The Older Malfoy

Concordial Ball

Hermione stood at the edge of the ball. Malfoy Manor had transformed, it's dark history vanished. Cream walls with golden candlelight lit the room, the heavy wooden floors gleamed and Hermione didn't recognise the place for what it had once been. She swallowed her anxiety as Ginny and Harry stepped to her side,

"I wonder why we were invited, I thought only the elite would have been invited?" Harry asked breaking the silence,

"Well technically Harry, Ginny is a part of a pure-blood family" Hermione explained, adjusting her mask slightly. Ginny glared sideways at her comment,

"Dad doesn't like us talking about it," Ginny said with a sniff.

"It's the truth," Hermione said with a shrug,

"Maybe Old Lucius is expanding his horizons," Harry said with a shrug,

"I don't think this was Lucius Malfoy," Hermione admitted as she watched Narcissa walk in on Lucius's elbow. She looked regal, Lucius was dressed in something she could only imagine Victorian British Aristocrats would have worn. Lucius wore a dark green suit with silver cravat, his cane supporting a large amount of his weight. Narcissa wore a similar hunter green dress that only someone as sophisticated as Narcissa could pull off. Draco Malfoy followed them in with Astoria Greengrass perched on his arm. They looked like the perfect royal family. She could practically feel Harry's eye roll. Despite it being a Masquerade ball Hermione knew exactly which ones were the Malfoys. The band announced most of the names of the dances, of which Hermione had no idea what any of them were, she recognised one from the Yule ball.

Hermione watched pure-blood families greet each other and glared at Harry and herself out of the corner of their eyes. There was no containing their hatred here.

Hermione turned as she saw a few people look to the entrance, Lyra stood in a hunter green one-shouldered dress that went to her heeled ankles, Hermione swallowed thickly at seeing one side had a slit. She had her arm laced through Blaise Zabini's arm walking in. His black suit was complemented by a hunter green tie and pocket square. Their masks covering the top half portion of their faces. Blaise immediately led Lyra onto the dance floor. Lyra's lips were drawn into a tight line, Blaise said something to her, forcing a glare. They waltzed and done all the appropriate steps. Hermione hated to admit it looked amazing. Hermione watched Blaise whisper something in Lyra's ear. Lyra's head jerked around and caught her eyes. Locking eyes with Lyra's was enough for her breath to catch, silver, grey eyes watching her with her lips quirked in a smirk was enough for Hermione to swallow thickly and look away.

Hermione stuck close to Harry and Ginny, there were a lot of sneering faces in Harry's direction and she had a feeling this was not an occasion where they had been threatened to keep their opinions to themselves.

Hermione watched Lyra dance with Montague, a loud laugh making the dancers pause. Hermione's eyes went to the sound. A dark-skinned woman was practically laying on top of a gentleman who was speaking. Her laughter filling the room, Hermione saw Narcissa stand slightly straighter as she discussed something with a thin snout faced woman who reminded her of Pansy Parkinson. The woman laughed again and Narcissa turned to glare.

"Someone is clearly making Cissy uncomfortable" Ginny sniggered.

"Almost prickled" Harry joked. Hermione watched Narcissa leave her conversation to speak with Blaise as she did; she missed Lyra walk from the dancefloor to Blaise. Both Malfoys spoke quietly with the Slytherin who looked terrified.

"Go on Blaisey you beat those other boys," a drunken call from the woman filled the room. Blaise glared, Hermione saw him apologise to Narcissa and was met with Lyras glare.