The holiday break started a week ago and Draco and I have been stuck at the manor alone with Narcissa. We have no idea where Lucius has gone to this time but we're just happy to be rid of him. We have a meeting with the Dark Lord today which I hear the Carrows and Severus are being called back for, which is good for the students still stuck at Hogwarts.
"Are you two ready for Christmas tomorrow?" Narcissa asked us as we sat in the kitchen.
"As long as we make it out of the meeting later alive." Draco scoffed, making me hit his arm.
"We'll be fine Draco." I told him.
"She's right Draco, you don't need to be such a downer." She told her son, making me laugh a little, gaining me a glare from Draco.
"Why do you always take her side now?" Draco sulked.
"Since she's more right than you, plus we want her to enjoy staying here don't we?" She told him.
"Whatever." He rolled his eyes.
"You guys might want to eat some lunch before you have to go to the meeting." Narcissa explained opening the fridge to get stuff out to make us food.
It didn't take long for her to make us lunch and eat, meaning the time for the meeting came faster than we were expecting.
Draco and I sat next to each other at the long dining table as everyone finished filling into the room. Severus took the seat next to me and Narcissa took the seat next to Draco and Bellatrix next to her. There still was no sign of Lucius but I wasn't complaining.
"Good evening everyone." Voldemort's voice cut through the silence of the room as he apparated at the head of the table.
I finally noticed the Carrows sitting a few seats across from us as they carefully eyed me.
"Now we still have no word on the Potter boy since August and we need to figure out where else we can look for him." Voldemort announced. "Does anyone have any ideas?"
"What about his birthplace? Godric's Hollow." Severus spoke up, surprising me.
"That's the best idea I have heard in a long time. Thank you Severus."
"Of course my lord." Severus answered.
"Now the girl." Voldemort turned to Draco and I. "Do you have it figured out yet?"
"We've narrowed the list down my lord, but we don't fully know who yet." I explained.
"My lord?" Alecto called out.
"Yes Carrow?" He asked her, now making me nervous remembering what happened a few months ago at school.
"I have reason to believe that little Snape is lying." She announced.
"And why would you say that?" He asked her but was eyeing me.
Draco grabbed my hand underneath the table as I looked at Severus but he was remaining calm.
"We've been keeping an eye on her and the Malfoy boy for months and their behavior is rather suspicious." She explained.
"How so?"
"They haven't been coming to our classes, Haley had gotten into a fight with another Slytherin girl, Ms. Astoria Greengrass, and I have seen her associating herself with students from other houses." Alecto gave an evil look my way.
"Interesting." Voldemort took in this information before turning back to our side of the table. "Severus, do you have anything to say about your daughter's behavior?"
"Well my lord, as I had explained to you at the start of the term, I instructed Haley to try and make friends with Potter's old friends to try and get information on where the boy could possibly be and figure out who the girl is." Severus lied. "And the fight with Ms. Greengrass was about a boy, you know what it's like with teenage girls."
"Ah yes, I understand." Voldemort nodded his head.
"What about them both missing our classes?" Amycus finally spoke up.
"I had taken them both out of your classes because I had already taught Haley all of that while she was growing up and Draco when I told Narcissa I would help look after him the last school year." Severus continued to lie flawlessly. "And might I add that you two have been after my daughter for months now for no reason after you tried to accuse her of being the Potter girl like the complete idiots you both are."
"Is this true?" Voldemort asked the twins.
"Well yes but look at her my lord." Alecto tried to defend them. "Tell me she doesn't look like she could be a Potter."
"This is a waste of time, you two." Voldemort scoffed. "She is very obviously Severus Snape's daughter and you have no right to accuse her otherwise. She has been a great help to me, more so than you two have been."
"But my lord." Amycus tried to say.
"No, I have a new assignment for you both for the rest of the holiday break as a punishment for wasting time today." He raised his voice at them causing them to cower in fear.
I gladly smiled at them, happy to finally get them back for once.
"Now back to you Haley.'' Voldemort brought everyone's attention back to me earning me a hand squeeze from Draco that he's been holding this entire time. "Will you have the girl figured out by the time we attack near the end of the school year?"
