To a Miss Ava Fountaine,
I would like to personally request you and your family's presence on an extended stay at Malfoy manor for the week of the 20th of December to the 27th. Festive celebrations and the pleasure of your company will be expected.
Please respond at your earliest convenience through floo network, preferably.
With Regards to your family,
N.M
I dropped the invitation with disgust, knowing full well that this invitation was less a kind action and more of a demand. The fact that someone can act so haughty to me was not exactly something I liked. My eyes then switched to my mother's handwriting on the 2nd letter, waiting for me daringly. I knew what it said even before I opened it.
Mon Ange,
I have wonderful news about this holiday season! We will all be able to meet as a family after all, here in the UK. Your brothers are to network in on the 19th and meet at Malfoy Manor for a grand stay with all of us as honorary members. Narcissa was kind enough to send individualized letters of invitation to all your siblings already so I believe you have received yours as well.
I don't think I need to state the importance of you attending this with us, nor the shame it would cause should you trash the compliment the Malfoy's have given you by writing to you personally as a child! Your father and Damion are to have important opportunities at this party and we must be there to show our support.
So, I suggest you tie any loose ends you have at school and promptly send Narcissa your answer of attendance. I have had your fire place marked so as to know if you choose to disobey me.
With love,
Your mother
The door to my room opened and I looked up to find Marie walking in, her face flushed from the mulled wine from moments before, her eyes shining for the holiday excitement that was to come in a few days. My stomach dropped with dread at what I knew I had to do.
Telling a friend that you had to ditch her last minute is never an easy task. Even when your reasoning has to do with your stuck-up family.
-3 Days Later-
The entire school was rushing on the platform, trying to find their right carriage and get on to get a good seat. Some girls blocked the entrance ways as they hugged classmates' in goodbye with well wishes for the holidays as I walked through with Oliver tucked comfortably in his cage, my trunk carried in the other. I made no attempt to hide my annoyance as I watched three upperclassmen kiss each other obnoxiously on the cheek in goodbye, being in my opinion, over dramatic over the whole ordeal.
Of course, they had to be the people blocking my one way through the platform.
"I will miss you so much! How will I survive without you?" One commented before I, impatient as ever, dragged my trunk in the middle of their conversation, rolling said bag over one of the girl's foot.
"Ah, watch it you-"
I was already submerged into the hustle and bustle of the platform before the upperclassmen could finish. I found the carrier and had him take Oliver and my luggage when I saw from the Dutch Carriages the line of girls waiting to enter.
Marie stood near the back with her blonde hair in two tight braids that snaked down her back. Mila and Ana were with her alongside Mariana and her new friend Isa. One of them spotted me as I made to wish them off and wave goodbye, but instead of smile towards me, Marie turned away stubbornly, grabbing Ana's hand as she looked toward me confused.
I had not done my best when dropping the news of my change in plans, and so naturally, Marie was a bit upset with me about it. The other girls, I noticed were not sure what to think about the ordeal, though they kept quiet as they were to be guests in Marie's home very soon.
"Ah, here's the American," the always charming voice of Jacqueline was heard behind me. She had just given her luggage to the carrier when she stopped to watch the Dutch party take their leave in front of me.
"I'd be surprised if their drama would last for even half of winter break." I turned to look at her, surprised by how serious she looked as she spoke.
"Really?" She nodded, as we started toward the carriage for Paris.
"Do you really think this is the first time someone has blown of another's girls holiday plans? People get over it. Or they jinx you first, but then you usually end up alright."
"Jinx? Jacqueline, do you honestly think Marie is the type to jinx me?" I squeaked as we entered the carriage. Giselle was already situated by one of the windows, reapplying her lipstick with a flourish.
"Oh absolutely," She mused. "She's stubborn enough, isn't she?"
"Who's stubborn enough?" Gisele asked, peaking up from her flouting mirror. Jacqueline plopped herself across her friend and snatched the mirror from the air absently.
"Ava's questioning whether Marie is stubborn enough to jinx her after ditching Marie's break plans."
"I did not ditch!" I snapped in retaliation, making Jacqueline's eyes spark dangerously.
"Oh? Then what did you do? Not promise weeks before that you would travel with her, and let her get excited about hosting an American such as yourself at her house?"
That silenced me as the shame ran hot through my body. Jacqueline made brief eye contact with Gisele who was looking pensive before turning to me.
