"𝙿𝚕𝚊𝚌𝚎𝚜, 𝚙𝚕𝚊𝚌𝚎𝚜, 𝚐𝚎𝚝 𝚒𝚗 𝚢𝚘𝚞𝚛 𝚙𝚕𝚊𝚌𝚎𝚜. 𝚃𝚑𝚛𝚘𝚠 𝚘𝚗 𝚢𝚘𝚞𝚛 𝚍𝚛𝚎𝚜𝚜 𝚊𝚗𝚍 𝚙𝚞𝚝 𝚘𝚗 𝚢𝚘𝚞𝚛 𝚍𝚘𝚕𝚕 𝚏𝚊𝚌𝚎𝚜. 𝙴𝚟𝚎𝚛𝚢𝚘𝚗𝚎 𝚝𝚑𝚒𝚗𝚔𝚜 𝚝𝚑𝚊𝚝 𝚠𝚎'𝚛𝚎 𝚙𝚎𝚛𝚏𝚎𝚌𝚝. 𝙿𝚕𝚎𝚊𝚜𝚎 𝚍𝚘𝚗'𝚝 𝚕𝚎𝚝 𝚝𝚑𝚎𝚖 𝚕𝚘𝚘𝚔 𝚝𝚑𝚛𝚘𝚞𝚐𝚑 𝚝𝚑𝚎 𝚌𝚞𝚛𝚝𝚊𝚒𝚗𝚜."

𝔻𝕠𝕝𝕝𝕙𝕠𝕦𝕤𝕖 - 𝕄𝕖𝕝𝕒𝕟𝕚𝕖 𝕄𝕒𝕣𝕥𝕚𝕟𝕖𝕫

"Tonight is going to be a shit show so I don't think the best way to it start off is by bonding with you."

(A/N: Another sort of long chapter but I was too lazy to split it up evenly so enjoy!)

─── ∙ ~☾~ ∙ ───

As Y/N saw her house appear in view, she already missed Hogwarts. She barely knew what her house looked like now on the inside because her parents had bought it at the end of the summer quickly, and Y/N barely moved in before she was moving her clothes from the moving boxes into her trunks for school. 

Her new house was a light cream-colored brick that looked like a traditional Victorian-style English manor. To her, she thought it had many unnecessary extra bedrooms and rooms but it was home nonetheless.

The Sinclair family did well for themselves given their high positions in the Ministry. Mr. and Mrs. Sinclair both worked as highly trained Aurors. 

Or at least that's what they told Y/N.

Rue did the same kind of work just out of the country. Y/N knew more about Rue's job than her parents, but anytime Y/N would ask a question about it her parents would brush it off. 

Deflection was definitely one of her parent's strong suits. Along with not realizing they set incredibly high standards for their daughter and then completely ignores her whenever she's around.

Y/N exited the car once they had come to a complete stop. She already missed the irritating redhead, the library addict, and the oblivious raven-haired Gryffindor. 

Rue leaned her forearms on the top of the car. "Can't we just wait out here a little longer," she whined. 

"No one would guess you're the one who's twenty-two would they?" Y/N said grabbing a bag. 

"I'm just going to ignore that comment because I know you're only saying that because you don't want to go in as much as I do," Rue said plainly sighing. 

"At least you get to go home after," Y/N pointed out grabbing Athena who was perched in her cage. "Why are you always here?" 

"If I wasn't who would take care of you?" Rue smiled. 

Y/N playfully rolled her eyes, grabbing her light stuff, while Rue carried her heaviest trunk, and she made her way up the front steps. 

Rue hesitated to turn the handle after she had twisted the key.

"I'm not ready to get yelled at right now," Rue sighed. "I was having a good day."

"At least you were with them throughout the year," Y/N said. "They missed out on a whole year's worth of criticism."

"You know we could move to France and become mimes instead of doing this," Rue suggested. 

"That's only a fantasy," Y/N sighed. "A mere life dream. Maybe one day.."

Rue let out a huge sigh. "I really don't want to do this."

"On the count of three..." Y/N affirmed. "One...two..."

"Rethinking France,"

"Rue..."

"Fine. But you go in first."

"Sure it's not like your the adult. One...two..."

"What are you two doing out here?"

Shit.

"Umm..hi mom," Y/N awkwardly greeted. 

Her mother looked out the door with an annoyed expression from just seeing her daughter and niece. 

"You two are disrupting our work come in," Her mother stated flatly. 

"Nice to see you too," Y/N muttered bringing in her bags. 

Y/N walked through the double doors of her house and set Athena down carefully. Her parents had barely decorated the interior for the entire year she's been away. 

Wonder how many times they've been away. Y/N thought, trying to come up with an explanation why her parent's barely unpacked. 

