The Boys Are Too Refined

The invitation alone should have told me that this was not going to be like the usual balls I was forced to attend, however I had stupidly skipped over the curvy writing that my parents had so excitedly shoved under my nose. Nothing got my parents that excited. A few weeks later, and after many hours of being pulled and poked, my hair curled and my skin painted to mimic a porcelain doll, my parents shoved me into the very expensive looking car, without a single word.

The ballroom had been decorated in rich purples and greens with a few silvery accents around the room, much like one would expect the Slytherin common room to look like. Twenty or so tables had been scattered in an arc around the dance floor which circled a small stage; at the end closest to myself stood a grand staircase leading into the ballroom itself. Sighing I picked up my gown and floated down towards the dance floor, which already had around sixty bodies swaying aimlessly back and forth to the music. Everyone was in their best attire with not a single hair out of place, the girls made-up to look like dolls, and the boy’s proper gentleman.

“Welcome everyone!” smiled one of the few adults in the room as he took the microphone “You have been invited here for an extremely special reason tonight, you will be aiding the dark lord in a way he has only imagined for years. Tonight the males in this ballroom have the opportunity to find a pureblood wife, the women the chance to please their families by offering themselves to the services of not only another pureblood family but to the dark lord in turn”

‘Oh great, an arrangement ball’ I breathed through my corset. Everyone looked around themselves, some looked confused beyond belief, however I knew what this was the moment Mr. Burnet had finished his speech. Arrangement balls had been an old wizarding tradition where pureblood families would send their children in hopes of finding a partner that would help insure the purity of the family. They had died out a few decades ago, however by the sound of it He-who-must-not-be-named had decided to bring them back in hopes of breeding pureblood Deatheaters.

Sweeping my fringe behind my ear I headed towards one of the tables, someone rushed forward to pull one of the chairs out before running off before I sat down. The males held all of the power at one of these balls, they would pick a few girls and move between them until they found one that had the correct qualities and then the pair would be married quickly and turn into a pair of baby making machines until one of them, usually the female, dropped dead.

“May I have this dance ma’am?”

“Only if you plan to drop dead half way through it?” I replied sweetly

From where I sat it looked as if a few of the boys had picked their girls, one even getting slapped as he explained what this meant. Laughing to myself I sat up a little straighter in my seat and began fiddling with the top of my dress.

“Shouldn’t you be trying to find a partner?”

“Just my luck it seems as though I’ve managed to find one without leaving my seat, so I have no reason to find one” I smiled politely turning to face him

“You’re quite right in that respect, Draco Malfoy” the young blonde spoke holding out his hand

“Cassandra Alesana” I replied placing my small hand into his before being pulled towards the floor

“An Alesana, French” the boy nodded his head happily “Youngest of four and the only girl in the family”

“Well it seems someone knows my family tree; however I wonder Mr. Malfoy do you know how to waltz?”

Draco’s hand left my waist as my head rocketed towards the ground before flicking back up to be spun before falling into step with the couples around us. A simple yes would have been enough. By the look of it he was enjoying himself, and although I wouldn’t admit it I was beginning to have fun as well.

“So should I be talking to your father Alesana?”

“Cocky much?”

“Oh very much”

I would be kidding myself to say that I didn’t know the Malfoy’s, everyone knew right hand family of the Dark Lord, Oh I may be French but don’t let that sway you. My eldest brother had joined the ranks of the Death Eaters before I had even been able to stand, my father had actually been extremely disappointed when I was born a girl because he believed providing five boys to the lord would have put him in better favor, there was no doubt that my marriage from this ball would have finally made him proud. That thought got me to thinking, had he been planning for this my whole life? It surely explained my education and his hiding me from the outside world. When the other girls from Beauxbatons Academy had been allowed to travel to Hogwarts, I was instead sent to a finishing school.

The rest of the ball ran smoothly, couples leaving to begin arrangements; the boys left over more desperate to find a suitable mate that they had begun to squabble. After our dance Draco had gone back to completing his rounds and you could actually see girls waiting for him to indicate who he wanted. I had danced a few times and turned down a proposal already, marry a Crawford? My parents would rather die of shame then have me marry an American no matter his standing within the pureblood community. The night had begun to drag on and as its outcome didn’t overly matter to me I had decided to take my leave.

“Cassandra, Don’t forget to tell your father I shall call on him” Draco yelled up the stairs, he had some girl whispering and kissing at his neck, his own arms tugging on the ribbons holding her dress up.

“Of course Mr. Malfoy, A pleasure it will be” I replied with a curtsy… pig…