"This place is so nice." Cressida gasps as Violet tosses her key chain on the coffee table between the sofas. "How'd you get it?"
Violet furrows her brows as she's taking off her coat and hanging it on the coat rack. "Well, I had one of my uh- aunts help me buy it." Violet pats the couch next to her and Cressida slams herself on the cushion, sighing and smiling at the room around her. "It is nice, isn't it?"
Being in this flat and away from everyone else and their drama is a sense of relief for both Cressida and Violet. Especially the drama of Jean and the article. Theo raged on Blaise about how to educate his children and that messing with Nott children is the last thing the Zabini's want to do right now. Violet wanted to leave the office when Theo started shouting, he was terrifying and she didn't think he had that in him. It makes her terrified of Draco's scary side.
"Do you have tequila?" Cressida turns to face Violet and purses her lips while Violet points towards a large cabinet on the other side of the living room.
"I honestly don't even want to go to the ball tomorrow." Violet sighs into the air and extends her hand out to take a bottle of tequila out of Cressida's hand while she carries the shot glasses. "After everything that has happened, I feel like it is going to be such a disaster. I mean Mrs. Reality is going to have a feast the next day."
"Speaking about Mrs. Reality." Cressida points out as she pours the tequila into shot glasses and pours salt on the back of hers and Violet's hands. "She refers to herself as Mrs. Reality. Mrs. is for married women, right? So, she's obviously out of school and she has a lot of time on her hands because she has a husband that works. That drops a bunch of names off the list of suspects. I think I might find out who she is."
Violet lifts her glass and laughs at Cressida's whole tactic. "I'll drink to taking that bitch down." She chugs the drink and waves her wand at the muggle stereo in the corner of the room. American music starts playing loudly and Violet stands up, dragging Cressida off the sofa with her.
They both get on top of the coffee table and starts kicking their feet while waving their arms above their heads and dancing. There's a moment when you're alone with someone you're comfortable with and all you're doing is enjoying each other's company. Enjoying the time without speaking, just dancing and listening to the music boom and rattle the walls. The moment makes them feel like outside of the walls their having the time of their lives in, there's nothing else to worry about.
Cressida spins on the table, bending over for a second to pick up the bottle of tequila and pour it into hers and Violet's mouths. She licks the excess liquid off Violets neck and laughs as Violet throws her head back with pleasure. They both turn around and dance against each other's backs, letting their heads rest on the other's shoulders.
For a second, Violet has forgotten all about her Draco and Theo drama. For just one second, she feels free from responsibilities and secrets she just wishes didn't have to be secrets. For just once second... she's so happy.
Violet stops when she hears her phone ringing quietly, being covered over the loud music. She steps off the table, stumbling because of her drunkenness and she picks up her phone, putting it up to her ear. "Hello." She sings into the speaker and walks with her hand against the walls into her bedroom. "Hello?"
"What's with the loud music?" Draco's voice is harsh and demanding, causing Violet to move the phone from her ear and stare at it with a confused face. She brings the phone back up without speaking and the muffled shouts become clearer. "Violet where the hell are you?!"
"Uhm." Violet hums and opens her room door to check that Cressida isn't lurking in the hallway to peep in on the conversations. She closes the door again and speaks after long seconds. "I'm at home with Cressida. She's sleeping over and we're going to get ready for the ball here before leaving."
Violet spins with the phone still against her ear and she falls back onto her bed with a small grunt which can be heard by Draco. However, he's not speaking but instead he's listening so closely to figure out what she's doing. He's manipulating her to answer him and speak up by just staying so silent where she'll give in.
So, she does. "Draco you can't give me the silent treatment because I want to have a drink with my best friend." Violet groans as she sits up on her bed and rubs her forehead. "You're such an asshole! Do you know that? I have had the worst week of my life and today has just been so shitty and all you want from me is sex and a distraction. You don't care about how I feel, instead you hush my feelings with luxuries and money and go to bed next to your wife. How does that make me feel any better?"
Violet knows that she'll regret everything she said by morning but not because what she said isn't true. She'll regret it because she hates the fact that he makes her so angry and frustrated that he brings out this bad side of her.
"Go to hell Draco." Violet hangs up the phone and throws it on the ground before groaning angrily into her pillow and letting her body soften into the sheets. The same dirty sheets filled with blood and semen that dripped out of her after having sex with Draco. It may be all dried up but these sheets tell an entire story.
"Why is your room so far from the living room?" Cressida slurs her words as she holds onto the door handle and falls onto the ottoman in front of the bed. She drops her head next to Violet's feet and clutches onto the bottle of tequila in her hand. "Your room is so nice. I could stay in here forever; this ottoman is so comfy."
Violet slowly crumbles the silk sheets in her hands while Cressida hugs the ottoman with her eyes glued on the door. It gives Violet some time to hide the blood from her and toss the sheet under her bed before Cressida looks back up.
"Come on." Violet groans and grabs Cressida's arms, pulling her up from the ottoman and dragging her onto the bed next to her. "We should get some sleep; tomorrow is going to be such a long day. Goodnight."
