Chapter 3 - New Witch in Town
A week after her chat with Blaise, Draco was still getting accustomed to the intricacies that being a girl involved. Staff at the manor had to be shuffled around, and she had even begun to memorize glamour spells to make looking the part of a haughty Malfoy convincing. She was now able to go in public, looking ever inch like the heiress she was supposed to be.
A small fortune was spent in procuring a new wardrobe suitable for the newly established girl, ranging from the finest and most lavish silk ball gowns to the everyday robes for school from Madam Malkin's. This was to help strengthen Draco's charade.
A rough plan was being put into motion, with Blaise's help. Draco had owled the Headmistress explaining her situation, also asking her not to tell the other professors or students. The story would be that Phoenix, or Nissa as Blaise had affectionately coined her, was the only remaining heir to the Malfoy name. Rumors were spreading that Draco had been found by Death Eaters and captured, effectively labeling the boy as dead in the eyes of society.
Phoenix would be labeled as one of the witches on the Light side of the war, and had been going to a private academy in Italy. She would be returning to finish her final year of schooling while doing the work necessary to inherit the Malfoy vaults.
With the Zabini connections at the Ministry, all the paperwork needed to back up this story was faked and processed, each new signature on the dotted line another nail in the coffin that belonged to Draco Malfoy.
The pair helped spread the lies with each foray into Diagon Alley under the watchful gaze of the public. Phoenix had already caught the eye of the Daily Prophet, each new article trying desperately to figure out the new witch in town.
When questioned, Zabini had "accidentally" let some of the details of Phoenix's situation, and the press waited for the start of term with bated breath, wanting to see for themselves what kind of the new girl would be.
***
September 1st arrived sooner than Draco would have liked. Her trunk was packed, and she waited anxiously for Blaise to arrive so that they could apparate to Kings Crossing together.
She sat on the elegant couch in front of the fireplace, looking calm and collected. Her mind however, told a different story.
Maybe it was due to the change, but lately her thoughts had been racing. As a boy she had never had to experience the woes of insecurity, but now it was a constant battle to stay calm and not let on that the newest Malfoy heir was scared. If her charade was found out, the repercussions would be severe.
With all of Mcgonagall's research to reverse the potion's effects ending in dead ends, Draco knew she would most likely stay in this form for the rest of her life, and had begun to let go of the things that tied her to her life as a male. All of her old clothes were donated, all the bathroom products switched to fit her feminine needs. Draco knew that being a girl was more complicated than she would be prepared for, but was willing to do anything to keep her secret.
Lost in her thoughts, she didn't hear Blaise's arrival until she noticed a shadow over her.
"Blaise!" she screamed. "Don't sneak up on a girl like that." She smacked him lightly on the chest, and he stumbled back as if wounded.
"My fair maiden, I never meant to put ye in any sort of distress," Blaise taunted.
"Shove it, Blaise. Hurry or we're going to miss the train." Sniggering after her unladylike comment, Draco picked her wand up off the sidetable, and waved it over her trunk to shrink it to the size of a matchbox, stowing it in Blaise's pocket as the pink summer dress she chose had no pockets.
