Arianrhod's Vessel

here we are back once again. as you are probably well aware, almost none of this is mine. with exception of Nisha. the rest of it belongs to the talented miss j.k. rowling and i\'m only borrowing them for a while. i promise to put them back. eventually. maybe. um.... right. they\'ll go back. and i\'m not making money off this. only the kindness of a review here or there.

as i stated previously, there will be mentions of underaged sex in this story. i do not condone such acts, but it is required for the story itself. please do not come back and flame me for it, screaming about children and being corrupt and all that. i will calmly point to my disclaimer.

and finally, if you like it or have questions/suggestions/compliments, please feel free to let me know. a kindly worded review is best. thanks for reading.

Chapter Two: Starting Over Again
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The surface beneath her cheek was so soft that Nisha felt herself slipping back toward the sweet oblivion of slumber. Fire raced along her back, bringing a soft groan to her lips. The bedding beneath her was not only soft, but lush and almost silky. It was her first clue that she wasn\'t in the brothel anymore. She lifted her head and regretted the action almost immediately. Her back was too painful to allow much movement.

What little she saw of the room was elegant and rich. But before she could see much more than a chair and vanity, she was forced to settle her head back down on the plush goose down pillow. The last thing she could remember was that horrid man at the whore house as he\'d taken a thick cane of some sort to her back. It had been so painful, as if flames had licked up and down her spine. It had been all she could do not to collapse on the floor. She\'d waited until he\'d left her before she\'d allowed herself to give into the pain.

\"Open your legs, whore,\" Finch demanded, his hands scrabbling at her knees in an attempt to open them. Nisha lay on the bed, trying to keep her legs shut and the dirty little man off of her. She didn\'t want him touching her. She didn\'t want him to even get anywhere near feminine core.

\"I am no whore and you are not worthy!\" she spat at him, trying to kick at him without opening her legs any wider than she had to. His hand made contact with her cheek and the blow rocked her head to the side. When she looked back up to him, a trail of thick red blood trickled from the corner of her mouth. It stood out brightly against the dusty gold of her skin.

\"OPEN YOUR LEGS,WHORE!\" he shouted at her. His hand curled into her hair, jerking her head up so that she was forced to look him in the eyes. \"Open your legs so I know your worth. Open them or I swear to Merlin that you will regret disobeying me until the day you die!\"

\"You cannot order me to do anything. Neither you nor any other man owns me!\" Nisha replied and spat into his face. The little globule of spittle rolled slowly down over his cheek until he reached up to wipe it off. He frowned at her, then struck again. Her head exploed with pain, keeping her immobile for the few moments he needed. When she regained her senses, Nisha found him kneeling between her legs. He was already fisting his short cock, working it up to the desired hardness before he could plunge himself into her.

She lashed out, the hard bottom of her heel striking his erection with deadly accuracy. The little man fell off of her, clutching at his groin. She threw herself from the bed, unmindful of her nudity, and headed for the door. She had almost reached it when she felt the heavy cylinder land across her shoulders. The pain was explosive and blinding, sending her to her knees. The second blow brought a dull scream from her throat. The third one brought blessed darkness.

When she woke, she didn\'t know how much time had passed. She only knew that her body burned with pain.She was laying on her stomach, the fire racing along her back preventing her from laying on it. Sweat had already formed on her brow. Finch had beaten her senseless. A sound from the corner drew her attention and she turned her head to the side to see him watching her. He stood, still unclothed, and moved toward her. \"You see, my dear. I do own you. I bought you, along with the rest of the whores. Until you make back the many thousands of Galleons I spent on you, I own every last part of you. Including your sweet little cunt.\"

She moaned when something touched her there. It wasn\'t a moan of pleasure, but of pain. He\'d used her brutally in her unconsciousness. She rolled eyes full of loathing to him. They squeezed shut when something pushed into her body. \"You will be worth so much money when you are healed up.\"

The bed shifted as he moved up behind her. \"But until then, I claim use of it to my deepest pleasure.\"

Nisha closed her eyes to stifle the sob. Finch had been brutal in his rape of her. Each and every time. She\'d held onto her tears until after he\'d left her alone, then had poured out her misery and pain in those hot, scalding drops of salt water. She\'d cried until her eyes had been swollen and gritty and her throat had been raw. She\'d cried until she\'d nearly vomited. He\'d sent someone to tend her wounds. But the nearly naked female hadn\'t done much. Just put some vile smelling ungent that felt thick and greasy on her back, then left her alone again.

