Snakes and Ladders (Fem!HPxLM) (DISCONTINUED)

Moira

Hyacinth and Severus were the first people to go down to dinner. The two were led to the dining room by Himmy. Severus had grumbled that he "knew how to get to the dining room just fine, damnit", only quieting when Hyacinth 'accidentally' stood on his foot.

The dining room was smaller than she had expected, but given the size of the manor, it would've only been one of many dining rooms. The brown walls had lit candelabras giving the room a soft glow. The table was still more extensive than necessary, with sixteen places available. Four candelabras with three unlit, white candles stood equal distances apart in the middle of the black table. A large chandelier of lit candles hung above the table, brightening it but not extending past the borders of the snakeskin-patterned chairs, their wood matching that of the dining table.

The carpeted floor of the room stopped the tap of Hyacinth's heels. She noted that four places were set for dinner and looked at her mother curiously.

"Ah," he said, "Draco must be joining us", he concluded. The slight nerves Hyacinth had been feeling leading up to dinner bubbled slightly, and she had to take a steading breath.

Her mother took his place at the table and gestured to the chair next to him that he had already pulled out for her. Hyacinth straightened her shoulders and took her seat next to her mother. Maybe if she feigned confidence, they would believe her to be.

Hyacinth's eyes widened slightly when she saw Narcissa slip into a vacant picture frame on the wall across from her. Narcissa winked at her, and she had to disguise a giggle behind a cough as the doors to the dining room opened once again and in came Draco Malfoy, his father, a few steps behind him.

Hyacinth's eyes locked with Lucius' for a brief, fleeting moment before she had to look away, head ducked down, her face burning up. There was no denying that Lucius Malfoy was an extremely handsome man. The newspapers didn't do him justice. The black and white grain of the moving photos never quite captured him right. Seeing him in person solidified that fact. 

Draco sat directly across from her, and he caught her eye when he ducked his head to make eye contact with her with a mischievous grin. While he had inherited the famous Malfoy hair and eyes, everything else was gifted to him by his mother. The softness in his face, the cheeky, playful grin. It was evident that he truly was his mother's son.

The adults in the room exchanged quiet greetings before Lucius turned slightly in his seat to look at Hyacinth directly, making her cheeks warm up all over again. She glanced up to Narcissa to beg for help but found the woman seated on the painted armchair rather unladylike. Her back was pressed against one arm whilst her legs were thrown over the other, stifling laughter behind a perfectly manicured hand. 

Hyacinth suppressed an eye roll.

"My, my," came the deep timbre of Lucius' voice, rumbling from deep within his chest, "you do look like your mother, Hyacinth. I believed my wife had been exaggerating when she told me," he said as food appeared on the table. 

Hyacinth busied herself with a sip of pumpkin juice, trying to chase away the dryness that had suddenly made itself known within her throat. Noticing his daughter's discomfort and chalking it up to her not knowing how to act before the formidable Malfoy heir, Severus distracted Lucius with questions about work, allowing Hyacinth to breathe a relieved sigh.

She stuck her tongue out at Narcissa, who actively had painted tears rolling down her face as she tried to stifle her laughter at the young girl's expense. Draco noticed and turned his head to shoot his mother another impish grin.

Dinner remained a quiet affair, the soft murmurs of Severus and Lucius' conversation being the only thing other than cutlery against fine china plates to break the silence. Severus noticed that Hyacinth was still barely eating, simply rolling her peas around her plate with her fork. It seemed that he wasn't the only one to notice as he saw the concerned look on his godson's face.

Draco suddenly coughed to get his father's attention before he spoke, "If I may, could I show Hyacinth the gardens father?" he asked. Lucius finally noticed the young girl's mostly untouched plate of food and hesitated slightly.

"If she agrees, I see no issue; the weather is still agreeable. Just make sure you're back before you have to head back to Hogwarts, Draco", he said. Hyacinth nearly jumped from her seat when Draco stood from his, walking as fast as her heeled feet could take her as he led her out of the dining room.

Narcissa watched on, her joy lost, watching Hyacinth barely touch her food. 

"She isn't eating properly, is she, Severus?" she asked.