Prologue
Felicité Foxwood glared at the letter. "This is pointless. Goddamnit, Nancy, I am not leaving."
The older woman shook her head, gray hair escaping her bun. "You have to."
"No, I don't!" Felicité glared at her. "I don't have to do anything I don't want to."
"Yes you do. Now get your ass off that couch and start packing. Move!" snapped Nancy, as the girl refused to stand.
Felicité looked pissed. "Fine. I'll pack. I'll pack the stupid suitcase, and be reminded every second of how I'm not going to miss you." She stomped up the stairs, and Nancy returned to the kitchen.
She tossed her blond curls in the way she always did when angry, thinking it made her look glamorous. Looking at herself in the mirror, she batted her eyelashes at her reflection, letting the white silk robe drop from her bare shoulders in a deliberately sexy way.
"Are you packing?" yelled Nancy from downstairs, disturbing Felicité's moment of vanity.
"Yes, I'm packing. Now go back to the kitchen and quit interrupting me!" the girl screamed back in a hurry. Hearing a sarcastic laugh from the housekeeper-cook downstairs did not improve her mood.
"Stupid cow," she growled, tearing clothes from their hangers with a vengeance. "And black is so plain." She stared at the list of things she would need. "Dragon's-hide gloves, cauldron, yes, yes, yes. But I have nothing..." She looked at the frayed edge of a plain black cotton robe.
"Nancy!" she screamed shrilly.
"What?" barked the servant.
"I need black robes. Get the Floo Powder," ordered Felicité. "I need to make an emergency trip to Herpetos 8th Alley."
Grumbling profanities and insults that could have gotten her fired in the snap of a finger, Nancy did as she was told, while her young employer got dressed.
"Dressed up for going to Herpetos! And her always talkin' about what to get next. Damn spoiled brat."
"Are you ready then, Nancy?" asked Felicité, who was leaning against the fireplace, watching the stout woman lug the pot
"Yes, Miss Felicité," Nancy growled as she set down the pot with a hard clunk. "Why the hell is that pot so damn far from the fire, anyhow?"
"Because I need an excuse to make you walk back and forth while I watch," snapped Felicité caustically. "Herpetos 8th Alley!" she mandated, throwing powder into the fire, and disappeared in the green flames.
Nancy watched, shaking her head. "Stupid goddamn upstart." She went away, mumbling obscenities.
***
Felicité adored Herpetos. This was where she belonged, shopping for the classiest, most expensive items, surrounded by purebloods. Really, it was the only place worth shopping at.
"Felicité!" A girl on the street called out to her.
"Wyrren Lohmann? I haven't seen you since fourth year! How have you been?"
"Quite good. Are you still keeping that ugly Squib woman?"
"Only as a reminder of how superior wizards really are. She is just so bloody annoying." Sighing, Felicité twirled a strand of golden hair around a finger. "One of these days, I just might Avada Kedavra her." Actually, she never bodily harmed Nancy, although she had been known to throw a house- elf against the wall on a bad day.
Wyrren laughed. "As if it would be a loss. So, I'll see you at Beauxbatons, right? For the transfer program?"
"No." Felicité suddenly remembered why she had come.
"Good lord, why not?"
"Because Daddy found out about a certain uprising in England.you know." She whispered it to the other girl.
"Really?"
"Yes, and father's making me go to Hogwarts. Apparently it's one of the best magic schools there is, and he considered sending me there instead of Shailan. Whatever."
"Ugh! There are perks, though." Wyrren's sly dark eyes gleamed.
"Name one," Felicité snapped.
"Draco Malfoy."
"Narcissa's son? Really?"
"Hottest guy there, according to my sources."
"Sounds very interesting."
"Good luck. See ya!" Wyrren walked off, her long, pale hair swishing behind her.
As she entered Vekara Robes, Felicité thought about what she'd heard. She would miss Wyrren, and Shailan Hall of Witches and Wizards in general. Her thoughts were cut off by the sound of Madame Vekara's voice.
"What are you looking for today, Miss Felicité?"
"Black robes, Vekara." Felicité's voice took on the sharp, icy tone she used for addressing those of a lesser rank. "And make them flattering."
"Of course, Miss Felicité! We have black velvet, crushed velvet, silk, satin, sequined, glitter-woven, cashmere wool.I know you are partial to silk and satin." The robe-maker's voice trailed off hopefully.
"A crushed velvet one, two sequined, one glitter-woven, five silk, and five satin. And show me what you have for new fabrics." Felicité looked stylishly bored.
"Oh! Yes, we have a dazzling jade-green satin that would bring out your eyes and a lovely white silk. A chic red, too."
Looking at the jade green satin, Felicité gasped. "One of these, oh yes! Oh, and a white silk."
"Lovely," Madame Vekara looked happy. The girl might be a prima donna with a superiority complex, but she did buy a lot.
As Felicité left the store, she was much happier. She had some gorgeous robes and information of a good-looking guy. Hogwarts was sounding better and better.