She knew this wasn\'t the brothel. She didn\'t know where she was, but something familiar niggled at the back of her mind. She shifted her head, turning it to face the other direction so she could see what else the room contained. She was very surprised to find a figure sitting by her bed and her eyes widened to see that it was Lucius Malfoy. Her breath stilled in her throat for a few moments. She hadn\'t thought to ever seen him again.

Yet, here she was. Once more in his home.

The years had been kind to him. He was still devilishly handsome, despite the age that he now wore as easily as a cloak or a pair of gloves. He was older, but not old. Few men could lay claim to such an accomplishment. She studied him at her leisure, watching him sleep in the chair. The position had to be uncomfortable, but she wasn\'t about to wake him. Her eyes moved over him almost greedily, as if she were a beggar being led to a long table laden with food. It had been too long since she\'d last seen him and she\'d honestly thought over the years that she never would again. And now she was in his home.

Nisha sighed. She wasn\'t sure how that had happened. She\'d done her best to remain hidden from him. It had meant leaving England and seeking out a residence, a life, elsewhere. Too much was at stake and she couldn\'t afford to allow herself the luxury of once more becoming entangled in Lucius Malfoy\'s life. It was why she\'d left in the first place. To save herself from them. And her own self.

She could still recall the day she\'d first laid eyes on Lucius and Narcissa Malfoy. She\'d been hungry and on the run and had some how found herself in Diagon Alley. No one had paid any mind to her, hungry waif that she was, as she\'d made her way through the throngs of shoppers to periodically gaze into a shop\'s window.

The colors in the window were vibrant. That\'s what first caught her eye. But she found herself entranced with the beauty of the garments. Rich purples and deep reds. Midnight and sky blues. Lush greens and earthy browns. Yellows, golds, oranges and every other color of the rainbow held her rapt gaze. It was a most wonderful place and she wished fervently that she had the coin, so that she could step inside. She simply wanted to touch the jeweled beauty of the clothing hanging in the window. She\'d never seen anything so beautiful in all her life. And then, while she was lost in dreams of being clothed in such fine garments, a hand dropped onto her shoudler.

Nisha looked up and was immediately captivated by what she saw. Eyes of soft grey stared down at her, lips upturned in a smile. The face was by far the most handsome she\'d ever seen. The man who wore that face was gazing down upon her as if she were something precious. Something special. She offered him a tenative, scared smile.

\"Child, you look as though you\'re half starved. Please. Accompany me to my table and allow me to see you fed,\" his voice was sinful, a cultured river of sensual silk and chocolate that flooded over her and made her feel giddy with some need she couldn\'t name and didn\'t understand. It made her hungry for... him. \"My name is Lucius Malfoy and that stunning creature sitting by herself across the way is my wife, Narcissa. She and I would be simply pleased if you would consent to dine with us.\"

She stared at him, completely captivated by his glorious face and his resonant voice. She wanted to go so desperately. His voice, the look in his eyes, compelled her to. But she was still rational enough to know that going with him, or any other person, could mean trouble. Not only for her, but for the person who tried to help. There were secrets in her past. She could feel them there, lingering in the darkened corners of her brain. They taunted her with their presence, but she couldn\'t coax them forward to reveal themselves to her.

There was something dark and deeply frightening in her past and her mind had shut it out from her. It was only instinct that told her that going with this man, even for a meal, would be her downfall. Nisha didn\'t want to expose anyone else to the horrors she was sure haunted her every thought and word. She tried to tell him politely that she couldn\'t accept.

