Koty was pacing. His first tea visit with Lady Prewett was set to begin in an hour, and he was a bit of a mess. "What if she's still mad at me for sending back the stationary?"
"You have already apologised, Kitten. There is nothing more to say on the matter." His mother smiled warmly at him, sipping her tea. She'd been watching him pace for well over an hour, and answering his worried questions as they cropped up.
She was right, of course. Having been forgiven, the incident was not likely to be brought up again. "Are you sure you can't come with me?" He asked, only a little fearful.
"The invitation was for you, sweetheart, not for us. You know that it is highly inappropriate and insulting to bring guests to someone else's house without prior consent."
"I know," he replied, sighing. "I just wish I knew what to expect!"
"It's all right, little love," she said, rubbing his back. "The only thing you can do is be your wonderful self."
Koty didn't feel wonderful. In fact, he felt mildly ill at the thought of going to a stranger's house alone. He'd read a story about a girl who was five and was tricked into following someone into the floo. The girl spent so much time with the people, that she was convinced that they were her loving family. After several years, she was found, and refused to go anywhere near her real family, believing that they were the imposters and wanted to kidnap her. Eventually, the girl was sent to Mind Healers, but she never got close to her real family. Koty didn't want that to happen! He loved his family!
Koty stopped. Now he was just being foolish and illogical. He flopped down in his seat, and his mother raised her brow. "Sorry," he said sheepishly, knowing she disliked such 'plebeian behaviour' as flopping.
"You're working yourself into a tizzy, Kitten."
He just groaned loudly and let his head thunk on the back of his chair. "It's not deliberate! I just don't like not knowing what to expect!"
"Well, sweetheart, there's no time like the present to find out." She glanced pointedly at the mantle clock, and much to Koty's dismay, it was just about time to go.
Stepping out of the floo, Koty looked around the impressive receiving room. Everything was done up in elegant shades of royal blue and white, with some silver accents here and there. He easily recognized the Prewett family colours. While it wasn't quite as flamboyant as his own home, which somehow retained a regal sophistication, it was gorgeous!
"Master Koty Malfoy?"
Koty spun around quickly and nearly toppled over, just as Bear made his appearance. "Yes?" Koty said, facing a house elf with a nervous smile.
"Come with Loppy, please," she said, giving a low bow. "Missus is in the sitting room."
With a hesitant nod, he followed the well-spoken elf. Before he knew it, he was guided to a lovely armchair with royal blue upholstery and silver cloth buttons and trim.
"It's wonderful to see you again, Dame Prewett," he said, giving a politely subtle bow.
She nodded in return and gestured for him to sit. Their families were in a similar standing, so it was unnecessary for one to bow lower than the other.
"During these visits, there are three things I will be teaching you." She tapped her walking stick on the marble floor and a tea service appeared on the table between their seats. "First, we will be going over social queues. The Potter's are an abysmally perfect representation of what not to do in any social situation. While the fault is not yours, it leaves you with a distinct disadvantage over your peers. Second, which ties into the first lesson, you will be learning family history. Not any specific House, but rather all of the Sacred Twenty-Eight, including the few lines that have died out. Lastly, I will be teaching you defensive battle magics."
"Yes, Dame Prewett," he said, nodding along.
With that, she started in on lesson one.
She was pleased to note that he knew how to present himself to her upon arrival. If he were being presented to Lord Weasley formally, Koty would only nod and introduce himself, as they were in a lower standing than his own family. It wasn't superiority, as many believed, but there was a hierarchy that needed to be followed. While, yes, it did sound a bit bigoted, it simply wasn't true. The older the family, the stronger the magic. It was nothing against half-bloods or muggleborns (because to trigger a muggleborn bloodline, the wixen in question had to have strong magic), but older families came with bloodline magic that simply wasn't available to those without the right kind of blood.
Everyone of the Sacred Twenty-Eight had a gift. The Abbotts were gifted Healers. The Blacks had Metamorphmagus abilities. The Princes were leaps and bounds above the rest when it came to Mind Magics. The Malfoys were known for their Magical Control. While that didn't sound impressive, it meant that anyone from the Malfoy bloodline began to show magic within months of their birth (rather than years), had almost no accidental magic, and were able to pick up new spells quicker than pretty much anybody. It also led to having more Masters in their families than any other. The Diggorys were known Air Elementals, which were very rare, and was why many of them played quidditch. The Lovegood family was full of Seers (excluding the current Lord Regent, Xenophilius, who married in).
