The evening of the ball came faster than Bella would have liked and so she was nervously flitting about getting ready. She slipped on her strapless gold lace mermaid evening gown opting out of wearing formal robes. She knew the dress was stunning and wanted to look her best in case of seeing him.
Daisy popped in helping Bella finish her look by putting her hair into a bun on the nape of her neck with a few soft curls around her face. Daisy did Bella's make-up with a smoky eye and a dark blood red lip then nodded at Bella when she finished.
"Mistress looks so beautiful, yes she does," Daisy smiled. Bella kissed her head thanking her in response.
"I wholeheartedly agree," Blaise says leaning on the doorframe. He smiled at Bella as she pulled on her matching gold heels. He then tried to keep his anger in check seeing the familiar necklace on her neck. "You look beautiful sorella."
"Thank you fratello," she kissed him quickly on the cheek. Blaise grabbed her cloak and slipped it over her shoulders. The siblings then walked out to the apparition point apparating to their destination.
The ministry's annual ball was nearly full when they arrived being fashionably late as they so often did. They strode in giving their cloaks to the waiting elves then walked into the ballroom. Blaise smirked as every eye seemed to be on him and his sister. He knew he was ridiculously handsome and his sister was drop dead gorgeous, but he always enjoyed being reminded, cheeky bastard that he was.
"Seems we're once again showstoppers," Bella whispered smiling brightly at Blaise who chuckled.
"When are we not?" Blaise asked looking out at the men ogling his sister. He smirked catching the eyes of many women in the room who were outright staring at the siblings.
Draco held his breath as he saw Bella enter. Wearing a figure hugging dress that made her tan skin glow he could not stop staring at her. His heart lurched in his chest as he saw the large emerald pendant around her neck. He gulped down his guilt and kept watching her even as he felt his fiancée grab onto his arm. Astoria watched her fiancée pining over Bella and her heart clenched at how devastated he looked. I'll make him happier than she ever would, Astoria sneered internally. She then turned his attention to the ministry officials who had approached the couple.
"Ms. Zabini would you care to dance?" Cormac McClaggen asked Bella who had settled into their table.
"That would be delightful," Bella smiled taking his hand graciously. He led her to the dancefloor and she let him lead her in the dance. Bella noticed the stares of the men surrounding them as his hand slowly maneuvered its way down settling on her lower back far lower than she was comfortable with. Cormac was talking Bella's ear off about his many accomplishments within the auror department when she heard someone approach.
"I do believe that I shall cut in," a voice drawled behind Bella taking her from her inappropriate dance partner. Letting out a quiet sigh of relief Bella turned to her saving grace and smiled brightly.
"George!" she exclaimed quickly letting the disgruntled blonde saunter off the dancefloor. The twin waggled his eyebrows at the witch then pulled her in and danced with her to an upbeat song. He twirled her round and caused her to giggle much to the dissatisfaction of a certain blonde haired wizard.
"Well they would make a cute couple," Hermione smiled walking up to Draco with Theo holding her close.
"Granger, Theo," Draco nodded to them steadily ignoring Hermione's blatant anger rolling off her.
"I don't know love, a Weasley? You really want her to have Molly as a mother in law?" Theo joked noticing Draco growing tense.
"Molly's absolutely lovely not to mention you can't resist her pies every time we go," Hermione smiled sweetly at Theo. Draco stiffened when he saw George twirl Bella then kiss her cheek as Dean Thomas interrupted the pair to dance with her. Astoria walked back up to Draco pecking him on the cheek.
"You alright darling?" she asked.
"Just fine Astoria," he said coldly.
"Stop dawdling then. Your parents asked for you," she slipped her arm through his and led him away from the edge of the dancefloor.
Blaise walked up to Theo and Hermione who were murmuring to themselves.
"Cannot stand these pompous parades," Blaise shook his head sipping his champagne. Theo chuckled placing a kiss on Hermione's temple.
"Shouldn't you be used to these by now?" Hermione smirked.
"Doesn't make them anymore interesting," Blaise muttered watching Bella dance with Neville Longbottom who was blushing throughout the entire dance. Bella was smiling genuinely though and for that Blaise was thankful.
"May I?" a voice spoke behind Bella. Fred Weasley walked up to Bella taking her hand in his.
"Thank you, Neville, I expect to hear more about the uses of Wiggentree bark," she smiled at Neville who nodded furiously walking off to find his date Hannah for the evening.
"Well lovely, how is your evening going being the most sought after dance partner?" Fred twirled her about causing her to laugh and blush.
"Shall I be truthful or shall I be proper?" Bella smirked enjoying Fred's chuckle at her flirting.
"Well, I don't particularly enjoy proper ladies I find that they are…lacking," Fred smiled pulling her close.
Bella blushed and sighed, "well Mr. Weasley I hope you don't find me lacking and to answer your question, I'm a bit exhausted but it seems my evening is picking up."
"Oh?" He smiled down at her. Fred had been harboring a crush on Bella since he first met her when Hermione brought her over for dinner one Sunday. "Well, I wonder if I could make it even better," he laughed kissing her on her cheek before twirling her out and then back to him.
"I believe you just did," she smiled brightly at him. Blaise smiled at the sight of the Weasley twin making his sister laugh and smile.
Hermione kissed Theo on the cheek as they danced watching her best friend out of the corner of her eye when suddenly there was a hush in the crowd as the Malfoys and Greengrasses walked onto the small stage where the band had ceased playing. Hermione clutched on to Theo's hand as the crowd went to sit at their respective tables.
