Disclaimer: I do not own Harry Potter.

Culture Shock

"Mum", I hollered down the stairs as I tried, in vain, to tie the green velvet ribbon in place that was keeping my bun from falling apart. I don't think I've ever worn my hair up in a bun in this life. Jessie wasn't very fond of this hairstyle either. Which fully explained why I was struggling. "Why can't I just leave it down", I mumbled to my reflection in the bathroom mirror as my fingers continued to get tangled up in the ribbon and my hair. But I knew the reason. Even if it was one reason I found completely stupid. Apparently, it would look sloppy to go to a suit and tie type of party with loose hair. I thought I could get away with just a simple ponytail, but Mum insisted I go the extra mile.

"It's bad enough your hair… is multicolored. Perhaps a bun could hide some of it", Mum had pointed out. Immediately making me self-conscious of the rather shocking fashion statement my loving fellow triplets had forced upon me. The hair dye they laced into my shampoo on Christmas Eve hadn't faded completely. But it was no longer fully green either. Instead, my hair had become streaked over the last few days; consisting of red and green hairs. Sort of giving me the appearance of a punk rocker teen who had tried and failed to dye their own hair for the first time. I swear to Merlin. Fred and George were going to suffer because of this.

"Holly", Mum announced her presence as she appeared in the doorframe of the bathroom. I had left the door open, not seeing the point of closing it when I was just doing my hair. "There's no need to yell inside the house like that", she said, slightly scolding.

Ignoring her parental rebuke, I turned away from the mirror and tried to give her the most pitiful look I could muster. "I can't get this to look right, or stay in place", I whined.

Mum sighed but smiled softly as she squeezed into the bathroom to stand behind me. She reached up and brushed my hands out of her way; taking control of my wayward hair and the hair ribbon that we had actually repurposed. The ribbon originally had been tied around a bottle of firewhiskey one of Dad's work colleagues gave him for the holidays.

Mum and I are the same height, so it was a little awkward for her to do my hair, but you wouldn't know it based on how fast she pulled my hair into compliance and tied the ribbon in place.

I exhaled loudly through my nose as I smoothed down the skirt of the dress I was wearing for tonight's festivities. It was the fanciest thing I owned. And while I was used to wearing skirts as a part of my school uniform, the skirt of the dress was a bit longer; hovering just above my calves. Here's hoping my legs don't get tangled up in all the access fabric and I end up making a fool of myself. The dress was mostly black with a dark hunter green floral design to decorate the skirt. Mum worked hard to make this dress. The black fabric came from one of Dad's nicer robes that had mysteriously ended up being deemed unusable when Mum announced she needed to find fabric to make me a party dress. The green floral used to be a Christmas table cloth that was supposed to only be used when company came to visit. But we never use table clothes whether we have company or not, so Mum decided they would be better used as dress material. I thought it looked nice. If I looked at this dress through Jessie's eyes, I would say it looked like a homecoming dress a sophomore would pick out from a big-name department store. Which is appropriate considering my current age. But still, despite knowing better, I worried it wouldn't be enough for Adrian's party. What if I didn't fit in? What if Adrian became embarrassed? I stared hard at my reflection as these questions swam around in my head. The green streaks in my hair definitely weren't helping.

Mum lowered her hands from my hair and placed one hand on each of my shoulders. She gently squeezed. "You look lovely", she said in an attempt to ease my nerves.

Around my neck hung the Christmas gift from Adrian. Despite only owning it for a few days, it had already become an item of sentimental comfort. Raising a hand, my fingers found the pendent and started tracing the little crystals embedded in it that outlined the Leo constellation. "I don't know why I'm nervous", I admitted to my mum. It was one of those things only mothers and daughters could share. "It's not like I've never been to a party before". Mum squeezed my shoulders again but didn't offer up any words of wisdom. Instead, she reached into the pocket of her apron and pulled out a sprig of… "Holly?" I asked

Mum nodded without any explanation. "Hand me a bobby pin", she ordered. It only took me a brief moment to comprehend her request before I handed her one from the bathroom counter. She worked with nimble fingers, the kind someone only gets after many long afternoons of knitting as she decorated the ribbon I was wearing with the holly. When she was done, Mum leaned forward so we could see both our faces in the mirror. We had the same nose and cheekbones. But my forehead, one hundred percent, came from Dad. "If your young man didn't like you, he wouldn't have invited you or given you that necklace". I sighed deeply. That was all correct.