Violet throws herself tiredly onto the bed and pulls the duvet over her and Cressida's bodies. It's going to be a long, long day tomorrow.
********
Red, it's the color of love, blood, sex, passion, and power. Gifting someone something red means more than anyone might know or think, there's a reason behind something red. Give someone a red rose, you love them and they mean something to you; give someone a yellow rose, they're your friend and their love is just something to keep them feelings nice. So, what does it mean when you gift someone a red dress? Do you love them? Is it a larger version of a red rose? Or is it simply for sex and to feel that power over them?
Violet stands in front of her bedroom body mirror, staring at the exposed skin that isn't being covered by the red dress she's in. Her pale, freckled chest where her collarbone tenses every time, she breathes in. It's so exposed. It's as exposed as her left thigh, all the way from her hip and down to her foot.
On her feet are silver, diamond covered stilettos with an ankle strap that is buckled tightly. The diamonds match the same diamonds that are stitched onto the corset, covering her nipples. The black sheer corset, it exposes her stomach and it pushes her breasts up, creating cleavage and making her breasts move every time she breathes. Some may find it sexy; she finds it questioning.
Violet moves her hair behind her back and grabs a silver, diamond pin off the counter next to the mirror. She splits her wavy hair into a side part and pins the side with less hair back with the pin. It's not much of a hair do but it covers at least one side of her shoulder while leaving the other side looking elegant and still exposed.
"Hey Vi, I'm ready –" Cressida walks into the room while she's putting her earrings in and the bottom of her dress flows with every step she takes. "– you look so good! That dress, I mean the guys at the ball are going to insane!"
Violet smiles at Cressida through the mirror and turns to fully look at how pretty she looks. Cressida is wearing a strapless, long, black velvet dress that hugs her figure tightly and covers her breasts. Just as Violet, Cressida's dress has a slit that exposes her thigh and shows her platform, block heels.
"You look great too." Violet smiles and grabs her red leather hand bag, putting it under her arm and hugging it against the side of her breast. "We should get going, we don't want to be late. Red lipstick doesn't last so long without a retouch."
Cressida laughs at her comment and interlocks her arm with Violet's as they walk out of the bedroom and head out. They can't ruin their looks with portkeys so they have to take a town car to Nott Manor. A muggle car arriving at a pure-blood wizard party, that will bring attention.
**********
Violet steps out of the car with her right foot first and looks up at the lively mansion in front of her. The mansion with lights, music, and chatter of the people walking into the gates in fancy clothing. Cressida steps out from the other side of the car and grabs onto Violet before both of them start to walk with one foot in front of the other.
As they reach the two open doors, Violet sees Theo, Draco, and Adrian standing in the middle of the foyer at the end of the stairs. They're all dressed in all black suits except for Theo who is simply in black trousers and a black silk button up. He's not wearing a jacket or a tie, just trousers and a button up and yet he looks so elegant.
All three men look away from their conversation and their eyes widen at the sight of Violet and her red dress and corset. Cressida sees Thomas and Scorpius and pats Violets shoulder before running away and towards the other two boys. Violet smiles at the ground as she walks over to the three men, swaying her hips and holding her bag tightly. Instead of heading straight to Draco, Violet stops in front of Theo and places a kiss right on the corner of his lips.
"Thank you for inviting me to your ball Mr. Nott." Violet smiles sarcastically and grips his arm as he turns red and fixes his hair with his other hand. She turns to Draco and Adrian and smiles at the both of them, a smile that says it all. "Good evening, I'll see you gentlemen later."
Violet grabs a champagne off the tray of a nearby waiter and starts walking away when Theo's loud comment makes her laugh into the back of her hand. "You look dashing, darling!"
She stops walking when she reaches Cressida and the boys and her arm wraps around Thomas as he places his hand on her lower back. "Thanks for the invite to your place last night." He snarls angrily, causing Scorpius to nod in agreement. "Heard you and Cressida had a great time, right Cressida?"
"Fuck off." Cressida retorts and slams her champagne glass on of the stone figures behind her. She turns back to them but her face drops when her eyes look behind Violet and they all turn around. "Well, I'll be damned. They have some ball showing up here after what happened."
They all stay in silence, simply staring at Theo walk up to the Zabini's and angrily look at them all. As said the night before, Theo needed to Blaise and told him all about Jean and what he did. So, it's a question why they would still show up to an event being held by Theo Nott himself. Theo whispers something into Blaise's ear and steps back as the Zabini's turn around and walk out of the foyer, exiting the home itself.
"Well." Cressida sighs and grabs Violets hand. "That's that, we should get on the dance floor. Father daughter dance is about to start and I don't want to be in the outer line."
Violet gasps and turns confusingly. "Wait but my father isn't here –" Her sentence is cut short when Cressida pushes her into Draco's arms and leaves her to go with Theo. "What the hell are you doing?" Violet questions as Draco adjusts his hand placement to her hip and takes her hand in his available one.
