Soon the Christmas Holidays had arrived. Most of the Sacred 28 purebloods were going home. It wasn't that home was always nice, sometimes it was sad, oppressive or depressing, but to stay at school could be seen as a poor child's thing, and none of the Sacred 28 slytherins wanted to risk that. Reputation and image was everything. Never let your status fall.

Draco's mother had already planned a ball for the Christmas Holidays. Well-organised and officious, she was responsible for a great many number of his engagements, although his father also had high expectations for where he ought to be and how he ought to do it, plus he had been given the freedom to throw a few social events of his own ever since he turned double-digits, but most of those were simply expensive days spent with his friends Crabbe and Goyle. There was nothing really important in his life yet, though Draco was getting used to the idea of organising and planning some days as well. Though it wasn't often he enjoyed them, mostly because he didn't enjoy the company. Crabbe and Goyle, although they could appear simple to those who didn't know them well, scratched an old money pureblood itch of his somewhere, so they were golden company to him.

It was the rest of the halfbloods, mudbloods and muggles that Draco hated (they never had anything of any value to offer him), but was forced to tolerate and grit through these seven long years of Hogwarts. A least favourite time period of his life in many ways, that being one reason.

Unfortunately all of them were being invited to his ball. His mother's insistence.

"I hate most people at this stupid ball," said Draco, "I didn't even really want to have it."

An entire evening (and no doubt the many days prior he would have to spend on preparation) was the least favourite way to spend his time given that he held colossal dislike of majority of the Hogwarts students, but reputation was everything and one of the oldest tricks in the book was for the old Sacred 28 families to enchant almost everyone in the wizarding world to like him. It wasn't because they didn't have influence or power over majority of the wizarding world in other ways for they did, but having a good image never hurt. And one way to do that was through giving them a sense of just how grand, superior, the Sacred 28 families were.

Invite them to be part of their world for just one day. Then cruely discard them and toss them aside. Keep them on their knees, begging for more.

The old Sacred 28 wealthy families held balls and other lavish social affairs a lot. Some of them were just for themselves or the inner circle - in Draco's opinion where the real action took place. But there were some balls which had to be had to show of what they had to outsiders every so often to keep them lapping at their heels, this was it.

Naturally his mother decided he ought to throw a ball early, so that people could see his influence, and his first year at Hogwarts was apparently a good time to have it. If Draco was honest, having a ball at a later year of his Hogwarts life was probably better for he would've had more of a reputation by then, so it would have more of an impact, and he would know which were the good ones worth keeping or not. But his mother had insisted and half made all the preparations before Draco had any input, and he really didn't like organising balls much so he didn't want to prolong the torture for later.

Truthfully another reason which weighted in heavily on his mind was the fact that when he turned 16 he was eligible to be a deatheater. His father never told him how he knew this, but it was a fact he'd passed onto Draco. His father had never told him he was a deatheater, but he strongly implied the dark lord had immense power and influence over the wizarding world once. That he could have turned the wizarding world on his feet, and it was better to be an early defector under the new rule than one of the imprisoned. There were very good reasons to follow the dark lord at one point, it was just that there were too many witches and wizards too daft to see it, or understand why someone may choose to see the reason in the dark lord's side. His father made it clear Draco must never talk down anyone who once followed the dark lord or wanted to, and that he should not put his faith in the dark lord being gone forever.

Times were changing and he may return. So Draco had to never show his support for the dark lord in public, but also never do anything that would suggest he was against it.

Draco wasn't sure if his father was a deatheater or not, but he'd strongly suspected, his father even almost seemed to strongly imply, that Draco never ruled out the option of his father asking (or commanding) him to join the deatheaters at a later age (16), and the secrecy that he would have to embody then. That would have to be carefully hidden from most people at Hogwarts, even his closest allies unless they were also deatheaters as well upon 16. It was because of this and not wanting to have to appear at a ball then, especially one with so many people he wasn't used to, that lead Draco to let his mum organise one in his first year.

Get his ball done and out of the way. Another year, another holiday, someone else from the Sacred 28 would probably like to throw their own ball or social event as well. To enchant this generation of the wizarding world on their side.

"You can afford it," pointed out Crabbe.

