Music played boredly, whining with out-of-tune string instruments that could put anyone to sleep, that anyone being the just graduated Athena Malfoy, sister of Lucius Malfoy(graduated senior of last year) and daughter of Abraxas Malfoy a pure blooded high-class wizard of London. Yawning the dark haired beauty looked over at her future sister-in-law Narcissa Black, another high-class society witch that's beauty still stunned even Athena, no wonder her older brother was betrothed to her. "Royal balls are such a bore, aren't they Cissy?" she asked yawning before Narcissa looked up with her dark eyes rolling them before giving off a small chuckle. "This ball is for you Darling, thought you would be dancing with the finest men in Wizarding London if you had the chance," she explained right as Lucius came up, kissing his fiance on the cheek, his platinum hair pulled up into a bun showing off his royal like features.
"Narcissa, my darling, come dance with me, I need to show off my beautiful fiance to the Elders," Athena's brother smiled before pulling up the brunette, guiding her onto the dance floor as his sister sighed to herself before pulling out her wand, flicking it at a vase watching it turn into a small butterfly. The new graduated senior of Hogwarts School of Witchcraft and Wizardry would have rather been spending time back at the school, back in her Ravenclaw dorm, studying with her friends and sketching in her sketch book around the fireplace. Abraxas was never happy about her not being in Slytherin, something that she couldn't have helped, but instead of kicking her out of Malfoy manor or disowning her, he simply betrothed her to some older wizard that worked for the ministry.
It wasn't something she wanted to happen, Athena wanted to work for the school system, be a new art teacher since hers retired the year of graduation. She wanted to make a difference when it came to teaching, letting students express themselves not only through magic spells and potions. Athena wanted to run away, away from her father's strict rules, her brother's perfect marriage and her own forced marriage to a man that she didn't even know. Except all of that seemed in possible since she had nowhere to go or anybody to help that wasn't starting their lives after graduation. She had many close friends that had offered her to stay with them, but the bad thing about being a Malfoy is you never let your pride be destroyed by help from others, you have to work for yourself to see greatness.
The music of the ball was getting louder, drowning out her thoughts as her blue eyes looked toward the butterfly reaching out for it as if to ask for help, it's fragile wings trembling slightly under her light touch, causing her to bring her hand back scared to hurt the poor thing. "Fly away little one," Athena whispered to it, not wanting to turn it back into a glass vase, wanting the small butterfly to have a chance to escape the ball before it got caught up in all the madness. "Leave, go and never come back," she whispered again, before feeling eyes on her, the daze that she was slowly being lifted like a veil as she looked up into dark cold eyes.
"Talking to yourself Ms. Malfoy?" He asked, his skin pale, dark brown hair pulled back and short as he looked down her with a slight smirk. The man looked about in his early forties, standing taller than her father, and more regal than any man that she had seen at the party. The music that had once put her to sleep had now stopped, and Athena realized everybody was looking over at her table, more so at the man that was standing in front of her. "I was just…" the young woman whispered, wondering why she was unable to speak to this man, her eyes fixed on his hands as he reached out taking the butterfly, looking at it with dark mysterious eyes, before crushing her creation in his palm. "Stupid girl…"
"My Lord!" Athena sat there in shocked as her father came over to the man bowing to him, her blue eyes glazed as she looked at the little broken insect fall onto the table, its wings broken and switching as she reached out the tip of her finger causing the small creature to turn into dust in front of her eyes. Stupid girl. The Ravenclaw looked up giving off a glare, her eyes darkened as the man looked down at her father, giving him a boring look before his stare came back to Athena meeting her glare equally and just as hard.
"She's a bit of dreamer, you didn't mention that in our meeting Malfoy," He said lowly to Abraxas to chuckle nervously, looking down at his daughter as well with a look of shame and disappointment, shaking his head before standing up straight to respond to the cold man. "My Lord, she is a perfect bride. Top of her class, Head Girl, was awarded the Medal for Magical Merit like you, your grace," her father looked back down at her again, causing her to stand up coming up to chest level of the mysterious man. "She's also very beautiful, good genes for my children," the man commented, reaching out the grasp Athena by the chin forcing her to look up into his eyes again.
