Christmas with the Malfoys - 6

"Yes, some nasty business with the centaurs, wasn't it?" Mrs. Malfoy asked, her nose held high in the air. "Dreadful creatures."

"Yes, it was," Mrs. Parkinson said. "I always thought Hogwarts allowed more leniency about certain things than they ought. I'd wanted to send Iris and Pansy to my own Durmstrang, but their father didn't want them so far away."

"And a good thing that was, too," Iris said, her eyes filling as she dropped her fork on her plate, "or else we wouldn't have had the time with Daddy when he was here. Excuse me." Her voice choked up on her last few words. Covering her face with her hands, Iris stood and fled the table.

Fred watched her departure, frowning.

Mrs. Parkinson stood, nodding apologetically. "If you'll excuse me. She's having a difficult time without her father this year."

"Of course," Professor McGonagall said, nodding understandingly.

Pansy watched her mother and sister leave the room with a hardened expression upon her face. Draco leaned over and whispered something in her ear, but she shook her head emphatically.

Harry looked back at his own plate, his appetite suddenly gone. He certainly could understand how Iris felt. She'd only lost her father a few months ago, and she'd had loads of Christmas memories with him to haunt her. Harry only had the one here with Sirius and a few with Dumbledore at school, but somehow, both their losses seemed more painful at Christmastime.

The conversation became more subdued after Iris's abrupt departure, but gradually, the remaining guests recovered. Harry could hear Hagrid telling Bill and Fleur a story of his adventures with Madam Maxime. Fleur laughed heartily, obviously sharing Hagrid's fondness for her former Headmistress.

At the other end of the table, Percy continued to cast curious glances at Narcissa, Draco and Pansy, but he appeared unable to catch his father's eye.

Narcissa placed another scoop of vegetables on her plate, then daintily shifted them around without actually eating them. "Tell me, how is Dolores handling the pressure? She's always been one to have a plan. How does she propose Wizarding society deal with the Dark Lord?" she asked, addressing Percy.

Harry snorted angrily, but he held his silence, pushing his plate away.

Percy looked uncomfortable. He kept adjusting his glasses and tugging at the collar of his robes as he shifted in his chair.

"She's ah...she's attempting to come up with a compromise," he said, pushing his glasses up so tightly that Harry could see a red indent on his skin.

"What does that mean, exactly?" Mr. Weasley asked, looking up sharply.

"She hasn't done anything yet, but she's compiling a list of compromises the Ministry would find acceptable," Percy said, his voice dropping.

"Comprises to Voldemort?" Harry asked loudly, dropping his silverware to the table with a clang and causing several other conversations to stop as they looked toward him. To their credit, none at the table save the Slytherins cringed at the name. Harry watched as Moody's eyes narrowed with disgust as he folded his arms across his chest.

"She says his problem is with Muggles, and that he feels their influence is contaminating the Wizarding population. She's hoping to come up with some guidelines that he'll find acceptable," Percy said, undoing the top button on his shirt collar.

"The only thing he'll find acceptable is his word being made the ultimate authority and being able to kill anyone who stands in his way. She can't be serious," Harry said incredulously.

"She's very serious," Percy said, rubbing the back of his neck. "Some of the procedures she's put in place are fantastic and a long time in coming. I think she's capable of getting some things in order that have really been let go, but this… I'm not certain this is a good idea. She's not listening to anyone who's arguing against it, however. She even accused the current Head of the MLE division of treason when he voiced his concerns."