Secrets, Lies, and Truths of the Night

Draco Malfoy woke to the sound of yelling, cursing and the sound of breaking china one August day.

"Damn you, Narcissa! I told you I needed those papers done by today! They were the key ingredients for my campaign!" Lucius´ voice sounded up three floors from his study to Draco´s bedroom.

"And I told you to do them yourself! I´m not your slave or house elf. I had a Witch's Council meeting about the up coming events of the Dark Lord's rising. If I´m not seen taking action against Him, I will be dismissed and we will have no chance infiltrating the ministry," his mother yelled back, the sound of china exploding following her statement. They just loved throwing the expensive china around Lucius´ study when they were fighting.

Draco ignored the rest of the conversation and rolled out of bed, checking his watch. It was noon. "And nobody wakes me up because?" he muttered to himself, grabbing his bathrobe and heading into his bathroom to shower.

While showering, he thought about how glad he´d be to be back at school, away from the constant fighting and pressure to please his father, which was nearly impossible. Granted, he´d have schoolwork and would have to put up with the other Slytherins, of which only a select few were tolerable. Then there was the act of superior-ness he had to put on to please everyone and keep his "Malfoy Pride" intact, but besides that it wouldn´t be so bad.

His thoughts were interrupted by a knock on his door. "Come in!" he yelled. He heard the door open and close and someone sitting down on the toilet seat. "With whom do I have the pleasure of bring interrupted by?"

"Shouldn´t you have asked that before you said `Come in´?" asked a female voice.

"No, because I have about five wards on my bedroom door only allowing people with a pleasant cause to enter my room," Draco replied. "So how can I help you today, Alicia?"

"I was wondering if you think I should ask father if I could attend Hogwarts this year. I mean, one more year at Durmstrang and I swear that I will kill each and every person in that castle," Alicia said calmly, filing her nails as if this type of talk was nothing out of the norm. "It´s not like I´m incapable and Father only sends me there because mother can´t stand me and wants me as far away as possible."

"Yeah, we all know how capable you are of pulling of that act. And anyway, I´m sure he´ll say yes. You´ve been ranked top student for the past four years and have accomplished more than even the seventh years have. You need bigger challenges." Draco said now washing his hair.

"Yes, I suppose that is true, but I'll probably only be ranked third at Hogwarts. Which isn´t so bad I guess, and I wouldn´t be so lonely," Alicia agreed now brushing her silver-blonde hair that went half way down her back.

"Well there´s no denying it. You´d learn more. Like, about stuff," Draco said lamely. "Anyway, it might help me pull off `The Research´. I don´t understand why he wants me doing it in the first place. Doesn´t he pay people to do that kind of stuff? Pass me the silver razor on the sink will you, please?"

"Oh, right, `The Research´," Alicia said sarcastically handing Draco the razor. "I don´t think he needs you to do it, I think it´s a test. Anyway, should I ask now or when the fight's over?"

"I don´t think he needs me either. I think he just wants to keep me busy. Go now. If you wait until later he´ll have time to think about it, but if you spring it on him quickly he won´t even think twice to saying `yes´ to anything his little princess wants," Draco said, now turning off the water.

"Thanks. I´ll be up in a bit to tell you what´s happening," Alicia said and left, heading down to Lucius´ study where the yelling could still be heard.

As she entered the hall that led to the double doors of Lucius´ study, they burst open and a glass globe came flying straight at her. She nearly missed getting hit by diving to the side, letting out a small shriek. For a split second, there were running footsteps, and Alicia looked up to see her parent's faces peering down at her, a concerned Lucius and an agitated Narcissa. It seemed that Lucius had a soft spot for Alicia, and a rather tough spot for Draco, where no matter what Draco did he couldn´t please him; this worked vice-versa with Narcissa who had a soft spot for Draco.

"Alicia, what are you doing here?" Narcissa said icily, "Shouldn´t you be in your room or something? Not wandering around the manor."

"Why not?" Alicia challenged. "It´s my home too, unless I´m mistaken. I can wander wherever I please, and for your information, I came here to see my father. Unless somewhere in the Malfoy Code of Conduct there is a law against that,- a daughter not being able to see her father without making an appointment? If not, and you don´t like it, then you can shove it up your arse and leave," she said defiantly.

Narcissa looked coldly at her daughter and then said, " I´m not sure where you learned you manners, but they need to be improved. I am your mother. I demand respect and will not tolerate being spoken to in that way. If I did not have other businesses to attend to there would be a horrendous punishment in your near future, but for now, I will leave your father to deal with you. Lucius, we will continue this `discussion´ later," she stated, still looking at Alicia, and stalked away not looking back at either of them.

There were a few moments of silence between them and then, "Alicia, please come and sit down. Don´t mind the mess. What did you want to see me for?" Lucius asked, staring around his wrecked study, barely paying attention to Alicia.

