14 July, 1997 (8:10p.m, Saturday)

Scarlett was standing in front of Narcissa's mirror. Narcissa was behind her lacing her dress up and trying not to cry.

"Scarlett, you look beautiful." She sniffled, "Watching you grow into the woman you are today has been one of my biggest honors. I know that moving in with us wasn't ideal at first, the circumstances were horrible but we are so blessed to have you as a part of our family. I don't even think of you as my niece. I think of you as my daughter, I know Lucius does too, and Draco sees you as a sister. I'm so glad to be standing beside you on your special day."

Scarlett wiped a tear, "Cissy, I love you all so much. Thank you for taking me in and raising me. I've loved every minute here and I-" she couldn't continue, she was crying. Narcissa pulled her into her arms.

The two women stood there, holding onto each other as Scarlett cried in Narcissa's arms. Narcissa was trying (and failing) at holding it together. She lifted her arm up to wipe another tear before glancing at the clock.

She pulled back from Scarlett, "Okay, we've got to fix your makeup. You have to be down there in ten minutes. I have two things that I have to give you." She walked over to her bedside table and pulled an envelope and a box from the drawer.

She sat on the bed and patted the spot beside her. She placed the box into Scarlett's hands. "This was your mother's. I know she would've wanted you to wear it on an important day like today."

Scarlett opened the box and inside was an emerald ring, there was an engraving on the inside of the band, it had an M for Malfoy.

"Cissy, this is beautiful, how did you get it?"

Narcissa smiled, "When we got the news that your mother was dead and that you were at Hogwarts, Lucius and I went to the school, then immediately after we went to America. We found your family's home and went inside. Lucius wanted to know how Cassandra had died. He had some suspicions so he wanted to investigate. When we had gotten there, the house was a mess, it seemed like she'd known that she was going to die because underneath her pillow was that letter and the ring. There was two letters actually, one for you and one for me. I've never read yours, my letter just instructed me to give it to you when I thought you were ready."

Scarlett felt a lump in her throat, she thought she might cry again, "What did your letter say?"

Narcissa sighed, "She wrote that she knew the risk of what could happen to her if she sent you to Hogwarts, but she knew it was the safest option for you. She said that she knew Lucius and I were your last of kin and she asked would we take care of you. I'm sure that if she had any other options then she would've picked someone else but I'm glad she gave us her blessing to raise you. But I knew today was the right day to give you her letter and ring."

Scarlett nodded, she slipped the ring onto her middle finger, it was the only finger that the ring fit and then she looked down at the letter. "Would it be okay if I waited to read this later tonight? I don't think I have much time left."

"Of course, I'll fix your makeup and then I'll go put it in your room in your desk drawer."

"Thank you."

It was 8:22, she needed to be down there in five minutes. Narcissa waved her wand around and fixed her makeup, removing her mascara that had ran and fixing her eyeshadow that smudged.

Narcissa grabbed her shoulders and twisted her to the mirror, "You look just like your mother. Beautiful." She looked as though she had more to say but she looked at the clock, "Now get down there and find Adrian for your dance."

Scarlett nodded, she gave Narcissa one last hug and then turned and exited the room.

She ran down the stairs and to the ball room doors. She wasn't supposed to enter. Adrian was supposed to be out there waiting for her and a minute before it started he was supposed to slip inside and wait for her to enter for their dance.

Her heart dropped. He wasn't there. Maybe he was already inside? She was trying to give him the benefit of the doubt. Her heart was racing. What was she supposed to do if she got in there and no one was waiting to dance with her? She would look stupid.

She counted down the seconds until the door would open.

Fifty two.

Fifty.

Forty one.

Thirty six.

Thirty.

Twenty five.

Twenty two.

Fifteen.

Ten.

Five.

Four.

Three.

Two.

One.

-

The doors swung open and all eyes were on Scarlett Malfoy as she walked into the room. She looked to her left and then to her right. Adrian wasn't there.

Theodore, Theo, Draco, Lucius, Narcissa, and Astoria were all sitting in the front at a long table. Lucius had an unreadable expression. Narcissa was frowning and Astoria had paled.

"He's not there." Draco whispered to Theo.

Draco turned to Theo and just as he was about to swat him on the shoulder and whisper "Get your arse out there!" he realized that Theo was no longer there, in fact, he was already halfway across the room, making his way to the center of the ball room where Scarlet was standing.

He extended his arm for Scarlett to take and the two took the final steps to the center together. He placed one hand on her waist and the other laced with hers as she placed one arm on his shoulder.

The lights dimmed and the orchestra began to play the song they had practiced to and the two danced around the room. He spun her around and around until she felt dizzy. They weren't even doing the proper dance anymore. Madam Sallow was frowning in the corner but even she soon found her frown turning upward into a smile. She did not condone their improv but she had to admit they looked amazing together.

Well...

Until their spinning stopped and as he went to lace their hands back together, his tuxedo sleeve lifted at the wrist and Scarlett could see the beginnings of a black tattoo.

She looked down at it and back up at him, she tried to keep the smile on her face, for the sake of the dance. He stared past her, refusing to make eye contact. "Theo." She mumbled.

He dipped her and as he brought her back up, his lips grazed her ear, "Stop it." He whispered.

He knew she'd seen it. He needed to get out of there. It had gotten hot all of a sudden and all of a sudden it felt like everyone was watching him. Did everyone know? Had everyone seen it? No, of course not, Scarlett had blocked it from being seen. It wasn't even visible anymore. It was just a slip.

He spun her one last time and then the music stopped, he escorted her back to the table. Before the lights had come back on and before she could turn to him- he was gone.

She sat with a fake smile on her face for what felt like hours before everyone began to get up and talk.

She looked over at Astoria, "Did you see where Theo went?" She asked.