Growing mildly confused, Koty made a list that emphasised which families he was more likely to interact with, at Dame Prewett's suggestion. The other families would be gone over at a later date.
She began with lines that were in his age group at Hogwarts.
Bulstrode- Battle Magic (it was believed that there were Warrior Demons in their line)
Greengrass- Blood Magic (even though that puts them at a disadvantage, due to the illegality)
Longbottom- Herbologists (many believed that this gift came from Wood Elves)
Nott- Time Magics (due to this, nearly all Notts went on to work in the Dept of Mysteries, as Time Magic is still being studied, and they're the only ones able to manipulate it at all)
Parkinson- Fire Elementals (this gift was rumoured to be from the fire demons in their line, but it was considered rude to ask)
Weasley- Fertility Magic (before their blood traitor status, nearly all families wanted to marry into the Weasley family, as typical magical families only had one or two children)
Koty put down his quill and waited for her to continue. He hadn't known about most of the gifts, and found it fascinating. Even his own family's Magical Control was not something he'd ever read about. It made sense though. He'd heard Draco bragging (mostly before they became brothers) about how easy all of the spellcasting was, and that he was too good to be stuck at everyone else's pace. With that also came many rants of 'my father will hear about this' and how unfair it was that the school catered to slower students and ignored the 'better' ones.
While the casting itself was easy for his brother, Koty knew that Draco had to work hard to maintain his grades, due to the history and theory behind the magic they performed. He was proud of his brother for being the top student in his year, despite being so advanced himself. It wasn't as if Draco's only companion for the first decade of his life were books. No, he wouldn't wish his own history on anyone, even if it meant that there would be a generation of so-called 'geniuses'. It wasn't worth it.
By four o'clock, Koty was kind of sleepy. They had gone over a lot of information in a short amount of time, and he was mentally drained.
Yawning widely, Koty stepped through the floo. He told his mummy what had happened at Dame Prewett's home and she smiled before shooing him off to bed for a quick nap.
He fell asleep quickly.
Before he knew it, it was nearly time to go back to school. They were going to Diagon Alley to shop for supplies. Unlike Draco, Koty wasn't following a standardised supply list. His own list consisted of several different course years, including both of his apprenticeships lists. That had taken a serious amount of convincing on his mummy's part, but in the end, they (being Lucius, Draco and Koty) managed to wear her down. That only worked because Koty would only be taking four classes alongside his apprenticeships, as they would take up much of his time.
He had the year three book for Care of Magical Creatures, as well as the NEWT level books for History of Magic, Defence and Potions. He'd already tested out of school for the rest of his classes. Two apprenticeships, four classes, and quidditch. He was going to be a busy bee this year, but it was going to be worth it!
Well on his way to two masteries, Koty bounded toward the bookshop, only to be knocked to the ground. His cane clattered to the cobblestones, and skittered along the path when kicked. Wincing, he pushed himself upright. He looked around to find his trip up, only to see a massive crowd converging nearby. A relatively large woman sneered at him and took off toward the crowd. Fuzzy-headed, he blinked and noticed flaming red hair.
"What a horrid excuse for magical blood," Draco scoffed, helping his brother stand. He glared at Mrs. Weasley's scurrying form.
Narcissa was hot on their heels, gracefully shoving people out of her way to reach her fallen child. She knelt in the dirty alley, giving no thoughts to the filth on the ground. A few people stared in open shock at the display, but no one was crass enough to say a word. There was no mistaking the fact that it would be the talk of several luncheons in the coming days. So, why not make it worth the gossip? "Oh, that vile Weasley woman!" She said, knowing full-well that she was speaking just loudly enough to garner a bit of attention, but not loudly enough to make it obvious. "Given all of the problems she caused at your birthday, Kitten, I wouldn't have believed she would barrel over a handicapped child. Again, she has far exceeded my expectations."
