short chapter part for you.

Chapter 4- The Great Honor part 1

Cassie walked in a daze around the manor after her father’s departure. The rest of the household had dispersed into various areas around the manor, Draco and his father had taken up a position in the library while Narcissa and her sister had taken up the drawing room talking. Cassie realized that she was now more alone than she had ever thought she was before.

She walked the main hallway staring the faces on the portraits watching as the moved within their framed palaces. The dark purple walls added a depth of uneasy warmth to the grand hall as she inwardly thought she was too numb to feel anything. Why had she not cried or fought the situation. She did not want to be here in this environment. Cassie missed her friends and her family but why did she not feel it?

The snake followed her as she slowly made her way around the hall stopping only to look at the molding or the center pieces of tables. Draco and his father walked out of the library in mid discussion. Lucius walked into the room with Narcissa and Bellatrix while Draco motioned that he would be along in a moment.

Draco watched Cassie as she stared at the paintings on the wall every so often she would tuck a disobedient strand hair behind her ear and continue to move to the next frame. She knew that he was watching her but she hoped that he would find her dull and move into the drawing room with the rest of the Malfoys. After a few moments of watching him mindlessly fidget with a center piece on a nearby table she decided that she would go to her room as he was making her feel awkward.

She walked with her head down to avoid eye contact as she crossed the great hall and started to walk up the stairs. She was halfway up the stairs when she glanced to see if Draco was still watching as she did her foot caught the stair wrong and she slipped falling down three steps landing on her butt. The Faces in the paintings all turned to her direction watching her not so graceful decent. Draco was at her side before she could think.

She let out a rather loud laugh as she tried to stand up. “Only I can fall going UP a flight of stairs, Thank you.” she said as she let him help her to her feet and she rubbed her but with her free hand. “Ok that was not the least bit embarrassing, at all” she added looking at the paintings looking at her.

“Blush looks good on you Cassandra, Are you alright?” Draco teased.

“Well it certainly was one way to get to the bottom of the stairs.” She said her face growing redder. “Did you need something. You were watching me before I ever so gracefully caught the attention of every painting here. And how do they move?” she shut up as she realized that she was rambling. “Sorry” she added quietly while covering her mouth.

“ Don’t be sorry you have a lovely smile. As to the paintings, they are imprints of subjects personality. At the time of the sitting the painter will enchant the portrait giving it a personality and memories of the individual that he or she painted. The paintings are not the real souls of the actual person however the personality and behaviors are the same. I did have a question for you but I was deciding when the best time would be to ask.” Draco responded in one great breath of air while holding her arm helping her up the stairs.

“And what was your decision?”

With a smile Draco said “sometime between now and the next time you hurt yourself”

“Oh so five minuets then” she quickly responded with a smile.

When they had reached the top landing Cassie stopped and pushed a hair behind her ear awkwardly and added. “Thanks, for preventing me for falling again and for explaining the whole paintings thing” She turned and gaining speed to get to the sanctuary of her room. He watched her walk for a moment before turning and going down that stairs and into the drawing room.