For Slughorn's Christmas Party, Eva had initially asked Draco to come but, for obvious reasons, he declined, so instead she and Blaise decided to suffer together as people who could just about tolerate each other.
Eva's outfit was a bit too muggle-ish for Slughorn, but she reckoned he wouldn't mind. She'd decided to wear a sheer black long-sleeved blouse with a very low neck which consequently exposed a lot of cleavage, accompanied by a blue denim skirt and one of several pairs of heeled boots she wore for her shifts at Weasleys' Wizard Wheezes. Her curls had been styled neatly and swept to the side by Hecate, who fancied herself a budding hair stylist now.
Since Draco was still nowhere to be seen, she met up with Blaise in the common room as soon as she was ready. He was wearing a sharp suit, as he often did, with a tailored black overcoat over the top.
He whistled when he saw her. "And you think McLaggen's gonna leave you alone in that?"
"Hey, don't slut-shame me," she joked as she walked out of the door, followed by him. "I could enter this party topless, but that's my choice, not consent for him."
Blaise went silent for a moment. "Please tell me you're not entering this party topless."
Eva scoffed, the arrogant sound of it echoing through the stone corridor. "Merlin, no, Zabini, I'm not walking around topless."
Due to the fact that the pair honestly had very little in common, they walked mostly in silence towards the Potions professor's office. Some of the corridors were decorated slightly as they drew closer to the party, with red paper lanterns hanging from the ceiling and the faint sound of music playing in the distance.
Something caught her attention near one of the darkened windows. A lone figure was sitting completely still, staring into the distance, and the white blond hair instantly gave him away.
"You go ahead," Eva told Blaise, "I'll catch up in a minute."
With a heavy sigh, Blaise nodded and continued towards the party. Eva approached Draco, standing just beside him and leaning against his knee.
"Hey," she laughed, instantly gaining his attention, "aren't you supposed to be working on your project?"
"I'll have you know I am working, thank you," Draco snapped in a whisper. "Oh, and before you leave," Eva quickly turned around again, "meet me in the Room of Hidden Things once you're finished with Slughorn. I want to show you something."
Eva nodded. "See you in a few hours, ferret boy," she called over her shoulder as she descended the spiralled staircase towards Slughorn's office.
When she entered the room, Eva audibly gasped. It was a confusing array of colour with the walls draped in green and gold fabrics so that it almost felt like they were standing in a tent. Just as she approached Blaise, there was a blinding flash as Harry was forced to take a photo with Slughorn.
Slughorn locked eyes with her before she could look away. "Eva, dear," he took her hand and shook it, "so glad you could make it. Smile for the camera."
Eva only had a moment to glance up and force a smile before she was left blinded once again with another flash. Well, at least some day, when reminiscing on those photos, there would be one of her in an overly-revealing top to show the kids.
Slughorn shook her hand once again with a smile before continuing across the room. Eva was still slightly bewildered, and confused. She glanced between various guests in search of Harry and Hermione, yet nothing. Hermione had agreed to go with McLaggen to make Ron jealous, not that it was a very smart move from her.
"Hello Eva."
Eva physically jumped up in the air and turned around alertly. She finally took a deep breath when she realised it was just Luna, standing directly behind her, wearing a strange silvery dress which was oddly shaped but still somehow flattering.
"Oh, hey Luna," Eva replied, her heart still racing. "Have you seen Harry or Hermione anywhere?"
Luna nodded. "Correct me if I'm wrong, but they're both hiding behind that curtain." She pointed to two silhouettes hidden behind a sheet of green fabric. "I believe Cormac McLaggen was making Hermione feel somewhat uncomfortable."
"McLaggen?" Eva confirmed. "Oh yeah, he's a dick."
"What interesting terminology," Luna mused, "but I wouldn't say I disagree. It was nice speaking to you, Eva. Enjoy listening to your Pygmy Puff sing on Boxing Day."
With that, the petite blonde turned around and skipped back into the crowd. Eva rolled her eyes at her loopy friend and discretely paced over towards the curtain. Carefully pulling the fabric to one side and darting behind it, Hermione gasped at first but then calmed down again.
"It's just you," Hermione sighed in relief, "I thought Cormac found me."
"Cormac?" Eva laughed. "What did you do to him? And how soon do I need to castrate him?"
Harry quite literally snorted but then clasped his hand over his mouth and blushed.
