#myrtle / the pretender (oc) | Explore Tumblr posts and blogs

malfoymanortings · 4 years ago

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my heart is buried in Venice

SUMMARY: she would rather die for love than live for fear. it appears that falling for draco malfoy puts that to the test.

PAIRING: draco x oc

WARNINGS: smut and a bit of descriptive torture (crucio)

hello again! this is angsty. that’s all i will say, so now you’ve been warned. let me know if you enjoy it. its a bit of a longer one! bold/italics symbolize the beginning/ending of a flashback. hopefully it isn’t confusing! also, sorry the summary is shit, im so bad at writing them!

She thinks back to the first time she had seen Draco Malfoy. Not the first time they had met, immature beyond their current years, but the first time she had seen Draco.

The crying was unfamiliar to her, yet it brought stabbing pains to her chest. She hurried into the bathroom, expecting to find a scared first year. They always came to the bathrooms to cry, although they did normally avoid Moaning Myrtle. Still, with the current state of the world, she supposed nothing would be surprising at this point.

“It’s alright,” she stepped in cautiously, peering to see where the crying person was. “No one deserves to cry alone in the bathroom.”

With a thick, shaky sort of breath, the crying tapered off. She turned the corner to see a silver head of hair hunched over the sink, a boy with white sleeves rolled up on his arms. He wasn’t quick enough to yank the sleeves down, and she stopped short when she saw the unmistakable mark of Voldemort on his arm.

“Get out,” Draco Malfoy snarled, turning to half his face was visible to her. “Now.”

“I would hate to leave you alone like this,” she paused, holding her hands out in a sort of I come in peace way. “I may not be your preferred company, but I’ve been told I’m a great listener.”

It was almost unnoticeable, but Draco softened. It was clear in the sag of his shoulders, the loosening of his grip on the sink. She held her breath, and walked further into the bathroom.

“Or, I could offer out a distraction,” she leaned against the frame of the stall, her arms crossed on her chest. “I’ve also been known to ramble about nonsense more often than not.”

“And who exactly is it that said that?” Draco turned towards her, and sat on the floor.

She smiled, and promptly sat down on the floor with her back against the frame. “Well, I’m quite good friends with Susan Bones…” and she launched into a tale of the time when she and Susan had successfully distracted Professor Sprout for half a lesson, by asking about the mixing of magical plants with other muggle plants of certain… properties. They had been beyond surprise when Professor Sprout was quite knowledgeable on the subject herself.

To her surprise, Draco had engaged a bit in the discussion, asking questions and humming and hawing here and there to show he had actually been listening. He had subtly wiped his face dry during the conversation, and she had pretended not to notice.

“I’m quite surprised to find you here, you know,” she said gently, after their shared laughter had come to a stop. “I’m sure you have a million other friends in your house that would talk with you, rather than a Hufflepuff.”

“I haven’t got any friends,” he scoffed harshly, his face once again that hard mask he wore in the halls. “None that really give a shit. Certainly none that would-” but he cut himself short, shaking his head and staring at his hands.

“None that would want to know the reason behind having the mark,” she guessed softly, raising her hands when he lifted his head with a snarl on his face. “If it bothered me terribly, I wouldn’t be sitting here with you. I would have already gone to Dumbledore or someone.”

“So why are you here?” his face was twisted again, into the hatred and despair that seemed foreign on his beautiful features. “Waiting for the right opportunity to strike? Waiting for me to spill my secrets, so you can go running off to tell?”

“No,” she shook her head, answering honestly. “I’m here, because someone was crying and needed a friend.”

Draco’s shoulders sagged again, and he rested his head on his knees. The gentle trembling of his shoulders were the only sign that he was crying again.

In a move that was boldly out of her character, she scooted across the floor so she was beside him. The gentle tensing of his body let her know that he noticed her movements. Slowly, and then in one rushing movement, she wrapped her arms around him.

He began to shove her off at first, but then he sagged once more, and rested his head on her shoulder. Again, he cried, and she murmured reassuring words as he did.

A long time had passed before the embrace ended. Draco had stopped crying, and they had been sitting there in silence for a while.

“Would you like to talk about it?” she asked him quietly, when he pulled out of her arms.

He shook his head, his grey eyes looking at hers with a haunted gaze. “I can’t.”

It is those same grey eyes she stares at now. Not entirely grey, they have the most spectacular speckles of blue in them. A brilliant contrast to her honey brown ones.

“Is there any particular reason you enjoy the bathroom?” she asked Draco, setting her bag beside her as she sat on the floor next to him.

“I don’t enjoy the bathroom,” he muttered, his elbows resting on his knees. “It’s a filthy place.”

“So then why, when you disappear, do I always find you in the bathroom, either staring at the mirror or sitting on the floor?” she bumped his shoulder with her own, looking up at him through her lashes.

“Are you keeping tabs on me?” he turned his head to look down at her, his grey eyes dark.

Well, not entirely grey. The longer she stared at them, the most beautiful flecks of blue popped out at her. As she stared -admired, although she wouldn’t admit that to him- the bags underneath paired with his spiderweb veins of tender yellow and blue haunted her.

“Perhaps,” she paused, her lips parting for a moment. “Does that bother you?”

“It should,” he surprised her with the raw honesty in his voice. He was normally much more reserved. “But it doesn’t. I like the thought of you thinking of me.”

“Well, I think of you quite often,” she admitted, a bit breathless at the admission. “When you weren’t at dinner, I knew where to find you.”

“The bathroom,” Draco scoffed, turning away to hide the redness spreading across his cheeks. She smiled gently, as she didn’t miss it. She noticed just about everything he did. “Who would have ever thought a Malfoy would declare the bathroom as their safe space.”

“Put a few pictures up, might make it a bit more homey,” she suggested, resting her head on his shoulder. “Although I would make sure they’re all modest, don’t want Myrtle to take any for her personal use.”

“Oh, come on now,” he gave a rare smile, reminiscent of the smirk he used to wear all the time. “Myrtle isn’t that bad.”

She raised her eyebrows. “Wow, Draco, first the bathroom, now Myrtle? Clearly you’ve strayed from your noble path.”

Perhaps that was the wrong thing to say. The reaction from Draco was immediate, his mouth snapped shut with an audible snap, his jaw clenched, and his body went stiff. She lifted her head off his shoulder, apologies on her face, but he began speaking with an angry rush that startled her.

“I don’t think there’s anything noble left in me,” his hands were shaking now. “My life has become such a mockery of what I thought it would be, and there’s absolutely no way out. I don’t know what I’m going to do, and I need to figure it out now before he- before he kills me.”

Time seemed to freeze after he spoke. He had never even hinted before, at anything like that. They danced around the subject of his dark mark, neither wanting to bring it up. But now, for Draco to so openly admit that he was being forced to do something, more than likely pertaining to Voldemort, well. It was a breakthrough in their relationship.

“You can tell me anything, Draco,” her voice was barely above a whisper, and yet, it sounded through the empty bathroom like a siren. “Please, don’t feel like you need to bottle this up.”

Tears leaked out of Draco’s eyes, and she tentatively wrapped her arms around him. This time, he held her back even tighter, and shifted so that she was in between his legs. He cradled the back of her head gently, pressing her to his chest, and he rested his head on top of hers. Her heart began racing, and his did the same. She knew this because his heartbeat was echoing in her ear from being pressed against his chest.

