It wasn't until Helen arrived at the Malfoy manner did she truly think about her plan, she didn't want to back out, no. She just didn't know how nine 15 year olds would pull it off. A knock at her bedroom door drew her out of her thoughts.

"yes ?" she called knowing full well it was her mother

"Helen darling its mother open the door" the soft voice of her mother called lightly

Helen glared at her door, her mother rarely ever came to her room and she never called her darling, unless she wanted something. Flicking her wand at the painted oak door she released the internal locking charm. Her mother glided into the room looking immaculate as always, she slightly dusted off a spot on Helens bed and perched herself there. Helen watched her mother through the mirror of her dressing table at which she sat, her mother appeared to be eyeing everything in the room, her eyes landed on Helens still packed trunks from hogwarts.

Finally she spoke "you haven't unpacked."

Helen glanced at the luggage through her mirror, it was the three trunks she picked up last summer before school, one large, one long upright and a small travel case.

"No.I haven't." Helen agreed

"Are you staying this summer?" her mother asked casually

Helen has no plans to leave the country this summer, she had to enact her plan, but she realised that she would need a cover if she had to be away for a few days. "I may go to paris." she quickly replied

"alone?" her mother asked raising an eyebrow, The malfoys often visited the paris town house in the summer but ever since Helen started attending Hogwarts she had started visiting the town house more and more often with Pansy in tow or one of her other friends. Her parents didn't really mind, in their eyes 11 was old enough to be away from home wether it be at hogwarts or on holiday.

"Maybe, I think i may invite all my friends, have a wind down from the hype of the tournament." Helen almost laughed at her own genius, if they all had to leave if anything went wrong this would be the perfect excuse as why they all were missing.

"You've gone to paris every summer for the last four summers," Her mother started "i wonder if we had sent you to Beauxbatons, like your father wanted, maybe you would want to spend your summers at home."

Helen rolled her eyes at that statement, Her mother wasn't making her feel guilty, no. Helen had wanted to go to Beauxbatons, even at 11 years old Helen could speak fluent french and had fallen in love with France. "Its not that i don't want to be here mother, its just i'd rather be in paris."

Her mother had a amused smile on her lips "you sound so much like me when i was your age, you may look like your father but that attitude is mine."

Helen shared a rare smile with her mother for a moment then she saw as her mothers lips twitch, the way they did when she had something she wanted to say. Helens smile dropped "mother what is it you wanted ?" she asked hesitantly

Her mother sighed and smoothed over her hair that was pulled into a tight bun "tomorrow night the minster is hosting a dinner, your father wants us all there."

Helen gritted her teeth usually she would protest about having to go to these silly dinners but she knew this would be a great time to gather information on Dumbledore and what ever he's planning.

"We can go dress shopping tomorrow morning if you'd like?" her mother offered as if a new dress would persuade her.

"sounds lovely mother."

With that her mother grinned and left the room. Helen flicked her wand at the door and it shut and locked, She looked at herself in the mirror and sighed, she had only been home for a day and she already wanted to leave.

The next morning Helen was awoken by the irritating ringing of her alarm, "what in the world?" she mumbled, there was no reason for the alarm to be going off.

'POP'

One of the malfoys house elves appeared behind her door "Good morning miss Malfoy! Mistress Malfoy instructed bubble to wake Young Miss Malfoy this morning as Young Miss and Mistress are to be leaving for dresses."

Helen squinted at the house elf too tired to make sense of all the misses and mistresses in the sentence and muttered "Thank you bubble."

The house elf then disappeared with a loud crack, Helen glanced at her clock and groaned it was far too early!

"6 o bloody clock!" She muttered pulling herself up from the bed.

She sat at her dressing table and examined her face in the mirror; she knew she was a beautiful girl but she always found her features all a little sharp, too much like her fathers.

She tugged slightly on her checks and sighed, she started pulling out,from a beautiful case beside the dressing table, her makeup she looked down at the small pots amazed that they could hide all her blemishes and problems.

It was a hour later when Helen emerged from her room polished and dressed she knew her mother would have some comment about her hair so she left it down, making her way down the grand staircase of the manor she could hear murmurs behind the close door of her fathers office, he wasn't one for silencing charms in his own home. If she had more time she would sneak into the sitting room next to his office and listen at the wall to see what it was about, as she did many times as a child.

"That hair is an absolute mess Helen." Her mother scolded her as she entered the dining room for breakfast Helen just rolled her eyes as her mother flicked her wand in her direction

Helen watched in the mirror, that hung on the wall, as her hair pulled its self into a perfect chigon "thank you mother." She said slipping into the seat across from her, a plate appeared on the table with Helens usual breakfast, half a grapefruit and a glass of lemon water.

"I've made us an appointment with madam whitworth at 10 for the dress fitting."

Helen nodded as she sipped her water they always went to withworths for dresses as she was the finest dress maker in London and if there was one thing her mother believed in that was that a dress can make or break a woman.

