CHECK YES JULIET ▷ JAMES POTTER [1]

𝟏𝟏. 𝐁𝐄𝐀𝐑 𝐓𝐇𝐄 𝐁𝐔𝐑𝐃𝐄𝐍

(11 : BUT YOU SHALL. . .
BEAR THE BURDEN)

✧࿐ ཾ✧

     CHRISTMAS WITH THE FAWLEYS COULD usually be summed up as oppressive. No matter how hard she tried, Juliet was always doing something wrong — her smile wasn't wide enough, her hair wasn't neat enough, she was never enough for her parents — but the teenager found her break to be oddly quiet that year. The Fawley patriarch was constantly attending meetings and her mother seemed more resigned than Juliet had ever known, only showing up at mealtimes. 

     Whilst Juliet appreciated the change in pace, it made for quite a droll few weeks. She almost wished she had brought some muggle books to keep her entertained, but anything that could be deemed traitorous had been left back in her dorm. Her sense of normalcy eventually came on Christmas Eve when she was reminded of the annual Malfoy Ball. 

"Ah, there's my girl," called her father when she descended down the stairs.

Even if his affections were false, Juliet preened. The teenager was still figuring out who she was, but she loved certain elements of the pureblood lifestyle. Her family had galleons upon galleons, so it was no secret that she took pride in her own appearance and liked spending frivolous amounts of money on gowns. Juliet wanted to be treated like a princess, so that was how she treated herself. For the Malfoy Ball, she wore a silver gown that glimmered like stardust with her every move.

"Where's Mother?" inquired Juliet.

"She won't be coming with us tonight," the older man replied in his typical no nonsense manner. "Now, grab my arm. Abraxas mentioned some reporters from The Daily Prophet were invited, perhaps you can find Regulus and . . . network. The Dark Lord has big plans soon, so your engagement announcement is imminent."

Ever the obedient daughter, Juliet nodded and clutched the man's arm, ready to apparate to Malfoy Manor.

✧࿐ ཾ✧

      Idle chatter, idle minds. For all that Juliet loved dressing up, pureblood parties were only good for their open bar. It was an unwritten rule that anything of substance couldn't be discussed at such events — at least not by the women. All her conversations were vapid and shallow, but they were also filled with hidden meanings and sly insults. Somehow, she doubted that Peony Parkinson truly thought it was 'adorable' that boys weren't deterred by the fact Juliet had gained five pounds since Narcissa's engagement party.

     The redhead didn't hold the insult against the woman, instead finishing the rest of her champagne in one gulp. After a drunken tirade two summers back, it was well known that the Parkinsons were struggling to find an acceptable match for their eldest. Apparently men no longer found a woman desirable after they watched her drunkenly curse out Lucius Malfoy and regurgitate the evening's hors d'oeuvres onto an obscenely expensive rug.