“I have to fix the vanishing cabinet in the room of requirement,” he said the words quickly, in a rush. “To get the death eaters in the school. He.. he wants me to kill Dumbledore.”

“Oh, Draco,” her breath was shaky, and she closed her eyes. “I’m so sorry.”

The bathroom seemed deathly silent after that. Time seemed to stretch infinitely, until Draco shattered it once more.

“I’ve thought of jumping off the astronomy tower,” he breathed out, so lightly she almost didn’t hear. “Ending it all. But I’m too much of a coward to go through with it.”

“No,” she said quickly, pulling back slightly so she could look at his eyes. “You can’t do that I can’t- I don’t want to lose you.”

The quick admission slipped from her lips before she could stop it, and she wanted to swallow her words as fast as she said them. Draco shut his eyes, his cheeks glistening from the tears that had fallen. His jaw was clenched, a sure sign that he was upset.

“You can’t have me,” Draco’s voice was firm. “I’m not good for you. You’ll only get hurt, if they know I care for you.”

“You care for me?” that seemed to be the only thing her mind would let her latch onto, and she marveled at the fact.

“You could be killed.” his voice was less firm now, and he opened his eyes, grey staring into brown.

“I could be killed regardless,” she pointed out, nearly breathless. “There’s a war going on, Draco. I could die tomorrow, I could leave for holiday or summer break, and be killed. I don’t want to exist in fear. I want to live what little time I may have left in love.”

The words seemed to hang between them, the air heavy. Draco’s eyes shut briefly, and his arms tightened around her before he opened them again. As his head bent towards her, she closed the gap, placing her hands on his cheeks. He flinched at the touch, but melted into her as their lips progressed together.

Her eyes flick down to his lips now, the feeling of them so familiar yet so foreign at the same time. Liquid trickles down her forehead, towards her cheek, but she doesn’t move a hand to brush it away.

“Don’t you dare fucking hurt her!” Draco shouted at Harry Potter, flashing a streak of purple towards the Gryffindor. He pushed her out of the way, and she skidded to the floor.

Harry fired another spell at Draco, exploding the toilet next to her. The porcelain rained down on her, and she raised her arms protectively as the shards cut her skin. Draco shot another spell at Harry, and the bin behind him exploded.

She rose to her feet, nearly slipping on the water, trying to get her wand from her discarded robes on the floor behind Draco. Just as she had it in her hands, she turned, only to get hit with a leg locker curse from Harry. She fell, unable to brace herself, and knocked the side of her head on the sink, hot liquid spilling down her face as her head exploded in pain.

Draco turned to see her, and his face contorted in rage as he turned back to Harry. He cried, “Cruci-”

“SECTUMSEMPRA!” bellowed Harry, cutting off Draco’s unforgivable curse, waving his wand wildly.

She watched in horror through blurry vision as blood spurted from Draco’s face and chest as though he had been slashed with an invisible sword. He staggered backward and collapsed on to the waterlogged floor with a great splash, his wand falling from his limp right hand.

“No,” she choked out, the leg locker curse wearing off. “No, no, no!”

Her head spinning wildly, she looked down horrified as Draco’s white hands scrabbled at his blood soaked chest. She was vaguely aware of Harry falling to his knees next to Draco, and without a second thought, she wound her fist back and punched him with as much strength as she could muster.

“Fix him,” she screamed at Harry, who had a hand pressed to his nose. “Whatever you did, fix him now!”

“MURDER! MURDER IN THE BATHROOM! MURDER!”

Moaning Myrtle had appeared out of the toilets, and she was now floating around the bathroom wildly.

The door banged open, and Professor Snape burst into the room. She realized it was the only time she was happy to see the hook nosed man. He pushed Harry roughly aside, and drew his wand over the deep wounds Harry’s curse had made, muttering an incantation that sounded almost like song. The flow of blood eased, Snape wiped the residue from Draco’s face and repeated his spell. Now, the wounds seemed to be knitting.

She had his hand in her own, reaching up ever so often to wipe away the blood that kept coming from her head wound. When Snape had performed the counter curse for the third time, he half-lifted Malfoy into a standing position.

She stood up quickly, hearing Snape mutter to Draco. She steadied herself against the headrush she got from standing, a fresh wave of pain rolled through her head.

“Miss Cherrywood, are you able to accompany Draco to the nurse?” Snape eyed her, his face unreadable.

“Of course,” she quickly took Draco in her arms, steadying herself against the added weight. “What do I tell Madam Pomfrey?”

His gaze didn’t miss the way she looked at him, or he her. “Tell her exactly what happened. I am going to deal with Potter.”

She nodded, and hurried out of the bathroom as fast as she could. Draco was pale, much paler than she had ever seen him, which was saying something. He normally looked as white as their sheets.

They made it to Madam Pomfrey, who immediately took Draco into her care. As she watched Madam Pomfrey, she told her exactly what happened. Harry had started it, for no good reason. She left out the part about Draco nearly using an unforgivable, and as she finished recounting the story, she fell over from the sudden wave that went through her head.

Nothing got passed Madam Pomfrey. She was instructed to sit on the bed next to Draco, and once Madam Pomfrey was satisfied with her work on the silver haired boy, she fixed up her would and gave her a potion for the concussion she surely endured.

“You alright, Birdie?” Draco’s eyes were shut, and his voice was weak as he spoke.

“Don’t worry about me,” she slid off the bed, ignoring the instruction Pomfrey had given her before she left. “How are you?”

When her hand held his, he opened his eyes. He was so pale. She brushed his silver strands off his forehead gently, careful of the bottom half of his face that had been hit with that nasty curse.

“I feel as though I should be dead,” Draco paused, his voice low. “For whatever reason, that thought now scares me.”

“What do you mean, love?” the pet name slipped out of her mouth, and she hoped he didn’t mind. She brushed a thumb over his hand, relishing in the soft skin.

“I mean,” he turned to look at her, his face open and earnest. It reminded her of the day he had told her everything. That seemed so long ago now. “I was scared I was going to die without ever telling you how I felt.”

Silence laid over them like a blanket. She stared at him, lips parted, not knowing what to say.

“Birdie, I love you,” Draco broke the silence, shutting his eyes once more. “I shouldn’t. But I do. What happened today with Potter is just a fraction, a mere glimpse, of what would happen to you if he knew my feelings for you.”

“I don’t care, Draco,” the words flew from her mouth, a smile gracing her lips. “I don’t care. I love you. I am in love with you. I would always choose to live in love instead of fear.”

Draco opened his eyes again, and reached a weak arm up to press his lips to hers. Their eyes shut as their lips moved in sync as they had done many times before.

“I meant what I said,” she says the words quietly, looking into those familiar grey eyes. “I will always choose to live in love rather than fear.”

Laughter is heard around them, and she swallows her fear down hard. She vows to be true to her words, no matter the cost.

“Tomorrow,” Draco says quietly, turning to look at her. “It happens tomorrow.”

She let out a shaky breath, turning away from his gaze to the night sky. She had known this was happening, since he told her he fixed the damn cabinet. There was nothing to do. She couldn’t stop it. She wouldn’t help him. She would be fighting against him, come tomorrow night.

“I love you.” the words fall from her lips in a shaky voice, tears slipping down her face.

“Darling,” Draco took her in his arms, cradling her head to his chest. She was reminded of their first hug when he did the same. “I love you more than I had ever thought possible.”

