dared not.

"I wanted to check in with you one more time before I retired. I couldn't say much to you earlier with Narcissa helping us get ready for dinner. And you know, with your father's image.."

"I'm fine, mamen." I cut her off, annoyance filtering through my voice as I turned back to the vanity mirror. "What Draco did spooked me is all. It won't happen again."

My mother's faint smile grew weaker as she came and kissed me gently on my head in good night.

"You are growing up to be such a strong girl, Ava. Know that your father and I are proud of you."

I wanted to snap back with "And Theo?" but I held my tongue and waited for the door to close on her way out before letting my frown reappear.

Even when comforting her children, my mother has my father's best interests at heart. What does that make me on her line up important things?

During breakfast the next morning, I learned who was to show up, making my stomach crawl. It was basically going to be a Slytherin house reunion. And I was sure Malfoy was going to marvel in it.

And when one of the families, The Nott Family, showed up early after lunch, I made to escape the group altogether, because I knew in my gut that Malfoy was going to involve me, one way or another.

And he did.

I had taken my camera out and was walking down the numerous paths outside, even the Quidditch pitch, to pass the time. The mornings were unbelievably misty here, so that by the time noon came about, the first rays of sun started to show through. And I wanted sunshine in my photos.

I made my mistake by going back to garden because low and behold, Theodore Nott and Draco came walking down the path moments later laughing obnoxiously loud over something I could not hear.

"Told you she'd be here," Draco started as he turned to me with a smug grin. "Aren't you going to say hello to our guest, Fountaine? You should know this one!" He said the last phrase with a jab at Nott's rib cage, making the 2nd boy chuckle as he rubbed his side and pushed Malfoy back.

I wasn't in the mood to listen to their banter but I knew ignoring them would do me no good, so I walked back up the slope, stopping short of the pair and said hello.

Upon seeing me in full, Nott looked at me a little too long before turning to Draco confused.

"She's changed a bit, hasn't she?" He then turned to me, curious. "I haven't seen you in a year give or take, right? What have they been feeding you in the states?"

"She's not at Ilvermorny," Draco cut in before I could. "Remember Pansy going off about the French school earlier on?" Nott's expression changed to clarity as he nodded.

"Oh, so you're the one who drinks that magical water, huh? Seems to be working. You look different."

I wasn't sure if this was a compliment or not, so all I said was: "Great" and turned back to my camera.

"Well aren't you going to join us? Father's letting me show people his newest Dark Art artifacts," Draco explained. "And his collection is far better than your Fathers-"

"I'd rather not, thanks," I cut in again, as I turned my back to the boys and started down the hill.

"What's her problem?" I heard Nott ask, but I pretended not to hear as I put the camera to my face, angled at the skyline overlooking the border hedge down below. Only, when I focused the lenses, a hand covered the front, making me look out angrily at Malfoy's expectant face.

"Can't you just leave me alone?"

"No. My mother wants me to bring you along with us today. Pretty sure she feels bad for what happened yesterday. Which, turned out fine thanks to your method acting," He commented, sounding impressed. "Who knew you could cry on command like that."

I wanted to slap him, and I was pretty sure my expression came across that way as well since he quickly stepped back as I went for him.

"You ruined my blouse!"

"You deserved it. Your blasted shirt would have been fine if you listened to me!"

"Listened to you?" I shot back. "Oh so it's my fault you brutally attacked a house elf!"

"Hey!" Nott walked to the side of us and pulled us apart. "Did I miss something or are both of you always like this?" Draco looked from me to his friend and then laughed as if this was all a joke.

"Fountaine is just too easy to set off. Always over reacting, like here," And with a fluid movement, he grabbed the camera held loosely in my hand and aimed it at me. A flash followed by smoke came from the camera as I looked away, blinking wildly.

"Damn it, Malfoy! Give it back!" I turned to grab it from him, but he only laughed as he raised it above his head and out of reach. Nott grabbed it from him and started to toss it in the air as I raced after him.

"Aye, Draco catch," And the boy tossed it over my hand and was caught by the other.

I already lost one camera to this lot, I wasn't going to have it happen again, so instead of playing I stopped in the middle and looked at Malfoy menacingly.

"What?" Malfoy asked dubiously. "Don't want it anymore? Does that make this camera mine now?" Nott was laughing behind me as my eyes burned, but I was not going to cry again, especially in front of Malfoy of all people.

"I'll go with you to your Father's artifacts if you stop throwing my camera around. I can't afford another broken one." Malfoy looked behind me, toward Nott and gave him a look of disbelief, before pocketing my camera and looking back at me.

"Suit yourself."

Lucius Malfoy's collection of dark artifacts were stationed in a room directly opposite the drawing room. It was painted and lacking light just like most of the other rooms in the house, however this room felt eerie in comparison.

