The Unwanted Malfoy Heiress

One: Tragic News

September was supposed to be yet another school term in yet another school. My first two years, my family sent me to Ilvermorny, the year after that to Beauxbatons, and that was to 'cleanse myself,' of the 'taint' of living amongst Americans. I had wanted to laugh at that to my mother's face when last she wrote, but I merely reminded her that it was father, who in his infinite wisdom, decided to send me to Salem to begin with.

Mother begrudgingly agreed with that assessment, and it was the last letter she sent me via owl post in May of 1890, two months after my birthday.

I did not overly worry myself about the lack of parental communication because most days, I think they wanted to forget that I was born a Malfoy. It was not that I was a squib to them, but when I was four, my brother Colin was born, and I was shunted off to the side due to him conveniently being born male. In my family, a wizard heir is more important, and so I learned to live with that. I buried myself in my studies, and in the two schools I found myself attending, the professors adored my thirst for knowledge. My Beauxbatons school House became Silver Pegagus, which favors scholastic achievements beyond anything else. In Ilvermorny, I had been a Horned Serpent for the exact reason, but Professor Harding, the Charms teacher there said that I had a great deal of ambition in my thirst for knowledge and said my House was similar to Slytherin House at Hogwarts.

I didn't feel much pride in hearing that comparison since my family had been Slytherins for four hundred years, but I held my tongue because Professor Harding was one of my favorite teachers, and I didn't want to upset her.

I had been living with my Aunt Marietta Rosier, my mother's sister, and I was just finished being laced into my traveling corset when she stood in my bedroom doorway ashen faced, and tears running down her cheeks. She had a letter in her hands, and she wordlessly handed the letter to me. It read:

Dear Madam Rosier,

We at the Ministry of Magic, Paris, regret to inform you that as of (the date and times written were of yesterday night at 2:30 a.m.) the heir of the Malfoy family, a Monsieur Colin Malfoy succumbed to his bludger injuries whilst competing with a group of friends on the home Malfoy Manor Quidditch field.

Sending our deepest condolences,

Miranda Desjardin

Senior Undersecretary of the Minister of Magic

I felt stricken in the same way my aunt was because even though Colin and I had never been close, he had still been my baby brother.

"I...Do I really have to go to school, Mari? Surely that can wait," I asked.

My aunt wiped at her eyes. "You know how your parents will be. Besides, Hogwarts has a lovely campus, and Professor Fig is a very charming and personable wizard."

"Oh, great, when is the wedding?"

She chuckled. "I meant his charisma, Ana. And besides, I doubt you are so desirous for a match with a wizard old enough to be your grandfather."

"It was merely a joke to ease the tension, Aunt Mari. I suppose I am not invited to the funeral."

My aunt winced. "Well, no. You know how your parents are."

I forced down my bitter disappointment.

"Yes. Yes, I do know. Colin was the golden child, after all. Anyway, I will finally be able to see Hogwarts and possibly the Slytherin common room. From how Colin described it, it was beautiful and moody."

My aunt nodded. "It is at that. Some would find such a space too dark for their taste, but I quite liked it myself. I had a Hufflepuff friend who sneaked me into her common room after a Quidditch game for the after-party, and I found their common room much too earthy and confining."

The downstairs doorbell rang, and within a few minutes, Mrs Fitz, my aunt's housekeeper, announced the arrival of Professor Fig. She seemed to be blushing when she said it, which was sweet because she had been quite lonely ever since her husband Devin passed two years ago.

My aunt sighed. "Very well. Have morning tea laid out for us all. The last thing I want is for my dear niece to leave the house, peaky with hunger."

Mrs Fitz bobbed a curtsy. "Yes, Mistress. Is there anything else I can do?"

I looked at my various personal effects in my bedroom, "Besides helping me pack for school? Not a whole lot, but do lay out your famous scones for Professor Fig, I'm sure he will enjoy them."

Mrs Fitz chuckled, "Aye. He will at that. He's a right charming one, for sure, at least to me, Miss."

"I'm hearing wedding bells already."
She winked. "We'll see."

When she was gone, my aunt grinned slightly as she flicked her wand as my clothes and school supplies flew to their right places in their trunks. "That was sweet of you to encourage her, Ana. However, I don't agree with the school dress code of you showing off your ankles like some savage in the jungle."

I sighed. "At least it is not sky blue like my last uniform. Those blue bowler hats were just tacky."

I finished dressing in my traveling outfit and fixed my hair in an elegant French braid. My aunt did the finishing touches of powdering my face, so I looked presentable, and lastly, she gave me a vial of her signature rose perfume.

I gasped in shock, "Oh, Mari, you shouldn't have! You never let me have any of yours."

"Well, you deserve it, and it is from the gardens here, so it's a bit of home."

We shared a hug over that, and I dabbed some of the essential oil on me and packed the rest in my reticle. I enchanted it to fit perfectly in my day blazer and smoothed down my clothes. I was as ready as I was ever going to be, now all I had to do was endure morning teatime, and meet the professor assigned to me by the Ministry of Magic itself...