They kissed again, this time a different passion behind it. They both knew this was a goodbye, maybe forever. He would leave with the Death Eaters tomorrow, after he killed Dumbledore. He would have blood on his hands and would formally join the enemy.

Their lips clashed and moved together, tongue touching teeth and lips touching skin. They grabbed at each other, daring to find where the other began and the other stopped. Gentle hands, harsh lips. It was a fight for love that wouldn’t matter in the end.

Draco laid her down on the cushy blanket they had been sitting on before, and paused. “Are you sure you want this, Birdie?”

“I want you, Draco,” she stared up at him, trying her best to memorize his every feature. He was so angelic. How could he be put up to the task he was given? “Only you, Draco.”

He pressed kisses to her neck, deftly unbuttoning her blouse. It slid off her shoulders, and he unhooked her bra next. For a moment, he stopped, staring at her exposed breasts for the first time.

“So beautiful darling,” he murmured, pressing kisses to her skin. “All for me.”

“Always for you.” she moaned back, as he nipped and sucked at her soft breasts.

His lips felt like fire against her skin, as he took a nipple in his mouth while his hand played with the other. She arched her back, wanting to be as close as possible to him. After a moment, she helped him slide his shirt off so she could touch his bare skin. Her nails dragged down his back as he sucked on her breasts, massaging the other with his hand.

He began pressing kisses to her neck, while his hands slid her skirt and panties off her hips, leaving her bare underneath him. He did the same to his pants, leaving his boxers on. He glanced up at her once more, and when she nodded, pressed his lips to hers and cupped her heat.

He ran a finger up her slit, kissing her neck once more as she moaned at his touch. She gripped his shoulders as he began pushing one finger in and out, before adding another one. She moaned softly as Draco sucked on her neck, his fingers sliding in and out of her. He began to rub small circles on her clit with his thumb, and her eyes fluttered shut.

“Draco,” she moaned out, pleasure coursing through her body as he kissed her breasts again.

“That’s it, darling,” he replied, pressing his lips to her once more before trailing back down to her neck. “Say my name.”

He pumped in and out of her faster, and she cursed as she said his name. She dug her fingers into his shoulders, and he hissed at the pain. He rubbed her clit faster, and she felt pressure building in her stomach. She moaned his name again, her eyes rolling into the back of her head.

“You’re so beautiful darling,” he praised her. “All hot and wet for me. Only for me.”

He picked up the speed of his fingers pumping in and out, and she could feel herself becoming close to coming.

“Draco, I’m gonna-” a moan from her throat cut her off.

“Yes Birdie, come on fingers,” he coaxed, his thumb again rubbing fast against her clit. “I want to taste you, love. Come all over my fingers.”

Moaning, her head tossed back, she came all over his fingers, grinding her hips onto them as she rode out her high. She caught her breath, and looked back at Draco, who placed his fingers in his mouth, sucking her juices off them.

“So sweet, darling,” he told her, his gaze heavy. “I didn’t expect anything else.”

He kissed her parted lips, and she tangled her fingers in his hair. She could feel his bulge pressing against her core, separated only by the thin fabric of his boxers, and she pulled away from him.

“Draco,” she gazed at him with lidded eyes. “I want you to make love to me.”

“Anything for you, darling.” Draco complied, slipping his boxers off and swishing his wand towards her stomach. She felt a slight tingle, and realized it was the contraceptive spell.

She glanced down at his hard cock, and swallowed hard as she realized how big it was. She watched as he lined himself up to her entrance, biting her lip.

His lips captured hers once more, before he pulled away to look at her for her consent once more. She nodded, and he pushed into her wet heat, groaning at how tight she was. She sucked in a harsh breath, her eyes watering. It was her first time, and the pressure was a lot to handle.

Draco noticed, and he pressed kisses to her neck, her cheek, her lips, as he let her adjust to his size. “Darling, you feel incredible. So fucking tight.”

“Can you..” she bit her lip once more, subconsciously grinding her hips against him.

He groaned at the feeling, and began slowly moving in and out of her. It hurt at first, but she slowly got used to the feeling, and pleasure began to take over. The feeling of him pushing in and out made her toes curl, and she moaned as he began to pick up the pace.

“You’re so wet for me,” Draco groaned, interlacing their fingers. “Feel so good, Birdie.”

“Draco,” she moaned, the sound of her name on his lips bringing pleasure to her. “Fuck, this feels so good.”

He brought one hand down to push her legs further apart, the motion making him hit deeper inside of her, effectively hitting her g-spot. His name fell from her lips in a string of moans, and he began to stroke into her faster.

“You’re such a good girl,” he groaned into her ear, pressing sloppy kisses to her neck. “Good little Hufflepuff getting fucked by a Slytherin.”

Her lips were parted, and her eyes were screwed shut as he thrusted into her, her breasts bouncing from the force he fucked her with. She again let out a string of moans, his name falling with every other word. His thrusts began to get more sloppy, and his hand reached down to rub circles onto her clit as he thrusted in and out. She began to feel the pressure building up again, and her body writhed underneath him as the pleasure took over her. He groaned, and with a few more thrusts, she felt him shudder, and a sudden wetness filled her cunt. Euphoria washed over her as he did this, and she realized she had come for the second time that night.

For a moment, Draco stayed inside of her, leaning down to press kisses to her neck once more before pulling out of her. He laid next to her on the blanket, and pulled her into his embrace.

“I love you,” he pressed his lips to her temple, his hand stroking her hair.

She looked up at him, their bare skin pressed to each other. “I love you too.”

The hopelessness of the situation hits her. There was nowhere to turn. They knew all about them now, but as she lets their memories wash over her for the final time, she smiles. She wouldn’t change a thing.

“Birdie, it isn’t safe for us to be together,” Draco murmured into her hair, his arms wrapped tightly around her. “They’ll hurt you.”

“I don’t care, Draco,” she looked up at him and smiled. “What more can they do to me? The Carrows Crucio me nearly once a week.”

“Because you can’t just let things be,” he responds angrily, moving away from her in frustration, his fingers gripping the railing for the astronomy tower. “You have to involve yourself.”

“I’m not going to let them use unforgivable curses on first years!” she yelled back, her voice echoing in the empty tower.

That paused both of them. She never yelled at him. He wasn’t even sure she could yell.

“Draco, I love you,” she began again, taking his hands in her own. “I love you so much. You have to understand that I can’t just let them tortue kids. If I have a chance to stand up to the Carrows, I will do that.”

“I know,” his shoulders sagged in defeat, and he sat down on the floor, his back against the railing. “I just wish you weren’t so stubborn. I wish I could protect you better.”

“If you did that, they would know about us,” she sat next to him, placing her head on their shoulder. “It would be so much worse for us.”

Draco nodded. They sat in silence for a while, her head on his shoulder, his fingers playing with her hair. Hogwarts was much different this year. Snape and the Carrows had taken over Hogwarts. The remaining members of the DA were still fighting against them, for what they believed in. Hoping each day Harry would come back, and everything would be okay again.

Neville and Ginny had taken over the DA. She helped out a lot more than she had expected she would. She felt that, maybe, part of her was guilty because she was deeply in love with Draco, and he played a part in the downfall of the school.

But he had no choice. He was the boy who had no choice. And she knew that.

No one knew about them. The only person who probably did, was Harry Potter. And at this point, if he ever were to think of her or Draco, he probably thought she wouldn’t still be with him. But it didn’t matter. Harry had much bigger things to worry about then who Draco Malfoy fancied.

