Draco Malfoy's Sister 3

Chapter 4

Later that evening...

When Draco and I stepped through the doors into the ballroom, my stomach was doing flips. As I looked around at all the people in the large room, I couldn't help but wonder how many of them are death eaters, like my parents.

Mother and father were standing at the end of the room, on a raised platform so everyone could see them. Draco led me through the crowd, which parted to let us through, until we reached the platform.

I really didn't want to do this, but my parents had insisted that they wanted to formally introduce me to everyone as their daughter. So, Draco and I got up on the platform. He stood beside father and I stood beside mother.

Father began speaking, and the ballroom went silent. The hushed whispers stopped and you could've heard a fly buzzing on the other side of the room.

"Hello, and welcome to the Annual Malfoy Ball. Now, this year something is a bit different. I trust you all know my son, Draco, some of your children are probably friends with him at school. However, what you may not have known, is that Narcissa and I had another child; a daughter. She was taken from us when she was just an infant, but has returned to us at last. So, I would like to present to you, my daughter, Regina Malfoy," father waved his hand out toward me, and I stepped forward and curtsied nervously.

Applause broke out in the crowd, and something happened that I had never seen before.

Lucius Malfoy, my father, smiled at me. Not a smirk, or a sneer, as he was so prone to do, but a genuine (however small) smile.

Mother pat my shoulder and beckoned Draco over.

"Why don't you two start the dance?"

Draco nodded and took my hand again, leading me off the platform. As we got to the center of the dance floor, I whispered so only he could hear, "I hope you know I have no idea how to do this."

Draco smiled and whispered back, "Just follow my lead."

I nodded, and as the violins started playing, I danced with my brother. I was shakey at first, and a bit choppy, but once I got the moves down, I was able to dance smoothly and, dare I say, elegantly. Well, at least for a thirteen year old who had never danced before.

Mother and father then joined us, dancing together as well, and soon other couples joined in.

After the song ended, Draco and I left the dance floor and found our friends, grouped together in one of the corners.

Draco and Ophelia eventually left to dance together, so it was just me, Blaise, and Ava. I saw Pansy with Astoria and Daphne Greengrass over by one of the large floor to ceiling windows, but I didn't really know them all that well, so I stayed where I was.

I tried to enjoy the night as much as I could, but I couldn't help but feel a bit paranoid. At eleven o'clock, I finally got permission to leave, so Ava and I left the ballroom and went upstairs to my bedroom. Ophelia came up an hour later, and the three of us stayed up talking for a while before going to bed.

~~~~~~

I'd been distracted lately, trying to figure out the note that I'd received. I was so deep in thought about it that I almost missed when father told Draco and I that we'd be attending the Quidditch World Cup this year. We were at dinner, and I'd only been picking at my food, not really eating anything, but pushing it around on my plate.