A/N - non-canon character Stevos Lucius Malfoy (Lord Malfoy, Jnr) does not belong do me and has been borrowed from DoubleDracos !

I sat in the library of Malfoy manner, absently tracing the streaking trails of raindrops tracking down the glass of the bay window. It had been my home for nine years, it seemed so vast then, now I could tell you every hiding place, every secret passageway, the blind spots away from the prowling eyes of the portraits, namely the mutinous Abraxas Malfoy who had no time for mischievous children and would sell my godbrothers and I out in a heartbeat, gloating as we stood contritely in my Godfather's study. We weren't allowed in the study; unless we were summoned there to be reprimanded, it was a place of much fascination but none of us had time for curiosity or exploration when we were stood before the formidable mahogany desk, analysing the thread structure of the Persian rug, heads bowed to avoid the unflinching gaze of the infamous Lucius Malfoy. I had never felt like I really belonged here; a cuckoo in the nest, an orphan raised not out of love for my deceased parents but for the duty of it (and the business ventures one could achieve as the guardian of my Gringotts vault and I) but faced with the impending departure to Hogwarts I found myself stood on the precipice of the unknown, clinging on to the sanctuary of home, of Malfoy Manor, like a terrified two year old to Narcissa's leg nine years ago. I would do anything to stand bracing myself for the first swat in my god father's study one last time, to have one last quick-tongued back and forth with my godbrother's in the halls, one last walk through the grounds, following the white peacocks as they strutted unbothered by the drizzle. I sighed petulantly, my breath besmirching the diaphanous glass for a fraction of a second before a charm erased it as if I had never been here.

"Are you okay?" I looked over my shoulder glumly to see Draco smiling kindly, his silver hair slacked back, and his black dress robes perfectly tailored to create an immaculate visage that very few would know contained the kind yet mischievous heart of the youngest Malfoy heir. I raised my eyebrows in a lacklustre gesture of perplexation. "Do I look anything less than okay?" Draco smirked at my attempt to goad him, my obstinate tone a usual warning not to pursue the conversation. After a short silence he shrugged with a chuckle and answered, "Yes", his raised eyebrow a silent invitation to bicker. When I refused to engage he sat beside me on the emerald leather pew with a sigh, enveloping his arm around my shoulders protectively, "It's my first year too, it's only natural to be nervous… tell anybody and I'll try my hand at an unforgivable, but I understand". I smiled at the sentiment and relaxed into his chest, "You couldn't transfigure a chocolate teapot God Brother, let alone invoke the sophisticated magic required for the cruciartus curse". "I was thinking more along the lines of the killing curse personally, I can't let it get out that I'm sensitive, especially in my first year. First impressions go along way Heredis, can you imagine the look on Father's face. He'd send me to Durmstrang for sure!"

Our laughter was interrupted by Stevos making an appearance. "And may I ask what exactly is so funny?" Draco bit his tongue and I pursed my lips to hold in a laugh, we had all been brought up to write properly, sit properly, talk properly and walk properly but Stevos managed to command a presence nearly as imposing as Lord Malfoy Snr himself. That would be, other than the fact that he was just as immature and reckless as us, up until two years ago when he started at Hogwarts and alighted the Hogwarts Express as a new Stevos, one who was reserved and aloof, having little time for child's play when he had the noble name of Malfoy to uphold. What didn't help his attempt at grandeur is the fact we had witnessed him challenging Father and then walking in front of him to the study, the emerald eyes of Lucius's signature serpent cane glinting maliciously as it sat in the nook of his back, guiding him towards his impending doom. "Would you care for a seat God Brother?" "I'm afraid I must decline, some of us want to be on time for the train and seeing as we have to leave in one hour precisely I would see it wise to, perhaps, attend chapel as is tradition in the Malfoy family. Wouldn't you agree Draco?" I sat straight-backed, head held high with my lips set in a hard line. Draco stood up, "Yes Brother". Stevos took one large stride before looking over his shoulder at me, his thin lips curling into a Lucius-esque sneer, "Miss Rosier, are you inclined to join us?" Refusing to take the bait I rose slowly, "It would be an honour Master Malfoy, I shall enjoy joining you in the sanctimony of Gaia and Ouranos… Perhaps, it will allow to become as sanctimonious as you". A tense silence ensued before, finally, we all cracked a smile, a real smile, temporarily breaking the aristocratic façade of etiquette and decorum expected of us by polite society.