“I want a nice little cabin in the woods,” Draco traced circles on her arm, his voice low. “Away from everyone. Away from everything. I want to grow our own garden. My mum always loved gardening. She has the most beautiful flower gardens, you would absolutely love it…” his voice trailed off, no doubt thinking of before. Before things got messy. Before life went south.

“What does the cabin look like, love?” she asked, tilting her head up to look at his angelic face. He smiles, placing a quick kiss to her forehead.

“It’s small, very modest,” he continued, looking at her face. “There’s a giant couch, soft as a cloud. Tons of blankets throughout, for when you complain it’s too cold even when it’s a beautiful summer day,” he pokes at her side, making her giggle. “A nice window with a desk in front of it. I’ll sit at the desk every day, and write. Bad, good, all of it. I’ll publish my own book, one day, about all the bullshit we’ve gone through.”

“The autobiography of Draco Malfoy.” she smiled, leaning further into him.

“Exactly,” Draco laughed, although there isn’t much humor. “My mother is the only one allowed over. She’ll want to help with the garden, but I’m not going to let her. I’ll be the one to do it. Hell, maybe I’ll even do it without magic. We’ll be hidden away in the trees, unable for anyone to find. There’ll be two bedrooms, one for us, of course, the largest one, and the other for…”

“For what, Draco?” she nudged him, wondering why he had trailed off.

Draco looked down at her, his hand grasping her chin. “For our children. Two, at least. No only child bullshit. I never want our children to be lonely.”

“You want kids with me?” she marveled at the fact, unaware that Draco would ever want kids, much less with her.

“Birdie,” he breathed, the smell of peppermint hitting her nostrils. “I want an entire lifetime with you.”

“Do it now, Draco!” Bellatrix shouts from behind her, her heels clacking as she strides forward.

She feels the woman dig her nails into her neck, and she can’t stop the whimper of fear that escapes from her lips. Her eyes plead with Draco, honey brown meets grey blue. He’s a mess, his eyes wild with despair, his arm shaking as he holds his wand up to her.

“Birdie..” her name falls from his lips, and she cries as she hears the goodbye in it.

“Please, Draco,” she pleads, and she’s unsure why. She wanted to die bravely, not groveling at someone's feet. “I want a lifetime with you.”

“Filthy scum,” Bellatrix snaps, forcing her to her knees. “Do it, Draco.”

His hand is unsteady. His wand is shaking.

“Crucio!” Bellatrix shouts, her wand digging into her neck.

Her every nerve ending is on fire. She screams and she screams, her voice harsh. The words carved into her skin hadn't hurt this bad. Her head being slammed into the ground repeatedly hadn’t hurt this bad. She feels like every bone in her body is being broken, just heal and break once more. It’s like she’s been dipped into a vat of acid, and her skin is peeling off.

She wishes for death.

The pain stops, but her skin twitches as her muscles remember the pain. She’s laying on the ground, moaning as tears slide down her cheeks. Her throat hurts so bad, and she wishes she could stop crying, but she can’t.

“Stand up, you pathetic bitch!” Bellatrix hoists her to her feet, again holding her by the back of her clothes. “Now, Draco!”

She blinks fast, clearing her vision to look at Draco. He looks so thin, so pale. The dark circles are back. Spiderweb veins of tender yellow blue are visible on his face. Yes he’s still so breathtakingly handsome as he once again holds his wand to her.

“Always for you,” the words slip out of her lips as she stares at the man she loves. “Only ever for you.”

“Shut up!” Bellatrix slaps her, and the pain barely registers from the amount she’s already been through. “I’m not asking you again, Draco.”

“Let her stand on her own,” Draco demands, his voice cracking. “I won’t kill her while you hold her.”

Bellatrix steps away then, a cackling laugh coming from her lips. Without the support of the wicked woman, she sways and nearly falls, but catches her balance just in time.

“I would rather die in love, than live in fear,” she says softly, under her breath, the words coming out funny as her jaw is still twitching from the cruciatus curse. “For you, I would die a thousand times over.”

She shuts her eyes then. She knows what’s coming. In some way, she always knew this was where they would end up. Perhaps not with him holding the wand to kill her, but with her dying because she wasn’t afraid to love him.

“Birdie,” Draco says in the voice that’s meant only for her, and she smiles, happy to hear it one more time. “I love you. I’m sorry.”

“Avada Kedavra!”

There is a flash of green.

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atacalepsywriting · 4 years ago

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the hair cutting scene (TW: mentions of abuse)

A/N: this is a scene from a harry potter roleplay i did a few months ago on discord. i really like the way i wrote it, so i’m just gonna ... post it here. a little bit of context, the character “anita thomas” is my oc. she’s a slytherin who’s unlucky enough to be the daughter of a death eater, nymphadora whitby. this scene was written after her encounter with nymphadora.

moaning myrtle’s bathroom was hardly an appropriate place to do this , but anita didn’t have much of a choice . it was either this or in her dormitory , and frankly anita didn’t want anyone to see her doing this . she’d barricaded herself in here after classes , casting colloportus to prevent any students from walking in at the wrong time. this was something she needed to tackle on her own, a demon she needed to look directly in the eyes at.

and oh, did they burn .

they burnt just as badly as when a wand had been pointed directly between them, hurt just as much as when she was looking at that same woman with defiance. anita placed her hands on either side of the sink, her chest rising and falling . if she imagined it enough, she could picture flames curling out of her lips -- oh , how she wished she had that power. still, there were things that even witches and wizards couldn’t do, and that was one of many.

you are nothing but a mortification, anita.

those same blue eyes pierced into her. they were knifelike. cold. maybe even a little disappointed. she stared back at those eyes with a look quite opposite to the one nymphadora had given her. it was one of anger. fear. and, most importantly, vindictiveness.

you are weak.

anita reached for the sharp instrument she’d tossed onto the sink -- scissors, not necessarily the kind of tool recommended for this operation, but she hardly cared.

only full of words.

she grabbed a chunk of hair, positioning the scissors under them. her hands shook as she glared down her reflection.

mum and dad always liked her hair. it was the same color as the fire she’d started in the neighbor’s backyard when she was eight, the first sign that they’d be getting a witch in the family. she even liked it, thought it was pretty. she’d let her brother and sister braid flowers into it, tied it back whenever she wanted to work on something, took care of it so she could --

SNIP.

that same chunk of fiery hair landed on the floor below her. for a moment, anita felt tears prick her eyes, but she brushed them away, continuing her work. before she knew it, she was standing in a sea of orange.

anita touched her bare neck, her hands shaking. if she was ever to end up in a situation like that again , she couldn’t let herself be pushed around. maybe the first step was to make sure she wouldn’t be forcefully pulled by the hair .

her hair was now … messy, to say the least. her amateur work caused it to be choppy and uneven, several different hairs falling out of place or sticking straight up.

she was a dolt for thinking this would end it. the memories didn’t disappear right away, the scars dug deeper into her like spikes piercing the skin -- anita’s expression faded into pure sadness as she looked at her reflection, cursing under her breath.

maybe it was easier being weak than strong. anita let herself crumple to the floor, choking out sobs. her classmates would mistaken it for moaning myrtle if she was lucky -- if not, she had to come up with a lame excuse, something she loathed with all her heart.

hot tears rolled down her cheeks as it all came back. nymphadora. uulius. the girl -- lily -- who’d watched the whole time as if watching a drama unfold. they were all the worst kind of monsters, and she wasn’t strong enough to fight them . no , she didn’t want to fight them, she wanted to pretend the event never happened. she wanted to be a normal student, take her O.W.L.s, graduate hogwarts in two years, and join the holyhead harpies.

but she was weak.

she was a weak little girl who ran her mouth too much and pretended to be brave when she wasn’t.

she hugged her knees close to her chest, praying nobody would hear her muffled sobs. nobody could come in, not now, not ever.

for a while, anita did nothing -- she just cried. she sat in the center of the mess, knowing filch would have her head if he saw tears and snot dripping from her face. she didn’t care how shitty she looked -- she felt shitty.

when she stopped crying, however, a sense of calm replaced the anger and sadness. she could still hear nymphadora’s cold voice in the back of her head. it judged her, sneering at her. but another voice, a completely different one, cut in. it didn’t sound too much like anyone, so she could only assume this was a thought of her own. a simple thought, urging her to continue the process.

so. what now ?

