Harry Potter and the Next Lestrange - *FANFICTION*

3. Malfoy's Prisoner

Aberforth followed Draco down the corridor that led off from the entrance hall and the burning hearth. The ceiling was low and tapestries plastered the narrow passage. "Lumos." said Draco, "Mind the step." Aberforth ducked and stopped. The room was magnificent! Six feet of steps down from the tunnel into the drawing room. Although there was no trace of natural light, the space was immaculately lit with floating candles and lamps. Ever more portraits hung right up to the high ceiling and gave the place an oddly warm feel. An impressive fireplace sat at the end of the room, adorned with books and accompanied by four armchairs. Lucius Malfoy lay in the chair that was directly in front of the fire, but Aberforth could only glimpse his shoes - resting on a worn silk footstool.

"Father." Draco said, "You have a visitor." Lucius did not move, but Draco walked towards his chair nevertheless and Aberforth followed behind almost meekly. "Aberforth." croaked Lucius, without turning around, "What do you want?" His tone suggested that he was not pleased to be disrupted at this hour. Now Aberforth could see Malfoy's face. His eyes sagged, lips dry and skin wrinkled and old. Again Lucius croaked, "What do you want? I'm an old man now and mustn't wait what precious time I have left." Aberforth cleared his throat. "I am here to take the child. She must go to Hogwarts whether you like it or not; you can't keep her caged up then leave her with nothing when you are gone. What kind of a man would do that?" He hesitated then added, "Where is she? Take me to her." Lucius looked Aberforth up and down and all three of them stood (or sat) in silence before Lucius heaved out of his chair. "Come. You wanted to see her, didn't you?" Amazed at his abrupt request being accepted, Aberforth plodded along after the other man, Draco bringing up the rear.

"Alohomora." The locked door swung open with energy and all three men peered into the room. It was inevitably a tower room, the huge curved window looked out on the gardens of Malfoy Manor and a balcony that was accessible by a glass door. The silk curtains were not drawn, and hung neatly tied up. A four poster bed with floral linen had been cleverly placed on the further wall so that anyone who lay down on it had a perfect view of the treetops beyond the lawn. A poster of the Hogwarts crest was pinned above the headboard and beside the bed was a glorious bookshelf.

A fur rug had been placed before the window and on it lay a girl. She stuck her tongue out in concentration as she copied out an image from a rewritten version of Hogwarts: A History. As the old men entered the room, the girl looked up and threw the drawing and book under her bed. "Hey! Knock before entering." It was a sharp demand, not an offer. She knelt on the wooden boards and bit her lip to cease the flow of swear words and rolled her eyes instead. She would have told them to get lost if she hadn't been so curious about the visitor. Aberforth raised his eyebrows and shook his head. "You are one hell of an artist." He scoffed in a friendly way, "Got any other drawings?"

"You saw? You liked it?" She said in wonder.

"Before you tossed it under that bunk of yours, yes. I think we have a natural artist in our presence!"

Draco stretched his neck to see over his father and visitor, "What did you draw, Ariana? I didn't see." A small sensation of pride fluttered through her at the attention and admiration she had long yearned for. Swiping under the bed for her picture, she held it toward the door.

"It's Hogwarts." she announced shyly. And indeed, an immaculately accurate sketch of the Howarts castle, with it's turrets and towers, bridges and grounds, was pictured on the page.

"Genius." They spoke simultaneously.