Silently we entered the chapel, it seemed Narcissa and Lucius had already attended as their piles of salt were gone from the entrance way. We each took the salt of the earth in our hands as we approached the shrine at the front of the chapel, the presence of the gods weighed heavily on our shoulders, holding us in a comforting yet uncomfortably powerful embrace, as we a walked in humbly, our heads bowed in quiet respect as we led the three person procession, silhouetted by the flickering candles. Each in turn we walked a circle thrice around the altar leaving a circle of light, or if we are to speak literally, a circle of salt. Kneeling side by side we breathed in the smell of burning sage and the aroma of the sacred tree, or yew, that guarded the circular chapel walls. There was something about the scent that transcended centuries and brought us back to our roots when wizardkind was young and allowed to roam freely among the muggles who threaten to slaughter and burn us indiscriminately. We took in a deep breath, savouring the closeness we felt to the unsullied presence of the gods, goddesses and the magic that flowed through our veins and made up everything, the turbulent rage of the storm and the sweet caress of the sun that brought the lands to fruit. The slow footsteps of the High Priestess approached and we each nodded as, in devout silence, she marked our foreheads with the sage smudge stick; confirmation that despite their tumultuous nature, Gaia and Ouranos still considered us her children and would offer their protection and sanctuary as their will dictates.

Together, taking a line each, we recited the rede off by heart, our murmured vow reverberated through the room, as easily as the life-blood flowed through our veins:

"Bide Within the law you must,"

"In perfect Love"

"and prefect Trust"

"Live you must"

"and let to live"

"fairly take and fairly give"

"for tread the circle thrice about to keep unwelcome spirits out".

"To bind the spell well every time,"

"let the spell be said in rhyme"

"light of eye"

"and soft of touch"

"speak you little"

"listen much."

"Honour the old ones in deed and name,"

"let love and light be our guides again."

"Deosil go by the waxing moon, chanting out the joyful tune"

"Widdershins go when the moon doth wane,"

"and the werewolf howls by the dread wolfsbane."

"When the Lady's moon is new,"

"Kiss the hand to her times two".

"When the moon rides at Her peak then your heart's desire seek"

"Heed the North winds mighty gale, lock the door and trim the sail"

"When the Wind blows from the East,"

"Expect the new and set the feast"

"When the wind comes from the South, love will kiss you on the mouth"

"When the wind whispers from the West,"

"All hearts will find peace and rest."

"Nine woods in the Cauldron go,"

"Burn them fast and burn them slow"

"Birch in the fire goes to represent what the lady knows"

"Oak in the forest towers with might,"

"In the fire it brings the Gods' insight".

"Rowan is a tree of power causing life and magic to flower"

"Willows at the waterside stand"

"ready to help us to the Summerland"

"Hazel is burned to purify and draw faerie to your eye".

"Hazel – the tree of wisdom and learning adds it's strength to the bright fire burning"

"White are the flowers of the Apple tree"

"That brings us the fruit of fertility"

"Grapes grow upon the vine giving us both joy and wine"

"Fir does mark the evergreen"

"to represent immortality seen"

"Elder is the Lady's tree"

"Burn it not or cursed you'll be."

"Four times the Major Sabbats mark in the light and in the dark".

"As the old year starts to wane the new begins, it's now Samhain"

"When the time for Imbolc shows watch for flowers through the snows"

"When the wheel begins to turn soon the Beltane fires will burn"

"As the wheel turn to Lamas night power is brought to magic rite"

"Four times the Minor Sabbats rule, use the sun to mark them all"

"When the wheel has turned to Yule, light the log the Horned One rules"

"In the spring when night equals day"

"time for Ostara to come our way."

"When the sun has reached it height it's time for Oak and Holly to fight".

"Harvesting comes to one and all when the Autumn Equinox does fall"

"Heed the flower, bush and tree"

"by the Lady blessed you'll be"

"Where the rippling waters go, cast a stone, the truth you'll know"

"When you have and hold a need"

"Harken not to others greed"

"With a fool no season spend or be counted as his friend"

"Merry Meet and Merry Part"

"bright the cheeks and warm the heart"

"Mind the Three-fold Laws you should"

"Three times bad and three times good"

"When misfortune is endow wear the star upon your brow"

"Be true in love, this you must do, unless your love is false to you"

"These eight words of the Rede fulfil:"

"'An Ye Harm None, Do What Ye Will'"

We stood together and bowed our heads as we spoke the last words in unison; "Mote be it". Is if enchanted we all stood in silence for a while eyeing the candles as their flamed danced in merriment, then, as if on cue, we each turned on our heels and left. Once outside, we walked shoulder to shoulder in devout silence, still lost in the hypnotic lull of the chant and the gravity of our visit to the chapel.