"So um-"

"You two try and not disturb us," Y/N's mother ordered before disappearing through the hallway and back to her study. 

"Did you hear one 'hi' in that conversation?" Y/N asked turning to Rue after her mother was out of earshot. 

"Nope," Rue sighed. 

"What are they even doing?" Y/N questioned. 

"The ministry's planning more security," Rue explained. "I'm guessing after Sirius Black escaped they're looking everywhere for him."

Y/N nodded reluctantly. If only the Ministry would listen. Sirius and Harry would be spending the summer together, instead of Harry at the Dursley's and Sirius on the run. 

But at least they're both safe. 

"Well I'm going to my room," Y/N claimed, starting to lift up her trunk. 

She made her way up the stairs with her main trunk. Once she made it to her bedroom door she turned the double door's handle and walked through.

The walls were a plain white but the house had unique crown molding around the door frames and ceilings. If there was one thing she liked about her new house was the view from her room. Her room faced the beautiful gardens that were set outside. 

She made her way to her closet that was filled with the moving boxes that Y/N had neglected to unpack before she left. 

She felt her way to her neck and ran her fingers over her locket before opening it carefully. She already missed Hogwarts so much, looking at Harry's smiling face inside. 

Sighing she turned her attention towards her trunk, wishing she could use underage magic and began the long process of unpacking. 

─── ∙ ~☾~ ∙ ─── 

After giving up halfway through unpacking, Y/N came back down for dinner dressed in completely different clothes than the ones she had arrived in. 

The jeans and t-shirt she had chosen very obviously didn't fit her mother's standard for "dinner attire" because Y/N could hear the smug sound that came from her as she took a sip of her water. 

Trying not to let anything her parents did phase her she sat down next to Rue and began to eat dinner. 

"So how was school last year?" Y/N's mother asked after an awkward pause. 

"Fine," Y/N said taking another bite. "Slytherin's a nice house."

"And your exam scores?" Her father asked not looking up from cutting his meal. 

"Passed every subject," Y/N said.

"Any friends?" Her mother asked. 

"Umm...Daphne Greengrass, Tracey Davis," Y/N started dreading to state the name that was definitely going to cause an uproar. "Harry, Ron, Hermione," she said rather quickly ditching their last names. 

"No Malfoys?" Her mother asked, making Y/N's eyes go wide. 

"No," Y/N said sternly. "Wait don't we not like the Malfoy's. I thought you said they were supposed, death eaters."

"We were quick to judge them," Her mother said fiercely. 

"But they were death eaters?"

Her mother and father didn't answer her question and instead, her father spoke up deflecting the question Y/N had just asked. 

"We're going there next weekend," Y/N's father said as it was so simple.

Y/N spit out the water she was drinking back into her cup earning an eye roll from her mother for her 'unlady like' act. 

"Th-the Malfoy's why?" Y/N said, wiping her chin with a napkin. 

"They're hosting an end of the year summer party for Ministry families, I think it's appropriate we make an appearance."

"You're to wear something appropriate it's a black tie," Her mother looking at Y/N with a knowing look at her band t-shirt and jeans like she was wearing a trash bag to dinner. 

"Fabulous," Y/N said trying her best to hide her sarcasm.

"You are to come to Rue," Y/N's mother added, making it Rue's turn to spit out her water.

"Ummm why me?" Rue asked panic rising in her voice.

"You're part of this family aren't you?" Mrs. Sinclair asked raising an eyebrow.

Rue nodded but the Y/N could feel the eye roll with just that nod.

Rue had been in Y/N's life ever since she could remember. Her parents were killed in the war and Rue's mom being Y/N's mom's sister, they naturally took her in. 

Y/N had only been a newborn but Rue was about 8 years old when her parents died. 

Y/N's parents were never the loving type, especially as she got older. Rue was always there for her being an older sister at 13 by the time they all moved to America. 

Then Rue moved out at 18, but she still looked out for Y/N not wanting to leave her completely alone with her parents. 

For the rest of the awkward dinner, Y/N ate in silence. Her parents were talking secretly amongst themselves.

Suddenly in the middle of dinner, they stood up abruptly. 

"Wait where are you going?" Y/N asked wondering why she still wished her parents would stay for her first night back.

"We have to work," Her father stated firmly. 

"At 8 pm?"

"Your father and I are very busy right now," Mrs. Sinclair said plainly like she was clearly trying to end the conversation. 

Again with the secrets. Y/N refrained from rolling her eyes and went back to finishing her dinner. 

Feeling bored of dinner, Y/N went back upstairs to her room attempting to finish unpacking most of her stuff, but instead, she took out her letter writing supplies and decided to write her first letter of the summer to Harry. 

She sat at her vanity in her room and dipped her pen in ink before she began writing. 

She was one hundred percent sure she was ranting but she already missed him and the rest of her friends so much. 

