Midnight Rain

Chapter Nine

December 16th, 1977

Today was the day of the yule ball. Athania had taken her exams early this morning and had spent the day relaxing before the ball.

She lay across the common room couch, reading a novel as girls ran in and out trying to get ready; however, she was a minimalist and didn't need any time at all to get ready.

She flipped a page of her book as the fireplace crackled to the right of her, when suddenly Ophelia hops to the side, flopping on top of her.

"What are you doing?" Athania asks, trying to get air back into her lungs again.

"It's time for you to put the book down and come upstairs," she says as she snatches her book.

"I hate you sometimes," Athania says as she was drug upstairs by the hand.

"I know," Ophelia chuckles.

She pulls Athania into her room where she already had her stuff set up and hers on her desk.

"Now sit down because I am not letting your shaky hands hold an eyeliner pencil," she says, making Athania laugh as she takes a seat, Ophelia quickly starting her work.

**********

"God these robes are itchy," Octavius complains as they stand in the common room while Lucius waits for Athania.

"Well if you would have gone home and got your formal robes as I had, you wouldn't have had to borrow your dorm mates," Lucius lectures, waving off his brother's complaints, getting an eye roll in return.

"Why are you still here anyway, Oc? We're all waiting on our ladies, shouldn't you be in the great hall by now?" Yaxley asks the younger Malfoy.

"I have a date. Narcissa Black," he says so matter of factly.

"She's engaged dipshit," Crabbe says.

"Not to anyone important, and plus she came onto me at the last party. Said she wanted-"
Lucius jabs his brother in the side to cut him off, trying to teach him better than to spread a woman's business.

"Am I interrupting something?" he hears his lover's voice.

He looks up the staircase to find Athania in a floor-length gown that hugged her in all the perfect places and sparkled from emerald sequins.

"Merlin," Lucius says, unable to find words.

"You look-"

"Expensive and gorgeous. I know, I got her ready," Ophelia chimes in.

"That would be one way," Athania says as Lucius takes her hand.

"You look beautiful darling," he says, kissing her cheek as all the other women head down the stairs to find their dates.

"Thank you, love," she says, flashing her blue eyes at him.

"You look amazing, Narcissa," Athania hears Octavius say, turning around, she finds her younger cousin taking the youngest Malfoy's hand.

"As do you," she says before he kisses her on the cheek. "Hello Lucius," Narcissa says, Athania letting out a small and sharp laugh when she realizes what this was.

Octavius was being played. If Narcissa couldn't have Lucius, she would have a miniature version of him.

"Shall we," Lucius ignores Narcissa, turning his attention back to Athania.

"We shall," she smiles, taking his hand as he leads her out of the common room, his friend group following.

Somewhere along the line, Lockhart joins Ophelia on the Slytherin's march to the great hall, the "popular" group all entering together.