His gaze moved to the window and one gloved hand gestured to the deep mahogany gown that floated before them in the window as if on an invisible mannequin. The robes draped over the shoulder were a shade of lighter, almost golden brown shot through with threads of a deep russet that made the gown seem more elaborate than it was. \"Madam Malkin is a wonder at haute couture. I can see why you are captivated by her designs.\"

Her eyes followed his gesture and she looked longingly at the gown. She couldn\'t afford it. She never would be able to afford it. She knew that and she thought he knew it. So it was cruel of him to make sure she knew what she was missing. What she could never have. She gave a soft sigh and frowned. She never should have stopped and lingered as she had. It was only making things worse.
She held back the sob and hoped that she could get away from him as soon as possible, so she could hide and give in to her tears.

\"Won\'t you please join Narcissa and I for lunch? We would love to treat you,\" he cajoled sweetly. Nisha looked up at him and stared. There was sincerity in his voice, and she found herself wanting to believe him.\"Please?\"

That last please did her in. She nodded mutely and allowed him to take one of her hands in his. Even through the leather glove he wore, she could feel the strength and power in his hand. She had to suppress a shudder. With what she thought was a great deal of pomp and circumstance, he led her over to the table. She watched with apprehension as he sat down, then indicated an empty chair for her to sit in. Silently, she took it and stared at them.

Lucius called a waiter and ordered for her, then fell into conversation with his wife. She sat and listened to the two of them, feeling as if she were some sort of strange animal on exhibit at the zoo. After several moments, Narcissa looked at her and smiled sweetly. One of the woman\'s elegant hands reached out to cover one of the girl\'s smaller ones. \"What is your name, child?\" Narcissa asked her.

\"Nisha.\"

She sighed and wished she could move more than her head. But her back was like a field of flames, burning pain deep into her bones. The slightest of movements only added fuel to the fire, making the pain flare higher. She allowed herself the luxury of staring at him to her heart\'s content. His lack of conscious state would allow her that much. His hair, always worn long and kept tied back by a black ribbon, was now slipping free of its confines to spill around his face and frame it. It gave him a younger, more innocent look, though she knew that wasn\'t so. The lines that marred the corners of his mouth and eyes were smoothed in his sleep so that he looked far more relaxed than when he was awake.

She smiled to see that he was slouched in the chair, his hands nestled limply in his lap. The position made him seem more human. More touchable. The top few buttons on his shirt were undone, exposing the line of his throat and a very hint of the skin at its base to her view. He was still as pale as ever and, even in repose, there was an air of superiority to him that she thought never dimmed. She let herself drink him in while she could. Once he was awake, she knew that he wouldn\'t look so vulnerable to her again. No, when he was awake, he\'d look hard and cruel.

She knew that. She\'d seen it before.

She sighed. She had to leave here when she could. This time, she had to stay hidden. She couldn\'t stay with him. Not again. There was so much more that she knew and understood now than she had when she\'d been a mere girl of fifteen. So much that he couldn\'t know. Unfortunately, she knew by how it felt now that her back wouldn\'t allow that to happen for quite some time. It seemed she was stuck where she was at for the time being.

Nisha wished that things hadn\'t happened as they had. She wished that she could still be the child she\'d once been. But too much time passed in the world had shown her that she couldn\'t go back and that she had to exist with the knowledge she\'d acquired throughout her near thirty years of life. Both the good and the bad. She closed her eyes and took a breath. She needed to think about this and see if there wasn\'t some way she could sneak away.

There were times when she wished her memory wasn\'t as crystal clear and as sharp as it was. So that she couldn\'t recall how happy she\'d been when she\'d first come to stay at Malfoy Manor. So that she couldn\'t remember how she\'d let Lucius talk her into letting him use her for his own wants and desires. So that she couldn\'t simply close her eyes and feel his hands on her body, touching her gently. Intimately.

Everytime she recalled that, her body cried out and ached with something unfulfilled. Some need that she couldn\'t make go away. Not with her own hands. Not with another man. Not with a thousand other men. She just needed.... him.

