Author's Note: Thanks to EVERYONE for the reviews. It's very kind of you to take the time to do so. =D *squishes all of you* Thanks to Rissy for being the beta. =] Hope everyone enjoys this chapter... =D

Chapter Five: The Ball

It should have been like any other ball night. We should have arrived, been greeted, received a glass of champagne and then made our way to the crowd that had already gathered. But, it wasn't just any ball night. This was the very ball that we had planned on going to the night my mother was murdered-because of last minute preparations… because of me.

I suppose everyone tried to act normally, but there was definitely a delayed reaction. At first, I'd thought my father had forgotten to RSVP to the event, which would have been utterly embarrassing. We were greeted, but it took some time for Mr. Goyle to reach us. I'd seen him when we approached the lavish display held in his own countryside manor.

"Cygnus," Mr. Goyle said, reached out to take my father's hand. He placed his other hand on my father's shoulder. "It's good to see you. Let me get you all some champagne—"

Bella stepped forward and before she even began to speak, she had Mr. Goyle's attention. My father cleared his throat and Mr. Goyle's eyes popped back up to look into my sister's face.

"Thank you very much for the complimentary drink," Bella said, "but I'm afraid that we're going to have to decline. My father included. Maybe some water or some sort of sparkling juice would be nice, if it's not an inconvenience."

Mr. Goyle smiled. He shook his head. "Not at all, Bellatrix," he assured her. He summoned a house elf over and asked the elf to get us some sparkling juice. Then he turned his attention back to us girls. He smiled at us. "They've certainly grown up, Cygnus."

I looked over at my father. He turned to stand beside Mr. Goyle and he gazed at us. I hated it when adults did this, like we were some sort of food platter. "That they have," he agreed. He caught my eye and winked. Then he turned into Mr. Goyle and they began a conversation.

"Let's go dance, Roddy," Bella said, smiling up at him.

He smiled down at my sister and took her hand gently. Then he led them out onto the dance floor. Despite the fact that a waltz was being played by the live band, they stalked off to their own corner and slow danced. Bella rested her head on his shoulder and he kissed the top of her head.

I felt Andy place a hand on my shoulder. I turned to look at her.

"I see some of my friends," she told me. "Will you be okay by yourself or would you like to come with?"

I shook my head and forced a smile. "I'll be fine," I told her. But the truth was that I didn't want to be alone. I wasn't going to be okay alone… not in public, not on this day.

My mother hadn't been mentioned once today and I was beginning to wonder if everyone else had forgotten about her. I had placed flowers on her headstone when I'd snuck out. (The Black family cemetery was on our property, tucked away into an upper corner of the front yard.) As I thought of her, I refused to let myself cry. When I began to feel as though I was in mourning, I stood up and turned back to the house, letting guilt fill me up once more.

I looked around the ballroom. My father and Mr. Goyle (who had a son one year my senior named Everett) had wandered off, deep in conversation. I sighed; there was no one here I really knew – or at least no one I wanted to talk with. I turned and made my way to the bar, which was in the dining hall across the way. My father couldn't drink tonight, but I certainly wasn't going to follow Bella's rules tonight.

Luckily, the bartender, as I neared bar, I noticed that the bartender was absent and only a house elf (to serve as his helper) was at the bar. I approached quickly, flicking my eyes around subtly. Hopefully the bartender would be out for just a bit longer and a house elf would not ask to see my I.D.; nor would any house elf to stupid enough to deny me a drink.

"What can Monty be getting you, Miss?" the house elf chirped as I stepped up to the bar.

"A glass of White Zinfandel," I said pleasantly. The house elf nodded and then jumped to another chair to fill my glass with the white wine. He was about to hand me the glass when the bartender stopped him.

"Did you ask to see an identification card?" he asked, glancing at me.

"Monty did not, sir," the house elf replied in a sad voice. "Monty bad. Monty will punish himself, sir."

The bartender rolled his eyes. He snatched the glass from the elf's hands. "No need for that. We're at a social event," he hissed. Then he looked up at me. "Your card?" (The Ministry of Magic issued out wizard identification cards with one's date of birth on them. The legal age for a wizard or witch to receive alcohol was seventeen.)

I swallowed. "I left it at home," I admitted.

He stared at me, then placed the glass of wine behind him on the back bar. "Sorry," he said, though he didn't sound sorry at all. "No alcohol for minors."

"I never said—"

"Don't bother," he snapped.

I gaped at him for being so rude, but was too upset to respond. I turned away from him with a glare and bumped into a tall pale-haired man. "Sorry," I mumbled quickly and stepped off to the side.

He smirked and stepped up to the bar. "Two White Zinfandels," he ordered.