Bella was led to her table where Hermione and Theo were already sitting next to Blaise. Fred had whispered in her ear that he'd catch another dance with her later, but Bella's entire focus was on the man at the front of the stage. Draco had locked eyes immediately with Bella noticing how both of their breathing seemed to increase. Blaise watched his sister has she reached for his hand intertwining their fingers.
"Sorella" he started but was cut off as Lucius began.
"We would like to announce the engagement of our son Draco to the lovely Astoria Greengrass," Lucius spoke confidently. Astoria took that moment to pull Draco into a kiss surprising not only him but the crowd as well who began clapping. It was a large surprise to everyone who had seen in many tabloids and newspapers that Draco had been courting Bellarose Zabini.
"I need to leave," Bella whispered dropping Blaise's hand and walked briskly out of the ballroom ignoring the whispers and stares.
"I'm going to talk to her," Hermione stood following her out and the boys soon followed.
"Bella!" Hermione loudly whispered as she watched her best friend slip on her cloak and walk briskly outside to the apparition point and disappeared.
"She's going home, come on let's all go," Blaise said grabbing his clock and apparating.
Draco had watched Bella leave the ballroom and went to follow her when a hand held tightly onto his forearm.
"Don't, you'll only make it worse," Astoria whispered smiling as another person told them congratulations.
"I need to talk to her," Draco said angrily.
"You will do no such thing. I am your fiancée and the world would be spinning tales of how my unfaithful fiancée went pining after his ex-girlfriend," Astoria whispered back knowing she had him. Draco knew how much the public would be talking about it and how negatively it would reflect on not only him but his entire family.
"This is not over Astoria," Draco replied plastering on his mask and smiling at the next set of people congratulating them.
Meanwhile Bella was quickly packing her entire wardrobe with a flick of her wand using an undetectable extended charm on her bag making sure to include everything in her closet as well as her vanity. She then went to the bathroom and waved them into the bag as well.
"Bella," Hermione said tentatively taking in the sight of clothes and beauty products being flown into a small handbag. "Bella talk to me."
"Bellarose, we are all here for you," Blaise said softly walking in and standing beside Hermione who was worriedly watching Bella bustle about.
"How the hell are you fitting all that in there?" Theo asked.
"Undetectable extension charm," Hermione and Bella said at the same time halting her movements.
"Bells," Blaise spoke softly taking a slow step forward almost as if she was a baby deer readying to bolt.
"Did you know?" she spoke with a cold fury that stopped Blaise in his tracks. She lifted her eyes to stare at her twin looking at his body language and how he was not answering right away. "You did, didn't you?"
"Bella, it wasn't for me to tell you that," Blaise started. "We wanted to find a loophole to get him out of his contract and not worry you."
"We?" Hermione asked next to Blaise who turned to meet eyes with Theo. Theo nodded almost unnoticeably to give Blaise permission to tell them everything.
"Theo was involved as well then," Bella said coldly flicking her wand once more as her bag had finished packing. She muttered another charm on it making it feel light to carry. "I'm leaving," Bella grabbed her bag and walked pass the group to walk to the foyer.
"How could you hide that from her! Or better yet how could you not tell me Theo!" Hermione yelled punching him in the arm as she hurried out the door after Bella.
"Bella, let me go with you," Hermione ran after her meeting her in the entrance hall.
"Bella please! I didn't want to hurt you, you're my sister you know I'd rather die than let anything harm you," Blaise pleaded hurriedly walking after the girls.
Bella whirled on him causing him to stop and shrink under his sister's stare, "you are no brother of mine."
"Bella," he whispered hurt and feeling his foundation crumbling.
"Blaise Antony Zabini, I am leaving and you will NOT follow me. I will talk to you when I am ready to until then I hope your mate was worth losing your sister over," Bella said feeling the tears pour down her cheeks as her voice trembled.
"Hermione," Theo started stepping close to her but she grabbed Bella's hand and pulled her through the front door.
"Goodbye Theo," she said coldly slamming the door. The girls walked hand in hand to the apparition point and were gone not a moment later.
"Blaise?" Draco called out stepping from the floo. He ducked quickly as a hex came from the open door in the study.
"You fucking bastard!" Blaise yelled throwing hex after hex at Draco who was ducking and throwing up a shield charm as quick as possible.
"Blaise stop!" Theo bellowed trying to grab onto his mate before he killed Draco.
"NO! I fucking lost her. She's all I had!" Blaise yelled as tears began blurring his vision. He slumped to his knees outright crying. Both of his mates looked at each other not knowing what to do, as a Slytherin emotions were always reigned in and they lived behind the masks they composed. However as both men looked at their best mate they knew this had truly broken his heart.
"Blaise I'm so sorry," Draco whispered feeling the emptiness of his heart grow as his best mate sobbed.
"Don't you dare Malfoy, how could you not tell her! You dumped her for Salazar's sake why didn't you include the bit where you were engaged you fucking git. She's gone now. She left to Merlin knows where and Hermione dumped Theo as well. So Draco are you fucking happy now?" Blaise yelled getting from his knees to stand eye to eye with Draco. He had the decency to look ashamed.
"I was a coward. I didn't want to hurt her anymore than letting her go did, so I lied when she asked me why. I told her…" he gulped feeling tears sting his eyes but he reigned it in as he continued, "I told her I didn't love her and left. I hadn't seen her again till tonight. I'm sorry she left, but she'll be safe and if Hermione's with her than she'll have support through this."
"You are such a fucking arsehole," Theo said sadly drinking firewhisky from a tumbler he had filled generously. He filled two more handing them to both Blaise and Draco who had taken to slumping on the couch.
"Believe me, you both couldn't hate me as much as I hate myself," Draco muttered drinking from the tumbler. The men didn't answer him resigning to drinking themselves into a stupor as they all nurse the wounds left behind from their loss.