I fluttered about my dorm putting on makeup and straightening my hair as I chanced an excited look out of the thick window pane to the courtyard below. "Stop that, Ro." My roommate, Brunhilde, snapped nervously as I once again peered out of the window. "I'm nervous enough without you sneaking a glance at the festivities every second." She continued. Brunhilde stood in front of the window and looked me up and down. "Quit messing with your hair and get your robes on. We have to be down there in ten minutes and I'd prefer getting down before the rush."

"Okay, okay. No need to be grumpy." I sighed as I slipped on the crimson robes. I shifted the hood over my head so that the black fur trim framed my face, then slipped on my gloves and gracefully swept downstairs.

As I reached the Great Room a birdlike figure swept down upon me. "About time, Malfoy! Vandervere!" Twittered Frauline Laufer. "Malfoy, please take your place behind Maalkin. Vandervere, end of the column please!" I shot a reassuring glance at Brunhilde as she took her place in a column of crimson and black. The student twittered nervously as they awaited the Frauline. Finally, the great stone doors ahead of them slowly groaned open giving the impression that the great room was yawning awake. There was a sudden precarious silence as the students looked expectantly at Laufer. Laufer waited a moment as the student body took a collective breath and then nodded at the first column. "And so it begins!" I thought, unable to quell the cloud of excitement that was rising in my chest.

"I can't believe we finally graduated!" Brunhilde wrapped her arms around me in an asphyxiating embrace. "I-" I gulped for air, "I thought the day would never come!"

"Oh, I know!" Squealed Brunhilde. "After all the trouble we've gotten ourselves into, I thought we would be called into Karkaroff's office any instant to be informed of further incarceration here!"

"Oh, well I wasnt too worried about myself. But I was sure they weren't going to let you pass!" I ducked as my friend swatted at me. I laughed happily. Nothing could have brought me down today, I was free to pursue my wildest dreams, what with top marks in all my classes, no door was closed to me.

"So, what do you think you'll do now that you're a free woman?" Brunhilde asked cheerily.

I grinned dreamily. "Do you even have to ask?"

Brunhilde rolled her eyes but failed to suppress a knowing smile. "So you still plan on becoming some sort of hermit in South America order to study . . . what was it?"

"Ancient magic of indigenous magical cultures! Oh Brunhilde! There's just so much more magic that we don't know! But my first stop will be New Orleans, then deep Mexico, then Ecuador, of course . . ."

"Yeah, yeah, yeah. Be sure to visit Europe some time and not forget about me." Brunhilde pouted.

I snapped out of my daydream. "Of course I'll visit you. I'll be in Europe all summer before I leave for the Americas." I looked affectionately at my friend. "Enough of all that anyhow. Lets join the party! We have our certificates! What's keeping us sober!?" Brunhilde grinned at me.

I was just as happy the next day (despite my massive hangover) as I made my way down to the courtyard once again. This time lugging a bright red trunk. I was going home. I hadn't been home in over four years as there had been a wizarding war raging in Europe and my parents had kept me safely preoccupied with summer classes at Durmstrang. I was eternally grateful for this as I had been safe and was also able to graduate early as a result. I had seen my parents the few times they came to visit, every time looking a bit more strained and weary. But now things would be different, I thought happily. The war was over, my parents had remained neutral despite my Uncle's affiliation with the Dark Lord, everything would be fine.

I spotted the line for the London portkey and joined the queue eagerly.

I scanned the crowded warehouse for my parent's faces, finally spotting them oddly apart from the other bustling parents. I hurried over to them happily. Only, as I neared them I knew something was amiss. My parents faces looked tired and worn. Both of them hugged me just a little too hard, smiled just a little too tightly, and apparated out of the warehouse far too rushed. I looked about me as I apparated into the my old home. I hadn't seen it in four years but even so I didn't remember it being quite this dismal. The home had about as much cheer as a funeral parlor and to make things worse my parents would speak only in hushed tones as if afraid to waken some terrible beast.

"Roisin dear, let me help you take your things up." My mother softly clucked. My room, at least, hadn't changed much. Yet, even though nothing had been moved it lacked its once held homey quality. I sat on my bed and stared at my mother who seemed to be looking at anything that wasn't me. "Mom, whats going on?" I pleaded softly unable to take any more. My mother looked at me, then sat down on a small chair facing me. "Ro, things aren't how they used to be." My mother said wearily. "The name of Malfoy is no longer respected. We are outcast. Spat upon. Your poor sister is afraid to leave the house with her child without a disguising charm these days. Lucius' affiliation is common knowledge. The public hates us, Roisin.'' My mother closed her eyed wearily. I sputtered, "But you had nothing to do with that! And wasn't Lucius and Draco cleared of all charges after what Narcissa did?"

