(this chapter contains underage consumption of alcohol and dialogue that may be triggering for people who suffer from ED. If any of that is something you would rather not read I won't be offended if you skip this chapter)
Eden spends the rest of her day in her bedroom, trying to ignore the laughter of her sister's friends in the room across the hall from her. She took a long, hot shower after her time in the pool and lounged on her bed in a robe and a book in her lap until she heard the distinct crack of someone apparating into their home. She lets out a long breath, setting her book down next her to her on the bed.
Her father and Lucius had arrived. It was almost time for dinner.
When Eden really thought of it, she had no idea why their fathers were coming to dinner tonight of all nights. It was nothing special of a day. She racked her brain for any reason why they could all be gathering tonight, but nothing struck her as evident.
Nevertheless, she brushed through her now dried hair, braiding it down her back and pulling out a few pieces to frame her face. She changed into a light blue dress and glanced at herself in the mirror, making sure there was nothing that her mother could immediately criticize her for, then she stepped out of her room and made her way down the hall.
By the way the voices echoed through the large mansion, she assumed almost everyone was already in the dining room. That is what she thought until she passed the hallway leading to her father's study and she found it odd that they were meeting there since they had been doing business all week, what else did they have to talk about?
Eden's curiosity got the better of her and she found herself walking down the hall, careful to only step on the narrow rug so that the sound of her shoes was muffled.
"Already father? Really?" Her brows furrow even more as she hears her sister's voice coming from the study as well. Eden reaches the double doors of the study and leans ever so slightly so that she can see through the crack in the door. There, in her father's study, stood Francis Haywood, Lucius Malfoy, Clara, and Draco. Eden's stomach drops as she begins to piece together what in fact this dinner was for.
"Well, darling, with certain developments we figured it would be best if we finalized your engagement before things get...out of hand." His father spoke up before taking a sip of his firewhiskey. Eden finds herself holding her breath, what did he mean by certain developments?
"Well, Draco," Lucius says, approaching his son who's back is facing toward the door, "what are you waiting for? Put the ring on her finger." She can't see his face, but she watches as Draco takes hold of Clara's hand and carefully slides a beautiful silver ring with a large emerald gem in the middle onto her ring finger.
Eden's heart shatters inside of her chest. She knew this day was coming, she had known for a very long time now. So why did she feel such a sense of shock? Did she really believe that they would end up not going through with it? Of course, they would. She would be incredibly naive to believe anything else.
And yet, she felt the familiar feeling of tears burning in her eyes as she watched Clara return the favor, sliding a silver ring onto Draco's ring finger. It was large and silver with a snake etched on top.
She shakes her head out, forcing the tears down as Clara lets out an excited squeal, clapping her hands together. "Of course you won't be married until after Draco has graduated but this will help make things a little more official."
They were so young. Wasn't being betrothed sort of an old fashioned thing, anyway? Sebastian had never expected to be married off to anyone. Then again, he was a male so Eden supposed they saw him as able to make his own decision or something stupid like that.
She was so engrossed in what was happening that she hadn't realized that the end of the rug was curled up over her foot as she went to take a step forward, she found herself tripping and colliding with the slightly open doors, forcing them open and all eyes to be on her.
"Ah, Eden, perfect timing!" Her father beams at her while she frantically smooths out her dress, Lucius and Clara sending her sneers while Draco has taken a keen interest in his shoes, "You'll be the first to hear the news," He takes a step toward the newly engaged couple and wraps his arms around either of them, "Your sister and Draco are engaged!" He was drunk. Drunk and happy. So Eden pretended to be happy with the hopes that she could soon also be drunk.
She feigns surprise, "Really?" Her eyes widen and she plasters a wide smile, "Wow, that's wonderful news." she swallows the lump in her throat, "Congratulations!"
"Yes, it's just perfectly splendid, isn't it." Clara steps forward and holds her hand out, showing off her new piece of jewelry.
Eden takes a hold of her sister's hand, her skin running cold as the light reflects off the magnificent ring, "It's beautiful, Clara," She looks into her sister's blue eyes, her cheeks hurting from the wideness of her forced smile, "Congratulations, really," Her eyes drift over to Draco's and her smile softens a little but it doesn't disappear, "both of you."
"Well, shall we go tell the others?" Francis suggests loudly, "I believe we have champagne to celebrate!"
As they all start to leave the study, Clara looping her arm through Draco's and chattering with him excitedly, Lucius takes a moment to stop next to Eden as she stares straight ahead. Her jaw clenches and her smile is completely gone from her face as he leans down to speak in her ear, "Do you see what could have been yours? If you weren't such a disappointment." He hisses, causing her to swallow hard once again and hold her head high as he leaves her alone in the study.
Of all times for this to happen, it had to be only a week after she lost Cedric. She felt like her world was crumbling around her and now she had to suffer through this whole dinner, pretending to be happy for her sister who was marrying the boy she was in love with.
The boy she would be marrying if only she hadn't been such a disappointment.
