"What do you want?" I snapped, gaining raised eyebrows from him.

"Still upset about earlier I see. Honestly Ava, you've got to get thicker skin. We were just joking around." He pushed himself off the doorway and walked up to the balcony railing where the fathers were coming back into the room and whisking their wives to the dance floor. Or at least, everyone but our fathers were.

"Don't you have anything better to do Malfoy? Or are you also hiding from your mother as a dance partner? I'd happily oblige except I have a dance partner already," My brother stated sarcastically causing Malfoy to give him a dry look.

"Your mother sent me up here to get you, actually. Something about expecting a dance." I turned to my brother with a knowing look before elbowing him along as he groaned.

"Go on and whisk Mamen off her feet. You've got this!" I joked as he waved me off before rushing down the steps.

I raced to the balcony in time to see Theo greet my mother with one of his silly bows before extending his arm out to her. She laughed and alongside Mrs. Malfoy who's cracked smile appeared to my surprise.

"Who knew your mother could smile," I stated icily as Draco came to join my side by the railing. I wish he wouldn't.

"She's strange around your family, my mother. Likes your mum a lot actually. Won't stop talking about her when the two of them are cooking something up."

This news surprised me. I always expected the Malfoys to be the using type. Not much for liking people outside of their own family and inner circle.

"What? Does that surprise you?" He asked, gaining my attention. Looking at him full on I could see him fully in his dress robes. Black velvet with silver lining, his cuffs were lined to fit him perfectly, though he still came off as trying too hard.

But I couldn't ignore how the silver matched his hair, his eyes brighter in dark colors as they waited for me to say something.

"Your family is cold to most people. I thought..."

"Oh and yours isn't? Look at yourselves," Malfoy shot back, nagging at me further. My annoyance was bubbling up again as I turned away from him with a huff. Draco gave me a bemused look as I watched the dancers bow to one another.

"What's with your attitude this week? Always so bipolar."

"I'm bipolar?" I exclaimed, turning back to him, baffled. "I wasn't the one who went from nicely showing me around to throwing wine on my clothes!"

I watched as Draco started to roll his eyes as that subject returned, obnoxious as ever.

"If I didn't do that my father would have killed me," He explained rationally. "And you know that. Which is why I thought you crying made it that much more real and got us out of any awkward questions about being there in the first place."

"Well then what was all that about blaming me?" I shot back, before turning stubbornly back to the dancers twirling about.

There was a brief silence where I saw out of the corner of my eye Draco shaking his head, nonplussed.

"Because it was," He said, annunciating every word arrogantly. I chuckled sarcastically before walking off to a different side of railing, hoping he'd go away.

But no, he followed me and stopped right by my side again.

"What's with all this about house elves, suddenly?" I knew my cheeks flushed at the question before I could turn my face away.

"Because I know you've heard me tell stories about my house elves in the common room. Everyone heard me," He went on.

"Well it's not like we had a choice," I said, cutting him off stubbornly. He gave me a challenged look that I glanced away from, biting down on my bottom lip.

How was I to respond to that?

"Let's just say I watched something happen to a house elf before coming here that scared me and now I want nothing to do with them getting hurt. Satisfied?" I asked, turning to face him. He was ever watchful again, really looking at me instead of just my words.

"Draco," I said, getting his attention. "Did you hear me?" He nodded, and then nodded that much more obnoxiously, if that was possible, before saying quickly, "How could one be scared of watching something as belittled as a house elf get what they deserve?"

"Because they don't deserve it!" I replied. "And you know that the house elf who saw us would not have said a word if you just asked it to. You didn't need to rush off like that, acting like a-"

"You don't know that," He cut in quickly. "Those elves are owned by my father, not me." I shook my head disagreeing but that seemed to only infuriate Malfoy further.

"What did you see that scared you about house elves?" I glared at him before stating "Drop it, I'm not going into it."

"Oh but you already have. Getting dramatic with me every time I try and talk to you-"

"Oh! And you think that our past shows I shouldn't be so?" I retorted, gaining another eye roll from him.

"Like you're any different? I've just decided to extend the first olive branch, and look how you've acted in response! Not very lady like of you, Ava."

The heat rushed to my face at the sound of my name. I turned to him full on and pointed a finger at him daringly.

"You threw me to the dirt,"

"Well you kicked said dirt my way. Know how disgusting that is?"

"Oh please, like that was the first time!" I said back, crossing my arms defensively. "You've always been mean to my friends and to me!" He had the audacity to smile back sarcastically as he defended himself.

"And you haven't? Don't think I don't know how often you say things about my friends-"

"Yeah if you want to call your two henchmen friends," I retorted back stubbornly. Draco stopped from rambling and gave me a dirty look.

