Disclaimer: I own neither Harry Potter or The Pride and Prejudice plot.
Chapter 1:
"Oh Rachel please let me borrow your shoes for the ball tonight, I've heard that there's going to be Aurors there, real aurors and I'll just die if I have to see them wearing my own disgusting sandals." Lucy whined as we attempted to get ready for the Potter's annual Summer ball.
"No Rachel let me borrow them, I am older after all.' Interrupted Catherine, as the two of them buzzed around mey elder sister like over-active bees. Lucy shoved Catherine roughly out of the way and grabbed a handful of poor Rachels skirt, looking up at her with pleading eyes.
"Only by ten minutes, Oh Rachel please, I promise I'll do anything- I'll be your slave for a month, I'll do all your chores and I promise I'll let you have the best looking boy there." Begged Lucy, looking close to tears.
"I can't believe you just pushed me, Mum Lucy just pushed me- I'm bleeding!' Shrieked Catherine, running out of the room in hysterics.
'Oh don't be a bitch Catherine, I barely tapped you.' Retorted Lucy, running after her. Rachel heaved a sigh of relief and collapsed back onto the bed, resting her head against my shoulder.
"Oh Emily, whatever can we do with them?' She asked, her blue eyes imploring me for some kind of answer.
"Pray to God that Hogwarts will somehow mould them into sensible, respectable young ladies.' I grinned, knowing that it was a lost cause. I am plagued with two of the silliest sisters on the planet- of course I love them to death but if I didn't have Rachel I'm quite certain I'd go insane.
"And if all else fails I'm sure we could always find a decent nunnery to lock them up in.' I added, feeling Rachel laughing into my shoulder.
"I fear that won't save us from whatever mischief they're planning for tonight- Merlin knows what dad was thinking by letting them come." She sighed, leaning back and unravelling my hair from the curlers she'd set in it earlier.
"Because Lucy would start world war three if he refused and probably get us kicked out of another school as revenge." I explained darkly, still trying to overcome the bitterness at having to leave Durmstrong at the end of my sixth year because my youngest sister was caught in a broom closet with a professor of all people, at the tender age of fifteen. Sometimes I despair at my gene pool, but the worst thing was my mother seemed almost proud at having such an attractive, seductive daughter. Luckily the scandal was dealt with privately and was kept secret from the rest of the world, but that was barely a consolation and Lucy was furious that she couldn't brag about such a conquest. I life in mortal terror of what she will do next, being the type of girl who loves to shock almost as much as she loves men.
"Oh don't be so disparaging Emily, you know she didn't mean to get the rest of us involved, it was simply a mistake."
"I know your right Rachel, and perhaps Hogwarts will be an interesting change of scenery- I hear they have a giant squid." I replied excitedly for I have a strange fascination for all kinds of weird and wonderful creatures. Rachel simply rolled her eyes and groaned.
"Only you could see that as a good thing. But if we were still in France we wouldn't finally get to experience one of the Potter's infamous balls.' She exclaimed, jumping up on the bed excitedly as her white chiffon skirt swirled around her.
"I wonder what James is like now- we haven't seen him since he was a precarious seven year old with huge milk bottle glasses and a penchant for staring up our skirts.' I giggled, as Rachel pulled me up along with her.
"Oh I'd forgotten he used to do that- best wear a pair of shorts just to be on the safe side.' She laughed, jumping down and pulling on a pair of white gym hotpants.
"Now would you please get dressed Emmy- you can't go in jeans, its a formal occasion.' She cried, picking up my new red ball gown and throwing it over my head.
"I really don't see the point, if I'm standing next to you it won;t matter what I'm wearing- everyone will be far to memorised by your beauty to notice plain old Emily." I teased as my sister turned a very attractive shade of fuschia. Though she was the loveliest creature ever to grace the Earth Rachel was highly uncomfortable with her beauty but her modesty merely added to her charm.
"Emmy don't talk nonsense please, you know people can't help but notice you once you open your mouth.
"Charming.' I exclaimed, laughing at my sisters misplaced attempt at flattery. She shock her head violently, releasing her mass of blonde hair from the rigid bun I'd spent ages doing for her before we were interrupted by our youngest sisters.
"I meant it as a compliment.' She insisted, madly trying to recapture her hair.
"It doesn't matter either way, its not like I'm begging for the attentions of the dim witted, sex crazed morones this ball will no doubt be rife with- the male sex has turned out to be such a dissapointment.' I shrugged, letting Jane zip up my dress as I freed my legs of my beloved jeans.
'Emmy one day you are going to find a boy who's going to drive you absoultely wild, and then you will be forced to eat your words." She warned, but I am highly doubtful of such a prediction.
"No I'm a lost cause, but there's still hope for you Rachel- if you don't enchant a young wizard there tonight I'll get down on bended knee and propose to Severus Snape." I promised. Snape was a slimy, creepy wizard who we were forced to spend last Christmas holiday with at the family chateux in France. He was our cousin Lucious' best friend, and so we had to endure the horror of spending two weeks with the two most loathsome boys on the planet. Luckily the stay was brought to an abrupt end when dad and our uncle Victof had a spectacular fight about Victof's allegiance with the dark Lord and his involvement in the Abbott tortures. Victof called him a muggle loving fool and father retaliated by declaring that he hoped he burned in hell and that we would no longer be associated with the name Malfoy. To bad Victof is the oldest son, and being a traditional pure blood family, he is set to inherite everything including our house once grandfather dies, but father would rather be homeless than support our uncles twisted brand of politics.
"Don't be cruel Emmy, Snape was never anything less than civil with any of us, and even helped Bridgette brew a couple of potions." Jane hates to hear anyone spoken about in a depricating manner, except of course someone she deems extremely deviant such as our dear old uncle.
'Please Rachel he was just ozzing with the dark arts.' I retorted, picking up my book and beginning to read as Rachel fussed over my hair.
An hour later the seven of us assembled in the living room, awaiting our transportation. Catherine and Lucy were fighting over a silver shawal whilst mum begged Bridgette to consider wearing something a little more "cheerful".
"Wouldn't you like to wear one of Rachel's pretty Summer dresses?' She pleaded, eyeing Bridgette's interesting new apparal. She'd somehow managed to put together a long black lace gown with high Victorian neck and a full bodied skirt that rested against her boot-clad shins. With her messy black hair and charcoaled eyes she looked like a Tim Burton drawing (A/N i know that Tim Burton wasnt around back then but...oh well).
"How can I mourn for my generation in a Summer dress?' She demanded meeting my mothers gaze with a disgusted look.
"Well perhaps you could have a rest from mourning tonight? Everyone deserves a break now and then." You couldn't fault my mother for trying, but Bridgette was a stubborn old soul and the Lucy's howls as Catherine ran off triumphantly with the shawel were incredibly distracting.
"It's not fair mummy, I saw it first!.' She wailed.
'What a tragedy, somehow now the plight of Harriet and Albert Abbot seems insignifcant in the face of your personal misfortune." Muttered Bridgette, giving her a disdainful look.
"Shut up you big freak, why don't go choke on your eyeliner" Suggested Lucy hatefully. Luckily the fight was interrupted by the arrival of our carriage as Rachel and I made sure to keep our sisters as far apart as possible.
"This is going to interesting." I whispered to Jane as I took a deep breath and climbed in.