Dear Harold, 

Yes, I'm still going to call you Harold in a letter. It's already the first day of summer and I miss Hogwarts terribly. (I guess I miss you too) You're not going to guess where I have to go next week. THE ACTUAL MALFOY MANOR. High society Ministry families apparently. 

The whole thing is stupid. My family, firstly, despises the Malfoy's but now they don't want to admit it, and number 2 the summer was supposed to be my break from anyone with the last name Malfoy especially after what they did to Buckbeak. 

Now I have to go to their house. At night. For a stupid party! For all I know they could be vampires, have you seen how pale Draco is? And it's black tie, I'm going to look like I just came out of a horror movie. 

But anyway, I hope your aunt and uncle aren't being too terrible. If they do anything serious write me a letter I'll kidnap you, although it might not be better here. My parents have seen me twice since I've been home and never even uttered the words hi. I hope we can see each other in August. 

Y/N paused beginning to tap her pen thoughtfully on her desk. 

She had no idea what to sign this letter as. 'From' is way too casual 'Sincerely' is way too formal, he's not the Minister of magic. 

'Love' just sounded gushy. Of course, she cared for Harry but love? She was sure that was way too much to sign her letter, and the whole situation was just making her overthink. 

She was lost in a cloud of her thoughts until she heard a soft knock on her door. 

"Hey I'm leaving, are you okay?"

Y/N looked to her door seeing Rue in the middle of putting on her leather jacket. 

"Yeah I'm fine," Y/N stated, turning back to her letter. "I'll see you later."

"What are you doing?" Rue asked raising a suspicious eyebrow. 

"Writing a letter," Y/N shrugged. 

"To whom," Rue asked trying to sound professional. "Is it that dreamy green-eyed boy your dating."

"For the last time. not dating," Y/N defended. "And for your information, it is a letter to Harry."

"Ok Juliet I'll leave you to write to your Romeo," Rue smiled brightly.

"Shove it."

"Fine," Rue sarcastically sighed. "I'll see you next week okay, try to survive without me."

"I always do," Y/N smiled.

Rue smiled back at her and Y/N could hear her footsteps fading and then the sound of a door opening and closing. 

Y/N let out a breath and turned back to her letter, still not knowing what to write as the signature. 

Was she overthinking this? 

A hundred percent, but after that kiss on the cheek in the station she became flustered when talking or even thinking about Harry. 

She obviously knew she didn't have feelings for him.

Right?

She shook it off and decided to ditch the signature at all and just sign Y/N. 

She carefully rolled it up and found Athena perched quietly in her cage. She unlatched the lock and strategically attached the letter to her talon. 

Without Y/N even telling her where to go, Athena took off into the night to deliver her letter. 

Y/N finally decided to finish emptying her trunk getting a sudden burst of energy despite it being 10 pm. 

She started unpacking again until she noticed a tiny slip of paper in her trunk. 

"Y/N can you meet me outside of the Slytherin Common Room now?"

-𝓗𝓪𝓻𝓸𝓵𝓭

She smiled to herself at the sheer memory of getting the mysterious letter from Harry her second night. The pale moon and the bright stars amongst the glistening lake they had talked by that night.

Y/N didn't know exactly why she did this but she walked over to one of her moving boxes labeled 'Shoes' and took out a shoebox. She emptied the box that was filled with an old pair of sneakers and placed the almost year-old note in the cardboard shoebox. She placed it on the lower shelf of her nightstand. 

What if she ever needed the note again? 

That was her reasoning as to why she kept a pretty useless singular note in a shoebox way too big for it. And she fully tricked herself into believing that was the true reason. 

Y/N sighed, giving up energy, and got ready for bed. She drifted off asleep after a comfortable while in her bed. 

Harry on the other hand was not as fortunate. 

He had been confined to his room, but with his aunt, uncle, and cousin downstairs he couldn't even focus on trying to get a wink of sleep. 

Harry barely ever fully unpacks when he comes home for the summer. Occasionally washing clothes when needed, but that was it. He was just counting down the days until his three months of torture were up.

He sighed heavily and went to his trunk rummaging for something certain. 

Finally grabbing the item he wanted he moved over to his cassette player. Well, really Dudley's. He has three for each "bedroom" he has in the house and happened to leave this one behind when Harry took his old room from out of the cupboard. 

He put in his Christmas gift from Y/N and started the mixtape. He laid on his bed on his back listening to the music and looking at the ceiling wondering how many days until an invitation from the Burrow could save him.

Suddenly a tapping noise on his window caught his attention.

Noticing it was Y/N's owl, acting like a kid on Christmas, he ran to the window letting Athena in, careful not to alert the rest of the house. 

He let Athena eat in Hedwig's cage and the two owls seemed happy like they hadn't seen their best friend in a while. 