She tried to push those thoughts aside, tried to focus on another line of thinking. Her mind was swept awayon a tide of those memorable moments when Narcissa had led her into the clothing shop she\'d been eyeing so furtively.

Madam Malkin met them at the door, her face wreathed in smiles. She was a squst little Witch and Nisha only knew she was the proprietess because she and Narcissa greeted one another immediately and by name. \"Mrs. Malfoy. Its an honor and a priviledge. I\'m so pleased to see you in my shop. Seeing as you are one of my best customers, I will personally wait on you and ensure that you have everything you could need.\"

\"Thank you,\" Narcissa replied politely, then motioned to the girl standing at her side. \"Madam Malkin, I would like for you to meet Nisha. She is staying at Malfoy Manor for a time and I was given the task of seeing to it that she is properly clothed.\"

\"Well, hello, Nisha. I\'m pleased to meet you,\" Madam Malkin held out her hand. Nisha took it hesitantly, shaking it as if she was unsure that was the proper thing to do. Madam Malkin looked at her with a puzzled expression on her face for a moment or two, then motioned to one side of her shop. \"Come this way, ladies. The young miss\' gowns and robes are over here.\"

Narcissa moved off in the direction of the young ladies\' section, Nisha following behind her silently. She stared about her as she walked, taking in every aspect of the shop as she went. The styles and colors were simply amazing, a veritable rainbow of woven thread. She thought that she could die tomorrow and she\'d die happy. The thought of wearing something so beautiful made her heart sing.

The fitting was a blur. Madam Malkin had no sooner brought one gown and set of robes before she was off and searching out yet another. The pile of garments grew steadily, even as the perfect beauty that was Narcissa handed them to her over the top of the small changing cubicle. Nisha had never seen so many wondrous gowns in her life, much less tried them on. Each one felt like a caress as she slid them over her head and down her body.

There were velvets and silks, linens and fine Egyptian cottons. Small, unobtrusive bits of lace decorated some while others had pearlescent buttons made of real mother of pearl. There was a very dressy gown that was sewn with seed pearls, made of a rich and luxurious silk that was overlaid with lace. It was cream colored and simply divine. She felt like a princess as she dressed and undressed, giddy with laughter.

Each new gown saw her stepping out so that Narcissa and Madam Malkin could inspect her appearance. Narcissa favored jeweled colors while Madam Malkin said that earth tones suited the girl\'s coloring best. Even in her joy at being allowed to try on so many wonderful items of clothing, Nisha knew that the two women talked above her and about her. Not to her. She paid it no mind, putting it down to adult odiosyncrasies. For the time being, she was simply ecstatic about being allowed to touch such lovely clothing.

Each time Nisha moved out of the small room where she put the gowns on, Madma Malkin was there with the magic measuring tape and a floating piece of chalk, marking all of the alterations that needed to be made on each one. The gowns, when she took them off, went into one pile while the robes went into another. Even while she was still trading off one gown for another, Narcissa was busy picking out undergarments and shoes. The pile of things to buy was growing larger and larger by the moment.

It was ages when it was all done. Gone was the tight, too small dress that she\'d been wearing when Lucius had stumbled across her. As were the thin cloak and worn shoes she\'d had on. Now she was clothed in simple, but elegant items that were befitting a young lady of high station without being too childish or too grown up. Nisha stared at herself. She couldn\'t believe what she saw.

In the mirror before her was a beautiful young woman she didn\'t recognize. This creature took the place of the rag-a-muffin that had stared out at her from the mildly reflective surface of the shop\'s glass windows. The dress was so soft and the prettiest shade of green, the velvet rich and lush. She could tell by the feel of it that it was of the finest quality. The high waist did nothing but accentuate her budding breasts and the slim line of her waist. The skirt was long and succeeded in making her legs look that much longer.

\"She looks like a princess out of a faerie tale,\" Madam Malkin said softly. Narcissa said nothing for a long time. She simply stared at the girl with an intense scrutiny that made Nisha just the slightest bit uneasy. But then the look was gone, replaced with a brilliant smile, and the blonde head nodded.

