Forget-Me-Not {Harry Potter}

Nine

-Arsonist's Lullabye-

-all you have is your fire-

-and the place you need to reach-

Christmas was an unusual affair this year.

The Malfoy Manor used to be filled with lots of Christmas spirit, as it was her mother's favorite holiday. She believed it should be spent with loved ones and filled with happiness and joy. The staircases would be covered in garland, and her mother would spend hours decorating the tree.

The night before Christmas was the night their mother would wrap all the presents to prevent temptation. And the next morning, Vena and Draco would compare their presents, trying to prove whose present was better and bigger.

Vena looked forward to it ever year. Especially once she left for Hogwarts, she looked forward to seeing her mother after four months. Her family was quite close; despite her father not being the most affectionate, he still loved his family.

The whole day would be filled with eating feasts, exchanging and opening gifts, and the horrible Celestina Warbeck songs playing that her mother loved so much.

However, what once used to be a happy occasion, was now filled with darkness. Since the Dark Lord's return, he had been residing at the Manor. Vena didn't like it.

He stayed on the west wing of the Manor, where the twins were forbidden to go to. Not like they minded; every time they would walk past the door leading to the left corridor Vena and Draco felt bitter and cold. Like something there was putting them in the most miserable mood that would leave them angry.

And although Draco could be very moody, nothing compared to his attitude if he was by the west wing for too long. Even Vena could feel herself get more snappy and cold. It was as if a darkness would wash over them, until it flipped a switch, and the two became the worst version of themselves.

Since arriving home for break, her father would be seen coming in and out of the doors that opened to the west wing. He was seen going in there more than coming out, and Vena could tell it was getting to her mother.

The twins had made a silent agreement to pretend that nothing was wrong, in order to relieve some of the tension on their mother. Although, it was hard to ignore as his visits to the west wing seemed to be affecting him. He would snap at the kids for every little thing, and would take great pleasure in telling them how much of disappointments they are.

Vena and Draco were very much used to it. Constantly getting compared to Potter and Hermione would do that to them. How Potter was besting Draco in every thing, and how 'The Mudblood' was ahead of her in school.

And no matter how many times Draco and Vena would insist that it was simply favoritism, and they couldn't control it, their father wouldn't listen.

Their mother didn't know this, of course. They didn't want to upset her even further, and make her think that she was a bad mother. They didn't want their parents to fight, and it wasn't truly their father's fault.

Whatever was on that west wing of the Manor was affecting all of their moods, Vena could just tell.

And while everyone in the house was on edge and rude to each other, they still tried to act like nothing was wrong. Which, for all Pureblood families, was the perfect way of coping.

Any and all problems were to be hidden. Everything was supposed to be fine, because if it wasn't, then people were weak and vulnerable.

And Pureblood families were never vulnerable.