Harry quickly unrolled the letter, revealing Y/N's handwriting. 

Throwing random books out of his trunks, looking for a quill and parchment Harry pushed off stuff from his desk and sat down to write back. 

Dear Y/N, 

First off, you know you miss me so you can stop pretending you don't or you wouldn't be writing me as soon as you got home. 

Second of all, WHAT DO YOU MEAN YOU'RE GOING TO THE MALFOY MANOR. Are you sure people ever exit that place. I one hundred percent agree they could be vampires, just make sure you have a wooden stake with you. 

I'm also sure you'd look beautiful in any outfit, even if you do look like someone from a horror movie. 

Just be careful okay? The Malfoy's can be dangerous. 

I'm sorry about your parents. Tell you what, if we sneak out and rob Gringotts together we can run away to the country. Anywhere's better than here, especially if it's with you. 

By the way, I'm currently listening to my Christmas present. Nailed it on the songs by the way.

Write me if you want to put Operation Rob Gringotts in place, I'll always be ready. We're both friends with Fred and George, so, I think we can manage. 

I can't wait to see you and for this nightmare to be over. 

Just like Y/N had, Harry paused. It was so easy for him to reply back to her but so hard to distinguish how to say goodbye. 

I mean sure he did just kiss her on the cheek before she left, but she's kissed him on the cheek multiple times and she never made a big fuss. 

He decided to copy Y/N's signature and just sign, Harold. 

He rolled up the parchment and was ready to send the letter until he saw Athena happily sleeping with Hedwig in her cage. 

Harry decided to send it in the morning and not wake Y/N's owl. Given, if Y/N and Athena had similar personalities, he might get nipped at by the bird for waking her up. 

Harry emptied a box that he had used to store extra quills at the Dursley's and placed Y/N's first letter in it.

He placed it under his bed convinced that he might need them one day, and he was just doing it as a precaution. 

─── ∙ ~☾~ ∙ ───

A/N: Ok for this part I'm not going to specify any outfit or dress for this party because this is a reader story and not everyone has the same taste in clothes and everyone has different hair types and lengths. So, I won't be specifying if Y/N is wearing a dress or a suit or any type of other clothing. Just that the color of it is black and her mother heavily doesn't approve of it. I just don't want to choose anyone's outfit for them because it is a reader and I don't want anyone to be upset if I pick an outfit they don't like.

So, it's up to your imagination! You can dream what you want and you can comment what your outfit is here.

Ok, that was enough ranting back to the chapter. 💕

Y/H/T = Your Hair Type  Y/H/S = Your Hairstyle    Y/S/C = Your Skin Color Y/O = Your Outfit

─── ∙ ~☾~ ∙ ───

"Ow, that hurts you, idiot," Y/N hissed as Rue pulled on her Y/H/T hair moving it into a Y/H/S.

Y/N was seated at her vanity looking into the mirror as Rue attempted to do her hair before the Malfoy's party.

"Well maybe if you stop moving," Rue hissed back holding a bobby pin between her lips. 

Rue took it out and placed it strategically in Y/N's hair. "There. Done."

"Done?"

"Done. Just don't get it wet," Rue instructed making Y/N nod. "or go outside." she tacked on.

"Rue!"

"I'm joking! I'm joking!"

"Haha very funny," Y/N playfully scowled. "Now where's my outfit?"

"Closet," Rue said sinking into Y/N's vanity chair as Y/N got up from it. 

"So," Rue called while Y/N was still in her closet getting dressed. "That boyfriend of yours going to be at this party?"

"Again not my boyfriend. And no. He's a half-blood living with his Muggle Aunt and Uncle," Y/N replied. 

"Ooo so you went for the dramatic type," Rue observed carefully. "Risky."

"What exactly is that supposed to mean?"

"Exactly what I said, I don't see the complications," Rue said nonchalantly. 

"Mom's going to kill me," Y/N said after a moment, from the closet, where Rue couldn't see. 

"And why exactly is that?" Rue asked. 

Y/N stepped out of the closet in her black party outfit.

"What are you talking about?" Rue exclaimed. "You look hot."

"That's the problem," Y/N whined. 

Her mother would a hundred percent say something about her outfit. It's not like it was a short party dress she would wear as if she were twenty-one going out to a bar, but it wasn't exactly a conservative, 'i'm a perfect modest lady' vibe that her mother wanted her to portray. 

The black outfit complimented Y/N's Y/S/C perfectly. She looked beautiful and she felt confident in it, which is the number one reason why she one hundred percent shouldn't wear this outfit.

"Your kidding," Rue said walking up to Y/N and taking her arms to admire her. "You look amazing, who cares what Aunt M/N is going to say."

"Rue the problem is, I won't be able to get out the house with this on," Y/N explained. 

