It was an altogether lovely afternoon in the countryside of England. It was late summer, August thirty-first, to be exact, and many children were squeezing in a final swim before the end of the season; but the children we will be studying are not so common.
In the rather extravagant garden of a Wiltshire manor, several children wandered about, looking over albino peacocks and white, winged horses, as if they were something one saw every day. For these children, though, it was so.
They were at the top of the food chain in their own society; practically royalty, one might say. They were rich, powerful, and beautiful, with a name that implied all three.
Starting from the bottom, there was a ten year old, Walden MacNair. The MacNair boy was well-groomed and athletic, with rough hands and windswept hair, of a chestnut hue. His unusually tall frame and wide-shoulders set him apart from other boys his age, and his weather-beaten skin made him unique from the rest of the aristocracy. Both traits were gleaned from much time spent outdoors, both playing quidditch and dealing with the menagerie he kept. His family had ten million galleons worth of assets in business and real estate, and more money in the bank, as well as in stocks.
Next came a pair of boys, Sirius and Regulus Black, eight and five, respectively. Both had dark hair and eyes, and an evenly toned complexion. The older boy, though, kept his hair rebelliously long, and his shirt untucked. He loved causing others undue misery, but managed to be quite entertaining and creative while doing so. The younger had the crisp, humble look of an overly-mothered child, and straggled at the back of the group, as is all too common among hen-pecked youths. Regulus didn't enjoy much of anything, he simply did what was asked of him. Their parents held twelve million in their various assets, and had money to spare. The brothers also had the added bonus of a father who was a dynamo in politics, and took great part in diplomacy.
Then there were three girls, as different in look as they were in personality. At ten, Bellatrix was the oldest, with dark, wavy hair and marvelous indigo-hued eyes. She was an echo of her father, and inherited his hidden cunning, but she was her own person, with an explosive temper to attest to the fact. In the middle was Andromeda, age eight. She was pretty, with light brown locks and bright, brown eyes, but her demeanor was ever wavering. She seemed completely inhibited and unsure of herself, and preferred to shy away from others. She instead made flower arrangements, or took tea with her mother. Her parents insisted she would make a lovely wife to some pure-blooded aristocrat, one day. Youngest of the three was Narcissa. At seven, she was lovely, with silky blonde hair, deep blue eyes, and skin as white as virgin snow: her parents vowed that she would be a terrible beauty once she aged. She kept rather quiet, unless provoked, and enjoyed picking flowers and holding tea parties with her cousin Regulus. The Black sisters enjoyed the benefit of a widely renowned socialite for a mother, an even better known business man for a father, and seventeen million galleons in real estate alone, with millions more in stocks, business, and the Gringotts vaults.
And at the top of the chain was Lucius Malfoy, the only heir to the Malfoy name. He was lovely for his age, with a frame just like his best mate, MacNair. His hands, however, were smooth, and his complexion fair. Also contrasting with his friend, the youngest Malfoy kept his blonde hair impeccably groomed, and his eyes were a piercing silver-blue, rather than a deep brown. Despite looking like the perfect spoiled little prince, he did hold a deep and unwavering passion for quidditch; in fact, he loved anything involving any sort of competition. The Malfoy family had an astounding twenty-two million galleons in real estate and business, and like the other families near their status, had enough money in the bank to finance a third-world country.
This little royal party finally settled around a small table towards the back of the gardens, in the shade of a magnificent old oak.
"Do you like it, then?" Lucius asked, looking at his guests curiously. He had only just given his group a tour of the manors new wing, which added another fifteen bedrooms, twelve baths, and five parlors to the hulking home. While they were at it, the Malfoys had also decided to purchase another five house elves, as well three foals to add to the herd of winged horses. If you're going to live big, you might as well live huge.
The children gave various nods and mutterings of consent. Though they all quite enjoyed the manor, and each others company, this was a rather tedious day for all of them. They had to endure the social escapades of their parents all too often, and on the last day of the summer, none of them were much in the mood to play along.
However, summer didn't mean much to them. None of the children would be attending any sort of magical academy this year, though they intensely desired an escape from home. They would have to endure another year before even the oldest among them could attend.
"Want some pastries?" Lucius muttered. A few nodded, and after a snap of the young host's fingers, a house elf appeared. "Get us something to eat, now." With that, the servant was gone.
A moment later, the creature appeared again, bowing low and setting a tray upon the table, piled high with delicacies such as sugared flowers, crystallized fruits, artful cupcakes, and petit fours. Sirius was all too quick to grab the cupcake with the most frosting, and hurl it at the elf. The children burst out in snickers as the creature disappeared, utterly humiliated. Bella grinned at her cousin and patted his arm, "You sure know how to treat them, Siri."
