Juxtaposed: Chapter Three

A/N: A special thanks goes out to all my reviewers. I would thank you all personally, but I know you guys would rather have this chapter updated quicker. Xx.

Chapter Three: Lucian

Two days later, Anna stared blankly at her father, thinking seriously that she needed to get her ears checked. She had to be hearing things. Shaking her head, she looked back at Harry.

"Okay, wait a sec., I think I just hallucinated. What?"

"Anna, stop acting childish, it's only for one night," Harry muttered, turning back to his closet.

Anna took a deep breath, attempting to calm herself. "Dad, do you have any idea what you just said?"

Harry sighed. "Yes, Anna, I do. We're going to dinner, at the Malfoy's."

Anna took a few more deep breaths. They had only ever had dinner at the Malfoy's one time before, around the time Harry and Kate had gotten together. Anna had been only eight, and the two things she remembered about it was the sneer Mr. Malfoy had given her, and the complete annoyance of having to be play with the Malfoy son, Lucian. Lucian was four years older than herself, making him more than just less interesting to play with.

The only reason why they actually went on these dinners was due to the fact that Kate's parents were good friends with the Malfoy clan, meaning they had to keep up family appearances, even if her father and Mr. Malfoy had more than a strong dislike for each other.

"Dad, seriously. Techniqually, I'm not even related to Kate, why should I even go?"

Harry rounded on her at this point. "Kate has been a good mother to you..." this was as far as Harry got before he saw the look on Anna's face.

"SHE IS NOT MY MOTHER!" Anna screaming, glaring daggers at her father.

Harry's anger dimmed as Anna said this, he knew he was on shaky territory when it came to talking mothers with Anna.

"Okay, fine. Step-mother. She had been an excellent step-mother to you. You at least owe her the curtisy of coming to this dinner," Harry told her.

Anna huffed with anger, "Let's see what Mum says about this," she grinned about to leave the room.

"I've already told her," Harry said, a grin on his face now.

"What! And she agreed that I should go?"

"She said, she couldn't imagine the thought you of locked up in this house all alone, she'd prefer if you went."

Anna gritted her teeth, "There's no way I can get out of this dinner, is there?"

Harry shook his head, "Trust me, I've tried getting out of it. If I have to suffer, the least you could do is suffer with me."

Anna sighed, "Fine, I'll go get dressed."

About to leave the room, Anna's way was blocked by Kate, who came in carrying a frilly fluro-pink gown. "Oh, Anna. I've been looking for you."

"Why?" Anna asked, dully, looking at the dress.

"I had this dress ordered in for you. Your father told me it was your fabourite colour," Kate told her, holding the hideous dress up. She obviously had figured she had done something amazingly awesome.

Anna rounded on her father, her eyes in a scowl. "I hate you," she muttered, grabbing the dress and leaving the room.

Luckily for Anna, this wasn't the only dress Kate had ever had ordered in for her. And on an even brighter note, Kate usually didn't have such bad taste. pening up her wardrobe, Anna snaked through the mound of clothes, she had careless chucked in and demanded were never touched. These were the things she never wore. She added the fluro-pink dress to the collection.

One day she planned on giving her collection of hideous and ugly to the poor; she would feel really sorry for the poor on that day. As for now, she pushed things aside until she could reach the back of the closet, and there she found her prey.

The dress was a slim, black dress made of a beautiful silk. It wrapped over the back of her neck, leaving her back bare down to her waist, and dipping into a long 'V' at the front. The dress flowed straight from her waist to her ankles. It was the best dress she owned, and obviously fitted prefectly for a night with the most snobby family she had ever met.

It was as Anna laid the dress across the bed that she realised she would have to ask either her father or Kate to help her with her hair. The problem with Anna's genes were that both her parents had the most unkept hair in the world. Her father's hair always fell at the completely wrong angle, and her mother had hair with would bush and curl all over the place. She had a mixture between both. She had gained her mother's perfect brown colour, and her father's unfortunate angles.

Finally ready, Anna sighed as they waited for the car to arrive for their departure. Kate seemed quite upset that Anna hadn't worn the dress she had given her, but Anna didn't care. She was more peeved about the fact that they had to take a muggle car to Malfoy Manor, what kind of wizards were they? Kate had refused to let them with fly or floo in their evening wear. Harry was never one to argue with Kate, so here they were, waiting for the car.

Anna was also peeved at the fact that Jimmy and Lauren didn't have to come. She understood why Lauren, at the tender age of one, couldn't come, but Jimmy was five, surely he could manage to keep awake and out of trouble just for one dinner. Kate had called in a friend of hers to babysit the kids. Anna had never wished herself to be Jimmy's age so much in her life.