"It's gonna be great. Even if you hate it," said Goyle as the train sped towards platform 9 and 3/4s, the grey snow-washed countryside speeding by hastily. The other occupants of the carriage were Blaise and Theo. Unfortunately because there were halfbloods and some muggle-borns who wanted to go home for the christmas holidays, platform 9 and 3/4s was the most familiar way for their parents to pick them up, and so all the purebloods were forced to ride in the same train as them. But Draco and his friends quickly found their own compartment and swore to hex anyone unwanted who tried to bother them.

The pureblood slytherin girls were in their own compartment. They wanted to gossip and giggle among themselves the way they preferred to do so out of the earshot of the slytherin boys sometimes. Draco didn't care where they were gone, he found most of them annoying, but they were the most tolerable girls by far.

"Who are the people attending? We have to talk about them at least once," said Nott. Although the boys talked about the other students sometimes they hadn't had a real discussion about them altogether yet.

Unfortunately most of the Sacred 28 families did keep track of all the students in their year and where they ended up in life. They also memorised enough details about them so that they could make small talk if they had to bump into them at any occasion. It was just an act of manner, even if one Draco hated, and they would have to have some sort of touch-down talk on all the people in their year soon. Likely the girls were doing the exact same thing.

"Here's a list. I kissed one girl in our grade already. She didn't tell anyone," said Blaise as he pulled out a scroll from his trunk, "I'm planning the other girls I'm going to get."

"What was that like?" asked Crabbe.

"Great. She let me french kiss her for a bit but wouldn't let me feel under her shirt. She likes my kissing technique," he said.

"Who?" asked Goyle.

"She made me promise not to tell. She won't let me do anything with her if I did," said Blaise.

"Lavender Brown, Gryffindor," said out Theo from the list which he took from Blaise.

"Halfblood. The only muggle-born in Gryffindor is Hermione Granger," said Draco, "poor and they don't really care about moving up, that family. I expect she will be happy to marry any one of us if we ever showed interest but too unambitious to seek us out herself. She would probably be too afraid to show support for the dark lord or anything but I don't see her as the sort of person to say no. She will probably do what's easiest for her and her family, which includes going along with the dark lord if it brings her protection."

None of the boys outwardly said their parents were deatheaters or that they wanted to support the dark lord, but none of them talked badly about him, they talked about his ideas as if having an intellectual debate about political changes to the wizarding world, understanding his side (never admitting they were on his side or another), and they sometimes analysed people in terms of if they were likely to be strongly for or against the dark lord.

A part of Draco deeply wondered who else was really truly on the side of the dark lord, but he knew not to ask. Not all all Sacred 28 spilled their secrets to everyone.

Theo sniggered and then everyone else followed. Most of them thought it was clear how much power and influence the dark lord once had it was ridiculous to think anyone would truly be against joining him, especially if he really came into power in the wizarding world and there were things to gain from joining him. So they had a tendency to assume most people were sheep to be brainwashed into supporting the dark lord (but too piteous and weak to truly rise to the top in deatheater hierarchies), and that assumption stopped at no one, not even a seemingly innocent looking girl like Lavender.

"Seamus Finnigan," read out Draco from the list, "Halfblood, same bracket as Lavender. Same with the dark lord too, if he was offered wealth, power, protection, he would. He's too much of a dolt to care about us though, so he wouldn't try to move up in our circles or get involved in this unless it nipped him in the..."

More laughter followed.

"They're both going. RSVP'd to the ball. Couldn't turn down a fancy evening and free food now could they?" said Draco. Since his family were practically billionaires in the wizarding world whereas everyone else was millionaires at most the ball cost them nothing. In fact, the Malfoys spended little for what they had.

"Hermione Granger..." Draco spat. He particularly hated her because she was one of the few muggle-borns in their grade. "She RSVP'd. So did Harry Potter and Ron Weasley. I expect a part of them are curious about pureblood wizarding society. Neville Longbottom was the only one from Gryffindor who didn't RSVP, though his grandmother wrote a delightful letter saying how gracious she was to receive an invitation and my god, I never knew I could read a letter so boring."

Everyone giggled.

They went through the list. Most people were attending. There were also a lot of people outside of their grade that were also attending, but mostly the influential.

Draco would be forced to make small talk with them all evening. It was something he had some practice in from his father's high class friends. He would turn on the charm for just one evening and then almost want to blow his brains out. Draco liked nobody he was forced to associate with much, he was the one with the least to gain from everyone else so that was a major reason why, but some rules felt as old as time, and Sacred 28 purebloods had to keep up appearances, make small talk, be nice...

