What Lies Within

When Draco and Sophie arrived at the Malfoy Manor, they found that nothing was different. The place still sat large and empty down a long driveway. When they stepped inside it was as cold and lonely as ever. Narcissa stood on the threshold looking very lonely and lost while Sophie and Draco slid out of their cloaks, a house elf rushing up to take them and place them in their proper place beside the door.

"Go make yourselves at home, dinner will be at 7." Narcissa told them before she turned and disappeared down the hall. Draco looked over at Sophie and shrugged before taking her hand and pulling her up the stairs and to his bedroom. They found that a house elf had already brought their things upstairs, placing both trunks in Draco's bedroom as if knowing that the two would share from now on.

"So.. nothing different yet." Draco assured her as they began to unpack their things.

"Something is going on though, I can just feel it. It's only the first day of the holiday, I'm sure things will start soon." She mumbled as she hung up some of her clothes.

"Well... whatever happens, I'm not going anywhere." He told her. She smiled and walked across the room to him, placing her arms around his neck while his went around her waist, pulling her close.

"Me neither." She promised, sealing it with a soft kiss. "I love you." She whispered when they pulled back.

"And I love you."

The couple spent the next few hours until dinner wandering around the large house, Draco showing her rooms that she never knew existed.

"When would this room even be used? It's huge!" Sophie exclaimed as they stood in the center of a very large ballroom. It had three large crystal chandeliers hanging from the ceiling, the walls were a beautiful marble, the floors matching. There were floor to ceiling windows on the two largest walls with dark green curtains covering them, casting out the late afternoon light trying to break in.

"My parents used to hold balls and large parties and stuff. They haven't had one in years, not with everything going on." Draco explained, shrugging. "Dance with me." He demanded, holding his hand out to her. She giggled and shook her head.

"There's no music, Dray." She retorted, earning an eye roll from him.

"Let me fix that." He pulled his want out and waved it in the air, a second later the ballroom was filled with a soft classical piano piece. Sophie laughed and finally took Draco's outstretched hand, allowing him to spin her around before enveloping her against his warm chest. She stared up into his grey blue eyes, loving the adoration that shone back at her.

"Why couldn't you show me this side of you years ago? We could have been together for far longer by now." She commented, making him chuckle.

"I had a reputation to uphold, if I had fallen for you much sooner than that would have been ruined because because you turn me into a total sap and now everyone knows that I have a heart." He responded making her burst into laughter.

"Oh, you Malfoy's... It's all about the reputation." She joked as they swayed back and forth to the music.

"What about you Hill's?" He questioned. "It's all about reputation with you as well, that is why the Malfoy's and Hill's are friends."

"True. But I, unlike you, did not follow in the family way of being a dick to everyone." She responded, smiling sarcastically up at him. He laughed and spun her around before bringing her back to his chest.

"True." He acknowledged, nodding. "You are just a better person than I am." Draco meant it as a joke but really it came off a little more bitter than he meant it. Not really so much bitter as upset. Draco really hated how he had acted the last few years. Not just towards Sophie but everyone in general. That wasn't him and he hated that he let his father get in his head like that. It really served him right to be sitting in Azkaban right now.

"You are an amazing person, Draco." Sophie assured him, knowing what he was thinking. "So you made some bad decisions, the important thing is that you recognize that and are changing. You are the greatest person I have ever met and I am the luckiest girl in the world to have you as my boyfriend and to have you love me back."

"I just wish I hadn't let my father get in my head so much." Draco admitted. Sophie sighed and pulled Draco into her arms, both of them uncaring of the still playing music. Draco buried his face in her warm neck.

"It wasn't something you could control, Draco. Your father is a very messed up man, he thinks of only himself and his social standing. He's a terrible man who deserves to be locked up in Azkaban." She muttered.

"I'm glad I'm not the only one who thinks he deserves it." Draco responded, laughing. She laughed as well and pulled back to stare into his eyes.

"Come on, it's almost dinner time." She told him, making him nod. They linked hands and he lead the way out of the now silent ballroom. They ventured back to the other side of the house to their bedroom where they washed up before making their way to the dining room where his mother had just sat down.

"Evening, mother." Draco greeted as they sat down.

"Evening." She answered, staring down at her plate. They all sat in silence while the house elves served the food and even ate in silence for a while before Narcissa spoke again. "We are having guests tomorrow evening. It will be a formal event, I expect the two of you to be dressed appropriately and on your best behavior."

"What is the event for, mother?" Draco questioned, frowning at his mother.

"An announcement will be made tomorrow, the two of you will find out then." Was all she said and remained silent for the rest of dinner.

"What do you think the announcement is?" Sophie questioned later as the two of them got changed in their bedroom.

"I have no idea, could be anything." Draco responded as he slid out of his pants and t-shirt while she grabbed a pair of pajama pants and one of his plain black t-shirts, changing into it before they crawled into the bed together.

"Do you think it has to do with The Dark Lord and what he said over Christmas?" Sophie wondered, worried. Draco sighed and pulled her close against him.

"I don't know, love. I wish I could say no but I just..." He sighed. "I just don't know."

"Maybe it's a surprise birthday party for you." Sophie joked, remembering that his birthday was just two days away.

"Yeah, I doubt it. My parents never really celebrate my birthday." He retorted, shrugging.

"Well this year we are celebrating it. Me and you will have an amazing day." She assured him, making him smile and peck her lips.

"Any day I spend with you is an amazing day."

"You really have turned into such a sap." She joked, rolling her eyes. Draco rolled his eyes right back at her but smiled at her none the less.

"It's because I love you." She grinned at him, bringing her hand up to rest on his cheek.

"I'll never understand how I got so lucky to get the greatest boyfriend ever. All the girls must be so jealous of me." He laughed and shook his head.

"Well I know that all the guys are jealous of me. Blaise? Yeah he totally had a thing for you. He was quite angry when he found out we got together." Draco spoke, making Sophie laugh.

"Well sorry to Blaise but he would never have a change with me, even if I wasn't with you." Sophie told him making him laugh.

"Well you are with me so this discussion doesn't even matter."

"And I'm so happy to be with you." She whispered before kissing him. "Goodnight, Draco." She told him after they pulled away.

"Goodnight, love." Draco gave her one last kiss before they snuggled down in the blankets and fell asleep in each others arms like they did every night....