Authors note: I do not own Harry Potter

Draco's POV

Greengrass Estate

My parents and I arrived at the Greengrass Estate early. They were holding the New Years Ministry Ball here this year.

We apparated into the main entrance and we were greeted by Mrs. Greengrass herself. She was dressed in silver with feathers sticking out everywhere.

"Narcissa, Lucious, and Draco! Please come in! I'm so glad you could make it."

I thought it was funny how she said it like we had an option not to come. My father worked there and my mother helped plan the party.

"Everything looks lovely, dear," said mother radiantly.

"It's a pleasure to be here again, and thank you for having us," my father spoke while looking around her.

Then my mother looked to me, expecting my response.

"Good evening, Mrs. Greengrass. I can't wait for a lovely evening." I said, offering my best fake smile.

None saw through the facade, and they looked pleased. My mother placed a hand on my shoulder and we were directed into a ballroom.

The room was usually empty and dark. I couldn't recall ever seeing this room in use before. But today was special. Gold and green was the color scheme, and a few house elves were popping in and out with plates of hors d'oeuvres.

"Oh, Draco. Isn't this grand. I remember when we held the New Years Ball at the manor. You were a toddler then...," my mother was rambling while my father located the bar.

"Well mother, I guess I'll walk around until I see someone I know."

"But dear, we are early, no one is here-"

"Draco!"

My mother and I turned in the direction of the high-pitched voice.

Astoria was rushing down the stairs towards us.

"I guess you can walk with Astoria, but stay where we can find you, Draco." Mother said while maintaining a smile. She was the queen of keeping appearances.

She approached us in her Slytherin green ball gown and her hair was carefully pulled back into a bun.

"Draco, I'm so glad to have you here!" She turned to my mother and curtsied. "Glad to have you as well, Mrs. Malfoy."

"Thank you, Astoria. Draco can't wait to spend the final week of the holidays at the Greengrass Estate with you and Daphne."

"I know! I have so much planned! Me and mother wanted to take you around the grounds, and maybe even stay a night at the hunting lodge, and since it's cold we can have hot chocolate and-"

"That sounds lovely, Astoria. Sounds like you have it all planned out." My mother was grinning, but I could see the hidden nervousness in her eyes.

If she were to pay attention to me right now, she'd see me pursing my lips and refraining from running back to the manor. I had agreed to stay here during the holidays, but that was only because I was pressured to. Since father told me about me and Astoria being arranged, I couldn't help the thoughts of us being in love in the future.

Astoria was nice enough. And she certainly was very well dressed. But she was always just my friend that I could count on saving me from her mean sister. Merlin, the thought just hit me that I could have been betrothed to Daphne. I should be thankful I guess...

"Yes, I think it'll be fun!" Astoria was glowing now and she was looking at me like a puppy dog ready to play.

"I'm sure it'll be enjoyable..." I replied. It was lifeless response and I think it embarrassed mother. I watched as she had to make up for my mistaken response.

"You two enjoy yourselves! Just stay where we can find you, I'm going to help your mother."

"Oh, she's upstairs finishing Daphne's hair!" Astoria had grabbed my arm and was dragging me across the ballroom to the stage.

"Ouch, Astoria! Let go!"

"I told you, you can call me Tori," she said with too much cheer.

"Alright, Tori. Let go, I can lead myself!" I didn't like calling her that.

"We're having Bianca Bluewater sing this evening! She's such a great singer! She's from America!" Astoria was leaning against the stage and twiddling her fingers.

"That's nice."

We looked at each other, having a slightly awkward moment where we didn't know what to say.

I mustered out a laugh and leaned against the stage next to her, looking out at the adults entering the ballroom.

"I don't really want to dance. I know this is a ball, but I'd prefer not to. Is there something else we can do?"

"Oh gosh yes! I'm so glad you said that, because I haven't been a good pupil to my dance instructor! She says I have two left feet..."

"Wonderful."

"Wanna go walking around the house? I can show you my grandparents. I don't want to go outside..."

"Outside sounds good."

"But I'd freeze!" The thought did make me shudder.

"Call your house elves for some clothes," I snapped.

"But I wanted to wear this dress! Mother would be furious!" She was whining and it irritated me.

"Fine. Let's walk around the house."