Astoria shrugged, "He's been moody all day. I overheard Tracey say that Adrian was in Greece. Lucius is mad about it. I heard what he was whispering to Theodore and-"

Scarlett cut Astoria off, "I'll be back, but I have to find Theo first."

Astoria nodded.

Scarlett stood up and disappeared out of one of the side doors, she didn't come down the hallway where the ballroom was too often. There was too many halls in the Manor. She didn't want to get lost in them.

But it didn't her take long to find Theo. She had walked down one hallway, took a left, ended up in another dimly lit hallway and off in a corner was Theo, who was standing with his back to her. He had taken off the jacket part of his tuxedo, discarding it onto a chair, leaving him only in the white button down and black dress pants and his tie was draped around his shoulders. 

She walked up behind him, "So were you just not going to tell me?"

He sighed and turned around, "Just drop it, Scarlett."

"No! You took the Mark and didn't tell me. I think I deserved to know."

He rolled his eyes, "You didn't deserve to know anything. I had no reason to tell you, you're not my girlfriend, we're hardly even friends. Just a few weeks ago you hated me! Just because we kissed once doesn't make you entitled to personal things."

Her shoulders dropped, "So did that kiss mean nothing to you?"

"You told me it meant nothing to you, so don't pull that card! You've had weeks to break up with Pucey, but you haven't yet! Is this just some kind of game for you? Fuck, Scarlett, I've tried everything, but I can't stop thinking about you and I know it's wrong. You're basically my best friend's little sister but I want you. You're all I think about it and it's so fucking annoying and to make matters even worse, I can't even have you because you're still with your shitty boyfriend."

"Then what's your problem? You've been an ass for half the summer and I-"

He cut her off as he backed her into the wall, "You're my fucking problem," his voice was barely above a whisper, "I want you to stop fucking around and tell me exactly what you want."

She looked up at him, "What?" She was confused. What did he mean? What did she want?

He leaned down and pushed a piece of her hair behind her ear, letting his fingers linger a little bit too long on her jaw line before traveling to her neck, she leaned into his touch, but he pulled away, leaning down a bit so that his mouth was at her ear. "Tell me you're over him." Then his mouth was on her neck, leaving light kisses, "Tell me that you're over him so that I can do this and not feel shitty about it."

She inhaled a shaky breath and then she nodded, "I'm over him. We're done. He didn't show up so I'm taking that as we're through."

Theo nodded, "Good."

That was all it took, he pressed her up against the wall, she gasped, it was cold and her arms were exposed. He took that as an invitation to kiss her. She wrapped her arms around his neck, twisting at pieces of his hair, he kissed her harder. He removed one of his hands from her waist and brought it up to her neck, lightly grabbing it as a way to pull her closer- if it was even possible for them to get any more closer.

She reached for the top button of his shirt, attempting to unbutton it. But their secret meeting was cut short by a girl whisper shouting somewhere down the hall.

"Scarlett! Where are you! Draco's looking for you!" Astoria was whispering to no one in particular because she had no idea where Scarlett was. Theo and Scarlett were backed into a corner, he was looking down at her smirking.

She was fixing her hair and adjusting her dress.

"We can pick up where we left off another time." Theo whispered.

She nodded, "I've got to get back." As she was about to walk past him, he grabbed her chin, tilting it up to him, she thought he was going to kiss her again, but instead he used his thumb to wipe her smudged lipstick. It was all under her lip and she hadn't realized it.

He let go, "I'll be up there in a few."

-

Scarlett ran down the hallway to where Astoria was standing peering into a dark room, Astoria turned, hearing the footsteps approaching, "Oh, thank Merlin. Draco was very suspicious of my excuse." She sighed. As the two girls stepped into better lighting, Astoria looked up at Scarlett, "Why do you look  like that?" She asked.

Scarlett frowned, "Like what?"

"You're red, are you hot? Do you have a fever or did you just fuck Theo in a dark hallway?" She smirked at Scarlett, raising her hand up to check her for a fever.

Scarlett rolled her eyes, "No!"

"You sure? Your neck is a little red and your lips are puffy and your dress is wrinkled." Astoria pointed out.

Her eyes widened, "Fix it! Do you have your wand."

Astoria shrugged, "That depends on if you're going to tell me what happened?"

Scarlett groaned, "I'll tell you anything you want if you make me look normal."

Astoria grabbed her wand from her dress pocket and mumbled something and not long after, Scarlett's neck looked normal, her lipstick wasn't everywhere anymore and her dress was smooth. Just in time too because Draco was coming down the hallway.

He noticed them and yelled, "Have either of you seen Theo?"

Astoria shook her head, "Not since Scar danced with him."

"Yeah, I came out to go to the bathroom and I didn't see him in the hall when I passed by. I don't know where he is." Scarlett lied.

"Oh." Draco frowned.

"We're going to get back in there now, Narcissa had mentioned cake and I'm really hungry." Astoria lied.

Draco gave her a weird look, he hadn't heard Narcissa mention cake, but he didn't say anything, he just nodded and walked away.

Astoria grabbed Scarlett's arm and practically dragged her away, "Tell me everything." She whispered once she was sure Draco was far enough away.

authors note:
my friend and i were in a makeup store
today and she wanted a lipstick but they were locked in drawers so she asked a worker for help so the lady came over and unlocked the cabinet to get her the lipstick and after giving it to her the lady turned to me and asked if i wanted one as well and i was like oh no i'm good and YALL I KID YOU NOT she goes "you sure you don't want to match with your mom?" like ma'am i'm nineteen and she's twenty. she is not my mother😭😭

also i still haven't decided if i want to
include smut in this or not. the most
i'm thinking of right now is implied
smut because i've never written it
before but it's up to you guys, if you
want it lmk and if you don't want
it also lmk