Dahlia was always running late.
"Shit," she whispered to herself as she rushed down the staircases to the dungeons. Her first class of the day was Advanced Potions. She rushed through the halls and into the classroom. She threw her book bag down at the last available cauldron.
Of course, no one wanted to sit next to him, she thought. She huffed taking a seat next to Draco. He didn't spare a glance at her arrival.
"I saved you one," Amelia said from the opposite station as she handed her the Advanced Potions Making textbook. She heard a giggle and looked over to see Juliet flirting with Harry. She let out a small groan.
"I know," Amelia replied, agreeing with her sentiment.
Amelia caught her up on today's assignment to make the draught of living death. The student with the best brew would win a vial of liquid luck.
Definitely not me, Dahlia thought. Potions had always been her weakest subject. She began attempting to make her brew. She went to gather ingredients from the wooden shelves in the back alcove of the classroom. She was searching for Sopophorous Bean Juice when she felt a light brush of a hand across her lower back.
"I didn't know Ravenclaws were late to class, Aldair," he said lowly behind her ear.
She could practically hear the devilish smile. She turned to see Theodore Nott next to her, also gathering ingredients, or at least pretending to be. His hair was slightly damp, most likely from a morning shower. A quick flicker of an image went through her mind and she grinned to herself.
Theo internally cringed that he had tried to make a smooth comment to Dahlia based on her house. He berated himself for not sticking to a simple greeting. But he was flustered. He had originally left his first block open to dedicate extra time to train for quidditch. However, once he had heard yesterday that Dahlia had advanced potions this period, he arrived early to the same class to beg Professor Slughorn to let him attend. He had luckily had the grades from his O. to prove he was capable of this class so Slughorn had allowed it. He would prefer to keep this mishap to himself, but Amelia most definitely had caught on and would tell Dahlia in no time.
Dahlia rolled her eyes at his comment. "And I didn't know you were smart enough to take Advanced Potions," she retorted.
She wouldn't let him catch on to the thrill she felt in her stomach when he had touched her lower back. She was also not in the best mood as she had been late and now had to sit next to someone who called her a fucking idiot only a few hours ago.
He looked up at her with a sideways grin. "Ouch, you sure know how to win my heart." He took the jars she had gathered and carried them to her station.
"You know, if you think I'm so bad at potions, maybe I could use a tutor for such an advanced class," he teased silkily as he set down the jars by her cauldron.
He didn't wait for her to respond, and she didn't offer one. Dahlia set her cauldrons on fire fifty percent of the time, but Theo didn't need to know that.
He turned to her and lowered his voice. "See you tonight?" He demanded more than asked. He walked back to his own station across the classroom. Again, avoiding her response in case it was anything but yes.
She noticed Pansy, who was seated on Draco's other side, keeping a close eye on their interaction. She whispered something into his ear and Draco pulled away, horrified that she felt comfortable enough to do such a thing in public.
Amelia turned around from her station and laughed. Dahlia felt momentarily embarrassed for Pansy but didn't have time to shoot her an empathetic glance. In his horror, Draco had bumped into Dahlia, knocking the wormwood out of her hand. He quickly moved away without acknowledgment, even more disgusted that he had made physical contact with her.
"Excuse you!" Dahlia shoved back harshly with a side-eyed expression. She usually wouldn't lash out in such a way but she was simmering from last night.
"Get over yourself, Aldair," he quipped boredly.
Anger bubbled up inside her. She noticed there was extra wormwood on her open book. She picked it up and dropped it hard near his cauldron. It filled the air, and the extra wormwood drifted down into his potion.
"Oops," she said innocently. Dahlia smiled viciously, knowing she just ruined his chance of acquiring liquid luck.
He looked like he might strangle her. He finally turned and eyed her slowly.
Draco couldn't tell if he hated her, or if he liked this. He knew there was something awful beneath her perfection and he seemed to have brought if forth. It was a thrill at his own expense. He clenched his jaw and sneered at her.
Juliet intervened at that very moment. "I'm just going to...to scoot this over here," she said quietly, moving Dahlia's cauldron to the very end of the table to separate them further. Draco and Dahlia continued to glare at each other with distaste.
"Yep, this should be good," Juliet mumbled, grabbing Dahlia's arm and pulling her away from Draco to distance them. She kept her eyes locked on Draco's.
"It's not worth it! Don't you want to make it into Slug Club?" Juliet murmured into her ear.