"Well, I was wondering if I could go to Hogwarts this year. I´m quite lonely at Durmstrang, and way beyond anything they can teach me," Alicia said, straight and to the point.

At this Lucius came back to reality, "I suppose, I´ll see what I can do. I´m sure it will be fine. Go and see if your brother has the homework so you can get them done before school starts. Now off you go," Lucius said dismissing her, and summoning a few house elves to clean his study, and then called her back as she reached the door, " Oh, and Alicia, your punishment is to do the homework for the upcoming year at Hogwarts, if your mother asks." She nodded and left, just barely containing her joy, as she quickly went up the stairs to Draco´s room, taking them two at a time.

Draco got out of the shower and dried off. He was wishing Alicia the best, because if Narcissa had any say on the subject, the answer would be no. He put on his bathrobe and went into his room to change, and found a black suit on his bed. `How typical,´ he thought, throwing it to the side. He got out a pair of khaki pants and a blue tank top, throwing them on quickly. He was going to go down to the kitchen to see what the house-elves had to eat, when the door burst open and Alicia came in, an evil smirk on her face, one that Draco only liked when the two of them were teamed up against an opponent of some sort. "Alicia, what did you do?" Draco asked cautiously, a small smirk beginning to creep onto his face.

"Lets just say that Hogwarts is going to have more trouble this year, that I bet it has have ever had in its history," she said going and sitting on his bed, "and I don´t mean prank-wise."

Draco´s face broke into a smile; "He´s letting you go?" she nodded. "Maybe then you can help me with the `Research´ and I can prove to father that I am capable of doing anything that he throws at me."

"Do you realize you just contradicted you´re self? Anyway, I need the homework for the classes; they´re my "punishment" for telling mum off. Not that it´s a big punishment; I´d have to do them before school starts anyway," Alicia said walking over to Draco´s bay window which showed a beautiful view of the mountain range behind the Manor. "What do you want to do, I´m so bored and I can´t stand being cooped up in the place any longer."

Draco walked over to her side. "Well, I´m free until five when I have to meet with father for my fencing work. I think he tries to get quality time with me, but we´ve grown too far apart for that now. How about we go down to the local pub tonight and get totally pissed?"

"What a wonderful idea, Draco. Lets get pissed the night before our big meeting with the Dark Lord about our initiation ceremony next year. Best idea you´ve ever had," Alicia said dryly.

"Shit," He said simply, "I forgot about that. Well, right now we can go play a good game of Quidditch. Bet I can beat you, what do you say?"

"Alright, you´re on. If I win you do my homework for all the classes I need. And if you win, I´ll both of ours, because I know you haven´t done all of yours yet," she challenged, sticking out her hand.

"Deal," Draco agreed shaking hands with her. The both grabbed their brooms and headed down to their Quidditch pitch. They had just mounted them when they heard Maxwell, the butler, yell for them.

"Master Draco! Miss Alicia! Please come here! I have some urgent news from your father," he yelled up at them. The two teenagers reluctantly came down from their brooms.

"What is it, Maxwell? We were just about to start a game. What can be more important than that?" Alicia asked, a little annoyed.

"Your father just received an urgent owl telling him that your Grandmother Malfoy has died. Your Grandfather would like the close family to go to Australia where she was presently living to go though her will, setup the funeral and burial services. That would mean that your parents are leaving in ten minutes and that your father would like you to meet him in his office right now to leave you instructions on what you are to do over the next week as they will not be here," Maxwell finished looking a little saddened. "You may continue your game after that." He turned and left.

Alicia and Draco looked at each other. Could this really be happening? Grandmother Malfoy dead, and they had the Manor to themselves for a whole week, unsupervised? They both sprinted back up to the Manor and all the way to Lucius´ study, where they skidded to a halt out side his door. Draco turned to Alicia and whispered, "Remember to act sad, and not let him know that we didn´t really care for her. That will just get us in trouble. And ask minimal questions. Ready?"

She nodded, and they entered quietly, both looking genuinely upset; Alicia even attempted to fake tears, which proved to be very successful.

The two children sat in chairs in front of Lucius´ desk, Draco comforting Alicia as she sobbed, "Is.... it...it...it true Father?"

"Yes, Alicia it is. I´m terribly sorry," Lucius said not looking sorry at all. "Your mother and I have to go to Australia to finish some business, and we won´t be back for a few weeks, so we will not be here to see you off to Hogwarts. Alicia, I have made all the arrangements so you will be sorted after the first years. Make sure you owl me to tell me how everything is. There are a few rules you must follow, but I´ll have Maxwell write them up and give them to you. Hogwarts is very different from Durmstrang. Well, I´m off. Please behave yourselves," and with all that said he swept out of the room to meet Narcissa in the Entrance Hall.

As soon as Lucius had left the room, Draco and Alicia´s faces broken into to evil smiles. Alicia wiped her face clear of tears and said menacingly, "Draco, how does finishing off some old business sound?"