Chapter 14- Christmas: Part 1
“Isendre! Isendre Elayne, get your butt down here this instant!!! I’m not kidding! Isendre!!!”
“Chill,” said Ginny disdainfully, vaulting over the railing of Grimmauld Place, where she’d been staying with Bellatrix, Narcissa, and their extended family. She was finding that it had actually been a very impressive house before being abandoned for a number of years. “We’re only a few minutes late.”
“Oh, yeah, only about an hour!” Bellatrix waved her wrist in front of Ginny’s face, the nearness making the little numbers of her watch blur. Abruptly, the angry woman threw a handful of floo powder into the fireplace and stepped in after it, already yelling “Malfoy Manor!”
“Don’t worry about it,” said Narcissa, calmly taking her own handful of the glittery green substance. “She always gets like that when she’s been away from Rodolphus too long. Malfoy Manor!”
Ginny watched as Narcissa spun out of sight, then reached for the jar.
“Hey, Babe, leaving so soon?”
Ginny recognized the voice of Sirius’ brother instantly and snatched a handful of floo powder. Without a backward glance, she leapt into the fireplace, already shouting out her destination.
“Isendre, why are you so rushed?” Narcissa asked as Ginny literally fell out of the fireplace of Malfoy Manor.
“Oh, Regulus was just trying to make another pass at me,” she said, coughing as she stood.
“Well, hurry up and get presentable, Lucius is fetching his parents to meet you right now.” Narcissa hurriedly started brushing soot off Ginny’s clothes, while Bellatrix straightened her hair.
“Too late.”
Ginny glanced up and saw Lucius returning with yet another tall, handsome blond man. A stunning brunette followed behind him, her face contorted with the same sneer that Narcissa would one day wear.
“That’s Lucius’ mother,” Bellatrix leaned over to whisper. “She was a famous model in America, but she moved here in hopes of wedding into the Malfoy money.”
“Father, meet Isendre Delacour. She descends from the line of French purebloods. Isendre, this is my father, Xavier Malfoy.”
Ginny forced herself to smile politely and extended her hand; Xavier took it in his own and bent to kiss it. “It is a pleasure to meet you, Mr. Malfoy. I thank you for opening your home to me.”
“The pleasure is all mine, Miss Delacour. May I present my wife, Isabella Malfoy?”
The stunning brunette stepped forward and grasped Ginny’s hands in her own, squeezing them slightly. “It is a pleasure to meet you, my dear,” she said, smiling in a way that held no warmth. “And Narcissa, Bellatrix, always a delight to see you again.”
“What time did she say to be downstairs?”
“Seven o’clock. We have an hour, just enough time to get ready.”
Ginny looked up from where she’d thrown herself face-down on the bed. “Excuse me?”
Bellatrix stuck her head out of the walk-in closet. “We need to get dressed for the get-together.”
“What get-together?”
“Oh, didn’t I tell you?” asked Narcissa, looking surprised. “The Malfoys host an annual Christmas party, by invitation only. It’s the social event of the season.”
“Simply to die for,” added Bellatrix. “Everybody who’s anybody will be here.”
“So, all the purebloods?”
“All the ones from Britain. The ones who aren’t blood-traitors, I mean.”
“Naturally.”
A knock sounded at the door and Narcissa opened it. A package wrapped in brown paper lay in the hall, a card on top of it. No one was in sight.
“Ooh, Isendre it’s for you.” Narcissa brought the parcel inside and laid it carefully on the bed, kicking the door shut behind her and exchanging a knowing glance with Bellatrix. “I wonder who it’s from.”
Ginny lifted the card from its place and removed it from the envelope.
My dearest Isendre,
Words cannot describe the remorse I feel at having caused you distress. I’m so sorry for hurting you in that way and I hope that you can forgive me. This is part of your Christmas present. I know I’m supposed to wait until the party is over, but I thought you might like to wear it.
Please enjoy it. Nothing would give me greater joy than to see you in it.
