Screwing her eyes, Cassiopeia Narcissa Malfoy was torn from her slumber by the incoming light. Upon opening her eyes, she turned to see Lopsy, her personal house elf. She never did like that term.

"Good morning, Lopsy." She smiled, sitting up on the bed.

"Good morning, Miss - Lopsy means Cassie." She replied, smiling at her master.

"Honestly, just call me Cassie." She laughed, lightly, before frowning. "But please, call me Miss in public, I do not wish for you to be harmed."

"No need to worry." She said, setting out an outfit for Cassie on the bed. "Lopsy begs of you to be careful around Master Malfoy today, he is in a terrible mood."

"Thank you, for warning me Lopsy." Cassie sighed, running a hand through her hair. "I will be careful."

"Good." The elf smiled, walking to the door. "Breakfast is in ten minutes."

"I shall be there just before." Cassie nodded.

Once Lopsy had left the room, Cassie flopped onto the bed. Cassiopeia Narcissa Malfoy; daughter of Narcissa and Lucius Malfoy, and older sister to Draco Malfoy. A lot had happened between her first four years at Hogwarts and life at home. She had befriended Fred and George; the famous Weasley twins, but their friendship of course, had to remain a secret from her father. Cassie was different. She didn't follow all the rules whether that be Hogwarts' rules or her family's. She didn't have the same morals, either. Draco had fallen into the trap their father had set, following in the despicable mans footsteps. Cassie knew her brother well; he wasn't some sort of heartless monster, but he sure liked to put up a front in the presence of anyone but herself, and sometimes their mother.

Sighing, she stood up and changed into an expensive black knee length silk dress. Standing in front of her full length mirror, her hand instinctively raised to the slight bruising on her neck from her last encounter with her father. That's right, Lucius Malfoy abused her daughter, she was scared out of her mind from him but would refuse to back down. The first time it had ever happened, was because she had admitted that the sorting hat wanted to put her in Gryffindor, but she begged to be put in Slytherin in fear of disappointing her father. The multiple bruises she had gained after the confession was far worse. Of course, nobody knew but Lopsy and Cassie continued to conceal it from her younger brother, mother and friends. Nobody could help her.

After she styled her hair to hide the marks, she hesitantly left the room, descending the stairs as her brother joined her.

"Excited for the World Cup?" Draco asked, his façade dropped.

"I guess." She replied. Truth was, Quidditch never quite held her interest unless it was Fred and George playing. Speaking of, the only thing she was happy about was the fact that she would be seeing the pair today, although she could not interact with them. But catching a glimpse of them was hope enough. Fred had told her in a letter at the beginning of the summer that they would be attending and she was almost thrilled at the thought of seeing them sooner than the start of school, however, the thrill faded when she realised that her father would be accompanying them. On the rare occasion that Fred and Cassie wrote to each other - too many times would be deemed suspicious - Fred would write in code as Cassie and Draco's friend, Blaise Zabini. This was how they got away with it.

"Come on, Cass," Draco said. "It'll be fun."

"I'm sure Father feels the same way." She muttered.

"Good morning, Draco, Cassie." Narcissa greeted her children, as Lucius nodded.

Just as the siblings sat down, breakfast appeared before them.

"Would Miss Malfoy wish for Lopsy to fetch Miss Malfoys bag?" Lopsy asked, formally.

Cassie mentally scolded herself for leaving it in her room. "Yes, please."

"How many times?" Lucius scowled.

"Excuse me?" She bit back, discretely.

"How many times do I have to tell you that it is not necessary to be polite to the house elf's?" He demanded.

"Lucius, darling," Her mother cut in before she could retort. "She is merely practicing her manners."

He grumbled, returning his gaze to the newspaper in his hand.

"Eager for the World Cup today, children?" He asked, disinterested.

"Absolutely." Cassie lied.

"Yes, Father." Draco nodded.

"Draco," Lucius said, as said boy set his cutlery in a finished manner. "I do believe that there is a Malfoy heirloom awaiting in your room, I would like you to wear it today."

"Of course, Father." Draco said, standing up and leaving for his room.

"It is time we leave, Narcissa." Lucius informed his wife. "Do tell Draco that we shall wait outside for him, won't you?"

"Yes, dear." She complied, with a strained smile.

Lucius left the room, ushering Cassie to follow. Before doing so, Cassie bent down and placed a kiss on her mother's cheek.

"Stay out of trouble." Narcissa whispered, before she pulled back. Cassie could see the pleading look in her eye. Narcissa was no fool, she knew something was going on, but she just hadn't worked out what yet. She nodded in response, walking out the door and spotting her father by the wall.

"Cassiopeia." He growled, grabbing her arm and pushing her harshly against the wall. "People fear us, that gives us power. I will not tolerate your bloody kindness degrading the Malfoy image. I will not be embarrassed, not today, not any day."

"No." She spat. "People fear you. You're nothing but a cold hearted git, that can't even treat his family right."

"You are treading on very thin ice, young lady." He warned.

"What are you going to do about it? Beat me up again, perhaps?" She grit out, feeling his arm press across her neck. "Draco will appear any moment, are you willing to risk him seeing?"

Something flashed in his eyes, as his teeth churned against each other.

"He thinks he adores you, oh if he only knew what you truly were." She continued, feeling the pressure more intensely. "Nothing but a hideous monster, inside and out."

He was continuing to apply pressure until,

"Father? Cassiopeia?" Draco called, stepping out the door, to look at the two oddly.

"The pin suits you, Draco." He said, distracting the young boy.

The sound of Draco's voice had warned the man just in time to pull back, as if nothing had happened. As if he hadn't just tried to physically strangle his daughter for the umpteenth time.

At least, she wouldn't gain any fresh noticeable bruises from it this time around.