Malfoy's Daughter

Chapter six; Yule Ball?

Asteria was shocked, Christmas Eve as a package landed in front of her, an elegant Malfoy owl, grabbing a piece of sausage, before taking off. Her brother had gotten a similar package yesterday morning, containing his dress robes, and she could only imagine the monstrosity her father had sent her, until she saw her mother's elegant scrawl, written on the box. She gently opened the box, and found a beautiful, long silver dress and black heels; and she was suddenly very thankful for her mother, as she held the dress up. 

"Woah, mother outdid herself with your dress, Sai." Draco spoke up, looking at it. "You'll look beautiful, tomorrow night." He said with a smile. She looked at him, and winked, but she still didn't have a date. She'd been busy dodging Slytherin upperclassmen, and was slightly regretful, as she walked out of the Great Hall, the box holding her shoes and dress tucked under her arm. 

"Oi, Malfoy!" She paused, slightly; wondering if someone meant her or her brother. She glanced back and saw a guy chase after her. And she paused in shock. 

"Charlie?!?" She stumbled in shock. She couldn't believe her eyes. 

"So, you really are a Malfoy? I almost didn't believe the rumors I heard from my brothers." She raised an eyebrow. 

"Brothers?!" She looked at him, taking in his startling red hair, blue eyes and freckled skin. "No bloody way, you're a Weasley!" She pointed at him. 

"Yes, ma'am." He replied with a smug smile and a bow. "I saw your picture in the prophet, and saw you beautifully defeat that dragon during the first task."

"I should've expected, being a dragon tamer and all that." Asteria responded, leaning against a wall by the Great Hall. "But that doesn't explain, why you are still here."

"Oh, come on. I couldn't be in the area and not take the chance to see you." He said, stepping closer. 

"Charlie, don't." She whispered, feeling herself shiver. 

"Don't what?" He leaned closer, placing his hand by the wall near her head. 

"Don't play these games. We've done this dance already, Charlie. Let's not do it again."

"Don't be like that." He smirked. "Asteria, after our time together over the summer, you can't say you don't miss me."

"I didn't say I don't miss you, Charlie." She began, glancing around, "But if my father hears of this, he will make my life hell." 

"He already makes your life hell, you told me that." 

"Bloody hell, Charlie. He could make it worse. It was one thing when I was in America, he doesn't even know why I stayed over the summer so long. If he found out, I had been seeing someone, a Weasley, he'd kill me." She pleaded. 

"Sai..." He whispered, seeing the look in her eyes. 

"Damn it, why did you have to do this? Why didn't you have to see me?" She begged. 

"I am so sorry I made this difficult for you." He responded in shock. 

"Just go, I'm begging you." She whispered, placing her hand gingerly on his chest. He nodded, and pressed his lips to her forehead, before leaving the way he came, and she slid to the ground. "Shit." She muttered, and went to the dorms and hunted down one of her brother's more normal friends. Theodore Nott. She found him in the common room, book in his hand. 

"Nott, you're taking me to the Ball tomorrow night, got it?" She said, dropping the box on the seat next to him, as he jerked his head at her. 

"Uh..?" He seemed confused, and she sighed. 

"According to my brother, you are the more polite and centered of his classmates, and I would rather not go with those overly eager ones from my own year. I'd owe you one." She finished, and he slightly blushed, but nodded. "Thank you." She finished, before dropping her dress off in her room, and sitting on her bed, thinking over her summer before her life went to hell. 

That smug bastard, Charlie, had come to Illverymore to talk about dragons in her Care of Magical Creatures class and stayed the last three months of her school year, it wasn't until after, when she ran into him at the local bed and breakfast, did they hit it off, and began to drown themselves in a summer romance, that never went further then kisses and long walks on the beach. She let out a sound in the back of her throat. He had never pressured her, but she had told him about her father, leaving out his name. And she had nearly fallen in love, before breaking it off and fleeing back to her family manor. She laid back, tossing a hand over her eyes to hold back the emotional distress currently fumbling around her chest and stomach. She knew very well, Charlie wasn't going to be leaving the area. He'd stay to keep an eye on Harry for his parents, and wanted to kick herself. 

The fact that she had never picked up on who he was, who he was connected too. Not that they ever spoke about their last names, they'd never even told each other. She knew he had siblings, but he was never specific, he never went into detail. He just said he had a few, even she had mentioned having a brother, but once again, never went into detail. Asteria sighed as she thought back. She'd been so happy, in America, but now her life had taken a bad turn. Involved in a dangerous tournament, fighting with her father, and completely lost. 

--Christmas night;

Asteria had piled her hair atop her head, random stands falling downward, framing her face. She applied slight make up, bringing out her grey eyes with black eyeliner; but the most shocking part was the dress. It was tailored perfectly for her, one strap on her left shoulder and it held tightly to her body, until it hit her knees, before the slit in the side, helped it flow elegantly around her calves, and her black heels, adding a few inches to her height and the necklace from Alice sitting perfectly on her chest, the slytherin crest facing outward. She exited her dormroom, and trailed down the stairs, seeing Nott and her brother talking quietly in the common room. Her brother glanced up at the sound of her shoes and his eyes brightened. Nott followed his gaze, and his eyes widened. 

"Well, Sia, you look even more beautiful then I ever imagined." Draco said, with a smile. 

"Yea-yeah. Asteria, you look magnificent." Nott stumbled out, walking towards the stairs to hold out his hand, his obvious pureblood upbringing coming out, and playing the perfect gentleman. She took his hand, and let him help her down the rest of the steps, before he led her out towards the Great Hall. 

And they did the first dance, moments after that, both Slytherin's danced perfectly, their obvious upbringing showing through. Nott's behavior deemed him as the perfect gentleman, as he led her across the dance floor. And the night finished without a hitch.