A Sponsor & A Gentleman

Part IV

Part IV:

Christmas eve was the best day ever. It pained Hermione to admit, but it topped all the holidays before it with ease. The day was gorgeous. The weather pleasant. It was beautiful.

Of course, that was nothing compared to the annual party hosted by Lucius and Narcissa Malfoy within their home in Wiltshire coined Malfoy Manor. It was fit for a queen whom she was surprised was not in attendance as everyone else important was invited.

Hermione was adorned with lots of attention and congratulations by people of infinite wisdom and popularity, all at levels of importance larger than her own. Narcissa ensured that Hermione was the center of attention all evening long.

Such attentions aided the connections of the Grangers and the Malfoys. There had been extreme hesitation on her father's part. The height at which the Malfoy's enjoyed life was far different than their own. A dentist made a fair living. It was not poverty. But, like all things with the Malfoy family, it did not compare.

Lucius and William were both rigid, upright men who kept their chins even with the floor. Narcissa was warm and welcoming, taking Stacey's arm like they were old friends, as she showed her around the beautiful Manor. Their happy chuckles sounded through the halls. Though Draco was absent from the tour. His duty was to entertain his guests as a pending heir to such a station.

She refused to be disappointed in his absence. There was so much to be blessed by.

An evergreen tree in every room. Mistletoe and holly and fresh garland. The bewitched ceiling birthed snow. It sparkled against her golden-brown curls like a veil of pure white, the imagery not lost on her. She fluffed the length and the white fell to the floor.

Everything was silver and blue, an icy hue to a warm holiday like Christmas. The Granger's were a red and green décor type of family. However, it was breathtaking. The Manor was decorated with pristine class. Clear cut and without exaggeration. A massive tree within the middle of the room was white with heaps of snow, as if left to the elements, and glittered with pale blue bulbs and silver tinsel wrapped around the belly. Candles glowed from within. Their hazy light glowed like a full moon in a cloudy night sky. The dance floor looked like a sheet of solid ice. Their feet even left white slices same as an ice skate would.

A parade of family members entered the doors with Narcissa at the head to a barrage of introduction to the relations. Draco tried to step in. His mother was unstoppable on her intent to have her grandchild and its mother boasted about to the whole ancestry.

First was Lucius' sister. Lucinda Comtois came all the way from France to attend. Her brother and she shared the same intense eyes with intimidating faces of complete indifference but the assumption of fine-point examination. Her words were common and polite.

Then there was Narcissa's sister, Andromeda Tonks, a healthy, hearty woman with a thundering laugh. She was the opposite of her younger sister. Where there was elegance and grace in Narcissa almost to a fault that was assumed cold natured, Andromeda was as warm without the crushing weight of properness. Her grip was tight as she shook Hermione's hand.

"Call me Mia," she said. "No one but Cissy over here calls me Andromeda. Every time I hear it, I think of being caught with my mother's wand in my hand." Her eyes flashed a vibrant wink.

It helped a bit of breath trickle into Hermione's tense lungs. "Nice to meet you, Mrs. Mia."

"Nope. No Mrs. Just Mia."

The witch waved off any attempt at formality. "Listen there, Hermione. You're going to be apart of the family now. We'll be seeing each other at functions, parties, around the city. I'd like to not feel like I've got to suck in my gut around you. If you call me Mistress Tonks or merlin forbid Andromeda, I'll feel like I've got to impress you and that it just won't be the same. Let's just address each other as friends, yeah?"