"They left ten minutes ago they needed to make an errand before we went," Rue said encouragingly. "We're going to meet them there. They won't be able to say no."

"To hell with the system I guess," Y/N sighed walking over to her mirror and taking in her outfit. 

"Something's missing," she muttered to herself trying to figure out what she needed. 

She walked over to her jewelry box and picked out her cherished gold locket and carefully placed it around her neck. 

"Perfect," Rue said satisfactically. She started to pretend to get teary-eyed. "My daughters all grown up."

"I might as well be your daughter, you practically raised me," Y/N sighed. 

"And I'd do it again you know that right?" Rue said growing serious. 

Y/N smiled and nodded swiftly. 

"Let's go then," Rue smiled.

Y/N looked at her like she was crazy, given Rue was still in her jeans and a hoodie. 

"What?" Rue asked looking at Y/N's raised eyebrow. 

"Are you planning on catching unique attention tonight?" Y/N asked smirking at her ripped jeans. 

"Almost forgot," Rue exclaimed, before moving to the closet. 

After a few short minutes, she was out of the closet dressed, her hair perfectly straightened, and in a gorgeous black dress. 

"I hate that you can use magic," Y/N sulked, "This underage thing is stupid."

"Oh, you're just jealous you couldn't wave a wand to get ready."

"Says the girl who looks like she's trying to find her future husband tonight," Y/N asked looking at Rue's breathtaking dress

"Or wife," she replied smiling, making Y/N laugh. "Let's go."

─── ∙ ~☾~ ∙ ─── 

"We're never exiting that house are we?" Y/N shuddered looking out the window of the car escorting Y/N and Rue to the Manor. 

Of course, their parents couldn't have Y/N and Rue show up in any of the normal cars. They 'had' to rent an actual formal car with a driver, which Y/N found completely irrelevant and unnecessary.

She looked at the Malfoy Manor which was the complete opposite of the Sinclair Manor. 

The Sinclair Manor's main colors were creams and whites and the outside was a beautiful brick. The people on the inside may be dark and cold but the Sinclair Manor was beautiful and bright with lovely grounds. 

"You do have your wand right?" Y/N questioned. 

"You think I'd go someplace called 'The Malfoy Manor' without my wand," Rue said showing the place she had tucked it in under her dress. "Just the name is creepy."

Y/N sighed watching the car creep closer and closer to the gate. 

"You do realize we just signed our death certificates going in there dressed like this," Y/N said.

"Yes, but if we die at least we'll die hot," Rue suggested as it was almost their turn to step out of the car. 

"My life's motto," Y/N laughed high-fiving her cousin and interlocking their hands.

Rue and Y/N stepped out of the car carefully balanced. Their outfits weren't too revealed given their jackets but Y/N still felt as if there was going to be a blood bath as soon as she took off her wrap that was covering her chest and shoulders. 

"You two are three minutes late we've been waiting forever," Y/N's mother hissed to them when they were close to the door. 

"You just said three minutes-"

"Never mind that," Y/N's father cut in. "Come on, you two. Behave."

Y/N and Rue smirked at each other before nodding and entering through the doors. 

Y/N guessed the house elf that was checking off names of guests was new, due to the fact Harry had told her about the story of Dobby, the book, and the sock with Lucius Malfoy. 

Y/N's mother grabbed Y/N's arm pulling her into a strategic formation with the three adults behind their 'perfect' daughter, to make sure everyone saw the perfect image her mother was heavily faking. 

Once the Sinclair family entered the room they saw the interior was just as dark as the exterior but it seemed more grand inside. 

Swarms of high society families wearing their most beautiful clothes and jewelry standing around laughing. 

There were treats lined at a table which is the first thing Y/N noticed thanking Merlin that they had food because if she didn't eat, she knew for a fact there was no way she'd last at this thing. 

Before she could make a beeline for the cauldron cakes, another house-elf came and asked the family for their coats. 

Given it being summer Mr. Sinclair wasn't wearing one, but Mrs. Sinclair took off her wrap to reveal a modest conservative black dress that kept perfectly with the dress code. 

Y/N and Rue looked at each other before taking off their wraps and handing them nicely to the house-elf kindly.

"Thank you," Y/N said cheerfully to the house-elf. 

"R.I.P Y/N and Rue Sinclair," Rue whispered in Y/N's ear. 

"At least we died hot," Y/N whispered back repeating what Rue had told her in the car. 

Her mother and father's eyes went wide as soon as she saw Y/N and Rue's outfit. 

"What are you two wearing," Her mother hissed while Rue and Y/N were trying to hide their smirk. "No respectable lady goes out dressed like that."

Y/N shrugged feeling a rush of confidence because of her outfit.

"You both are ruining the evening," Her father stated trying not to show outside families that the Sinclair family was having a spat. 