We walked side by side and she gave me a tour of the house. I had been through the halls before, but was never given the history on the place.

"Now, you'll have to pardon and give no mind to these portraits up here! They're my grandparents and great grandparents and so on, and they can be crude."

That made me more curious. They would probably be the highlight of my evening. My family portraits were just mean, but I enjoyed pestering them.

"There's the Nott boy! He's in this house!" A man yelled as soon as we came into their view.

"That's not a Nott! Look at his hair!"

Another man yelled even louder.

Astoria gave me an apologetic look. "Maybe we should go back to the ballroom."

I shook me head. "No, these mankey old folks sound like fun."

"How rude!" An older woman declared.

"Draco! That's my grandmother! He's sorry Gran!" Astoria ran to the woman in the portrait and clasped her hangs together in a begging fashion.

"Astoria, dear! I'm positive you can do better! I'll have my words with your mother, this one isn't fit for my granddaughter!"

"Gran, hush! Draco, apologize!" Astoria pushed me directly in front of her grandmother.

"I'm sorry, Madam. I deeply regret speaking so harshly," I said using my best debonair character.

Nose turned up, she looked down at me through narrowed eyes. "You will do well to remember your manners in these halls, young Malfoy. I may be dead, but I do still have an opinion that is measurable in this house."

"Yes, so you all were talking about a Nott in the house. What is the deal there?" I spoke this question to all the portraits down the hall.

A huge ruckus broke out and I smiled at Astoria. She was looked at me with such amazement and disbelief.

"Draco! Don't encourage them! They'll be talking about this for weeks! Besides, it's rude to gossip!"

I smirked at that last comment. I looked to her and spoke with complete candidness. "That has never stopped your mother and my mother from doing it."

She looked mortified. Merlin, this girl was amazing me with her naivety.

I turned back to the old men that spoke of the Nott boy when I first walked by. "What of the Notts?" I asked them and the stopped bickering amongst themselves to give me their undivided attentions.

"It's a disgrace! A Nott being sorted into Ravenclaw! The first in history! And your age!" The man riding a horse, dressed in complete military uniform announced.

"It's all this muggle acceptance going around! It's breaking the foundation of pureblood standards! Hasn't your father told you about this?" A man sitting at a desk with a dog at his feet asked me next.

"Yes, I agree completely. I have been given the task of figuring this mystery out. What can you tell me of the Nott boy in the house. I assume you can keep up with the goings on downstairs, so what is he up to?"

"The senior is having a drink with your father, young Malfoy. And the junior is having a chat with Gregory Goyle and Vincent Crabbe. An enjoyable one."

I felt infuriated. I also felt like I had under appreciated the abilities of family portraits.

"Astoria, we have to go back downstairs. I have things I must do."

"Draco, what task are you talking about? What's going on?" She was trying to ask, but I had adrenaline coursing through me.

A few cheers and words of encouragement could be heard from down the hall.

We made it to the top of the staircase and descended quickly. Astoria realized I wasn't going to give her any more attention tonight and didn't follow me further.

I did see father and Mr. Nott talking at the bar. My mother was nowhere in sight. Finally, I spotted my group of friends. Daphne, Marcus, and Pansy had joined them.

I had to be cool, calm, and collected.

"Hey, guys. Enjoying your break from that abominable school?" I asked the group. Everyone stopped to look at me.

"Draco, I thought you were with my sister." Daphne spoke with bitterness and I was thrown off. I couldn't let that show, I needed to be stronger.

"Yes, I was. Now I'm here. Is there a problem?"

"Well yes, where is she?" She stood a few inches taller than me and I did feel slightly uneasy.

"She ran off somewhere. I don't know. Why do you care? You don't like her."

She opened her mouth in disbelief, turning red. The eyes of our fellow Slytherins watched silently, adding pressure.

"I'll see you at school." Daphne took off and Pansy followed, leaving us boys to ourselves.

I scoffed and directed my attention onto my true target. Theo was watching me closely.

"Hello, blood traitor. How has Ravenclaw been treating you?"

He glared and his cheeks puffed out. "Better than Slytherin would, I'm positive."

My sidekicks felt the heat of our words and turned into peacemakers. Marcus simply laughed. "You first years are ridiculously funny! But I gotta go now. See y'all," and he dismissed himself.

