Disclaimer: I am not JKR and I am not making any money whatsoever from this.
Chapter 9: Christmas with Death Eaters
Draco pulled his trunk into the compartment and sat down to watch as Crabbe and Goyle struggled to position their trunks on the rack. No wonder half the school thought they were stupid.
"Finally," he said when they finished and he walked out of the compartment knowing they were following. He walked down the hallway looking in compartments, walking in and offering his advice where he thought it was needed, until he came across one full of first years; Margaret Lewis was sitting next to the window and she looked close to tears, while the others laughed viciously. That wouldn't do at all; a crying Slytherin was not to be allowed.
"Maggie!" He said happily, "what are you doing here? I thought you said you'd sit with me?"
The first years had stopped laughing and were looking at him confused. Lewis looked as if she wasn't sure whether to be grateful or scared. She stood up and pulled her trunk from the rack and followed him out of the compartment. None of them said anything as they walked back to their compartment.
The minute they walked in Lewis said, "What are you playing at?"
"What do you mean?" He asked sitting down and putting his feet on the seat across from him, Crabbe and Goyle also sat down throwing her disgusted looks.
"Why did you just do that?"
"You are Slytherin, nothing else matters." He said while he tried to convince himself it was true, Crabbe and Goyle weren't buying it either, but neither said anything.
"And the name's Margaret," Lewis said as she sat next to Crabbe; Crabbe inched away.
Once the train arrived at the station, Draco sighed with relief, it had been a long ride, Goyle who always insisted on playing at least three games of Gobstones didn't even bring up the subject and they all sat there staring at each other quietly making feeble attempts at discussing the teachers and classes. When they disembarked the train Draco quickly moved away from Lewis, he didn't want his father to see him with her, in case he'd heard about her being a mudblood. He pulled his trunk near the fireplace at the station and saw his father.
He was speaking with Mr. Nott and didn't see him as he walked up to him.
"Father," he said softly. His father looked down at him and smiled quickly. He stood there as his father finished the conversation and then led him to the fireplace. They cut in front of the Zabinis who looked disgruntled but didn't say anything, Malfoys didn't wait for anything.
The minute he walked through the fireplace his mother gave him a bone crushing hug and asked him a million questions all seeming to center around his health.
"Leave him alone Cissa," his father said, throwing his cloak at a house elf as another picked up Draco's trunk. His mother turned her nose up and placing an arm around his shoulders led him to the drawing room, where they had tea while Draco told them of all the things that had transpired during the semester.
On Christmas Day, Draco and his father were playing a game of wizard's chess, actually, his father was playing, and Draco was trying to not embarrass himself too much as they waited for his mother to get ready. He was the happiest he'd ever been; he'd gotten everything he'd wanted including that new broomstick upgrading kit and they were going to go over to the Parkinson's house for the annual Christmas party. When his mother finally came down wearing a very flowy silver robe he stood up quickly and ran to the fireplace, his father had been just about to beat him.
At the Parkinsons Draco walked in to the receiving parlor. His father quickly warned him that if he got in trouble all his presents could be taken away as easily as they were given to him before letting him go to the children's parlor. The room was where the kids were pretty much kept so that they would stay out of the way of the adults. Although a little indignant at being restricted, although they were allowed in the ballroom, he was glad that he wasn't up in the nursery where all the children under eight were kept. He looked around the parlor and saw the younger children and first years were all getting a little rowdy in a corner playing some word game, the few older teenagers that had accompanied their parents all sat together talking regardless of house, probably deciding it was better than playing with the kids. In the rest of the kids however a marked separation could be seen, the kids from the other houses avoided the Slytherins. Draco couldn't stand what Harry Potter and Hogwarts had done to them. Pansy and Parvati, the only third year Gryffindor in attendance, were glaring at each other across the room; four years ago they'd been sitting side by side discussing the latest doll fashions. Draco seriously thought that he and Ernie were the only ones who remained friends and they did it in secret.
Nodding to Ernie who was talking animatedly with Terry Boot, Draco joined a group of Slytherin boys in a game of Exploding Snap. After the game, the girls decided they wanted to dance, they all went into the ballroom. After dancing with Pansy and Millicent, Draco darted about the adults trying to hear any useful information, the Parkinsons annual party was full of influential Ministry workers as well as many powerful wizards and witches from around the world. In one corner he could see Minister Fudge talking excitedly with the ministers of France and Bulgaria, but they were speaking in French and all he could understand was that they were talking about school.
When the dinner bell was rung they all marched to the Blue Dinning Room, were they were once again segregated from their parents who used the Gold Dinning Room. Draco quickly sat next to Ernie and they began to discuss their Christmas presents surreptitiously. Draco had never appreciated being alphabetized until first year when he'd realized this was the only way to speak to Ernie here without their classmates glowering at them, further down the table Padma looked uncomfortable as Pansy and Parvati continued to stare daggers at each other from either side of her. The only one not alphabetized was Paul, Pansy's brother, he was a seventh year and sat at the top of the table with his chest puffed out, trying to look regal and dashing; Draco rolled his eyes and returned his attention to Ernie who was telling him about his new broom.
A/N: I know the title was a bit misleading, you were probably expecting a virgin sacrifice, but it was just a society party. I liked the idea of them all being friends before Hogwarts, before they knew which house they'd be in. True there are families like the Malfoys and Weasleys who always get placed in a certain house, but look at the Patil twins and Sirius Black, even if you suspected you'd be placed in a house, there was still a chance you'd be put in another. Even then I can't help but think that having not experienced the Hogwart's environment with classes separated by house, the House Cup and teachers like Snape, the kids wouldn't give it any importance. Also have you noticed how we don't know which house a lot of the adults belonged in, not even important ones like Hagrid and Mad-Eye, I personally think Hagrid was a Hufflepuff.
