(A/N I always reply to questions asked in reviews. So if you've asked a question,(on any story,) check your inbox. Also, there will be a pairing in this story. I'm just not sure who will be with who yet. As you can guess I was leaning toward Nate/Cora, but now I'm not so sure. The two don't interact the way I wanted them to. If you like, feel free to let me know what you think in your reviews, if you're kind enough to leave one.)
Where are we going and
why am I in this hand
basket?
"If anyone asks you what you've chosen to call yourself, tell them you've decided to keep it under wraps till tomorrow. If they ask how you find Nate's company, I'm afraid I must implore you to tell them that you find his humour endearing. I know he's not the kindest; but he has the brute strength and power to compliment your brains."
Cora nodded at Prosper, glad to have him around to guide her.
She was dressed in finery she could barely breathe in.
Jade green floor length robes with a small trail, accented with gold buttons and embroidery. Her long red hair was coiled on her head like a sleeping snake.
She stood behind the entrance doors to the ball room, where the Gala had already begun. She had been advised to be fashionably late.
Her sister was inside. She had not had a chance to talk to her sister since very early that morning. She missed her already.
She had been told that Nate was also already present.
And that he had been asked, politely, to keep up appearances.
If anyone got wind that he was not impressed by his new partner, it would indicate weakness. Or so Cora was told.
So she vowed to be nothing but friendly to him, at least in the public eye. Which she would be in quite a lot from now on, it seemed.
"Are you okay, my Lady?" Her advisor asked, and she nodded jerkily, then offered him a small smile when she realised how unconvincing she must have looked.
"If you need anything, call on me." He said, and pulled the doors open with a flourish.
She had not expected him to do this, but took it on the chin.
"Introducing the Lady Cora," Prosper announced, having amplified his voice with his wand.
"Our late Lord Potter's chosen successor." He added, and the crowd politely clapped.
She nodded at the room, having been told that a smile, a curtsey or a bow would be showing submission.
She counted maybe thirty people, and she scanned the room for her sister, the only face she wanted to see right then.
Her younger sibling had almost not been allowed to attend the Gala, but she insisted. She felt infinitely more comfortable with Annalise around.
Nate stood back in the crowd, watching with dissatisfaction as the crowd clapped. He sipped his wine to hide his grimace.
He had been hoping for a fierce partner. A beautiful vicious woman who could rival his own power. Someone to compliment and challenge his strength.
What he got was a timid little mouse.
He'd been told to take it on the chin by Prosper. More or less.
He didn't want to just put up with it.
"Pardon me, my Lord," A voice he recognised interrupted his thoughts.
"Do I sense disquiet already?"
"Black. No. You don't." Nate glared at the man that he considered to be his best Death Eater. Maybe sometimes to good.
"Forgive me, I figured your frown to mean you weren't happy."
Nate frowned harder.
Bren Black was two years older than himself. He had so far proven hard to bring to heel, in the sense of not saying things he shouldn't.
Nate knew that he would not betray him, but he didn't appreciate being spoken to like a regular person. At least in public.
"Keep it down." He snapped, looking around at the crowd, thankfully they were all to distracted by the mouse girls entrance.
"I take that to mean you're not impressed?" Black insisted.
"Where's your little sister? I'm sure she's here somewhere. I wish to defile her." Nate snapped.
This shut Bren up, and he quickly left the young Lord to his disappointment.
He watched Cora make her way to him, slowly, through the crowd. She nodded curtly where needed and gave quick answers to questions.
She appeared to be doing just fine, if you couldn't smell fear better than a shark.
When she reached him, he held out his hand.
"Care to dance, my Lady?" He asked as she accepted his hand.
She gave a quick curtsy and he led her through the crowd and started a slow waltz when the musicians realised it was time to play music.
Nate leaned in close to her ear, smirking.
"I give you a week, little mouse, before you're running for your life."
She didn't miss a step in the dance, though he could see the sweat on her upper lip.
"Little mouse?" She muttered, not making eye contact.
"That's what you are. To small to make a difference here."
"Have you ever heard that old proverb about a butterfly flapping its wings in one country and causing a hurricane in another?" She asked, making eye contact for a second.
"Of course." He answered, wondering where she was going with this.
"A mouse is considerably larger than a butterfly. I think I could cause an earthquake somewhere, if I tried."
He laughed, and her eyes narrowed.
"I'm sure your aware of what a snake eats?"
She said nothing, watching the people around her and trying not to seem to overwhelmed and beaten.
"Rodents, predominantly. You're a little rodent." He paused to give her a sly grin, his yellow eyes glinting.
"And sweetheart, I'm the snake. I can have you dead and in my gut faster than you can blink. Never think yourself superior to me."
They finished the dance in silence, Cora now desperate for this to be over.
She approached Prosper, who was talking to a prestigious looking couple, smiling and gesturing to something across the room.
"Prosper, a moment," She said, not asking, as she had been directed to never do.
At least in public.
She was to command and order.
It was something she was having trouble coming to terms with.
"Of course my Lady," He answered instantly.
"Excuse me," He told the couple, who nodded.
"Is everything alright?" He asked once they'd reached a small empty alcove.