"Hey, Halloween was crazy! Right, Theo?" Greg was trying to lighten the mood. When he didn't respond, Crabbe backed his friend up. "That troll must have been scary! Huh, Draco."

"A bit, but Potter got him with a basic charms spell. Dumb creature..." I said.

I had no clue why Theodore was smirking now, but it was bugging me.

"Daphne told me you helped save Granger, Malfoy. Didn't know you to be the soft type. What did your father have to say about that?"

Anger zapped through me and I clenched my fist. Why did he wonder about Granger? I thought back to the sorting ceremony where Granger watched with too much fascination as he was sorted into Ravenclaw.

"How well do you know Granger?"

The boy looked shocked now. My response must have caught him off guard. I hadn't shut him down, and it almost sounded like I had admitted to his claim.

"You're not denying you helped save the muggle born? Yet you jumped to conclusions and called me a blood traitor?"

He did have points. We were asking too many questions and getting nowhere. I needed to know what was going on. I had to know.

I looked to me father and Theo's father having a similarly serious conversation across the room. It was sickening almost, like looking at your future self. I had my future wife, future in-laws, future friends, coworkers, and life all molding me and influencing my every move . It was all working like a machine and I felt the pressure.

"You know I'm friends with Potter. He is friends with her and I just happened to be dragged along! I had no intention of saving her! Now what is going on with you and Granger?"

"Why are you so certain there's something going on with me and her? Is there something I should know? You're being awfully deceptive, Draco..." he mocked me.

"I saw her staring at you, that's all. Was thinking she may have had a bearing on you being sorted into Ravenclaw." I felt the truth leave my tongue and it felt good. I was relieved and feeling my tensions leave my body.

He smirked. "She watches me?"

"I told you the truth! Now answer me, Nott!"

Theo looked around and he let his gaze rest on our fathers talking at the bar. I wondered if he felt the same way I did about this situation.

"We met on the train. We talked. It wasn't a very long talk. We mostly sat in silence." He paused to shake his head. "She's a strange one, Granger. Her being sorted into Slytherin is even stranger."

Greg spoke up now and I had almost forgotten they were apart of the conversation. "She's the reason for all our house points! She's genius!"

I groaned out load. My friends never ceased to embarrass me with their shallow minds. "I think you're in love, Greg. You talk about her every chance you get." The boy shrugged, and I continued. "You shouldn't waste your time, your father would never in a million years let you date a mudblood."

"I wouldn't be so sure," Theo said with a sly edge. Was he was implying she wasn't a mudblood? My chest felt tight.

"She's a talented girl. And maybe the hat knows something about her heritage that she doesn't know." He added.

"You think so?" Greg was beside himself with enthusiasm.

"Greg, you're just worried if you don't find a girl, it'll be your second cousin." I joked at him, but when I saw his pathetically heartbroken face, I knew I had hit the nail on the head.

Theodore broke out laughing. "Greg, your should quit thinking about girls and focus on your books! She's the brainy type anyway, that would appeal to her better," he kidded as he nudged him with an elbow.

"He's right, mate. She won't even share her notes with you. She does with Potter. Maybe she fancies him." Crabbe was actually speaking logically.

Theodore was still smiling and shaking his head. "You all are pathetic. Letting this girl get to you like this. You all should've been put in Hufflepuff!"

They exchanged a few more jabs and I was lost in my head. Theodore was right. What had become of us? We spend one semester at Hogwarts and we come back home obsessed with a mudblood witch. I felt enraged. My father couldn't know about this. This girl was still getting the better of my thoughts, and my friends! She was a mutinous distraction! An irritating wrinkle in the fabric. An anomaly that peaked my interests.

By the time the party ended, me and Theo were on good speaking terms again. He never answered me as to why he thinks he was sorted into Ravenclaw.

I rejoined my parents and we made our way to Mr. and Mrs. Greengrass to say our farewells. Mother looked like she had enjoyed herself, and my father looked like he barely knew where we were.

As we said goodbye, I caught a glimpse of Astoria and Daphne behind them on the staircase. I then captured her attention and she very shyly smiled and waved bye. Daphne rolled her eyes and turned to go upstairs.

When I would talk to father about my sleuthing later, all I would say was that something strange was happening at Hogwarts.