reputation - (h.p.)

1.14 . lady of a pureblood house

       I am sure you do not need reminding that you are not to ask any of these suitors yourself, as it is unbecoming of a proper young lady. 

       Lucius

       Ron, who had been reading over Gaia's shoulder, picked up the letter as soon as she angrily threw it onto the table. His face was contorted with disgust as he studied the words closer. "This is normal?" 

       "Give it here!" Hermione commanded, snatching the paper from Ron and holding it between her and Harry so they could both read it. Gaia didn't watch their faces slowly shift into mild horror as she immediately ripped the second envelope open, wanting the stupidity to be over as quickly as possible. 

       Dearest Gaia, 

       With the Yule Ball in under two weeks, I have arranged for a dress to be made expeditiously. You can expect it to arrive the day before the Ball. 

      I do hope you have a wonderful time. 

       Narcissa

       "Merlin, Gaia," Hermione gaped at Lucius' letter. "They're selling you like a prize mare."

       "This is sick," Harry stated, his face a mix of disgust and rage. "Do they know you're fifteen?"

       "A bit late to start searching for suitors among the Sacred Twenty-Eight," Gaia replied bluntly, ripping both letters with an unreadable expression. She had seen the last name Pucey was among those on her Godfather's list and decided in that moment she no longer wanted the paper to remain intact. "Sacred my arse. What a stupid name."

       "Do they even know that you're... like," Ron struggled for words. "No offense, but, not well-liked among the Slytherins here?"

       "There's surely an equal number of boys and girls getting this same bullshit letter from their parents," the girl answered. She had avoided eye contact with all three of them, busying herself by rummaging through her bag. "None of those snobby Purebloods would risk their child not having a date to the Ball. And the boys have the same pressure, they know it's either suck it up and go with the Unforgivable, or answer to their parents when they get home."

       Finally, she pulled out what she had been searching for - her wand. And with no hesitation, not a second thought toward it, flicked her wrist at the crumpled pile of paper scraps. She remained completely deadpan as they burst into flames. The trio around her jumped back, watching as they burned for several seconds before diminishing into a sad pile of ashes. 

       "That feels better," Gaia stated. Finally, a hint of emotion crept onto her face, as if burning the pile was a physical weight lifted off of her. 

      "No shit," Harry agreed, staring at the ashes. 

       Gaia didn't feel like explaining it to them, at least not at the moment. Lucius and Narcissa didn't even know that she had gotten close to the Golden Trio this year. She had barely spoken with Draco since September, but she was sure if he had blabbed to Mommy and Daddy she would have been sent a scathing letter by this point. Not a Howler. No, they wouldn't risk the entire Great Hall finding out how unaware they were of their rouge Goddaughter's behaviors these past few months. How threatened they felt - how drastically it could shake their polished reputations. 

       They knew she was a loser at Hogwarts, so to speak. They knew she had spent her first three years in isolation. And Gaia was determined to keep it so that they did not know that she had outgrown that isolation. Even with the Dark Lord gone, Pureblood Society was a war in and of itself. She didn't need her Death Eater sympathizer Godparents finding out what was going on between her and the Boy Who Lived.