Prosapia Aenigmatis - The Family Riddle

Chapter 6

The train had arrived at King's Cross, and luggage was being unloaded. Christmas break had officially begun.

"Have a safe holiday," Aislinn said as she hugged her best friend. The two girls ended the embrace and said their last good-byes. Aislinn turned and headed toward her waiting mother. Weaving her trolley through the sea of students and parents was no easy task. She turned around briefly to see the fleeting back of Quinn, who was headed to the Burrow with the Weasley clan. Ginny had invited Quinn to stay with her family for the holidays. Aislinn was slightly jealous, not of Quinn for staying with the Weasleys, but of the Weasleys for getting to spend the holiday with her best friend.

She turned back to see her mother's smiling face and shook herself mentally. There was no point in dwelling on it. She was, after all, spending her holiday with her family as guests at Malfoy Manor. Her father and Mr. Malfoy had been friends for years and had known each other, she assumed, from working at the Ministry. Spending time at the manor also meant spending time with . . . sigh . . . Draco.

Aislinn thought back to the Yule Ball the previous year. She had desperately wanted a dance with him, but as usual, pug-faced Parkinson was glued to his hip in a nauseating fashion. Now Aislinn would have him all to herself. How she was going to get through two whole weeks with him at his home, she had no idea. It had gotten to the point where she could hardly be around him without feeling weak. By the time she brought herself back to reality, she was at her mother's side looking her directly in the eye. Aislinn had quite a different appearance than her mother. They shared the same 5'7" slender build, and big hazel eyes. But other than that, Aislinn looked very much like her father. Her mother's hair was light brown, as opposed to the deep black hair Aislinn had inherited from her father's side of the family. It was strange, she thought, how they were the only two in her family with hair that color. Most of her father's family had red hair.

"Hello darling, how was your trip?" her mother asked as she hugged her daughter hello.

Aislinn pulled away and looked around, "It was good. Where is dad? Why didn't he come with you?"

"Don't worry, sweetheart," her mother replied, "he had business to attend to. He will be home by the time we arrive." The girl and her mother walked to the car, neither one being particularly fond of using Floo Powder, and began loading luggage into the boot. Once all her things were in, Aislinn opened the door and climbed into the front seat.

"Are you excited about seeing the Manor?" her mother asked as they pulled onto the road. She looked at her mother. Her mother knew all about Aislinn's feelings for Draco, but she didn't know how bad it had actually gotten.

"Yeah, actually I am, although I feel as if I have seen every inch of it after listening to Draco for four years." She smiled and her mother laughed out loud. Her mother's laugh was intoxicating; you couldn't help but smile at the sound of it.

"I suppose you have heard quite a bit." She finally managed to speak through the laughter, "The Malfoys have never been known for being humble."

At that Aislinn snorted, and added, "No, I can't recall Draco ever being accused of that!" They laughed again and continued their journey home.

Aislinn looked out of the window at the passing scenery, wondering what it would be like at the Manor. Sure, her family had money and was as old as the Malfoys. Her father's family dated back hundreds of years, if not thousands. Some of her oldest ancestors were Gaelic witches and wizards who helped found the Ministry in Scotland. Her entire family still lived there, and she had been born at the family castle. Her mother was of old blood herself, but as both of her mother's parents were dead, they associated only with her father's family. In fact, she had never met any of her mother's relatives. Aislinn's mother's parents had been Aurors who were killed when her mother was very young. She had also never met her grandfather on her dad's side. In fact, he was never mentioned. She had only visited Dunvegan Castle once since her birth. It was two years ago for summer holiday. It was indeed a grand estate. Far more so than her own home. She and Quinn had spent hours wandering the great halls and the countless gardens.

But from what she had heard, her family's castle was nothing compared to Malfoy Manor. The Manor was legend. Everyone in Slytherin knew of its splendor, and Draco's constant bragging didn't help in the least. According to the legend, Jean-Pierre Malfoy and his wife, Brigite, had built the Manor some 700 years ago. They were said to have been the first Malfoys to leave France for Britain. Jean-Pierre's son, Gerarde, passed through Hogwarts and was the first Malfoy to be named a Slytherin. Since Gerarde's sorting, every subsequent Malfoy had been placed in the house that Salazar built. Aislinn thought about spending two weeks with Draco and decided that someone somewhere must love her. She pictured his beautiful smile in her mind and drifted off to sleep with a smile.