#original writing #my writing #hp fanfic #hp oc #oc #writing #harry potter #original story #angst #oc angst #haha sadness go brr #my oc #i'm so sorry #tw: abuse #tw: torture #slytherin oc

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thebirdandhersong · 3 years ago

Note

OC name asks: Rosalind, Eunice, Lillian, Myrtle

Thank you, Rebekah!!!! :D

Rosalind (late 20s, main character)

Something really awesome they can do: take care of people. Rosalind is Constantly on the lookout for ways to take care of people.

A person, creature, or thing they adore: her uncle :') who is her favourite person in the world (aside from her mother and brother, of course)

A secret they’re hiding: oh, tons. Others’ and her own. She’s also very good at keeping things to herself. (This is.... not always a good thing.)

Something they truly fear: losing the only person she has left; unintentionally causing her loved ones pain

A fond memory of theirs: she holds all memories of her mother with fondness.

A place or item which gives them strong feelings: oh man I wish I could answer this one but Major Spoilers for an upcoming plot point....

A dream or ambition for the future: at this point in the story, she’s just trying to survive the present. But later on her dreams involve a more active role in the community, and a stronger presence (a light in the darkness) for the people around her.

An angsty fact about them: She's lost many members of her family and she misses them more than she will ever admit out loud.

A domestic fact about them: Rosalind is scrupulously and appallingly clean, and will do her best to make sure the rest of the house follows suit.

A random other fact: her name was originally Edith (in the first draft of Project 1), but it quickly became clear that Edith didn’t exactly fit her. (I’m saving the name for another story.)

Eunice (mid-40s, secondary character)

Something really awesome they can do: Eunice is a doctor at a children’s hospital!! She is very good at calming frightened/anxious kids down.

A person, creature, or thing they adore: her children! She adores her children. And her husband :’) They married early and she is still very much in love with him.

A secret they’re hiding: she’s become quite good at pretending to be happy, but it hurts her sometimes that her loved ones can’t see through the mask.

Something they truly fear: not being there for her loved ones.

A fond memory of theirs: the first time her son called her Mama.

A place or item which gives them strong feelings: her sketchbook.

A dream or ambition for the future: Eunice is full of dreams, as a mother, an artist, and a doctor! There are too many to name. But her general goal for her life is to make people feel loved and seen.

An angsty fact about them: Though she’s worked as a doctor for some time now, she still feels new to heartbreak every time she encounters it. When her younger patients are hurting she can’t help but cry with them.

A domestic fact about them: Eunice is not clean in the least. She’s rather scatterbrained about keeping things organised. (This drives her husband up the wall.) She is, however, very good at remembering where exactly she left that thing you’re looking for.

A random other fact: Eunice didn’t have a name in the first draft.

Lillian (late 30s, secondary character; youngest sister of 3)

Something really awesome they can do: Lillian did moderately well in school, but what she scores highest in is emotional intelligence. She doesn’t need to know all the details to Understand.

A person, creature, or thing they adore: her older sisters. When she was a child, Myrtle always spoiled her, but Forsythia always balanced that out by being her usual snappish, prosy self. Lillian gets really annoyed by Forsythia’s tendency towards unprovoked antagonism and Myrtle’s tendency towards self-sacrifice, but she loves them both very much.

A secret they’re hiding: she still feels guilty about all the times she argued with her father during her adolescence.

Something they truly fear: seeing either of her sisters in pain; being unable to alleviate their suffering.

A fond memory of theirs: Lillian witnessed both her sisters’ romances and remembers with satisfaction how hopelessly in love their respective suitors were with them. (As It Should Be, was her general feeling. She even offered to serve as a messenger between both pairs at one point, and did end up delivering a number of letters and secret notes.)

A place or item which gives them strong feelings: the necklace her mother gave her.

A dream or ambition for the future: to settle into the neighbourhood; to become braver (like Forsythia) and kinder (like Myrtle)

An angsty fact about them: some part of her feels that she can’t fully understand her sisters’ private sorrows because their shared experience is something she never participated in.

A domestic fact about them: Lillian loves baking pies. And LOVES to bake pies for social functions and for her neighbours.

A random other fact: Back in the day Lillian had a fair amount of suitors as well, but in typical Lillian fashion, she sent them packing in the sweetest possible way.

Myrtle (early 40s, secondary character; oldest sister of 3)

Something really awesome they can do: Myrtle is an excellent listener. It is a trait she shares with her sisters, though each express it differently. Forsythia is very attentive and asks good questions, and has a knack of dragging the truth out of a person. Lillian is quick to discern and understand, and makes people feel understood before they even speak. Myrtle is neither aggressively direct nor as discerning, but she has a compassionate heart and people sense that when they talk to her.

A person, creature, or thing they adore: her sisters. She was the mediator between the two when they were children, and privately swore to be their protector after their mother passed away.

A secret they’re hiding: she’s still in love with the Suitor from the past.

Something they truly fear: that she’ll repeat the mistakes of the past and hurt the people she loves in the process.

A fond memory of theirs: Myrtle remembers holding Lillian after she was born :) and teaching her to spell.

A place or item which gives them strong feelings: she still has all the letters the Suitor sent her.

A dream or ambition for the future: Myrtle is looking forward to becoming involved in the neighbourhood again! She and Lillian used to sneak food to the poor families in their village when their father was sleeping, and now that they’re living by themselves, they figure they can pool their resources together and make lots of good food.

An angsty fact about them: Myrtle is the anchor of the family and has trained herself to put her own sorrows and worries aside to first tend to her sisters’ sorrows and worries. As a result she sometimes feels like she doesn’t have anyone to confide in, someone who will lift her burden from her.

A domestic fact about them: Myrtle prays frequently during the day. She doesn’t realise that she’s praying out loud sometimes, so you can occasionally catch words floating from the upper floor as she’s sewing or cleaning.

A random other fact: Myrtle is a new character! And so are her sisters. The first draft had a significantly smaller cast of characters. But after Myrtle, Forsythia, and Lillian arrived I couldn’t imagine the story without them.

#thank you again <3<3 #isfjmel-phleg #writing adventures #p1: the spring novel #songbird and stories

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gloves94 · 4 years ago

Text

To Be So Lonely [Draco Malfoy] 23

Rating: PG-13 Pairings: Draco Malfoy/OC Chapter warnings:

CHAPTER MASTERLIST

MY MASTER-LIST

"Oi," Nel stopped in her tracks and turned to see none other than Cedric calling after her. "I don't want you to take this personally, but I'm not going to the Yule Ball with you. Is that alright?

