Howdy guys! I decided to update the story! I hope you like the direction I'm taking it in. Let me know if it's working or not! ((If it's not, I'll delete the chap and leave it a one-shot. Please be honest!))
Anyway, thanks for reading! I love you all! Enjoy!
--Q
Angelina did nothing but absolutely float around the compound for the rest of the winter holidays, still reveling in the attention she received at the Christmas Ball. Alcmene Johnson; gilded, graceful, and extremely cunning in her own right, watched contently and continued her planning.
One lazy, snow-filled afternoon, the mother went to visit her daughter's room. Angelina, absently thumbing through a copy of Witch Weekly, jumped at the knock at her door. It was seldom her parents came to visit her while she was in her room. And when they did, they never knocked, as it was usually a less than cordial encounter.
"Erm…come in?" Angelina sat upright and tentatively set down her magazine.
"Hello dear," her mother chimed almost too cheerfully, "your father and I just wanted to say how pleased we are to see you in such high spirits. Is there any particular reason?"
Angelina noted the sharp point of her mother's eyebrow raise eagerly at the question. It immediately unnerved her. She blinked several times before responding with a shrug.
"Dunno, really. I guess I just had a good time at the Malfoys' for once."
And then, Alcmene pounced. With all the delectation of a jungle cat, the older woman sat down on the bed and gingerly wrapped her arm around the girl. Her deep brown eyes seemed to sear into Angelina's as she cooed softly over her.
"It's okay for you to admit you enjoyed the attention, darling."
Angelina coughed and flushed at the sickly-sweet implication. "No…no it's not like that…"
"Oh course it is, dear, and I just want you to know I understand," Alcmene brushed some hair from her daughter's face, "and that I can help you. If you decide you really do like the way they looked at you that night."
The matron's voice was at an eerie whisper that raised the hairs on the back of her daughter's neck. She shied away from her grasp and offered a propitiating little nod. Alcmene stood and headed towards the door.
"They'll fall over themselves for you, Lina," she added smugly before excusing herself from the room, "if you just give them proper motivation to do so."
Watching carefully as her mother exited, Angelina felt herself shiver. That was a side of her mother she'd never seen before. It was creepy…almost sinister. But maybe she could have been right. She did like how they looked at her. She'd give almost anything to feel that again. And she'd tell her mother just that after dinner that evening.
"Edwaard, dear. Things are going quite to plan. Maybe she won't admit it now, but deep down, she wants it. Haven't you noticed? I haven't seen her on that bloody broom since she's been home. We'll have our daughter back yet. Just wait and see."
Alcmene slid into the lap of her husband as he vainly tried to read the Daily Prophet. His wife truly was a charming creature. And she'd finally managed to cast her alluring spell on their stubborn daughter.
"Good then, love," he nonchalantly drawled, never letting his eyes leave the print, "so what is there left to be done?"
"Nothing for you to worry your obviously concerned little head about, darling. I need only to owl 'Cissa. For final preparations. She'll make a proper Johnson yet."
Leaving her husband to his reading, Alcmene headed to the kitchen to plan for dinner before putting quill to paper and writing her friend, Narcissa Malfoy. It was at this point that she was interrupted by a knock at her own door.
"Come in, Lina. I've been expecting you."
Back at school, Angelina felt a little off as she and her friends picked up where they left off. She was wearing a bit of makeup: not much, mind you, but a bit around the eyes and a pretty sheer lip-gloss. It had only taken minutes for acknowledgement. And while Katie and Alicia gushed and congratulated her for finally succumbing, the twins teased her mercilessly.
"Aw, c'mon Angie, we already notice you. You don't have to go through the trouble."
Her cheeks reddened and, she noticed Lee giving her an odd, pitying glance. "I think you look even prettier."
His little comment lifted her spirits and renewed her near-faltering confidence as the six-pack headed off to their first classes of the new term. It was there she realized the only boys that would be taunting her from then on were going to be Fred and George.
"Did you see the way Roger was ogling you all during Potions?" Katie twittered.
"Honestly, if he'd been staring any harder he'd have burnt a hole right through you!"
"Guys," Angelina demurred, "let's just get some lunch. I'll need it if we're having double Transfiguration with the Slytherins after."
For as modest as she tried to act, Angelina was savoring every minute of it. It was sickly empowering, just like the way she felt after burning a goal right past the opposing team's keeper on the pitch. Quidditch…she'd hardly even thought of it since break!
Before her panic could properly take hold, she was ushered to her seat and surrounded by her friends, hastily snatching for food. Throughout the meal, she felt the uncomfortable burning flush of one that knows she's being talked about. But even more curious than the glances from other tables were the ones she was catching from a certain ginger-haired twin directly to her right. Before she could properly snap at the Weasley for gawking at her, everyone in the Hall noticed Draco Malfoy swaggering across to the Gryffindor table.
"Malfoy," Ron spat from a few seats away, "what the bloody hell do you want?"
"Manners, blood-traitor Weasel. What makes you think I'm here for you?"
Angelina's rising indignation on Ron's behalf faltered when the peaky pureblood turned suddenly to her, envelope in hand. She reluctantly accepted it, staring intently at it without making any move to open it, for fear of what would be inside.
"It won't bite you, Johnson. It's just a little memento from the holidays. Father thought you might like it. And mother sends her greetings."
The appalled stares she was getting from her fellow housemates made her sink into her seat a bit. She barely had time to react as George snatched the envelope and tore it open before Malfoy spoke again.
"Mother is more than excited for the summer holidays. She's already set the house elves to work preparing you room."
Seeing her look of abject anguish and knowing his job was more than accomplished, he returned to his seat at the Slytherin table. Sensing the flurry of action beside her, she looked to see George sharing the contents of her envelope with the rest of the quidditch team.
It was a photo, magical of course, from the night of the Christmas Ball. She was in the center giggling flirtatiously, flanked by Montague, both Zabini brothers, and Malfoy. She watched Oliver mumble some muted curse, and barely had time to snatch the picture away from Fred as he made to tear it in half.
Clutching it protectively, she stood suddenly from the table, ignoring the twins' protests and lamely adding "It's mine" before rushing away to put it into her trunk in her dormitory.
Sitting on her four-poster, Angelina gazed at the photo almost lovingly. She was so pretty and happy there, but none of her housemates could understand that, could they? She bit her lip, slipping the picture into her beside table drawer before rising off her bed. She moved over to the mirror over her dresser.
They just don't get it. Narcissa Malfoy is just helping me. To become a lady. To become beautiful. This is my chance…you saw how they were looking at me during classes. I could have guys falling over me. I just need a little help getting there.
She nodded into the mirror, strengthening her resolve. They're not even really so bad. My whole family is Slytherins. And the Malfoys have been nothing but super nice to me since I was little. Those dumb Gryffindors just don't understand what it's like. The pressures of being a pureblood…
A/N: Woot! And we begin to see a bit of that pureblood brainwashing coming through…
Don't forget to review and let me know if you like where the story is going!