"I think we look dashing don't you Y/N?" Rue asked looking at Y/N.

"You're dressed like tramps," Her mother said vulgarly. "I specifically told you not to embarrass us but it seems that's all you can do."

Obviously, the modest perfect family image that her mother and father wanted to portray, Y/N and Rue had completely recked it. 

Rue's v-neck loose black dress with strappy heels was far from modest, and the bold red lip she used called attention to how gorgeous she looked. 

Y/N's black Y/O was bold and matched her gorgeous skin perfectly. The gold locket and earrings she was wearing made her look even more elegant and it was a hundred percent, not an outfit her mother and father had picked out for her. 

Before her parents could yell at her, a voice brought their attention away. 

Almost like clockwork, her parents put on fake smiles and turned to where the voice was coming from. 

"Ahh the Sinclairs," a tall man with long blonde hair said rather coldly. 

Definitely Lucius Malfoy. Y/N concluded, looking at how similar he and Draco's features were. 

Next to him was a woman with half black hair and half blonde hair underneath and black bangs. She had brown eyes and wore a much kinder smile than her husband but still kept a tough face. 

Like Y/N and her family, Draco was standing in the middle of them, scowling profusely at Y/N's presence. 

"Hello, Lucius," Y/N's father stated sternly lifting a hand. Lucius took his hand and shook it but the two kept a hard gaze at each other. 

"F/N," Lucius said. 

However, Narcissa seemed much more upbeat.

"You must be Y/N, merlin I haven't seen you since you were so young," Narcissa greeted kindly. "And Rue you've grown so much. And those outfits, you both look so beautiful."

"They do, don't they?" Her mother said but Y/N saw her mother's smile waver, which made Y/N and Rue break out into smiles at Narcissa compliments 

"Thank you, Mrs. Malfoy," Y/N smiled finding Narcissa much more approachable. 

"Oh dear, call me Narcissa," Narcissa said sweetly. 

Lucius nudged Draco harshly on his shoulder. 

"Now Draco don't be rude, greet Miss Sinclair."

"Hello Sinclair," Draco said, not hiding his annoyance one bit. 

Y/N's face went from smiling to a glare. Draco was dressed neatly in a black suit and looked heavily upset with his parents and Y/N.

Y/N felt a nudge from her father indicating her to do the same thing. Choking back her pride she faked a smile and greeted, "Hello Draco," making him wince at his first name. 

Knowing she had successfully annoyed Draco for the night, Y/N's eyes snuck back to the dessert table longing for one of the cauldron cakes sitting there. 

"Draco why don't you take your friend to the back," Narcissa suggested when the conversation got dry. 

"She's not my friend," Draco spat earning a push from his father. 

"Show Y/N to the parlor Draco," Narcissa rephrased. 

"Fine. This way Sinclair," Draco snarled turning around, not even waiting to see if Y/N was following. 

Y/N rolled her eyes and followed after him looking around to see more unfamiliar faces. 

"You look decent," Draco said reluctantly not looking Y/N in the eye.

"I know," Y/N said ready to piss him off. "Wish I could say the same for you."

"Wish I could say the same for you," Draco mocked in a high pitch voice. "Sue me for trying to be nice."

"That's what you call nice?" Y/N scoffed. "Tonight is going to be a shitshow so I don't think the best way to start it off is by bonding with you."

Before Draco could muster out a retort they had reached the parlor that was filled with the other Ministry families kids who had been invited. 

"Thank god," Daphne exclaimed running up to Y/N as soon as she stepped through the door making Draco roll his eyes and stepping over to where Blaise and Theo were talking. 

Y/N felt a breath of relief as soon as she saw familiar faces. 

Daphne gestured her over to a place with fancy carved couches where, despite being in a dress, Tracey was lying down definitely not enjoying her time. 

"I have never been so happy to see you too," Y/N sighed moving Tracey's legs to sit and then putting her legs on top of her lap. 

"Well you look gorgeous," Daphne complimented as she looked down at her own plain black dress. "Like my dress? Courtesy of my fabulous mother," she grimaced.

"You make it work Daph," Y/N smiled. 

"I hate these parties," Tracey sighed closing her eyes but still talking. 

"What exactly are these parties?" Y/N questioned eyeing the people around. 

She saw Blaise, Pansy, Theo, Crabbe, Goyle, Draco, Daphne, Adrian, Pansy, Astoria, Marcus, Millicent, and a couple more pureblood families that she couldn't exactly recognize standing in the parlor. 

"Isn't it obvious?" Daphne sighed. 

"No...." Y/N said looking at Daphne confused. 

"Wait. oh my god, is that the necklace?" Tracey said sitting up in her seat and looking at Y/N's neck.