She looked at the Hufflepuff in surprise. "I only said yes because I didn't want to embarrass you in front of everybody else. I'm actually planning on asking Cho."

How gracious of Diggory. He was letting her down and he was even good at that. To the older teen's surprise, she actually seemed relieved.

"You seem happy," He laughed a little. "It's a long story," She drawled out really not wanting to relive the tale. "Malfoy dared me to do it. He said if you said no, he'd take pity on me and take me," She rolled her eyes still fuming at his offense.

"Oh?" Cedric wondered out loud. "And you want to go with him?" He asked nosily.

"Absolutely not!" She cried out louder than he expected. "He was just bullying me like always."

"Sounds to me like he wants to take you," Cedric flashed her a knowing smile.

"Why didn't he just ask then?" She groaned out feeling beyond irritated.

"Also sounds like you him to take you," He teased playfully.

"Nonsense," She glared at him with hostility. "I'm waiting for somebody else to ask me," She avoided his questioning gaze.

"Anything I can do to help?" He offered. Merlin, he was such a Hufflepuff. "You've done enough. Thanks, Ced," She thanked him for sparing her the terrible humiliation of being turned down in front of half of the school. He flashed her one of his infamous smiles. The kind that made girls everywhere melt and it almost made her regret not holding him onto his word.

(AN: Ha! Bet I really had you there for a moment lol).

xxx

That had been a couple of weeks ago.

It was officially the third weekend of December, meaning the holiday had just started and the ETA for the Yule Ball was exactly one week.

Yule Ball Dress: Worth it.

Yule Ball Date: Nonexistent.

Elowen was presently brewing a weak version of Amortentia also known as Love Potion #9. The potion had yet to turn red but the pleasant smell of fine wool and lemon tart seemed to flood the Second-Floor girl's bathroom.

"I never had to brew a love potion to get a boy to like me," Moaning Myrtle taunted as she hovered around the Slytherin who was presently focused on properly adding her rose thorns into the light blue potion.

"Shut up Myrtle," Nel glared with great frustration as she sat with her legs crossed underneath her body on the bathroom floor. "You never had to brew a love potion to get a boy to like you because you're dead."

"And yet you alive- still cannot manage," she laughed loudly. Nel shot her a nasty look she wanted to throw something at her but knew it would simply phase through her. "At least I'm not dead," was her lame comeback.

Myrtle scowled in her direction before spewing more insults, shrieking and vanishing into the sink behind the girl making the water splash and rain on the Slytherin Fourth Year. "Ugh…" Nel wiped some water from her brow with great frustration.

"I won't pretend to know why it is you're brewing Amortentia in the Second Floor's bathroom," an invasive voice suddenly interrupted. "And a particularly weak one at that," Professor Snape walked into the girl's bathroom with both of his arms crossed over his torso. He glared down in judgement already assuming the intentions behind her brewing.

"Professor Snape!" Elowen said alarmed staggering to her feet. "How did you-?"

"The stench reeks in the corridor. I wouldn't be surprised if Mr.-," Snape paused holding his tongue for a moment. "Whoever, stumbled upon you."

Somehow this was even worse than Snape using her to rehearse ballroom dancing with her in front of the entire Slytherin House. Her ears were burning a dark shade of red as she hid her embarrassed face. She wanted to admit it wasn't what it looked like but didn't know how to without getting into trouble.

Now with his hands behind his back, the Potions Master stepped forward peering down into the cauldron and reached down to add an extra dash of pearl dust which in turn turned the potion a bright shade of red before shifting a glittery white powder. The bathroom was filled with a strong cologne smell that made the girl pinch her nose from the potency. It smelled like something familiar she had smelled somewhere in the castle before.

"Carry on," Snape drawled out looking unimpressed. "Five points Slytherin for attempting an advanced potion and with that – my office Monday after dinner." He turned referring to the private lessons he had been giving her.

"Y-Yes, Sir," She nodded her head forward as he left without another word. That had been a close one. The worst part was that Nel didn't want the potion to drug someone with it. The potion would serve a much more evil purpose.

Yule Ball Prank: In the works.

It was part of her end of the bargain with Peeves. He helped her escape that claustrophobic office last year and now she had to do his bidding and ensue chaos at the Yule Ball. Dramatic much, but Peeves liked a show.

The potion was in the making, there were currently several bottles of Spyrit liquor, the strongest liquor known to Wizard kind hidden under her bed. The Weasley twins, her suppliers, weren't sure if it would do much to the Bulgarians, but she had to give it try. She was currently carefully bottling the potion making sure not to spill any when Myrtle again screeching phased through the floor and knocked the bottle out of her hands making her spill the potion on her uniform.

"Myrtle!" Nel shouted angrily as she attempted to rub the strong-smelling potion from her school jumper and skirt. "Serves you right," Myrtle stuck out her tongue and raspberried at the girl before again vanishing. It was almost time for dinner, cursing under her breath the girl packed up the potion in different vials before rushing back to the dining hall. She didn't look any different, but she found it odd that people kept on turning their heads when she passed by them in the Great Hall.

"Smells like home," Ivo, one of the Bulgarians, inhaled deeply as the girl walked behind him. The Bulgarians looked at her oddly as she took her regular seat with the other Fourth Year Slytherins.

"New perfume?" Theodore commented as he lowered his book when he caught a whiff of his friend.

"Why do you smell like halide?" Tracey asked wrinkling her nose, she looked at her friend with paranoid suspicion. "Huh?" Nel asked not even knowing what halide is.

Daphne wrinkled her nose leaning over her dinner plate and visibly sniffing her friend who deliciously smelled like a s'more.

Other students who took noticed in the strong scent all turned their heads towards her. She looked at them uncomfortably. She couldn't just sit and explain to them just what she had been doing.

"Why-" A pair of hands slammed on the table next to her. "Are you wearing Draco's cologne?" Pansy demanded to know with a furious expression. Malfoy looked at the two girls confused. All he could smell was the lemon tart dessert.

"I'm not," She simply answered shooting the girl a wary look. Pansy looked between the brunette and the blond boy that was sitting some seats away with terrible irritation. Draco had been awfully quiet as of the late, suspiciously dodging Elowen. Then again, so had most of the Slytherin boys, even Blaise Zabini, Crabbe and Goyle. She figured they didn't want to be near her in case she asked any of them to the dance. They didn't need to flatter themselves; it wasn't as if she'd ever do it.

Daphne looked at her friend suspiciously having a feeling of what it was she was really smelling. "Have you found a date to the ball yet?" She asked absentmindedly.

"No, not yet," Nel whispered leaning closer over the table. Her eyes shot to look at the Ellar Lestrange who was sitting all the way across the Great Hall in the Ravenclaw table.

"Why don't you just ask him and get it over with?" Theodore suggested with a careless shrug. Nel looked at him incredulously and then turned back to look at Daphne with disbelief at what the Slytherin was suggesting.

"What's the worst that can happen?" She suggested.

She turned to look at Tracey hoping for a defense. "Just do it. Worst case scenario he says no and he sucks."

With a determined look the girl reached in her bookbag and pulling up a parchment she scribbled something in it rather madly before folding it into a paper plane and enchanting it to fly across the Great Hall. All waited with their eyes obviously fixed on the older teen as he caught and unfolded the parchment looking up and smiling weakly at the girl.

