The Rosier family announced that they will be holding a ball on Christmas. It was only natural that the Malfoys were invited - the first on the list. Draco received a new suit, new shoes, and his first platinum watch. Katherina insisted on wearing red, but she wasn't trusted to make her choices alone just yet. Narcissa wanted to make sure she respected the strict, unwritten code of nobility.

As the stylist arranged her baby curls, Katherina thought about the past year. She kind of missed Elisa, perhaps she could talk to her about it? The Flint family was probably going to be invited as well. She could probably find Selena in a corner somewhere, talking to one person, trying to stay out of the way of every other flamboyant noble willing to take the spotlight. She was more than likely going to spend her time around Anna. It was obvious that she liked Ron, but the Weasleys were never invited anywhere, and if they were, they were going to be there as a laughing stock for everyone else.

The Malfoys had a black limo that they used to go around town when magic wasn't all that necessary and time was patient enough for it. As they were being taken from the salon to the Manor, Narcissa kept watching her closely and Katherina felt like she expected her to say something, but she wasn't certain about it. She looked out the window as they passed by the weathered buildings of London.

"I've heard that you learned the Patronus charm," the woman tactfully opened the subject.

Katherina could already guess where this was going. She hummed in agreement. "Draco picked up a book that contained it, among other things."

"That's very impressive. Did you study it alone?" she continued with the interrogation.

"With a Hufflepuff," Katherina kept her answers minimal.

"Do you have feelings for that boy?"

For a brief moment, Katherina forgot what Draco told her about Narcissa and looked her in the eye. She felt her mind being explored and her memories of Cedric being brought to the surface. She closed her eyes and shook her head, trying to regain control of her own mind.

"No... He and I wouldn't have worked out. You don't need to do this," she said, then immediately regretted it. "I didn't mean it as an offense-!"

"None was taken," the woman reassured her with the same polite calm that hid away most of her thoughts and emotions. "I haven't told Lucius about it. I would like you and Draco to work out what's going on between the two of you on your own, as you probably guessed by now. Let's make a good impression - I believe you will recognize many of your friends at the ball and I expect you to become familiar with their families, at least as far as recognition goes. Of course, there will be many new faces, but I believe you will be able to remember a few of them."

As the car pulled up in front of the Manor, Katherina nodded slowly. "Would you like me to pay attention to anyone in particular?"

"I trust you to find this answer on your own," Narcissa said as the door opened and Draco and his father sat down.

Draco saw her and felt his breath running short. Katherina was in a very simple, very elegant blood-red dress. It was strapless, with a straight cut line over her chest, and a fitted narrow waist. She wore a pink pearl pendant on a silver chain, matching earrings, and a delicate bracelet. He was positive it was the first time he saw her with her nails in shimmering frosty pink. She had her makeup done and she was wearing red lipstick.

"...Are you alright?" the girl asked him. He had been staring at her for a few seconds, not saying anything.

He had parted his hair down the middle. Katherina never thought his hair would be long enough to fall in his eyes, but the look suited him well. Speaking of suits, he was wearing a white one with silver accents and a gray shirt. His hair seemed blonder in that combination, his skin flawless and pale like the complexion of a statue.

Draco looked away. "Yeah! Yeah, it's fine. I'm- Um... You... look nice in red."

The girl felt his father's eyes on them and turned hers to the window again. "Thanks."

They arrived at the Rosier Manor in about half an hour of awkward silence. His parents seemed to understand each other without the need for words, something that Katherina found both admirable and a little creepy. She was anxious about Cedric and Pansy being invited, but Draco looked rather bored. He didn't enjoy this kind of gathering much. He only attended them because his parents dragged him along and he couldn't exactly tell his father that he didn't want to go.

The manor was ridiculous in Draco's eyes - it must have been half the size of theirs. He seriously doubted that the Rosier family could host so many guests overnight, something that would have been possible for the Malfoys. With a sigh, Draco remembered that Anna was their friend and he had to be civil. Mr. Rosier also had a pretty complicated business history with his father. That old bastard could have been a grandfather... while Anna's mother was younger than his own. Draco watched in disgust as the old, short, round man tried to waltz his tall, slender, bonny wife around. Thank heavens his parents looked so good together!

Katherina backed away as she saw the Rosiers coming their way, but the man wasn't after her. Instead, he took Anna for a dance, signaling that whoever else wanted could now join them. As more pairs took the invitation, the girl looked at Draco, as he looked around. His father was out of sight, his mother was making her way through the crowd, and his friends were too far from him to save him. Of course, she'd want to dance - what girl didn't? Except, he didn't enjoy it all that much.

As the song ended, the girl noticed how Draco had no visible reaction and so, she sighed and walked towards the refreshments table. She immediately noticed that most of the men at the ball had disappeared into a different room, probably following Mr. Rosier. Narcissa's words from earlier returned to her mind as clear as day. Was this what she was supposed to notice? Speaking of whom, Narcissa was having a chat with Anna, and the girl's usually pale face had turned a light shade of pink.

Katherina walked around a bit longer before finally joining Draco again. This time, he had noticed the phenomenon as well, so he could use that as an excuse to ask her for a dance. The girl accepted his invitation, keeping her eyes open for anything odd.

"Have you noticed?" Draco asked quietly. "Snape is here."

Katherina was surprised. "Snape? Are you sure?"

"Yes, and he's at that meeting, I assume - the one held by Rosier, with my father, and everyone else..."

"But... what's the link?" Katherina allowed herself to think aloud as Draco led her across the dance floor.

"I don't know. I've seen this before, but my father won't tell me if I ask him. Blackwood is in there with them, but he's the one who-!"

"The one who tried to sabotage that shop on Diagon Alley, yes. Why would he be there?"

