A/N: Ok, here I am again! This time the chapter is focused on Draco Malfoy... shudders at the thought of all the ppl who have written HP/DM ships. Aye I am guilty of reading a select few, but I never actually leave a review, for my personal reasons. I am afraid that this is NOT a slashy Draco Malfoy Harry Potter Love fic. I only intend to bring the two around to be allies, if not friends. Beware, what you see is not always what you get... Erm, Also I don't remember too well what happened to Lucius in Book 5, So this may just be an AU if I discover that Lucius Malfoy was indeed caught by the Ministry!

Disclaimer: I don't own anything recognizable in the series of books. Everything else is out of my bloody imagination!

Revealed Truths

Draco Malfoy stared at the parchment in front of him. It was a list. A List of all the chores he was to complete before dusk, or rather, before his father got home. No, the real Draco Malfoy was no better than a common house elf, forced to slave over grueling chores that his 'Master' ordered him to do. Clean the dungeons? Really? What did the bastard he once called father expect of him?

"I expect them to be done when I return, Boy." Lucius Malfoy sneered at the younger blonde boy whose face was blemished by a dark bruise on his cheek.

"Yes Sir." Draco answers without question. It was too dangerous to question his father. Not now that he had become more dangerous than ever. Draco had begun to doubt that he would be returning to Hogwarts with the same attitude as he had in the previous years. He was disturbed that when he had returned to the manor for the summer that it was his mother that saw him off the train and to the house, not saying a word to him. Perhaps it was all some bloody nightmare, one that wouldn't just go away, no matter what he tried. It was no use.

Because of a certain Harry Potter, one who had once again survived the Dark Lord's wrath, his father had returned from the last few Death Eater meetings more violent than ever. It was mere luck that kept the Ministry out of their manor, but that luck was beginning to wear thin. Cornelius Fudge was hard pressed by Dumbledore to search the Malfoy manor. But still, Lucius had his ways and his influence over everyone as well as his persuading tongue.

Top of the list was an order to clean the dungeons. Ahh yes, the dungeons, Voldmort sometimes made Lucius bring his work home. The bastard would then end up killing the hostages after torturing them for too long. And Draco was forced to hear them scream at night, because his bedroom was in the dungeons now. It was grimy. The floors were caked with blood, sweat, and other foul things. But Draco placed the blame on a certain Dark Lord. It wasn't Harry Potter that was to blame for his foul living conditions. No, it was Voldemort.

Not the Day after the abuse from his father started, Draco had sworn to never allow the dark mark on his body, because the bruises he already had were enough pain. The boy walked into the main dungeon, where his father usually kept all his hostages. There were still bodies of prisoners long dead, their foul odor hitting Draco the minute he took in a breath.

'Clean the dungeons? With what? He knows I'm not allowed to use magic!' Draco thought bitterly to himself, then spotting a small toothbrush and an ordinary box of soap. For a moment, Draco considered cheating, using a simple cleansing spell instead. But he knew his father would know the difference because it was the Muggle way that he was expected to do so, though he had no idea how he would do it. 'Perhaps a charm to make the thing clean... So I can do the other things on the list? No... The ministry would detect that too. That's what he expects, for me to not even be done with the first one...' Draco shuddered when he realized his father would expect the dead bodies to be gone.

"I'm NOT touching those. They're creepy enough as it is." Draco said aloud, forgetting that he was indeed alone. He went to a sink to get water, only to have sludge pour into a wooden bucket that was already leaking. "Bloody Hell!"

Hours later, Lucius Malfoy returned home, walking at a brisk pace to the dungeons at once. Draco was still slaving away in the main dungeon scrubbing the floor with putrid sludge and soap, not getting much difference from earlier that day. 'Stupid Boy, expects me to think for him? He'll be learning a lesson tonight...'

"Boy! Why are the Dungeons not clean?"

"Because you have forced me to clean the Muggle way, with Muggle soap. And not to mention the sludge you call water that comes out of the dungeon sinks!"

"You have failed to do even one thing on that list, and for that you will pay the price."

"Yes Sir." At this Lucius Malfoy smacked Draco's already bruised face and took out his wand and pointed it at the boy.

"Crucio!" Lucius watched as Draco withered in pain, finally dropping to the floor. "Not enough eh? Crucio!" Draco was now convulsing in pain, reminding Lucius of a certain Harry Potter.

"You're such a waste of Malfoy flesh. Useless, bothersome. You have no spine!" He spat at the boy, waiting for him to plead his forgiveness and to ask for the pain to stop. But the boy only bit his tongue and kept his eyes closed. 'Just like the Potter boy... I'll put an end to this foolishness...' "Crucio! Now you'll listen, and do the job right! DO YOU UNDERSTAND?!"

"Yes Sir." Draco croaked in reply, his head spinning from the pain he was in. His father could hold the curse on him for a long time. His muscles ached and his head throbbed as he struggled to keep his tongue, for if he did not do so, his father would chuck him out of the Malfoy Manor and disown him.

His thoughts flew back to Hogwarts as Lucius threw yet another curse at him. What would happen if he were to go back to Hogwarts? Would he still be respected by the other Slytherins? No, he'd be better off in Gryffindor, especially if he were to be disowned. If that happened, no doubt that the Slytherins would know right away. He wasn't the only one with a family member in the ministry.

