A/N: yeah the usual stuff I only own the plot and unrecognisable characters
The lyrics at the beginning are from 'Maybe Love Will Change Your Mind' by Stevie Nicks
To save confusion I'll give you a list of who their parents are; Appleby – Draco/Ginny, Matt and Shari – Noah/Juno, Gabriella – Harry/Cass, Cecy – Blue/Frankie, Viridian and Crysta – Ron/Hermione, Stevie – Rindy/Xander, Isaac – Mason/Alyssa
If you haven't noticed there is always a ball scene in my stories because I love designing dresses. Anyway thanks for the reviews and I hope you like this chapter, keep reviewing plz peeps! Enjoy =) xx
Chapter Four – Performance Part II
A look a touch
Just because I wanted them
To mean so much
You
might not feel the same
The day would end
And you'd go back to
where you've been
A kiss for luck
I wish you could have
stayed
Maybe love will change your mind
Maybe this
time
Maybe love will make it clear
Oh, what words would keep
you here
Maybe love will reach your heart
Thought I saw it in
the dark
Maybe love will change your mind
Maybe this time
You
want me to be there
You take me somewhere
You show me your
lifeline
Reveal your other side
I would say but the words won't
come
I just come undone
All I want to do is to be closer to you
The performance was nearing its end an hour later and all that was left was Appleby's solo which the audience were irritably waiting for. Appleby was just putting the finishing touches to her hair as the last act before her swept backstage euphoric from the applause they had received when she felt someone behind her. She was about to spin around when she felt a hand clamp down on her waist and a strong muscular body pressed against her back.
She knew instantly who it was so her terror was reduced to minimum as she listened to his steady breathing in her ear and the muted noise of the audience in the background. His big slightly cool hands were gripping her through the thin material of her oyster-coloured silk top and skirt.
"Nice performance."
As always when he was around, her breathing increased and her heart hammered against her ribs as his thumbs tickled her waist in slow circles and his breath stirred her hair.
"Are you coming to the party at the Manor afterwards?"
Her voice was breathless and she was having a great deal of difficulty in making rational decisions as his hands continued their caresses.
"I'm not invited."
She could sense the smirk in his voice and it sent thrills through her body as she nodded fervently, edging to the side slightly so she could see their reflection in the mirror.
"You are now."
Trailing his fingertips lightly up her back he stroked her neck with his thumb and placed a kiss at the nape before disappearing once more.
"Appleby, you're on."
Appleby turned to see another girl with a clipboard and an earpiece ushering her out of the room and towards the stage and she nodded vaguely while following her along the corridor. Taking her place behind the curtain in front of the microphone resting in the tall stand she felt a brief flash of nerves which were gone the instant the curtain was pulled up and the music began.
"I don't
need you to
Tell me I'm pretty to make me feel beautiful
I
don't need you to
Give me your strength to make me feel I'm
strong
I got all of this strength that I need here
inside my
own two hands
All that I want is your love and respect for who I
am
What I really need
Comes from deep inside of me."
Licking
her lips quickly ready for the chorus, Appleby glimpsed her parents
sitting in the front row beaming along with most of her family and
she grinned.
"Don't need you to tell me I'm pretty to make
me feel beautiful
Don't need you to make me strong cos I'm
strong all on my own
Doesn't come from outside
This beauty I
know
Comes from inside my soul
Don't need you to tell me
I'm pretty
I don't need you to
Believe in me to make me
know I'm worth believing in
I don't need you to
Lift me up
high to know I can stand tall
I can stand my own ground
I
can stand proud upon my own two feet
Don't have to be part of
somebody else
To be complete
What I really need
Comes from
deep inside of me
Don't need
you to tell me I'm pretty to make me feel beautiful
Don't need
you to make me strong cos I'm strong all on my own
Doesn't come
from outside
This beauty I know
Comes from inside my
soul
Don't need you to tell me I'm pretty
Don't need to
come to you
Because I finally found too...this
revelation
What I really need
I'm gonna find inside of me
Not in somebody when you respect
yourself
Don't need you to tell me I'm pretty to make me
feel beautiful
Don't need you to make me strong cos I'm strong
all on my own
Doesn't come from outside
This beauty I
know
Comes from inside my soul
Don't need you to tell me
I'm pretty
Don't need you to lift me up, I can stand up on my own
Doesn't come from outside
This beauty I know
Comes from inside my soul
Don't need you to tell me I'm pretty to know I'm beautiful."
