A dark colored owl swooped down across the expansive lawn that was laid around a grand manor house. This home belonged to the Valcon family and had for many, many generations. Grand pillars rose like shadows in each corner of the architecture and its tall, numerous windows allowed its residents to look out at the sun as it rose and set everyday. The great wooden and marble structure stood almost ominously in the middle of manicured gardens, walkways, and a twisting drive that lead to the front oak doors.
The owl perched in a pear tree looking for a place of entry. Then he saw it. His aim was to land on the sill of the open kitchen window. However, as he was about to execute his plan the window was slammed shut in his face.
Alcina Valcon looked up across the sink to see she had trapped the wing of her sisters owl, Orlan. Choking on the piece of cherry pie she had just shoveled into her mouth, she quickly tired to get him free.
"What'd you bloody go and do that for?" she said whilst cradling the animal in her arms. She was gentle and scolding in the same moment, for Orlan had once been hers.
The owl shifted uncomfortably, ruffling his feathers, as if to say 'let go of me you horrid witch'. Alcina released her arms and Orlan fluttered gently to the counter. The bird used its beak to pull the letter from it's own leg and flung it in Alcina's direction.
"You used to be a nice thing," she said darkly, "look what Octavia's done with you." By this time Alcina was pointing out the little pink bows that had been tied to some of his crest feathers. She snorted.
"How very regal?" Orlan hooted loudly at her. "Yes I do think they look silly. You shouldn't let her bully you like that. You're not a dress up doll," Alcina argued, twisting away and mindlessly opening the letter from her sister at Beauxbatons. Orlan peeped up over Alcina's shoulder as if he was trying to read the letter as well. Alcina turned around quickly and swatted at him.
"Go on then. Get out of there, Ocie will be wanting to paint your talons next!" She shouted after the bird as he flew out of the kitchen window he had been caught in.
Alcina walked lightly to the parlor and plopped down into an old wing backed chair before she began to read the letter.
"Doing well here," Octavia wrote, "I'm so excited to find out where we are going Mother. Somewhere exotic I hope? And Father you're not working too hard at the Ministry are you? Only hard enough to keep those under you in order? Alcina are you sure you don't want to come with Mother and me? It would be wonderful fun-"
Alcina stopped reading. "Go?" she snickered. Be stuck with her mother and sister for three months gallivanting across foreign lands? No quaffle? There wasn't anything she'd rather do less.
Octavia would have her head stuck in that bloody love book she had found in Diagon Alley last September, quoting every chance she got. And Alcina's mother would criticize her posture and nit pick at her clothes the entire time. That was not in the agenda. The only thing she would be doing this summer was training and trying out for the Hollyhead Harpies, period. Nothing else. No matter what. End of story.
Alcina placed the letter on the side table when she heard a whooshing from down the corridor. Her mother was back from Diagon Alley. And from the crinkling and swishing that could be heard she had quite a few packages in tow.
"Alcina!" Aldora's unnerving voice traveled straight from the foyer and Alcina's shoulders sunk a little. Anytime her mother's voice reached that decibel she was either excited about something or furious. And neither were good for Alcina.
Alcina cautiously exited the parlor and glanced behind her for only a second to see her father heading down the marble stairs. My mother rushed down the hall at Alcina, her chocolate curls perfectly pulled back with a ribbon bounced at the nape of her neck.
"There you are dear, I have some wonderful news!"
As an escape route Alcina tried to creep slowly back into the parlor. The grin on Aldora's face was making her nervous, like she had found another 'suitor' for Alcina. Another of the many wizards her mother paraded around in front of her and her father. But that plan failed when she bumped into a solid figure behind her. Feeling franticly behind her, Alcina grabbed hold of her father's arm and let out her breath. She wasn't going anywhere.
"What is it mother?" Alcina asked with a smile trying to hold all of her sarcasm at it's corners.
"Well I had to go and get a traveling cloak fitted, and you know I can only trust Madame Malkin with my clothes."