Some hours later, Aislinn felt a gentle hand on her arm. She sleepily opened her eyes and her mother was smiling at her. "Wake up darling, we are almost home."

Aislinn sat up straight and smoothed her rumpled hair. She was excited to be home, and even more excited to see her father. Then she thought of Draco again and a question formed in her mind.

"Has everyone in our family always been in Slytherin like the Malfoys?" Her mother raised an eyebrow slightly and looked at Aislinn.

She smiled and answered, "No sweetheart, your Aunt Erin was in Hufflepuff and I was in Ravenclaw."

Aislinn fought a confused look and nodded; Aunt Erin seemed too sweet for Slytherin, but she never imagined her own mother hadn't been in her house. Aislinn had never thought to ask; she always assumed she had been. Slytherin and Ravenclaw matches weren't unheard of though, so she wasn't terribly shocked.

Aislinn thought of another question. "Did you play Quidditch, like dad?"

Her mother smiled, "Yes, that is how I first noticed your father. He was two years ahead of me in school. I joined the Ravenclaw team my fifth year. I noticed how handsome your father was when he played. Narcissa was already dating Lucius then." She paused and blushed. "Narcissa," she continued, "told me that your father and Lucius were friends and that she would set up a double date for the four of us. We went to Hogsmeade the next weekend and that was the first time your father and I ever talked outside of games. We fell in love and the rest, as they say, is history." With that they pulled into the drive and her mother shut off the engine.

Aislinn sat still for a moment. So, her mother and Mrs. Malfoy had been friends in school...so that must mean..."Narcissa Malfoy was in Ravenclaw?" It was more an exclamation than a question.

Her mother tried to hide a smile at her daughter's confusion, but failed. "No my dear, Narcissa Malfoy was in Gryffindor."

* * *

Quinn hugged Aislinn on the train platform just after exiting the Hogwarts Express to begin her Christmas holidays. She embraced her friend tightly, biting her lip to hold back all the emotion.

As they broke apart, Quinn forced a smile. Aislinn was doing the same. Quinn looked into the familiar face and pretty hazel eyes and she could see how nervous Aislinn was. Quinn knew Aislinn was thinking the same thing she was.

This would be their first holiday apart. Usually Quinn stayed with the Macnairs at Christmas because her own parents spent every winter in France. Quinn remembered their usual ritual of late nights reading Witch Weekly and swooning over Gilderoy Lockhart. What had they been thinking? Quinn especially loved how accepted she was in Aislinn's home. Quinn helped the Macnairs hang decorations when the girls came home from school and she always received gifts on Christmas morning. She wondered how much she would miss it this year. Quinn felt even worse because she was very worried about Aislinn, who would be spending her holiday at Malfoy Manor. Quinn was petrified that Aislinn would come back as a clone of Pansy Parkinson, following Draco like a lost puppy.

The fact was that the girls had been a bit at odds lately. They didn't talk about it, but their relationship was definitely strained. Aislinn's crush on Draco was the source of most of the problem. Quinn didn't trust Draco and, as of a month ago, Draco despised her. Quinn also knew that Aislinn didn't understand Quinn's own object of desire, Fred Weasley. She just hoped that by the end of the holiday perhaps they would get along better. Quinn backed away from Aislinn a bit and the two girls said their last good-byes. Quinn smiled and waved at Aislinn before turning toward a red-haired girl waiting near the end of the platform.

This year Quinn was spending her holidays with the Weasley family. Quinn had looked forward to it at first but now that the holiday was right in front of her, Quinn was having second thoughts. The idea of spending every day with Ginny as she talked endlessly about Harry Potter was nauseating. Ginny was just so naïve and trusting. She had no sense of humor. Quinn couldn't understand that either because the rest of her family seemed hilarious. Certainly Fred was.

Quinn smirked a bit as she caught site of the two redhead twins that were now next to Ginny. Her plan to get closer to Fred Weasley was in full swing. She sighed dreamily as she approached the Weasleys. She could endure all of Ginny's dull enamored comments about Harry Potter for just one moment each day with Fred.

