That night Hera fell asleep as soon as her head of curls fell upon the pillow. She woke up early in the morning to see one of the house elves knocking on the door.

"Good morning Miss Cassiopeia, Mistress Narcissa called for Dilly to have Miss Cassiopeia wake up." Hera looked up from her bed, her wild curls obstructing her view. She looked to Dilly, trying to comprehend her words before sliding out of the bed.

"Ah, yes. Run the bath, Dilly." She gruffed groggily as she brushed her curls from her face. She walked towards the dresser where the mirror was hanging to see her tired brown eyes stare back at her. She took out the brush from the drawer to brush her hair to see Dilly rushing out from the ensuite.

"Miss Cassiopeia, may I? Pleaaase?" She excitedly stared at the hairbrush that was in her hand. Hera chuckled to herself. Dilly loved Hera's bouncy dark curls, ever since she was a child, Dilly would take the pleasure of brushing her hair gently and playing with one of the loose corkscrew curls before styling it perfectly, not a day would go by at the Malfoy Manor where she wasn't the one who would brush her flamboyant hair without any magic.

Hera smiled softly and shook her head of curls, putting down the hairbrush and tied her hair. "After my bath, Dilly. I'll summon for you when I am finished."

Dilly excited grin faltered, her honey-coloured eyes dropped to the floor before she nodded her head, leaving the bedroom to tend to her other chores.

♧

Walking through the grand hallway of Malfoy Manor, Hera's shoes clicked softly against the polished marble. Her curls was neatly put up and styled by Dilly, proudly showing her birthmark, the white streak that stood out like a sore thumb. She could remember all the times she and Draco would spend, running in the hallways, hiding behind the columns and laughter echoing through the large manor.

The two of them and Draco's friends that would visit often, running around the halls until either of them would sit down from all the exhaustion, laughing until their stomachs ached. She sighed at the memory, a smile gracing her features as she stopped by the doorway of her uncle's office.

She knocked softly, alerting her uncle of her arrival. She stood at the open doorway of her uncle's office, noticing  her aunt sitting on one of the loveseats that occupied the large room. The blonde woman gestured for her to enter the room. "Good morning, dear. Come sit." She smiled, patting the space next to her.

Hera looked to the side to see her uncle standing by the window that overlooked that gardens. She suppressed the puzzled look that was threatening to surface. She took the seat next to her aunt, a weary feeling plagued her stomach.

"Good morning." She squeaked.

Lucius barely moved from his spot by the window but Narcissa turned to her, brushing away the stray curls from her face. "You look so much like your mother, do you know that?" She hummed sweetly, caressing Hera's soft cheeks.

The young girl nodded, recalling all the times she was called 'her mother's daughter' for the uncanny resemblance. The only difference between them was almond-shaped eyes, the colour of her iris, she'd inherited from her father. At just eleven-years-old, she was yet to show the same traits her mother and father had shown, her appearance being the only physical link to show that Hera was their daughter.

She nodded slowly as her aunt sighed, taking her hands away from her face. "We've heard some troubling news, Hera. And we are not sure this is how a lady should behave..." Narcissa's blue eyes gazed at her niece sternly. "We have heard that you've surrounded yourself with a... male companion, is that true?"

Hera's heart thumped hard in her chest as she nodded. She could barely meet the piercing gaze that her aunt held, as she thought of Blaise being her only friend. He was the only one who truly accepted her without having to be forced to by her cousin, Draco. Was Aunt Narcissa going to tell her to stop being friends with Blaise? She was sure of it.

"Hera, a lady should surround herself with other women, not men. What would your betrothed think when he finds out that you've surrounded yourself with men? That is not a good image for you, darling." Narcissa scolded gently.

Hera blinked, trying to register what Narcissa had just said. One word being the most prominent among the rest. A lump formed in her throat but she forced it down, knowing fully that it was something she could not escape. She had heard stories of her Aunt Narcissa and Uncle Lucius being betrothed at a young age but older than what she was now. She was still young, a slight nervousness plagued the pit of her stomach.

"Betrothed? Am I to be betrothed?" She mumbled to herself, earning a quick slap on the wrist by Narcissa.

"Where are your manners, Cassiopeia? Has your time at Hogwarts led you to forget your mannerisms? Young ladies do not mumble." She said strictly. Hera straightened in her seat, forcing down tears that threatened to spill, her brown eyes meeting with Narcissa's own clear blue eyes. "Am I to be betrothed, Aunt Narcissa?"

The older lady looked to her husband who stood by the window. She cleared her throat, taking the man's attention from the grand window to her. Lucius moved from his spot next to the window to the armchair that stood next to him, taking a seat with his leg crossed over the other.

"We have heard of a certain boy saving you from a slight mishap," Hera face contorted into a slight grimace at his choice of words. "Troy Greengrass, hmm...I have yet to hear that he has found a betrothed and so do you, my dear."

Lucius' voice echoed throughout the office, resonating his authority. Yet, Hera could feel the meaning behind his words and she knew when my dear came through the lips of Lucius Malfoy. The said man barely acknowledged her endearingly only if it was to get something that he wanted.

"The Greengrass family is a well-known and well-respected line of purebloods like us. It would be great if we were to unite our households as one in the near future, it is nothing more than a partnership." Lucius looked to his black-haired niece, who stood out like a sore thumb among his nuclear family. "They will be visiting us within the next two days and I want you on your utmost best behaviour. A good impression should be enough for them to accept the proposal, I've already received their owl and they have agreed to meet with us to speak about the terms."

Lucius looked to his wife. "All I ask is that you are to be on your best behaviour, you are to be mentored by Narcissa from today. Do I make myself clear?" He looked to the young girl, the white streak in her hair dimmed to a dark grey.

"Yes, Uncle Lucius." She obeyed.

"You may leave now." Hera stood from her seat, her shoes talking against the polished wooden floors of her uncle's office before she was stopped by the sound of her aunt's voice. "Oh and Hera, please stay away from that Zabini boy. His family is dangerous and I don't want your delicate name tainted." Narcissa hummed sweetly. "Remember, this partnership between the Greengrass and the Malfoy bloodlines is very important, Cassiopeia."

Hera walked out of the office, and into the grand corridor. A scoff came from her.

As if our family isn't as worse as they are.

With a heavy heart and a lump in her throat. Hera left to her room to think of how she was to stop being friends with the only person who saw her as his own friend.