The last chords of music drifted around the grounds until the audience rose to their feet clapping and cheering and everyone else from backstage swarmed under the lights to bow and clap each other as well. But the one person Appleby was looking for wasn't there; she pasted a smile on her face and darted backstage towards the fire exit where she raced back up to the school on the pretext of getting changed for the party but really to brood on Dante.
Thankfully the room was empty when she got there and she breathed a sigh of relief before kicking her shoes off and darting into the shower to scrub at her hair and sweaty body. Stalking out of the bathroom she nearly screamed when she saw a blurred figure moving about the room and punched Shari on the arm when she grinned at her and flicked her wand at the torches to light the room.
Flicking her own wand at the radio by her bed, Appleby danced across the room in time to the music and pulled open her wardrobe, flipping through her mountains of clothes looking for the dress sent to her from Milan the day before especially for the party tonight. Dropping onto her bed she was busy rubbing wild-strawberry and rose scented body lotion into her long smooth pale legs when Matthew barged into the room with a group of people in tow.
Next to Matthew with their hands intertwined was Cecy in a sheer black dress that just covered all her assets with only a few well-placed rather large embroidered red roses preserving her decency and a huge black fur coat that touched the tips of her short mussed up hair and dropped to the heels of her wedge-heeled black sandals that wound up her leg.
Behind them was Appleby's cousin; Viridian Weasley in a bold blue shirt that turned his big blue eyes to turquoise and emphasised his thick flowing locks the colour of wet bracken against his many freckles and pale skin. His long-term girlfriend, Gabriella Potter, was clutching his arm with her nose stuck in the air as she took in the masses of green silver and black that adorned the room. She couldn't have stood out more in her low-cut clinging scarlet dress that flared out to touch her knees and black knee-high leather boots that matched her long ebony hair flowing down her back.
"Red and black, how tacky. And here I thought you might have finally developed some taste after dating my cousin for years." Appleby snarled at Gabriella as the Gryffindors dropped down onto a spare bed, Viridian and Matthew amicably discussing Quidditch loudly as Cecy flopped onto Appleby's bed besides her friend.
Bouncing along after the seventh years was Viridian's younger sister; Crysta, her best friend Stevie and a Ravenclaw seventh year in black pants and a florescent pink shirt, Isaac. Crysta and Stevie were only first years but were still allowed to go to the party since they were either family or close friends. The whole lot of them had grown up together and were practically family even though they weren't all related, there was a certain amount of animosity between Appleby and Gabriella but besides that they were a family and if anyone picked a fight with one of them it was with all of them.
Crysta was in a baby pink mini-skirt and a matching gypsy top while Stevie was in bright orange dungarees that were looped around her waist instead of fastened and a plain black t-shirt, the effect was rather stunning and Appleby grinned to herself; Stevie's ambition was to become a clothes designer and was well aware of how to make herself look beautiful.
Isaac promptly wandered over to sit with Matthew and Viridian while the two first years dropped onto the floor to continue their girl talk while Appleby headed over to her wardrobe to retrieve her dress from the door. She disappeared into the bathroom to tug it on, examining her appearance critically in the mirror before venturing back into the room.
"That's so gorgeous!" Stevie squealed, jumping to her feet and circling Appleby as she scanned the dress.
It was made of the most expensive silk there was that had been imported from Tokyo over to Milan for the design and fell from two swatches of material at her shoulders down in a V-shape over her breasts to her navel where they were attached to the long skirt that swept along the floor behind her. It was entirely backless except for the material at her shoulders that dropped into thin strips around her shoulders and down her bare sides to her waist, joining the long flowing sleeves with a single slit from the wrist to her shoulders so they fell away from her arms and all in the most beautiful dark amethyst colour.
Her hair was pulled back from her face in two fish-plaits on either side of her face that joined with a silver jewelled clasp leaving the rest to fall down to just past her shoulders in a paper-straight sheet. Around her slender neck was the Malfoy family jewels; an elegant necklace that fell down into two separate V's, studded with diamonds, emeralds and the same rare black jewels as in the signet rings. It was very elaborate but beautiful in its own way and was charmed so the sparkle never faded and it wasn't too heavy for the woman to wear.
"Yeah yeah very nice can we go now?" Viridian whined.
Appleby rolled her eyes and cast a simple make-up charm that outlined her eyes in eyeliner and glossed her lips before sweeping her long silver cloak around her shoulders and slipping her feet into her matching strap-up high heels.
"Yes we can let's get out of here."
