"Mia, baby, can you smile a little?" her best friend said while they were both watching the dance floor

"Take your smile and shove it up your arse, Addie," Mia replied, forcing a false smile.

"You hurt me, love," Adhara said, taking a sip from her glass of champagne. "What's got your panties in a twist?"

"Fucking Jonathan Christopher Beaufort-Grimaldi," Mia muttered, stealing the glass of champagne from her best friend. "He's the one to blame."

"Damn," Adhara whistled, "Using his full name. What has His Majesty done to you?"

"It's not His Majesty, it's His Royal Highness," Mia corrected irritably, imitating Jace's voice. "And then the bastard had the audacity to smile at me."

"Did he say that using his 'everyone adores me' smile or the 'I think I'm the best thing in this world' smile?" Adhara asked.

"Aren't they both the same?" Mia replied sarcastically.

"He's American, Mia dear," Adhara told her, shaking her head. "They think they're the center of the universe."

"Aghhh," Mia shouted, frustrated. "I need another glass of champagne to stop me from wiping that fucking American smile."

"Addie, look," her little brother exclaimed, rushing over to them. "Look what I found."

"Draco, move aside," Adhara said to her brother. "Mia needs a drink, and so do I. Go find Harry and tell him what you've found."

Mia and Adhara quickly approached the bar, their need for champagne urgent. They signaled the waiter, who wasted no time in pouring two glasses of champagne and placing them on the counter before moving on to serve other patrons. Mia and Adhara eagerly picked up their glasses, the bubbles dancing in the crystal flutes.

"Where is he?" Adhara asked, curiosity piqued.

Mia gestured across the bustling dance floor. "He's over there, talking to Teddy."

Adhara followed Mia's gaze and spotted the source of her friend's annoyance. The bane of Mia's existence, Jonathan Christopher Beaufor-Grimaldi, stood with a self-satisfied smirk, waving mockingly at them. Beside him was their friend Theo, saying something into his ear.

"I can't believe Teddy is friends with that idiot," Mia protested, her frustration evident. "I swear, Addie, that blonde isn't natural. He dyes it."

Adhara chuckled. "The dye has definitely fried the few neurons he had left."

"Teddy should find another best friend," Mia suggested, her voice tinged with concern. "Or he'll end up acting like his idiot friend."

Adhara took a sip of her champagne and nodded. "Most likely Teddy will end up acting like Jace. After all, they are going to Durmstrang together."

Mia sighed. "Thank you very much for your encouragement," she said sarcastically. "The only intelligent person I could talk to, and he's going to the other side of the world."

Adhara pretended to be hurt. "And what am I then?"

"You are my best friend," Mia replied with a smirk.

Adhara raised an eyebrow. "Is being your best friend categorically above being intelligent or below?"

Mia grinned mischievously and started heading towards the dance floor. "What do you think?"

Adhara laughed and chased after her. "Mia, no, come here and tell me!"

"What have you done now, Jace?" Theo asked his best friend, an amused smirk playing on his lips.

"Me?" Jace replied, feigning innocence. "I haven't done anything."

Theo raised an eyebrow skeptically. "I don't believe it. You have that smile."

"What smile?" Jace asked, trying to play it cool.

"The 'I've managed to make Hermione Potter mad for the millionth time' smile," Theo responded with a knowing grin.

Jace couldn't help but chuckle. "I've done it again, dear friend. It's very easy to ruffle her feathers."

Theo shook his head, still amused. "I still don't understand what Mia has done to you. You guys are always fighting."

"It's that stupid English accent of hers," Jace protested. "She always has her nose up and looks at everyone over her shoulder.

Theo raised an eyebrow, amused by the irony. "Jace, I'm English too."

Jace waved his hand dismissively. "You don't count. In any case, you're the only English I like."

Theo chuckled. "What a great honor, Your Majesty."

"I'm serious, Teddy," Jace continued. "I don't know how you put up with her, with her wiseass voice always wanting to be right."

Theo leaned in, his tone more serious. "Our parents are friends, Jace, more specifically, my father is friends with Lucius Malfoy, Adhara's father, and Adhara and Mia are best friends. We've known each other since we were in diapers."

Jace nodded, understanding the long history between them. "Tell me again why you're not going to Hogwarts with them."

Theo smirked. "I'm not going with them because you wouldn't survive alone in Durmstrang. You would miss me a lot."

Jace sighed dramatically. "I'm going away because I can't bear to see her face or hear her voice every day. It's enough for me to see her at all these balls and galas."

"Someday you'll change your mind," Theo told Jace with a hint of optimism. "Mia is pretty fun when you get to know her."

Jace chuckled, shaking his head. "I don't think so, Teddy. Hell will freeze over before that happens.

Theo's eyes twinkled mischievously. "Do you want to bet something on what you just said?

Jace raised an eyebrow, intrigued. "What are you thinking?"

"I'll bet your future Rolls Royce," Theo said, a sly grin forming on his face, "that before our fourth year, you and Mia will be friends."