"That's what I can't figure out," Draco sighed as he spun her around. Just because he didn't like dancing didn't mean he hadn't been taught how to dance.

"Noble, but also common... Rich, alongside working... Family? Not only. Business partners? Not always. Then what? Slytherin graduates?"

"Blackwood is traditionally Ravenclaw. There has to be something else!"

The two danced along from one song to the other, perfectly executing every move, keeping all eyes on them. Their minds were busy trying to find a common trait of all the men inside that room.

"Look," Katherina drew his attention as they were spinning. She noticed them all coming out of the room that they assumed was an office or a conference room. Rosier and Blackwood were stepping out together, looking rather pleased with themselves.

Draco saw the old pair. Blackwood was a tall man who must have been very handsome in his younger days. His hair was still mostly black, though graying slightly, and he had a white mustache under his pointy nose. Beside him, Rosier was short, round, and nearly bald, with his scalp as spotted as quail eggs.

As his father crossed paths with the two, Draco noticed the way Blackwood was eyeing Anna. She must have seen it as well because as they turned again, Draco lost sight of the girl.

"Where is Anna?"

"She was right there," Katherina said as she looked around. "You were right! Snape is here, or was!"

Distracted, Draco managed to catch a glimpse of their professor making a subtle disappearance, just as Blackwood and Rosier went towards what he assumed was a side exit of the ballroom. "I lost sight of my dad!"

"If we stop now, they'll know," she whispered as she felt Draco pulling her towards the edge of the dancefloor.

"Something is definitely happening at those meetings - and it can't be anything good. My father seemed very serious."

The couple soon found themselves on an overly crowded dance floor as pairs of all ages joined the dance. They had no way of making it to one of the exits, but after a bit of a struggle, they managed to reach one of the two balconies as a fragment of the Nutcracker was playing. Draco sighed in relief. Rosier was the worst thing to have ever tried to dance, a monster with two left feet.

"Bloody hell, that fat gnome-man crushed my heel..." he complained as he leaned on the railway for support.

"Someone kept stepping on my dress, too," Katherina sighed. "Your mother told me to observe the people here tonight. Do you think this is what she meant?"

Draco held his temples. "I don't know... Nothing makes any sense. This ballroom is too small, we're cramped like sardines on the dancefloor, and I think I'm getting a headache."

A playful song began, sounding rather fantastical and dark. Katherina enjoyed it much more from the balcony than from inside the ballroom. There were, indeed, too many people for the space available. She leaned over the railway, watching her breath swirl towards the sky. There were few clouds and a nearly new moon, a dark winter night turning the garden surrounding the Rosier Manor into a forest.

As Draco inhaled the cold winter air, trying to make some order in between his thoughts, he felt Katherina's warm hand reaching for his. At first, he thought maybe she wanted to show him something, so he followed her gaze, but he couldn't penetrate the dark shadows of the garden with his eyes. However, once she leaned towards him, he understood that this had nothing to do with revealing any hidden detail that might have changed his understanding of the world.

Katherina noticed the unmistakable scent of cologne as Draco realized she was looking for attention. Ne wrapped his arms around her waist from behind, lacing his fingers with hers, and she felt her heart skipping a beat. She leaned into him, as Draco lowered his head over her shoulder. In a way, she thought that their greatest fight yet over Pansy Parkinson and her idiotic rumors had somehow brought them closer than before.

"You know... I really hated dancing," Draco hummed next to her ear.

Katherina felt a chill running down her spine that she desperately tried to attribute to the cold night air. "Why...? You dance well."

He smirked bitterly. "I didn't get to choose my classes. If my parents thought I should learn something, I had to learn it... and I was going to be the best. I hated my teacher, though. She was this old witch with flask skin all over her hands and neck, and swollen blue veins. She always smelled really strong of lavender - I can't stand that stench now, and... she had no... shapes," the boy faked a cough.

Katherina began laughing. "You basically learned from a hag?"

"Something like that," he chuckled.

"Well, I'm glad she didn't poison you," the girl mocked his experience as she spun into his arms, coming face to face with Draco.

He tried to laugh, but the sight of her was taking his breath away. It was why he had barely looked her in the eye during their dance - he knew for sure that he would forget the steps and make a fool of himself. Draco found himself staring at her red lipstick as he leaned in closer.

Katherina felt her heart picking up its pace as she noticed how alive his gray eyes looked. He had a hint of pink over his cheeks and she once again tried to blame the cold, or perhaps how long they had spent dancing. The girl felt his breath on her lips.

An owl flew over their heads, making them pull away from each other before the bird entered the ballroom and let out a screech. The two looked through the open doorway to see Mr. Rosier storming away, down the main stairway, and out of sight, following the owl's rapid flight.

"What was that?" Katherina asked, easily distracted by the strangeness of the event.

Already mad that he had missed his first chance and not willing to lose it again, Draco led her back into his arms. "I don't know, and I don't care." He leaned in and kissed her for the first time, pressing his lips over hers hard at first. That's when he remembered her reaction to Cedric. To his surprise, he soon felt her return the gesture of affection, only softer, so he tried to relax.

As they pulled away to stare at each other, breathless and absolutely flushed, they heard noises from the garden. It sounded like two slaps being delivered fast, followed by sobs and a low, unintelligible murmur, and what sounded like Rosier's voice barking orders.

"Guards! I want every inch of the property searched thoroughly! Find the bastard who had the audacity to place this filthy rag over my daughter!"

Katherina looked at Draco with worry in her eyes. "What's going on?"

He held her closer. "Let's find my father..."


Author's notes:

As one heart flutters, the other breaks. Give The Losing Game a chance and see the other side of the events.

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