Much love,
Erik
“Aaawwww, that’s so sweet,” exclaimed Bellatrix, who had been reading over her shoulder.
“Open it, Isendre! We’re running out of time.”
Ginny pulled back the brown wrapping on the package, her eyes widening as she saw what lay inside: a dress of emerald green, more beautiful than anything Ginny could’ve ever imagined.
“It’s. . .lovely.”
“Lovely? It’s exquisite, is what it is. That overlay is imported silk, a very rare variety, too.”
“It must’ve cost him a fortune. Put it on, Isendre. I want to see it.”
Ginny descended the stairs a little behind the Black sisters, feeling rather self-conscious. The dress was beautiful, there was no doubt about that. It was just rather. . .provocative, more so than anything she would usually wear. The emerald satin clung to Ginny’s hourglass frame, showing off every enviable curve. The neckline was just short of off-the-shoulder, and it swooped into a low v. The hem of the dress brushed the floor, but long slits crept seductively up either side.
“Come on, Isendre, you look gorgeous, and your hair is fabulous. Wait, you need another piece around your face.” Bellatrix reached up and pulled a few strands out of the elegant bundle of curls atop Ginny’s head. “There. Perfect.”
“Bellatrix! Narcissa!”
The sisters (plus Ginny) turned to see a rather plump young woman hurrying toward them, her vibrant red curls bouncing up and down. . .Ginny’s red hair.
“Hi, Missy, how are you?”
“Oh, I’m doing pretty well- very glad to be back amongst friends.”
“I can imagine.” At Ginny’s questioning look, Narcissa elaborated. “Isendre, this is Missy Prewett. She’s the only one of her family who isn’t a Mudblood-lover. Missy, this is Isendre Delacour. She’s a friend of Erik’s from France.”
“Ooh, Erik,” Missy said keenly, pumping Ginny’s hand up and down. “I saw him earlier with Lucius and wondered who he was. He’s a handsome one.”
Ginny looked up and noticed Draco walking coolly toward them from across the room, eyes fixed on her. “Yes. Yes he is.”
“Isendre! Isendre Elayne, get your butt down here this instant!!! I’m not kidding! Isendre!!!”
“Chill,” said Ginny disdainfully, vaulting over the railing of Grimmauld Place, where she’d been staying with Bellatrix, Narcissa, and their extended family. She was finding that it had actually been a very impressive house before being abandoned for a number of years. “We’re only a few minutes late.”
“Oh, yeah, only about an hour!” Bellatrix waved her wrist in front of Ginny’s face, the nearness making the little numbers of her watch blur. Abruptly, the angry woman threw a handful of floo powder into the fireplace and stepped in after it, already yelling “Malfoy Manor!”
“Don’t worry about it,” said Narcissa, calmly taking her own handful of the glittery green substance. “She always gets like that when she’s been away from Rodolphus too long. Malfoy Manor!”
Ginny watched as Narcissa spun out of sight, then reached for the jar.
“Hey, Babe, leaving so soon?”
Ginny recognized the voice of Sirius’ brother instantly and snatched a handful of floo powder. Without a backward glance, she leapt into the fireplace, already shouting out her destination.
“Isendre, why are you so rushed?” Narcissa asked as Ginny literally fell out of the fireplace of Malfoy Manor.
“Oh, Regulus was just trying to make another pass at me,” she said, coughing as she stood.
“Well, hurry up and get presentable, Lucius is fetching his parents to meet you right now.” Narcissa hurriedly started brushing soot off Ginny’s clothes, while Bellatrix straightened her hair.
“Too late.”
Ginny glanced up and saw Lucius returning with yet another tall, handsome blond man. A stunning brunette followed behind him, her face contorted with the same sneer that Narcissa would one day wear.
“That’s Lucius’ mother,” Bellatrix leaned over to whisper. “She was a famous model in America, but she moved here in hopes of wedding into the Malfoy money.”
“Father, meet Isendre Delacour. She descends from the line of French purebloods. Isendre, this is my father, Xavier Malfoy.”