\"Yes she does. You\'ve done an excellent job, Madam. I\'ll see to it that Lucius sends you a generous tip for your outstanding work today,\" she replied, then reached over to swirl a cloak around Nisha\'s shoulders. \"Come along, my dear. Its time to find just the right little bits to go with all your lovely new clothes.\"

Nisha cocked her head at the older woman, not sure what she meant. Narcissa smiled again and motioned her toward the door. Then she turned back to the squat Witch and waved a hand at the boxes of garments. \"Please have these delivered to Malfoy Manor. And charge the expense to our account. Now, Nisha. We\'re going to find you some lovely jewelry so that, when there is a society function at the Manor, you are fully prepared.\"

Nisha nodded and allowed Narcissa to sweep her out of the shop before her. Something told her it would be a very long day.

She sighed and closed her eyes. That had been so long ago and she\'d been such a different person. She\'d been trusting and naivé to a fault. But time had seen her eyes opened and she\'d left as soon as she\'d realized what was going on in the lovely manor home that the Malfoys called their own. She\'d left it all behind. Every bit of it. The clothing and the jewelry. She hadn\'t taken a bit of it with her.

She opened her eyes to study Lucius once more. Why had he come looking for her? And why now? Why couldn\'t he have left her alone? Seeing him tore open wounds she\'d long thought healed over. Her heart ached with the knowledge that she was trapped here with him until she was once more well enough to make her own way in the world. She only hoped that she would be able to survive it. That she would be able to flee when the time came.

She turned her head away from him, biting back the groan of pain that rolled up her throat. If she\'d had a chance, Finch would have been in such trouble. But she\'d seen what she could do to a person and she didn\'t want to ever do something like that again. To try and take her mind off things, she glanced about the room. The colors were soft and soothing, meant to keep a person calm. Something told her that Lucius hadn\'t picked the room.

Nisha started. Did that mean that Narcissa had picked it? She didn\'t want to even consider that. How was she supposed to look at the woman again, knowing what she\'d been a part of? She was more than embarrassed by her behavior. It was part of the reason she\'d sought to keep herself hidden from them. From him.

She muttered a curse under her breath. She didn\'t belong here any more than she had belonged at the brothel. Or in the Turkish Wizard\'s harem. She wasn\'t fifteen anymore. They couldn\'t just use her as if she had no say in her life. She refused to let them and gods help them if they tried it. Gods help her if she lost control again. It took all of her will to force the memories of that chapter of her life aside. She didn\'t want to think about that. Ever again.

Instead, she focused once again on the room. It was done in golds and creams, colors that weren\'t geared for one gender or the other. The furniture she saw was as asexual as the colors decorating the room. Naturally, it was all wood and stained a mahogany that brought depth and life to the lighter colors that made up the room\'s decor. It was a large, comfortable looking room and she felt she had been placed here for a reason.

Glancing up at the head of the bed, she found that it was four postered and appeared to have curtains on it. They were in a deep, dark gold velvet that shone with highlights of pale gold and cream. The pillow was cased in the softest cotton, dyed to a pale gold. The color was so faint, she felt she\'d have missed it if she hadn\'t been staring straight at it as she was. The blanket beneath her was satin, likely a darker shade of gold with cream accents on it.

She was glad that it was more adult themed than the room she\'d been given before. Even at fifteen, she\'d found the room she\'d been alotted too childish. But she was a guest in their home. It wasn\'t her place to tell them that she\'d not liked it. At the time, she\'d felt lucky and priviledged to have it. Anything had been better than the streets. Now, she almost wished she could once more seek anonymity in the streets. Even today, almost fourteen years later, she could still recall how it had felt to be shown to her rooms. How it had felt to be floo\'d to Malfoy Manor.

She was a princess. That was the only thing she could think of. She\'d been born a princess and this tall man and his beautiful wife were taking her back to the palace she belonged in. It had been startling enough to see her reflection in the mirror the first time after changing into such wondrous clothing. She\'d been positively astounded at Lucius\' reaction to how she looked in her new clothes. But this.. This took her breath from her very lungs.

