Chapter 12 – The Easter Holiday Begins

Part 45 – Red

"So, here we are. The last meditation session before Draco and Meega go off to Malfoy Manor for Easter."

"I can't believe you agreed to go with him, Mia! You'll be stuck there with Lucius Malfoy, for goodness sake!"

"I feel as though I should be offended by that."

"You mean you're not?"

"Considering the source? No." Draco smirked, and Mione scowled. "You talk too much and rarely think. If I let anything you said offend me, I'd spend half my life offended."

Meega snorted, and Mione glared at her friend. "You too?"

"Of course not, Mione."

"I think it's time to start," Hermione said, hiding a grin.

There was a good deal of shuffling while people got situated, and then they began meditating, with the exception of Draco. He was practicing, getting faster at transforming.

Suddenly, the rhythmic popping of Draco's transformations were interrupted by a series of pops and a loud bark. The others gathered opened their eyes, and Draco changed back to his human form. "Who would have thought he would transform next?" Draco asked. Ron had transformed—into a particularly red Irish Setter.

Part 46 – Reason #1 Not to Date a Death Eater's Son

The Hogwarts Express pulled into Platform Nine and Three Quarters about four o'clock the first day of Easter Vacation, having left the Hogsmeade station at eight that morning. Meega and Draco had wound up sharing a compartment with Loony Lovegood, who actually turned out to be very nice and very interesting, though she did believe every word her father printed in the Quibbler. It was almost a shame when the train pulled into the station and it was time to get off.

"So, Mia, are you ready to face my family?"

Meega grinned. "You don't have any siblings. How hard can it be?"

Draco smiled back, loading Meega's belongings onto a trolley and refusing to let her help. "That really depends on my parents, doesn't it? They can make visits very uncomfortable without trying very hard or resorting to anything illegal."

"I understand that perfectly. It's not hard to think of ways for them to do that. I mean, they could have the house elves could 'forget' to get my room ready properly, for starters."

"Among other things. However, father will be very relieved that you're Slytherin, so I doubt you have anything to fear."

"Well, then, let's go."

At this point Draco was forced to give Meega control of her own trolley, though he was obviously affronted that she had to push it herself. They exited through the barrier, and it took little time for them to find Lucius and Narcissa Malfoy. Besides the fact that they were waiting near the platform, they stood out. No one else could stand there and look so much like they owned the place. Lucius' eyes were cold, his nose was in the air, and his face was an impassive mask; Narcissa looked as though she had scented manure.

"Mother, Father," Draco said stiffly as he stopped in front of them, bowing slightly to acknowledge them. "I'd like you to meet my girlfriend, Meega Ororo Kyl-Derc. Mia, these are my parents, Narcissa and Lucius Malfoy."

"Hello Mrs. Malfoy, Mr. Malfoy," Meega replied softly, dipping into a slight—very slight—curtsy. "Your son hasn't said much about you. I'm looking forward to getting to know you."

"Indeed," Lucius said disdainfully. "Miss Kyl-Derc, is it? I was under the impression that he was seeing someone else."

"Oh, you know how rumors out of Hogwarts are, Father," Draco said in a tone not too far removed from the one his father had used, though it was obvious that any contempt in his voice was for those who spread the rumors and not his father. "As often as not they're a figment of someone's imagination, or started out of spite."

"Indeed," he repeated and swept away, expecting the others to follow. Draco glanced at Meega, giving her a half-smile before starting off after his parents. Meega felt that this would be a very awkward visit.

Part 47 – Of Shoes and Socks

"Your father irks me. He's so terribly . . . arrogant."

Draco smirked. "You mean like me?"

Meega paused, taken off guard. "Yes. But you're cute when you do it!" She swung her feet out from under her, ready to set off to her first dinner at Malfoy Manor.

"Just a minute. Aren't you forgetting something?"

"Oh, right!" She leaned over to kiss Draco, then started off again.

"Not that—though I don't object," Draco said, grinning. "Your shoes."

Meega looked down at her bare feet. "But shoes are evil."

"And if you wander around the manor barefoot you'll give my mother vapors."

"Ooo, I've never seen that!"

Draco gave a long-suffering sigh. "Please, just put on your shoes."

Meega pouted. "I don't like shoes."

Draco faltered. "All right, I suppose you don't have to wear shoes. But put on your stockings at least!"

"All right. I suppose I am the guest here. I should try to be at least moderately polite." She sat back down, pulling on her knee-high striped hot pink and black socks. Halfway through putting on the second sock, she looked up in confusion. Draco had his back turned and the back of his neck was bright red. "What's wrong?"

"You're—dressing," he said tensely.

"I'm putting on socks!"

"It's—it's not—"

Meega grinned. "You're so cute." Finishing pulling on her sock, she slipped over to kiss her boyfriend again. "Of course, if you were any different I probably wouldn't be going out with you."

Draco grinned. "It's time for dinner, Mia. Will you allow me to escort you?" He held out his arm, and Meega slipped her hand around the crook of his elbow.

"Hmm. I could get used to this very quickly."

"There's more than this to get used to. Mother intends to have a chat with you tonight and start turning you into a proper lady tomorrow."

"Really."

"A Malfoy can't be seen in public with someone who has no idea how to behave. So she's planning on teaching you to behave like someone a Malfoy would keep company with."

"Does that include wearing shoes?"

"Among other things."

Meega sighed. "I'm not going to have any choice in this, am I?"

"Not really, knowing Mother."

"I know perfectly well how to behave. I just don't."

The dining room that Draco escorted Meega into was enormous. Like the rest of the house, it seemed more appropriate medieval castle than a modern home. Lucius and Narcissa were already seated at the high table when Draco seated Meega and took his own seat. At the sight of Meega's shoeless state, Narcissa's eyes had bulged, but she regained control of herself quickly. Meega had a sneaking suspicion that wandering around in her socks would be a subject of discussion in her lessons. This was the most formal dinner Meega had ever attended, and she had a feeling that this was much less formal than dinner generally was at Malfoy Manor.

Part 48 – Vapors

"One Cannot Wander around the Manor in Stockings," Narcissa informed Meega as soon as she had her in her solar. "It is simply Not Done."

Meega glanced down at her shoes—which she had put on after dinner—and nodded. I'm a guest, she thought. I'm a guest. "I understand, Mrs. Malfoy."

"Good. Now, if one Associates with Malfoys, one must Maintain a Certain Level of Behavior. One Cannot act as though one is an Uneducated Commoner."

"Of course, Mrs. Malfoy."

"Since my Son has Chosen to Associate with you, you must Learn to Behave as a Lady. I will do my Best to Instruct you as you Should Have Been as a Child. Your Posture is Immaculate; however, your Manners are Abysmal. You must be Enlightened in the Proper forms of Etiquette. Sit."

Meega sat.

"Feet must be on the Floor."