| Puffskein
Join Date: Sep 2006 Location: Canada
Posts: 2,438
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Chapter 14
The Party
I shivered as soon as we Apparated before the Manor door. I hadn’t been to the Malfoy Manor since I was 5; the double oak doors don’t seem as looming this time around. My mom knocked, and it opened. We passed through.
“Welcome!” a little elf squeaked below us. It took mom’s coat and my shrug. Once it did, it led us down the hall and into a large room with a lit Christmas tree in the corner.
“Cassie! Rosa! Welcome. You two look stunning.” Narcissa seemed to glide across the room, her long red dress flowing behind her. She and mum did a bisous and I followed right after.
“Ah, you found the occasion.” Narcissa suddenly took my left hand, raising it up so she could get a better look at the diamond ring my mum ended up forcing onto my finger and enchanting it to stay on for the next 4 hours. “It suits you very much.”
“Thanks,” I responded, managing a bright smile. She let my hand go after a moment.
“It’s great to see you two, as always.”
Lucius seemed to appear out of nowhere. In a freakishly gentlemanly manner, he took my mum’s hand and kissed it. He then took my hand and did the same.
“Beautiful.”
Of course he was looking at the bloody ring when he said it. He let my hand go. As soon as he did, I brought both hands behind my back and clasped them together; if I was going to be forced to wear the ring by magic, I may as well do what I can to cover up this horrid truth.
“Draco, Gregory, and Aurelia should be around somewhere, dear,” Narcissa told me.
“I’ll find them,” I responded, keeping my unfaltering, bright smile. I walked away and, as soon as I slipped out of the room, let it drop. I began to remember the route through the house as I passed through the dining room, already set for our party of 21. I heard voices and started to debate whether I should hide out in a bathroom or follow them into the parlour.
“ROSA!”
I jumped in surprise and looked towards the frame that led into the parlour on the other side of the room. Aurelia was running across and, in moments, tackled me with a hug that made me stumble back and momentarily forget about my ring. I yanked my arms out from under hers and wrapped them around her in a hug. I’d never been so happy to see anyone since last summer.
“I didn’t know you’d be here.”
“Oh, our families are rather close. I see you finally made use of my birthday gift.”
Aurelia pulled away from me, and I was quick to clasp my hands behind my back again.
“What gift?” Aurelia asked, a smile still set on her face. I couldn’t refuse her cheerful expression, so I pulled out the hand that held Harry’s gift. Aurelia gasped. “Draco, you got this for her?” He yanked my arm towards her and examined the shimmering roses.
“No... who’d you get that from, darling?” His tone was nonchalant, matching a welcoming smile, but I saw his eyes harden and the skin around them tighten.
“None of your business,” I snapped. His sweet act was really beginning to get on my nerves; it’d been nonstop since the start of school. Especially his stupid pet names; ‘love’, ‘dear’, ‘darling’. I was on the verge of smacking him silly.
Draco came up to Aurelia’s side and looked down at me. “Welcome. It’s been a few years since you’ve been here.”
“I would’ve liked to keep the record going, but it’s not like my mother to understand,” I retorted, looking up at Draco with a challenging stare.
He smirked back and reached around me to grab my wrist. I glared at him and a fight of strength ensued for a few moments. Unfortunately, he won.
“This gift, Aurelia.”
Aurelia dropped my hand and audibly gasped. Draco gave up my arm to her, who took it and raised my arm practically up to her nose to look at the diamond ring.
“You never told me you were engaged!” she snapped, looking from it to me.
“It never came up,” I responded, shrugging.
I felt my anger building within me; I had spent so much time trying to avoid anyone ever having to know about this unfortunate scar in my life and he ruined it. If I had my ring hand free, I’d punch Draco straight in the nose. The diamond would break it for a third time for sure. Maybe it’d finally be beyond magical repair and show this time; after all, third time’s the charm.
Draco smirked and turned around, walking towards the parlour again. How could he do this?
Then again, his personal goal is to send me to the grave early.
Once he disappeared, Aurelia spoke again. “Is this why you hate him?” she asked automatically.
“It’s not my fault he’s naturally unlikeable,” I responded.
Aurelia’s eyebrows rose.
“Ok fine, to everyone else he’s the total opposite. I thought it was clear I’m not exactly like everyone else.”
“I see.” Aurelia dropped my hand and lifted my hair. It was back to black, this time streaked with festive red and green. I mock scowled and she dropped her hand.
“I didn’t ask for this,” I whispered, my voice barely audible. Aurelia moved in closer to hear.
“Considering how you treat him, I’m not surprised.”
“Me? Treat him? He’s a prick to me too, if you haven’t noticed,” I snapped back, still keeping my voice down.