The group made their way down the stairs to the Entrance Hall where those members of the audience that were invited to the Malfoy's Christmas party were gathered chattering and embracing. Applause broke out when the group reached the stairs and they grinned, pausing slightly to stare down at everyone and Appleby leaned in towards Matthew to hiss in his ear;
"They're clapping, are we nervous yet?"
Matthew turned his head slightly so he could murmur out of the corner of his mouth;
"No we enjoy it."
He beamed at the crowd even after Appleby jabbed him in the ribs with her elbow, her eyes scanning the crowds for Dante. She finally caught sight of him hovering at the back, leaning against the wall in the shadows with one leg raised and his foot resting against the wall, his arms folded and his eyes hidden from her.
Ginny watched her daughter staring at someone at the back of the crowd curiously, her daughter had never brought any of her boyfriends home to meet them on account of Draco's overprotectiveness but she had heard all about them from Matthew and Viridian who were almost as protective as Draco.
She turned to her daughter, nephew, niece and god children as they swarmed down the stairs towards them and grabbed her daughter in a tight hug, kissing her on both cheeks and eyeing her critically. Finally letting her go Appleby moved onto her father who embraced her tightly and kissed her forehead proudly.
After greetings were exchanged the crowd headed for the doors where the horseless carriages were waiting silently for them. Appleby paused with one foot inside the carriage and one on the step attached to it when she felt his presence by her and she spun around to see him somehow managing to get a carriage to himself and settling back against the faded purple cushioning to her right.
"Appleby?"
Jumping she turned to her father who was watching her suspiciously and she smiled before following him into the Malfoy carriage, snuggling against the tinted window and leaning back against the cold black leather seat pumped up for softness as the black torches bearing the Malfoy crest in silver sprang to life.
((Before the performance earlier that day))
"All I'm saying is you could ease up a little bit on her, she is seventeen after all."
Draco looked at Ginny's reflection in the mirror as she crossed the room behind him in her black silk French knickers with matching suspenders and skin-coloured tights. They had been discussing Appleby's strange behaviour, as reported to them by Matthew, Shari and Viridian, for the past hour as they dressed for the Christmas performance at Hogwarts.
"She's hardly been paying attention in class, not that I'm particularly bothered about that."
Ginny shot him a harsh look and he stared boldly back at her, still fastening the buttons on his vivid dark green shirt.
"And she keeps disappearing for hours and returning practically singing. I swear if someone knocks her up I'll kill them."
Ginny smiled to herself at the protectiveness in his voice for his daughter before composing herself and slipping into her pale pink skirt and dark purple bodice, her hair twisted up in a tight bun at the crown of her head still damp from the shower.
"Well I heard from Cecy that he's going to be here tonight, so just make sure you don't do or say anything to embarrass her."
Draco rolled his eyes and returned to wrestling with his diamond cufflinks, his long hair slicked back from his face and his rather tight black velvet pants emphasising his perfectly toned legs and backside. He watched Ginny as she pulled on her ballet type dark purple shoes with ribbons that fastened to half-way up her calf and sprayed some of her favourite perfume into her cleavage and along her neck and wrists. Straightening up she saw him looking at her with a curious expression on his face and she wrinkled her still perfectly smooth white brow.
"What?"
He didn't say anything; instead he moved away from the mirror and scooped her up, depositing her onto the neatly made bed.
"Draco! We don't have time..."
Her protests grew weaker until gradually they faded on her lips when his hands moved across her body to his favourite places.
((Dante's POV))
Sitting silently on a boat at the very back of the crowd, Dante hissed at the sound of the running water and shrank back against the slight roof at the back end of the boat while the odd creature with wrinkled black leathery skin, huge staring white orbs with no pupils as eyes and a ragged black cloak draped across it as a toga leant heavily on a huge black pole topped with the silver serpent of the Malfoys and propelled the boat along behind the hundreds of others.
The long winding river that led from the nearest town to Malfoy Manor was filled with a snaking trail of small four-passenger boats lit with lanterns as the party guests excitedly called out to one another from their boats as they waited to arrive at the Manor.
The journey wasn't particularly long and Dante soon found himself climbing off the boat and following the hustling crowd up the gravely path and through the tall towering gates topped with the large black and silver 'M' up to the equally tall front doors where a hovering butler a head and shoulders taller than every man present was waving the guests through the doors.