The three of them stepped out of a large fireplace into a long hallway floored with marble. Paintings and mirrors decorated the walls on both sides, with strategically placed tables settled here and there. Each table held either a vase of fragrant flowers, a small statue, or a huge candleabra that held a dozen candles. Each candle was lit, the flames flickering and sending shadows dancing back and forth across the walls.

The walls were covered with a rich, patterned paper. When Nisha put her hands on one, she found the paper was made of cloth. The wall paper was a shade of deep, icy blue. The floor\'s marble was white with black and gray veins running through it. Every eye in the paintings turned to look at Nisha. Some of the looks she received were almost appraising in nature and made her slightly uncomfortable. Others were giving her a sort of superior look that told her more eloquently than words that they felt she didn\'t belong there.

She gasped when the Elf appeared. Never before had she seen such a creature and having it simply pop into being before her eyes made her wonder at her choice in allowing the Malfoys to bring her here. The creature nodded and bowed, its large ears flopping against the floor. \"What is it Master is wanting?\" it asked, then lifted its head to stare at Nisha a moment.

\"This is Nisha, Dobby. She is to stay with us,\" Lucius intoned, motioning to the young girl. Dobby nodded his head in a solemn manner, as if his Master brought home stray girls every day. \"I want you to give her the best room the Manor has to offer to a young girl.\"

\"I be\'s doing that immediately, Master Malfoy,\" the little Elf squeaked obediently.

\"Several packages arrived from Madam Malkin\'s shop today, Dobby. Be a good Elf and fetch them to young Nisha\'s room,\" Narcissa instructed politely. \"They contain her new clothing.\"

Again Dobby nodded. He turned big eyes up to look at the girl, who stared at him in shock and confusion. She smiled at her and motioned her to follow him. Narcissa gave her a gentle push forward and nodded when Nisha turned to look back at the older woman for confirmation. In silence, Nisha followed the little creature along the hall.

She couldn\'t help keep her eyes off the rich luxury of the furnishings and paintings that decorated the hall as they moved along its length. Never in her life had she seen such a place of grandeur and refinement. She couldn\'t recall much of her childhood. It was as if she hadn\'t had one. There were no memories to sift through. She didn\'t dream about her youth. Her mind was like a blank chalkboard, waiting for someone to write on it and fill it in with all the knowledge it could hold. So it was utterly fascinating for her to be in such a fine home.

Their journey was long and winding and Nisha was sure she would get lost if she left her rooms on her own. After what seemed an eternity, the small being before her stopped in front of a door and reached up to grasp the handle. \"This is to be Miss\' room. Dobby hopes you is liking it.\"

He pushed the door open and allowed Nisha to step inside before him. She stared around the room in silent wonder. The walls were done in a soft, pastel shade of pink that spoke of a little girl\'s deepest dreams. The furniture was soft looking, the couch, settee and chairs apholstered with a material of some shade of white with large blooming roses covering it. The vanity, armoire, bed stands and the bed frame were white. The bedding on the large, four postered bed was a dusky rose color, the curtains that were tied back at the moment a darker shade than the bedding.

\"Its beautiful,\" she breathed as she stared. Granted, it seemed better suited to a girl of eight or nine years, but it was breathtaking. There were two windows on the wall opposite, the massive bed situated between them. Golden light filtered through the antique lace panels to create whimsical patterns across the thick, cream colored carpeting. Small vines with tiny rose buds decorating them covered the carpet. The curtains that hung from the tops of the high windows were of a heavy velvet in the same cream color as the carpet beneath her feet, more of the tiny rosebuds dotting it. They were pulled back and tied open, allowing Nisha to view the lush green grounds that surrounded the house. \"Thank you, Dobby,\" she turned to smile at the Elf.

He bobbed his head at her. \"Dobby is glad for that.\"

\"Um.... Dobby. What are you, exactly?\" she asked him, hoping that she didn\'t offend him.