"Holly", Dad called up the stairs, in a similar manner I had done moments before. "Adrian's here".

Mum patted my shoulders. "Let's go", she encouraged. "If we leave Adrian at the mercy of your brothers for too long, he may not survive".

I heard Adrian before I saw him. "And how will you be celebrating the new year, sir?" Adrian asked politely. Mum walked down the stairs in front of me. As I followed behind her, the first part of Adrian I could see was the top of his head. His hair was short and clean-cut as ever, and unlike me, his hair was one solid color.

"Well," Dad could be heard as he answered slowly in his slightly clumsy and thought-collecting way. "We won't be doing much. Probably play a few rounds of exploding snap; enjoying each other's company". A couple more steps down the stairs and I could make out Adrian's neck and shoulders from around Mum.

"I think Charlie and I are going to brush up on our dueling", Bill broke in and not in his usual easy-going manner. His tone had me flinching, as Mum gave me a brief look over her shoulder as she took the last couple of steps on the staircase. It was a look that screamed, 'called it'.

"It has been a while since we've practiced dueling", said Charlie. "And you never know when a well-trained stunning spell will be needed".

I picked up my feet to get down the stairs faster. Though Mum beat me in intervening. "That's enough, you two", she scolded as she made her presence known. She moved out of the way of the stairs as I followed her, allowing me to see the whole room. Dad sat at his usual seat at the kitchen table, but he stood when we entered the room. Charlie stood by the door that led to the garden; leaning against the wall with his arms crossed. His posture was making all the muscles he gained from wrangling dragons stand out in a way I think he meant to be intimidating. I rolled my eyes and soon found where Bill was in the room. He was seated in Percy's usual spot, staring at Adrian's back with an expression that was too blank for me to get a proper read of. While Adrian was facing Mum and me.

"You're early", I told Adrian as I studied his all-black dress robes accessorized with a slim necktie. He was holding himself with a stiff back that spoke of unease. Bill's fault, I think.

"You look-" Adrian started to say in a way that made me think of Jessie's senior prom night. I felt his eyes roaming over me. Starting with my black flats and wandering up my homemade dress. He didn't cut himself off until he reached my head. Or rather, my hair. "…. Very festive".

I offered him a small smile. "Fred and George", I supplied as I took a step closer to him. "They haven't told me how to get the dye out yet".

Understanding filled his grey pupils. "Aw", he said; reaching out to hold my left hand. I allow it. The contact made me halfway forget I had family members watching this whole exchange.

"Oh, Holly", Mum broke in as she bustled past us. "Don't forget", she called over her shoulder as she hurried over to the kitchen counter where an afternoon of hard work sat in a nicely wrapped box.

It only took a few seconds of us standing in slightly awkward silence as Dad, Bill, and Charlie stared at Adrian and me before Mum returned with the wrapped box in her hands. I pulled my left hand out of Adrian's so I could take the box from her with both my hands.

I smiled at the box in my hands; remembering how I had kicked everyone but Mum out of the kitchen so I could focus solely on the creation of this chocolate cream pie. Holding out both of my arms, I offered the box to Adrian.

"What's this?" He asked before he accepted it; very much aware of the scrutiny of our audience.

"Your Christmas present", I said, letting my arms fall to my sides once the box left my possession. "Sorry you didn't have it on Christmas morning. I wanted to give it to you in person". It was a bit of a white lie. I was glad I could see his face when he received it, but I wasn't telling him about the part where I hadn't thought about exchanging gifts until Christmas day.