Entering a huge room lined with pillars and all elaborately decorated in black silver and green he passed a pair of footmen holding the doors open to the huge ballroom draped with silver and green banners across the ceiling and down the walls. The floor was black marble, polished so well it reflected everything like a mirror but Dante paid no attention to this, he had a mission.
He circled the groups in the crowd silently until he found who he was looking for, Appleby was surrounded by a group of people as always but these seemed to be her family; they had the same basic scent she had and the same characteristics no one but he could notice. Appleby glanced up and caught sight of him watching her; she grinned and beckoned for him to join them, earning him the attention of the entire group.
"Mom, Daddy, this is Dante Curtis."
Dante watched the man who was obviously her father eye him up and down with a completely blank face, although his eyes were slightly narrowed. Gripping his hand tightly the two men glared coolly at each other before a small pale hand on his arm made Appleby's father's face soften and he took a step back.
Appleby's mother took his place, shaking his hand and smiling up at him, her place was quickly taken by a tall red headed man with dozens of freckles on his face and a shock of fiery red hair curling over his temples.
"This is my aunt and uncle; Ron and Hermione Weasley."
Another glare was received from the red haired man before he was replaced with a rather short girl with wild curly brown hair and hectically flushed cheeks who kissed him on both cheeks before moving on. Once he had been introduced to at least half the room which were all her relatives he finally managed to get Appleby on her own and led her into a private corner of the room.
((Draco's POV))
Watching his eldest daughter and the strange boy he had just met retreat into a darkened corner Draco felt a cold chill and he dragged his wife over to the drinks bar, collapsing onto a stool and clicking his fingers at the pretty brunette waitress cleaning glasses.
"A Firewhiskey and a Sex Explosion."
The waitress set about making their drinks, turning around slightly to look at Draco coyly under her lashes;
"Do you vant real blood in dat Sex Explosion?"
"No." Ginny snapped.
Accepting their drinks Ginny turned to Draco with a curious look on her face and took a sip of her drink.
"That Dante boy, does he look familiar to you?"
Stirring the olive around by its cocktail stick in her vivid fluorescent orange drink Ginny watched her husband keeping a firm eye on their daughter still nose to nose with Dante in the opposite corner.
"I suppose... oh alright I did get the feeling I'd met him before."
Ginny conceded when Draco gave her one of his many annoying looks that said he knew exactly what she was thinking no matter what she said.
"So?"
Draco's eyes flickered from his wife's face to his daughter smiling up at Dante in the corner, his big grey eyes narrowing when he took her hand and the pair of them slipped out of one of the many secret passageways Malfoy Manor was riddled with.
"So, who does he remind us of?"
Ginny opened her mouth to speak before snapping it shut and looking down at the swirling drink in her hand topped by a slight silvery mist. It was very frustrating, she was sure she had seen his dark pooling eyes and feathery-fine black hair somewhere before and it niggled at the back of her mind.
Appleby laughed and ran after Dante, her heels clicking on the marble floors as they skidded along them hoping no one was following them. They finally slid to a halt outside a tall green door and Appleby dropped her hand onto the doorknob which glowed brightly before clicking and twisting around in her hand. She swung the door open and pulled Dante into the room by their still entwined hands and locked the door behind them. When she turned back around Dante was wandering around the room, which was her father's study, staring at the pictures on the wall.
She pulled herself up onto her father's large oval mahogany desk and watched him silently, the moonlight filtering through the window and cutting her face in half as she studied him moving around the room. He paused before a huge painting of a battle that looked like it had taken place in the Great Hall at Hogwarts.
In its centre was a pair of girls, one with a sheet of black hair and the other with a halo of fiery waves, their swords were lunging at each other and the crowds were various demons and students all fighting. Appleby had wondered about that picture but had sensed it was a sore subject with her parents so had never asked; right now she was curious as to why Dante was so fascinated by it.
"Didn't your mom ever teach you it's rude to stare?"
She jumped and fought the urge to blush when he turned steadily around to look at her, his face completely blank but his eyes burning with something she couldn't identify as he took a step towards her. She lowered her eyes from his for a second before looking back up a split-second later to find him standing over her, slowly bending down and placing a hand flat on the desk on each side of her so his face was inches from her.
Her heart was racing as her eyes swept over the cool panes of his face, the smooth curve of his cheekbones and the huge pools of darkness framed by thick curling lashes shadowed by the window frame blocking the moonlight as he moved in closer to her.
He could hear her heart beating like a drum roll beneath her ribs and the smell of her excitement overwhelmed him like a drug as he felt her hands, almost imperceptibly and he was sure she wasn't aware she was doing it, creep up his arms to his neck to tangle in the feathery strands of his hair at the nape of his neck too fine to tangle.