Quinn felt a little strange spending her holidays with a family she barely knew as well. Still, the opportunity to get to know Fred was too good to pass up. Now that she thought of it, Quinn would spend her whole holiday with Voldemort himself if getting Fred was the end result, especially if Fred wore his Quidditch robes. Quinn smiled broader now, knowing Aislinn would roll her eyes at Quinn's thoughts. Aislinn had heard one too many times how nice Fred looked in his Quidditch robes with his dark red hair slightly wet with sweat. Quinn had once thought of joining the Quidditch team in order to see him at games but Aislinn had pointed out that she might be too distracted to actually play Quidditch.

"Ready to go?" Ginny said, smiling with her most innocent look. Quinn put on an equally nauseating smile and nodded. She struggled to pick up the bag she had brought with her and was pleasantly surprised when Fred silently grabbed it out of her hand. She smiled at him, resisting the urge to hide out of embarrassment. How did he reduce her, a smart confident person, to a blushing puddle at his feet?

The four of them exited the hidden platform into the bustle of King's Cross Station. Ginny ran to a tall man with a red ponytail waiting near the end of the platform. He was fairly attractive and very mellow looking. Quinn tried not to smile but failed.

"That's our brother Bill," George explained. Quinn wondered exactly how many children the Weasleys had. She knew there were a few that had left school but had no idea how many. Quinn decided to ask Fred, hoping to start a conversation.

"How..." Quinn's voice came out choked and quiet, as though she was battling laryngitis. She coughed profusely then turned back to a bemused looking Fred. "How many brothers do you have?" Her voice was still soft she was sure but Quinn felt as though she was shouting. Very smooth Quinn, she told herself.

"There are six boys and Ginny." Quinn wondered why the twins were being so quiet. She wondered if they resented her coming to their home for Christmas. Quinn had never thought she might be an imposition on family traditions. In fact when Ginny had asked her to come stay Quinn had only asked who else would be there. Quinn bit her lip nervously. Fred held out his hand and grabbed her arm as he and George exchanged glances.

Quinn felt her breath hitch in her throat. Fred was touching her, she tried to let this thought register in her mind but she was afraid if she tried to comprehend it she would end up cross-eyed. She stared into his eyes now, and her eyes stopped blinking. Quinn forced herself instead to look at his cheek. This was how she had first been able to tell the twins apart. Fred had a pattern of freckles on his left cheek that resembled a bear. Once Quinn had spotted this difference, she could study the two twins independently. Now she had no trouble telling them apart. Fred smiled more and walked with a more confident stride. And his lips quivered just a bit when he was trying not to smile. Now those lips were dauntingly close to her own and Quinn had to force herself to remain focused on the freckled cheek.

"You know what is a good way to introduce yourself to Bill?" Quinn felt her heart nearly melt as Fred leaned in close to her and she begged her pale skin to not turn red. Fred held out his hand and took her own. He's holding my hand, she thought. Panic welled up inside Quinn but she pushed it down, desperately hanging onto control. She doubted it would make a good impression if she fainted in the train station, though she wondered if Fred would carry her out to the car.

Quinn tried to concentrate on what Fred was saying as he pushed a large cookie into her hand but all she could focus on was the feeling of his strong hand in her own. "Just tell him you got it on the Hogwarts Express and didn't finish it. He loves cookies, he'll like you right away." Quinn felt him take his hand away and hurriedly attempted to process what he had said to her. All her brain could comprehend was that Fred wanted her to give Bill the cookie.

"Okay Fred," Quinn heard herself say, turning toward Bill now. Fred gave her a bit of a strange look but Quinn assumed it was because her face was extremely red now. She approached Bill, waving a nervous hello. She felt Fred and George's eyes on her silently. She stood there, wondering how her dumbstruck face compared to that of Crabbe or Goyle.

After a moment she pretended to find the cookie in her pocket and said, "Does anyone want this cookie? I couldn't finish it on the train." Fred and George shook their heads. Quinn saw Fred's lip quivering. Bill nodded eagerly and took a large bite out of the cookie. Fred broke into an evil grin and George quickly followed.

Quinn actually felt her heart stop beating as Fred put his arm around her. He was smiling at her again. Quinn forced herself to breathe. Bill frowned, looking calm but slightly concerned. It suddenly occurred to Quinn that something might have been in the cookie. Aislinn was always saying Quinn should have been in Slytherin but what would she say if she had witnessed that? How could Quinn be so gullible?

"What was in that cookie?" Bill asked now with a bit of irritation. "I have a date tonight and if my hair turns blue I will be less than amused."