I frowned and made my way back toward the ballroom. But I didn't enter it, however. I leaned against the doorframe, my arms crossed over my chest. I was memorized by the clashes of bright colors against dark. I saw Bella laughing in the middle of the dance floor as she danced with Rodolphus and I found myself smiling. I saw Andy off in a corner with her group of friends. Their heads were bent together and they were giggling. Then they looked down the outside doors, said something to someone and then dashed outside. I was just about to walk into the ballroom when someone thrust a glass of wine in my face.

I jumped and placed my hand over my chest. I looked up to see the tall pale-haired man standing there, offering me his second drink.

"You wanted White Zinfandel, correct?" he asked. His voice was silky smooth. "I might have difficulty hearing at times – selective hearing and all – but I'm quite sure I heard you correctly…."

I stared into his eyes, which were a blue-gray. His hair was long, but tied back with a ribbon at the nape of his neck. His face was smooth and clean. I glanced at the drink in his hand and reached out to grab it. But, at the last second, I withdrew my hand and stepped back from him.

"What did you do to it?" I asked, narrowing my eyes at him.

He chuckled and then gave me a genuine smile. "Your mother taught you well," he said. He knew my mother? He stretched his arm out to me again, offering me the wine once more. "I didn't do anything to it. I figured I would brighten your night since the bartender seemed to bring you down a few levels."

I studied him for a few moments before smiling at his words and reached for the wine glass once more. I took it from him and brought the deep cup to my lips, taking a sip. I looked back out to the couples dancing once more; fully aware that the gentleman who'd snuck me some wine couldn't take his eyes off of me.

"Is she as beautiful as you?" he asked and I snapped my head in his direction.

"Pardon?"

"Your mother," he explained. "Is she as beautiful as you?"

I bristled at his question. I gave him a dark glare. He had made it seem as though he knew my mother (the fact that I had no idea who this man was hadn't crossed my mind yet.) But now he was asking if she was beautiful. Who did he think he was!

I backed away from him. "Is this some sort of crude joke?" I seared.

He looked taken aback. "I was attempting to give you a compliment."

I continued to back away from him, but he followed my moves. I stopped in my tracks, going over our conversation in my mind. If he had truthfully known my mother, then would he have really asked me such a question? I gnawed on my lower lip and allowed my mother's face to enter my mind. She was truly beautiful and I had inherited her fair looks. I was a spitting image of her and sometimes, when she was on my mind (though, she wasn't often off my mind), I couldn't bear to look at myself in the mirror. But I don't think this man wanted to know that; I was quite certain it was a rhetorical question.

"I'm sorry," I finally said, letting out my breath. "I suppose I'm not very fun tonight."

He smiled. "The wine will loosen you up." He winked.

My eyes searched his face and then I gave him a half-smile. He seemed nice enough, even if he had a strong personality. I took another sip of the wine. "Just make sure I don't do anything dumb," I whispered to him, leaning toward him.

He locked eyes with me and brought his face down to mine, as he was several inches taller than me. "And what is it, exactly, that you do when you've had a little too much to drink?" he asked, his voice just as low.

I laughed. I had only been tipsy a handful of times in my life. I had never been completely plastered because I'd seen what Bella did when she was too drunk to be in control. I hated the feeling of not being in control of myself; even when I was tipsy, I panicked. And, I was also still a virgin. I had snogged plenty of boys, whilst both sober and tipsy, but I had never crossed the line. But, to actually say it out loud was a different story. And I didn't know why I had not walked away, irritated and annoyed, from this man.

I gave him a small smile and brought my lips to his ears. "Sorry to disappoint you," I whispered, "but not what you're thinking."

He chuckled into my ear. "A tease, hmm?" he purred into my ear, sending chills down my spine. "Come on, Mystery Girl; you can't lead a guy on."

While I should be appalled at his mannerisms, I wasn't. I smiled to myself; no one had ever called me a tease before. I'd only ever been called a prude. I liked how this man, a man I barely knew, treated me like an adult. Maybe it was just to get into my knickers, but…

I blew into his ear and stepped back from him. I smiled and then turned around. I headed down the hallway, taking a sip of my wine. I didn't feel his presence around and my heart fluttered for moment, thinking that he'd left me. I glanced over my shoulder and he was standing where I had left him.

"Aren't you coming?" I asked innocently.

"I thought you didn't do that," he responded, tilting his head to the side. Now who was leading whom on?

I turned around to face him and shrugged. "I'm just giving you a tour of the manor," I replied. I took yet another sip of my wine. I gave a small smile when the man studied me for a few moments and then made his way toward me.

We ascended the stairs together.