A soft scratching noise played at his nerves, even through his sleep. Stormy gray eyes shot open and a low growl emitted from a pale pink sliver of lips. Draco Xavier Malfoy threw the sheets that resembled liquid silk off of him and huffily sat up. A flash of lightning illuminated his handsome features, a boy of mere sixteen years yet still handsome. He was entering his seventh and final year at Hogwarts soon and it was grating on his nerves immensely. He would not be seventeen for several months and he knew a few others also shared his same fate, but he was still annoyed by the fact most of his friends, if they could be called that, would be older then him. It was inarguable that he was more powerful then them, only because of such a long family history of dark arts. His lessons had not begun at Hogwarts, it had started years earlier.

Draco could barely consider these 'lessons' as valuable. They consisted of his father's usual propaganda, though he almost wholeheartedly agreed with his fathers teachings, he had not believed it to the extent his father had to suggest. He thought more of the lessons his eyes dancing with memories; his train of thought was interrupted by a crack of thunder. The noise re-entered his ears with greater conviction it seemed. He stared over at the window and saw a branch running its spindly fingers across the window. He gave another low growl that branch was getting on his last nerve. There was no way to do magic without getting in trouble; with a sigh of defeat he crawled under his covers trying to block the sound from his ears. No such luck.

Draco let out a soft groan his wish had come sooner then he thought and honestly then he wanted. He rolled over, overshooting the edge of his bed by a few inches; he toppled on to the floor, leaving his silver-blonde hair askew on top of his head while his arms and legs tangled in a most uncomfortable manner. He heard a squeal as his door silently creaked open. "Eeee, Master! Tixie can help. Tixie will help." The small little elf hurried over to Draco quickly, he gave a gruff response and pushed the elf away, "I am fine. Just get my breakfast." He watched her shift her feet, while her head hung low her blue round eye's watching them carefully, "Well, hurry up." She let out a low wail, "Master Malfoy Sr. requests you to eat with him and the Mistress in the East Wing. He says' that if he is not appeased the consequences could be dire." Her squeaky voice pained Draco's ears, "Tell him that I will be there in ten minutes time," Tixie nodded and as she scurried away.

Draco felt his insides turn a meal with his father was never good. He had been taking meals in his room all summer or he just wouldn't eat, this was the first time he was threatened. He pulled his mind away from the thought and stared at the floor at which Tixie just stood. She was an unusual elf; she was once free and had been taught many things by the person who owned her before. It amazed him to listen to her, she was like a little person, and she didn't speak the broken English his other elves did. Though, he admitted o himself it could hardly be called broken, just awkward. He wondered if there was a language they had spoken amongst themselves. A clock somewhere in the manor chimed loudly. He knew it meant breakfast, but he slowly dragged himself to the closet. He put his clothes on slowly and made his way to the East Wing.

"Your late." drawled a cold voice as Draco sauntered into the room. Draco merely inclined his head slightly in reverence and forgiveness and sat silently poking at his eggs, he didn't feel hungry anymore. "Draco, don't play with your food." Lucuis snarled at him. "You have been avoiding me since you set foot in this home, why?" Draco kept staring at his food. He was afraid of his father; he had broken out of Azkaban yet again. The dementors and been persuaded to the Dark side so there had been a whole string of break-outs. "No reason. You have been uncommonly narcissistic lately, why?" He replied nonchalantly, the words barely passed through his lips and he regretted them already. He hadn't the time to take another bit before he was writhing in pain on the ground. His father preformed the Cruciatus Curse; it tore through Draco's body like fire. It suddenly stopped and he lay there battered on the floor of the East Wing dining room. His mother sobbed violently and fled the room so as to avoid Lucuis' wrath. Lucuis followed a few minutes later. Draco felt blood dribble from his nose and every bone in his body ached. He heard a small shuffle of feet and a gasp, "Master Malfoy.", cried Tixie's voice. Her squeaky voice consoled him slightly, he felt his eye's droop and the room fade.

