Slytherins Golden Girl

*Chapter 22

"You know we hate leaving you right before school," Clarissa urged pulling Eleanors trunk along the marble floor of the manors foyer. "but your fathers got business to attend and I've been asked to join him as his plus one."

Eleanor picked up Rolos cage from the ground and placed it on top of her trunk, her mother had been nonstop apologising all day. "It's okay honestly, Harry owled me saying I can stay with him." She insisted taking a last bite out of her toast, "He sent me the portkey yesterday so I'm ready to go."

Clarissa curled her lip at the mention of his name, she seemed to have that tendency when Eleanor spoke about Harry. "Ah yes Potter, I see he's been allowed to stay studying at Hogwarts, Merlin knows why. You're also sure that Granger girl isn't going to be with Potter, I know she hangs round with him like a lost dog?" She sneered, her hazel eyes sharply staring down at her daughter, Eleanor glared back trying her best to keep her cool over her mothers choice of words.

"Eleanor don't give me that look, you know how I feel. Wouldn't you rather stay at Malfoy Manor like we discussed."

Fuck. No.

She'd rather not spend the last few days of her holiday trapped inside the manor with Malfoy, it's not like they'd properly spoken since the start of summer as he'd chosen to blatantly ignore her. "No I would not, I thought we already discussed that and no she's not going to be there."

Lie

"Claire leave the poor girl alone." Alexander soothingly says, appearing from behind his wife and wrapped an arm around Eleanors shoulder in support. "If she says shes not there, then she's not."

Clarissa glared at her husband for a moment her lips pinched tight before taking a deep breath in as defeat. "You're right" She smiled, her eyes now warm again like nothing had happened. "Have a good time darling, I'll miss you." She said quickly pecking Eleanor on the cheek.

She turned without another word and strutted down the corridor, out of site until only the clicking of she heels on the marble floor were audible.

Alexander pulled his arm off her shoulders and turned Eleanor to face him, "Stay safe. Remember to be strong after everything thats happened, you're a Gray and we have a reputation to uphold." He said tugging the front door open, Eleanor stepped under his arm and onto the gravel feeling the warm breeze blow through her waves.

"I'll see you at Christmas." She smiled reaching for her wand in her back pocket.

"Wait...one other thing!" He father called running across the driveway like a madman. He dug his hand in the pocket of his long black robe, "Twinky found this under your bed, she said you'd been looking for it."

Alexander held up her silver ring, she'd spent the past week trying to look for that thing. He rolled the ring between his long fingers inspecting the small engraved snake before placing it in Eleanors open hand. "I feel like I've seen this somewhere before, where did you get it?"

Eleanor felt a small rush of relief as she slipped the ring on her finger, "Just a cheap shop down Hogsmeade." She shrugged grabbing hold of her trunk. Why did she feel as she couldn't tell him it was a gift from Malfoy?

Her father looked down at her with his eyebrows raised, "Oh I must be mistaken then." He replied stepping back into the foyer, "I love and miss you already." He teased with a cheeky smile on his face before slamming the door shut.

Eleanor rolled her eyes and pulled her wand out, she'd gotten use to her fathers antics by now. "Accio Portkey!" She shouted as a wooden fork flew out of the top open window and into her hand.

The world rushed around her, spinning her in circles as if she was in the mids of a tornado, her cage and trunk not far behind. Before she knew it, Eleanor had landed roughly on a doorstep of a house, although she was too busy swallowing the vomit that had risen in her throat to take in her current surroundings.