"I know you didn't want this," his mother said as she helped gel up his hair for the ball the afternoon of the ball. She wanted to do it and Draco only liked putting effort into completely new things, not menial things, so he was not against someone doing it. But he was growing to like it less and less, it felt childish somehow.

"But I know it will also bring you a bit of comfort to get your name and status out there. Bring you a bit of peace of mind...and it's also a good opportunity to practice small talk. I know you don't feel like this is you, small talk and all that, but every Sacred 28 has to do it, and I didn't raise someone incapable of doing the basic duties of any Sacred 28 family now did I? Learn from this opportunity, find out three things you didn't know before," she hissed in his ear.

Draco watched their reflections in the gloom of the dressing room mirror for a bit. His father was overjoyed about the ball, talking about the great opportunities for business connections or general connections. The way he talked about it, it was as if it was Draco's idea, or something that Draco looked forward to for a long time. That Draco truly liked this sort of lifestyle. His mother meanwhile, was able to pick up on the fact that Draco didn't really, and at least understood the displeasure that was there when it came to the ball, but his mother was right, Draco did have a few curiosities about some of his classmates and everyone was more chatty and letting down their guard at such a ball...

"I want to know if Theo's father is a deatheater or not. If he is going to be one when he turns 16, that's one thing I want to know," said Draco.

"No, not that. Not the dark lord. Not at this sort of party," said his mother.

His father was the one who spoke of the rationale behind why the dark lord did what he did, why people may have seen the light in his shadows and followed him, why he was a formidable force, why it was foolish to go against him. His mother backed up his father on the front that it was foolish to go against him, that he had power and one must never underestimate another's power. But barring that she always seemed to hold a sort of blankness when it came to discussing him, never really wanting to be involved or talking about it further. Here it was, playing out again, with her wanting the party's focus to not be about finding out the truth of this topic.

Draco's parents never told him if any one of them (or both) were deatheaters, or anyone else. Draco had no answers and if he bought up his thoughts on the matter, they didn't tell him what they knew (if they were in the know about anything) so Draco still wasn't sure what the Nott's family's true stance on all of it was.

If they were deatheaters than Draco would have a friend when he turned 16 so he wouldn't be so...alone in joining it and everything...

"Why," Draco said bluntly. Short of his mother's own personal preferences, he couldn't see a reason why it wasn't advisable to talk about this topic at the party. His goal was to find out more information through small talk, or practice that, and that was information he wanted to know...

"This ball is for getting the halfbloods and the muggle-borns on our side. Trust me, they are scared and lacking in knowledge of the dark lord. They will not be able to relate to any discussions going on about the topic, or devious attempts to get more information from small talk. These balls should be completely devoid of that topic, just on wealth, high class, status, beauty in the wizarding world, magic society at it's finest...everything else should be had someplace else entirely," she said.

"Oh I get it," said Draco, "not bad."

And so when Draco (and other knowledgeable purebloods) were in the company of halfbloods and muggle-borns, it was wealth, riches, high-class society, a sort of promise that if they sucked up hard enough to them they could one day ascend and find themselves in the same spot. A sort of image they sold. Pleasant, sweet, unsuspecting to the eye. But it was in other social circles, deeper, darker, more twisted, intentional (anyone who were there had fought their wya to be there), they would talk about matters such as the dark lord more...or even play their games about it more.

The ball started at 7 o clock. A magical number. Most of the Sacred 28 men were not as into decorating as the women were, but they could recognise fine taste when they saw it. Draco was no different and threw the ball to reflect a very classy, grandiose style. If not a little over the top.

Their second largest ballroom was used. They wanted to save their largest ballroom for truly impressing somebody, or for company that really mattered. But their ballrooms all had garden entrances for carriages and side doors so it was easily missed that were were more ballrooms. It was impossible to wander outside of the ballroom or the few bathrooms and quiet coffee rooms that had been allowed to accept visitors for this hour. There were portkeys, a fireplace for the floo in one coffee room, to allow for guests to arrive (most came by portkey), for they didn't want anyone to really know where they lived. An address wasn't really given out and there was no means of an address anywhere in the ballroom.