Jace hesitated for a moment, considering the wager. Then, with a confident smile, he extended his hand, and the two friends shook on it to seal the deal. "Done."

Hermione Cassiopeia Potter, or Mia as everyone fondly called her, was the spitting image of her father in every aspect. She had the same raven-black hair, hazel eyes, and that perpetual mischievous smile that seemed to be a Potter family trademark. Both James and Mia shared the same joking and open nature that made it easy for people to connect with them. However, when they got angry, well, it was better for everyone to run in the other direction. James had inherited his mother's infamous Black temper, and Dorea and Mia had inherited the same fiery temperament, which, when combined with their mother's, could be a recipe for disaster.

Mia was the pride and joy of her father. In James's eyes, his firstborn, his princess, was incapable of doing anything wrong. Lily often reproached him for spoiling and feeding their daughter's ego, but, although Mia and her father did indeed possess egos the size of the Black Lake, as Lily had explicitly put it, they also had hearts of gold to match.

As the eldest daughter of James and Lily, and the first niece and granddaughter in the family, alongside her best friend Adhara, Mia had learned what it meant to love and be loved from her parents, uncles, and grandparents. Mia loved unconditionally, with all her soul, and she loved so intensely that it could hurt, just like her father. They both wore their hearts on their sleeves.

Mia also adored her little brother, Harry. Harry had inherited only the infamous Potter hair, while the rest of him was pure Lily. He was two years younger than Mia and a somewhat shy boy, but when he opened up, it was evident that he was his father's son, with that same Potter charm that seemed to run in the family.

Adhara Lucretia Malfoy, or Addie as she was affectionately called, was also an exact copy of her father, a Malfoy through and through. From her silver hair to her gray eyes, even her sideways smile, she bore an uncanny resemblance to her father. The Malfoy temper, while not as explosively fiery as the Potters', was more like a snake's bite – quick, precise, and often chilling.

Hermione and Adhara had been best friends since practically the moment they were born. You might wonder how a Malfoy and a Potter could be friends, but the story was quite simple. Lily and Narcissa had been pregnant at the same time and had given birth just one day apart. Mia arrived on the twentieth of September, and Addie followed on the twenty-first. St Mungo's Hospital had run out of free cots that day, so they ended up placing Mia and Addie together in the same crib.

When James and Lucius arrived to see their newborn daughters, they were both horrified to find the firstborn of each family sharing the same crib. Lucius had immediately demanded that his daughter, the first Malfoy woman in generations, be moved far away from the Potter heiress. James fervently nodded in agreement, sharing Lucius's sentiment. But something remarkable happened when they tried to separate Mia and Addie – both infants started crying uncontrollably at the mere hint of separation. Lucius and James exchanged puzzled glances and reluctantly decided to leave their daughters together in the same crib where they had been found.

When Lily and Narcissa learned about this, they had the same thought: Hermione Potter and Adhara Malfoy were destined to be best friends. This arrangement seemed like the perfect solution for both families. Their daughters would grow up as close friends, and they could relish watching their proud husbands, who didn't exactly see eye to eye, attempt to coexist in the same space. The husbands had protested vigorously, as expected, considering their history, but since neither could refuse their daughters and both were a little wary of their wives' tempers, they eventually acquiesced.

Adhara, being the first Malfoy woman in generations, had always been doted on by her parents. The Malfoys, unlike the Potters who wore their hearts on their sleeves, were known for keeping their emotions tightly under lock and key. Their love and affection were reserved for a select few but were no less intense. When the Malfoys loved, they loved with fierce devotion.

Adhara didn't have grandparents, at least not in the traditional sense. Technically, her parents' parents were still alive, but the strained relationships between her parents and their respective families meant that it was as good as not having grandparents at all. However, Charlus and Dorea Potter had embraced Adhara as one of their own, showering her with the same love and attention as they did with Hermione. Lucius and Narcissa had been inwardly grateful to Charlus and Dorea for treating their daughter without any regard for the Malfoy name, accepting her into their family with open arms.

Adhara and Draco were a completely different dynamic compared to Hermione and Harry. Adhara adored her little brother, but Draco had a unique talent for driving her to the brink of madness. While the Potter siblings had their roles clearly defined, with Mia as the mischievous one and Harry the quieter, more reserved one, the Malfoy siblings reversed the roles entirely. Adhara was the calm and composed one, while Draco was the rambunctious troublemaker. Yet, despite the exasperation her younger brother often caused her, Adhara loved him deeply, no matter how much he got on her nerves at times.

"Come stanno le mie due principesse preferite?" Mia's godfather asked in a jovial voice as he approached them.

"Hello, Uncle Enzo," Adhara greeted him with a warm smile. "I'm perfectly fine. Mia, on the other hand, is letting Jace ruin her mood."

"Dolcezza, what's wrong with you?" Enzo asked his goddaughter, concerned.

"Fucking Jace," Mia replied to Enzo, frustration evident in her voice. "He and his stupid arrogant American smile."