"I left Cormac under the mistletoe," Hermione admitted. "He's got more tentacles than a Snarfalump plant."
"I'd better hide with you then," Eva murmured. "The guy's been after me too, and Draco's already threatened to hex his balls off if he comes any closer. I don't need that kind of shit in my shit-free life."
"Spoken like a true politician," Harry remarked sarcastically. "Oh, and about Malfoy-"
"Dragon tartare?"
A boy was standing between the folds of the fabric with a tray of some kind of appetisers which looked quite honestly far from appetising. He glanced between the three of them, offering the platter forward.
"No, I'm fine thank you," Hermione replied anxiously as she watched the event from behind the curtain.
The boy shrugged. "Just as well. They give one horribly bad breath."
"We'll take the lot," Eva decided with a forced smile, snatching the platter away from him and handing it straight over to Hermione.
The boy left while Hermione stuffed her face with the little bite-sized foods, apparently thinking exactly the same thing. "Might keep Cormac at bay." She glanced to the side and frowned. "Oh God, here he comes."
Without even a second glance, the bushy-haired girl darted under the curtain back into the party. Eva squeezed past Harry to follow suit, but it was too late. McLaggen was already standing with them while she backed up into the wall.
"I think she just went to, er . . . powder her nose," Harry excused lamely.
"Slippery little minx, your friend," McLaggen observed with a stupidly smug grin as he reached for one of the remaining Dragon tartares on the platter Harry was holding. "Likes to work her mouth too, doesn't she?" He suddenly glanced up and made direct contact with Eva. "Well, hello there," he murmured huskily.
Eva stared at him wide-eyed. "I'm taken," she informed him.
"Just as I am taken by your beauty," he replied, backing her up so far into the wall that his arm was resting over her head. Eva gave Harry a pleading look, but her scar-faced friend only shrugged and tried not to laugh. "Hey, listen, maybe you and I could find an empty classroom and-"
"What I mean is, Cormac," she sneered his name, "I'm already in a relationship with Draco Malfoy, who won't hesitate to castrate you the next moment he lays eyes on you, and I'm honestly not interested in, well . . .," she waved her hand over him and wrinkled her nose, "any of this."
"This one has quite the mouth on her," he remarked to Harry. "Maybe I should teach her to put it to good use-"
Unable to restrain herself any more, she raised her hand and slapped him hard across the face. Harry took a sudden step back and McLaggen almost stumbled over at the impact.
"Not interested," she repeated slowly, "got it, McLaggen?"
McLaggen barely reacted to her, pretending he hadn't felt anything, and looked down at the remaining food on the platter beneath him. "What is this I'm eating by the way?"
Harry shrugged. "Dragon balls," he replied. Eva gave him a questioning look but he only shrugged again, silently communicating that in truth he had no idea.
Just at that perfect timing, when Snape appeared and pulled the curtains to the side, McLaggen bent over and spewed the contents of his stomach across the floor in front of them. Eva jumped backwards, unwilling to stain her shoes.
Snape had a venomous expression on his face. "You've just earned yourself a month's detention, McLaggen—not so quick, Potter."
Harry, who had been attempting to escape, turned around and closed his eyes in exasperation. Fortunately, Eva was still able to leave so she stepped back into the party and patted his shoulder as she walked past him.
"Oh, and in future, if you see someone making unwanted sexual advances towards me, kick them where it hurts rather than watch and laugh, glasses," Eva advised.
Eva reassessed the party, deciding who to mingle with next. She picked up a small glass of champagne from Neville as he walked past, since he was apparently a waiter for some reason, while her gaze moved between the many guests Slughorn had invited. Blaise was chatting up the Carrow twins, Luna was speaking to a random group of adults who seemed riveted by the topic of conversation, and Hermione was speaking to Slughorn himself while also on the lookout for McLaggen.
"Take your hands off me, you filthy squib!"
The familiarity of the voice startled Eva. She quickly weaved her way through the crowd and found Draco, of all people, being held by the collar of his suit jacket by Filch. By his expression, Filch seemed pretty proud of his discovery, but Eva could tell that Draco was on the verge of completely losing it.
"Professor Slughorn, sir," Filch sneered, "I just found this boy lurking in an upstairs corridor." Oh shit. "He claims to have been invited to your party."
"Okay, okay, I was gatecrashing," Draco lied impatiently, "happy?"
