The Fearsome Name of Riddle

Malfoy Family Christmas

Christmas had steadily become Victoria Malfoy's favourite time of year. The Manor felt more alive with the silver and green decorations and the tree and bushels of holly adorning the doors and walls. Roaring fires and burning torches fought off the cold chill of winter, leaving a comfortable warmth within the walls of the Manor. Octavian loved the snow outside, he would play in it for hours if Victoria let him, building snowmen and castles in the freezing weather. It was also time for her eldest son to come back to her for two weeks. Her youngest was an energetic child so he filled a lot of the empty silence that Lucius had left behind, but it didn't feel complete. Victoria found herself looking for her angel boy and not being able to find him. 

After their father's death, Abraxas Malfoy had taken over the tradition of the Malfoy Christmas party. Adapting it to allow for their friends to host but still maintaining that expectation to be the most extravagant, the most expensive. The Black family had their nobility, but the Malfoys had their money. 

"It's good to see her having fun." Tosia Malfoy said as Abraxas watched his sister dance with their daughter. "Your sister has been insufferable for years, but at least she's kind to Pandora." 

"Was that a kind word for Victoria?" Abraxas chuckled, smiling as his three year old child stood on a table holding onto her aunt's hands as she bobbed to the string quartet. Her little white dress puffed out at her ankles, swaying with her movements and bouncing with the ruffles. "That's not like you dear." 

"It's Christmas." Tosia shrugged, smiling as she watched her daughter giggle. "She can count it as my gift." 

Pandora Malfoy nearly always had high spirits. A lover of dancing even when there was no music and chasing pixies through her garden. Her blonde hair was erratically curly like her mother's but still a brilliant white like her father. Her blue eyes sparkled in the Christmas lights illuminating her infectious smile. 

When the song finished, Pandora jumped at her aunt who caught her in a huff. After mothering two sons, Victoria's back wasn't as comfortable as it once was but she still had the strength to hold the little girl. 

"The snow fairies will be building their hats tonight," Pandora told her, her eyes wandering to the snowflakes falling outside the window. 

"Is that right?" Victoria nodded with a slightly confused look, "Well I'm sure their hats will be very pretty." 

"I want to go and see them," Pandora said, wiggling to get back down to the floor, "I'll take mother to look for them, she likes that. There's only so many Yule times between us." 

"I suppose that's true," Victoria found a smile for the vaguely morbid statement, putting Pandora back down onto her feet. The little girl made odd comments like that every so often and they nearly always caught Victoria off guard. "You two have fun." 

Mrs Malfoy straightened her back again with a slight ache as she watched the three year old skip back to her mother. Tosia gave a pleasant nod. More than Victoria usually received. The years Tosia had spent raising Lucius when Victoria refused to, had put a deep, lingering divide between them. 

Hands found the shoulders of her dark green dress, getting her attention before her friend spoke so as not to startle her. 

“Merry Christmas, darling,” Walburga said, letting her hand fall down to loop their arms together. “How are you feeling?”

“Fine, well even.” Victoria said, leaning against Walburga's side. “I like the Christmas party.”

Grief had consumed her after Obsidian's murder. Any tension twisted between Victoria and Walburga seemed to have vanished the moment Walburga had laid eyes on the injuries and hollow emotion on Victoria's face four years before. She had stuck by Victoria's side and been silent company in the darkest days.