Adrian's face softened. A sharp contrast to his uncomfortable posture. "Thank you", he spoke genuinely as he shifted the box so he could hold it in one hand. "Do you mind if I wait to open it?"

I shook my head. Understanding the urge to get out of here and away from my older brothers. Specifically, the older brothers that were of age and could use magic outside of school. This time it was me who reached out to join our hands. "Should we go?" Adrian nodded and stepped towards our kitchen fireplace; pulling me after him. "Bye", I called over my shoulder, directing my words more at Mum and Dad than Bill and Charlie. "I'll see you tomorrow morning".

Which was apparently the wrong thing to say. "You'll be home by eleven o'clock, young lady", Mum interjected.

I halted; forcing Adrian to as well. I turned around and shot Mum a surprised look. Out of all my family members, she had been the one to seem the most unphased by my relationship with the Pucey heir. "It's News Year's Eve", I argued. "The point of a News Year's Eve party is to celebrate until the new year".

Mum stood firm, causing Bill and Charlie to grin obnoxiously with happiness at her parental decision. "Yes", Mum said in response to my argument. "That is why I'm allowing you to stay out until eleven instead of ten. You're fourteen. You have no business staying out all night".

But one of the best parts of News Year's Eve was snogging at the stroke of midnight. I thought, knowing it was a sound counterargument. But also knowing it was wiser not to say it. "If I may", Adrian broke in.

"You may not", Bill muttered from the table.

Adrian spoke as if he hadn't heard the Weasley heir. "The party generally goes until two o'clock in the morning. And my mother has fireworks planned for midnight. It would be a shame for Holly to miss it".

Mum pursed her lips. It was usually a foreboding warning of an impending consequence. But this time, I read it as a waver in my favor. "You are to return home right after the fireworks".

I rolled my eyes. If things go my way, Adrian and I will be too distracted to watch the fireworks, let alone note when they are over. "A half-hour past one", I countered.

Mum frowned. "Holly", she warned. But she didn't get to finish.

"One o'clock", Dad spoke up. Mum flashed him a look and they had a silent conversation that only parents can. Whatever they were discussing, it ended when Dad gave Mum a deep nod. He repeated his instruction. "One o'clock and not a minute after. I will be staying up to make sure you are home on time".

The pleased grins slipped off Bill's and Charlie's faces while a big one grew on mine. "Thank you, Dad", I said before turning around and gesturing for Adrian to step into the fireplace.

He does so, but not without letting go of my hand to grab some floo powder. In the fireplace, we face four members of my family. Bill and Charlie are back to looking displeased while Mum and Dad seem content. With his Christmas gift safely secured under one of his arms and me attaching myself to his side, Adrian held up his fistful of floo powder. "Carrow Maison", Adrian enunciated loudly and clearly before he dropped the powder. In an instant, green light engulfed us and I was only able to briefly catch the terrified faces of my eldest brothers before Adrian and I were swept up the chimney. I guess I forgot to mention Adrian has close ties to the Carrow family. Oops.

The place Adrian flooed us to reminded me of a mixture of Ancient Rome and Gringotts. The floors were marble. The ceilings were marble. And the pillars were marble. Sound must just bounce off all of these surfaces in a near-endless echo; making it impossible to ever pass by silently. "I thought your parents were hosting this party", I said, pausing in front of a painting of an aqueduct that was bigger than me. "Is this your uncle's house?"

"We are not at my uncle's home". Adrian answered as he came to stand next to me after freeing his robes of any residue soot. He shifted the wrapped box from one hand to the other as we both studied the painting. It was an impervious piece of art just based on its size alone. Though, I was unsure of what motivation would make someone want to paint an aqueduct. "This place belongs to my mother. It was a part of her dowry".

Adrian turned and started heading in the direction of open double doors that had classical music wafting through them. I hurried a couple of steps to keep up with him. "So, if your mother owns this place, why do you live in the house in the country?"