She finally turned to Juliet. "No, I'm currently considering the many ways I could land myself with a sentence to Azkaban at Malfoy's expense," she angrily whispered.
Draco snorted. He clearly had overheard her.
"You're being ridiculous," Juliet whispered harshly.
"Behave, children!" Amelia called over her shoulder from the opposite station.
Draco shot her several unfriendly glares, but Dahlia didn't bother trying to speak with him the rest of class. She had no desire to make peace. They had never really spoken before, unless you count their horrid interaction they had the night before and also their detention together all those years ago.
She opted for silence as she was feeling distant this morning, anyway. Her dream wouldn't leave her this morning. Plus, unknown forces were working to exhaust her as they continued to grate on her subconscious. They were premonitions begging to be spun into prophecies, but Dahlia refused.
Once Dahlia was done with her potion, Amelia came over to see her work.
"Merlin's pants, Dahlia. That looks awful. I'm shocked you didn't blow up the whole fucking castle." Amelia wore an incredulous expression.
"I think it's supposed to look like this. I mean it is called the draught of living death," Dahlia replied, defending her work.
"Draco, what do you think?" Amelia asked. Dahlia rubbed her forehead at the opening her friend had just given Draco — to make another snide comment, she was sure.
"Maybe stick to divinations," Draco chimed confidently with a sinister smirk.
Amelia and Dahlia were both quite uncomfortable at his statement but quickly recovered. They shared a quick look, asking the other if it was a coincidence. He had never been in one of her divinations classes throughout the years, but his tone begged her to read between the lines.
"Truly, it's not that bad," Dahlia sighed, changing the subject to defend her thick slop.
Professor Slughorn came around to take a final look at how all the potions had turned out. He dropped a single leaf into Draco's potion and it simmered. "It's not perfect, but it is quite good," he said happily enough.
Dahlia's nerves spiked as he dropped the leaf into her potion. The cauldron hissed instantaneously.
"See?" Dahlia said reading from her textbook. "It's supposed to do that," she said smugly.
As if summoned, the cauldron shot black goo onto the ceiling.
"Oh, heavens!" Professor Slughorn exclaimed in shock.
The classroom fell into brief hysterics as they cringed and ducked from the exploding goo.
"You might need to work on your skills, dear. Perhaps, Mr. Malfoy could help you?"
"I'm sure he would love to help me, professor," she said sweetly.
Draco sat back on his stool crossing his arms. He looked murderous. Dahlia spotted Theo snickering on the other side of the classroom. Once class was dismissed, he came and gathered her books. He walked her out of the classroom.
"You know, maybe you're the one who needs a tutor." He raised a brow and gave her a cheeky, satisfied grin.
"I'll redeem myself." She smiled with determined eyes.
The way he gazed from her eyes to her mouth as she spoke made her wish that she had in fact dreamed about him last night. He watched her intently as if anticipating what she might do or say next. To be the center of his attention was like being the center of his world.
He left her at the top of the stairs as he had to make his way to a different class. He glanced back at her one last time before disappearing completely. She blinked hard, questioning her reality.
Draco Malfoy stormed past, pushing Dahlia aside. His scent lingered on his billowing cloak as he glanced back with a sneer. It ensnared her senses and brought forth a familiarity.
She thought of the gilded manor once more.
—
Theodore Nott lounged lazily upon a cream sofa.
His head fell back against the plush fabric as he barely listened to the surrounding conversations. With an empty glass in hand, he covertly traced his gaze across the entrance into the Slytherin common room. He waited patiently, eyes quickly glancing to the stone staircase every time he thought he might have glimpsed Dahlia Aldair's honey-blonde hair in his periphery.
"It's still early," Blaise groaned as he noticed Theo's decaying mood. He had no patience for Theo's romantic, borderline obsessive notions.
Him and Draco sat at a nearby polished table along with Lucas Leerweather and Xavier Grey. Daphne Greengrass and Pansy Parkinson lingered behind the boys, gossiping about other girls no doubt. They were playing card games upon the smooth, wooden table. Draco took the cork out of a new bottle of fire whisky and took a swig. Xavier's father owned several liquor distilleries across Europe, along with a few other questionable businesses. He was a titan that Theo's own father wouldn't dare cross.
Draco let out a cruel laugh at Theo's expense. "Never should have switched your classes for that girl, mate," he announced, leaning to pour the whisky into Theo's empty glass.