Alcina's eyes glazed over, she hated when her mother began to ramble like this, "I ran into an old friend of mine, Narcissa Malfoy, I haven't seen her in ages..." Alcina grimaced seeing as her mother was on the verge of a Hogwarts variety show starring herself and best friend Narcissa. At this point Alcina had stopped listening completely, the image of herself flying around in Hollyhead dark green with that gleaming golden talon on her chest filled her thoughts and stole away all attention.
"...Going there," Aldora stopped and waited for a response from her daughter. Alcina gave her mother a funny look.
"Go where?" she asked. Aldora's eyes opened a little wider in anger
"To the Malfoy's," she said matter-of-factly and floated into the parlor. Mordecai and Alcina followed her.
The whole room seemed to have gotten darker with the announcement, it could have been just clouds floating in front of the sun, but Alcina sure it wasn't.
"Who are the Malfoy's?" she asked and her father made a strange noise as he sat down.
"You've meet them before. You were so little but-"
"You mean that boy that threw mud up my dress when I was five? The blond one?" Alcina's face twisted in disgust.
"I don't remember it happening exactly like that but yes, the blond one. Narcissa has invited us to her party and we're going, Alcina. I haven't seen her in a long time. We have some catching up to do."
"But why do I have to go?"
"Narcissa invited all three of us. So we're all going."
"Mother I really don't think-" But before Alcina could finish her father grumbled at her in frustration.
"Your going."
She was going because he had to go too.
Alcina pulled continuously at the frilly, purple frock her mother had gotten for her. She had no real taste for anything scrunched, glittered and spello taped to a piece of cloth. But her mother had threatened to take away her broom. Alcina had swiftly argued that she wasn't five anymore, her mother had no power on her actions. That had set off a terrible row and well... Alcina found herself in that purple contraption and her mother wore a smirk that out shone even brighter than the rhinestones around the bust line of the purple dress. At least Aldora Valcon was quiet for the time being.
"Alcina don't fidget like that. Someone's likely to thing you're ill," Aldora hissed at her daughter. Good things don't last long, apparently. Aldora strode up to the giant doors and knocked gently against ones polished finish. Alcina walked a little ways behind her mother, her father close behind her.
"You look lovely Alcie," Mordecai Valcon whispered into his daughter's ear.
"Then why am I so itchy?" she said glaring daggers at the back of her mother's head.
"Time will pass and we'll be back at home."
"Merlin I hope so."
Mordecai let out a short, booming laugh that caused Aldora to whip her head round and shush both of them sharply.
The door creaked open and there to receive their coats was the smallest house elf Alcina had ever seen.
"Welcome to the Mistress' birthday party. Berra will take your coats," the house elf said, head bowed the whole time. Aldora dumped her coat to the elf. Alcina and Mordecai did the same but with more kindness than the first member of their party.
The foyer was grand and marble with a staircase at the back and two archways leading to opposite sides of the manor. Alcina peeked into the third doorway that was tucked back, hidden partly by the staircase, as she passed. Inside she saw an elegant sitting area with tall widows and the chairs arranged around a giant fireplace.
A well dressed wizard who was waiting in the foyer motioned to the family to follow him. They were lead through the left archway through a glittering dining room and into the ball room. There near the entrance there was a smiling blond woman and a scowling blond man who Alcina assumed were Narcissa and Lucius.
"Dora! Mordecai!" Narcissa squealed slightly and hurried over to hug Aldora.
"This must be the lovely Alcina," Narcissa said taking Alcina's hand, "wouldn't you make quite the catch. Don't you think Lucius?" However her husband was not paying any attention to Alcina or her parents. He held distaste on his face and glanced across the crowd. "Lucius," Narcissa said sharply.
"Oh yes, yes dear." A common response for him now-a-days since he no longer really payed any attention to the workings of his wife.
"You should dance with our son, Draco," Narcissa smiled sweetly and Lucius gave a nod even though he was far off in thought.
Those words hit Alcina like a lighting bot. Their son! That was why she was here. Narcissa and her mother had concocted an evil plot to set her up with the Malfoy boy. She had to play it cool.
"Oh?"
Not cool enough. Alcina knew she had to escape the conversation. She had to find a way that she could excuse herself, because she certainly wasn't dancing with anyone. She had to do something her mother would notice.
