Cal looked at Gigi and Mak beside her, they had been brought from King's Cross Station into the Malfoy Manor parlor by the house elf, Winky. Normally it would be unproper to send a house elf to fetch your guests instead of doing it yourself, she mused, but Narcissa must have been very busy in preparation for all her new guests.

Just then, the parlor's decoratively designed sliding doors swept open with a small click and Narcissa Malfoy walked in the room, the air thick around here with haughty grace. If she's never seen haughty grace before, she was surely seeing it now. She gave a low bow in respect, being greeted when her head raised.

"Ah, Darlings! My beautiful nieces, and Makaria, it's a pleasure to meet you all, I've heard a lot about you from my dear son, Draco."

"The pleasure is ours, Mrs. Malfoy. Thank you for graciously inviting us into your home."

Narcissa waved her hand slightly, brushing off the complimentary welcomes. Her eyes scanned the three girls in front of her, probing for any signs of weakness.

The maroon haired girl in front of her sported a light pink sleeveless cotton dress that fell to above her knees, covered in a large lace pattern of the same color. A thin pink belt accompanied with a tan leather patch had been branded with the Black family crest gave Narcissa a wide smile. A faux-fur coat in a soft tan wrapped over her shoulders, thin nude heels and no jewelry she noted.

Her eyes swept to the left, taking in the older Greek girl. A satin sleeveless dress draped smoothly over her body, headed all the way to the floor, covering her heels. A long cape like sheer fabric, same deep royal blue as the dress, hung from the shoulders, unattached as they made their way down her arms like angel wings. Narcissa gave a short nod of approval before she looked toward the younger Greek.

She immediately bit back a frown at the deep plunging neckline. The dress reminded her of a 20's flapper dress, mixed with Ms. Zabini's lavish lazy style. The neckline of the dress was draped in a beaded pattern that gave the feel of dozens of long pearls, sheer sleeves hung loosely to her elbows. The sheer fabric of the dress continued down her hips, still covered in beads. Only at her upper thighs did it drape into a silver sheer fabric that matched the sleeves, flooding around her feet at the floor. She wasn't sure if she should throttle the girl or compliment her taste.

Cal took the silent minute at being looked over to calm the emotions of what she knew would come next.

"I'll have Winky show you girls to your rooms on the East hall so you can get settled in before dinner with Mr. Malfoy and I. Cal, may I talk to you? In the tea room."

A nod and a pop were all that was left.

Dinner was a relatively smooth affair, until the questions of betrothal was brought up. Cal bit the inside of her cheek as she watched the exchange from heavily lidded eyes. Draco seemed to sink further into his chair, as to avoid being dragged into the women's conversation.

"So, Gigi, I've been told by Draco that you've been dating Adrian Pucey, is that right? Fine boy he is."

A look from Cal helped Gigi keep her mouth metaphorically shut on the matter.

"Yes, Mrs. Malfoy. He is quite charming." Gigi tuned everyone out as her thoughts fled to Oliver. What he said was still stirring something inside of her. The idea of becoming intimate with a man that drove her mad with his pompous attitude made her want to flee the manor via floo to the Wood residence.

The woman nodded in agreement before addressing the eldest girl. "Makaria, I know your mother's family, fine family. I'm sure she approves of your relationship with the Flint heir."

"Good match." Mr. Malfoy popped up in agreement, gazing lazily between everyone at the table. His eyes fell on Makaria at this point in the conversation. "Marcus is a strong man, has a good head on his shoulders. He knows priorities and what must be done for the greater good." His eyes drifted to his son at that line, the boy in turn only gritting his teeth behind his flat mouth.

"I've heard of your father but have never had the pleasure of meeting him after your mother married him. A Hungarian Auror, isn't he?" Narcissa continued the conversation before Mak had a chance to comment on the Flint situation.

"Yes, ma'am. He is." She clenched one hand under the table in her lap as she smiled politely.

"Cal, I'm aware you were close friends with Blaise, I admit I was surprised when Mr. Nott told Lucius that his son was courting you."

"Yes, I a- was indeed good friends with Blaise." Draco gave an undignified snort from across the table. "It wasn't until Montague approached me after the first task of the Tri-Wizard Tournament that I considered dating. Nott asked me to the Yule Ball soon after."