"Yes," Y/N said flatly looking at Tracey like she was mental. "You've seen it before, are you okay?" 

"Not really," Tracey sighed laying back down. 

Y/N laughed and looked back at Daphne for answers. 

"Okay well firstly, Theo got her a glass of champagne because she thought she wouldn't make it through the night without it," Daphne laughed. 

"You're telling me she's drunk?" Y/N asked surprised trying not to laugh. 

"Lightly buzzed," Tracey piped up. 

"Oh well that's fabulous," Y/N said. 

"Second," Daphne started. "They call these 'Ministry Parties' but there really for snobby rich purebloods. Even if you're a blood traitor they'll invite you if you're rich."

"That's so comforting," Y/N said sarcastically. "I just want food but my mother practically pushed me away from the table." 

"Wait until dancing," Tracey said, still with her eyes closed. 

"Your joking," Y/N said. 

"Nope," Tracey breathed still laying down. 

"You do realize you're a drunk fourteen-year-old and it's only 7:30 pm?" Y/N laughed. 

"Again. Not drunk, lightly buzzed." 

Y/N laughed pushing Tracey's feet off of her making her whine and try to get back into a comfortable position. 

"Miss Sinclair," Y/N heard in a fake formal voice. 

She turned around to see Blaise and Theo smirking at her. 

"You two," Y/N sighed turning back around not looking at them. "What do you want?"

"We just wanted to tell you how gorgeous you look," Blaise said with a cheeky smile as he and Theo walked around to stand in front of her.

"What do you want Blaise?" Y/N said not buying the two's act for a minute.

"Nothing," Theo said a little too quickly.

"Yeah, I don't believe that for a second, spill it," Y/N sighed. 

"Well..." Blaise started. 

"We saw your cousin and we—"

"I," Blaise cut in pushing Theo out of the way. "Want you, to ask her to dance with me."

"You want me to ask my cousin if she'll dance with a fourteen-year-old Slytherin boy, whose balls have barely dropped, and who just tried to flirt with me to get me to ask her?" Y/N clarified looking at the two trying not to laugh. 

Blaise and Theo looked at each other before saying plainly, "Yes."

"I hate you two," Y/N said rolling her eyes. 

"Thank you!" Theo said smiling brightly. 

"You do look beautiful tonight Y/N," Blaise finished before being pulled by Theo away to the corner of the room. 

Y/N playfully rolled her eyes and brought her attention back to Daphne and Tracey.

"Wait until they find out she'd much rather be dancing with a girl," Y/N said making Daphne and Tracey laugh. 

The three sat there talking until another voice rudely interrupted them. 

"How did you get here Sinclair?" Pansy Parkinson asked walking over to where the three girls were seated. 

"By car actually," Y/N said matter of factly. "The driver was really nice I can-"

"I meant why are you here?" Pansy said rolling her eyes. "You're a blood traitor."

"Yes. Yes," Tracey spoke up irritated her eyes still closed lying on the couch. "We get it. We are filthy blood traitors who are a menace to society and should stay 6 feet away from you and your precious Draco Malfoy. Right now you're breaking your own fucking rules. Shoo please."

Pansy gave them all a glare before huffing off towards Crabbe, Goyle, and Draco. 

Before the two could start up another conversation, Narcissa walked in and instructed them to move into the ballroom for a dance. 

"You weren't kidding? Dancing is an actual thing?" Y/N asked looking at Daphne.

"Yup," Daphne said grabbing Tracey with one arm and Y/N grabbing the other. 

She made her way into the ballroom with her friends. This time the room wasn't just filled with teenagers and preteens, the adults were standing around most likely with their husbands or wives. 

Narcissa gestured for everyone to find a partner, and Y/N watched in amusement as Blaise and Theo clawed their way to her cousin. Ultimately Blaise pushed Theo making him trip over a house-elf working and got to Rue first. 

Rue kindly accepted Blaise's hand making him smirk at both Y/N and Theo.

She rolled her eyes and turned her attention realizing she had to find a dance partner and there was no way she was going to dance with Crabbe or another blood supremest boy at this party.

She decided to go pick up the broken pieces of Theo who was now sulking looking at Blaise talk to her cousin. 

"Come on lover boy I'll dance with you," Y/N said sarcastically helping Theo up from the floor. 

"It's not fair Blaise cheated," Theo complained taking Y/N in his arms as the music started to play.  

"Merlin, you two know you're both underage," Y/N sighed moving with Theo amongst the dance floor. "Neither of you are going to marry her."

Theo sighed making Y/N shake her head amused at how Blaise and Theo were sending each other smirks and glares from the other side of the room. 

She moved her gaze around the room seeing Daphne rolling her eyes as she danced with Tracey who was smiling giddily. 

She definitely had more than one glass of champagne. 