Theo clenched his jaw and said nothing in return.
He hated how Draco was so secretive himself but quick to divulge everyone else's business if it suited his mood. He wouldn't pick this fight, though. He had been staying at the Malfoy manor over the summer, ever since his father's capture and imprisonment in Azkaban after the recent events at the ministry.
"Please tell me you did not sign up for Advanced Potions," Blaise snorted humorously in disbelief as Lucas exclaimed, "come on, not with quidditch tryouts coming up." His golden waves falling into his face, masking his pine green eyes. He quickly rubbed his hands over his cheeks as if their season had just been lost before it even started.
Theo only threw his glass back, ignoring his friends. The whisky burned his throat, but he welcomed it; deserved it. He felt the beat of the music in his pulse.
"I need some air," he stated with a casual sneer. He leaned over Blaise and stole a line of the sweetened lilac powder before he could snort it himself. It hit him in the chest before he could even utter a word of thanks.
Blaise gave him a disappointed look that Theo imagined his mother might have saved for him if she was still well and breathing.
"Are you fucking serious, mate? That was mine!" He exclaimed.
"I thought it was mine!" Theo held his hands up.
"It was right in front of m-" Blaise closed his eyes and calmed himself. "You know what, go fuck off and write in your diary, Nott."
"Only about you!" Theo yelled as he stepped away from the table and left the common room. He disappeared into the shadows of the castle for an evening stroll.
—
A shoe flew through the disheveled Ravenclaw dormitory.
"Don't speak about Harry like that!" Juliet exclaimed.
"He doesn't even know you!" Eloise yelled back.
Dahlia hummed to herself, creating her own peace. They had been getting ready for over an hour. Juliet had asked Dahlia to braid her hair in an elaborate style only after Dahlia had asked Eloise to add a smoky wing to her eye makeup. They were definitely running behind schedule.
"Oh please, Eloise, you have crushes on several boys that aren't even real!" Juliet lashed, pointing to her stack of books. Dahlia felt that insult, too.
Eloise repaid Juliet by sending a black strappy sandal flying in their direction. Dahlia ducked as she stood above Juliet, working on her braids. The shoe flew out their window.
"Eloise!" Juliet hissed angrily. She stood up and ran to the window. Her shoe lay far below on a landing below Ravenclaw tower.
"I was going to wear those tonight!" She yelled from the window. She looked back down at her lone sandal and noticed a shadowy figure standing alone, looking over the ledge. "Seriously, we've been back for five minutes and your anger management is-"
She squinted then paused.
"Dahlia!" Juliet screamed in an excited whisper from the window. "What if it's Theo. Dahlia, you must go get my shoe!"
Juliet loved putting her friends in the perfect situations where flames might ignite. Dahlia doubted it was Theo. Juliet was wishful-thinking, but she was ready to see Amelia and was in dire need of a drink.
"I'll go get your fucking shoe if you promise to be ready by the time I return?" Dahlia whispered, somehow worried the shadowy figure far below could hear them.
"Yes," she agreed. "Now go! How romantic!" Juliet swooned sarcastically for a dramatic flare.
"We almost hit him in the face with your shoe," Dahlia reminded her as she left their dorm, nearly stomping.
Dahlia exited the common room and headed down the spiraling staircase of Ravenclaw tower. She peered through the towering glass windows to a cloudless sky. The starry whispers sweetly nudged her to turn back. She swatted their warnings away like pesky gnats. Her footsteps echoed upon the stone in the quiet evening. Once she arrived at the bottom of the stairs, she spotted a large wooden door that she hoped led to the landing where she could find Juliet's sandal.
Theo looked over the ledge, leaning against the stone wall as he lazily lit a cigarette. He enjoyed being able to spend time alone to think, especially since everything had changed in his life. He no longer had any family to turn to anymore. He often felt like he was drifting alone in an endless sea, waiting for a gruesome predator to emerge from the darkened depths and swallow him whole before he even had the chance to fight back. It was a matter of time before he would be summoned by the Dark Lord. His sentencing was imminent, promising to blow out his bright flame of hope for a better life — to be someone, something different.
He closed his eyes and exhaled the smoke slowly. He quickly looked over his shoulder as he heard the door behind him open. His flame burned brighter.
A fallen angel, misplaced and now within his grasp. The world seemed to moved reverently around her.