"Ah, the Tri-Wizard Tournament. Must be exciting for you all. How is it going so far?" Lucius piped up again, drifting the conversation away from something so boring – even if a bit important.

"Afraid we haven't had much encouragement to be involved, considering Potter survived the first task, father."

The three girls were spending the next morning in the library after breakfast when Draco swaggered into the room with an air of confidence around him. "Well babes, the boys will be here today." He gave a smirk.

Cal shut her eyes and groaned as Mak's head popped up from her book, "Boys?"

"Theo, Blaise, Adrian, Graham, and Marcus. They spend every Yule holiday at the manor until Christmas. Didn't you know."

Mak slammed her book closed and glared at Cal. "Flint is going to be here?"

"What's wrong Mak, trouble in paradise?" Draco gave a barking laugh as he left the library to greet his friends in the parlor.

"You know how I feel about Marcus, Cal!"

"It's not like Gi told you either." Cal threw under the bus, standing and replacing the book before going to greet her boyfriend and lover – who had just arrived if the boyish shouts from the floor below them was any indication.

The boys were seated around the sitting room of the east wing, glasses of firewhiskey in hand as they laughed among each other. Cal sat properly beside Theo, while Gigi had snuggled herself on the couch between Adrian's legs, his rear on the back of the couch, feet on the cushion, and arms wrapped securely around her shoulders. He leaned down to kiss the top of her head every few seconds, reminding the others of the plastic bird on a stick that dips down for water.

They had only been in there for an hour before Mak had calmed her nerves enough to enter the room softly. Flint stood from his resting position on the piano bench immediately, but closer to the door Graham stood as well, offering the girl a hand and seating her beside him on the couch opposite of Adrian, Gigi, and Draco. She sat down beside Cal as Graham sat back down beside her, tossing a throw pillow out of the way.

Blaise brought her a glass from the bar, making sure not to trip over Theo's stuck out foot. Mak considered declining for only a second before snatching the glass and taking three deep swallows. The fire like heat burned straight through her stomach and she held in a small gag as her throat calmed and settled.

"The fool Neville was about shit himself when Potter's dragon broke it's chain. You should have seen it, Theo! I thought the poor fool was going to throw himself over the railing to search for a hiding spot."

Laughter busted out as the boy's conversation sprouted to other events in the Triwizard tournament, mostly of Diggory and Krum, and Cal softly slipped her pinkie around Mak's, giving the digit a comforting squeeze.

The next two days had passed quickly, Graham surprisingly helping act as a buffer between Mak and Marcus. When the Malfoy Seniors weren't around to delegate appropriate actions of young unmarried purebloods, Gigi and Adrian were holed up in one of their rooms, saving everyone the disgusting public displays of affection.

It seemed Gigi had relaxed from her previous thoughts, the Quidditch captain long forgotten, as she rolled over on the floor. Soft white shag rug beneath her as her bare back collided into the hard hot one of her companions. He secured her in his arms, wrapping them tightly around her waist as he dragged fingers lightly up and down her arms and sides, willing goosebumps from her.

"Why do you smell like vanilla and mangos all the time?" He hummed into her hair, moving his face down slowly to kiss the back of her ear, then lower, and lower. Eventually he met the muscle that pulled her neck flawlessly into her shoulder and gave a sharp nip.

She squealed, wiggling in his arms until he relented his grip to let her roll to face him. When she was flushed against his chest, head leaned back to look up at him, he retightened his arms and kissed her on the forehead. "Why do you always smell like fresh jasmine tea and slow burning wood in late fall?"

He gave a low chuckle, his hot chest vibrating against her, "I don't drink tea. Especially not something as light and hygienic as jasmine." He kept the quip about having burned Oliver Wood with magical fire before the Yule ball to himself.

"Is the scent of a man suppose to mean anything?" Mak and Cal looked up from their books in the library, Gigi's question bringing a snort-cough-laugh combination from Graham.

"Do you not pay attention in potions?" Cal asked, followed by Mak's "Its called pheromones, Gi."

"Are you trying to tell us Adrian doesn't shower, Gi?" Graham gave another laugh, "He's always the first one out of the locker room after quidditch."

"Ew, no!" Gi wrinkled her nose, "He smells like tea and burnt wood. I like it but I don't think it's a typical combination."