You need only feel the air to know something inflicted with dark magic lived among these walls.

The windows were fastened shut with wooden slates, the same color as the shaded gray walls. A fire place crackled on the west wall, the center between two black doors leading further into the house.

Rows of tables lined the walls and into the middle of the floor, the first of which we passed carried a glass box that gleamed wickedly at me.

I approached it quietly and found to my horror a beating hairy heart.

Such a thing I only heard about in children's fairytales.

"How appropriate for your family to own one of these," I motioned to it, gaining the boys attention.

In wizarding lore, a hairy heart came from a warlock, who without it, could not feel emotion or love. The phrase "you have a hairy heart" was then coined for someone with little emotion. The phrase was popular enough to be known even to people like Malfoy, who's sharp eyes glanced from the box to me with quick understanding followed by a sharp retort that I was acting childish.

"Right, because I'm the only one in here who's ever acted childish," I replied in a monotone gaining a bemused smirk from Nott. Draco on the other hand was too busy pointing out various artifacts, explaining which person in his family line found what, to acknowledge my smart remark.

"One of my ancestors, Nicholas Malfoy, brought these back with him after raiding warlocks at work," Draco commented as he pointed to a display of numerous wickedly gleaming daggers, set in silver and metal with bronze stains on the edges.

Dried blood, perhaps. Warlocks blood.

"Imagine having a job hunting Warlocks," Nott mused as he peered at the daggers ominously. Draco creaked a smile at the idea, before admitting that he would be a natural at it.

"What's this?" I asked, peering at a stand by the daggers. A crinkled, almost delicate material lay in front of me, the lightness of dried skin.

"Snake skin," Nott guessed. "Draco, your father found this artifact himself, right?" Draco appeared at my shoulder, peering over the skin before nodding along.

"My father got it off a friend. Some sort of python skin, I'd reckon."

"What types of people have pet snakes?" I asked, masking my disgust at the idea.

"The powerful type," Nott said simply, gaining another elbow to the rib by Malfoy.

We walked on, with Draco pointing at different vials and objects dating back to his oldest ancestors up to present. I saw all types of things, like glass musky eyes on a cushion that followed me wherever I went and purple vials with opal stoppers filled with thick liquid that resembled blood.

"Vampire blood," Nott guessed as he stopped by me again.

"You seem familiar with these things. Been here before?" I asked back curiously. Nott shrugged before telling me how he and Draco go way back, before Hogwarts.

"Our parents are old friends. And it seems like yours will be too soon enough."

We walked on to another line of tables, some filled with shrunken heads, another with silver frames with moving heads bouncing in the frames, their eyes ghastly white.

"You make it sound like my parents are joining a secret club," I stated, stopping to look up at him curiously. I didn't know much about Theodore Nott, but what I did know was that he was clever, possibly more so than Malfoy. If he knew something that Malfoy didn't, what was the possibility that he would admit to it?

"Secret Club is a bit dramatic don't you think?" He asked back, but he faltered when I kept my steel gaze on him. If there was something else going on here that I was unaware of, I wanted to know about it.

"I wouldn't put it past people of our class to have such meetings."

Nott paused to glance at me, looking as if he questioned what to say next but he was saved when Draco came bounding up to us, just now realizing his two guests were no longer paying attention to his ramblings.

"What are you two on about?"

"Nothing. Just telling Ava about the Christmas party coming up." He turned back to me with a comical look mixed with relief as he added, "The Malfoys host some great parties."

"Well we shall see about that," I mused, looking between the boys stubbornly.

"Not everyone needs a fancy boat to host a great party, Fountaine," Draco cut in making me roll my eyes and walk on.

"Ah, here's this exhibit you wouldn't shut up about Malfoy," A familiar voice was heard from behind, making the three of us turn. Theo strolled right on into the room, followed by Ed, who had already stopped upon the first artifact present: a badly wilted tentacle plant drenched in black ink.

Draco's smile went ridged as Nott waved my brother down.

"I see you captured my sister too," He added as he caught sight of me among the bloodied treasures.

"What do you want?" Draco asked as Theo stopped short by him, giving him a petty smile before turning to me.

"He got something on you or are you actually interest in this stuff?" Theo knew well enough that I strongly disliked dark artifacts and avoid our father's collection like no one's business. So, all I had to do was admit Malfoy took my camera hostage for my brother to help.

And he did.

With his fast hands, he made a guess and took my camera out of Malfoy's side pocket and handed it to me.

"Get out of here. Mom's looking for you," He said, letting me give him a grateful smile before running off, leaving the four boys to grumble amongst each other.

My mother was in the Malfoy's library with Mrs. Malfoy and Mrs. Nott, seated in front of a big thriving fireplace.