Eva pinched the bridge of her nose before downing the remaining alcohol in her glass, instantly grabbing a second one from the next waiter who walked past.
Snape stepped forward. "I'll escort him out," he drawled.
Filch abruptly let go of Draco, allowing the blond to readjust his clothes. "Certainly," Malfoy bit out, "Professor."
With that, the two of them stormed straight out of the room, brushing past Blaise who was watching with wide eyes and his lips pursed. "Any idea what that was about?" he asked when Eva rejoined him.
Eva shrugged her shoulders. "No idea," she lied.
Maybe, if it weren't for the interruption, Eva wouldn't have been one of the first to leave the party. With her wand in her hand, she continued along the corridor she knew the room to be located on. Fortunately, she found the door already still there, located where there would normally be a blank stone wall.
Very hesitantly and with her wand at the ready, which had become a habit of hers, she pushed the door open and closed it with her foot behind her. The large room was almost silent apart from the faint muttering of the same incantation repetitively.
The Room of Hidden Things was similar to the Room of Requirement, except filled with mountains upon mountains of old furniture and magical items. The place itself was like a tricky corn maze, and would've been impossible to navigate if not for Draco's faint voice in the distance.
Following a cleared path through the furniture, she eventually reached Draco a few metres away from the door. In front of him was a tall, dark cabinet, presumably the Vanishing Cabinet, which was engraved with an intricate design in the wood.
He had his eyes narrowed at the closed door, his wand pointed at it. "Harmonia Nectere Passus. Harmonia Nectere Passus."
"Any luck?" Eva asked as he opened the cabinet door once more.
He smiled ever so slightly when he peered inside. "The apple's gone."
She rolled her eyes. "I'm just gonna pretend that made sense. So," she sat down on an antique sofa which was wedged between a few random tables behind her, "what did you want to show me?"
Twirling his wand around in his hand a few times, he slid it into his inside pocket, sat down beside her, and instead pulled out a small box-shaped wrapped present. The wrapping paper was a dark grey colour, held together with a little gold decorative bow.
He handed it to her. "Happy Christmas."
"What?! I didn't realise we were getting each other presents!" Eva complained. "Why didn't you warn me?!"
He rolled his eyes playfully. "Because it would ruin the surprise. Are you going to open it or just stare at it?"
"Alright, keep your hair on," she retorted as she began to peel away the wrapping paper. "On an off topic, I used to think you wore a wig. You hair was just too blonde and neat and healthy, especially after all that hair gel it's had to carry."
"Are you quite finished?" he questioned irritatedly.
She ignored him and tore off the remaining wrapping paper, dropping it in his lap. While he scrunched it up into a ball and tossed it somewhere across the room, Eva saw that inside was a small white jewellery box. Honestly, compared to most girls, she'd never been a jewellery kind of person (unless it was one of Draco's many unnecessary rings), but she was grateful nonetheless.
Almost warily, Eva pushed the lid open. Inside the box was a silver ring, similar to one of her favourites of Draco's, shaped like a snake that wrapped around her finger. However, unlike his ring, this looked much more expensive, decorated with little diamonds and emeralds.
"Draco," she gasped as she lifted it out of the box, "you didn't have to."
"Do you even know what it is?" Eva glanced up at him in confusion while he stared at his shoes. "It's . . . it's a promise ring. But, of course," he added quickly, "if you don't want it or like it I can always-"
"No-no-no," she interrupted quickly, "of course I want it and like it, you idiot. Oh, Draco," she sighed, slipping it onto her middle finger, "Zabini was right—you have gone soft."
"Sounds like someone wants me to take this back," he teased as he attempted to pull it back off her finger.
Eva elbowed him sharply. "Mine. Wait, hey look," she pointed at the branch almost directly above their heads, "mistletoe, and actual mistletoe this time. Actually what was that last year anyway?"
Draco shrugged. "Moss maybe? Or some kind of ivy?"
"Such romantic kissing preamble," she remarked.
He scoffed. "You started it."
"Then fine," she rolled her eyes, "I'll end it."
And just like that, their lips locked together, their embrace warming the cold air surrounding them during that frosty winter's night.
⊱ ────── {.⋅ ✯ ⋅.} ────── ⊰
Author's note: Okay, so I've been waiting to write this lil bit in for a whileee but, as you can see, it's just so cute. Gotta love Draco being completely unromantic and awkward almost all the time.
Anyway, thank you so much for reading, stay safe, and ily lots!