Ginny forced herself to smile politely and extended her hand; Xavier took it in his own and bent to kiss it. “It is a pleasure to meet you, Mr. Malfoy. I thank you for opening your home to me.”
“The pleasure is all mine, Miss Delacour. May I present my wife, Isabella Malfoy?”
The stunning brunette stepped forward and grasped Ginny’s hands in her own, squeezing them slightly. “It is a pleasure to meet you, my dear,” she said, smiling in a way that held no warmth. “And Narcissa, Bellatrix, always a delight to see you again.”
“What time did she say to be downstairs?”
“Seven o’clock. We have an hour, just enough time to get ready.”
Ginny looked up from where she’d thrown herself face-down on the bed. “Excuse me?”
Bellatrix stuck her head out of the walk-in closet. “We need to get dressed for the get-together.”
“What get-together?”
“Oh, didn’t I tell you?” asked Narcissa, looking surprised. “The Malfoys host an annual Christmas party, by invitation only. It’s the social event of the season.”
“Simply to die for,” added Bellatrix. “Everybody who’s anybody will be here.”
“So, all the purebloods?”
“All the ones from Britain. The ones who aren’t blood-traitors, I mean.”
“Naturally.”
A knock sounded at the door and Narcissa opened it. A package wrapped in brown paper lay in the hall, a card on top of it. No one was in sight.
“Ooh, Isendre it’s for you.” Narcissa brought the parcel inside and laid it carefully on the bed, kicking the door shut behind her and exchanging a knowing glance with Bellatrix. “I wonder who it’s from.”
Ginny lifted the card from its place and removed it from the envelope.
My dearest Isendre,
Words cannot describe the remorse I feel at having caused you distress. I’m so sorry for hurting you in that way and I hope that you can forgive me. This is part of your Christmas present. I know I’m supposed to wait until the party is over, but I thought you might like to wear it.
Please enjoy it. Nothing would give me greater joy than to see you in it.
Much love,
Erik
“Aaawwww, that’s so sweet,” exclaimed Bellatrix, who had been reading over her shoulder.
“Open it, Isendre! We’re running out of time.”
Ginny pulled back the brown wrapping on the package, her eyes widening as she saw what lay inside: a dress of emerald green, more beautiful than anything Ginny could’ve ever imagined.
“It’s. . .lovely.”
“Lovely? It’s exquisite, is what it is. That overlay is imported silk, a very rare variety, too.”
“It must’ve cost him a fortune. Put it on, Isendre. I want to see it.”
Ginny descended the stairs a little behind the Black sisters, feeling rather self-conscious. The dress was beautiful, there was no doubt about that. It was just rather. . .provocative, more so than anything she would usually wear. The emerald satin clung to Ginny’s hourglass frame, showing off every enviable curve. The neckline was just short of off-the-shoulder, and it swooped into a low v. The hem of the dress brushed the floor, but long slits crept seductively up either side.
“Come on, Isendre, you look gorgeous, and your hair is fabulous. Wait, you need another piece around your face.” Bellatrix reached up and pulled a few strands out of the elegant bundle of curls atop Ginny’s head. “There. Perfect.”
“Bellatrix! Narcissa!”
The sisters (plus Ginny) turned to see a rather plump young woman hurrying toward them, her vibrant red curls bouncing up and down. . .Ginny’s red hair.
“Hi, Missy, how are you?”
“Oh, I’m doing pretty well- very glad to be back amongst friends.”
“I can imagine.” At Ginny’s questioning look, Narcissa elaborated. “Isendre, this is Missy Prewett. She’s the only one of her family who isn’t a Mudblood-lover. Missy, this is Isendre Delacour. She’s a friend of Erik’s from France.”
“Ooh, Erik,” Missy said keenly, pumping Ginny’s hand up and down. “I saw him earlier with Lucius and wondered who he was. He’s a handsome one.”
Ginny looked up and noticed Draco walking coolly toward them from across the room, eyes fixed on her. “Yes. Yes he is.”
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