Graham gave a shrug, "Blaise once said in a drunk stupor that Cal smells of volcanos and tropical fruits – coconuts I think." Said girl blanched, dropping her book to look at the offending older boy.

Mak barked out a laugh, "What about you, Cal? What does Blaise smell like?" "The ocean, and burning wood. Must be a quidditch thing. I'm sure whipping around on wooden brooms gives quite the crotch burn, eh Graham?"

The boy blushed and stammered before shooting another question at her. "What about Theo? Hot coffee maybe?"

"A forest after it rains... and tobacco." "Tobacco?" She gave a shrug when suddenly Graham pushed himself upon Mak, invading her personal space when he purred out, "What about me, Mak? What do I smell like?"

"Dark chocolate and self-centeredness!" Mak blushed, putting her hands on his chest to push him back, but the color on her face deepened to that of a sweet black cherry when the muscles rippled under her fingertips beneath the thin dark blue shirt and he didn't budge a centimeter.

"Nice try, princess. Just because our quidditch captain lets you shove him around doesn't mean the rest of us bend like bamboo. Unless you ask nicely."

Shrieks of Gigi's laughter could be heard down the hallway as Mak thought about how Marcus always seems to smell of rich soap and firewhiskey. Surprisingly, the combination wasn't repulsive.

The air had gotten colder over the week and the frozen lake beyond the Malfoy's garden had become solid enough to skate on. At the admission the night before that she had never tried it before, Blaise asked her in private if she would accompany him on Christmas Eve morning, and he would teach her. With consideration, Cal agreed. And this is how she found herself sliding around on the edge of the ice, laughter flooding between the two as she continuously fell backwards, his grip on her arms loosening and tightening every time her feet slipped from under her on the magically transfigured bladed boots. Laughter and flirtatious comments flooded from Blaise as Theo watched them from the closest wing's window. His fists griped tightly at his sides, blood drawn from his palm by his short fingernails. His eyebrows un-furrowed when a large hand rested on his shoulder. A look up and to his right brought his eyes to his father's cold face that looked beyond the window. As Theo's gaze fell back on the icy breath that came out in laughs from the couple's mouths, the hand on his shoulder tightened painfully.

Later in the afternoon, sun high in the sky, a warming bubble charm had been placed in the garden. Surrounded by gorgeous flowers of all types, deep rich colors breezed around them. The snow-melted ground was covered with a large stereotypical red plaid picnic blanket. A basket filled with expensive out-of-season fruits and containers of soft steaming pastas sat between the two.

"Going to Lady and the Tramp this date, aren't you?"

"What?" Adrian turned to the girl, confused, as he popped open a small bottle of champagne. The idea for the picnic had come to him only the day before when the group of young adults was gathered around the fireplace, trying to stay warm from the previous snowball fight.

Gigi shook her head with a giggle. "Muggle movie." He blinked again while pouring two glasses, "What is a movie?"

Another laugh came from her as he leaned over to her and tilted the glass to her lips. The sweet bubbly texture poured over her tongue, a small drop rolling off her lips and down her chin. With the glass pulled away, Adrian stuck his thumb out to wipe it, an antagonizing slow gesture, before placing the glass down and kissing her tenderly.

"I want to give you something, of my mother's." Her mouth parted but no words came out.

He pulled out of the picnic basket a small box and handed it to her to open herself.

With all the care in the world, she opened the box to find a silver thin necklace, long enough to reach down past her bust, a large diamond hanging from it in a teardrop shape. Beside the necklace laid a smaller circular chain, covered in charms of different things that reminded her quite obscurely of Hogwarts. "Adrian, I – "

"My father gave that bracelet to my mother when they graduated Hogwarts, as to remind her of how long he loved her and all their memories within the walls. The necklace, well the necklace was my great grandmothers. Its nothing special, but it matches. And my mother always wore the two of them together when I was a child. She has since evolved to newer, larger anniversary pieces."

Gigi opened and closed her mouth a few more times, unable to form a word that wasn't his name. Accepting her silence for a heartfelt thank you, he took her lips in his once again, taking the box delicately out of her hands and setting it onto the blanket before pulling her into his lap.

Her world spun as she kissed him heatedly, how could she deny such a gesture. Her want for a promiscuous single life had vanished within the week she spent away from Hogwarts with the boy and she found herself enjoying the idea of continuing this type of week for months, maybe years to come.