Her entire life had been a lie. Her friends. Her family. Her house. Her looks. Everything.
Hermione has returned home before fourth year to find her parents sitting in the living room with another set of adults and a boy she knows from school-Blaise...
On the day of the ball, Ariana awoke to the sun shining through her window and a gentle knock at her door. She slid out of bed to find her mother standing outside her room. They smiled at each other. "Good morning, Mum. Did you need anything?" Ariana asked. Her mother held up a bundle of clothes that was iin her arms. "No, darling. I just wanted to deliver these for tonight." Ariana took the outfit and thanked her mother before putting on a silver dressing gown over her pajamas and heading down for breakfast. Blaise, Emery, and Lottie were already awake and eating. She smiled at her siblings before sitting down. "What time are the others coming over?" Ariana asked her brother. "I think around noon," Blaise said, casting a glaince toward the clock on the wall. It was eleven a.m. "So about an hour then," he finished. The other Slytherins were coming over to get ready for the ball.
One hour later
The sounds of teenagers tumbling onto each other, then grumbling, told Ari that her friends had arrived. She smiled and headed to greet them. Blaise was close behind her, and the twins reached the Floo arrival room together. Ari greeted all her friends before herding all the girls to her room to get ready.
As each girl finished getting ready, the other girls all squealed when she came out. Then Ariana went to put her dress on. Her mum had brought her a long green dress with a sweetheart neckline and decorations that reminded her of ice crystals on the skirt, green heels, a hair clip with pearls and flowers, and a simple gold necklace with three pearls on it. She styled her hair into a loose updo. When she stepped out of her closet, where each girl had changed, the other girls were all silent for a moment before squealing even louder. Across the hall in Blaise's room, where all the boys were, they all winced in unison as the girls squealed. "My ears!" Blaise moaned. "I'll never hear again!" Draco rolled his eyes. "Stop being dramatic, Zabini."
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Before the teens knew it, the afternoon had flown past and they were preparing to enter the ballroom. Theo took Ariana's arm and they entered the grand room. An older wizard had been employed to introduce each of the new Slytherins as they entered. "Presenting Ariana Calypso Jean Zabini, escorted by Theodore Nott Junior!" the old wizard cried. Theo and Ari went and stood off to the side as Kayla and Blaise walked in. "Presenting Kayla Emerald Malfoy, escorted by Blaise Odysseus Zabini!" Blaise and Kayla joined Theo and Ari as Nate came in, escortedby Pansy, and Lydia came in, escorted by Draco. Draco had offered to escort Lydia in, since he knew that the Wizarding World would expect to see the Malfoy heir escorting one of the girls. Nate and Lydia had entered together seeing as they were from the same family. "Presenting Nathaniel Dylan Nott, escorted by Pansy Rose Parkinson, and Lydia Grace Nott, escorted by Draco Lucius Malfoy!" The herald announced the Nott siblings and their escorts before the guests all fanned out and started talking and dancing. In exactly one hour, they would all sit down to the banquet and likely endless toasts. For now, though... Theo offered a hand to Ariana. "May I have this dance?" he asked. Ariana laughed. "Of course, Theo. Anything for you."
The orchestra struck up a waltz as people paired off and began to dance. As Theo and Ari waltzed, she was grateful for the dance lessons she'd taken over the summer. Each week she had gone to see her mother on Saturday for two hours and they'd covered all the things Ari would need to get along in pureblood society-dancing, table manners, deportment, etcetera.
At the end of the hour everyone made their way to the dining tables along the walls of the room. Her father stood up. "Welcome, everyone, to Zabini Manor. These past six months have been a time of great joy for my family, as well as the Malfoy and Nott families. Our children, who were taken from us at birth, have been returned to us. So I think I speak for the Malfoys and the Notts when I say welcome home Ariana, Kayla, Nathaniel, and Lydia. What we thought lost has now been found. To family!" "To family!" the crowd chorused. After the meal, dancing resumed and Theo and Ari stole outside to take a quick walk. As the couple walked through the gardens, Theo turned to Ari. "I don't think I've told you how beautiful you look tonight yet, Ari," he told her with a small, soft smile playing on his face. Ariana blushed. "Theo..." He looked deep into her eyes. "Shhh, Ari." As they stood there looking at each other in the moonlight, Theodore Nott Junior took Ariana Calypso Jean Zabini's face in his hands and kissed her. What the two teenagers didn't see, however, was Draco Malfoy glowering at them from behind a nearby rosebush.
It's happened, y'all! Theomione has officially happened! And while we are on that subject...WE ARE AT #1! in #theomione as of 3/2/2021!!! WHAT!?! You guys are amazing! I'm hoping to get some #dramione in once they return to school, maybe as like a Valentine's Day sort of thing...tell me how you want that incorporated. Word count was about 900 words. Sorry it was shorter than usual, but it had been forever since I updated aside from a little editing and I wanted to get something out. If we're lucky, I might be able to start writing Chapter Eight tonight and finish it this week. I make no promises, but we'll see...
As always, love you all bunches and remember to vote, comment, and follow!