Adrian shrugged. "We prefer it. This place is too big for just the three of us. We like running across each other in the sitting room or the hallway. Father's workshop is sent up in our… How did you put it? Country house. Besides, the cost of upkeep for Carrow Maison wouldn't be worth the luxury of living here".

Then why don't you sell it? I wanted to ask but felt it wasn't any of my business. So, instead, I said nothing as Adrian and I stopped at the open doors that lead to an opulent ballroom filled with witches and wizards of various ages dancing and socializing. Buffet and drink tables lined the walls. All of them were covered in pristine white tablecloths. There was enough food that my family could've eaten for weeks. It consisted of easy-to-eat fruits and hors d'oeuvres that were clearly not English. They could have been French, Russian, Greek, or maybe a mixture of many different cultures. Either way, I didn't know their names and I doubted I could pronounce them even if I did. One of the drink tables displayed a pyramid of shimmering crystal champagne glasses that was probably being saved for the countdown to midnight. The witches and wizards present were all dressed in their finest. Witches wore updo hairstyles with feathers weaved in for decoration. Most wore robes, some wore dresses, but all were made of rich fabrics I had only ever seen from store windows. The wizards looked more identical. Similar to Adrian, their robes were black; helping the witches' fashion stand out even more. This was different from any New Years' party I've been to in the past. I eyed all of this with advancing stages of dread as I forced myself to swallow the lump that had developed in my throat. What the hell have I gotten myself into?

Adrian seemed unaware of my sudden discomfort as he finished his explanation about Carrow Maison. "We only use Mother's house when we host parties or family gatherings. And I think Mother promised Carrow Maison to Hestia for her dowry. Since we have no need for it and Flora is Uncle's heiress". And Adrian's family just got more interesting. Causing me to wonder who exactly was Hestia's and Flora's father. It wasn't the Carrow who taught defense in the deathly hallows, was it? I mean, he had a sister that wasn't Mrs. Pucey. And Adrian never mentioned having an aunt. So, Hestia's and Flora's father had to be someone else, right?

Before Adrian could suggest we join the party, and before I could suggest we ditch this event to explore his mum's house and find a less intimidating room, his mum found us. "Oh good", she announced her presence with a swish of champagne-colored satin skirts. Very much aware of what I was wearing, I ran a hand over the skirt of my dress. You know, the dress that was made out of an old table cloth and one of my dad's robes. "You made it back", Mrs. Pucey said to her son, before turning to me. "Hello, Holly". I felt her eyes roam over me. "Interesting hairstyle".

We made eye contact. Which was a challenge, because I found the giant opal hanging around her neck to be distracting. "H-hi", I stuttered out and immediately grimaced. Partly because I stuttered like a buffoon, but also because that might have been too informal a greeting for a party this lavish. "Thank you for inviting me, Mrs. Pucey". I tacked on quickly in an attempt to save myself.

Mrs. Pucey smiled at me. It wasn't particularly warm, but I did find it reassuring. "Florentina, Please Holly. You should call me by my given name tonight. Marcellus too. It's important everyone sees the close ties our family has formed with you".

I blinked up at the woman like she had stunned me. And it wasn't because of the opal. Why was it important for their guests to perceive how close I was to the Puceys? "Mother", Adrian spoke in a voice I know all too well. It was his warning voice. The voice that let you know when you were about to cross a line he didn't adhere to.

But Mrs. Pucey talked over Adrian like he hadn't said anything. "Now", she spoke briskly. "The majority of our guests are trusted friends to our family, other family members, and Marcellus' clients. Most of them will not care who we deem acceptable for our son". Acceptable? I shot Adrian a panicked look.

Which he accepted with a pained sigh. "Mother", he tried again.