Arriving at the Manor was quite scene. Kate half tumbled out of the car, as they were running late, to get to the front door. Harry and Anna rolled their eyes before coming at a much slower pace.

"Harry! Anna! Quickly, Mother and Father should already be here, and this is beyond fashionably late," Kate's shrill rang down to the car.

Anna sighed, she hadn't known the dreaded step-grandparents were going to be there.

Kate's parents were much more bearable than Kate, but they demanded Anna call them by their first names, then went into the most boring conversations about their childhood. Kate's mother, Claire, insisted that she was the most beautiful woman of her time - though Anna could clearly disagree. They were the worst kind of snobs, next to the Malfoy's, of course.

Harry and Anna finally made it to the door, just as it was pulled open by Mr. Malfoy. Though the house belonged to Draco Malfoy, he was still visited by his mother and father on these sorts of occasions, so Anna had a feeling Lucius and Narcissa would be present..

"Ah, the Potter's, how are you all?" Draco Malfoy asked, stepping aside and beckoning then in.

"Wonderful," Kate replied. Harry shook the other man's hand, saying nothing. Anna was simply silent, she had no respect for a man like Draco Malfoy.

"We're all in the downstairs common room, do join us," Draco's voice was rather deep, but icy. His eyes had that look that made you feel as though he would be likely to pour you a drink only to stab you with the bottle. It sent shivers down her spine as she thought about it.

Kate took Harry's hand, leading him to threw a door to their right. Draco laid his hand on Anna's back, pushing her slightly in the direction of the room.

"How have you been, Miss. Potter?"

Anna picked up her speed as so to have the older man's hand leave her back. "Just fine."

"And your mother?" he asked, a sly grin coming over his face. Anna didn't like that grin at all.

"You see her everyday at work, I believe you would have a better clue than myself," Anna retorted, stepping into the warm, fire-lit room.

Draco chuckled, "I see you have grown quite a mouth on yourself."

"Thank you," Anna said, smirking, knowing it wasn't a compliment.

She took her seat next to her father and turned her head away from Draco, though she could feel his eyes on her from across the room. She made her decision to stay away from that man as much as she could. She still hadn't forgotten the sneering look he had given her on her last visit.

Looking around the room, Anna noticed Lucius Malfoy, whom was in deep conversation with Kate's father - Fredrick. Their wives were beside them, discussing something of much less concentration as their eyes kept flitting to Draco and his wife - Pansy. Kate was trying to talk Harry into talking with someone else in the room, Harry seemed content to sit with his daughter. It was as Kate finally gave up and made her way over to her mother and Narcissa did Anna's attention get called to the double doors of the room, which had just swung open, admitting a rather tall, lithe man with sleek blonde hair and slightly pale skin. Though she hadn't seen him in around eight eyes, Anna knew he had to be none other than her dreaded play-partner, Lucian.

Though there was something else about Lucian, he seemed... different. His eyes seemed to take in the entire room, and finally after looking over every other occupant, his eyes fell on Anna, and stopped.

Anna's breath seemed to catch in her throat as Lucian came striding towards her father and herself. Kate's previous seat, Lucian shook Harry's hand.

"Hello, Mr. Potter. How have you been?"

"Fine," Harry replied politely, though he didn't seem that worried that Lucian had sat next to him.

"I'm rather sorry I had to miss work today, it was unavoidable," Lucian said, his voice rather formal. Anna raised an eyebrow when she saw the way Lucian looked at her father. It was almost with... deep respect.

"Oh, that's fine, Lucian. You haven't missed a day of work since... well, since ever," Harry remarked, smiling at the younger man.

Lucian's eyes wandered to Anna, Harry noticed this.

"Oh, Lucian, I'm not sure if you'd remember. This is Anna, my daughter."

Lucian stretched out a hand. "Hey there."

"Hey," Anna mumbled, shaking the hand quickly. It wasn't that she was shy, she was just trying to take in this new person. It was like she was meeting Lucian again for the first time, and it felt weird.

The sound of a shrilling bell rang through the room. Pansy got to her feet, all eyes were on her. Pansy looked nervously at Narcissa - she was still obviously nervous around her mother-in-law, even after being married to Draco for over twenty years.

"I believe that would be out dinner," Pansy said, her voice was clear and calm. "Shall we make our way into the dining hall?"

Everyone got to their feet. It was as Anna followed her father out of the room that someone caught her hand, it was Lucian. She raised an eyebrow at him.

"Sit by me?" he asked.

Anna was a little taken aback by this question.

"I- er- guess," she mumbled, still in shock.

I'll just leave you guys there. The next chapter should be up shortly. Not tomorrow, as I have a few shopping problems to take care of, but maybe saturday.

Until next chapter...