After breakfast her and her mother flooed to digon ally, as no one could apparate at malfoy manor. Stepping out of the floo at digon ally Helen brushed off her robes suddenly feeling too hot it in them "hate the floo." She mumbled as she followed her mother down the now currently empty digon ally, the shops where just opening and all the shoppers hadn't arrived yet,

"First we will go to the jeweller..." Helen wasn't listening to her mother, it wasn't like she had any choice in where they went.

Digon ally first thing in the morning was a strange place it was missing the normal chaos came with wizarding London busiest shops, Helen loved it busy it was easy to just blend into the crowd and not have to worry about being watched, not having to worry about being perfect every moment.

Helen loved the jewellers, the glass cases held so much beauty that she couldn't help but be mesmerised by the glittering artefacts, she could hear her mother chatting to the jeweller discussing the newest trend of gold instead of silver when the most beautiful pair of earrings caught her eye they where large round Ruby's surrounded by diamonds set in gold

"Imported from Italy." The shop assistant told her when she enquired about them.

Helen held the expensive jewel up to her ear and studied it in the mirror, red wasn't normally her colour but by god they where beautiful.

Helen and her mother left the jewellers with their purchases tucked safely into a charmed bottomless bag, Helen didn't think about how much they had already spent on the jewellery for tonight let alone the clothing, Helen didn't think about money at all. She knew she would never have to work if she didn't wish to and she knew she'd marry into a wealthy family, father would see to that.

It was still too early for their appointment at the dressmakers so Helen stopped in at the quality quiddich supplies, her parents wasn't pleased with her joining the quidditch team but they hadn't stopped her, instead they bought her and the team the lasted brooms and equipment. Picking up the latest catalogue she asked the shop assistant about the newest range of dragon leather gloves, Helen could feel her mother's eyes on her she knew she wanted her to hurry up she didn't like being seen in shops like this. Placing an order with the shop assistant Helen strolled back to her mothers side

"Are you done Helen?" Her mother asked impatiently

"Yes mother," glancing at her watch they still has an hour before their appointment " should we stop at café belle for tea?" Her mother nodded in agreement.

Helen liked the little café it was run by a lovely Argentinian couple who had immigrated over almost 20 years go and moved in above the shop. This was her mother's favourite café in digon ally so Helen spent many hours here as a child when her mother was having coffee mornings or afternoon teas here.

The café was empty upon their arrival a small silver bell announced their entrance a elderly woman looked up from the counter "the malfoys!" She exclaimed her voice thick with her heavy accent

"Good morning Camila how are you today ?" Her mother greeted the other woman

"I'm wonderful my dear please ladies take a seat!" Camila gestured over to the table by the window that she knew Helen liked

When seated Helen turned to Camila and asked about her husband Nicolás, Camilas eyes turned sad " he's not too well my dear, bad case of old age."

Helen frowned "I'm very sorry to hear that Camila ."

Camilas brown eyes held so much sadness in them for her husband that Helen had to look away

"I'll bring a pot of tea over." Camila announced

Sitting in the pretty little café Helen observed the outside world digon ally had started to get busy many witches and wizards milled around the shops and the outdoor displays, a group of children gathered outside the sweet shop eyes glued to the array in the window. Helen loved people watching she was so interested in others lives, she always wondered what they were doing and why they was there, as a child she would create complex lives and stories for these people. For the next hour Helen made small talk with her mother catching up with all the social news she had missed since she was home last at Christmas. At ten to ten her mother stood up and placed a few coins at the table and they left with a nod to Camila who was behind the counter serving a young couple that Helen was sure they were at hogwarts with her, possibly the year above.

Whitworth was a large shop covered in floor to ceiling mirrors and every available surface covered in vases of different fresh flowers, the smell of the flowers was almost overwhelming when you first walked in. " ah mrs malfoy! Right on time as always." Mrs whitworth greeted them rushing from the back of the shop "I've picked a few pieces for you both that I think will be appropriate for this evening." She ushered the two women into the back room that was larger that it appears from the front, in the back was for her more private customers there was plush settees in front of individual show platforms that where surrounded with tall triple mirrors. At the moment the back room was empty but Helen was sure that later today many of the women who would be at the dinner later would flock here for a new garment.

To the side of the largest platform was two clothing rails one for Helen and one for her mother. Shrugging off their outer robes the ladies made their way over to the rails. A beautiful blue backless dress was calling Helen when she spotted it on her rail. There was six dresses hanging all made from beautiful fabrics on Helens rail and only two on her mother's, mrs witworth knew what her mother liked already.

After twenty minutes her mother had decided on a slim emerald silk dress, in true slytherin colour. Helen never got to try on the blue dress she liked the look of. Her mother had decided this second dress, a vintage black dress with a sweetheart neckline and a shear short shoulder cape, was the one! And with settling the bill the two women floo'ed home to prepare for that evening.