However, it didn't even give Mrs. Pucey pause. "It's only a small handful you need to be wary of. I trust you will have no issues discerning who they are". Um…. "You are not yet out in society so you don't have to worry about following social etiquette too closely". Out in society? I hadn't heard that phrase since the last time Jessie read a Jane Austen novel. "But it would be wise to stay within public view at all times. If you must visit the ladies' room, take someone with you. Myself, for example. Or you might ask one of Adrian's cousins". So, Flora and Hestia were here….. "Apart from that, Adrian should be by your side for the entire party". Mrs. Pucey stopped there to give her son a hard look.

Adrian rolled his eyes. "I'm the one who invited her, mother. I'm not about to leave her to get fed to wolves". Well, that was something, at least.

"And whatever you do", Mrs. Pucey continued. "Try to stay clear of Cousin Alecto and Cousin Amycus".

Adrian paled considerably, causing the little hairs on my arms to stand on end. Those were the names of the death eaters that tortured Neville in his seventh year, wasn't it? I wasn't completely sure, but the heavy feeling in my gut told me I was right. "They actually came?" Adrian asked. At his mother's confirming nod, he voiced more questions. "Why now? They've never accepted the invitation before. Why is this year different?" He sounded frustrated. But I think his emotion was masking something else. I reached out and grabbed his hand; the one that wasn't holding my Christmas gift to him. It didn't take much encouragement for him to grip my hand. In fact, he held it so tightly that my circulation was cut off.

"No one can say for sure", Mrs. Pucey said quietly. "My guess is they may be running low on funds. If that's true, their best chance at talking to my brother when he is amicable will be tonight". Mrs. Pucey finished her explanation. Her eyes flashed downwards until they landed on the box Adrian was holding. "What do you have there?"

Shifting at the sudden topic change, Adrian held out the wrapped box for his mother to see. "A late Christmas gift from Holly", he answered. If there was a tense edge to his voice, his mother ignored it.

"Oh, how lovely", his mother proclaimed. "But you shouldn't bring it into the ballroom". She snapped the fingers on her right hand. A loud unexpected crack sounded from my right; causing me to jump out of my skin as a house-elf wearing a cut-up bedsheet as a toga appeared at my side.

"Merlin", I swore as I placed my free hand over my heart. As if that would help me calm down.

"Topaz", Mrs. Pucey said as she took the box from Adrian without him offering it. "Hold on to Holly's thoughtful gift for us until we leave tomorrow morning", she instructed as she handed the box over to the house-elf. The House-elf gave a solemn nod before poofing out of existence again. Mrs. Pucey turned her eyes back to us. "Oh, don't look so serious you two. This is a party. Have fun". And with that, she turned on her heels with another elegant swish of her skirts. As I watched her go, I peered into the ballroom again. This time, instead of seeing an overly expensive party, I saw a battlefield. Maybe an eleven o'clock curfew wouldn't have been such a bad thing.

"Here", Adrian said as he handed me a crystal glass of punch. "Drink this, and calm down. It's not as bad as Mother made it sound". He said quietly in my ear. We were standing by one of the refreshment tables as couples twirled around one another on the dance floor. I took my first sip. It was fruity and sweet; just as one would expect punch to be. But I knew there was one ingredient that would improve it. "This is just any old party, and you'll be fine", he promised.

I took a second sip, and that was all the permission I needed to allow every thought I've had in the last couple of minutes to come gushing out. "Why is it important that I call your parents by their first names? Why would your parents' guests care if your mum and dad found me acceptable? What does 'acceptable' even mean?" Adrian pinched the bridge of his nose and exhaled loudly through his nostrils. "And what was all that about being out in society? I thought that was some archaic thing for the muggle Victorian era". Not that I actually know enough about history to know what happened during the Victorian era. I've never been much of a history buff.

Adrian fixed me with an unyielding gaze. "Take another sip", he ordered. Sighing, I did as he asked. And when I lowered the glass again for the third time, he asked, "better?"

"It would be better if it was spiked", I answered dryly.