"Ah, my sons, god daughter" greeted Lucius as he strolled towards us, a smile gracing his usually stern face. We returned his greeting with polite smiles, I noticed Stevos stand a little bit taller, trying as usual to impress his father, Draco shot him a look of betrayal, always confined to the shadow of his brother. We all overcorrected our posture as he casually readjusted the cufflinks, our breathes collectively held. He looked up from his wrist with a seemingly perplexed expression before realisation dawned on him and he grinned, it was a habit possessed by both him and our Godfather Severus, an unconscious reflex that they religiously partook in before pulling us up on our misdemeanours, as if somehow a less than meticulously arranged wrist sheathing would somehow render their efforts to correct us futile; "Come now children, do I look as if I seek to chastise you?" Draco and I were unable to rectify our pallid complexion, but Stevos on the other hand let out a hearty laugh, "Apologies Father, it seems we have been conditioned. As much of a habit to you as I!" Lucius reciprocated his laughter and clapped his firstborn on the back. "Now, we have a train to catch, if you would join me in the reception room?" It wasn't a question so much as a statement but regardless it earned a well-received chorus of; "It would be my pleasure".

"The pleasure is all mine children, you are going out into the finest educational establishment in the world and I am in no doubt that you shall set an exemplary example of my ability as a head of household and command the respect that the Malfoy name deserves!" We began our walk to the reception room through the halls, Lucius's arms around us paternally as he led the way, the musky aromatic spice of his expensive cologne leaving a trail in our wake. Narcissa was stood by the mantle, the picture of an aristocracy, her blonde hair pulled up into a tight bun to show off her large perfectly round saltwater pearl earrings and the matching necklace – she received a gift from Lucius each year they accompanied a child to Platform 9 ¾ but this year she was sending off her youngest child Draco, as well as myself, whom she considered her surrogate daughter. I had no doubt that this year she had received a much grander gesture of her husband's affluence and affection. Narcissa held a delicate handkerchief to her watery blue eyes as she fluttered her heavy deep-set lids; a feature she had inherited from the Rosier line, and one that was shared by her sister, the notoriously loyal Death Eater Mrs. Bellatrix Lestrange, and I; her goddaughter Heredis Asteria Lilith Rosier.

"Now do you three remember how to behave in polite society?" "Yes Mother, Yes Mother, Yes Godmother" we replied respectively in a chorus. "Good, can you each tell me one thing your father has taught you regarding how to conduct yourself properly, just to put my mind at ease...?" "Political Intrigue?" volunteered Draco with a smirk. Heredis followed his comment up quickly with one of her own in the same vein, "How to correctly start a common brawl in Flourish & Blotts with a blood traitor not worth the mud I scrape from my boots?" In quiet consternation both Lucius and Narcissa waited patiently for Stevos to offer his own answer before condemning all members of the 'troublesome trio' as Abraxas Malfoy's portrait would occasionally refer to us as, though in truth neither party could discern whether it was born from affection or disdain – though, as Lucius had imparted to them, it was exceedingly possible to hold two juxtaposing ideas in one's mind at the same moment, I personally subscribed to that opinion though if I were honest I would admit that it was the latter, Abraxas didn't seem to conform to the idea of affection and any good in Lucius was inarguably down to nature rather than nurture.

All eyes were on Stevos now, his mother's pleading him to sacrifice sibling solidarity for the moral high ground, his Father's critically analysing every heartbeat, every unconscious twitch, attempting to read his son's perfectly composed expression, daring him to defy him again. Then there were the last two pairs of eyes; Draco and I watched on, ready to find out whether his loyalties lay entirely in the adult world or whether he still held onto even a fragment of youthful mischief. By now, we didn't really care, we just hoped he would say something, anything, that would disrupt the silence that allowed our unstimulated minds to wander to why we had decided now was a good time to stage a lowkey mutiny, behave like common errant children and to what consequences it would hold for us. Stevos cleared his throat and leaned all his weight on his own ostentatious walking cane; "Father has taught me the importance of keeping a close eye on these two and setting an example as not only their elder but also as the heir to the Malfoy title and fortune." With a flick of the wrist he gave Draco a tap on the rear for good measure before readjusting his position and looking to his father, "Especially in your absence". Lucius raised an eyebrow and scrutinised his eldest son before letting go of his breath and apparently any interest in the face off that had just taken place, "Good answer my boy", he squeezed Stevos's shoulder in a rare show of approval, "You are turning into a fine, upstanding gentlemen, I am glad our talk this morning finally managed to impart some wisdom into you!" Stevos nodded in acknowledgement, though if you looked close enough I could have sworn I had seen a slight blush colour his pale complexion; I wasn't sure if it was his embarrassment at being praised so openly, Lucius's mention of this morning's events of whether it was entirely my imagination; for the sake of my god brother's pride I chose to believe the latter explanation.