"Not all of us choose our friends for connections."

"What is that supposed to mean?" I asked back. He shrugged, claiming innocence which only rose my blood pressure that much higher.

"Your brother was right about your old friend Spencer. She's pathetic without you now. No friends in sight except for your brother in the Slytherin house. And that first year sister of hers.."

"You're doing it again," I said, shifting away from him and back to the dancers on the floor. I couldn't see them though as my eyes were tearing up. "Being mean."

Clapping was heard down below again as the dancers finished and clapped to the musicians. I took that moment to brush the tears before they could fall but he saw.

Immediately I felt awkward, unsure of what to say or do. He didn't seem to know either as the silence lingered before another dance started. I hated silences, especially awkward ones and was willing to do almost anything to break them. Which is why I broke my promise to myself and spoke.

"I watched someone hurt a house elf and then turn to me as if I was next," I started quietly. "I know it sounds stupid and over dramatic but it scared me, feeling the same way as that elf and being able to do nothing. So now I can't think of anything else but that instance when house elves are hurt like that." I gulped down the rising knot in my throat before finishing with, "I'll avoid the topic with you if you promise not to bring it up again."

I didn't have to go look for him because he stopped by my side at the railing and turned his back to the dancers, his gaze back on me, though not a pitiful one. I suddenly felt stupid at saying so much to Malfoy of all people, afraid that he would snap at me, or tell the others as he made fun. But when I finally looked up at him, I saw neither expression. He was curious but not sorrowful. He seemed to be making sense of the past week based on what I said without gloating.

"Who did it? One of your brothers? A teacher-" I shook my head, knowing saying it was my father would cause a whole other set of problems, not just for me but for the family. If the Malfoy family knew, chances are they could stop talking to my father altogether, and what would happen to us if that happened? Would he be able to control such a temper?

"You wouldn't know him," I lied, the best I could, before pushing myself off the railing to stand in front of him.

"Now answer me this," I started. "Why has your mother been watching us this entire time." The change in topic took him a moment to answer before he turned back to those down below. His mother was purposefully looking at her wine glass now.

"Right, about that. She wanted me to ask you to dance."

"You're kidding?" I was looking at him dumbfounded only to see him holding back a grin.

"Did she ask this before or after our conversation on the stairwell?" That broke his grin out as he looked back at me knowingly.

"Take a guess." I chuckled as I turned back to glance at his mother. She was peaking up at us and then, seeing that we were both looking at her, turned to her glass again and then to my mother.

"You know, I'm pretty sure my mother had something to do with this as well."

"Probably. The pair of them are fast friends."

"Yeah well," I turned back to Draco, "I'm not doing anything that she's putting people up to. I think I'm done for the night."

"Leaving me to the mothers? I'd say that's mean of you but-" I gave him a cutting look, before pushing myself off the railing again.

"Good night, Malfoy. And Merry Christmas."

"Merry Christmas, Fountaine."

I walked myself back to my room, passing a group of fathers talking in the hall, one of which was Damion. I didn't know what they were talking about, but it must have been interesting because Damion didn't as much as look away from them as I passed by to say goodnight.

The next morning was a pleasant one. Presents were arranged by the big tree in the drawing room, now redecorated from before the party. The parents were happily giving wrapped gifts to their children and to each other while house elves sprang up around us, carrying hot tea and left over morning biscuits.

The Nott family had decided to spend the night after the party as well so they were present for gifts the next morning. To say it reminded me of Hogwarts last year was an understatement. Malfoy was acting like nothing had changed, giving me a hard time for not giving him or any of his friends gifts, while Theo took my side of things, and started chucking bits of a compactable dung bomb Malfoy's way.

It was the best gift idea I ever came up with for Theo.

I received Beauxbatons blue mittens with a matching hair scarf for the spring from my parents, a new band to go over my camera from Theo, cat treats for Oliver from Damion, and a book on Every Day Used Potions from Ed.

"I didn't realize Ava liked potions so much," Mrs. Malfoy said from the corner as I shifted through the book with interest, my new mittens draped on my shoulder, long forgotten.

"She gets it from her grand'mère, I'm afraid," Mamen said back with a smile that seemed to jab me like a spike.

The afternoon was spent with the group of kids and mothers running off to window shop in the town miles off while the fathers went on a long walk, shooting. This was most bizarre as wizards I knew didn't do that anymore. At least, not the ones obsessed with blood status like this lot.

But this was behind me the moment I stepped into a robe tailor where my mother decided to buy me two new sets of robes for everyday use.