Her sons subtly scanned the area, realising immediately what she was doing. Of course they would help. She was their mother after all. "Why does she keep bothering us?" Koty asked sadly. While minutely exaggerated, the sadness was real. "I've never said more than a few words to her, and never anything mean. Why does she hate me so much?"
Draco wanted to applaud his brother's performance, but chose to make a show of chasing down the kicked cane. "Appalling manners," he said, jogging back over. He brushed 'dirt' off of his brother's robes. "Are you alright, Koty?"
He nodded, easily ignoring his scraped palms, but his mother saw them as soon as he moved to hide them from view. Patiently, he held out his hands as per instructions, and watched as she poured potions over the scrapes.
"You, my dear little trouble magnet, have been injured far too many times." She placed kisses on each of his palms and smiled warmly. Her smile faded as she watched her son's expression turn to one of confusion. "What's wrong, sweetheart?"
"Why did... er..."
"Don't be embarrassed about questions. You know you can ask me anything." What was wrong with her Kitten?
"Why did you kiss my hands?" He asked uncertainly.
Feigning nothing, Narcissa squeezed her eyes shut, mentally cursing the Potter's for the millionth time.
"Mother's kisses are the best medicine there is!" A slowly passing witch whispered and walked away.
Watching the woman walk away, his brow furrowed. How could that be possible? Did that mean that the potion wasn't what took the sting of the scrapes away?
"Come on, sweetheart," Narcissa said sadly. "Your school list is a great deal longer than most, so we should continue before it gets too late."
Nodding along, Draco added his own thoughts. "The last thing you need is to miss supper."
Koty blushed, hating that he was so much smaller than Draco, despite their closeness in age. It was, after all, only two months, and the blond was at least twelve centimetres taller (roughly 5 inches for my fellow American readers).
"Ah! My dearest Lady Malfoy!"
The Malfoy family turned to find the voice that carried over the raucous noise of the bookshop. A short, well dressed man who looked to be in his late fifties, was waving at them with a smile.
"Arturo!" His mummy said, beaming. She took his hands and examined them closely. "This is stunning, darling. You have been back to Italy, I see."
"Certamente! In quale altro posto al mondo ci sono opali rosa così impeccabili?" He almost looked offended, but gave away his amusement with a smile.
"He said 'Of course! Where else in the world has such flawless pink opals?'" Draco whispered to his little brother. "Mother adores jewellery, and she swears
Arturo is the only person in Britain who understands her passion. I think she just likes him because they can be giggly like school girls in public, and no one will say anything about it."
That didn't make sense to Koty. "Why though?"
Draco chuckled at his brother's naivete. "Arturo is gay, Koty. That means they can do whatever they want, and no one can say she was being inappropriate with a man other than Father. Jewellery just happens to be what they connect over."
"Arturo, devi conoscere il mio dolce Gattino!" She said excitedly. "You've missed some very exciting events since we last spoke." (Arturo, you must meet my sweet little Kitten!)
The man, Arturo, looked at her with a brow raised in a combination of confusion and disbelief. "My dear, I was under the impression that you hated cats. Have I been given false information?"
Laughing at her friend's question, she beckoned her babies closer. "Of course you remember Draco," she said, smiling.
"Caro, Draco. Parola mia, sei alto quasi quanto me!" Arturo shook Draco's hand enthusiastically. (Dear, Draco. My word, you're almost as tall as I am!)
"È bello rivederti, Arturo." Draco replied smugly, returning the gesture. (It's nice to see you again, Arturo.)
"And this," she began proudly, placing a delicate hand on Koty's shoulder. "Is the newest Malfoy, Koty, though he is affectionately called Kitten by friends and family. He was adopted over Ostara break."
"Hi," Koty said shyly, waving with his free hand.
"Ciao caro! Non sei semplicemente adorabile?" Arturo said enthusiastically. (Hello, dear! Aren't you just adorable?)
"E una fata per finire? Incredibile!" (And a fairy to top it off? Incredible!)
Out of all the man said, Koty only understood the words 'hello', 'adorable' and 'incredible'. He assumed it was a complement, and smiled softly in return.
"A shy one," Arturo teased. Suddenly, his brows rose. "I nearly forgot why I beckoned your gorgeous mama. I have set aside Draco's books, so none of you will be stuck in that manicomio." (Madhouse.)