"You are an inspiration to us all God Brother, I hope one day I too will have the maturity to shun such foolish behaviour and give your family the thanks you deserve for taking me in as your charge-" I turned to Lucius and inclined my head, "I sincerely apologise to you Lord Malfoy, as your goddaughter and publicly for the behaviour of my own family, as the last Rosier my actions reflect that of the entire line and today it was disgraced by my own audacity towards the generosity of yourself and your wife to whom I am forever in debt" I bit my cheeks to stop from smirking at the sheer idiocy that had just fallen, overly enunciated, from my lips. "You are forgiven my child, I am at fault for my inexcusable public display of anger in Diagon Alley, that day it was I that embarrassed you. Now I do believe we are even, do you consider that correct, Heredis?". I drew back to my full height and met Lucius's steely grey gaze with a pleasant smile which he returned, "Indeed, I do Lord Malfoy". "Good Miss Rosier, as if in the future you show me anything less than the level of respect I deserve, if you ever show me such blatant and sordid disobedience and dis-re-spec-tuh I will personally make sure that you cannot sit comfortably until you are old enough to leave my CHARGE!" my breath hitched in my throat and I focused on restarting my breathing then regulating it to the normal rate, a task that was made rather difficult as Lucius and I were nose to nose, his eyebrows in his hairline, stormy grey eyes wide and threatening, laser focused like a cobra ready to strike, I couldn't break eye contact though I knew that if I did I would find his lips bleached and contorted into a thin, hard line. I knew that as he had raised his voice he didn't intend on pursuing the matter, he was just making a point and ensuring that I was entirely certain about his feelings on the matter, which even a mountain troll could figure out was absolutely, undoubtedly, resolutely livid. I cleared my throat trying to be blasé about the nervous energy that was infiltrating my body and seeping into my very bones. "Yes Sir, that is understandable".

"And you!" – it was now turn for Draco to get a very thorough dressing down in front of the family, but what is a few harsh words between friends, huh? "My own son! My own flesh and blood, though by Ouranos I swear he does not deserve the privilege, not today in any case. Political intrigue?! POLITICAL INTRIGUE?!" – Lucius has catapulted from a raised voice to a dull roar, his anger dwarfed everyone in the room, and looking over at a pale faced meek Draco I could see the tears welling up in his eyes, Narcissa had averted her eyes and was distracting herself by fiddling absent-mindedly with her jewellery, trying to suppress the maternal urge to defend her baby. I looked to Stevos and he was perfectly composed, though I suppose I looked much the same, but inside I was a frantic, nervous wreck. Ask any child and they will agree, that hearing a parent or guardian raise their voice would always trigger this response, whether it was directed at you or not – and that was just any old parent or guardian, this was Lucius Abraxas Malfoy, Lord Lucius Going-to-throttle-the-house-elf-because-my-tea-is-half-a-pigment-off-of-the-colour-chart Abraxas Malfoy. Yes, that was a house elf, a meagre slave class creature whose whole purpose in life since the dawn of time was to serve wizarding families yet somehow this one had managed to be incompetent at that, and we all knew that Lucius Malfoy would do one of two things to younger members of his household: yell at them or calmly summon then to his study for a spanking, as was wizarding custom – it was clear Lucius had allowed his temper to surface for the sole purpose of giving Draco a thorough tongue lashing/dressing down – but despite his dangerous reputation he would never raise his hand. It didn't make it easier to watch however, it was somehow worse to witness than to be on the receiving end of, and suddenly I understood Stevos's mantra to be an obedient son… though I'm sure it would only last all of 48hours tops.

