Malfoy finished turning the envelope and read the details on the front. Sure enough, the letter was addressed to him and it was from Hogwarts. He turned the envelope over again and began ripping it open when he heard his father calling him from the hallway. He immediately dropped the half opened letter on the table and proceeded to the hall.
Malfoy's farther, Lucius, was a tall man with long pale blonde hair and a pointed face. He never smiled and he never laughed. As Malfoy entered the hallway his farther waved his wand and the front door closed, the parcels from Borgin and Burkes flew into the kitchen and his cloak undid itself and fell limp at his side. As Lucius turned to face his son Blinky walked up the hallway with a bucket of soapy water and a dozen rags, turned and started heading for the second floor. But before she had gotten even half way there Lucius had stuck out his left leg and tripped her up spilling soapy water all over the Persian rug.
"And what may I enquire, are you doing?" he asked, in the exact same tone of voice his son had used not five minutes ago. Blinky looked as though a piano had just fallen on her head. She very slowly raised her eyes so that she could see Mr Malfoy's face.
"I……I was going to……to clean the……the manor sir" she whispered. As Blinky had expected Mr Malfoy was not at all happy about this. He looked her straight in the eyes and, in a tone that was steadily rising with anger he said:
"And why would you be going to clean the house when you know perfectly well that you are required in the kitchen all day, as we are to have guests over for dinner?" at this Malfoy's heart jumped into his throat. He'd forgotten about that and new house elves couldn't tell a direct lie. Blinky had no choice but to tell his farther that he'd told her to. Sure enough, Blinky did just that and Malfoy, being within arms distance from his father, was unlucky enough to get a clout in the head followed by an exceptionally long lecture.
Mr Malfoy got over this little incident by dinner that night. As he sat down to dinner with Cornelius Fudge, some other less important Ministry of Magic employees, his wife and his son he noticed the half open envelope on the dining room table. Picking it up, he took out the enclosed letter and a small badge. After examining them for a second he threw the badge at Malfoy and started to comment on the letter.
"Well Draco, it appears you have been made a prefect again." He paused to look at his son who was apparently awaiting a reward of some sort. After a moment or two he continued.
"Though I can't see why considering the marks you got on your O.W.L's" Malfoy looked up from the piece of steak he was eating. He'd completely forgotten about the O.W.L's.
"So……what did I get?" he asked. Mr Malfoy threw the letter across the table for his son to read. Malfoy looked at the letter. He had gotten four E's, two O's and an A. He couldn't see what was so bad about those, then again, he was being compared to his farther who had gotten all O's and one E. They sat staring at each other for minute before either of them spoke.
"I suppose they aren't all that bad" decided Mr Malfoy, "and I here a new racing broom has just come out." At this a grin appeared on Malfoy's face and he went back to eating his steak.