He grinned slowly as he saw what he had been searching for all night — Dahlia Aldair's honey-blonde hair. It danced in the wind as she bent down to pick up a lone shoe. He knew this secluded landing was below a quarter of the Ravenclaw dormitories, but he did not expect to find himself here in this position. He thought briefly about how many times he had come to this exact landing in the past. Had she always been above him? Had she looked out her window before and seen him below? Did she care enough to wonder who it was? She never had in the past.
He leaned against the railing, removing the cigarette from his lips. "Were you trying to kill me then? I thought we had a nice moment today in potions class," he teased smoothly.
His sour mood had quickly turned into playful banter at his luck. Dahlia's face transformed with a shy smile. He soaked in the way her skin glowed in the moonlight.
"If I were cut out for murder, I don't think this would be my weapon of choice," she answered, holding up the sandal. She attempted to tame her wavy hair in the gale to no avail.
Theo bit his lip.
"Come here," he let slip, impulsively. He couldn't help himself. With the dark tides that surrounded him, he wanted more beautiful things kept close.
"We don't know each other that well. What if you sat below my window to lure me out of my dorm for your own murderous activities," she asked spiritedly.
She was still so close to the door leading back inside the castle. He desperately wanted to keep her from walking through it and leaving him, once again, with his own miserable thoughts.
"Oh, so is my curious Ravenclaw scared of me now?" He blew out smoke in her direction.
"I wouldn't say mine," she replied dubiously as if he had been too presumptuous. "And maybe I've heard things," Dahlia continued in a teasing manner.
Her skin prickled with nerves. The teasing words weren't a lie. It was well known in hushed hallways that Theodore Nott's father was a devout follower of the Dark Lord. Dahlia knew she was stupid for ever entertaining this flirtation. If he was a potential death eater, Theo would hand her over to the Dark Lord himself. But she had yet to have any visions that would identify her as a seer to others. Plus, she hadn't thought about Theo in any certain capacity beyond this ongoing attraction she felt. She just needed to resist the urge her heart felt for attachment. But he was too wondrous for what ifs.
Theo knew the undertone of her comment, but he was determined to keep the conversation light. "I assume the girls only have good things to say about me," he replied with a cocky grin and a raise brow.
"And may I remind you, that I was the innocent civilian who almost suffered blunt force trauma by your hands out here tonight. If this was truly my evil plan, how would I have been able to predict your shoe flying out that window at the most opportune moment. I might actually call this fate, love." He pointed to the night sky for dramatic effect.
Dahlia shook her head at the notion. He blew out smoke as she peered at him with an unreadable expression. Dahlia was quiet for a moment. He began to second guess his response.
She finally let out a soft laugh and slowly walked over to join Theo by the ledge. He smelled like bergamot and oakmoss. Her Ravenclaw robe billowed in the wind to reveal a black dress underneath.
Theo guessed she had been planning to go to the party after all. "Once again, it seems you were late," he remarked while eyeing her robes, insinuating he knew what was underneath it and where she was planning to go.
He grinned in an alluring nature, his eyes begging her to take off it as he peered beneath his lashes. He was unbelievably smug, she thought.
"You are so," she started.
"What?" He quickly beckoned her to continue, widening his eyes.
She paused. "Annoying," she finished. She let her mouth hang open as the word fell so he might imagine it in places.
She looked at him as she leaned forward against the stone wall. Theo met her gaze as he leaned back next to her and remained facing the castle. It dawned how spectacular he was up close. His brown eyes appeared to have more dimensional shades of caramel, accentuated by the prominent whites beneath his irises. The light of the moon cut against the more angular features of his face and his dark hair seemed more unruly in the evening. The hours of the night suited him. She imagined if mischief could smile, it would look like Theo.
He looked at her as if he was thinking a million things at once.
"Well, that is not what I thought you were going to say, nor was it very nice," he replied in a softer voice with a shy grin.
She liked the way he danced through flirtation. His words pulling her close and spinning her away at all the right moments.
They suddenly heard voices from above. Dahlia turned, her back to the stone wall. Theo stood straighter. Juliet yelled high above them from their window. "Hurry, Dahlia! Just kiss him already so we can leave!" She teased.
Theo let out a hearty laugh. "Yes, Dahlia. Are you going to kiss me?" He asked expectantly with a cocky grin. He anticipated the moment where she would allow him to step closer.