"Yes, but we did not help the other side either, Ro. As far as the public is concerned the name Malfoy is synonymous with Death Eater."

I looked down. How had I not thought of these things. I had been so far removed from the war at Durmstrang that I had not thought of the repercussions it was having closer to home.

My mother got up to leave. "Dinner will be ready at five so try and get some rest before then. Your Uncle will be joining us, as will your sister. We have much more to discuss.'' and with that she left.

At a quarter till five I crept down the stone stairwell, leaning to get a peek into the dining room. Lucius was there, as well as my parents. It seemed my sister had yet to arrive. "Roisin, dear." Lucius welcomed me with a stiff hug as I entered the dining room. "It's been too long." I nodded mutely. Suddenly the dining room fire turned green and out walked my sister, Edwyna, pushing a curtain of white blond hair out of her pale pointed face. My sister and I simply nodded at each other, we had never gotten along and no sleep was lost over one or the other in the four years that we hadn't seen each other.

Dinner was a quite affair. The food was the only thing in the room that was remotely warm yet I still found it wanting. Finally, after goblets had been filled with a second round of strong wine Lucius cleared his throat. "I believe it is time to discuss the future of this family." He stared directly at me and I shifted uncomfortably under his scrutiny. "As you may have been informed, Roisin, the name of Malfoy no longer commands the respect it once did.'' And who's fault is that?! I thought silently. "I never thought I would see the day when Malfoys would be social outcast, yet here we are." He continued. "However, the Malfoy family will survive. That has always been the goal: to survive. We have aligned ourselves with whom we thought gave us the best chance of survival." He stared around at each face at the table as if challenging them to refute him. "But we cannot always be right. Our family would have no chance of survival if my wife had not done what she did. And now we must do our part. We have escaped imprisonment and loss of our assets but now we much reclaim our most important trait. Our social standing." Lucius finished triumphantly. "And we cannot do this without you, Roisin." I looked startled around the table as each face looked at me expectantly. "Er- well, I'll do what I can but how exactly do you expect me to go about this?" I would do all I could but the way they looked at me was as if they were expecting me to sacrifice myself to the snake god or something. "How old are you, Roisin?" Lucius asked silkily. "Er- seventeen." I answered confused. "Ah." Said Lucius "and with eighteen right around the corner it may be time you started thinking about your marriage prospects."

"My . . . Sorry, what?" I sputtered. Marriage prospects! I had just gotten out of school. I had a career I wanted to invest in. What was Lucius playing at?

"It's not so uncommon, dear." Lucius continued "The Malfoys have always made marriages based on strategy. And your's, my dear, could save us from social stigmatism."

"Just think about it, dear." My mother broke in. This was the first time she had spoken since dinner ended. "Think about your sister!" I snorted. "Your nephew!" Well, she had a point there. Gem was just an innocent child, he didn't deserve to be a social leper like the rest of us. I looked at my parent's strained faces and sighed. I knew I would do anything to make them laugh again.

"Fine." I snapped. "What is your plan . . . . Lucius?"

My Uncle sniffed. "The only family we can align ourselves with that will truly get us back into societies good graces . . ." I waited for.

" . . . are . . ." I winced at the venom in his voice.

" . . . the . . ." Lucius looked as if he would vomit the name.

"Weasleys."

I stared. "Er- well, at least I have a wide variety of choices." I said trying to lighten the mood. Lucius looked sick.

"Quite." He retorted icily.

"Well, you will choose one of the five. I believe the eldest is already married. Your advantage is that no one knows you are a Malfoy, so try to keep it that way until the fly is already in your proverbial bed -web, I mean." I stared at him wide eyed. He was serious. "There will be a memorial service Friday honoring the anniversary of the fallen at the battle of Hogwarts. You will attend. You will have a clear view of the family. You will choose one of the Weasley boys. You will tell us your choice and we will do what we can to throw you in his path." Lucius looked smug. "And if I may make a suggestion. The lot of them are rabble but Persius Weasley is slightly more to our taste. Good job. Ambitious. Look him over first."

"I'll keep that in mind." I could feel bile rising in the back of my throat. I hadn't expected anything so soon. Friday? How long had they been planning this? I thought angrily.

Suddenly Edwyna broke out into chatter. Advising me how to act, what to wear, how to walk . . . and on it went. By the time I staggered to my bed the reality of the situation came crashing down on me. I was going to have to marry! Out went my dreams of studying ancient magical cultures! I stared at my ceiling, completely drained. Eventually I fell into a fitful sleep.