She turned her head slightly so the right side of her face was concealed and gently slipped the earring from her right lobe. With the little effort of turning her head back she got her wish. Her mother instantly noticed the loss of the jewel.
"Alcina what happened to your earring?"
"Oh?" Alcina gasped dramatically, feigning surprise, as she touched her ear, "I must have lost it when we came through the door. I'll go look for it."
Lucius sighed, "I'd have Draco help you. If only he was here." That was who he had been looking for, his son. Narcissa flinched and looked to the floor. The group of parents held an array of facial expressions as Alcina scurried away squeezing the earring into her palm.
When she reached the foyer Alcina was alone but still dipped low to the ground pretending to look for her lost jewelry in case anyone was watching. She sighed heavily. Surely she couldn't keep this up forever. She had to think of other ways to stay away from the party. This made her glance over to the doorway of the sitting room and raise her brows. It was the perfect place for now she thought as she closed the door behind her. She giggled a little at what she was doing and leaned against a book shelf.
The fire place caught her attention now. It was much bigger and beautiful up close she noticed as she moved closer to it. She could now see the intricate carvings of a story being played out across the mantle. The slaying of a lion, malicious but elegant.
It was then that there was a sudden, startling green light and out of the fireplace stumbled a tall, handsome man.
"Who're you?" he slurred as his entire body shifted violently forward. Alcina recoiled as he got closer. The reeking smell of his clothes and breath wrapped around her nose and stung her eyes. She pulled her hands over her mouth.
"Have you been bathing in firewhiskey?"
The man's face curled into one of distaste. I was almost the same expression that Lucius Malfoy had worn when he had mentioned his son.
"Draco?" Alcina whispered.
"Wha? Who're you?" Draco slurred again and stumbled forward even more, landing against Alcina's shoulder.
"Draco," Alcina said in disgust as his breath hit her in the face once more. She then realized that she had the man that was wanted in the ballroom. And it was just her luck that he was slobbering drunk and wouldn't be able to stand on his own too feet let alone dance with anyone. As much as she hated to admit it to herself she knew that she should help him.
"Draco," Alcina hissed in his ear, "We need to get you upstairs. Where's your bedroom?"
"You're an awfully quick one," he said emphasizing 'quick' and swaying a little, "right this way."
He tired to walk towards the door but wobbled a little and fell into a nearby chair. Draco lifted his hand at Alcina.
"Little 'elp Dearie?"
Alcina rolled her eyes and hoisted him up next to her, Draco supported himself on her arm. Once the pair had made it across the foyer and up the stairs, which Alcina had to all but carry Draco up, she threw him on to his bed.
"Merlin you're heavy," she said rubbing her arm.
"You're not quite the feather yourself," Draco garbled back.
"I was carrying you. Do you have anything to get yourself not quite so sloshed?" Alcina sighed. She then noticed a small brown bottle that had been placed on the table next to his bed and picked it up.
"Ah my dear old friend," she mumbled as she read the label, "Draco take this." His groggy eyes turned up to her and he saw what she had in her hand. He grabbed it and emptied the entire bottle down his throat.
"You're going to be sorry you did that."
The blond had suddenly turned horribly green and his shoulders heaved and he was off the bed in a split second. His head buried in the toilet.
"Oh," Alcina shouted, "you can barely make it up the stairs but you can dash a straight line to the toilet."
"Oh my head," Draco said as he emerged a few minutes later. He leaned against the door frame of the bathroom, now finished being sick and much less plastered. He could now form coherent sentences. "Who are you?"
"That has to be the third time you've asked me that," Alcina held as amused smile on her face.
"And have you answered?"
"Not important. You have to clean yourself up and go down to you mother's party and dance with her. Preferably before you father disowns you."
Draco sat back on his bed and buried his head in his hands.
"You're not going to make this easy are you?" Alcina said as he tipped over and sprawled out on his bed. She ripped through the wardrobe that was situated next to the door and pulled out the first pair of dress robes she found.
"Here, get dressed."
Draco lay there just looking at her, "are you going to leave?"
"Honestly? I don't trust you alone."
Okay here's the next installment! Hope you all enjoy it. And a big thanks to Alistriona for the review on chapter 2 they're always appreciated. :)