She narrowed her eyes and tilted her head as a gentle laugh escaped her. He was arrogant. If he was a nobody, she might. "No, the stars warned me against it." She phrased it as a dramatic joke instead of the honest truth.
"Oh really? Should I steal you away to a place where they cannot find us?"
She gravitated towards his warmth as she let her head fall with laughter. He stepped closer. His arm brushed hers as he leaned against the ledge next to her. His muscles tensed. She could sense briefly that he fought the urge to pull her into him.
"Let's get to the party," she quickly mumbled, expecting his displeasure that she wouldn't play his game, but she wasn't ready to give in.
"Sure," he paused. "Yes, absolutely." Theo was a bit disappointed to cut their time alone short, but he was grateful that she was coming at all. He wanted to see the look on his friends' faces when he came back with Dahlia after they had teased him.
She had always been elusive amongst his group despite Amelia's friendship. Whether she distanced herself on purpose or Amelia kept her at arm's length, he wasn't sure. He had always known who she was. Her father was renowned publicly and infamous within certain circles. She had been touted as the ministry darling, the pureblood princess due to her father's position and quite frankly, her appearance and demeanor. Her beauty was both heaven and a haunting. He had admired her from afar in class and at parties, but he never felt compelled to speak to her. If he was being more honest with himself, he felt sure his words were worthy of her. She was kind, esteemed and well-liked. He had given her his charm's textbook in class one year when she had forgotten her own. She had smiled at him, and he had seen something foredoomed to be revered in her wide eyes. He knew now, after the carriage ride, that she hadn't even remembered.
"I'll wait for you to grab your friends and we can head over. I can let you in." Theo watched her walk away. He gave one last look at the view from the castle as the midnight mist rolled in. He gazed up at the sky, wishing for once the angels, or demons, would hear his pleas and answer his wishes.
He threw his cigarette, then followed her inside.
"So, how was the rest of your day? Blow up anymore classrooms?" He asked, attempting to make conversation as he walked her back to the base of Ravenclaw tower.
Dahlia seemed more than happy to stay in a comfortable silence but Theo felt insecure as he couldn't quite read her. "It was perfectly fine. And no, unfortunately not," she chuckled. "How was yours?" She asked, happily enough.
"Well," he sighed, "I signed up for Advanced Potions on a whim to impress a girl. I'm not sure if it's working." He nudged her gently. He no longer cared if she knew he had switched his classes. He now hoped it might impress her.
She threw her head back and laughed. Her approval meant everything to him. "Maybe so, maybe not," she teased, a smile never leaving her face.
—
Draco Malfoy hated losing.
The common room was at full capacity and a large group had gathered around the table to watch them play card games. They had just begun the game, but surely as the night got older and the bottles got lower, the bets would get higher. Theo had yet to return, forcing a helpless Hufflepuff to take his place in their usual game. Amelia smirked as she attempted to cheat, whispering possible strategies into the poor man's ear. Blaise watched her intently with a jealous gleam in his eyes.
"Oi!" Xavier yelled waving over to the entrance of the common room. Draco looked up and saw Theo walk into the common room with Dahlia Aldair and two other girls. A wave of discontent wash over him. He wondered how much time they had spent together since Theo had left close to over an hours ago. He hovered above her like a hopeless shadow.
He sat back, pulling at his bottom lip ripe with irritation.
Draco had first noticed Dahlia in his third year. She had been in both his Charms and Care of Magical Creatures classes. He used to cheat off her papers during exams. He wasn't sure if she either didn't notice or didn't care. Draco never struggled to get attention from girls. However, Dahlia had never given him the time the day — she gave no man the time a day, preferring to stay huddled amongst hoards of squawking females. His parents had asked about her several times, suggesting how lovely they might look together. She was Devereaux Aldair's daughter after all; they had reminded him. He wasn't sure if that made him more curious or more displeased.
He often wondered if Amelia had ever told her he asked about her more than once over the years. Amelia had claimed she was too good for him, and that she would slit his throat for even considering flirting with Dahlia. She said Dahlia always had her head in clouds and she lived in her books — it would never work. She said he was too cruel for her, but he had heard through the rumor mill that she was no stranger to late night trysts despite her fake facade.
In his deepest thoughts, he'd admit that he liked the way she hemmed her skirt a little too short despite her darling demeanor. It was the reason she had ended up in detention with him in his fourth year. But mostly, he liked the way she laughed like no wickedness existed in this world. He wondered what it must feel like to be so blissfully naïve to the corruption that surrounded them. Draco had been tasked by the Dark Lord himself to mend a vanishing cabinet within the Room of Requirement. It seemed he was destined to drown in his own wickedness.
