Chapter IX:
The next day, I thought, rather annoyed, that Narcissa's idea of "a little shopping" differed greatly from my own. Twenty minutes was already a long time to spend looking for clothes, in my opinion. Instead we had been at it all morning and well into the afternoon.
The one time I had tried to suggest that maybe we could be done now, Narcissa had said, "You are a Malfoy now. You must fit the part." At the first store, my measurements were taken. Narcissa had then sent a house elf ahead to a different store with my measurements. When we got to that store near the end of the shopping trip there was one dress hidden in a black bag that Mrs. Malfoy picked up. While we were shopping, Mrs. Malfoy had also drilled me on etiquette. The Christmas Party would last from four until nine for the adults and would be from four until seven for the children.
When we got back to the manor, Mrs. Malfoy picked up the black bag and taking out the dress said, "You will wear this one tomorrow." I looked at it in dismay, it had one shoulder, but it would bare my other shoulder and it seemed entirely too mature for a twelve year old to wear. It was also blood red, it looked like it would be floor length, but it had a slit up one side, to the knee. In other words, it would be elegant on anyone twice my age, but I would look like a fool.
"Why?" I asked. "This doesn't seem right. That dress is all wrong for me."
"Listen to me Esmira." Narcissa said. "You will never age. And people will always look down on you as a child unless you do something else to show them that you aren't. It doesn't matter that you actually are a child now. First impressions are everything. If we had you dress like a little girl should, that's how these people will always see you. Believe it or not but you are a Malfoy now. You have to go to this party with your head held high and be comfortable and confident in this dress. If you show any awkwardness and act like you are trying to hide then that is what people will see in you for the rest of their lives. Now, we're going to have a full house tomorrow, but you won't have to talk to anyone. It wouldn't be in line with custom for anyone to approach you that you don't already know. They will be talking to Mr. Malfoy and I, but they will be watching you."
I nodded. "Okay, I understand. Draco said it might be a small gathering this year, is that true?" I wouldn't be comfortable, in my last life even I hadn't been one to dress up and go to parties either, but I would try my best. These were ruthless people and I had to do what I could to survive.
"No," Mrs. Malfoy shook her head, "Now, you won't need any make up for your skin, as pale and clear as it is, but I will put a bit of red lipstick on you as well."
"Okay." I said, after all, it would hardly be worse than putting on that dress.
000
Severus Snape was going to be late. He regretted it, but there was nothing he could do. He could get there in the middle of dinner, but he decided to arrive right afterwards, at 6:30, if he was going to be late anyway. He had informed Lucius of this and his friend had been understanding, a few other people wouldn't be able to make it until after the dinner as well. When he arrived there were a few small groups in the main entrance hall, they were holding drinks and talking and laughing.
"Did you see the little tart?" He overheard a woman ask. She said something else, which he didn't catch, and then the group laughed. Snape turned away, bored. It was the usual gossip. He walked up the stairs to the entertaining room on the fourth floor and spotted Lucius, Narcissa, and his godson Draco at once.
He smiled as he went to greet them. "As usual, your Christmas party is a delight and the highlight of my year." He complimented Narcissa and Lucius warmly. "It is also quite nice to see Draco outside of a school setting of course." He shook Draco's hand. "You are looking very smart."
"Thank you sir." Draco said, his eyes flickering to the side to look at something behind him. Severus turned and saw her. She was alone, isolated, by the fire. The light of the flames did nothing to warm her pale skin. She was unconsciously clasping her left shoulder with her hand, in an attempt to cover it. Her eyes were darting everywhere, to see if anyone was looking at her. Her other hand came up to her too red mouth and she bit the knuckle of her first finger before putting her hand swiftly down again. Her hair was done up in a style that was too old-fashioned and out of place. He turned back to the Malfoys, giving no indication that he had seen her. He smiled again and said, "I think I'll just go get a drink." After he picked up a drink at the table he saw the Greengrass family and went to talk with them.
000
I let my hand slide off my shoulder for the billionth time. I had to stop doing that. Narcissa said that I needed to look confident. Well, perhaps it would have been easy for her, but not for me. I was the star of tonight, they said. So, Mr. Malfoy had insisted that I stand by the fire, even though it made me feel weak and tired. Maybe they didn't know about that. They had said that it would provide the best lighting for people to see me. I recognized a few people, the Bulstrodes and the Greengrasses, but other than them it was a sea of unfamiliar faces. Besides Draco, there was no one else my age at the party, and I had been separated from him. I felt so bewildered, but everyone else seemed to be enjoying themselves immensely. There was certainly plenty of laughing going on, though I couldn't hear what jokes were being told. I was also starving. As if that thought summoned it, a cloud of red descended on my vision. This was so much worse than last time. There were so many humans in the room, so much blood, and I couldn't have any of it. I made the mistake of breathing in. I had to get out of here. Teetering on my custom-made high heels, I made my way swiftly to the large windows that I thought let out into the gardens, shoving past several humans. It took all my willpower not to lunge at any of them. I walked forward in almost a trance, to find myself on a balcony. No! I wasn't thinking straight. This was the fourth floor, but the labyrinth of gardens were on this side of the house. I needed to get further away, and I couldn't go back. I took off my high heels and climbed up on the ledge, dislodging snow as I did so. Dimly, I heard someone call my name. I looked back briefly and bared my teeth at the humans, warning them not to follow, before stepping into the abyss.
