"Ah, how lovley to the the Malfoy couple, always as stunn-," The hostess, Mrs Fudge, stood by the entrance and greeted everyone welcome as they walked in. She quickly saw the blond little boy standing behind his mother, holding her hand. "but who is this? The young mister Malfoy I suppose?" She looked up at Narcissa with a big smile on her face.
"We're terrible sorry, Mrs Fudge. We haven't been able to find someone who could babysit him. I ensure you that he will make no fuss."
"Oh, I have no doubt, Mrs. Malfoy. It's absolutely fine," she smiled down at Draco "the sooner introduction to the ministry the better, I suppose?" She chuckled lovingly and gestured toward the great ballroom.
The ballroom was decorated in gold and white. In all of the four corners of the room stood a silver birch with golden leaves, do to the theme of this year's charity event: 'Our Magnificent Nearby Wildlife'. A vague theme according to many, and exactly what the money that was collected during this event would go to, was still not quite clear.
Lucius walked past Narcissa and took the lead into the ballroom. They had barely spoken to each other since they were done arguing. Lucius had a deeper frown than usual, looking clearly disapproving. Narcissa cast a glance at her husband. "Could you please wipe that surly expression of your face." she said irritably, she hadn't really forgive him for his statements earlier. He clenched his jaw and held his head high as they walked towards the crowd of people who mingled in the middle of the room. Draco one the other hand, looked more and more nervous as closer they got and tighten the grip around his mothers hand. Narcissa looked down at him at his sudden touch. She smiled a comfortingly warm smile when he met her eyes and she felt his hand relax a bit. As they got closer to the crowd, Narcissa noticed a few unfamiliar faces turn towards them.
Walden Macnair stepped forward and greeted Lucius with a firm handshake. "Malfoy, long time no see. How are you these days?"
"Superb, Macnair. How are you?"
"Never better. A bit more work on the department now, just before holiday, that's all." He sipped his drink and saw Narcissa. "Who's this beautiful woman you've brought? She's way too stunning to be your wife, eh, Malfoy?" Macnair reached for Narcissa's hand to kiss. She reluctantly gave it to him, she was not flattered by this half drunk man her husband apparently knew's way to greet her. Draco had crept behind his mother to hide behind her skirt.
Lucius' pursed his lips. "Yes, this is my wife, Narcissa."
"Ha, now I remember, the youngest Black daughter. But I could have guessed, Lucius, only the best's enough, is it not?" He winked at Lucius and took a large sip of the drink he held in hand. "You're a lucky man!"
"He certainly is." Narcissa cold voice spoke up before she could keep herself back. She glanced at her husband and back at Macnair.
Lucius reacted as if he hadn't heard her. "If you excuse me, I feel like getting some refreshments." Without another word if perhaps Narcissa would like something to drink he went out of sight in to the crowded place. Narcissa watched him leave with a bitter look. She then picked up Draco and went straight in the other direction without another look at Macnair.
"The great, Lucius Malfoy." Augustus Rookwood suddenly stood beside Lucius. He turned to the bartender and ordered a Firewhiskey with ice and then turned to Lucius again. "Long time no see, I must say."
"Rookwood. It's been too long. How are you?" Lucius received his ordered drink first and sipped it.
"Can't complain. See you brought the whole family?" He nodded towards the sofa set were Narcissa sat with Draco in her lap.
Lucius didn't answer and began to walk away from the bar. Rookwood followed and smirked "What's the matter with you? Trouble in paradise?"
"Leave it." Lucius responded shortly.
"Pardon me." Rookwood chuckled and raised his hands in surrender. "How old's your boy now?"
"He turns four, this June."
"And I see that's he's a mummy's boy?"
"Indeed he is" Lucius sipped his drink.
"But you only have this one, right?"
Lucius nodded and sipped the drink once more.
"He looks a lot like you, he certainly has inherited the Malfoy features."
"What is this, Rookwood? Twenty questions?" Lucius chuckled nervously "Are you becoming more sentimental on old days?"
"Of course not. I was just curious, that's all." he sipped his drink "Let an old man be curious, as you so gently put it."
"I was paying Twillfitt and Tattings a visit the other day and they have recently got in a new kind of fabric. The most stunning piece of work I've seen in quite some time. The-"
"Draco, you must sit still, darling." Draco, who had grown tired of the women talking about something as dull as the newest kind fabric, had started wriggling in his mothers lap. He cought the eye of the carpet fringes on the floor. If he just could stretch a little bit more to grab... "You want to get down to the floor, sweetheart?" Narcissa picked up Draco and placed him on the carpet by her feet. "Forgive me Cynthia, you were saying? The fabric?"
