Chapter 7: Fallout
Zara Malfoy awoke with a start and sat bolt upright in bed. It was a dream; the sorting was all a dream. She wasn't at Hogwarts; she was in her own bed at Malfoy Manor. Today was the day she would go to Hogwarts. But that's when she allowed herself to take in her environment. Zara was sitting in bed, the first pale lights of morning illuminating the room. She was in the girls dormitory in Gryffindor Tower. It hadn't been a dream at all, it was true. Zara Bellatrix Malfoy, daughter of Lucius and Narcissa and bearer of the noblest lineage in the wizarding world had broken seven hundred years of family tradition. Her eyes drifted to the side of the bed where her uniform lay neatly folded on a chair. A Gryffindor patch on her robe sat staring up at her. She was a Gryffindor.
"Gryffindor!" shouted the sorting hat
Whispers filled the Great Hall almost immediately. The Malfoy name was synonymous with Slytherin, everyone knew that. Minerva took the sorting hat from Zara's head, quite surprised at the outcome, but the surprise did not show on her face. Not that it mattered; all eyes were focused on the newest member of Gryffindor house.
Zara rose from the stool and walked toward the Gryffindor table with the dignity and grace her blood demanded. Her expression was nonplussed; she looked neither happy; nor sad or shocked. She just was there.
This was how she looked to the untrained eye, but Severus Snape knew better as he observed her from his position at the staff table. She was indeed shocked but what had transpired here had not yet sunk in fully with her. His gaze turned to Draco who looked angry, but not in the most obvious way. He would not even look at Zara when she tried to catch his eye.
Zara looked down ashamed of something out of her control. Most people would have expected her to cry; but that was not Zara. Severus kept an eye on her for the rest of the evening. She didn't eat or socialize much at all. But true to her manners, she hid both of these well and held just enough conversation with those around her in order not to be rude.
She would deal with this news in her own time, privately.
Zara touched her neck where the serpent rested and then took the necklace off. She rose quietly from her bed and went to the base of the bed to where her trunk was. Quietly, Zara lifted the lid and took out several piles of clothes, before pulling out a silver jewelry box inscribed with the initials "ZM." She opened it and several small shelves came out from the box bearing pairs of earrings on each one. The second row held silver, gold, and platinum hair clips in various styles. The third row held several bracelets incrusted with tiny diamonds and emeralds and other stones. The fourth row held several rings; one of them bearing the Malfoy family crest and her initials. And finally on the bottom there were two necklaces; one matched the ring bearing the family crest and her initials. Carefully, she laid the serpent pendent next to it. A single tear rolled down her cheek hitting the pendent before she replaced the dust cover on the necklaces and closed the box before putting it back. After she closed her trunk again, Zara got back into bed. She was not worthy of bearing the name of Zara Malfoy.
Several hours later at breakfast, last night's unexpected surprise seemed to have worn off due to the arrival of Harry Potter and Ron Weasley whose harrowing journey to Hogwarts nearly got them expelled and killed as the entire hall had learned from the howler he had received from his mother a few minutes earlier.
Zara was glad to be left alone eating her cereal, glancing at her first term schedule as she did so. Owls were still dropping off letters and packages from home; Zara didn't expect nor want any from her parents. They were probably furious and she felt guilty enough as it was. Just then Zara recognized her brother's eagle owl Julius delivering a care package presumably from her mother to Draco. When she returned to her cereal, Zara saw her mottled owl Athena flying towards her with an envelope in her beak. The owl promptly dropped the envelope in front of her and departed. It was red. It was a howler.
She reached for the envelope and opened it with a shaky hand.
"ZARA BELLATRIX MALFOY! HOW COULD YOU DO THIS TO OUR FAMILY?" Boomed the outraged incredulous voice of Narcissa Malfoy. "700 YEARS OF FAMILY TRADITION! SEVEN GENERATIONS OF FAMILY IN SLYTHERIN AND NOW THAT IS GONE! YOU HAVE DISTROYED OUR FAMILY. YOUR GRANDPARENTS WOULD DIE ALL OVER AGAIN WITH THIS NEWS! YOU ARE AN EMBARRASSMENT TO ME. I KNEW WE SHOULD NEVER HAVE HAD ANOTHER CHILD. I NEVER WANTED YOU. BUT YOUR FATHER WAS CONVINCED! WELL NOW HE HAS GOTTEN HIS JUST DESSERTS. YOU ARE NOTHING BUT A FITHY LITTLE BLOOD TRAITOR. YOU SELFISH LITTLE SPOILED BRAT. YOU ARE NOT WORTHY TO CARRY THE MALFOY NAME! I HAVE NOTHING MORE TO SAY TO YOU!" And then the howler died.