000
Draco was now mingling with the guests instead of standing by his mother's side. He was enjoying himself, it was 6:50, almost time for him and Esmira to be sent to bed, so he wanted to make the most of these last few minutes. Suddenly he was shoved hard in the back, he stumbled forward a few steps, crashing into Severus Snape. He turned scowling to see who had pushed him, when he saw that it must have been Esmira. Now she was taking off her heels, what was she doing? When she climbed onto the ledge he cried out, "Esmira!" She turned her head to look back at them and made an inhuman snarling noise, while crouched on the ledge. Then as he watched in disbelief, she stood up and stepped forward. A soft thud sounded moments later.
000
Severus shoved his way through the crowd in seconds to get to the balcony first. It couldn't hold much more than one person. He looked down at the sprawled figure on the ground. As he watched Esmira picked herself up, looked up briefly at him, and turned and started running for the gardens. He looked back into the room where everyone stood in stunned silence.
Lucius started to laugh, "She has a wild streak, doesn't she Severus? She can't help but want to be the center of attention. No doubt she didn't want to go to bed like she was told." Lucius's eyes looked into his, daring him to say otherwise.
Snape said smoothly, "She certainly does have a penchant for getting into trouble and breaking the rules. This shows a disregard for authority." Some people laughed, and it was real laughter, not strained. They had drunk plenty already to believe anything. Snape went to Lucius. "What should we do?"
"Don't worry." His friend replied, "I'll take care of it."
000
I ran until I couldn't run anymore. I was hopelessly lost and in the dark I had banged into stone benches and tripped and hit my cheek on the edge of a fountain. I fell to the snow-covered ground, shivering and gasping for air that wasn't filled with the scent of blood. I lifted my hand to my throat as I imagined getting to drink.
000
"Lumos." Lucius lit the tip of his wand as he stepped out of the house. The guests were leaving, those who hadn't been in the room at the time of Esmira's fall didn't even realize she was missing. Narcissa was seeing everyone out. The gardens were large, but he didn't have to be a master detective to follow the trail of footsteps. He came across her in a small clearing. Her hair had come undone and there was a horizontal gash on her cheek.
Esmira didn't even have time to lift her head before Lucius extinguished the light on his wand and then cast "Petrificus Totalis" and then "Wingardium Leviousa" because trying to carry someone who was as straight as a board was awkward at the best of times.
000
Draco had gone to bed at 7, but there was no way he was going to miss Esmira coming back. He snuck out of his room and stayed hidden while he watched his Mother say goodbye to Professor Snape, who was the last one to leave. Then he clambered downstairs and dodged past her as he pulled the front door open. He was just in time too as he opened the door to a floating Esmira.
His Father frowned when he saw him. "Draco, go to bed." He said as he began floating Esmira up the stairs to her room. Draco followed his Father up the stairs until he got to the second floor and went to his room.
The next morning he learned from Dobby that his Father had gotten Esmira a blood packet from somewhere, had stood just outside the door of her room to un-petrify her, and then had slammed the door shut and locked it.
He went to breakfast and his mother said, "We're keeping that creature locked in her room for the rest of Christmas break. She behaved disgracefully at the party." Draco couldn't help but agree. Imagine, jumping off the balcony like that. She'd nearly given him a heart attack.
000
I sat on my bed, staring at the door. The previous evening seemed almost like a dream. I vaguely remembered that a human had come and cast the petrifying spell on me, but for the life of me I couldn't figure out who it had been. I got up and went to the bathroom and looked in the mirror. I remembered banging in to a few things but when I looked I didn't have any bruises like I should have and nothing hurt. I did have a cut on my face and that did hurt. I went to try to open my door, but it was locked. Dobby's voice said, "You are to stay in your room for the next week until you go back to school Miss." "What?" I muttered, running my hand through my hair. I went to fetch my wand and cast Alohamora on the door. I heard it unlock, but as I reached for the handle I heard it lock again. "I was told to make certain that you stayed in your room." How annoying. "Dobby?" I said. "Would you please let me out?" Uh oh, now you've done it. I thought when Dobby said, "Please? Please? Dobby has never had anybody say please to him before." and then burst into loud sobbing. Maybe I shouldn't try to get him to let me out after all. If I did somehow manage it, Lucius would no doubt punish him severely. I went to the little bookshelf. At least there were a few good books that I would enjoy reading.
000
Professor Snape was not looking forward to teaching classes again. Only a very few of his students really understood potions and teaching the rest was a real chore. There was one class in particular that he was particularly dreading, the first year Slytherins and Gryffindors. That wretched Harry Potter was among them. At least he got to see his godson Draco in the same class. He saw when Daphne Greengrass entered the room and smiled, thinking about the nice conversation he had with her parents. His thoughts drifted to his other students, Blaise Zabini was doing poorly, so was Ron Weasley, but that was no surprise. He mentally groaned when he thought of the insufferable Hermoine Granger, she had the know-how, but not the heart of a potion master. There she was, working at the same cauldron as Esmira. So Lucius had taken care of finding her after all. There always seemed to be at least one trouble magnet in the class. Actually in this particular class there were three, Neville Longbottom and Seamus Finnigan took up nearly all his mental energy in just trying to keep them alive. No, he was not looking forward to it, but he stood up, and started his lecture anyway.