"You'll find out in about an hour," George said. "Thanks for the help Quinn, he never would have taken it from us." Quinn mentally chastised herself but as Fred squeezed her shoulders she realized why she had been so credulous.

"Well just as long as I can help you find a way to use it on Percy," Bill said, smiling good-naturedly now. Quinn started.

"Percy? That uptight Head Boy from my second year?" she blurted out. Quinn went red again as she realized she had spoken aloud. All four Weasleys burst into laughter however and she relaxed. The five of them headed for the taxi waiting outside and Quinn began her journey to the Burrow. She wondered how many of the Weasleys would be at the Burrow, it might be more difficult to be alone with Fred than she anticipated. She knew Ron was staying at school with Harry Potter and Hermione Granger.

To her joy Quinn was squished between Fred and George on the cab ride to the Burrow. She found she wasn't able to concentrate on the conversation at all; she was distracted by Fred's warmth pressed up against her. Ginny gave her a number of strange looks as she stared off into space.

* * *

Aislinn felt as if all the wind had been knocked out of her. She was flabbergasted. Narcissa Malfoy, Gryffindor? Draco's mother, Gryffindor? "Does Draco know?" she asked her mother when she got her voice back. She watched her shake her head, and her mum's face took on a serious expression.

"No, he doesn't," her mother said, "and it isn't your place to tell him either." She gave her a look of warning, but it wasn't necessary. Aislinn knew that she would never tell this to Draco. He hated Gryffindors more than anyone else in her house did, and she didn't want to be the cause of a Malfoy family war, but how could he not know, surely he had asked his parents what house they were in. Draco seemed awfully close to his family; maybe he assumed like Aislinn did.

The more Aislinn thought about Mrs. Malfoy, the less sense it made. "One more thing Mum, if Mrs. Malfoy was in Gryffindor, how did she end up with Mr. Malfoy? Gryffindors and Slytherins have hated each other since the founding of Hogwarts...It is an unwritten rule. Even our Head of House hates them! You should see the way he treats Potter and the other Gryffindors. It is impossible to imagine a couple between the two houses!" Aislinn was now out of breath and slightly shocked that she had yelled at her mother.

Mrs. Macnair just smiled and even laughed slightly. "Darling, perhaps you were too young to notice when we last met with the Malfoys," she stopped to think for a moment and then continued, "Lucius Malfoy can be very . . . erm . . . charming when he wants to be. Narcissa was the prettiest girl in all of Hogwarts, and the Malfoys have always thought themselves worthy of only the best. When he saw Narcissa, all he saw was her appearance, not her personality, not even her house affiliations. He turned on his charms and pursued her fully. She really had no choice but to fall in love with him." Her mother's face fell. "If only she had known . . ." Her mother sighed, "I feel sorry for her if you must know." She said no more and her face told Aislinn there would be no more discussion on that topic.

Aislinn sat quiet for a moment and wondered, why wasn't Narcissa able to turn away from Mr. Malfoy? She took a chance and voiced this question to her mother.

Mrs. Macnair's expression went from sorrow to confusion. "Sweetheart, the Malfoys are of Veela heritage, surely you knew?" She didn't know, and was stunned into silence once more. It made sense; she had in fact noticed how charming and almost sexy Lucius Malfoy was on their last meeting. And it did explain why she found Draco desperately beautiful, despite his terribly vain attitude. And she wasn't the only one. Almost every girl in school thought he was gorgeous, and he knew it. She decided she had asked enough questions of her mother and opened the car door to get out.

As soon as her left foot hit the ground, Betsey and Oscar, the Macnair family House-elves, came dashing out of the house to collect her things. "Welcome home Miss Aislinn," Betsey called as she ran past to assist Oscar with the luggage.

She smiled at them; she had always viewed the elves more as little friends than servants. She had played with them endlessly as a child. She never understood how some of the people in her own house could be so cruel to creatures whose only desires in life were to please people. She may have been a "nasty Slytherin" after all, but she did have something of a conscience . . . no matter how small it seemed at times. She walked to her mother who was behind Betsey. Oscar was near the door carrying Hera's cage. Her mother turned to her and smiled as they walked together into the house.

"Cairine, Aislinn is that you?" a voice called as they made way into the house.

"Yes Walden," her mother replied. "We have just arrived."

"Wonderful!" he said as he came to join them in the foyer. Her father grabbed her mother and kissed her soundly. "It is great to see you darling," he then said to Aislinn.