"Dancing." He replies sarcastically and pulls her closer to him as mothers and sons gather around the dance floor to watch. "Your father is not dancing with you and apparently Cressida didn't want you to feel left out so she came to me. I'm simply doing her a favor."
The music starts to play and Violet takes the first step back as Draco leads her and doesn't take his eyes off hers. He can't take his eyes off her, it's an unwritten rule that his eyes belong on her. While Violets eyes get lost in his grey mesmerizing eyes, she can't help but let her body get comfortable in his touch.
The song that's playing makes Violet feel lost, almost as though she doesn't understand what she's doing at all. She's just letting herself be guided by Draco in front of everyone while they think it's just a fatherly gesture but in reality, it's so much more than that. Just like red is so much more.
Draco spins her and they switch off partners, landing her with Theo and having him lift in the air and spin her around like a ballroom dance. He places her back on her feet and spins her back to Draco before he dips her and lets his eyes dart down to her breasts for the two seconds, he has her the way he does. Draco pulls her back up against his chest and Violet wraps her hand around the back of his neck as they both sway around the room.
Violet lets her hand slide from the back of his neck down to his chest. Just having her hand against him this way causes her breathing to quicken and she feels the corset start to scratch hurtfully against her breasts with every breath she takes.
"Violet I –"
Violet doesn't let the song or Draco finish and instead she lets go of him and walks off the dance floor. Her abrupt leaving causes the watchers gathered around to whisper and gasp. Draco looks at Theo with confusion before chasing after Violet and leaving Astoria with a concerned look on her face. She's tempted to know what is going on but from her side, she trusts her husband.
Draco follows Violet into Theo's office and stays silent as he watches her sit on the leather couch they once kissed on. She holds her temples and looks down at the ground as Draco takes a seat beside her and puts his hand on her back.
"I'm sorry." She sighs and sits up so she can see him clearer. "That song was just. Forget about it." She gives up on talking and instead just caresses his cheek before placing a kiss on his lips. "We should get going, the auction is about to start."
They both stand up and walk back out to the party, careful not to be caught to close together. Not even in a space this large, with so many people can they be seen interacting. Not alone anyway. As they enter the auction room, they take a seat at the Malfoy and Nott table and Violet takes a seat in between Theo and Cressida. There's an older man around Theo and Draco's age on a stage in front of all the round tables and he's holding his wand up against his throat so he can be heard.
"Welcome! I am very honored to be hosting the auction tonight." The man speaks loudly as he walks over to a box shaped item covered with a black sheet. "My name is Harry Potter, as you all must know. I was invited by the host of this lovely ball, Mr. Theodore Nott! Please stand-up Theodore!"
Theo adjusts his trousers as he stands up and shyly waves at everyone around the room, soaking in the applause and whistles. From Violet's point of view, he looks like a dream. The way his brunette hair falls perfectly over his forehead and the spotted freckles all over his face. The way the top buttons of his shirt are left popped open for his chest to be seen and admired. Even the way he waves is-
"Daddy sit." Cressida whispers hoarsely as she reaches over Violet and drags Theo back down into his chair. "You only wave for three seconds and take a seat, otherwise it's just embarrassing and awkward."
Theo sinks into his chair and just continues watching Harry introduce the rest of the auction. "Today we will start to auction off at two thousand galleons for Helga Hufflepuffs engagement ring." Harry pulls the black sheet off and reveals a silver ring with an enormous diamond. Gasps come from the audience and Harry steps away from the box. "Do I hear three thousand?"
Violet picks up a paddle with her name on it and raises it. "Three thousand!"
"Three thousand!" Harry shouts back with excitement and eagerly steps towards the end of the stage. "Is anyone wishing to go higher?"
"Five thousand!" Astoria raises her paddle elegantly and crosses her legs under her expensive dress as she holds onto Draco's arm.
Theo and Violet both turn angrily to look at Astoria and Violet raises her paddle once more with heavy breaths. "Ten thousand!" She shouts and clenches her jaw at Astoria.
Once again, Astoria raises hers and continues adding. "Twenty thousand!" She goes higher and looks at Draco who is angry at how much money she's wasting on something she doesn't need.
It's in Astoria's blood to get whatever she wants, even if it's something she doesn't need. There is no stopping her once she's started and Violet will stop because she doesn't have the money Astoria does. Violet sighs and slams her paddle on the table, angry that she can't go any higher than twenty thousand.
"Going for twenty thousand!" Harry shouts and points at Astoria. "Going once, going twice, going –"
"One hundred thousand, Astoria quit it!" Theo shouts as he's holding up Violets paddle for her. "Cash by the way."
"Sold!" Harry shouts and laughs as he points at Theo from the stage. There are laughs scattered across the audience and Theo nods his head with a smile. "To our host Theodore Nott! Come on up and claim your prize!"
Theo turns to Violet and whispers in her ear, brushing his lips against her skin. "Go up there and get your stupid ring."
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There will be a part two for this chapter. I may post it later tonight or tomorrow.