A Broken Inheritance

Chapter 21: One Last Dance

"Thank Merlin," James said, leaning back with a satisfied sigh. "Now I can enjoy the party tonight without worrying about Slughorn giving me grief about my marks."

At the Slytherin table, Anastasia opened her results with practiced calm. Her eyes scanned the parchment quickly before folding it neatly and tucking it into her bag.

"Well?" Lucius asked, raising a brow.

"Perfect, as expected," Anastasia said smoothly, reaching for her goblet.

Lucius nodded approvingly. "Not that there was ever any doubt. I assume the party tonight will be unbearable with Slughorn singing your praises."

Anastasia's lips twitched faintly. "Yours too, no doubt. You know how he loves a Malfoy."

Narcissa glanced between them, her expression unreadable. "At least we'll have each other to endure it," she said lightly, though her tone carried a faint edge.

Regulus sulked next to Lucius. "It's unfair that 4th years aren't allowed in the Slug Club."

Lucius smirked, patting the boy on the shoulder. "All in due time, Regulus."

As the hall settled into its usual hum of conversation, James couldn't help but steal one last glance at Anastasia. Her expression hadn't changed, but there was a faint, almost imperceptible satisfaction in the way she held herself.

James grinned despite himself. All O's, then, he thought. Figures.

"Come on, Prongs," Sirius said, clapping him on the back. "We've got a party to get ready for."

"Right," James said, shaking off his thoughts as he followed his friends out of the hall. But even as they climbed the stairs, his mind lingered on that fleeting look, wondering—against his better judgment—what she was thinking.

***

The late afternoon sunlight streamed through the tall windows of Anastasia Gaunt's private room, casting a warm golden hue over the richly furnished space. The Slytherin green accents on her curtains and bedspread shimmered faintly as she moved about, fastening the clasp of her emerald necklace in front of a mirror.

Seated casually on a velvet divan near the corner of the room was Lucius Malfoy, already dressed in immaculate black dress robes trimmed with silver. He leaned back, his pale blonde hair tied neatly at the nape of his neck, and an air of amused impatience about him.

"You know," Lucius drawled, his voice carrying a hint of mock indignation, "it's really quite unfair that you have your own room. The rest of us are forced to suffer the indignities of sharing."

Anastasia turned slightly, one eyebrow arched as she adjusted her earrings. "Are you really complaining? Your room with Regulus is hardly a prison cell."

"It's not," Lucius conceded, smirking faintly. "Still, it's the principle of the thing. You're not that special, Gaunt."

Anastasia smirked faintly, turning to face him as she reached for her earrings. "Clearly, Slughorn disagrees."

Lucius chuckled, shaking his head. "Touché."

"Better Regulus than Snape," Anastasia added evenly, stepping away from the mirror to retrieve her wand from the nightstand.

Lucius made a face, the thought clearly unpleasant. "Merlin, don't even joke about that. The fumes from whatever experiment he's concocting would have killed me by now."

"See?" Anastasia said lightly, stepping away from the mirror to adjust the emerald clasp at her waist. Her dress was elegant yet understated, a deep green trimmed with black velvet, tailored to perfection. "You don't have it so bad. Stop complaining."