"Yes my lord, for sure. It shouldn't be much longer." I finally looked him in the eyes for the first time.
"That a girl" He gave his creepy smile. "And if those two give you any trouble again contact me personally and I'll handle them for you."
"Thank you my lord." I smiled before turning to the twins to see that they are even more scared than they were before.
"Now everyone is dismissed." Voldemort announced making everyone stand up. "Except you two, Carrows."
I started walking out of the room with Draco, Severus and Narcissa as I gave Alecto and Amycus a wicked grin before the doors closed.
I quickly caught up with my adopted father, surprising him with a hug.
"Thank you so much for lying so well, I could have never done it and would have been killed on the spot." I rambled on.
"Don't worry about it Haley, I will always do anything for you." He hugged me back.
I let go of the hug and looked up at him. "Are you going to be staying for Christmas tomorrow?" I asked hopeful.
"If it's okay with Narcissa, that I stay." He said looking over at said woman as I did too with pleading eyes.
She let out a little laugh at us. "Of course you can, Severus. You know you two are always welcome here whenever."
"Thank you Narcissa." I smiled at her.
"Why don't you two run along while we talk about some things." Severus told Draco and I.
"Yes sir." Draco said, grabbing my hand. "So what do you want to do?"
"Hmm..." I thought about it while we walked out of the room. "I wouldn't mind maybe going on a walk in your mother's garden. I'm sure it's just as beautiful in the winter."
Draco smiled at this. "Okay, a walk it is then. Why don't you grab a jacket from our room then love and I'll meet you by the back door."
"Okay." I smiled, giving him a kiss on the cheek before walking the opposite way from him to go upstairs.
I wasn't really paying attention to where I was going as I headed to the stairs. This caused me to run into somebody which surprised me since there isn't supposed to be anyone else in the manor. I looked up as I went still in shock.
There standing in front of me is none other than Lucius Malfoy. I gasped looking up at him wide eyed.
"Watch where you're going." He growled out.
"I'm sorry sir." I mumbled.
"What the hell are you even doing here?" He got angry. "I never said you could stay here, or are you just whoring around with my son again?"
"Excuse me?" I finally stood up for myself, surprising him. "I'm not just going to let you talk to me like that."
This earned me a pretty hard slap from him causing me to cry out pretty loudly in pain. I held my hand up to my cheek as I felt a warm liquid only to realize it got cut open by the ring he's wearing.
"You bastard." I yelled out, still holding my cheek.
"Haley, we heard you cry out, are you okay?" Draco came running in with Severus and Narcissa right behind him.
They all stopped when they saw Lucius standing there in front of me.
"Father?" Draco finally managed to get out.
"Draco, do you mind telling me what your whore is doing here?" Lucius sneered out causing everyone to gasp at his words.
"Draco's girlfriend and her father are welcome here whenever they would like." Narcissa moved in front of me pushing me to my boyfriend and adopted father.
They both moved to me to look me over and make sure I'm okay when they saw my bleeding cheek making both men very angry.
"And who said that they are welcome here because it sure as hell wasn't me." Lucius now got angry at his wife.
"I did, and you're clearly drunk." She got mad at him.
"You have no right to make those decisions in my manor." He spat at her. "Draco, get you slut out of here, along with her stupid father."
"You do not get to speak about her like that." Draco yelled at his father.
"And never touch my daughter again." Severus yelled and punched Lucius, knocking him unconscious.
"Are you okay Haley?" Narcissa quickly asked me.
"Yeah, it's just a little cut." I reassured her as Draco pulled me into his arms and kissed my forehead.
"I'm so sorry for him." She apologized to me. "I had no idea where he's been and never thought he would come back home drunk."
"It's okay Narcissa." I gave her a smile.
"I'll help you deal with him." Severus told Narcissa, gesturing to the unconscious man on the floor. "Mr. Malfoy, will you please help Haley tend to her wound."
"Of course, professor." Draco finally let go of me taking my hand. "Let's go love, I've got a first aid kit in my bathroom" He explained pulling me with him.