I was broken from my thoughts by poorly concealed sobs emanating from a cowed and repentant Draco. "Do I make myself clear Master Draco Lucius Malfoy?!" "Y-ye-es" came the quivering reply. "Yes father!" correct Lucius sharply, he was now barely above the average talking level. "Yes F-father" "Now unless anyone else has anything else to say about my political ambition or general mannerisms, I suggest we floo to the platform". With that we pulled on our thick woollen travelling cloaks, lined with fur, adjusted our matching Cossack hats and donned dragon hide gloves of the finest quality. "Come now, the train won't wait for you!" chided Lucius in a much more pleasant tenor as Narcissa ushered us into the unlit fireplace. One by one, with a handful of floo powder and the crackling of green flames, we disappeared from the manor. First Narcissa and I, then Stevos, and finally Lucius and Draco; Lucius's arm draped round the shoulders of his youngest son in an inconspicuous gesture of forgiveness.

"Now Stevos I expect you to watch out for Draco and Heredis as I would". "Yes Sir" "Draco, I would suggest you find companionship with the likes of Vincent Crabbe and Gregory Goyle, I know their father's and they both come from upstanding pureblood families. In that vein it has come to my attention that the 'Boy Who Lived' will be in your year, and if he is lucky, in your house. He will make a powerful ally and it would please me if you two were to become acquainted". Draco nodded definitively in response, "Yes Sir". I elbowed my godbrother discreetly, "That's the one with the giant lightning bolt on his forehead, dunderhead" I teased under my breath and he flushed slightly remembering the incident at his robe fitting. "Heredis it would be an amicable arrangement if you would forge friendships with Daphne Greengrass, Miss Millicent Bullstrode, Pansy Parkinson and the Runcorn girl – they will all definitely make Slytherin" "The Runcorn girl?" My query was met with a short but clearly exasperated silence from my god father, "I don't recall her first name but her father is Albert Runcorn, he's a senior official at the Ministry and is on a first name basis with the Minister of Magic" "Godfather, you are on a first name basis with the minister of magic. It doesn't make him special".

Lucius pinched the bridge of his nose with closed eyes and took a moment to calm himself, I smirked internally, I knew from experience that my Godfather often forgot when he was talking to a child rather than an adult, I also knew that I could exploit this to understand the way his mind works, how he went about rearranging the political furniture so to speak, slowly learning the tools of the trade whilst seeking to establish his underestimation of me. Yes, I was loyal, for now. It wasn't that I would ever put a foot against the family that had provided for me emotionally and financially, but this is immaterial, I needed to know that I could… if my hand was forced. When you are surrounded by snakes, it is always safer to be a basilisk. If you noticed earlier that Lord Malfoy Jnr, Stevos; when faced with a dispute between his parents and Draco and I, he had a foot in both camps, he massaged his father's ego and proved his worth as the future head of the Malfoy household, however, he did not actually condemn us nor betray our trust… naturally you didn't notice, I doubt Stevos did himself; growing up a Malfoy there is a very fine line between being the master of manipulation or simply a creature of habit, the hardest trick is discerning whether someone fulfils the former or the latter criterion.

My gaze flickered back to Lucius as he resumed conversation; "Special? No. No one is special Heredis, parents can sing that song 'til the bicorns come home but sooner or later you will learn the truth. Special, no, significant however, yes and I consider Albert Runcorn… significant. You will notice that the Runcorn family name does not feature in the sacred twenty-eight but he has managed to squirm his way into the inner circles of our community; like a disease he needs to be closely monitored and hopefully, if Mr. Runcorn proves as significant as I had hoped, he'll turn out to be a galleon and not leprechaun gold". My brows furrowed, "What is that supposed to mean?", Lucius smiled and ushered me towards the train, "The train won't wait for Merlin and I don't imagine it will wait for you either, child!" Years of etiquette and elocution lessons came crashing down around me as I reverted to a petulant whine "But I don't understand, Leprecha-" Lucius grabbed me by the upper arm and spun me round to face him as he crouched down before me so our faces were at the same height. He held a single galleon between his long slender index and middle fingers, twirling it in a graceful hypnotic dance, "Leprechaun gold has a nasty habit of… disappearing" with that the galleon had vanished, shifting my attention to the sinister smile playing on the contours of the middle-aged man's thin lips.

