I am so sorry this took so long. I misplaced my thumb drive when I had about 80% of this chapter written. Enjoy.
"Himmy will be taking the Great Lord's cloak, he will," the house elf stated imperiously, practically wrenching the garment from Lucius's shoulders. The elf went on to collect Draco's cloak as well as the young Lord Nott's effects while Lucius stared after it.
He had not been expecting house elves.
He had not been expecting house elves in a tastefully decorated manor house by the sea. He had not expected to see Theodore Nott in the tastefully decorate manor house by the sea, nor had he expected to see house elves bowing to Amon Shafiq or offering a drink to Blaise Zabini.
The list of things he had not been expecting was much larger than he had expected.
"What the devil is Blaise doing here?" Draco hissed from behind his shoulder.
"Offshoot of the Avery branch," replied Nott lazily, shrugging his shoulder as he felt the weight of his wool cloak lifted from him. "A second cousin or some such. I'm surprised to see you here Malfoy," Theo nodded his head at both Draco and Lucius as he studied the cream and blue entryway of the manor house. "Who knew Granger had all this hidden in that bushy hair of hers, hmmm?"
"Who indeed?" muttered Lucius, as he grabbed a crystal glass full of fire whiskey from a nearby house elf. He threw the drink back in one motion and cursed as the smooth flavor traveled down his throat and ignited a warm fire in his belly.
Even the Mudblood's damned fire whiskey was superb.
"Gentleman, if you would follow me into the drawing room? I believe the elves have a greater selection of beverages and starters available while we wait for everyone else to arrive." Lucius nearly swallowed his tongue as he recognized the smooth, cultured voice on the stair case. "Severus?" he gasped, his pureblood manners leaving him entirely in his state of overwhelming shock.
"Lucius," the man replied warmly, "I didn't realize you would be joining us tonight." The cold look of murder his compatriot's eyes held belied that statement but Lucius knew an opening gambit when he saw one. The Potions Master was dressed formally in black velvet robes with small silver snake details along his cuffs and down his waist coat. His shoulder length black hair had been washed and brushed back to form a small queue at nape of his neck. He stood regally on the stairs with his hands folded behind his back and a small smirk on his usually sallow face.
"Well, Miss Granger was kind enough to extend us an invitation – how could I refuse a famous war heroine, Severus?" Lucius recovered smoothly. "And may I ask how you know the young woman well enough to be invited into her…home?" The pause had been deliberate, designed to imply that Severus had been invited into more than just the chit's home. The barb hit home as Lucius saw his friend's jet black gaze narrow ever so slightly before the expression vanished from his face.
"Lady Granger has asked me to represent her interests as she navigates a veritable sea of courting requests. I've not seen quite so many ribbons since Narcissa's own debut – but then again she was only juggling nine suitors and Lady Granger was originally approached by fourteen," Severus finished meanly.
Lucius had stiffened at the mention of an unknown title but the rest of the room went silent at the mention of fourteen competitors.
Draco recovered the conversation in his father's silence. "I didn't realize you knew Gra- Lady Granger well enough to act as her representative, godfather."
"Oh, quite well. The lady was my apprentice for a year as we developed the Salutem Magnum potion," Severus replied casually as he led the group of five men into the drawing room.
"I didn't know the muggle-born was involved in the creation," Lucius heard Shafiq murmur from behind him, sounding impressed even through his heavy Middle Eastern accent.
"Apparently there are a great many unknowns about the Lady Granger," Nott retorted cheerfully.
Lucius jaw clenched as the drawing room doors opened wide to admit them.
The blue and cream color scheme was carried inside the drawing room where mint and gold accents distinguished it from the entryway. Inside, Theo could see one of the Weasley twins carrying on a conversation with Oliver Wood, their old quidditch captain and current chaser for England's team, by the large bay windows that gave one a view of the formal English gardens. Looking around the room he also spied Neville Longbottom sitting on the couch with Ernie MacMillan, both of whom had been in his year at Hogwarts, though he'd had little cause to interact with the Hufflepuff outside of classes.
"Would the Great Lord be liking a beverage, sir?" A small voice squeaked from his right. Theo turned to see a small house elf dressed in an amethyst pillow case with a gold crest embroidered over her heart nervously waiting on his order. That makes three. How many of the things does Granger have? He wondered as he bemusedly asked the elf for a glass of fire whiskey. He'd seen Lucius throw his back earlier and it looked delicious. The elf bowed and Theo made his way over to a plush chair while he eagerly awaited the evening's next revelation. So far he had learned that Granger was wealthy, far wealthier than anyone had previously suspected, even given her war hero status; she owned house elves; had excellent taste in fire whiskey and interior decorating; was close friends with the notorious misanthrope, Severus Snape; and was quite more desirable than anyone had given her credit for given the number of suitors she supposedly had.
"Fourteen courtship proposals," he mused aloud as he sipped the truly excellent fire whiskey the nervous young elf had brought him. Conversation stopped as eyes darted around the room, nervously looking for Granger's representative to see if he would put a stop to their gossiping. Severus, however, had left after seeing the young men into the room, presumably to await the rest of the guests and terrify them with his unanticipated presence.
"Yes, quite the coup for the little –"
"Say that word, and I promise you it will be your last, Lord Malfoy." The Weasley twin, who Theo was now able to identify as Fred due to the presence of both his ears, had stood quickly against the elder Malfoy.
Lucius calmly swirled his fire whiskey as he observed the room. "I was going to say 'little lady', Mr. Weasley. Surely we've all learned to move past our prejudices, hmmmm?" There was a subtle reshuffling as the three Gryffindors and lone Hufflepuff moved to stand together against the other purebloods. Theo remained in his seat between the two groups and rolled his eyes.
"Yes, well," Amon Shafiq cleared his throat and took a glass of red wine from a trembling house elf. "It seems the Lady Granger has set aside her…youthful preconceptions? There is quite a diverse crowd tonight."
"Indeed," came the dry reply from the entryway as Snape reentered the room followed two newcomers. "I believe you men are all acquainted with Mr. Morven Parkinson and the young Lord Rupert Lestrange?"