The entire hall including the faculty and staff all had their eyes on Zara. Her face was a tight, stony mask that gave nothing away. As the howler burned up, Zara calmly walked out of the Great Hall with all of the grace and dignity she had left.
"You sent her a howler?" Lucius asked his wife as he came into the bedroom not even bothering to say hello.
"Yes," Narcissa said in a rather matter of fact tone.
"She didn't deserve it Narcissa!" Lucius said sharply.
"Oh didn't she?" Narcissa shot back looking at her husband. "She betrayed this family!"
"Zara did nothing of the sort Narcissa and you know it!"
"If it had been Draco you would have done the same thing!"
"I would have been upset, but I would never have sent a howler telling all of Hogwarts our business."
"She broke 700 years of tradition!"
"Come Narcissa; admit what this is truly about! This has nothing to do with Zara."
"You know what this is about Lucius Malfoy!"
"Do I?"
"Yes!"
"Then say it."
"No."
"Say it Narcissa," he said again whispering in her ear. "Admit it!"
"I never wanted her!" Narcissa shouted. "I never wanted another child! Is that what you wanted to hear?"
"So you didn't want Zara fine. But for you to tell all of Hogwarts that she was never wanted by you and that I wanted another child? That is between us Narcissa and no one else. You should have told me."
"Would you have listened?"
"Yes."
"Liar!" Narcissa said moving toward the door.
"Don't you walk away from me!" he said grabbing her arm.
She spun around to face him, her eyes burning with fury, "Don't try to intimidate me Lucius, I'm not afraid of you."
"I would never think of it my darling."
"Go rescue your precious princess. I know you are dying to."
"Your moods certainly do change don't they? First you are afraid to let Zara out of your sight because she is ill and now you tell her that you never wanted her and that our child is not worthy to bear the name of Malfoy? I don't know you anymore."
"And I could say the same of you."
"Could you?"
"You treat Draco with contempt; nothing he has done or ever will do is good enough for you!"
"But I still love him. I may not always approve of Draco's actions but I still love him a great deal," he said quietly closing the distance between them. "We promised to love our children unconditionally and it is clear that you have already broken that promise to our daughter."
"I have done no such thing," Narcissa insisted vehemently. "I was only angry. But then again you would never understand anger when it comes to Zara. In your eyes, she can do no wrong."
"Of course I am angry Narcissa!" He said sharply, his tone slicing through the words of his wife. Then his tone softened, "But not at Zara. I'm angry at myself for not seeing it sooner."
"Not seeing what sooner?"
"Zara and Draco are two different people Narcissa. To expect Zara to live up to Draco's accomplishments or he to Zara's is not right. Draco was put into Slytherin because his personality suits it. But Zara is very different and you know that."
"It still does not change the fact that Zara has broken tradition."
"Narcissa," Lucius said carefully. "You do know that Zara is nothing like Andromeda."
"Don't say that name!" Narcissa spat angrily.
Lucius took Narcissa in his arms and held her there so she would be forced to look at him, "What she did was horrible, but just because Zara ended up in Gryffindor does not mean that she will betray us and marry a muggle."
"Do not be so sure."
"Zara and Draco know what is expected of them. They would never shame the family name like that."
Narcissa pulled away from him and went over to the window. Andromeda's abandonment of her family still haunted Narcissa even now. "Just go Lucius. You know you want to. Go to Hogwarts and assure Zara that everything will be all right," Narcissa said quietly fighting to keep her voice from breaking.
"Narcissa…"
"Let me be!"
Lucius said nothing more and retreated to the study. Entering it, he closed the door behind him facing the still family portrait that was hanging behind his desk. It was fairly new only having been painted a month before. Lucius and Narcissa were standing with Zara and Draco in front of them. Polite, but cold smiles could be seen on all of their faces. So many judgments could be made and stories told just looking at this picture. But it was what was behind those expressions that told the real truth.