"Marie's stubborn, but I don't think she's mean enough to go far as to jinx something of yours. Best perhaps to give her space and apologize when you next see her."
"But I already have!" I stuck back causing Jacqueline to scoff.
"Merlin, Ava. Do you ever accept that sometimes you're just in the wrong? Apologize again. And continue to apologize until the girl feels better. And even after that, you should be on your best behavior. Now hand me that," She demanded turning her gaze to the lipstick in Gisele's hand.
No one likes being told off, and having it done in the middle of a public area where people can hear, makes it that much worse. I only had to turn down the aisle and find a pair of green eyes, Isabeau's eyes, looking back at me as she innocently ate a chocolate frog for me to know that she heard the whole conversation and judged me that much more for it.
By the time the carriage braced back on the land at the Chateau, I was sick and tired of the people around me and wanted nothing more than to go home.
Thankfully, Grand'mère wasn't in the mood to talk much either on our way home.
It turns out that my mother had declined Grand'mère's invitation to host Christmas with the family and was now very upset about it. It has been some years since I last celebrated the holidays with her, and when I have, it was always an uncomfortable affair with my mother. That, among others was one of the main reasons why we never celebrated with her.
"I always thought that your mother would become kinder to me after she had children. But Merlin knows why she hasn't!" She complained as we drove back in the icy rain and traffic.
"I know I don't have long on this miserable earth, and you would think that a good daughter would do as her mother asks every once and awhile and spend her last few years with family."
I kept my eyes toward the window as my grand'mère kept going up until we made it back to her house where I promptly ran up to my Tante's room and hid my face.
By the time I was called downstairs to take the floo network to London, my grand'mère had calmed down some and managed to keep a steady smile on her face as she wished me a wonderful holiday.
"Before I go, I had something for you," I said as I drew out the spoil of gold thread from class and handed it to her carefully. The old witch rolled it in her hand before chuckling good-naturedly and kissing me on the cheek.
"You are such a good little witch, ma belle. Take care of your parents, won't you?"
I promised her, before taking a handful of floo powder and throwing it in the fire, making it go green with magic. The feeling of rushing around chimneys until I hit London really did me in so that as I landed in my parents' home, I promptly collapsed on the nearest coach for a moment.
Everyone was here by the time I arrived, but were scattered around the house, busy with work. My mother, who gave me a brief kiss, was busily racing around the library naming off different wizards and witches names she didn't want at her next board voting while a quick quill jotted down her every word.
Ed was hiding on the roof where he had started his own terrace garden, full of wondering tentacle plants, dittany and what looked to be a sapling of a Wiggentree.
At the sight of me, he gave me one of his awkward smiles I knew too well, before jittering off about his new job that he accepted in LA.
"Father wasn't pleased of course, but our Uncle gave me his full support so I did it," he told me in a rushed fashion as went along trimming the nails off one of his beloved tentacle plants.
"You've screwed the rest of us from following our dreams now, Ed," Theo commented as he appeared from behind me as he walked up the stairs to join us. Instead of acknowledging my presence, he side stepped me and made himself at home on one of the metal benches used for decorative purposes.
"Did not! All I did-"
Seeing that there was no room for me in that conversation, I went downstairs in search of the others.
My father was closed off in his study and did not say as much as a word to me until dinner where he spent half the time speaking only to Damion, who did not arrive home until dinner, dressed in his work robes of black and silver.
Unlike Theo, however, Damion did acknowledge me, but did so by rubbing the top of my head, messing up my hair.
"Good to have you back. Now maybe this place will feel a bit more like home."
When dinner plates were being cleared by elves and dessert custard appeared in an extravagant glass bowl, my father finally decided to acknowledge that he did in fact have more than one child present in the house.
"As everyone should know, we leave tomorrow to Malfoy Manor, where your mother and I expect to meet with various wizards and witches that are important relations to have given what your mother and I do for a living."
"We all know you guys only work to escape boredom. Might as well admit it to your children," Theo stepped in, causing my father to lower his fork a little too harshly on his plate. My mother give Theo a warning look before reaching her wine.
I took this opportunity to grab another milk roll from the bread basket while Mamen wasn't looking.
"I don't even want to start with you. You out of everyone here must work to behave while we are their guests. You never know what people we meet may influence your future and the future of this family." Theo, who was managing back two chair legs to balance his body weight as he rocked his chair back forth with one of his feet on the table gave his father a grim look.