He wondered if she was aware that her father spent occasional nights at the Malfoy manor, working alongside his own father. He wondered if she too was was weighed down by shadows and her demure nature was an act.
He gripped his cards, knuckles turning a shade of white as Theo approached with Dahlia. Why Theo was interested in Dahlia was beyond him. He had lived more permanently in his home over the summer after both of their fathers were captured. Although Theo's home life was never a lovely picture, and he had spent several holidays with his family already in the past.
Draco knew her awful secret, and Theo knew that Draco's father had urged him to court ber before he was taken to Azkaban, which is precisely why Draco planned to do the opposite and ignore her. Nothing good could come from his father's wishes. He hadn't disclosed to Theo that his father had puzzled it together that she was a potential seer and that is why he needed Draco to steal her trust. It crossed his mind that Theo may have been flirting with Dahlia only to annoy him. If it was a game, Draco wasn't laying down any cards, and he wanted to keep Theo from rolling any dices.
"Hi, my love!" Amelia said pulling Dahlia out of Theo's grasp and into a hug. She removed her cloak and revealed a short black dress with a small slit on her right thigh. The dress hugged her curves and featured a low, square neckline that accentuated her cleavage.
Draco almost choked. He may have hated her many falsities, but he nearly worshiped the way she looked. Even though he was determined to stay away from her, he had to admit she was stunning — and he hated it. There was something unsettling to her beauty. He thought if someone were to gaze too long, it might make them weep. It was uncanny; troubling. Her beauty was both dazzling and alluring yet ghastly like a disaster of natural devastation.
Dahlia leaned over Blaise who was seated next to Draco and gave him a light hug to say hello to her best friend's boyfriend. Draco couldn't help but notice she smelled like warm florals and vanilla as her hair bounced in his direction. He held his breath and stiffened.
Dahlia noticed due to the close proximity and gave him a peculiar look.
"Do I sicken you, Draco?" She leered, still leaning in his direction. Even positioned as an insult, he loved to watch her lips say his name. He could have slapped himself. She was smoke and mirrors; a liar. He saw right through it. And to fall so easily within Theo's slick grasp, she was surely stupid.
She put her hand on his shoulder as she stood up straight. Her touch burned into him. He prayed to whatever god there was to drag her back to pit of hell — at least when he was drinking.
—
Dahlia sat on the arm of a velvet sofa, crossing her legs.
Xavier and Lucas introduced themselves and began chatting them up as Theo poured her and her friends a drink.
Everyone knew Xavier as he somehow managed to smuggle a ridiculous amount of drugs and liquor through the abandoned tunnels of Hogwarts. He had orchestrated a deal with the Weasley twins. While popular, few spoke to him outside his immediate group. He was uncomfortably attractive. He was tall with raven hair and ocean blue eyes. Unlike Lucas, he wasn't one for sports and he wasn't as outwardly friendly. Although Xavier was far more outspoken, he wielded his words carefully. She wondered how many times a man could say 'allegedly'.
Lucas resembled a golden retriever next to Xavier with his waved blonde hair and supple, tanned face. She wondered how someone with such kind eyes found themselves within the group.
"Here you go, love," Theo said passing Dahlia a drink as she migrated closer to her friends. He didn't linger. He brushed his hand against her waist and said, "I'll find you later," before disappearing. She watched him go and noticed the other girls who watched him, as well.
"I'm so glad you are finally putting Slytherins back on your radar," Amelia joked to Dahlia.
She snorted at Amelia.
"It's okay, I also can't seem to drop morally grey men," Amelia sighed in Blaise's direction as she took a swig of her glass.
They shared stories of their summers. Amelia told them how she had chased Dahlia's summer crush out her second-story window one night, or two. Dahlia had tried to cover her face to avoid the embarrassment as they laughed.
Three drinks in and Dahlia was being pulled by Amelia and Juliet to dance. Dahlia loved the way liquor made her feel. It calmed her wandering mind and heightened her senses. She felt one plane closer to the ether in the dark. The bass of the music thrummed through her veins in sync with the whisky.
She looked around and spotted Eloise talking to Xavier in a dark corner by the glass windows that looked into the depths of the Black Lake. He leaned over her with his hand against the cold, stone wall. Dahlia wanted her to dance with them, but she was thrilled that her friend might actually meet someone at a party.