“Right.” Aurelia’s tone was laced with skepticism. My jaw twitched and I was about to call her out on it, but she cut in before I could get out a word. “I’m not doubting he’s no better than a blast-ended skrewt, he does have personality issues that need working on, but... you’ve got to tell me, when did this happen?” She lightly hit my left hand as an indicator.
“I told you about how I got the broomstick and gloves from the Malfoys for my birthday. right?”
Aurelia nodded and opened her mouth to speak, but stopped momentarily. A look of realization hit her and she instead said, “Oh...”
“And now my mum forced this thing onto me and charmed it to stay in place for the next 4 hours. I’ve been counting down; I now have...” I lifted my watch arm and checked. “3 hours and 44 minutes until I can take it off and stuff it.”
“Where? You don’t have pockets.”
“Not where anyone would think to check.” I nodding downwards hintingly. Aurelia burst into a fit of giggles when she realized what I meant. “So, you, Draco, and Goyle? All alone?”
“I finally got to talk with him about the ball and what happened.” She was all smiles now.
I don’t know why, but imagining Goyle... with a girl... it was impossible.
“And?” I pressed, knowing she was going to say it anyways.
“Well, well, well...” a loud, shrill voice announced. Aurelia stopped midsentence while I stood frozen. “It’s been awhile, Brunes. How’s your vacation so far?”
Pansy stopped right next to me, momentarily ignoring me.
“Fine,” Aurelia responded, her tone clipped. Pansy then turned to me.
“Beautiful bracelet you have there. Who gave it to you?”
“Grandma,” I responded smoothly.
“And what’s the ring look like?”
“Nothing of interest to you,” I replied, mimicking Aurelia’s clipped tone.
Pansy pouted. “Aw, come on Rosie, I’d love to see it.”
I glared at her. “None of your business Parsley.” I enunciated each word.
She glared back at me, challenging my eyes.
“Rosa, Pansy...” Goyle came into the room suddenly, breaking our staring contest. “How are you?”
“Fine,” I responded, managing a smile. “You?”
“Never better.” He stopped next to Aurelia and then looked at Pansy.
“Good. It’s great to hear you’re enjoying holidays, Goyle,” Pansy responded, sounding perfectly civil. “Where’s Draco?”
“Welcome, Pansy.”
I watched the arm around Aurelia’s waist drop back to Goyle’s side upon Draco’s entry. Pansy’s expression brightened right up.
“Good evening, Draco. How’re you?”
Draco came up next to Goyle, standing before the space between Pansy and me. “I’m doing well. And you?”
“Never better.” Her smile grew when he met her gaze. I wanted to gag and wipe it off her face by showing her my ring.
“Pansy, Goyle, have you gotten the chance to see Rosa’s birthday gift from me?”
“Those earrings?” Goyle asked.
I looked at him, surprised he knew. He gave me a knowing smile, his attention going back to Draco as quickly as it averted from him moments before.
“No, this.”
It was as if Draco read my mind about wiping Pansy’s smile off her face, but I didn’t want to do this. If she knew, she’d tell everyone. Then again, that’s just what Draco wants, right? The moment he ripped my hand from behind me to show off the horrid ring, though, she looked like she was hit in the face by a boulder.
“Draco?” she looked from the diamond rock to him, confused.
Maybe this was worth it. Where was a camera when I needed one?
“I’m surprised you haven’t heard, Pansy. Then again, even Aurelia here didn’t know...” he glanced at Aurelia, smirking.
“That’s... a ... big Christmas gift.”
“Oh no, it was my 17th birthday gift,” I responded, looking at Pansy and smiling. “August.”
She looked even more lost as she turned her gaze from me back to Draco.
“Oh Crabbe, great to see you.” Draco’s attention diverted to the friend lumbering up behind Pansy. Crabbe appeared moments later, right in front of Pansy, and the two shook hands.
“Hey.” He acknowledged everyone with the one word, looking around our oval formation. He noticed everyone’s attention was, ultimately, me and looked at me. He then noticed the glittering rock that unfortunately lay on my hand. “Woah; already?”
“Crabbe, I told you about this,” Draco growled, looking at his fat friend.
“When?” Crabbe looked up from the ring to Draco, surprised and confused.
“On the train to Hogwarts, that first day,” Draco snapped. “Honestly...” with a sigh, Draco turned his attention to everyone else and said, “Well come along.” He turned around and sauntered off, Crabbe following first, and then Goyle with Aurelia. Pansy seemed to follow me for a change.
“Look,” she growled, grabbing my arm to yank me back before I entered the parlour. She spun me to face her. “Sometime before this evening ends, you are going to explain to me in perfect detail why that is on your fat hand.”
