"You are very nearly late, Severus."

Draco squirmed in his seat, daring not to look up to where his old Potions master had just entered the drawing room.

Talk was exchanged about Potter, but Draco barely listened. He was too busy silently freaking out about the unconscious body suspended in the air above him;

The prisoner whom Draco had recognised from the night he had returned from Hogwarts on that fateful night.

The person whom he had thought was dead.

What was she doing here? Draco wondered. What did Voldemort want with her?

He looked sideways up at his father, who had only just returned home after his year long imprisonment, and wondered what he thought about all this.

He was a mess, of course, Azkaban having ravaged him. Lucius was no longer the well groomed, proud man Draco had always thought of him as.

Draco looked back down at the table, his hands clasped nervously together. The tension in the room was dreadful. He felt like he couldn't breathe, the air was so thick with it.

He let his mind drift to his wife and daughter and prayed they were okay. He felt as though his heart would never heal - didn't want it to heal. He would spend the rest of his life missing and loving them. Even when he will be forced to lay down next to Pansy night after night; his heart and mind will always be with Aurora and Nova. His girls.

He licked his dry lips as his eyes drifted nervously back up to the suspended prisoner.

And to his horror, her eyes suddenly opened. Eyes he recognised very much so.

"I expect many of you have been wondering about our guest of honour tonight," Voldemort spoke in his cold, yet dangerously soft voice.

Draco noticed that Voldemort had stood up and was pointing his wand towards the body. He had obviously just woken her up.

The show was about to start.

"I expect, Lucius," Voldemort continued, making his way around the table towards the seated Malfoy's, "that you are somewhat surprised to see this particular person in your home?"

His father looked up, and Draco noticed the fear flood his red rimmed eyes as Voldemort drew nearer and nearer.

"Of-Of course, master," he stuttered nervously. "I- I thought she was d-dead."

"I-I thought she was d-dead," Voldemort cruelly mimicked, making Draco cringe inwardly as the room erupted in laughter.

And with a flick of his wand, the woman started screaming, howling in agony as Voldemort inflicted the Cruciatus Curse.

"Clearly not, dear Lucius. Clearly not." He chuckled, finally lowering his wand which immediately ceased her screams.

Draco's heart was thudding crazily in his chest. He had to squeeze his hands together to stop them from visibly shaking.

"Your family never stops being one big disappointment Lucius. It's a wonder I've kept you all alive. But as you know, I do not like to unnecessarily spill pure blood, and I have big plans for young Draco. Big plans indeed. Tell me Draco, are you looking forward to your upcoming wedding with Miss Parkinson?"

Draco's eyes darted nervously towards his addresser, as he nodded his head. "Y-Yes my Lord." He whispered, knowing it was the only answer he could give.

"And what beautiful pure blooded children you will make. I'm expecting at least five, Draco. We need to start refilling society with pure wizarding blood and getting rid of that dirty, filthy muck."

Draco felt a wave of nausea swoop low through the pit of his stomach. The thought of having sex with Pansy horrified him. But he knew once they were married, he would have to.

"And speaking of filthy muck," Voldemort continued, giving his wand a quick flick, causing the suspended figure to writhe and scream again.

"Lucius, I wonder if you can tell the room who this... creature is." Voldemort said, as he lowered his wand once more and the screaming had subsided.

Draco felt his father shaking next to him.

"Y-Yes, my Lord." He said quietly.

"Speak up Lucius! Tell the room in a nice clear voice who our little friend is."

Draco didn't dare look at anything but at his hands. He didn't want to hear his father say the name on his lips, afraid it would give something in him away.

But he braced himself anyway as his father spoke the name that made Draco's heart wring horrifically in his chest.

"Diggory. Nova Diggory."