After a really nice lunch at Ashton's, Draco headed off to the last shop he wanted to go to, before meeting me back at Flourish and Blott's. From there, we wandered around a few of the streets of wizarding London — Diagon Alley, Horizont Alley, and Carkitt Market — and bought a few more things for ourselves that we were certain Mother and Father wouldn't have got for us.

At one point, Draco tried to convince me to go down Knockturn Alley with him, but I managed to dissuade him, reminding him of Father's express command for us not to set foot down there without either himself or Mother. Although the name of Malfoy commanded respect from a lot of the people who lived, worked, and shopped in Knockturn, Draco and I had been warned that some people who frequented the street would much rather use the two of us to get money out of Mother and Father ('or worse', whatever that meant).

When it eventually started to get dark, the two of us Flooed home, with Draco carrying all the things I'd bought (except my present for him) to make sure Father didn't question how I'd bought it all with the small amount of money I'd taken out of my satchel. We went straight to our rooms, where we hid the presents — and for me, all of the other things I'd bought as well. Then, as was our night-before-Winter-Ball tradition, Draco came over to my room, and we called Dobby to get us a plate of dinner each. Tonight, he returned with a large roast dinner for Draco, and a much smaller and significantly more vegetable-focused version of it for me.

"Is this all you can give me, Dobby?" I asked, a slight sigh escaping my lips as I took the plate.

"Dobby apologises to Mistress Pandora," Dobby said, in his squeaky voice. "Master Lucius told Dobby that Mistress Pandora was to be given this and nothing else tonight." His bat-like ears drooped as he said this, and he began to back away, wringing his hands. "Dobby is truly sorry for that, Miss."

Draco opened his mouth to say something, but I quickly cut him off.

"Don't worry about it, Dobby; it's not your fault. And thanks for the food," I said, giving him a grateful smile.

Dobby bowed deeply. "Is there anything else Dobby can do for Master Draco or Mistress Pandora?"

"Nope, that's all for now, thanks."

He bowed again, then disapparated with a slight crack!

Draco turned to me, frowning slightly, but I put my hand up to stop him saying what I knew he was going to say — a question about why I treated Dobby with kindness.

"I'm really not in the mood, Dray," I said, as I began to eat. "We've had this conversation about a thousand times already."

After that, we more or less ate our dinner in silence, though it was a much more comfortable silence than the one that had hung in the air over our dinner with Mother and Father the previous evening. A few times, one of us said something stupid to make the other laugh, but other than that, we were perfectly happy to be in each other's company but with our own thoughts.

Mine soon turned to what would be happening the following day — the Winter Ball. Even the thought of it caused anxiety to rise up in me. What would happen? How would all the Purebloods react to the blood-traitor, tradition-wrecking Malfoy?

I'll just have to wait and see.

***

One hour until the Winter Ball.

My anxiety was already really bad, and it was only worsened when Mother came over, the telltale signs of worry on her face, and said one sentence that sent pure fear through me.

"Pandora, Lucius wants to talk to you in his study."

Trembling, I made my way upstairs, to the room I was only ever allowed into if I was in trouble. I knocked twice, then waited in silence.

"Enter."

Swallowing anxiously, I pushed the door open and took a step into the room, dropping into a curtsey.

"Come here."

I quickly obeyed Father's sharp command, my heart pounding. What did he want, so close to the start time of the ball? Surely he wasn't going to punish me again for my sorting now?

A minute passed. I got the impression that Father wanted to get me as worked up as he could before whatever it was that was going to happen. And then, finally, he spoke again.

"The Winter Ball is vital for this family. It keeps us in the right circles, and makes sure the name Malfoy still commands respect within our world — and, this year, it also serves the purpose of trying to fix the family's relationships with the others of the Sacred Twenty-Eight. Relationships that were damaged when the first girl born to our line in generations was sorted into Gryffindor." He practically spat out the last word, fixing me with a steely look. "Today's ball may well be the most important one we've ever hosted, and I will not have my filthy blood-traitor of a daughter messing it up."

"I won't do anything wrong, Father," I said softly. "I promise I won't."

"No, you won't."

He pointed his wand at me, and I flinched badly, bracing myself for a punishment. But then—

"Imperio."

The most wonderful floating sensation spread through me as every thought and worry was wiped gently away, leaving nothing but a vague, untraceable happiness, and a feeling of immense relaxation. Then, I heard Father's voice, echoing in some distant chamber of my empty brain.

Act like a true Malfoy... don't be suspicious about it... but act like a true Malfoy...

"Is that understood?" Father said, his voice sounding foggy, as though I was hearing him from the next room.

"Yes, Father."

***

"Pandora? Are you alright?"

It was Mother's voice, I vaguely realised. I turned around, finding myself face-to-face with her.

Act like a true Malfoy...

"I'm fine, Mother."

She cupped my face in her hands. A tiny part of my brain wanted me to flinch away from the contact, but that thought was quickly squashed.

"What happened?"

Act like a true Malfoy...

"Nothing, Mother."

The slightest of frowns appeared on her face as she carefully studied me. Then, when her eyes locked onto mine, she recoiled, her hands shaking.

"No... he didn't." She said it so softly that, what with the slightly foggy sound everything had to it, I barely caught what she was saying. "Pandora, please tell me he didn't... please..."

Act like a true Malfoy...

"I'm not sure I understand what you're referring to, Mother."

A single tear rolled down her face as I said this, and she pulled me into a tight hug. I didn't return it.

"I'm sorry, Pandora... I'm so, so sorry..."

"Narcissa. Pandora."

Act like a true Malfoy...

"Father," I said, dropping into a curtsey as soon as Mother let go of me.

She turned to face him, an anger in her eyes that I couldn't remember ever seeing there before.

"Lucius, you — you—" She stopped, apparently struggling to get the words out. Then, in a voice so cold that even my newly relaxed and carefree self wanted to shudder, she said, "You've put an Unforgiveable Curse on our daughter, Lucius. So you have two options. Either you remove it now, or I'm going to the Aurors."

Without warning, Father grabbed hold of Mother and slammed her into the wall, making her give a quiet cry. A small part of me was screaming internally, yelling at me that I had to stop him, that I had to help Mother — but it was quickly overcome by the sentence that was still repeating itself in my mind, forcing me to bend to its will.

Act like a true Malfoy...

So I stood there and did nothing as he beat her.

"Don't you dare to ever talk to me like that again. Don't you DARE to EVER threaten me again. DON'T YOU DARE TO EVEN THINK ABOUT GOING TO THE AURORS ABOUT ANYTHING, EVER. BECAUSE IF YOU DO ANY OF THAT, I WILL NOT HESITATE TO KILL YOU AND PANDORA. DO YOU UNDERSTAND ME?"

He was practically screaming by the end, fists hitting Mother again and again as she tried to protect herself. He only stopped when the crack of breaking bones was heard, and Mother managed to force out an apology and a promise to never do any of it again. Father finally let go of her, and she sunk to the floor, clutching her side, her breathing almost dangerously shallow.

Act like a true Malfoy...

When Father stopped yelling, and Mother stopped crying out, the memory of what had just happened was pushed gently behind a curtain, and a peaceful floating feeling washed over me once more. The little part of me that had been screaming inside disappeared, and a new command rang through my empty mind.

Go into the ballroom and get ready to greet the guests.

As I obeyed this order, I saw Draco slip in through another door and hurry over to Mother, a call for Dobby to heal her leaving his mouth. Then the door slammed closed behind me, and I was left alone with the one sentence still repeating itself over and over in my mind.

Act like a true Malfoy...

***
A/N: tysm for 15k reads! 😊🖤

Word count: 1578