Mrs. Mockridge continued "Yes, the fabric. The texture was kind of shimmering, almost like..."
The woman's voices drifted away. The fringes wasn't as fun as Draco had thought. At the lack of entertainment he started to look into the crowd of mingling guests. They were all wearing long dresses or suites, some of the ladies wore funny hats. But there! Across the room and among the others stood his father! Ooh he wanted to go and say hello to him. It wasn't far and his mother wouldn't notice if he disappeared for a little while, he would be back before she would notice at all. Draco glanced upwards at his mother, she was to occupied by the conversation of fabric with Mrs. Mockridge so she would definitely not see him sneaking away to his father. He began to crawl into the crowded place with a steady eye on his father, then he stopped and glanced over at his mother again. Just to make sure she hadn't noticed him slipping away, and much to Draco's delight she hadn't. Draco now got to his feet and was about to make a steady walk towards his father when he suddenly was out of sight. Draco spun around once and noticed that he was surrounded by tall men in long robes and women in strange hats. Panic started to fill the little boy.
"We'll look here." A man with a goatee had noticed Draco down on the floor. "You're a bit lost, aren't you?"
Draco stared terrified up at the man and fell backwards onto an other large man's feet.
"Whoa, watch it boy!" the other man roared.
Draco whimpered and looked around in despair to locate his father again. A thin man with a long green robe moved out of the way and made Lucius visible to Draco again. Draco staggered to his feet and rushed towards his father. As he got there he threw his tiny arms around Lucius' leg and hugged tight.
"...every year and-" Lucius stopped and looked down at what he had felt grabbed his thigh. "Draco!"
The little boy pressed his entire body harder against his father's leg. As if he was afraid that if he let got he would disappear from him.
"Draco? Where's your mother?" Lucius asked irritably and reached down to wrench his son's arms from his leg. "Boy, what's the matter?"
Draco looked up at him with watery eyes. "Daddy" he squeaked and reached up his arms to mark that he wanted to be picked up.
Rookwood looked highly amused as Lucius picked up Draco in his arms.
"You wouldn't think this eight years ago, would you? Carrying around a miniature of yourself?" Rookwood nodded towards Draco. "Don't you miss the old times, Malfoy? I bet he's out there, somewhere. Why don't the two of us seek to him-"
Lucius shifted Draco in his arms, away from Rookwood and whispered: "I think you should stop talking and drink no more, think about where you are, idiot."
"...and then there was this thin-" Narcissa looked down by accident. "Where's Draco?" she interrupted herself. She looked at the floor around her and then looked up at Cynthia Mockridge.
"He was there just a minute ago." Mrs. Mockridge said bluntly over her wineglass.
"I know! I put him there! But he's not here anymore!" Narcissa got to her feet and looked into the crowd of people. "He would not wander away alone." Narcissa went into the crowded place and began searching for her son. All the so very important guests watched her with wonder. She saw the drunken man who they'd met before, he stood unpleasantly close to two women who giggled at his probably highly inappropriate remarks. However, she didn't have to search for long, across the room she saw her husband and Draco in his arms. Relieved she hurried to them. "Draco!" she said sternly to her son. "What were you thinking? To wander away from me on your own, I thought you would know better!"
Draco looked at her ashamed and then buried his head in the crook of his father's neck.
Narcissa reached for him "And you ought not to disturb your father, Draco." As she was about to pull him away from Lucius, Draco let out a deafening wile.
"Draco!" said Lucius and Narcissa in unison.
"Noo! I want to be with Father!" Draco started to wriggle in Narcissa's grasp. "Mummy, NO!" cried Draco and he reached back to Lucius.
"Stop this nonsense, Draco" said Narcissa and tried as best as she could to hold her squirming three year old in her arms. "You're tired, I know" she cooed to him with her motherly voice. Draco's cries now turned into crying. The once mingling guests was now turning in the Malfoy's direction and some looked clearly disapproving, while some, perhaps parents themselves, smiled understandingly.
Draco started to kick with force and Narcissa struggled to retain her firm hold of him. "Noo!" cried Draco between his wails.
"That's enough" Lucius stepped in and grabbed Draco firmly and almost shoved him over his shoulder. "Mrs. Malfoy, we're leaving, now."
I hate to ask, but I'm afraid I have to: Please review! I really like writing this story and it makes my work twice as delightful if I would know what you think. Good or bad. All notes are welcome.
Thank you for reading! Next chapter will be up in short time.