There was a gorgeous view of their laws and the forests that they owed around their manor however that couldn't be missed from any of the ballrooms. All ballrooms were built to have gorgeous views of the estate in sight. Afterall, how else were you to convey that you were wealthy and established?

The ballroom was dappled white-grey-beige marble with stone columns, chandeliers and holly wreaths all around. Enchanted snow and giant snowflakes fell from the ceiling, disappearing just before it touched anyone. Music floated through the air from a hired orchestra (to show they had money), waiters (again, hired to show they had money) walked around offering expensive foods (they bought catering just for this event). The Malfoy family were well-connected to chefs, nannies, butlers, although they lived a more modest lifestyle than the extravagant ones of the old English gentry, but they could hire them whenever they wanted and of course, could pay them. This came in handy sometimes.

The themed colours were red and green, gorgeous flowers of those hues speckled the borders of the ballroom and in the centre where there were entire columns with vases at the top to support them. There was a medium gloom to the event, the music was jolly but cozy, and they had planned for a small dinner (of course small in the Malfoy name meant a 7 course meal, you could have upwards of 16 or 24 courses these days), sandwiched between talking, with there being a spot of dancing near the end.

People liked to scoff at dancing these days, but when the music was good, the ballroom was lively and the company enchanting there was just a sort of magic to it that made you want to forget your inhibitions with dancing and go for an enchanting waltz around the ballroom. Such was the effect of all good balls.

A bell tolled at 7 thirty, to signal the start of the ball. Malfoy walked to the small podium at the back of the ballroom, there were grand staircases on either side leading up to the higher floors. Usually the staircase and podium was ignored but if they ever needed to make an announcement of any sort it came in handy.

Draco gave a brief speech about how they were thankful for the history of the wizarding world, the magical achievements and discoveries, the economy (even though it was shrinking in decent centuries...), the law and order, the house of Slytherin (which he joked was the best house in all of history - well it wasn't really a joke in his opinion but the others seemed to think it was affable adoration towards one's house and giggled with him (it wasn't a joke to him)), the other Sacred 28 families, to future connections and more.

The ball was boring. Draco slipped on a mask of politeness and made small talk to everyone. He had a different self in public versus his Hogwarts self where he showed more of his true colours towards some of his peers that he hated. But it nailed the effect in deep and sound.

By the end of the ball Draco could practically see the worship in their dumb little faces, and knew that this new generation of Hogwarts students would aspire to marry into the Sacred 28 families, or to get there.

Before the days of the dark lord, when people were divided on which side to take and saw him and his political ideas as possibly breakthroughs for the future, the world would revolve around Sacred 28 pureblood families. The biggest events of the years were their balls, their social events, their approvals, connections with them, and it was only in recent decades something so powerful and influential had come about to even give the Sacred 28 society a run for their money, make people obsessed with something else...

Draco could feel it correcting for this century. As it should.

Over the Christmas Holidays there were also hunting parties, masquerades, and whispers of other events their parents had planned for the future. It was only just the Sacred 28 kids who went to those other events, but nonetheless, the full swing of the Sacred 28 socialite was never fuller nor more merry. There was only one thing missing however, Draco realised as they journeyed back to Hogwarts after the Christmas Holidays were over...muggle events. The muggle world had progressed a lot since witches and wizards went into hiding, although they welcomed muggle-borns (a little too easily in Draco's opinion), they shunned full on muggles (it was funny how the wizarding world worked), and because of that, no Sacred 28 could ever really be caught having affairs with muggles, business connections or any events at all.

The muggle world also had priceless luxuries, and things with this 'technology' they had which progressed. Draco sometimes saw it on the cover of magazines his mother secretly bought when she thought no one would check her purchases, and even though a part of him knew he would never risk his name or stigma from associating with muggles (all that he had in this life to be thankful for it was due to the wizarding world and their economy, their circles...), he felt the lonely stab of missing out, of the other side, the oppression of keeping hidden from them...

They just lacked muggle splendour and grandiosity. That was the one flaw of the Sacred 28 as far as Draco could see.

Author's Note: I like fanfictions with multiple character's POVs and we can sort of root for all of them, so this fanfiction will include more POVs as well as Hermione's soon. This story won't hesitate to explore magic further when it's needed (I love reading fics where magic is more explored) and it'll also explore muggle/wizarding relations a bit more because that's always interested me. Please review, I love reading them :)