"Narcissa has made a valid point that you should be wearing more robes now, Ava. You're getting older," my mother mused as she, Mrs. Nott and Mrs. Malfoy browsed rows of fabric.

Strange coming from the mother who used to only wear no-maj fashion, as she thought the colors and options were far grander than wizarding designs. But then again, who would complain about getting free clothes?

We found the boys at a Quidditch shop a few blocks down, arguing over teams and their jersey colors. It was in this store that I found myself thinking of Sam in order to block out the boys. Over this holiday season, her name kept coming up, hinting at me to talk to her. I knew I should, but how does one swallow their pride to do it?

"You're out of place here, Fountaine. Don't want you to jinx any of their merchandise," Malfoy commented as he appeared beside me with Nott mirroring him on my other shoulder.

"I doubt messing with a bunch of players gloves would do anything," I responded back snippily, causing the boys to scoff.

"What would you do with those anyway? Nott asked. "Getting them for someone are you?" He took the pair I was messing with, out of my hands with a quick snatch, making me glare at him.

Not this again.

"Taking my advise after all, ah Fountaine?" Malfoy asked happily. "It's a nice thought but I already have a nice pair of Quidditch gloves."

I snatched the gloves out of Nott's hand and turned back to Malfoy's smug expression with disgust.

"As if! I was actually thinking of getting something for Sam."

"Oh that's a good idea," Theo said from behind, flipping idly through a broom care book.

"She would use them, that's for sure," Nott said back in my surprise.

"Oh?" I asked him.

"She's the new Slytherin Chaser, Ava." My brother explained as he closed the book and threw it hastily back on the shelf.

"Is she good?" I asked surprised. I always knew she loved the sport but I never saw her play.

"She's alright," Draco admitted. "Though she's nothing like Flint."

Ah, that's right. Flint graduated last year. A grin appeared on my face at the thought. All the boys noticed this.

"Of course you're glad he's gone," Nott said sneakily as I turned back to the bin of gloves.

"No, really?" I snapped back sarcastically, gaining a grin from the boy.

I bought the gloves and then rushed to the owlery to get the package delivered to Sam as fast as possible.

If all went well, the gloves would deliver before dinner. But was it enough of an apology?

"No, definitely not," Theo said, dashing my hopes before they could grow, when I relayed the idea to him on our way back to the manor.

"What makes you say that?" I retorted, hurt. He gave me a knowing look.

"She's the one friend of yours that doesn't care about you coming from money. Do you honestly think she is going to be bought off by your fake apology of lack luster gloves?" He was giving me mocking eyes that made me punch him in the side before storming off, while he trailed behind, continuing to mock me.

Theo was in a great mood all day. I thought it was because of the holiday season but this drastically changed when the family was heading to our cars, ready for the drive home to London.

Theo was helping Ed carry some of our bags into the "cool car" as Theo kept mentioning it. We were planning to ride the same way we arrived, us three together, and our parents with Damion in the other. But this excited plan changed when our father appeared outside the house, his face red with rage.

Theo was stationed next to me, his back to the door way when my father grabbed the back of Theo's robes and turned him around, slamming his back into the side of the car. I quickly moved out of the way, horrified as my father started shaking Theo by his shirt front.

"Where did you put them?" my father demanded, as Theo was looking at him with wide eyes.

"I don't know what you're talking about," Theo pleaded quietly, but my father only kept shaking him.

"Don't play dumb with me boy. Where's those documents? The letter? What did you do with them?"

"Darious!" My mother exclaimed from the doorway. I watched, frozen to the spot as my mother came running out to him while the Malfoys' watching from the door way.

"We found them, Darious! Everything's fine," Lucius Malfoy explained oddly calm, as he watched my mother gently pry my father away from Theo.

"Good news," my father said, huffing. "I thought, after all Theo's done in the past that there was a chance-" My mother stopped my father before he could finish as she nodded to Theo to get in the car.

"Are you sure you don't want to rest a moment, Darious?" Mrs. Malfoy asked from the doorway. She was looking at my father with new eyes too, and to my horror, so was Draco. Though he was no longer looking at my father, but at me.

He knew exactly who scared me now. There was no denying it by the expression on his face.

"Ava, get in the car," Damion whispered, making me drop eye contact and jump in quickly as my parents explained they were fine.

"It's best we be off. Time at home is all we need."

The doors slammed shut as Ed joined us and the cars roared to life.

"Theo are you alright?" Ed asked quietly from one side of the car.

"I'm fine. Just shut up."

This tension followed us all the way home. And with it, the dread forming in my stomach reminded me that Draco Malfoy knew our truth too.

What was stopping him from telling his family about my father?

Nothing.