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"This is amazing!"

Ginny was bouncing up and down and the others were scarcely less excited, the Slytherins were their usual selves, maybe a bit more eager than normal, but the enthusiasm of their friends was infectious. Bill and Charlie were trying their best to look cool, after all they were the oldest two there, and they had girls to impress, so they couldn't be like the others. Shoving their way to the window to see the scenery fly by, although they did use their height advantage to look out over the others' heads, some things just couldn't be missed.

It was a sight though; the horses weren't galloping on the ground so much as over it, the unnaturally smooth gait made for an incredibly smooth ride. For a while they Slytherins had attempted to talk to their friends, but it soon became impossible. Normally, despite the magical speed of the horses, it would have taken several hours to reach Malfoy Manor, but because of Narcissa's desperate (and extremely vocal) desire's to meet the court and their friends, they were travelling a way known to only a few select pure blood families, the really ancient names.

Using this method they passed through a plane of existence just slightly out of phase with their own. Where the world they lived in was filled with sharp edges and bright colours, this world was…smoky and gentle, all pale greens and blues. There were no buildings, just smooth ground for the horses to travel over, so a trip that would have taken four hours through the normal world, lasted only one and a half in the travel world.

There was a barely perceptible jolt as the carriage passed from one plane to the other, and the visitors to the Manor all scrambled to the window for their first glimpse of the legendary mansion. Even Bill and Charlie gave up their cool façade and lifted themselves up so they could see over the younger heads, leaving the Slytherins to laugh at their friends' excitement.

But the noise died down immediately as the Manor came into view. It was an impressive sight normally, solid grey stones, high stained glass windows, towers reaching high into the sky. But in winter, especially at Christmas, it was amazing.

There was snow on the ground and the building, making the Manor look like a castle in a fairy tale; trees were all around, some still green but not many. But the beautiful scenery wasn't all, each window was illuminated with candlelight, which on some windows cast the multicoloured shadows of the stained windows onto the snow. The glass figures wandering from one window to another, like wizarding portraits, but the Malfoys were the only family with living windows.

The carriage drew to a stop on the gravel driveway before the heavy closed doors; the liveried footmen jumped down and one opened the doors to the carriage while the other two sung open the massive doors and stood to attention by them, revealing Narcissa Malfoy as she hurried across the foyer.

Narcissa's blonde hair was streaming behind her as she hurried across to the group. She wasn't wearing normal wizarding robes, but a long dark green dress with a black shawl wrapped around her shoulders. All extremely simple lines, but she made it look as if it was the most expensive designer outfit in the world, which it might well have been, she was a Malfoy after all.

"Dragons."

Her cry rang out over the frosty air, and, abandoning their Malfoy dignity, the twins rushed over to her. For the next few minutes they were a mass of pale skin and expensive fabric as they hugged. Draco's return didn't usually lead to such an exuberant display, even when Lucius was away, but Drey was there, and her return had given her twin and her mother back the liveliness that had been taken away from them.

Eventually they broke apart and the Narcissa turned to the other four teenagers who'd sidled forwards, and they were welcomed in much the same manner as her children had been. The whole group were made to stand by each other and she went through the motions every happy mother does when she sees her children after a long time, saying how they have grown (particularly Blaise, for she considered the other four her children, although she scarcely had a chance to show it), remarking on their colourful hair. Swallowing the remarks she could have made about how the bright colours were unbecoming to young purebloods.

While all that had been taking place the others had left the carriage and had huddled together, awed by the surroundings they found themselves in. Before now their friends status had been quite distant, known only intellectually, and when they wanted to produce a particular effect. But now they were surrounded with the physical proof, and it was very unnerving.

They had been watching the reunion with something approaching incredulity, no matter what their friends told them, Narcissa Malfoy still appeared to them to be the snobbish women Harry had met at the Quidditch World Cup. The laughing, smiling, open woman before them didn't quite match up with their preconception.

Harry was standing in the middle of their little group, looking at the reunion over Ginny's head. Draco was in his mother's arms, laughing and smiling with Her nad Drey, and while a part of him wondered what it would be like if he was able to do that with his mother, the more dominant part of his brain was wondering what it would be like if he could hold Draco in his arms, he still had dreams of that drunken night, and he was trying to build up the courage to talk to his friend, and see if the blonde remembered and felt the same (or he was building up his courage to face complete and utter humiliation and all consuming embarrassment). He had been planning on doing it when Draco first came back after the holidays, in the first flush of pleasure at seeing him again after so long, but Christmas could be a good time, he could always blame it on a bit too much Christmas cheer, maybe he could even find some mistletoe.

He was dragged out of his musings when a clear, beautiful voice belonging to the eldest lady of the house drifted over to them.

"And why are you all hiding from me?"

Her left eyebrow was quirked upwards, eyes, a clear blue not like the silver orbs of her children, were focused on the huddled group, and seeing their acute discomfort, decided to take pity and not tease them anymore.

"You must be Bill."

Walking over she took his hands and pulled him away from his brother and the nervous knot of bodies. The red-hired wizard was several inches tller that her, but felt about two inches tall before her scrutinizing gaze. She looked his up and down several times before turning back to her daughter, and saying:

"You were right darling, very interesting."

Then turning back to him she scared him even more:

"I've heard a lot about you Mr Weasley."

Again her eyebrow quirked upwards, along with her mouth, and she gave the impression of knowing a lot more than she let on, but didn't give away anything of what she'd heard. And Drey only shrugged and smiled when Bill glared at her after her mother had moved on.

"And you must be Seamus."

She performed the same actions with him, smiling over her shoulder at Blaise. And so she made her way through the group, unable to help smiling at Neville's bright red face and helpless stuttering, Hermione's embarrassment, and Ginny's rather obvious fear at meeting such a notable person. Harry was surprised when she came to him, he'd been expecting her eyes to flick upwards to his scar, everyone's did, especially those in the important wizarding circles, but Narcissa never looked.

"Oh Merlin I'm sorry. Let's get inside."

Narcissa's attention had been caught by the shivering bodies of Ginny and Hermione and without further ado started to usher everyone inside, when they asked about their luggage she said it had been taken in by the servants and they could unpack it later.

The interior of the Manor looked just as much like a fairy tale as the exterior, there was a dark green Christmas tree by the stairs, white candles were floating just above the branches, illuminating the beautiful decorations, red and green tear drops, gold stars, it looked better than all the Christmas trees Harry, Hermione and Seamus had seen in department stores, absolute perfection, every ball ball and rope of tinsel in it's proper place.

"Do you want to see your rooms now, or should we show you around the Manor first?"

The still tight knit cluster conferred with silent glances for a few seconds before nominating Harry to be their spokes person and say:

"See around the Manor."

Narcissa, her children, and their friends grinned and while the twins moved over to a set of double doors leading off the foyer, the others chivvied the rest along behind them. Swinging the doors open in a very unnecessary, and quite frightening to the bewildered teenagers.

"In that case."

"Welcome to Malfoy Manor."

Nikki: sorry it's been so long but I had my GCSEs, and then I had to go to a wedding and we're going on holiday tomorrow, so although it's quite shot I wanted to update it. So glad you like it and I hope you like this chapter too.

Morena Evensong: glad you still like it, hope you like this one too.

Haylz010: hope you like this chapter.

Silverone3: hope it lived up to your expectations

SaintEmo: hope you like this chapter.

Hey everyone, I'm really sorry it's been so long but I had exams then a wedding and then manic packing (something I'm very bad at and absolutely hate), and I wanted to update another story of mine that I was stuck on and finally figured out how to get it where I wanted to go.

Anyway, please review this chapter, please:)