𝐎𝐟𝐟 𝐭𝐨 𝐭𝐡𝐞 𝐑𝐚𝐜𝐞𝐬 | | 𝕝𝕦𝕔𝕚𝕦𝕤 𝕞𝕒𝕝𝕗𝕠𝕪

𝐆𝐢𝐦𝐦𝐞, 𝐆𝐢𝐦𝐦𝐞, 𝐆𝐢𝐦𝐦𝐞

Gimme, gimme, gimme a man after midnight
Won't somebody help me chase the shadows away

Katherine's life for the next few weeks was interesting, to say the least. It consisted of her going to boring Hogwarts board meetings, boring Ministry meetings, boring robe fittings. Anywhere Lucius went that required someone to sit there and look pretty while taking down notes, Katherine went along with him. In exchange, Katherine either got money, material items, or sex.

Most of the time she opted for sex.

In fact, the pair the couldn't keep their hands off of each other. Every time Lucius did something for Katherine, she was on her knees. And every time Katherine did something for Lucius, he would make her scream his name multiple times in a row. It was a fair exchange in Katherine's mind.

It was around Christmastime when Lucius announced he was beginning to plan the yearly New Year's Eve Ball he held at Malfoy Manor. It was an extravagant affair akin to a Gatsby party, with performers, magical tricks, and lots of partying. The guest list was massive and elite, with the Minister of Magic himself set to make an appearance.

Narcissa always chose the theme, this year deciding on a Masquerade. The servants of the manor began their decorating immediately after Narcissa announced her idea, the manor slowly turning into a black and gold palace. The usually depressing and cold manor gained a sense of excitement and warmth, with gold Greek statues, black silk banners, and a giant gold tinsel tree filling the space.

On Christmas Eve, the Malfoy's sat in the living around the golden tree. Narcissa and Lucius sat together on the ornate couch which had been enchanted gold, while Katherine sat on the floor next to Lucius's leg, his one hand holding Narcissa's while the other one had itself gently entangled in the girl's hair. They sat in silence, admiring the view of the decorated drawing room. Achilles sat at their heels, resting his head on Lucius's shoe. Under the gold tree were lots of gifts, some addressed to Draco for the owls to deliver to him in the morning. Katherine sighed blissfully, resting her head on Lucius's thigh.

The next morning Katherine was awaken by Achilles hopping on her bed. She shot awake, laughing as her dog licked her face. "Happy Christmas, Achilles. Say, why don't we go wake up Mr. and Mrs. Malfoy?" She said mischievously. Achilles barked in excitement, hopping off the bed and running out of her bedroom door.

Katherine threw on her long robe, trailing behind her excited dog. As soon as she stepped outside her room, the delicous scent of baked goods and breakfast food flooded her nose. She decided to venture downstairs first, to the dining room and adjacent kitchen. The long table had a Christmas breakfast spread across it, with pancakes, french toast, fruit, eggs, and pastries filling the table.

She entered the kitchen to find Narcissa there, cooking up a storm. There was cinnamon bun frosting in her hair and flour on her face. She smiled once she saw Katherine come in, wiping her hands on the front of her apron. "Happy Christmas, dear." She said, opening her arms for a hug. Katherine laughed and hugged her back, Narcissa pressing a small kiss to her cheek.

"Mrs. Malfoy this is wonderful. I didn't think you would cook all this yourself." Katherine smiled as Narcissa wiped the sweat off of her brow. She just sighed, shaking her head. "Lucius thinks the servants do it. But I miss cooking, I used to love doing it when I was younger. I baked a lot with my sisters growing up. So every Christmas, ever since Draco was born, I wake up early and cook a breakfast for my family. Of course now that my son is in school, sometimes it's just me and my husband. But I'm so grateful that this year I can share this with you too."

Katherine hugged on to Narcissa tightly. "Mrs. Malfoy you truly have a heart of gold. You have welcomed me with open arms and I always wondered why you were so open to this whole...arrangement." She said softly. Narcissa gently played with Katherine's hair, smiling softly as she pressed a kiss to the top of her head.