Aislinn smiled; she had always loved the harsh Scottish brogue of her father's voice. Of course, growing up in Ireland gave her an accent as well, but it was much unlike her father's. And since, for the past three and some half years, she was spending less time in Ireland; her accent was slowly getting less and less obvious to everyone of non-Irish decent. She noticed the same thing about Quinn. Quinn, in all of their 14 years they had never spent a holiday apart. Their mothers were best friends, as they were. Quinn's mother had been in Ravenclaw like Quinn, and that, she now knew, was where their mother's had become friends.

"Aislinn, love, are you in there?" The gentle amused sound of Scottish brogue broke through her thoughts and brought her back to Earth.

"Yes, sorry, Father. I was just thinking of Quinn is all." She moved into her father's open arms. Aislinn had always felt safe in his arms. She felt as though no matter how much evil was in the world, it could never touch her when her father was near. She loved and respected her father more than anyone else in the world. No one would ever be as perfect as he was, in her eyes.

"Darling, I know you will miss Quinn, but I think there are a few adventures in store for you this holiday." He smiled with a twinkle in his dark eyes. "Are you ready for our little trip?"

She smiled at him and then glanced down at her robes, they were black with the Slytherin coat of arms on the chest. "Just a moment, I need to go and change. I can't very well go to the Manor in my Hogwarts robes can I?" Her parents laughed.

"I guess not," he said. "Your things have already been sent to the Manor, so there is no need to pack." She nodded her head and ran up the stairs and down the corridor to her room.

She walked into her room, looked around for a moment and fell onto her bed. She sighed heavily; she was home. She hated the Slytherin dorms. Dungeons they should really be called. They were so dark and damp. She never had thought it fair that the Muggle and Mudblood loving Gryffindors should get to sleep in a warm tower when she and they other Slytherins had to sleep in a claustrophobia inducing dungeon. Sure, they were decorated richly, with lots of silks and velvets. But that didn't make up for the fact that they were essentially underground and it was unbearably cold down there.

Aislinn sighed again and looked around her room. She decided she had better get up and get dressed before her mother came looking for her. She walked to her wardrobe and opened it. Most of her things had indeed been sent away to the Manor already. Aislinn knew the Malfoy family held tradition in high esteem, and since they would be arriving at night, there would likely be a dinner in their honor. She decided to put on a set of deep green dress robes. She walked to the mirror. She pulled out her wand and went to work. After a bit, her black hair was tumbling down over her shoulders in loose waves. She had to be perfect and impress Draco. This holiday was her chance to get his mind off of hideous Pansy.

"Lovely dear, green is marvelous on you!" the mirror exclaimed. Aislinn smiled and took one last look at her reflection then headed downstairs to meet her parents. Since they would be traveling with no luggage, her father had made a portkey to take them to the Manor. The three of them took hold of the small wooden box and she felt that familiar pulling as the world turned to a blur.

* * * * *

When they got to the Burrow, Quinn tried not to betray how surprised she was. Quinn was used to being relatively wealthy in the wizarding world. Her parents were well off and Aislinn's family even more so. The Weasley's home gave Quinn the impression they hadn't a sickle to their name. She took in the multilevel shack and its flaking paint; trying not to make it obvious that she was surprised. It was common knowledge that the Weasleys were far from rich, but Quinn had never expected this.

What surprised her most however was that all the Weasleys seemed so happy. Quinn couldn't imagine coming home to this every holiday and still being as cheery as they all were. Quinn always found plenty to complain about at her home, which compared to the Burrow, would be considered a castle.

"Come on in," Fred said, picking up her bag again and motioning to the house. "Mom is anxious to meet you." Quinn blushed at Fred and followed, biting her lip. She hoped to make a good impression on the Weasleys. Quinn had been taught proper manners from a very early age but she still was nervous to meet Fred's mother. What beautiful parents he must have to be so...Fred.

Quinn sidestepped the rubber boots by the door and entered the Weasley's home. It was cramped and shabbily decorated but Quinn was surprised by how cozy it was. Quinn's own parents were obsessed with being clean and tidy; everything in their home was always in place. The Burrow appeared to be complete chaos and Mrs. Weasley was sitting in the middle of it, cleaning potatoes.

She looked so much more like a mother than Quinn's own. Mrs. Weasley was a short and slightly large woman with mismanaged red hair. When she looked up from the potatoes, Quinn immediately saw that she had a wonderful warm smile. Quinn felt truly welcome in their home before Mrs. Weasley even spoke.