It seemed to her like an achingly long time until his lips finally met hers sending sparks down into her stomach and chills racing up her spine as she curled her toes, still dangling over the edge of the tall desk, at the desire coursing through her. Feeling a fervent need for more igniting inside her she leant into him, his hands moving to her hips and pulling her towards him by them until she was lying on the cool surface of the desk and he leant over her. His tongue flickered over burning lips and she gasped, letting him take advantage of it when he slipped his tongue into the moist velvety cavern of her mouth as her hands ran over his shoulders and neck, kneading and massaging as she brought her legs around his waist, locking her feet together at the small of his back as his hands crept under her dress.
Her small moaning noises vibrating against his lips and the feverish raggedness of her breathing as his experienced hands moved over her flesh were intoxicating as the scent of her raw wild lust filled his senses and clouded his mind.
"Appleby, what in hell do you think you're doing?!"
Appleby uttered a little scream as Dante jerked back and turned to the door with a snarl, two figures were framed in the doorway by the light pouring in from the torches lining the walls behind them.
"Do you really need details?"
Appleby looked thoroughly unruffled after the initial surprise of being interrupted as she smoothed down her hair and yanked her dress straight as she sat up slowly before slipping off the edge of the desk and surveying her parents in the doorway. Her father looked about ready to rip Dante's head off; his eyes were practically black and throwing off sparks as he quivered in the doorway with every muscle coiled under his skin like a tiger about to pounce. Only her mother physically restraining him from doing so was keeping Dante alive, in fact her mother looked more amused than anything else as she watched Appleby edge ever so slightly towards Dante to protect him from her parents.
Ginny was about to reply when what seemed to be Appleby's entire family barged down the corridor and into the room, the men sliding to a stop halfway in and glaring from one to the other and the girls hiding their giggles as they watched the men. Viridian, Matt and Isaac were being firmly held onto by Cecy, Shari and Gabriella as the younger group pounded in through the back stairs followed by a tall young woman with short spiky layered white-blonde hair with electric blue tips and a skin-tight black body-stocking and the smallest possible red wrap-over skirt with knee-high black leather boots.
Her grey eyes sparkled wickedly as she sauntered across the room, pausing to kiss Draco on the cheek before winking at Appleby as she eyed Dante up and down;
"Not a bad choice, babe."
Appleby laughed and embraced her Aunt who was clutching a pint in one hand as they kissed cheeks Appleby once again noticed the similarities between the two of them people always raved about.
"So how is teaching Potions, Aunt Bella?"
Belladonna rolled her eyes and linked Appleby as they headed for the door, Appleby's other hand once more entwined with Dante's. They were almost to the door when Appleby saw her mother looking about to faint as she clung onto Draco, her eyes darting from Dante to something on the wall behind them.
AmericanGirl = thanks very much! Not many people like stories that don't feature many of the proper characters so it means a lot
valentines-hater = its probably about 2018 or something. I agree they would be cute but alas it is not to be, because I don't want it to be =D
short arse = well telling you if you were right or not will spoil everything but most will be revealed next chapter
Chantal J = thanks muchly, I'm trying to make my characters interesting, do you think I've succeeded?
Kazte = I'm trying to make more twists into it but the ending was pretty much explained in the first one and it's a really straightforward plot for this one lol. Draco's sister, Belladonna, will be in it more from now on because she's one of my favourite characters =)
AnitaBlake/BuffyFan = aren't most evil guys the hottest? They are for me anyway lol. Have no fear his plans shall be revealed all in due time. Sorry about the spelling mistakes my beta's computer is messed up atm =) is this enough interaction for the time being?
Kneh13 = hey doll! Thanks loads for the review n when are ya gonna update yours?!
TarynMalfoy88 = I would like to tell you if you were correct but that would spoil it for others so you shall just have to wait and see although it is very obvious anyway =)
xBrOkEnBOtTle = dante's part shall be revealed very soon, thanks for reading and even more for reviewing!
Gjess86 = thank you very much and I'm glad you like it, Matt and Shari's parents are Noah and Juno and I would like to answer your other questions but that would ruin it for anyone who hasn't figured it out yet =)
Alicandra Black = well I'm glad someone picked up on the creepiness finally! He was meant to be this hot unnerving kind of guy =) I have a thing for different names, I don't really like using the common ones for some reason, no offence to anyone