Looking relieved, his mummy laughed. "Wonderful, darling. We shall return tomorrow for Koty's."
"Gathering a second set would be no problema!" Arturo replied.
"His is not a standard second year list," she explained proudly. "But could I leave a copy? I do not know if any must be specially ordered."
Arturo took the list from her and began examining it, brows raising steadily higher as he continued. "La mia parola! Un piccolo genio straordinario, vero?" (My word! A stunning little genius, aren't you?)
"Just say yes, Koty," Draco whispered subtly.
Not knowing what he would be agreeing to, Koty smiled instead. He heard the word 'piccolo', but he didn't play that. He was still learning the basics of his violin!
They left the list with the exuberant Italian man, and moved on to the next shop.
"Ugh," Koty grumbled. "Clothes."
His mummy's laughter was like music as she ushered them inside.
Four hours later, and several hundred galleons lighter, the Malfoy family were finally back in their home.
"Hello, dearest," Lucius said, kissing his wife's hand. "Boys. Have you been running your mother ragged? I expected you back sooner."
Koty shook his head, leaning tiredly into his father's side. "We were good. The alley was really packed today."
"Hmm," Lucius tapped his chin, before nodding in understanding. "The peacock's book signing was this afternoon. I had completely forgotten about that. Were you able to get everything you needed?"
"We had to leave Koty's book list with Arturo," Narcissa replied, stifling her own yawn. "I could use some tea. What peacock, love?"
"I'll give you a hint," Lucius said as the usual elegant tea appeared before them. "What idiot claims to have taken on the Wagawaga Werewolf at the same exact time as the Galapagos Dragon Debacle?"
Narcissa scrunched her nose in distaste. "Lockhart," she sneered. "Why he has gained popularity over such clearly fabricated lies is beyond me. If I recall, he failed the practicals of nearly everyone of his NEWT's. One would think that as intelligent as he supposedly is, that he would have had the common sense to at least change the timelines of his supposed adventures to something even remotely possible."
"Oh, one would think." Lucius said, sighing at the stupidity of the people who both believed him, as well as padded his income from those outlandishly falsified books. "I believe this time, it was an autobiography."
Rolling her eyes, she sank into her tea. "Thank you, Dippy," she said, knowing the elf could somehow hear her. A plate of mini spinach quiches appeared next to her. She loved her elves.
Koty and Draco, who had been listening patiently, were picking through the nibbles as if half-starved.
"Dinner will be served in half an hour, boys. Calm down."
They looked sheepishly at their father and stopped grabbing things from the trays.
"Can I invite Sev?" Koty asked, thinking of his wings. "Some feathers were broken and twisted earlier, and I was hoping he could take a look." 'And hopefully, let me bite him again,' he thought to himself.
"I already sent one of the elves with a note," Sirius said as he came into the room, piggybacking Ellie. "I saw the state of them when I was chasing down my little monster here."
"Rawr," the girl deadpanned, rolling her eyes.
"What happened earlier, Kitten?" Lucius asked, moving over for the girl to sit beside him. The pair had become thick as thieves over the past couple of weeks, nicknames and all. She called him 'Uncle Lucy', and he called her 'Little Beastie', but it was all in good fun.
"That sea cow, Weasley." Draco said, disgusted. "Running through the crowds like a hippogriff in a china shop. She just ploughed poor Koty over and didn't even apologise!"
"Weasley?" Sirius asked, shocked. "As in Molly Weasley? That doesn't sound like her."
"Things change when you disappear for an entire decade, cousin," Narcissa said sadly. "She has had it out for Kitten since she learned who he was. You saw her at the party."
"Not really," he replied sheepishly, rubbing the back of his neck. "When I saw the Potter bastard try to manhandle you, I... might've only noticed the way his teeth felt digging into my knuckles..."
"In his defence, mother," Draco added. "They didn't show up until the She-Weasel was arrested."
"Oh, fair enough," she said with a small sigh. "Would anyone like to play cards until dinner?"
"No!" Came the vehement replies from everyone but Koty, who agreed.
"You're in for it now," Draco whispered, smirking.