"Welcome Quinn. Ginny has told us so much about you, we're so glad to have you stay." And Mrs. Weasley hugged her. Quinn had never been hugged much growing up and certainly not by a complete stranger. She embraced Mrs. Weasley tentatively.

"I'll take your bag up to Ginny's room," Fred offered, still holding the large duffel bag. Mrs. Weasley let go of Quinn and she tried to catch her breath.

"Thanks Fred," she said shyly, not looking at him. Mrs. Weasley paused to glance at Quinn but soon she was back to her potatoes. Ginny and Quinn followed Fred up the stairs. Quinn made a conscious effort not to look at him at all.

The stairway was littered with pictures of red-haired children waving and playing. Quinn glanced at one of the pictures, which appeared to be Fred and George, still in diapers. She looked closer and saw that the two of them seemed to be levitating an older brother, though Quinn had no idea which one. The older brother seemed to be wailing loudly as he flew a few feet above the ground.

"That's Percy," Ginny said, giggling a little at the picture as they continued up the stairs. Quinn followed Ginny into the room and looked around with interest. It was small with floral, slightly nauseating pink wallpaper. There were two twin beds with clean white sheets and quilts. The walls were covered with pictures of kittens and unicorns. Aislinn would be ill if she saw this, thought Quinn, imagining her friend's scowl.

Fred put Quinn's bag down on the far bed and turned back toward the door. Quinn was still standing there and he waited for her to move. Quinn stumbled backwards, flattening herself against the wall to let him pass. She held her breath as he came closer.

A crooked grin was on his face as he passed by her. Quinn felt as though the heat had been turned up, and that her red face might just explode. He smelled strongly of chocolate and oranges and Quinn closed her eyes to better appreciate the scent. As he left the room, Quinn fumbled to shut the door and turned toward Ginny. There was a strained silence. Ginny was nervously playing with her shoelace.

"I like your mum. She's very nice," Quinn said finally, sitting on the twin bed. "And I'm so sorry I fell for the whole cookie thing." Ginny giggled.

"It's okay, you don't know the twins well enough not to trust them yet. Well, maybe now you do. I'm just glad they didn't give you the cookie instead," Ginny paused, "I'm surprised they didn't actually."

"So which of your brothers will be here? What do they do anyway?" Quinn realized now that Ginny rarely spoke of her eldest brothers. She wondered if Ginny felt overlooked because of them.

"Oh Bill is here for the whole holidays. He lives in Egypt and works for Gringotts. Percy still lives here, unfortunately. He works for the Ministry. He just got a promotion to be Mr. Fudge's assistant. So expect long horrid conversations about that every night we're here." Quinn hoped Ginny was kidding but it didn't seem that way. Quinn only remembered Percy because of his girlfriend, a Ravenclaw Prefect. She hoped he wasn't nearly as bad as he had seemed as Head Boy. "Oh," Ginny continued, "and Charlie. He's in Romania. They just got a new dragon and he can only come home for Christmas weekend because he's got to help it settle in."

"He works with dragons? Wow that must be exciting." Quinn tried to imagine what kind of guy chose a career staring down huge fire-breathing magical lizards, but failed completely. Quinn was about to ask what Charlie was like when Mrs. Weasley called out for dinner.

"Come on, I'll introduce you to Dad and Percy," Ginny said, bounding out the door. Quinn bit her lip and smoothed her hair as she walked down the stairs. She wanted desperately to make a good impression with Mr. Weasley. Percy's opinion didn't matter to her nearly as much. Besides, Quinn got the impression that Percy was rather easy to charm.

Quinn followed Ginny into the small kitchen and took a seat at the clean wooden table, which was laden with food. She jumped back up immediately however when Mr. Weasley entered the room. He was a tall man with balding red hair and glasses. Quinn smiled brightly at him and was about to speak when Percy walked in the room. Percy looked exactly as Quinn remembered, minus the gleaming Head Boy badge. He puffed his chest out impressively when he saw her and strode forward to shake her hand.