To her surprise, she saw Pansy dancing with Goyle, not that she particularly looked like she was enjoying having Goyle's hand around her waist. 

She looked around the room at the families wearing very strong smiles dancing with their friends and significant others. Personally, she thought that half those smiles and laughs were fake to show others they were fun. 

"Ow Theo," Y/N hissed when Theo stepped on her foot by accident when Blaise had sent him another look. 

"Sorry," Theo muttered sending another dagger back at Blaise. 

Y/N rolled her eyes, and as if the night couldn't get any worse, her least favorite voice came from behind her. 

"Let me cut in. Theo, go cry in the bathroom in peace."

Y/N turned her head to see Draco looking almost genuine, nodding at Theo. 

"Yeah that's not happening, stay where you are," Y/N insisted pulling Theo back when he started to walk away. 

His dramatic self did look like he wanted to go cry in peace but there was no way Y/N was about to make this party even worse by dancing with barbie 2.0. 

"Your really going to make him keep enduring Blaise's taunts," Draco said looking at Blaise and Theo. 

"Fine," Y/N said letting Theo go. "Still not dancing with you though." 

Y/N looked around for another dancing partner but of course, everyone was paired up again. 

Y/N was about to take her best bet and just sneak out of dancing before she saw her mother about to pass her and grabbed Draco swiftly acting like the two were dancing to hide from her mom. 

"Shut up," Y/N sneered looking at Draco's pleased face. "I still don't like you."

"Yeah, Yeah I know," Draco said rolling his eyes. "I'm no Harry Potter."

"No. No, you're not," Y/N said still not letting him actually move to the music yet. 

She grabbed a glass of champagne from one of the house-elves and snuck it before any of her parents could see. 

"I can't be sober to talk to you," Y/N said letting him take her hand to move the music, utterly despising having to touch him. 

"You really hate me that much?" Draco asked smirking. 

"Yes. Yes I do," Y/N said plainly. 

Draco scoffed and the two continued to move across the dance floor, Y/N's gaze being anywhere but Draco. 

"Nice necklace," Draco said nodding to where Y/N's locket dangled across her neck. 

"I know," Y/N said still not losing the coldness in her voice. She looked at him with a raised eyebrow wondering why he seemed to be being so calm and genuine. 

"Potter got it for you?" Draco asked still pushing. 

"Yes," Y/N said. She turned her gaze towards him looking at him sternly. "Spill it why are you being like this."

"Like what?" Draco asked innocently. 

"I've been in your presence for five minutes and not once have you said something condescending," Y/N observed. "The sky must be falling."

"I just, I saw how your parents treated you and I don't know, I felt.." Draco paused making Y/N continue to look at him skeptically.

"Remorse?" Y/N asked. "I don't need pity, especially from you."

"No," Draco snarled. "I just.....I know how it feels and I'm sorry."

Y/N's face didn't change despite Draco being honest. Her skeptical look turned into a scowl.

"You've called my best friends mudbloods and blood traitors. Named me a disgrace to my family, hoped that my best friend would die, and worst of all lost me the quidditch final," Y/N stated. "Shall I write a book?"

"I know but-"

"but nothing," Y/N continued. Once she started ranting she couldn't stop. "You think you're above everyone because you think your blood's cleaner. I saw how your family treats you too, and you still choose to ridicule everyone else for being different than you. You know half those people you bully don't have a comforting home to go back to just like you, but you still act like a complete asshole. Don't think we're the same because we both have shitty parents. You still choose to be a bully over and over. No one's born that way, you made a choice to act like a complete dick."

Draco's face went red avoiding Y/N's eyes as the song started to come to a close with the violin melody. 

He knew everything Y/N was saying was true, but he was too prideful to admit it. 

She let go of his hand and finally moved to the dessert table finally able to take a cauldron cake. 

"What was that about?" someone whispered from the right of her.

She turned around from the dessert table to see Daphne and a still hazy Tracey looking at her suspiciously. 

"Putting Malfoy in his place pretty much," Y/N sighed. "Dancing wasn't that bad."

"Doing god's work," Tracey laughed a bit too happily. 

"I had one glass and I'm fine," Y/N observed. "How is she this messed up."

"I may have had a wee bit more than one," Tracey confessed laughing.

Daphne and Y/N both broke into the laughter and moved to the parlor where a good lot of the teens went back to and took their place back on the couches and chairs. 

─── ∙ ~☾~ ∙ ───

𝐄𝐧𝐝 𝐨𝐟 𝐘𝐞𝐚𝐫 𝟑: 𝐂𝐡𝐚𝐩𝐭𝐞𝐫 𝟐𝟓

A/N: I just realized this chapter was kind of long but anyways we're going to the Burrow next chapter! Thank you for all the reads, comments, and votes. I hope your all doing well!

💕