selenophile || remus lupin

chapter fifty four

25 December 1976

6:48 pm

Ophelia hid a stack of opened letters when she heard a forceful knock on the door. She had been reading through the letters she had gotten for Christmas but knew to hide them in front of her parents in fear of them getting burned. Her mother strode into the room with a scowl on her face.

"Are you ready, Ophelia?" she asked, sharply.

"Yes mother," Ophelia sighed. She was still wary of her mother, especially due to her reaction a few days earlier to Ophelia's new haircut. She had been punished harshly for changing her appearance without her parent's knowledge nor consent, but because it was the day of the pureblooded Christmas Ball, she hadn't gotten punished, instead, potions had been forced down her throat to hide the bruising and gashes. Her parents made it clear that everyone would be disgusted at the large scar running through her eye and down her face, even though they caused it themselves. Her mother worked extra hard to cover it up, spending several minutes hiding it with a spell, in fear of other pureblood families noticing and thinking it of distaste.

Walburga Black walked over to where her daughter stood, her heels ringing against the floor. She looked Ophelia up and down, inspecting her outfit, hair, makeup, every single detail about her, making sure she was up to Black code.

Ophelia had been dressed in a white and gold gown, which had a corset top, cinched as far as it could go, with a golden belt, and shiny fabric falling down her legs, flowing behind her with each step she took. The sleeves were long and baggy, only cinching tightly around her wrists, the rest left to spiral around her arms.

As soon as Walburga nodded to herself, indicating affirmation, she grabbed onto Ophelia's wrist. She felt as if she were being sucked through a thin tube, but the feeling went away within seconds as soon as they landed on solid ground, a couple hundred meters in front of Malfoy Manor.

The manor was incredibly large, with dozens of windows shining golden light down upon the acres of land that the wealthy family owned. Peacocks were strutting around the grounds, flaunting their feathers as women flaunted their gowns.

"Head up, shoulders straight, and smile. Look like a proper lady," hissed Walburga.

Ophelia did what her mother asked of her as a man and woman with the last name Greengrass walked past them.

Her mother looked very pretty as well if Ophelia was being honest. She didn't ever want to think nice things about that cruel woman, but she had to admit that Walburga looked beautiful with her hair pulled up into a tight bun and a dark green ball gown wrapped around her body. As soon as Orion and Regulus apparated next to them, the family of four walked into the large manor. It was decorated with silver, red, and green Christmas decorations delicately put in place.

Her parents forced her and Regulus to walk around the Manor, conversing with other Pureblood families and strengthening their familial bonds. She had to talk with the Rowle family for an excruciatingly long amount of time, listening to them squabble on about blood supremacy, and had to smile and nod, and not give away her true views.

Walburga gripped Ophelia's upper arm and dragged her towards the host family, the Malfoys, to greet and thank them for their hospitality. Ophelia talked to Cygnus for a few moments before being pulled away by Narcissa, who all of a sudden had her hair changed differently.

"Ophelia, I have so much to talk to you about!" she squealed. The two cousins often hung out together during the balls since they were so close in age. With only a year difference and the same last name, the two families didn't mind the two's friendship. Of course, at Hogwarts, they stayed in their own social circles, but without much support from Ophelia's halfblood, muggleborn, and blood traitor friends, Narcissa generously took the girl in.

"You dyed your hair," pointed out Ophelia. Narcissa stuck her hand in Ophelia's face, waving it around to show off the large silver ring. "And you got engaged?" exclaimed Ophelia, Walburga giving the two girls a quick glare at the noise.

"Lucius and I are getting married!" she sang, a bright smile on her face. The girl, clearly, was completely over the moon about the proposal. 

"Congratulations, Cissa. Oh, I'm so happy for you! Narcissa Malfoy, that has a ring to it."

"Doesn't it?" Narcissa asked, rhetorically.

After a few minutes of talking with Narcissa, hearing all about the proposal, Ophelia looked around, studying their surroundings. She saw her parents in deep conversation with the Travers', and Regulus in a corner surrounded by his friends. He was laughing half heartedly with them, and Ophelia knew that he didn't want to be there. She quickly excused herself from Narcissa, but before she could reach her younger brother, she was interrupted.

"Ophelia Black, hello sweetheart," called out Evan Rosier, extending his hand. Ophelia internally rolled her eyes but turned back to him with a sickly sweet smile. She extended her hand to which he took and kissed it.

"Evan," she nodded, looking around the room once again. Several people's eyes were on the pair, including Walburga and Orion who were watching intently with small smiles on their faces.

"Would you be so kind as to have a dance with me?" he asked, feigning politeness.

"Well, of course, I would, Evan." she said, before leaning up to him and whispering, "if you pull anything like last year, I will hex you until you are screaming for me to stop."

"Oh yes, your daddy didn't like that, did he?" replied Rosier, keeping his voice quiet too, as the pair walked towards the dance floor.

He placed his hands on her hips, she placed her hands on his shoulders and the two began to waltz.

"My father didn't take it too well, but rest assured, if you pull a stunt like that again, I'll be able to handle a few curses from him. I am not afraid to kick you so hard in the balls that you blackout."

"Now, now, Ophelia. That's not very polite to say to your superior, now is it?"

"My sincerest apologies, Evan. The only reason I say this is because of the company we have surrounded ourselves with. Believe me, if we were back at Hogwarts, you would already be on the floor crying."

"If we were at Hogwarts, I would have removed all those false healing charms and reveal to those little friends of yours how much of a liar you are, keeping all these secrets from them, scared to reveal the truth about your true looks."

"If we were at Hogwarts, Evan, you wouldn't have a chance to touch me before running off to Snivellus and Mulciber with your hands covering your dick."

"Bold words for someone who freaked out over a little kiss," he snarked.

"I swear to merlin-"

"Oh look at mummy and daddy," he taunted, his eyes leering over towards Walburga and Orion. "Look how happy they look that we're together. Wouldn't want to make them upset now would you?"

"I don't give a damn what my family thinks."

"Oh, but you do. You really do, and you're just too afraid to admit it to me because as your superior I could ruin you. But don't worry, I wouldn't do a thing like that. As long as you don't disobey me."

"I'm not your wife," Ophelia hissed, appalled at what he was implying, but keeping a straight face for those many families watching the dancing finish.

"No, not yet." he ended the conversation as the dance came to an end and the pair walked away from each other, Rosier with a smug smile and Ophelia's blood boiling.