"No, I want to be done for the night." Cora was used to being chastised for saying the wrong thing, and she expected it now.
Instead he just nodded.
"Of course. I imagine you've had quite the day. If you'd like to discretely exit through the small hall doors, I'll excuse you publicly afterwards."
She let out a tiny relieved sigh.
"I'll meet you in the sitting room just off the entrance hall in fifteen minutes, my Lady."
She nodded, having almost forgotten about finding a name for herself.
Cora just wanted to sleep. And cry.
"Do you know any languages other than English? I know French, but it's not quite right." Cora asked Prosper, hoping that he did, or at least had a book somewhere that could help her.
"I'm fluent in three languages. What were you thinking?"
"Mouse. Does that sound impressive to you in any language you know?" She hoped it did, because it was the only thing that really struck a cord in her.
She felt like a little mouse.
"In Romanian it's Soricel," He offered, eyeing her carefully.
"Anyone who knows Romanian would know what that means, though," He warned, not asking why she had chosen this in particular.
"I could change it some," She said, mostly to herself.
"Might I ask, why mouse?"
"It just seems right to me. Don't tell anyone. If they ask; just say it means something impressive in some dead language." She said, not willing to admit how much Nate's words had gotten to her.
He nodded, though he was frowning slightly.
"How do you wish to change it?" He asked, not pressing further.
"Maybe a few letters?" She said, though it was more a question. She honestly didn't care if she was Lady Asshat at this point.
She was well and truly done for the day.
"Sorecea?" He asked, and she considered it.
It was feminine, though strong.
"Yes, I like that," She said, and he gave her a small smile.
"I'll show you to your quarters. Your sister is already there."
Cora had requested that her sister share a room with her while she stayed, after meeting Nate. She'd feel better if she could keep an eye on her sibling.
She didn't trust her 'equal'.
As Prosper led her to her room, he kept glancing over his shoulder at her.
"What is it?" She asked, concerned.
"Oh, nothing, my Lady. I don't know how much I should say."
"If you have something to say, I want you to say it."
He stopped in front of a door and turned to face her.
"I wanted to apologise, for Nates behaviour." He said, his head bowed.
"You shouldn't be the one apologising. Besides, I wasn't expecting a saint."
He gave a nod and gestured to her door.
"These are your quarters. Again, if you need anything Lady Sorecea, let me know."
Cora nodded, secretly pleased with how that sounded.
She pulled the door open before Prosper could do it for her, and slipped inside quickly, excited to see her sister and get some rest.
The room was decidedly neutral in colour, everything cream or white.
Cora supposed she could decorate it herself.
Her little sister was sitting on the tremendous bed, staring at her as if she was waiting for her to break down.
She didn't disappoint.
She crawled onto the bed and into Annalise's arms, holding the sob in.
"I hate it here already," She choked, and her sister squeezed her head.
"What happened," Her sister asked, pulling her up and looking her in the eyes.
Cora wasn't sure how much she should tell her sister. She trusted her completely, but there was Veritaserum and many, many Legilimens.
Almost anyone could pluck her doubts and fears from her sisters head.
Her need to tell someone overruled her better sense.
"Nate is horrible. Absolutely unbearable, Annalise. Worse than I imagined, and I think it might get worse. I'm not ready to be here." The last of it came out a desperate squeak.
"That's not true. You've been training for this forever."
She hadn't expected Annalise to understand completely. She had hoped so. She knew deep down that she wasn't ready for this. She had always been a little to shy. A little to weak.
No matter how many people told her differently, she knew herself better.
She only nodded to her sister, not wanting a pep talk about how she could absolutely do this. She wanted to get out of her horrid dress robes, bathe and sleep for a week.
And she wanted to wake up at home.
"Ah, Prosper, Prosper, tell me, is the little mouse soiling itself?"
Prosper's eyes widened just slightly, and Nate filed the image away. He'd ask about it later.
"No, my Lord. She didn't appear to be soiling herself."
"She left her ball early. Surely that's a sign of weakness." Nate pressed, leaning forward in the plush chair and propping his arms on the desk his fathers used to sit at.
"She wanted to get started on choosing her name." Prosper said.
"Sit and drink with me." Nate said suddenly, pouring a glass of fire whiskey from the decanter on his desk.
"I don't think-"
"I said sit and drink with me." He said again, the warning clear. Prosper sat without another word and accepted the glass handed to him.
"What did she pick?" Nate asked when it was obvious the Malfoy was going to do as he was told. He poured himself a drink and took a large sip.
"Sorecea."
Nate hmmed, not entirely disappointed with her choice.
"What does it mean?" He asked, curious.
"I don't know, you'll have to ask her."
Nate scowled, displeased with the answer. He didn't want to speak to the girl.
"If I might ask, my Lord, why do you find her so distasteful?"
"She's pathetic." Nate answered, frowning at his advisor as if it were obvious.
"Not at all suited to be my equal."
Prosper nodded, taking a sip of his drink and saying nothing more.
If he had any say, which of course he didn't, the young advisor might say that he had quite a lot of confidence in his young Lady.
(A/N Cora's chosen name is pronounced So-Re-See. Nate's is Co-Lane.)
