The Beauty of the Beast [Dramione]

A Test of Trust

Helllllooooo again my lovely readers, long time no see! That was a joke, because I'm updating the next chapter less than a week away from my last one! Woohoo! I feel so proud, I think I'll go indulge in some chocolate.

But I digress. Here's the next chapter, hope you like it!

See you all at the bottom.

Dislaimer: I do NOT own the Harry Potter series!

Draco Malfoy stretched luxuriously, sliding out from between the covers of his bed. He had slept soundly last night after a long day at the ministry, and the 10 hours of undisturbed sleep had put him in a much better mood.

He dressed quickly into black trousers and a clean white collared shirt, leaving the top two buttons unbuttoned; this was his day off. He would look unprofessional if he wanted to. Who would tell him not to? Well, maybe his aunt, but she hardly mattered.

He grabbed a gray coat from where it lay on the armchair by the door (yes, it was a muggle coat, but when one is walking around muggle London, one doesn't want to be in wizarding robes...plus it was a comfortable coat which happened to highlight his eyes...) and tossed it around his shoulders as he headed down the stairs.

Turning the corner, he walked down the hallway with a spring in his step towards the front door. Passing by the large living room, he heard a soft snort of contempt and sighed, his hand resting on the doorknob.

"What do you want, Bellatrix. I'm in a rather good mood this morning, and I'd rather you didn't ruin it." he said without turning around, his hand still on the doorknob, ready to leave whenever.

"A muggle coat? Really? Do you want to be wearing that filth, Draco? Imagine all those muggles who are going to be looking just like you; you're putting yourself at their level. Tsk, tsk, I expected so much more from a Malfoy. You're disgracing the family. I guess it makes sense, seeing as your parents were just as bad." Bellatrix sneered.

"Is that all?" Draco ground out, starting to turn the knob on the door.

"Why, I suppose so, unless you want to know how the mudblood's doing..." Bellatrix feigned innocence and looked at her nails as she said this, pausing to look up at Draco to see if he would take the bait.

Draco hesitated, weighing her words in his mind; his hand slipped off the doorknob. "What do you mean? I told you she was mine, why wouldn't I know how she was doing? I haven't been down there in a few days, anyway. What did you do?"

"Me? I did nothing, nephew, seeing as I've been forbidden, why should I?" Bellatrix laughed.

Draco's irritation grew, and he snapped out, "Stop lying, Bellatrix. What did you do to her?"

"Well," Bellatrix drawled, pausing long enough to bask in her nephew's frustration, "I became a bit tired of being so magnificent all the time, and decided to share the mudblood with some of our lower companions...Do you remember Silas? He was most upset that you wouldn't give him his share of the catch darling." The last word was laced with venom as it came from Bellatrix's mouth, which was painted in a smirk as she watched Draco trying to connect the dots.

After a few moments of silence, she rolled her eyes and sighed. "Since you couldn't spare one of the muggle girls going to the camps, I gave him the day with our favorite little mudblood. He left a little after 3 a.m. this morning."

"You...gave him...a day?" Draco managed to stutter out. All of a sudden, something sparked inside him, and instantly he turned on his aunt.

"Do you know what that brute can do to her? What he probably DID do to her? You heartless bitch! I gave you explicit orders that the mudblood was under my protection in this household, and you have gone behind my back!" At this point he turned his back swiftly on her, and started off down the hallway towards the dungeons at a run.