"Is that a yes?" Tracey clenched her friend's arm.

"No," She said smiling back at him. "I asked him to meet me somewhere," She reached for a pumpkin pastry and took a bite that would most definitely make the Lestrange's dining room table kick her before chugging her water and heading off without another word.

"Wait! Nel!" Tracey called after her friend who was already running out of the Great Hall. "Where is she going?" She asked Daphne and Theo who looked at her figure vanishing.

"I hope he says yes!" Daphne gushed excitedly.

"Shit."

The three friends turned to look at the Slytherin who had slipped and audibly cursed. For some reason Draco looked caught and almost looked sick with paranoia and guilt.

Xxx

Ellar Lestrange calmly walked up the stairs to the Astronomy Tower. He wasn't sure what Elowen Saintday could possibly want to discuss with him. He wondered if his mother had been particularly giving her a hard time. As far as he knew the two had no contact, even if Cloelia regularly asked him for updates on the girl's life. He shared what little he knew about her life.

Opening the trap door to the tower he saw how she stood near the railing mouthing some words to herself practicing a repeated flicking movement with her wand.

"Hey," He interrupted and watched her jump a little.

"Oh! Hi! Ellar!" She laughed nervously before walking towards him and trying to keep her hair tame despite the bad weather. It wasn't a nice night, with a strong wind carrying the cold December air to them.

She stood in front of him slightly swaying her body back and forth as if she was waiting for him to ask her something.

"What can I do for you Elowen?" He asked slightly perplexed as to what she wanted to talk to him about, so privately and up here out of all places.

It wasn't the question she was hoping to hear.

Giving a step back and flickering her wand golden sparks began to fly from the tip as she rapidly moved and waved it writing out four words in her best handwriting in the air.

'Yule Ball U + ME ?'

She dotted the '?' and the words began to spin in a colorful array of beautiful lights and magic. Ellar made a noise that sounded like a curious chuckle. He looked at her with surprise and took in the rare, yet pleasant scent of red wine that filled the open space between them.

Her heart was jumping at her throat and she looked terribly nervous. Breath quicker than usual. Hand shaking slightly at the fear of rejection.

"Elowen," he managed to say with a tight smile on his purse lips. "What is this?" He waved at the glowing letters above her that had begun to fade as the girl's optimism did too.

"Do you…" She choked on her words. "Do you want to go to the Yule Ball," She paused for a moment swallowing the word that had choked in her throat. "with me?" She looked at him with large and hopeful eyes.

He was quiet for a moment before answering.

It took him only a couple of seconds to answer but time felt like it was moving slower. It might as well have five maybe ten minutes of silence between them.

"Yeah, I would," he spoke softly. Yet despite his positive affirmation, his expression was a sullen one filled with confusion. Her heart leapt for a moment as she held her breath waiting for his answer. "But I thought you were going with Malfoy?"

Silence.

Now it was her turn to be confused. "You mean-" She hoped he had gotten the names messed up. "Cedric?" She asked him with a knotted brow.

"No, I mean Malfoy," the wavy-haired teen repeated. "I heard you two are going together."

She listened not believing a word he was saying.

"I would've asked you myself, but I didn't want to step on anyone's toes," he shook his head slightly. "So, I asked a friend instead."

She wore a blank expression on her face as the anger began to bubble inside of her. He found it hard to tell just what she could possibly be running through her mind. She had no volatile reaction to his words.

"Word is you begged him to go with you."

It was almost as if he was purposely provoking her, drilling and pushing into her buttons which he was more than well aware would make her blow up despite how cool and collected she had been trying to appear.

Nel's hands were tightly clenched at her sides gripping her wand tightly. Her eyes turned into angry slits, resembling the ones of somebody that could and would kill.

"That I what?" She drawled out now absolutely livid her voice a low hiss.

Ellar's head snapped to the side when he heard a loud pop and saw one of the dim lights of the tower pop making shattered glass fly everywhere. One by one each and every one of them exploded until the two were consumed by an unfamiliar darkness. In a blind rage the girl stormed out of the tower seeking an exit. He stood in the darkness wearing a satisfied sneer.

Xxx

Portraits in Hogwarts shrunk, rare students and even some prefects stepped out of the way as they saw the girl full on rampage stomping down the moving stairs making way to the Slytherin dormitory where she was ready to drag someone out of bed and potentially murder them in cold blood. And by them she meant Draco Malfoy who was suddenly turning in the stairs of the second floor.

"You!" Her loud shout echoed the stairs waking up some of the sleeping portraits as she descended the moving stairs. Malfoy was out of luck as the moving stairs that lead to the third floor moved skewing the directly in his direction. Whipping out her want red sparks flew as she attacked the Slytherin with repeated crimson flashes.

"You conniving, evil, ferret-weasel!" She shouted at him each word being followed by a nasty hex. "You ruined everything!" She shouted at him. Large frames rattled as they trembled and were tossed off the walls. People in the portraits screaming or collapsing as their frames came down to hit the floor.

"Expeliarmus!" Draco managed to disarm her. She didn't look twice for her wand; she didn't need need magic to do what she was going to do. She leapt off the second step and pushed him back tumbling on top of him. She was about to strike him, but he caught her hands in his.

"I can explain," He attempted to barter with the enraged girl.

"I would rather hear a mandragora scream than listen to whatever pathetic lie you're about to pull out of your ass!" She shouted enraged. The only thing she wanted, the only thing she had been expecting of this year was to have a decent date with a boy she fancied at the Yule Ball and he had taken that away from her and for no good reason. Her dress it would be for nothing. She had been robbed.

"Elowen, please, let me explain," He swallowed the barbwire knot that had formed on his throat. She let go of his hands pushing them away from her and sat back on the floor looking at him with glassy eyes.

He wanted to ask her to the ball. In a way he had. Not properly. But the two were friends. The two could go to the Yule Ball as friends. However,… What would his parents say? What would his mother think?

When his mother had asked him who he planned on escorting to the Yule Ball he had lied and written home that he wasn't interested in any of the girl's his year. His mother had suggested him escorting a Pureblooded young lady such as Daphne Greengrass, Pansy Parkinson or even Millicent Bullstrode. Neither Davis or Saintday had been amongst his mother's options and then again, why would they be?

Both of them were barren from Pureblood Society since their names were not included in the Sacred Twenty-Eight Directory.

His father had a peculiar attention for Saintday and so did the Lestranges, but that didn't change the fact that she was a nameless nobody without a knut to her name.

He didn't need to ask to for their permission to know that they would never approve. It simply wasn't what was expected of him. If anything, it would perhaps make things worse… However, if he could make it seem as if the two just happened to end up going together – his parents could've been upset, but they would have let it slide. After all it wouldn't have been his fault that the two just happened to end up there together.

"I thought we were friends!" She spoke before he could. "This isn't what friends do to each other. You're a liar and a cheat and I can't believe I trusted you! I do this to myself, over, and over, and over, and over again," She wiped a stray tear that escaped the corner of her eye.

From a higher floor Theodore and Daphne who were also looking for their friend had begun rapidly descending when they heard the commotion of the many paintings collapsing. Tracey ran from the floors below as the five Slytherins met halfway.

"If this is what it's like being your friend, I don't want it!" She tossed angrily standing up as her friends reached her side.