When I found the room, I managed to slow down and walk as Beauxbatons had taught me up to the group of mothers. And yes, my mother did notice and beamed happily.

But instead of having chores to do as I thought Theo meant, my mother only wanted me to sit by her and listen to the mother's conversation.

Boring, yes. But they also talked about the incoming party and how there would be dancing and a massive feast at the end, raising my hopes up.

The day before Christmas eve, apart from doing my best to dodge more of the incoming guests arriving (Crabbe and Goyle's family had made their entrance right in time for dinner and it was a nasty experience), I had also managed to see the decorations for Christmas come in and be placed properly by the raged house elves.

Numerous Christmas trees with decorative candles and tinsel decorated the rooms. The smell of pine lingered in the halls, making the place less dreary.

I spent most of my time with my brothers, whenever they weren't with Malfoy and his friends. Thankfully as more people came, the less time Malfoy spent hanging around us, though I was sure his mother was still pushing him to keep us involved with his friends.

They always seemed to linger nearby.

And thankfully, one time that ended up being a good thing.

I had just left the kitchen, nibbling on a miniature mincemeat pie with Theo by my side. He had become progressively happier since leaving home and hanging around his siblings. I think the holiday season brightened his otherwise dull mood.

But as usual when hyper, Theo had started getting into a bit of mischief. Going through doors and cupboards that we were never invited to go through, tinkering with the furniture and oriental rugs so that upon sitting on a couch it would create a loud duck noise or a rug would trip anyone. This started to become a bit of a problem.

I had let him get ahead of me, messing with an old father's clock while I had stopped to look at the portraits of past Malfoys on the walls. It was remarkable how similar they all looked. Those piercing grey eyes were a family trait.

In the other room, adjacent from the one I was in, I could hear Malfoy and his friends messing around, causing the portraits on the wall to move.

What were they doing in there?

"Theo would you stop messing with their things. That clock looks really old and-"

Theo had managed to move the clock hands up to three thirty making a chime noise erupt loudly in the room. Suddenly a bolt came flying out of the clock's face, and it was aimed right at me.

One of the portraits swung open, revealing a doorway to the other room, with Draco there to grab my arm and pull me in. The sound of the wooden bolt hitting the opposing wall with a sickening thud was heard followed by Theo cursing loudly.

"Ava! Are you okay? I'm so sorry I-"

Draco had managed to keep an arm on me as I looked around at his friends Crabbe, Goyle, Nott, and one of the newer guests, Atticus Avery, circled behind him.

"Thank you," I managed to mutter before Draco let go of my arm, almost instantly. He looked pissed off, his mouth pinched, his eyes locked on my brother who managed to race to us looking bewildered and horrified at what he almost did.

"Ava, I-"

"What do you think you're doing messing with things that don't belong to you?" Malfoy argued, pushing me away from my brother and toward Nott.

"Sorry, I honestly didn't think anything would happen..." Theo begun but Draco was still on him as he went on about how things in this house weren't meant to be messed with like that.

"Well why is there a dark artifact hanging around outside your father's lock and key?" Theo shot back.

"Because it's triggered by dark magic, something that room is filled with. It doesn't work anymore unless you turn it to a bewitching hour!"

The doors to the living room bared open revealing Mrs. Malfoy with Mrs. Nott close at hand. She took one look at the wooden peg sticking out of the door frame to understand what happened. With wide eyes, she looked between the lot of us, gawking between the portrait door, and the idle clock that started to tick ever so quietly again.

"Draco. What happened?"

"Theo managed to almost impale his sister after messing with the clock. She's alright though. Right?" He asked turning to me, expectantly. I nodded silently, more shocked at what could have happened instead of afraid.

The thought that I could have been hurt again seemed to ruffle Mrs. Malfoy's feathers as she quickly snapped at the boys to go outside, while taking out her wand and charming the wooden peg back into the clock. The old clock turned back to 1 pm and went silent.

Closing the portrait door with a flick of her wand, she motioned me to follow her, asking me if I was alright multiple times while Mrs. Nott looked at my arms and face for any scratches.

"Draco seemed to grab her just in time, Narcissa. You're lucky he was there," She added towards me thoughtfully. My mother was horrified when she heard the news and Damion, who had been chowing down on a second sandwich by her side, got up, promising our mother that he would go after Theo while she babied me for the fourth time this visit.

"Your daughter seems to keep getting into mischief, Darious. I thought you changed schools so as to avoid that for her," Mr. Malfoy stated curiously from the back of the room. My father was looking pinched face back at my mother who had glanced up at hearing Lucius's words.

What was that about?

-

Hi All!

I just wanted to add that starting this week I will start uploading twice a week so as to pick up the pace of the story. There is still a lot left to uncover in this book and I want to move it along a bit more. Not to mention I now have a nice holiday break to write!

Let me know what you think! 

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-WG-