“And not yours?” I retorted, yanking my arm away.
If I had the choice I’d pass it off to Pansy so the two could irritate each other to their early graves, but it wasn’t my call apparently. I walked away from the girl and sat in the single seat directly across from Aurelia, who sat on a single seat with Goyle on the arm, and Draco sat on the couch. Pansy sat right next to him, squished close with Crabbe on the other side. We did begin talking after a few moments of silence, but I really had nothing to say, so I just watched the conversation around me. I kept scowling whenever I caught Draco looking at me.
“What’ve you done for the holidays so far, Rose?” Draco asked suddenly, looking at me.
“Cooped up inside. Not much to do,” I responded, shrugging.
“I saw you at Diagon Alley three days ago coming out of the Quidditch Supplies Store,” Pansy cut in, staring at me triumphantly.
If only I bought a broomstick so I could stick
“Did you already break your current broomstick?” Draco asked, an eyebrow raised.
“How is that possible cooped up inside the house?” Crabbe asked, looking from Draco to me.
“For Merlin’s sake, I just bought a pair of rainproof goggles and some gloves.”
“Did you tear up the gloves...?” Draco started to ask.
“No! They’re for a friend.”
His eyes narrowed suspiciously. “Who?” His voice was a near growl.
“Clémence.” The first name that jumped to my head came out of my mouth. “She’s my closest French friend and she desperately needed them; she’s on a Quidditch team in Beauxbatons and the brand she needed doesn’t exist down there.”
Draco is eyes narrowed even more suspiciously on me. I looked straight back at him, matching his gaze.
“What about you, Draco, any plans for the rest of the holidays?” Pansy suddenly asked, lightly shouldering Draco and looking at him.
“Nothing yet,” he responded, still looking at me. His suspicious eyes turned to Pansy, softening to normal in the split second.
Was that a hint to me I’d be seeing him more than this one insufferable time during the holidays?
Before I could dig deep into it, another voice cut into our group conversation.
“Eldon was sent to tell young master and his friends to join master and his company for dinner,” a house elf announced, standing (and shaking slightly) by the frame connecting the dining room to the parlour.
“Ok.”
The elf disappeared. Draco stood up and everyone else, excluding me for the moment, followed suit. He passed by and everyone else followed. Aurelia lagged behind, even causing Goyle to lag slightly as she waited for me. When Draco was out of the room, I got up and jumped to her side.
“You’re sitting next to me, ok?” I whispered.
“I don’t know if that’s our choice or not,” she whispered back. We caught up to Goyle and stopped talking. The moment we entered the dining room with all the adults besides Narcissa were sitting; instead, she was instead pointing to seats and telling the others where to go.
“Pansy, take that open spot next to your mother.”
She looked displeased since it was at the far end of the table, but didn’t say a word about it and did as she was told. If only she did that more often.
“Crabbe, there’s an open seat between your mother and Mr. Yaxley; take that.” She looked at where she just placed the two; Pansy and Crabbe were directly across from each other. “Aurelia, take the seat between your mother and my sister.”
I saw the wariness in Aurelia’s eyes at this, but she didn’t complain. Goyle was then placed between his mother and my mother, directly across from her. I saw the two remaining spots next to one another and couldn’t decide whether I was totally embarrassed or very angry.
“Draco and Rosa, pick your seats.”
I felt like everyone’s eyes were on us as we walked around the head of the table where Narcissa was still standing. Draco pulled out the chair next to the empty one. I sat down in it, not caring as to if he was planning on taking it or if he was deliberately pulling it out for himself. He took the other seat without word, so I would never know.
Lucius suddenly stood up and raised his champagne glass, causing us all to follow suit.
“I’d like to toast, firstly, to the Dark Lord.”
“The Dark Lord.” We all repeated.
“May we be prosperous in the coming New Year.” He raised his glass and sat down.
“Cheers!” everyone clinked glasses and took drinks.
Narcissa then stood up. “I would like to add,” she started, raising her glass higher. “That I toast to a very happy Christmas. I’d also...” her eyes flickered down to me and Draco. “Like to announce that, if all goes as planned, my son shall be married before the end of next summer!”
I shrunk back in my seat, my left fist clenching on my lap as my cheeks burned.
“To the good fortunes of the future Draco and Rosa Malfoy!”
I fought the urge to break the champagne glass beneath my grip at the sound of Rosa Malfoy as everyone said ‘cheers’ to that and emptied their goblets. I barely took a sip of mine, no longer interested. As soon as we finished our wine and it filled in our cups without word or any audible spell, the elves came around and began opening the platters laid down the long table.
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