All too quickly the scarlet locomotive screeched to life, it called out to the straggling students with an indiscriminate hiss. Crowds of people bustled around me as Draco towed me onto the train as he ran excitedly to the nearest carriage, completely forgetting decorum in place of the exuberance of youth. As the Hogwarts Express pulled away from Platform 9 3/4, Draco and I stood on the threadbare seats of the booth elbow to elbow and watched the silhouette of Narcissa and Lucius Malfoy slowly disappear, veiled by the coal-scented translucence of the chuffing smoke billowing from the engineer's compartment.

Once we had clambered back down, we noticed we were sharing the compartment with a single occupant, their face hidden by the broadsheet newspaper The Daily Prophet, In the centre of the front page stood a photo of none other than the boy who lived, stood grinning yet confused abreast the giant oaf of a gamekeeper that tended to our new school's grounds. Black Times New Roman font encircled the image, no doubt the chosen one; the new figure for public adoration, had been the latest victim of journalist Rita Skeeter's shameless vilification, in an attempt to pretend that she was still relevant. "Have you two quite finished?" the familiar voice sounded over the rustle of pages as Stevos set the broadsheet down on his knee. "Why, you aren't taking Father's instruction to watch over us seriously, are you?" asked Draco half seriously. Stevos smirked and tilted his head to the side, pushing the thick frame of his glasses back to the bridge of his nose with a slender index finger before scoffing with a grin; "About as seriously as I'm taking the instruction to stay away from Blaise Zabini!" "So, he knows then?" I probed, eager to hear the full gossip away from craning adult ears. "Perhaps, he just thinks something might be going on". "Stevos, your father never thinks something is going on, he either knows or he keeps it to himself". "Well, he hasn't taken me to get fitted for my Durmstrang robes just yet so either he's not the ignorant traditionalist that we think he is, or he has bigger concerns to occupy him right now. Regardless, I'm quite happy with the current arrangement in any case". Before either Draco or I could come up with a response, we were rudely interrupted by the carriage doors opening and a bushy haired first year girl entering unannounced.

"And you are..?" The girl met Stevos's gaze for half a second before turning to address the whole compartment, apparently entirely oblivious to the unwelcoming atmosphere. "Hermione Granger. Have any of you seen a toad, a boy called Neville is looking for one?" We were silent, taken off guard by the directness and complete irrelevance of her question. "Perhaps you should check your hair" suggested Draco snidely, I coughed on a laugh, the only sound daring to challenge the tense silence. Stevos smacked his younger brother's knee with a rolled-up newspaper. "Don't be rude Draco, it is incredibly unbecoming. The young Miss. Granger is simply trying to locate her friend's errant amphibian-"he turned his head to the first year "-which unfortunately I must add, we haven't seen". Hermione returned Stevos's smile before turning on her heel and leaving the door open in her wake. "So little manners" chided Stevos before flicking his wand offhandedly, causing the door to slam shut. It was silent for a while before we all cracked a smile. "Fire whiskey?", Stevos produced a cut glass decanter, deep amber liquid swilling in the pit of its stomach. "Of course," we obliged as three silver goblets materialised.

"To family and fortune!" We raised our glasses and added in unison the age old saying, "Keep your friends close and your enemies closer". Taking a generous first sip, we savoured the burn in the back of our throats as a tall Italian sauntered in unannounced taking the goblet from Stevos's hand. I stared in amazement, unable to look away or pick my jaw up off the floor as I stared at the oddly at ease stranger. He smirked at the reactions of myself and Draco before throwing an arm around Stevos's neck and raising his stolen goblet, it glinted in the lamplight "To love and lust!" he locked Stevos in a passionate kiss before dropping down next to him, ebony and ivory entwined, they were barely touching but the atmosphere in the carriage was anything but innocent as the energy of attraction crackled between them. "I presume I have the pleasure of finally meeting the legendary Blaise Zabini?" asked Draco matter-of-factly; the Italian raised an eyebrow at the gesture but didn't take his hands off of either Stevos or the goblet. Unabashed at the rejection of his handshake Draco added, "I must say, I imagined you would have higher cheekbones Master Zabini… I wouldn't call him an Adonis!" A slight blush creeped over the back of the elder Malfoys neck, only growing more noticeable as Blaise brushed his lips against the area. "Little brother, I swear on Merlin's saggy left nut!"

The journey continued in much the same manner, the gentle swaying and clickety clacking of the steam engine slowly rocking its passenger into a daze as the scenery trundled past the window, turning from the green brambles of England to the purple heathers of Scotland.