\"Dobby is a House Elf, Miss,\" he replied kindly, smiling at her. \"Does Miss need anything else? Some food or drink, perhaps? Dobby would be glad to fetch it for her.\"

\"Oh, no thank you. I\'m fine. And please. Call me Nisha,\" she offered him a timid smile. She was sure, if it were possible, that the little Elf blushed at her. He smiled in return and left the room silently. She waited a moment, then ran to the bed and indulged in a little childish behavior. She threw herself onto the bed and rolled about on it, laughing and giggling as if she were five instead of fifteen.

It was a long time before she settled down. Her hair was mussed, as were the bed clothes and the dress she wore. She stood and looked around, raking her hair from her face. She moved to the large armoire first and found all of the clothing that Narcissa had bought her hung neatly on hangers or folded into drawers. The shoes that had been purchased were lined up neatly along the bottom. She closed the doors and moved to the vanity.

A silver tray lay on the top of the vanity, directly center, with a brush, comb and hand mirror on it. They were all silver and ivory and, when she picked the mirror up, it had substantial weight to it. She looked at herself in it a moment, then set it down and moved out into the middle of the room to turn circles until she was dizzy. When she could turn no more for fear of falling over, she moved to plop down on the settee.

Laying there, Nisha couldn\'t help but think that her life had turned round for the better. Only yesterday, she\'d been worried about where her next meal was coming from. Now, she had fine clothes and a beautiful place to stay. There would be food aplenty and, she hoped, copious amounts of love given to her by both Lucius and Narcissa. She\'d never had a family. At least, she didn\'t think she had. From all appearances, she thought she might have one now. She truly thought she was indeed a princess after the afternoon she\'d had with Lucius and Narcissa.

Life just couldn\'t get any better.

When she came out of her reverie, she looked once more at the room and sighed. This one was so much better than that first one. The colors were more suited to her age now and she thought, somehow, if she was forced to spend time laying about in the same room again, she\'d go postively mad from the memories.

Once more, she turned to look Lucius\' way. And was deeply startled to find those gray eyes focused on her. Time had changed them from the soft dove gray she recalled to hard icy chips that seemed to bore deep into her soul. She couldn\'t look away from him, no matter how badly she wanted to. He stared at her, his face devoid of emotion.

He\'d shifted in his chair, now sitting straight and proud as was befitting a Malfoy. The frown came. It took time, but it came. It spread across his face like a storm cloud, moving in slowly and covering every inch of that glorious visage. She shuddered, then cringed at the motion. Her back roared to life with flames of pain to remind her that moving was simply a bad idea. She wished she could roll onto her back and sit up, so that she didn\'t feel as if she were beneath him. As if she were useless.

She opened her mouth to speak, but nothing came out other than a mortifyingly hoarse squeak. She closed her eyes and swallowed, hoping that it would help. But her throat dried up once again when she opened her eyes to look at him again. He was staring at her with such a look of loathing that she honestly feared for her life. \"H-h-h-hello, Lucius,\" she managed weakly.

\"Hello, Nisha,\" he returned grimly. He leaned foward, propping his elbows onto his knees before putting his chin in his hands. She remained silent as he studied her intently, his eyes raking over every inch of her body. She felt exposed, despite the fact that she lay on her stomach and the most he could see was the curve of her breast and her bottom.

She licked her lips, willing him to get up and leave her alone. She didn\'t want to face him now. She only wanted to slip back into oblivion and forget the dark memories that plagued her. But it wasn\'t to happen. His gaze moved back up to her face and she thought she saw there for a moment a deep sense of loss. Then his eyes hardened and he scowled.

\"Why did you leave me, Nisha? And where the bloody hell could you have gone that was better than here?\"

end chapter two.
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my many thanks to my usual group of supporters and to those of you who are reading this. this isn\'t the usual fic and i seem to have a knack for coming up with slightly twisted ideas. so my heartfelt thanks to those of you who are giving this a go.

any mistakes you find are entirely my own fault. please forgive me.

and finally....

to Onyx: thank you for trying this. its something of a different venture, i think. i can only hope it gets better.

to Echo: many thanks to you. you are a constant source of support and encouragement. it means so much to me.