"Miss Finnigan, so nice to see you again. I'm only sorry I won't be able to stay for dinner." Percy shook her hand vigorously and put on a solemn face. "I have a very important event to attend with Minister Fudge. It's unfortunate but once you get to a certain rank people really depend on you." Quinn tried to hold back laughter. Percy let go of her hand and proceeded to his mother's side. "Mum I'll be off. I can't keep Minister Fudge waiting." Quinn watched Mrs. Weasley proudly hug Percy and fuss over his robes before turning back to face Mr. Weasley. They exchanged greetings but dinner began before Quinn could say much.

* * * * *

As soon as they landed, Aislinn righted herself and looked at the magnificent building they now stood in front of. As if they had knocked, the grand doors swung open and out stepped the Malfoy family. Narcissa walked to them first. Her mother was right, she was the most beautiful woman Aislinn had ever seen. Her hair was the same silvery blonde as Draco's and she had gorgeous blue eyes. She was very tall and slim and carried herself with an air of royalty. Narcissa opened her arms gracefully. "Cairine," she said softly and hugged her mother, "it has been so long!"

Her mother smiled and returned the gesture. "Yes Narcissa, too long."

Lucius then stepped forward with his head held high. He was a strongly built man who projected great power in his movements. He was not as tall as her father was though, probably around six feet. His hair was the same pale blonde as the others, but unlike Draco's, his was long. Aislinn noticed that his eyes were an unfeeling silvery gray, like the color of the moon, just as his son's were. He was very handsome indeed. He carried himself equally as well as Narcissa, but Mr. Malfoy had an air more of an aristocratic snob, rather than royalty. He held his hand out to her father. "Walden, you look well. How have you been?"

Her father took his hand and gave it a firm and friendly shake. He laughed "Fine Lucius, just fine. And you? How have things been?" Aislinn turned and looked at her father, wondering just what sort of things he had been referring to.

Lucius' mouth spread into a cold smile. "Walden, things are wonderful as you may know, more so than they have been in a long time. And I have a feeling that in the near future, they will get much better indeed." At that Draco sniggered. Lucius then turned his attentions to her. "My friend," he said with his eyes still fixed on Aislinn, "your daughter gets lovelier every time I see her," he then turned to Cairine, "just like her mother." Her father laughed and her mother blushed. Mr. Malfoy looked back at her very unusually and then turned to his son who was standing behind him. "Draco, are you not going to speak to our guests?" Lucius asked with a hint of annoyance in his voice.

Draco looked at his father, sighed and stepped forward to face her. An arrogant smirk covered his face "Ahh," he said mockingly, "Miss Macnair. I am honored." After this, he brought her hand gently up to his lips and kissed it hand lightly, looking at her with a brilliant smile that made her feel as if she would faint. Her hand burned where his lips had touched it moments before. He was too good at this; his looks could be used as a weapon. She composed herself enough to speak.

"Thank you, Draco," she said in a shaky voice and nodded to him. Aislinn knew that she was blushing furiously, but she couldn't stop it from taking over her entire face.

"Well, now that the formalities have been attended to, shall we go in?" Lucius asked. Her father held his arm out to her and she quickly moved to him. She looked up to see him smiling down at her. Her father was taller than Mr. Malfoy was. He stood at 6'4" and had a muscular build. He often said he needed to keep in shape for his job at the Ministry, although, she had no idea just what exactly his job was. His eyes were dark, so dark that they almost matched the black of his short, unruly hair. He had a kind smile and she loved the little lines around his eyes that showed when he laughed. She adored her father completely. He gave her a light kiss on the cheek and looked back to the Malfoys. Lucius waved his arm around and they all proceeded into the house.

They walked through the large wooden front doors and Aislinn was amazed. Never in all of her life had she seen a place so richly decorated. Breathtaking was the word that immediately came to mind. She now saw why Draco took every opportunity to brag about his home. The walls were made from gray stone and every hall was lined with portraits of people from each generation of the Malfoy family. And all the people in the paintings were exquisite. All blonde with the same cold and unfeeling silvery gray eyes. She continued walking while holding on to her father's arm. Below their feet were highly polished green marble floors and down the middle of the hall was an extremely plush deep green rug. There were dozens of doors on each side of the hall. She could only imagine what secrets were kept within those rooms.

She would find time to explore later, she decided. Right now they were following the Malfoys into what seemed to be a large study. This room, like the rest of what she had seen, was gorgeous. The ceiling of the room appeared to go up to the second floor of the house, and the walls were made of a rich mahogany wood, and were lined with row after row of books. She thought the selection could possibly rival the Prefects' library at Hogwarts. Not that she had ever been in there, of course. There were several individual sitting areas; each one furnished with a deep brown leather sofa and two matching side chairs. At the end of the room was an intricately carved desk made from the same deep mahogany of the walls. Behind the desk was an enormous hunter green leather chair, which she imagined was Mr. Malfoy's.