"Nel, please," He could've begged. He stood up feeling both small and self-conscious under the deathly daggers of all her friends were shooting him. Davis already had her wand pointed at him ready to attack and Saintday's in her other.

"Stay away from me!" Nel shouted at him with a broken voice before walking away, her two girl friends following behind. Davis shot him a look that could kill before descending down the staircase. Greengrass shook her head seeming almost disappointed. Even Nott didn't seem pleased as he stuck around levitating the portraits back into their appropriate places and positions on the wall.

"You're a foul git you know that?" Theodore shot him a nasty glare. He had never been one for confrontation but riled up and just as angry as his friends he had to say something.

"Shove off Nott," Malfoy spat back angrily. Who was Theodore Nott to judge him? "You think you're better than all of us judging with your beak hidden behind a rotting book."

"If you wanted her to go to the bloody ball with you, why didn't you just ask?" He shrugged in disbelief at the blonde's childishness.

Theodore thought Draco wouldn't answer him, but his words brought him to a halt.

"You know why," He uttered darkly.

Words which sadly resonated with Theo. There was a reason why he had never invited his friends over to his home.

"What do you think your ancient father would do if you took someone like Saintday home with you?"

Theo didn't want to think about his aggressive father or the things he would say or do to him or his friends if they ever met. He had never confronted his father about it, but the rumor was that Theodore Nott Sr. had even known Voldemort even before he became You-Know-Who. Rumors where he was one of the first Death Eaters. Having fought for the dark side in the Wizarding War being an elderly widower, it seemed like Nott had avoided being sent to Azkaban simply by appearing vulnerable and playing his cards right. However, Saintday…

"She's not like the others and you know that," Theo spat back. "You think the Lestranges took her in out of the kindness and generosity of their hearts?"

Draco was silent his lips drawn into a serious thin line. Finally hanging the last portrait Nott turned to speak properly to Malfoy. Saintday, Davis and Nott never discussed their personal lives at Hogwarts. It was some type of silent unspoken rule that the three had sworn never to cross. Just as Theo never asked Nel about the odd bruises she would sometimes wear she'd never inquire about his family's past siding with the Dark Lord.

"Both, you and I know that they want something from her. Sirius Black taking her away as an infant, living hidden amongst muggles for twelve years, private lessons with Snape, the Lestranges, her being a Parselmouth, the fact she can see therstals…" He trailed off before leaning in close.

Draco was a little stunned at the revelation that Nel could see Therstals. It was a fact that only people that had seen death could see these horrible creatures.

"Whatever it is that they want, it's dark, and it's not… good. Nel already has enough on her plate. She could do without you tormenting her," his green eyes raked the silver haired blonde before scowling his way and leaving Draco to stand under the judging eyes of the school's portraits.

Xxxx

"I would curse him," Tracey paced the second-floor girl's bathroom. "I swear, I would curse him but he's already a pathetic and sad," Tracey tossed angrily under her breath as she paced in circles.

"Just stop," Nel shook her head as she pinched the bridge of her nose keeping her head lowered. She really didn't want to think about what had happened with Ellar and specially not with Malfoy.

She could've lived knowing that Ellar didn't want to go with her but knowing that Malfoy had pulled off that nasty trick. Specially after he claimed the two were friends. She didn't know what they were, but whatever they were it wasn't friends. Friends didn't do that to each other.

"It's just-!" Tracey's hands twitched as she clawed and closed them in frustration. "Why-? Like-? WHO DOES THAT?! What was he thinking?"

"I don't think he was…" The orphan kept her head lowered pessimistically.

"Nel," Daphne who had been silent all of this time, yet remained observant began. "Have you thought that," She wondered out loud. She wasn't even sure how to proceed what she was going to say without triggering a fight with both of her friends. Both Tracey and Elowen looked at her with confused expressions at what she was so hesitant to say.

"Maybe Draco really did want to go to the Yule Ball with you," She suggested the theory which sounded incredulous to the two other girls. Nel kept her eyes lowered and particularly focused on a wet spot on the bathroom floor. Really not wanting to dissect what Daphne had just said.

"No," Tracey shook her head in denial. "That's just- no," she said borderline disgusted by the theory she deemed to be ridiculous. The odds of the Ballcastle Bats winning the British Quidditch Cup were higher.

"It's not that farfetched," Daphne insisted strongly believing in her peculiar theory. "Think about it. He's constantly hovering around you; he literally pulls your hair in class, and he's always trying to get your attention-" She was interrupted by Tracey.

"Daph, he's just a bully-" She was again interrupted by Daphne who had already began her tangent on this analysis.

"Good or bad – he always tries to get Nel's attention."

The two other Slytherins were still giving the blonde a confused look. It was almost as if she was speaking alien to the two of them.

"What I'm trying to say is that maybe- in case it hasn't crossed either of your minds - maybe he likes you!" She announced. The silence after her sentence was impressive. So impressive you could hear a sink leak drop and drop at the end of the bathroom's sink.

"Daph, that's toxic," Tracey coughed awkwardly after a moment of heavy silence. "What? Malfoy? No- there's no way," She stammered thinking about how ridiculous it was for the scenario to be in the slightest bit realistic.

"I never said it wasn't toxic!" Daphne said defensively simply raising up her hands. "All I'm saying is-"

The two friends began bickering back and forth about how possible or impossible this way. One more passionate than other in the suddenly becoming heated debate. Nel didn't want to think about anything. Burying her face in her hands and taking in a deep stressful breath her two friends grew quiet.

"That's enough," She exhaled finally sitting up. "I don't want to talk about it. Malfoy, Ellar, any of that," She shook her head to the sides. "Trace," she turned to look at her friend. "Do you to go to the ball with me?"

Maybe she should've done this since the beginning. Simply ask a friend to go with her. I mean why not? She would've asked Daphne, but she knew that she would be attending the Yule Ball with Theodore.

Nel didn't know what she had been expecting but Tracey grew silent at her question. There was a pregnant silence. It went on long enough that her friends questioned why she had grown mute.

"…I already asked someone," She admitted quietly, almost sullenly as she eggshelled around the topic.

Normally Daphne would've been excited so would've Elowen but instead both looked at her with the same grave expression. "Who?" They had to ask.

Tracey took in a deep breath and rubbed the nape of her neck nervously as she braced herself to reveal just where and who she had been spending so much of her time with.

"Leanne Moon, Hufflepuff," she looked at them with a lowered head fearing the judgement that could come.

Nel scrunched up her nose at the revelation. Who was Leanne Moon? It took her a moment to jog her memory and then she remembered that over excited Hufflepuff that had been taking photographs of Tracey during her Quidditch practice. She had seen her around the castle photographic shadows and other moving objects.

Tracey closed her eyes, getting ready to leave, already feeling a cold sinkhole forming in her heart.

"A Hufflepuff?" Daphne snorted letting out a laugh. Nel elbowed the girl sitting next to her also laughing slightly. Both of her friends flashed Tracey an accepting smile that almost made her forget what she had been worrying about for so long. It was as if a huge weight had been lifted off her shoulders.

"I hope she's cool," Elowen said with the first grin of the night. "Just tell her to stay away from the punch."

xxxxx

STARRING

THE ORIGINAL CAST OF THE HARRY POTTER SERIES

with

ARDEN CHO as LEANNE MOON

and

NIKKI BLONSKY as MILICENT BULLSTRODE

Xxxxx

AN: Next episode, finally, the YULE BALLLLLLL