Effervescence | h.p.

i | xxxix. joyous days

A small creature came and opened the door for the girl in the sage green gown.

"Hello!" Lyra greeted sweetly.

"Welcome, Miss. Dobby will take your coat and hang it for her," the small grayish creature said without looking up. It was short and small, a dirty piece of fabric that loosely hung from its shoulders being its only protection from the cold draft. It had large bat-like ears that were wide on the sides or its head.

"Thank you, sir," Lyra said kindly with a smile as she stepped through the door that the elfish-thing held open.

"Dobby has never been regarded so kindly," Dobby confessed, now looking at the girl that stood in front of him with luminous, wide green eyes. "Lyra Lupin-Black!" he suddenly said with fascination, "such an honor it is!"

"I'm sorry?" she said with wide eyes in shock at the elf's sudden interest in her.

"Miss Lupin-Black's kindness has only been described, but never has a house-elf been treated as an equal!" he squeaked.

"It would be impolite to treat anyone different without any reason," Lyra spoke wisely.

"Dobby hasn't ever been treated — "

"Indu!" Draco cut off the elf accidentally as he said his friend's name.

"Sol!" she replied with as much excitement and enthusiasm as the blond boy before her.

"Indu — " he started again but it was his first time looking at his best friend. He lost all composure at the sight of his best friend all dressed up and groomed for the ball.

"Draco?" she asked expectantly after he was not said anything for thirty seconds.

"Dracooo?" she said again. "You all right, there?"

"Y-yeah. Yes, I'm all right, it's just — wow, Ly. You look gorgeous," he admitted.

"Oh, thank you," she said with a furious blush at the compliment she received. She was going to need to get used to being complimented quickly this evening. "I have a gift for you."

"Thank you, I'll open it on Christmas. Come in, I want you to meet my parents. They're just in there," Draco said, pointing to a large doorway where the party was being held.

There were many bodies dancing, some swaying lightly, and then there were people who just stood and talked to their acquaintances. It was overwhelming to be in the presence of so many people in such an enclosed space — not that the room was small, it was just so full of movement.

Draco grabbed the girl's wrist so she wouldn't be lost in the sea of people. He dragged her around the room's border and to a space toward the room's front but against the wall opposite of the entrance door.

"Mother! Father!" Draco called over the elegant music when he saw his parents were not currently engaged in a conversation with some other random pureblooded family.

"I wanted to introduce my best friend to you," he explained. "This is Lyra. She's my friend from school."

"Hello, dear! I'm Narcissa Malfoy," Narcissa stated, pulling Lyra into a hug of greeting.

"Hello. Thank you for having me this evening," Lyra said quietly after she pulled away from Narcissa.

"Lucius Malfoy," Lucius said with an obviously false smile, which turned into more of a sneer to the girl. He held on his cane instead of shaking the girl's hand, which she had chosen to keep to herself this time around.

"Lyra Lupin-Black, sir. You have a lovely manor," she complimented with a nod of her head.

Lucius' eyes seemed to brighten slightly when he heard the girl's surname, his sneer dropping into a bit more of a malicious smirk.