"This is my private study," Lucius said as he followed the guests into the room. "Normally no one but my family is allowed in here, but seeing as how you are such good friends, I decided that we should have tea in here before I show you to your rooms." Mr. Malfoy rang a bell and a small House-elf came bustling into the room. He seemed terrified.

"Y-y-yes M-m-master?" The poor elf finally managed to get out while bowing with his head down at Mr. Malfoy's feet.

Lucius stood tall and proud and looked at the elf with a disgusted sneer. He acted as if speaking to him would make him physically sick. "Elf, Bring our tea, and some pastries for our guests. And be quick about it."

"Y-y-yes Sir." The elf nodded and as he went to get up and leave, Mr. Malfoy stuck his foot out and tripped him.

"Stupid vermin," Mr. Malfoy muttered under his breath and turned to his guests. "Please have a seat." He held out his cane and gestured to a sitting arrangement near the fire. The group sat and Aislinn noticed that Draco tried to sit far from his father, but Mr. Malfoy grabbed the back of his robes and guided him to a seat next to himself. Lucius then turned and spoke to her. "My dear, do you play Quidditch?"

"No sir, I am afraid I am not any good at it. But I do enjoy watching the team play," she said and she stole a glance at Draco who was watching her speak to his father. He smirked at her last comment. She felt herself blush and she tried to fight it as she looked back to Lucius.

"Well, young Draco is going to be captain next year, if Mr. Flint will be good enough to pass his exams. There are . . . things . . . that can be done to assure you a place on the team if you like." Lucius was now smiling, almost evilly. She wasn't sure what he meant, but by the way Draco looked at his father, she decided that whatever it was, it couldn't be good. However she didn't want her father and Mr. Malfoy to think she was ungrateful.

"Thank you sir, that would be nice." She was hoping the subject would change. She was now feeling extremely awkward with her father and Mr. Malfoy smiling at her. As lovely as Mr. Malfoy's smile was, she was beginning to feel uneasy. Draco looked disgusted, but was trying to hide it. What did she get herself into, she wondered? Her thought was broken by the door opening and three House-elves running in with their evening tea.

After the group had tea and a long conversation to catch up on the happenings of their lives, they were led up to the second floor. "Walden, Cairine, Narcissa will show you to your room," Lucius told her parents and then looked to Draco, "Son, would you please show Miss Macnair to her room; I have a small matter of business to take care of before tonight's festivities begin." The words rolled off his tongue like venom. She had noticed the look of contempt on Mr. Malfoy's face as he spoke to his son. She was confused to say the least. Draco had always talked greatly about his father, but she was now getting the impression that their relationship was less than loving.

"Lucius, you should not have gone to any trouble with a gathering for us," her father protested, but Mr. Malfoy smiled.

"Nonsense Walden, it is nothing large. Just a gathering of old friends. Now I must be off for a moment. They guests will arrive at 8:00 sharp. I will have one of the elves bring you to the drawing room when the party begins." Mr. Malfoy then turned and walked swiftly down the corridor. Narcissa turned to her parents, smiled and led them down the hall.

She stood there and watched them go. She then turned to Draco who was staring at her very strangely. "Why are you looking at me that way?" She asked him and he seemed to study her intensely for a moment.

"You are stupid, you have no idea what you have just done," he replied, still looking at her. His voice was toneless, but his expression was one of pity and disgust.

She was confused and didn't know where this attitude had come from. Sure, Draco wasn't the friendliest of folks, but he had never been blatantly rude to her before.

"What did I do?" she asked him. What could she have done that would make him act in such a way. She was genuinely confused.

Draco smirked. "You will find out soon enough, don't worry. I have a feeling this trip will be very informative." He turned and started walking down the hall. He turned back to look at her once more. "Are you just going to stand there and stare at me all day or do you want to see where your room is?"

She was startled at his words, although she shouldn't have been. Living with him for four years had made her accustomed to his vanity. Although the way he was looking at her was different. She felt as though her heart stopped for a moment and her legs began to weaken. Aislinn forced herself to look at the wall. She sighed, as attractive as she found him, she knew that this would be a long holiday.