Drowning

Chapter One

'Quod puritas improbus omnia vincit' - Purity conquers all.

There was one thing that Athena Gautier hated more than anything and that was balls. The extravagant dresses that were done up so tight you couldn't breathe, dancing with men whose eyes were only directed at the tender flesh of a woman's breast and the smell of wine and scotch that stung your senses. It was the night before she left for her fifth year at Hogwarts and only the purest of wizards and witches attended the ball that was held in the young witch's honour. It was not a ball to celebrate her achievements but her engagement to Rabastan Lestrange, the youngest son of the Lestrange family. The two had been betrothed since they were merely new-borns, the two young pure-bloods had not shared words since their first year and they shared a compartment.

Her pale skin glowed in the moonlight, while her legs trembled with nerves. She knew that everyone was watching her closely, waiting for her to make a mistake. Rabastan held out his arm to the brunette haired girl, his dark hair nearly covering his cold blue eyes. She rose from her seat with her posture straight, knowing that if she made a mistake she would be ridiculed by her peers and be a disgrace to her family name. As they danced Rabastan looked into Athena's eyes, his cold stare glaring into her soul knowing that this engagement had nothing to do with love but to make sure their family blood lines stayed pure.

"You look beautiful tonight, Athena." The boy had no love for the girl but that didn't mean he couldn't admire the girl's beauty and grace.

"Thank you Rabastan, if you don't mind me saying you look charming tonight." The two's little performance of affection was a plan to fool everyone around them that they were the beginning of the perfect pureblood couple. All they needed to do was give each other tasteless compliments and false smiles and the witches and wizards around them would be lapping up their lies, what they had forgotten was Mrs Gautier.

Hera Gautier (née Nott) was a beautiful but cruel woman, she was smarter than most people thought, she could see past peoples lies the minute she looked into their eyes. Her long black hair was pulled up into a tight bun, showing off her cold blue eyes, the dark green dress swished against her ankles as she made her way towards her daughter.

"Athena darling, come with me." She spoke softly to her daughter but only people who were really listening could hear the deadly undertone. Athena nodded obediently following her mother, her pale blue dress dragging across the floor. The mother and daughter entered Athena's bedroom, the silence choking the younger woman.

"Do you think I am an idiot Athena?" Athena gave no answer, she knew it was best to stay silent. The mother moved toward her daughter dangerously slow, her eyes full of rage and fire.
"I raised you to be better than this! Do you think you could fool all of them?! They could see straight past your pathetic charade and now they think you are not worthy of the Gautier title or the name of the goddess you are named after!" Each shout felt like it was piercing Athena's eardrums.

"I'm sorry mother, but how can I make it believable when I do not love him?" She bowed her head waiting for her mother to start screaming again but instead she heard a bitter laugh.

"Do you think anyone in a pureblood family marries for love? You really are a fool my daughter and to think Athena is the goddess of wisdom." The older Gautier woman took hold of her daughters chin, digging her nails making sure not to pierce the skin. "No one marries for love, it is our duty to make sure our bloodline stays pure. Love is only in fairy tales that little girls listen to, you are not a little girl anymore. Now when we go downstairs you will act like me and your father do, no fake smiles and pathetic compliments. Act like the pureblood you are darling not a lovesick puppy." And with that Hera Gautier exited the room.