"Yes, she is very beautiful My Lord, perfect as your bride," All their words were dancing into the graduate's ears, everything connecting as she opened her mouth to speak wanting to know whom exactly her future husband was. "Excuse sir, may I have your name?" The whole ballroom went silent as the man laughed before letting go of her chin, shaking his head as he laughed even harder before looking back up into her eyes, stopping abruptly seeing the seriousness in her eyes before he cleared his throat and stood up straight with cold serious eyes.
"I see, your daughter is a funny one, doesn't even know who I am," he smirked down at her father as Athena looked down at her shoes before back into his eyes, shaking her head with a little bit of confusion. "Sir, I honestly don't know who are," she let a slight chuckle to try and ease the tense in the room, which rewarded her with a gasp from all the guest, and a small growl coming from her future husband. "You don't know WHO I AM?" he asked sounding offended as Athena took a slight step back, hearing the threat in his voice as her fingers tightened around her wand, not sure if this man was going to attack her or not. "You stupid girl, not knowing who I am, your Lord and Master, your King, THE LORD VOLDEMORT!" He got louder as he finally said his title, causing Athena to shrink slightly and the whole room to shake as he finally took a deep breath causing himself to calm down and smooth his hair.
The future bride to the Dark Lord stood there shocked, hearing of the things that he had done, but there was no inkling of him being her future husband, plus this was her first time meeting him in person. Biting her lip Athena made eye contact with him, standing straight as her dark hair fall to the middle of her back, her face expressionless as she began to speak slowly and mindfully to her future husband. "My apologies my lord, I have heard many things about you and your great power, I didn't know I would ever have the honor to be betrothed to you," she bowed her head before looking around the room a small blush on her cheeks from everyone hearing that he called her stupid. "Also I am not a stupid girl, I haven't taken a holiday off since I've been going to Hogwarts, that's why I had never heard of your name. It is my fault for being stuck in my studies, for wanting to make my family proud and able to marry such a man like you,"
The whole ballroom stayed silent as Voldemort smirked his hand reaching out to pat her head, her curls bouncing softly underneath his uncalloused hands, her head looking up into his eyes as he let out a dark laugh. "Well my girl you are stupid for not knowing my name, you are also stupid for talking to me in such a way, but I will forgive you, being the good husband I am," he said proudly, sending a chill down Athena's spine knowing he wasn't going to be a good husband, knowing that she was not going to be happy with him, but if it made her father happy then she was forced to be with this Dark Lord. "Yes, sir, thank you," her father smiled before looking over at everyone, them smiling now seeing the drama was over as the music started up and the dancing continued, leaving Athena and Voldemort alone in their own little dark bubble.
"My bride…" The man whispered reaching out to play with her curls, looking into her blue eyes as she stood there frozen not knowing what to say or do while she was in his arms. "My Lord, why did you come here?" she whispered lowly back, feeling her heart race nervously compared to his steady heartbeat that was almost too faint to even feel. "To see you, of course, wanted to know if my bride was even worthy enough of marrying me," he gave her a charming smile that even stopped her heart for a minute, causing the young woman to blush again as she looked away clearing her throat. "Well, of course, she is a stupid girl, but her beauty and body are going to make up for everything,"
Athena stood there in shock from his words, pulling back slightly, only to have him pull her back to him with a growl. Dragging her onto the dancefloor, he roughly placed his hand on her waist, and pressing her breast against his chest, causing her to gasp feeling small bruises starting to form on her skin. "My beauty won't last long," she hissed shifting her weight in his hands hearing him give out a dark chuckle just tightening his grip as they moved side to side with the music that played sounding more like a funeral march rather than the waltz