Felicité Foxwood glared at the letter. "This is pointless. Goddamnit, Nancy, I am not leaving."
The older woman shook her head, gray hair escaping her bun. "You have to."
"No, I don't!" Felicité glared at her. "I don't have to do anything I don't want to."
"Yes you do. Now get your ass off that couch and start packing. Move!" snapped Nancy, as the girl refused to stand.
Felicité looked pissed. "Fine. I'll pack. I'll pack the stupid suitcase, and be reminded every second of how I'm not going to miss you." She stomped up the stairs, and Nancy returned to the kitchen.
She tossed her blond curls in the way she always did when angry, thinking it made her look glamorous. Looking at herself in the mirror, she batted her eyelashes at her reflection, letting the white silk robe drop from her bare shoulders in a deliberately sexy way.
"Are you packing?" yelled Nancy from downstairs, disturbing Felicité's moment of vanity.
"Yes, I'm packing. Now go back to the kitchen and quit interrupting me!" the girl screamed back in a hurry. Hearing a sarcastic laugh from the housekeeper-cook downstairs did not improve her mood.
"Stupid cow," she growled, tearing clothes from their hangers with a vengeance. "And black is so plain." She stared at the list of things she would need. "Dragon's-hide gloves, cauldron, yes, yes, yes. But I have nothing..." She looked at the frayed edge of a plain black cotton robe.
"Nancy!" she screamed shrilly.
"What?" barked the servant.
"I need black robes. Get the Floo Powder," ordered Felicité. "I need to make an emergency trip to Herpetos 8th Alley."
Grumbling profanities and insults that could have gotten her fired in the snap of a finger, Nancy did as she was told, while her young employer got dressed.
"Dressed up for going to Herpetos! And her always talkin' about what to get next. Damn spoiled brat."
"Are you ready then, Nancy?" asked Felicité, who was leaning against the fireplace, watching the stout woman lug the pot
"Yes, Miss Felicité," Nancy growled as she set down the pot with a hard clunk. "Why the hell is that pot so damn far from the fire, anyhow?"
"Because I need an excuse to make you walk back and forth while I watch," snapped Felicité caustically. "Herpetos 8th Alley!" she mandated, throwing powder into the fire, and disappeared in the green flames.
Nancy watched, shaking her head. "Stupid goddamn upstart." She went away, mumbling obscenities.
***
Felicité adored Herpetos. This was where she belonged, shopping for the classiest, most expensive items, surrounded by purebloods. Really, it was the only place worth shopping at.
"Felicité!" A girl on the street called out to her.
"Wyrren Lohmann? I haven't seen you since fourth year! How have you been?"
"Quite good. Are you still keeping that ugly Squib woman?"
"Only as a reminder of how superior wizards really are. She is just so bloody annoying." Sighing, Felicité twirled a strand of golden hair around a finger. "One of these days, I just might Avada Kedavra her." Actually, she never bodily harmed Nancy, although she had been known to throw a house- elf against the wall on a bad day.
Wyrren laughed. "As if it would be a loss. So, I'll see you at Beauxbatons, right? For the transfer program?"
"No." Felicité suddenly remembered why she had come.
"Good lord, why not?"
"Because Daddy found out about a certain uprising in England.you know." She whispered it to the other girl.
"Really?"
"Yes, and father's making me go to Hogwarts. Apparently it's one of the best magic schools there is, and he considered sending me there instead of Shailan. Whatever."
"Ugh! There are perks, though." Wyrren's sly dark eyes gleamed.
"Name one," Felicité snapped.
"Draco Malfoy."
"Narcissa's son? Really?"
"Hottest guy there, according to my sources."
"Sounds very interesting."
"Good luck. See ya!" Wyrren walked off, her long, pale hair swishing behind her.
As she entered Vekara Robes, Felicité thought about what she'd heard. She would miss Wyrren, and Shailan Hall of Witches and Wizards in general. Her thoughts were cut off by the sound of Madame Vekara's voice.
"What are you looking for today, Miss Felicité?"
"Black robes, Vekara." Felicité's voice took on the sharp, icy tone she used for addressing those of a lesser rank. "And make them flattering."
"Of course, Miss Felicité! We have black velvet, crushed velvet, silk, satin, sequined, glitter-woven, cashmere wool.I know you are partial to silk and satin." The robe-maker's voice trailed off hopefully.
"A crushed velvet one, two sequined, one glitter-woven, five silk, and five satin. And show me what you have for new fabrics." Felicité looked stylishly bored.
"Oh! Yes, we have a dazzling jade-green satin that would bring out your eyes and a lovely white silk. A chic red, too."
Looking at the jade green satin, Felicité gasped. "One of these, oh yes! Oh, and a white silk."
"Lovely," Madame Vekara looked happy. The girl might be a prima donna with a superiority complex, but she did buy a lot.
As Felicité left the store, she was much happier. She had some gorgeous robes and information of a good-looking guy. Hogwarts was sounding better and better.