ETHALINE

AESTHETE

The door opened, "I'll be down in a second," her mother said, a sad smile on her face as she saw her youngest daughter. "Where were you this time?" Narcissa asked, noticing her damper mood.

"In the garden admiring the flowers," Ethaline answered honestly, "Fortunately the Minister was there and I was...spared." She said slowly as Narcissa sighed and brought her into a hug.

"I'm sorry." Narcissa said as she sighed into her daughters striking blonde hair.


Ethaline didn't ask for what.

She would have guessed it was a sorry for marrying a cruel man or sorry for allowing it to go on this far. The more accurate one would be sorry for having you because you wouldn't be like this if you weren't here.

THE tournament's venue was loud, Irish men and women drinking and laughing loudly at the messes they made and didn't intend to clean up. Acres of tents were covered in green as they passed through the masses.

Ethaline wore a silver dress that dragged against the floor as her hands remained in front of her, interlaced, while Draco walked beside her scowling at the rough people. He wore his black suit and had his hair perfectly styled and his hands rested behind his back.

The Minister agreed to meet them up at their box, saying that he had to take care of some security issues and departed. "Ethaline," Lucious said as they approached their tent, "I reckon you should head out to make sure our box is booked."

Ethaline's faceless expression wavered, her lip trembling slightly. Draco jumped to her rescue, "I can do it father, I need to see the programs—"

"I didn't ask you." Luscious hard tone sent them into a state of internal panic.

Narcissa touched his shoulder slightly, almost as if telling him to calm down. Ethaline excused herself quietly, her tone almost inaudible like a mouse as she left their four-bedroom tent.

Draco resisted the urge to scowl at his father in anger and retreated to his room before the two parents set off to get themselves accommodated.

HARRY Potter had arrived with the Weasley family and were sitting just outside their tent, swapping stories and as Ron spoke, he glanced around. It was then he caught sight of the blonde girl and furrowed her eyebrows.

"What are you looking at?" Ron asked with a mouthful of cakes. Hermione scolded him.

"Ethaline Malfoy," Harry muttered, "She's a-alone."

"Oh Merlin," Ron mumbled, "She's almost always with Draco—Ugh that means they're here! But even they can't spoil this game for me. Never." He said as Harry nodded and looked away.

It was no secret that the Malfoy family hated Harry, whether or not that included Ethaline was unknown. He never actually interacted with her. She always stood on the sidelines whenever he and Draco were going at it. She always kept herself, fearing she'd mess something up.

In fact, the only interaction he could remembered was the one where she had to be partnered with him for a project. But she did the work and just turned it in for the both of them, giving them top scores. Harry never pushed to ask why, he just accepted it.

"She looks lonely." Hermione said as she leaned her head to the side.

"I would isolate myself to if I knew my father was Lucius Malfoy—and I was related to Draco Malfoy." Ron gagged, "Would have kicked the bucket."

Harry ignored them before shrugging off any thoughts of the blonde girl, as he watched her walk back to her section of the camp where the tents looked to be a house and there was no yelling and profanity being shot at one another.