"What about me tells you I want to nose up to a bunch of Merlin's saggy- "
My father managed to slam the dinner table loudly while Damion elbowed my brother in the gut. I watched as my mother went for her wine while Ed managed to calm my father down from standing up and beating Theo.
"If you ever say such foul language at the dinner table in front of your mother and sister again, I will have you locked in house arrest with nothing but an old ghoul to keep you company, is that clear?"
Theo remained silent, but his gaze was slanted like an elf and his chair was still rocking on two legs daringly.
"Now," my father continued smoothly, "there may be times where your mother and I will be too busy to always be by your sides and when that occurs, we expect you all to behave as we have taught you all." My mother turned to my two oldest brothers respectively.
"Edward, I expect you to be networking just as much as your brother, Damion. The Malfoys are one of the oldest families here in Britain and they know everyone at the tops of their fields. That includes Herbology, Ed." Ed frowned at the idea, probably because he saw no use to know more herbologists if he was already happy at his current job. But I knew my mother wanted Ed in the UK as much as my father did. Even if she did like how kind my Uncle was to assign work to Ed fresh out of graduating.
For whatever reason, my parents were going through a great effort to bring us all to the UK. Or at least everyone but me so far.
"Mother, do you think any of these wizards will want to network with top of the league drop outs too, or will I have to in the playroom rocking my thumbs like Ava, here?" Theo spoke up, his layer of sarcasm rising at an alarming rate.
"Theo.." Damion warned through gritted teeth but my father had already gotten out of his chair and grabbed my brother's shirt front, shaking him like a rag doll. Theo's chair crashed to the ground as he was lifted, and he was squirming so much that the table rattled, causing his wine glass to topple and spill elder's wine all the way down the white table cloth, dripping scarlet.
"You would do well to obey me, boy. You've already managed to make a fool of your family at school, don't make me disown you for the failure you are with that smart mouth of yours!"
"Darious!" My mother screeched angrily, causing my father, whose face was red with rage, to turn to her way and slowly release his hand on Theo.
Theo stood standing as did my father as the two of them looked at each spewing hatred. Damion, who sat in between them slowly rose to be middle ground.
"Why doesn't Theo retire for the night, Dad. I'm sure everyone's just tired from traveling back from school and-"
"Hold your tongue when I'm not speaking to you," my Father muttered causing Damion to sit back in his seat meekly. Theo, however, managed to move as if to leave the table when my father moved along with him.
"Where do you think you're going? Did I say you could be excused?" His voice was raising by each question and I could feel literal fear pool in my stomach at the sight. This was the first time I had ever seen my father's temper lose control like this, and Theo was now the target of it all.
"Darious, please!" My mother cried as she made to rise from the table just as a house elf appeared by her to switch out wine glasses, just in time for dessert wine.
"I will not have a son who is so blatantly disrespectful to his own parents like this. I won't have it, Emmeline!"
"Then get rid of me then!" Theo spoke up, turning our attention back on him. He was breathing fast and his face had never looked so livid before. All his lax humor was gone.
"You say I'm a failure to this family, then fine! Throw me out. See what happens when your precious Malfoy family hears about that." My father made to go after him but my brother was too quick and promptly drew his wand, angled at my father's chest.
"You try to touch me again like that, and I'll stun you" he warned, causing my father to back up more livid now. So much so that, when the poor house elf went to fill his wine glass, he just so happened to be in my father's field of vision and so, Father lashed out and pushed the elf with all his might, making it slam into the dining room wall. Cracks appeared all around as the elf squeaked in pain and tumbled to the ground in a huddle. The other house elves remaining in the room popped into thin air immediately.
"Darious!" My mother shrieked. I had a hand to my mouth as my eyes stayed on the limp house elf. Damion and Ed were looking at my father in disbelief and my mother was in tears.
The only person who seemed the sanest in the room was Theo as he pointed his wand at his father, without missing a beat.
"Maybe you should leave before you try and hurt anyone else." My father scowled as if the idea was preposterous but then he turned to my mother who was in tears, and to my brothers who both looked away from him in disgust. Finally, he looked at me and I just had to start crying, I couldn't stop it.
His expression changed immediately to a blank frame before stalking off, slamming the door behind him.
And thus ended dinner.