The look Adrian gave me in response was very unimpressed. "You'll be fine", Adrian repeated. "This is just like socializing with Slytherins at school. Except with older Slytherins and nicer clothes".

Right. Sure. I'll just keep telling myself that. I thought as I took a longer sip of punch. Maybe I can pretend there's rum in here. That might help my nerves. "What's this?" A new voice said as someone came to stand next to Adrian and me. "Is Weasley experiencing culture shock?"

I scowled into my glass of punch as Adrian greeted, "Flint".

"Pucey", Flint returned in kind. He was wearing black robes almost identical to Adrian's. Except his robes had lines of silver decorating the hems of his sleeves and collar. "Wonderful party. Your mother has outdone herself again".

"Yes", Adrian agreed. "Father had clients visiting from out of the country, so she felt it was necessary to go above and beyond". Something caught Adrian's attention over my shoulder. "Speaking of which…" He trailed off. Causing both Flint and I to look over our shoulders where Adrian's father stood surrounded by a small group of Japanese men, gesturing for his son to join him. "Looks like it's time to sell the appeal of a family business to potential clients. Excuse me", Adrian said to Flint before turning to me. "I won't be long", he promised. And then he turned back to Flint. "Stay with her, would you?" Except he didn't wait for an answer; separating from Flint and me like his mother hadn't warned us that there were people here who wouldn't be pleased with my attendance.

I watched Adrian go with a grimace. Who was the person who said he wasn't going to leave me to be fed to the wolves? A short laugh had me looking back to face Flint. "He is overestimating your ability to maneuver complex social ladders". He smiled; giving me a very clear view of his yellowed, crooked teeth. This horse-faced git. Why in the world would Adrian feel comfortable leaving me alone with the likes of him? "Don't worry. I'll speak to him".

I pressed my lips into a thin line and lowered my eyelids slightly to appear annoyed. "And you know my capabilities better than Adrian?" I asked sarcastically.

Flint accepted my comment good-naturedly, which made me suspicious. "I like to think I am more socially observant than Pucey". Before I could refute that claim; even though I had no evidence to support it, Flint ordered. "Look around, Weasley. And tell me what you see?"

I rolled my eyes but decided to comply anyway. It sounds like I'm stuck with Flint until Adrian can escape his father. So, I might as well not make an enemy. My eyes dart around the ballroom. Noting the same things I had seen during my first glimpse of the party. After I moment, I said, "I see a bunch of rich people with their noses up in the air and their hands-"

Flint cut me off from finishing an undoubtedly rude comment. "What I see is a bunch of power-hungry low-leveled pureblood wives and their anxious daughters trying to subtly kill you with their eyes when your back is turned". What? The annoyed look slipped off my face at his words. There was much to unpack in that statement. Why would wives and daughters want me dead? What exactly made them low-leveled? I mean, I know the sacred twenty-eight are kind of like the aristocracy of the wizarding world. But other than that, I thought, with the exception of blood traitors, all pure-bloods considered themselves to be equal. And what did Flint get out of telling me all this? Flint's smile widened. "Many are also studying your hair as if they find it personally offensive". He continued. "I am curious. Did you dye your hair just for Pucey's party? It is a bold choice".

My mind was still whirling from all the new information, so I didn't have a retort for him. Although, he definitely deserved one. At what was probably a terrified expression that also spoke of how my mind had been forced into overdrive, Flint's smile widened. Bloody hell. He won this round and he knew it. "Shall we have a dance?" He asked.

"No", I automatically answered. At least I still have enough of my wits to achieve that much.

But Flint plucked the punch glass from me as if I hadn't said anything. He placed it down on the table we were standing next to before pressing a hand against the small of my back. "Best to keep moving, anyway", He said, steering us towards the dance floor. I wanted to dig my heels in. But now that Flint had mentioned it, I was feeling like a hundred pairs of eyes was boring into me, like a hundred needles piercing my skin. So, I allowed Flint to manipulate me as he wanted. "Now that your guard dog decided it is safe to leave you on your own if we dance perhaps, we will dissuade anyone from trying to approach you", Flint explained. My eye twitched when he described Adrian as a guard dog.