A muggle song began to blast out of a silver box on the nightstand, a song laden in guitar but with a soft voice to set it off. A slightly tanned hand reached over and turned the song down, she pushed the covers off of her and sing silently under her breath to herself, " Look behind my face can you still see me or am I gone, just a fantasy..." She trailed off as she searched for something to wear in her closet. She really didn't have to get dressed, despite her parents better judgment they left her home alone for two says, a dental conference. Again.

She sighed and just pulled blue denim skinny jeans and a black shirt. She went to her bathroom and brushed her teeth and washed her face and tried to tame her hair which became slightly more manageable tousled curls. She had spent a few days in Hawaii last week while her parents were at yet another dental conference, her skin was slightly tanned and it complemented her eyes, which had changed from an unspectacular brown colour to a simple cinnamon colour. She was nothing spectacular to look at; she exuded a more simple inner beauty that complemented the prettiness of her petite and simple features. She sighed and pulled the curls back into a messy bun some curls falling from it framing heart soft heart shaped face.

A crash in her room startled her and caused her slam the door. She heard the flap of wings and incessant chittering. She groaned, "Oh, Pig." She waited for her heart to slow before she opened the door to attempt to ambush the little owl and wrestle the letter from its hyperactive carrier. She wished ever so much that she could use her wand, but she knew she would find herself in a pretty spot of trouble. She held still and Pig flew closer to her buzzing about her head chattering madly. She jumped up and grabbed him the air, he squealed like a true pig and squirmed in her hands. She pried the letter from his feet and put him in a cage she had gotten for when Hedwig and Pig dropped off letters for her so she could send back an answer. "Hermione" was scrawled hastily across the letter. She opened it up and read the inside.

Hermione,

Hello, how are you? Mum wanted me to ask if you would like to come to the Burrow for the rest of the summer break. Harry arrived last week, but you were in Hawaii so we couldn't get a letter to you to ask. Send an answer back ASAP.

Love,

Ron

Hermione wasn't going to bother to ask her parents because told her that if she was asked again to say yes. She wrote her answer and a desperate plead to please send Hedwig next time. She wrestled the letter on to the bird, "Take this to Ron." She let the bird free out of the window and plopped herself on the bed. The times were dark and she had been scared. They were many Azkaban breakouts and the Dementors fled Azkaban to join forces with the Dark Lord, the ministry had sent home fliers on how to protect yourself and home. She wondered how long this would last, she wondered how long it was before Voldemort hunted Harry down and murdered him. How long would they have to keep fighting?

She shook her head and silently cursed herself; she turned up her music, and began to pack some clothes and all her school stuff in her trunk. She rummaged through her underwear drawer looking for her little change purse she kept her money for school supplies in. She was running low on her wizarding money so she took some of her money she hid in a box under her bed and stuffed some quid in the purse with her Other money. It seemed like it had been forever since she was last at the burrow. The school year had passed quickly but slowly all the same. Her stomach was sick with apprehension, and just overall fear of how this next year would play out...

A tortured groan escaped his lips as he rolled over in his bed the light shining in his face and making his head pound harder then it already was. He couldn't remember coming to his room; the only thing he remembered was the ill fated breakfast. He heard the scurry of little feet and felt something pounce on his bed. Tixie held a wet washcloth to his head and it made his head feel better for only a minute. He reached and pushed the washcloth away and rubbed his hand on his forehead, his fingers traced a tender spot of purple and black that was slightly raised, he figured it was from when he fell from his chair with the initial shock of the Curse.

Tixie gave a humph, almost sounding reproachful, "Master Malfoy, you mustn't do that. It has just begun to go down very quickly too." He sighed and replaced the washcloth; his stomach gave a loud grumble. Tixie gave a satisfied smile, "I brought you some soup, tomato. Your favourite." She handed him the bowl, we tipped it into his mouth, the soup poured down his throat making him feel warm all over. His stomach reaching for it greedily, he finished it quickly and handed the bowl and unused spoon back to Tixie. She nodded satisfactorily and jumped off the bed and left the room. Draco felt his eyes grow heavy and his body try and make him sleep again. He lay down and closed his eyes and fell asleep quickly.