Maybe she didn't have to pretend, maybe she wouldn't even bother. The cheers of celebration and the popping of a champagne bottle can be heard from the dining room and it's like a string snaps inside of Eden.
She marches forward, reaching for the bottle of firewhiskey on her father's bar cart, and pours a hefty amount into one of the glasses. Pansy's shrieking voice can be heard congratulating Clara and Eden throws the contents of the glass back in one gulp. She never had firewhiskey before but no time quite like the present, right?
She pours herself some more before throwing that back as well. If she was going to make it through this dinner she wasn't going to do it sober.
….
The firewhiskey had caused a slight warmth to fill Eden's entire body and it made her lips tingle slightly. But, other than that, she still had to listen to the utterly boring conversations happening around her.
Not that she was actually listening, but she knew the main points of conversation. Things happening at the ministry, how completely out of his mind Dumbledore obviously was (although that was a little too forced by her father and Lucius since they knew more than they were letting on), and if Hogwarts should even allow Harry Potter to return this year. Of course, the majority of the table thought he should be expelled.
Eden feels another wave of sadness hit her at the mention of Harry, the firewhiskey doing nothing to numb it. Harry had been the one that saw what happened to Cedric and yet when she tried to approach him just to understand it all better, he avoided her. Eden had never been friends with Harry by any means but he had never gone out of his way to avoid her before.
"And what have you been up to since being home, Eden?" Her father's voice snaps her out of her thoughts and Eden looks up from her untouched food to see all eyes on her. She opens her mouth to reply, but her mother beats her to it at the opposite end of the table from her father.
"Actually, Francis, your daughter has taken to being quite lazy this last week, she's barely left her bedroom at all." Eden's fists clench on her lap and she has to take a deep breath to calm her nerves, "I'd say the only thing she accomplished since being home is losing a few pounds, Merlin knows she needed it."
Sebastian, who is sitting next to Eden, steals a glance at his sister but does nothing to address the rudeness of their mother. Pansy and Clara are trying to hide their giggles to the right of her and Eden bites the inside of her cheek, "Is that true, Eden?" Francis asks her, his cold glare on his youngest daughter's face.
"I mean, did you really expect anything else from her, Francis?" Lucius asks from the other side of the table, "I'm surprised you even asked."
"I asked you a question, girl, answer me." Her father demands, his eyes still on Eden as she looks down at her lap, pressing her lips together.
What escapes her lips not only surprised the entire table but Eden herself. She lets out a light chuckle, slapping her hand over her mouth shortly after, "I'm sorry," she says through a giggle. Everyone at the table shares worried looks with each other as the young witch continues to break out in a fit of uncontrollable laughter.
"Eden!" Her mother hisses at her, "You're embarrassing yourself,"
Eden composes herself, sitting up straight, a ghost of her laughter still on her face as she stares at the woman, 'No, Florence, I'm embarrassing you." She can see the rage in her mother as she refers to her by her first name but she really couldn't care less, "I just find it utterly hilarious that you people are acting like I have no reason to be grieving, that the way I'm acting is simply because I want to be lazy."
There is no longer a trace of laughter on her face, instead, there's pure anger-rage, "I would advise you to stop speaking to your mother in that tone, young lady."
"She has a point, father." Bash speaks up, much to everyone's surprise, "And, with all due respect mother, Eden has never needed to lose weight, and if you keep insinuating that she does she might wither away into nothing."
"Would that be so bad?" In a normal setting, Clara's comment would have gone unnoticed. But, due to the current silence at the dinner table, it was loud and clear. Especially in Eden's ears who was sitting right next to her.
Rage fills Eden to the very tips of her fingers and she briefly catches the eye of Draco who is watching her carefully, almost like he's trying to read her mind. He watches her closely as her green eyes zero in on Clara's fork that was carefully poised in her hand.
Almost as easily as she blinks, the fork in his new fiance's hand turns into a long, black snake.
Clara lets out a shriek, flinging the serpent onto the table, causing mayhem to ensue all across the dining room. Draco and Eden lock eyes again and much to her surprise, he's smiling in amusement. And just for a moment, it was like they were kids again, driving Clara crazy with their silly games.
But the moment is ended as Francis waves his wand at the snake, making it disappear on sight. He narrows his eyes at Eden, his jaw clenching in anger, "Go to your room. Now. I'll deal with you in the morning."
"How do you know it was me?" Eden asks her father, tilting her head in curiosity, "I don't even have my wand on me." She says innocently.
Her father fumes, slamming his hand down onto the table, "Leave this table, now."
Eden scoffs, feeling quite bold this evening. She finishes off her glass of champagne in front of her and leans toward her father, their eyes locked in a deadly staring contest, "Gladly." She pushes her chair back and spares no one another glance as she walks out of the dining room with her head held high.
She does go up the steps, but not before stopping by her father's study and grabbing the rest of his firewhiskey. And she doesn't exactly go to her room, either.