With practiced ease that spoke of many classy parties before this one, Flint kept one hand on my back. But he pulled me in closer as he grabbed my other hand in his. And then we were off; Flint led us around other dance partners in time with the music. When I missed a couple of steps and trodden on his toes, he had the grace not to say anything. "Don't look at your feet", He said quietly enough that only I would be able to hear. "Just give up control and let me lead".

I felt a flash of pride return to me. As if I would ever do that. "Are you going to tell me what you meant about wives and daughters wanting me dead?" I asked as I, very stubbornly, continued to stare at my feet.

Flint took a step forward, forcing me to take a step back as we completed a very tense box step. I could hear the amusement in Flint's voice when he said, "you really have no idea what dating Adrian Pucey entails".

I rolled my eyes; expressing annoyance when I was really trying to figure out what Flint was getting at. The most troubling thing about being in a relationship with Adrian was the fact that he was the reincarnated soul of Regulus Black. Without that, Adrian Pucey was just a regular boy who came for a family of some means. But I highly doubt Flint knows that. "I like him. He likes me. We don't need to be concerned with anything else".

"Oooh", Flint cooed mockingly at me as he let go of my lower back and raised our joined hands so I could spin under them. But when we were back to a traditional dancing position, with his hand on my back, Flint said, "Come now, Weasley. You're not that simple". I raised my eyes from my feet to fix Flint with an irate look. He wasn't going to goad me into playing along with a remark like that. And when it became clear to him I wouldn't rise to his challenge, Flint continued. "Pucey is the heir to a profitable business. That is desirable, but not what makes him remarkable. What is remarkable is his mother; Florentina Pucey nee Carrow". Flint spoke Mrs. Pucey's name as if it was supposed to impress me. "The eldest child and only daughter of the late Lord Carrow. You know, I was told it was quite the scandal when she chose to marry a tradesman. It's one thing for a lady to marry up, but to marry down is always the subject of gossip. Especially when her family chose to support her in her decision to marry into the Pucey line".

Good Merlin, I thought as one song ended and a new one started. This bundle of information was kind of pissing me off. Flint kept dancing as if he hadn't even noticed the change in music. Though, he did adjust his tempo. "What does this have to do with anything?" I asked.

Flint rolled his eyes. As if to suggest I was being impossibly slow. "It means Pucey has strong and very close ties to one of the most powerful families of the Wizarding UK. The Carrows support the Puceys as their most generous benefactor. And if anything unfortunate were to happen to the current Lord Carrow's daughters, then Pucey would undoubtedly be named his heir".

I narrowed my eyes. Not liking what Flint was hinting at. "But nothing is going to happen to Flora or Hestia", I said forcefully.

Flint's yellow teeth made another appearance as he grinned. "But that doesn't stop desperate mothers wanting a good life for their daughters from imagining what would happen if anything unfortunate was to occur". I bit my lip to keep myself from voicing my opinions on that fact. But that didn't stop me from thinking about it. What greedy bloody monsters. Sure, Hestia and Flora were elitist and annoying. But there were just children. Like he enjoyed watching me become angry, Flint had more to say. "The best part of all this is the wall you constructed in all of their plans to block them".

"What wall?" I asked; just wanting this conversation and this dance to be over.

"You truly don't care how much influence Pucey has or how deep his bank vault is. You lead that boy around instead of chasing after him like their daughters can only hope to do". I scoffed. I don't lead Adrian around. Just as he doesn't lead me around. We'd have to have a direction in mind if that were possible. "It creates a trait that is very attractive to Pucey. One that makes it unlikely he will ever pay a second glance at what they have to offer him", Flint finished.

"And what would that trait be?" I asked.

The music stopped, and Flint allowed us to stand still. He looked me squarely in the eye. "An equal".