"Someone has to, right? Otherwise those stupid activists will ruin all of our fun," he retorted, still cackling. With this, a fresh round of laughter started, as the group partook of the sweets. All too quickly, their parents were emerging, retrieving their children to return home. They bid friendly farewells to each other as they were whisked away, one by one, via side-along apparation.
But, they didn't have to wait long to see each other. The Blacks visited each other four or five times a week, as they were family, and their whole little group usually met at least once a week, sometimes with the addition of the Avery, Rosier, or Lestrange children. Each time would be different, though. Sometimes there were galas, sometimes there was sledding, sometimes quidditch, sometimes tea. Each time new memories were created. All too soon, though, the year was speeding up. Soon, Christmas was gone, then Valentines Day, then Easter, and suddenly, summer had come back; and all too quickly, Lucius, Walden, and Bellatrix received their Hogwarts letters.
That was the first sign of division. The elder three muttered of Hogwarts worries, of sorting and books and teachers, while the younger simply spent their time picking flowers, or hitting house elves, or lighting Aunt Elladora's cats on fire.
And all at once, they found themselves at Platform Nine and Three-Quarters, wishing their friends and relatives farewell. Bella was bouncing with excitement, wand clasped in hand, ready and willing to board the Express. Lucius was absolutely stoic, his father, Abraxas, clamping a heavy hand on his son's shoulder as he spoke to him in a low voice. Walden simply looked about, as if none of this was really special at all. Then again, Walden had been through this three times already, with his older brothers.
"Promise you'll write us, then?" Andromeda pleaded, staring anxiously at the three.
Bella laughed heartily. "Of course, Andy. We're not just going to abandon you; right boys?" The two youngsters nodded, not quite listening
"You must promise," Andromeda pouted, looking to the two boys.
"I, for one, don't care if you gits write or not. You'd better though, or I'll give you hell once you get home," Sirius glared at the two, and at this, they broke into rough grins.
"'Course, Sirius," muttered Walden, shaking the young Black's hand. Lucius nodded an affirmative as well, also shaking the younger boy's hand. "We'll be sure to plot out all the weaknesses of the school for you, that way you can make up for lost time when you finally arrive." At that, the boys laughed at each other, slapping backs and smiling still.
"You will write Reggie and me, won't you?" Narcissa asked quietly. For once, she looked quite unsettled, like a little child, afraid of being left all alone.
"Yeah, we'll write you, Cissy. I dunno about Reggie, I don't think he can even read yet, but we're not about to just forget all about you. We'll be friends just the same, even from Hogwarts," Lucius assured her gently, rubbing her shoulders slightly.
The train whistle blared loud and clear, warning the little seven-some that they only had a precious two minutes left to say good-byes.
"Bye then," Andy muttered, kissing all three on the cheeks and giving big hugs. Narcissa followed suit, though the boys had to bend slightly for her to reach them. Sirius did no such thing, however, and gave both boys a handshake, reserving a hug for his cousin. Reggie though, rather confused, simply followed Narcissa's example, receiving the appropriate "Awww" from all mothers present.
The parents then bid their children a good year and demanded a letter as soon as they got settled into their dormitory, saying little things like how they couldn't wait for the Christmas holidays, listen to your teachers, and so on. Each one smiled dutifully and endured the endless hugs and kisses until, finally, the last whistle blared.
Relieved to escape, the three bid a final farewell and scampered onto the train, settling into a compartment with Evan Rosier and second year Rodolphus Lestrange, both family friends. Lucius glanced between Bella and Walden as the train pulled away from the station. "This is going to be a long few years, huh?" he muttered, smiling wistfully.
Bella turned and stared at him as if he had just grown antlers. "And why in the world would you even say that? We're going to Hogwarts! Hogwarts, don't you hear me? We haven't even started yet, and still you say this is going to be dreadful! They may not teach the Dark Arts, but it should still be rather fun! Lighten up, Lucy!"
The blonde shrugged slightly, shoving his hands into his pockets. "I'm just going to miss seeing everyone all the time, you know? I just can't wait until everyone else is here, that's all."
She smirked cruelly, her eyes narrowing. "Oh, so wittle Wucius is home sick? Dats too bad. Should I call your mummy and ask her for your teddy bear?"
"Shut up, Bella, what I feel isn't any of your damn business!" he snarled, lashing out at the girl.
At this, she only cackled wildly.
Yes, he believed he was quite right. It would be a long few years without all of his friends around. Frankly, Christmas simply couldn't come fast enough for the young Lucius Malfoy.
Well, my first chaptered fanfic in a while. Let me know what you think; feedback is vastly appreciated.