"YOU ARE NOT WORTHY OF THE NAME MALFOY! CRUCIO!" his father screamed at him. He would not give his father the benefit of the truth that he was not the strong Malfoy he claimed to be at Hogwarts. Only his Potions Mark was guaranteed to be any good when the Owls came.

"Why should I allow you to live under my roof, let you wear clothes. You are no better than a common house elf and you should be living in rags!"

Draco could sense what his father's next words would be. It was a fear that he had had for many a year when he was younger and kept coming back home only to have his father complain that 'That Mudblood Granger' had higher marks than him. It wasn't his fault that he was unable to be the son his father wanted of him. He wasn't perfect, no matter what he tried to convince the entire school.

"You can't even get decent marks in your classes? And what will I hear when we get your owls? That Draco Malfoy only got one Owl, In Potions? Perhaps I should remind you that Potions is only one small part of the curriculum! I don't see any reason I should even allow you to live in this house!

"You will return to Hogwarts this year, but do not bother to come back for Christmas, nor for the summer, find some other place to go! I don't want you for a son! Why would I need such a good for nothing son when I have another who already excels despite the fact that he's not even of age to have a wand! One who can do wandless magic! When you set foot on that Hogwarts Express, you are no longer part of this family! Your... Brother will be going to Durmstrang, and there will be no reason for the other fools at Hogwarts to know him as your brother. I dare say few know he exists. Crucio! Or did you already blab that out?"

At this Lucius pulled Draco up and dragged him to the upper floors. "Make yourself presentable. We'll be going to Diagon Alley to get your things for school. You will spend the rest of your summer in your room studying. I'll send your brother's tutor to test you."

Draco was still shuddering in pain and barely able to walk. There was no way he would be able to go to Diagon Alley if it weren't for the vials of potions he kept handy. A few healing potions and a concealment charm would work wonders to keep his disguise. They made it to the wing of the house that was normally for Draco and his younger brother, Luke.

His brother looked just as much like their father as Draco did, and acted just as he and their father. But he was powerful. He was already doomed to serve the Dark Lord. He had been kept secret at Voldemort's orders. No child as powerful as he was could be out in the open. He already had the books that were required for classes up to fourth year, and this year he was supposed to be starting on fifth year work.

The wing they were kept in was protected from the ministry knowing that they were doing magic though they were underaged wizards. Luke would be turning ten in a few short weeks. Soon he would be of age to attend school. The lucky brat would no doubt be attending Durmstrang to learn the Dark Arts.

"Draco, you've returned?" Luke asked, a hint of mild concern hidden in his young voice.

"Yes."

"Drake, you don't have to act like that around me... I know what father does to you."

"So, what have you done about it?"

"I've talked to him. You know I can persuade him to let you stay if I so wish, brother."

"Who said I want to stay?"

"No one. But I want you to stay. Because I want you to teach me to play Quidditch. I want to be a seeker like you."

"No you don't. I can't even win against Gryffindor's seekers!"

"They have two?"

"They will once the ban is lifted by Dumbledore, no doubt." Draco grumbled. With his luck he would be chucked from the team because of his failures.

"You mean Potter and Weasley?"

"Yes."

"You're not bad if you can at least last twenty minutes against Potter you know. I'm sure you could sign onto a team. Just because Potions is your forte in school, doesn't mean you have to listen to father's insults."

"Why are you telling me this. You'll be in trouble with father if he catches you."

"He won't catch me Draco, what we say to each other in this room in private. I have an Impenetrable charm on the entire room." Luke said with confidence. "I can help you with it all. I know everything by heart."

"You're just like Granger."

"Draco, just let me help you. I don't want father to throw you out."

"How do you even know about that?" Draco spat as he drank a particularly strong healing potion to ease the pain.

"Here let me..." Luke muttered something and all the grime covering Draco disappeared and he was instantly changed into clean clothes. "I know a bath helps with the curse... but you need to get this done as fast as possible... I know Father wants to throw you out because I heard him talking with Mother about it. She doesn't want you to leave, Draco..." A sharp knock on the door was heard and their father's commanding voice came from beyond it.

"Are you ready yet?"

"Yes Sir." Draco said, opening the door.

"Luke, do you have the list of books you wanted?"

"Yes Sir." He handed a folded piece of parchment to the man. It had quite a long list of books on it as well as a request for potions ingredients and a few other things. One book stuck out on the list, Moste Potente Potions.

Draco recognized that book as one that Professor Snape had often talked about and also one he had seen Granger, Potter, and Weasley with at one point in second year. He looked at Luke with an odd gleam in his eyes. Luke winked at the older boy and bid them farewell as Lucius guided Draco away from the room.

A/N: Ok, I know, I know, it's still a little short. But I'm only Human! Please R&R, as it is only courteous to do so!

The Wolf of Were: I'm glad you love it, I think I know why too! You must love Harry Potter abuse stories... Please inform me if I have too many mistakes... I only have regular access to the third book, as it is the only one I own as of now!

ArtemisDracoRock: Yes I know the first chapter was short but I'm intending to write a chapter a day if possible. I am much better at doing it like that than spending a million years on a huge 20 page chapter. This one is 4 pages on Microsoft Word XP. I hope to Merlin that you like it! As I like to say, Quality over Quanity is always better. It's actually my motto when making friends! grinz