Enzo's eyes twinkled with mischief. "Do you want me to take care of him? I'll make it look like an accident, and your parents won't find out. It will be our little secret."

"I wish," Mia said with a sigh, "you'd save me a lot of headaches."

Enzo then inquired, "Where is your father? I need to talk to him, a business issue."

Adhara chimed in, pointing to her father who was deeply engrossed in conversation with James. "He's over there with my dad."

"Grazie mille, sole mio," Enzo said, giving Mia and Addie each a kiss on the crown of their heads. "Enjoy the party and smile."

"Mia! Mia!" shouted a childish voice, breaking through the music and laughter of the party

Mia turned around and found herself encircled by two little arms that wrapped around her waist. Looking down, she met two bright blue eyes filled with happiness.

Mia laughed, ruffling the curly brown hair of the little boy who had captured her attention. "Where is your mother, JayJay?"

"IACOBO LORENZO GRIMALDI, COME HERE RIGHT NOW!" shouted an angry voice from across the dance floor.

Mia and Addie exchanged wide-eyed glances as they watched a determined brunette woman with blue eyes march toward them with purpose.

Adhara's voice quivered with fear as she whispered to her best friend, "Do you think she's going to kill us? I wore this dress for the first time today, and I'd like to keep it intact."

Mia shrugged, feeling Iacobo now hiding behind her. She turned to Adhara with a reassuring smile. "Just smile, Addie."

"Girls," the woman said, addressing Mia and Adhara with a hint of exasperation, "have you seen my son?"

"Your son?" Adhara asked, feigning innocence. "What does your son look like?"

Mia rolled her eyes at her best friend. "Really, Adhara? Really?"

Adhara simply shrugged. "Aunt Isabelle makes me nervous when she gets angry."

Suddenly, the sound of childish giggles filled the air behind Mia, causing the three women to turn around. There was Iacobo, laughing mischievously.

"Come here, you little scoundrel," Isabelle scolded her son gently, her relief palpable. "You had me worried sick."

"I just wanted to say hello to Mia," Iacobo explained with an innocent puppy-dog face.

"Next time, tell me before you run off," Isabelle admonished him. "You could get hurt if you don't watch where you're going."

"I'm not a little boy," Iacobo protested, crossing his arms indignantly. "I'm already five years old."

Adhara couldn't resist teasing him. "Wow, you're a big boy now, JayJay. Next thing you know you'll have a girlfriend"

"Jonathan Christopher Beaufort-Grimaldi, what have you done now?" shouted an angry voice that cut through the lively atmosphere of the party.

Jace and Theo turned very, very slowly, dreading what they were about to face. Before them stood Eloise Beaufort, Jace's mother, looking exceptionally displeased.

"And... good?" she demanded again, this time directing her stern gaze at her son. "Start talking, Jace."

"I... I haven't done anything," Jace stammered, fear in his voice. If there was one thing that could send shivers down Jace's spine, it was witnessing his mother angry.

"Then explain to me why Hermione Potter is glaring at you and making gestures like she wants to kill you," Eloise pressed.

"It's not my fault," Jace protested immediately.

"You're the only person capable of making poor Hermione angry," his mother remarked, her brow furrowing.

"There's nothing 'poor' about her," Jace grumbled indignantly. "She thinks she's better than everyone else."

"That's not true, and you know it," Eloise chided her son gently. "Hermione is a very quiet girl."

"Quiet?" Jace asked in disbelief. "But she almost threw a glass of champagne at me."

"Your mother is right," Theo interjected, trying to reason with his friend. "You provoked her."

"What have you told him?" Eloise's tone was firm. "I'm not going to ask twice."

"I've only reminded Hermione that my official title is not 'His Majesty,' it's 'His Royal Highness,'" Jace explained to his mother. "She does it to annoy me because she knows perfectly well that 'Her Majesty' is just Grandmother."

"From today onwards, you better get along with Hermione," Eloise warned her son. "Because I'm not going to receive any letters telling me that you're in detention."

"What are you talking about?" Jace asked, panic creeping into his realizing what his mother meant he cried out, "No, mom, please not that."

"Oh, yes, dear," his mother replied, smirking widely. "On September 1st, instead of going to Durmstrang, you're going to be sitting your ass on the Hogwarts Express."

"Mom, no, please," Jace begged, his eyes wide with horror. "Anything but that."

"Too late," Eloise declared, planting a kiss on Jace's cheek. "Enjoy the party, sweetheart."

Jace was left in shock and utter disbelief – he was going to have to share classes with the bane of his existence. Theo, standing beside him, couldn't contain his laughter, practically in tears from amusement.

"What are you laughing at, you idiot?" Jace snapped grumpily.

"You should... You should have seen your face," Theo managed to say between fits of laughter when your mother told you we are going to Hogwarts instead of Durmstrang."

"It's going to be horrible," Jace lamented, shaking his head. "Seven, and I repeat, seven dreadful years."

"No," Theo responded, smiling widely, "they're going to be the best years of our lives. Mark my words."