Elysia Riddle [A Harry Potter Fan Fiction]

Chapter Eight ~ Malfoy Manor

"What have you done?" she whispered, flustered by the sight of my holding one of her books.

"I'm sorry... I was just browsing... And I found this, and I read it... It's rather good!" I replied, urging her to believe me.

"And you won't tell a soul?" she begged, walking closer to me.

"I won't!" I cried out, raising my eyebrows in earnest.

"Make an unbreakable vow." she urged, her eyes searching mine.

"But... We need a third person to overlook it, and it's nothing..." I muttered, confused at her overreaction.

"Draco will." she snapped, rushing out of the room to fetch her son.

They were merely muggle books, who on Earth would care? I shook in fear at the thought of death that would hang over me if I agreed to this vow, if I ever accidentally told a friend, I would die. I felt burning rage pulse through my veins at the idea... I couldn't do it...

Draco quickly stepped in to the room, followed by his Mother. I gaped at her certainty, the determined look in her eyes making her seem fierce. Instinctively clutching my necklace, I saw that it was a reddish purple, flushing with waves of green.

I could tell that it was my anger flushing with nervousness.

"We're underage! He can't perform the spell, or the Trace will record it!" I cried out, attempting to retrieve myself form this mess.

"If you tell the Dark Lord, I will be killed!" she hissed, nervously looking in to my eyes.

Reaching out and grasping her hand, a comforting motion it seemed, I uttered my verbal promise.

"Not a soul will ever find out, Narcissa. If they do, they will know I read it as well." i soothed, hoping that she would believe me.

A flicker of defeat appeared in her eyes, before she tentatively nodded and stormed out of the room. Draco lingered at my door, before turning back to speak,

"Thanks. To be honest, I don't think that the Dark Lord would be the only one who would try to kill her. Father would be furious." he said softly, revealing a Draco that I had never seen or met before.

Nodding slowly, I watched him leave, shocked to my core. I had seen a different side to two Malfoy's today, something that I couldn't believe. Though Draco had softened for a moment, I still didn't trust him. However, I saw that Narcissa possessed Muggle sympathies, even in such a household as this.

Walking over to the shelf, I grasped The Lion, The Witch and the Wardrobe and settled down to read until a house elf knocked at my door. The creature bore a long nose and yellow-green eyes and magnificent ears, stretching out proudly.

"Dobby would like to inform Lady Elysia, that dinner is served." croaked the high voice.

Studying him further, I saw that his skin bore a sickly grey colour, different to the healthy Hogwarts elves. His clothing consisted of a dirty pillowcase and nose shoes, unlike the clean elves at Hogwarts. Horrified at his condition, I beckoned him to enter.

"Dobby, I'm a friend. At Hogwarts, I am a good friend with the elves." I said, warmly smiling at him.

The tentative creature relaxed, warily walking closer to me as I continued to speak of Hogwarts fondly. His eyes lit up excitedly as I spoke of the conditions and the happy elves. 

"How do you like it here, Dobby?" I whispered, looking deep in to his eyes.

"Dobby doesn't like it all at, Miss." he replied, before squawking and running to smash his head in to the doorknob.