She was leaning back into Amelia when she locked eyes with Draco. He sat across the room from her on a velvet couch. He leaned forward and blew smoke from his mouth. His silver hair was distinguishable, even in the darkness and through the shadowed crowd.
She wasn't sure if he knew she had caught him staring in the muddy haze. Regardless, his eyes remained on her. Even as a girl sat on his lap, he grinned for her hatefully as to confirm he wanted her to watch him, too. Resentment beat against her heart. He was vexing, and she needed another drink.
A hand slip around her waist and she turned to find Theo. She looked up into his glassy eyes. Whatever den he had fallen into must have been full of drugs and more liquor.
"Come with me?" He murmured into her ear.
She had no objections at this hour, and under Draco's vicious glare. Theo took her hand and led her down a hall with rounded, stained glass ceilings that peered into the lake above. The floor was constructed of metal pathways that floated above the rounded floors of the tunnels. It was deeply aquatic in nature as the temperature dropped and a cool, rain-like scent danced around her. They were going deeper into the dungeons of the Slytherin dormitories.
He opened the door to reveal a circular room with domed ceilings made of light stone and dark woods. Plush furniture in varying shades of green and silver adorned the room. She was looking around, inspecting her whereabouts, when Theo asked, "have you never been inside a boy's dormitory before?" A cheeky grin encompassed his face.
"Actually, no. Only other dormitory I've been to is Amelia's — where you can hardly see the floor." She laughed softly.
She was trying to disguise how nervous she was. They were alone.
Theo leaned against his wooden bedpost, carefully choosing his next words. He didn't want to fuck this up. He felt as if he had Persephone, the goddess herself, walking amongst his own underworld right now. He needed to make her feel more comfortable. He desperately didn't want her to leave.
"You know Dahlia, I just realized I don't know anything about you when it seems you've heard plenty about me."
"I was only kidding when I said I had heard things, Theo."
She meant to reassure him. She had a sense he didn't want her to think less of him because of his family's circumstances. She also didn't want him to know he had crossed her mind before. She withheld any recollections of classes they had shared in the past. She doubted he remembered that one summer night between their fourth and fifth year, when her and Amelia had walked him back from a bonfire party at her home. He had drank a ridiculous amount of firewhisky. Dahlia had sat on the floor reading while he had passed out on the couch.
"What do you want to know?" Dahlia asked, giving into his silence.
Dahlia sighed and sat on his bed with a casual carelessness, as if she was completely comfortable. From the look on his face, she was hiding her nerves well.
"Whatever you'll tell me," he answered cooly.
Gods, he thought. She looked magnificent sitting on his bed. His pulse picked up. He had to promise himself to focus on her words. He could listen to her mumble on about muggle studies as long as she sat on that bed, legs crossed. He imagined what it would be like to uncross them for her. He got the sense she didn't even notice what she had done.
"Well I live with my father. He works for the ministry, which is how I know Amelia." She spoke to him casually, as if the the whole wizarding world wasn't aware of who her father was. She continued, "our fathers were good friends. My mother died three years ago but my parents were, somewhat separated, for a bit of time before that. My mom moved to a small beach town on the east coast of The States. I used to spend some time there."
During the last years of her life, Dahlia's mother couldn't move far enough away from her father despite his unrelenting love. Her mother had been desperate to keep Dahlia away from London, always claiming it was the heart of a coming darkness. Nothing her mother had said over those last few years had made much sense. She had relied on a caretaker in the end.
"My mother died, too." Theo's mood shifted. He straightened as he shared this small piece of information from his life.
"Is that why you could see the thestrals pulling the carriage?" She asked.
Theo was surprised. He hadn't noticed Dahlia looking at him then.
"Perhaps," he sighed. Theo didn't want to reveal entirely that he had witnessed his mother's own death.
It was quiet for a moment.
"Look at us," he said to fill the silence, "bonding over dead mothers."
Dahlia snorted and rolled her eyes. She pointed to the picture by his bed and asked, "is that her?"
It was a photo of a beautiful woman holding the hands of a young boy.
"Yes, in happier times," he answered, trying to hide a hint of sadness in his smile. Dahlia didn't want to pry when she had already heard all the details about his family. She stood up and walked over to where he was still leaning against one of his roommate's bedpost with his arms crossed over his chest. She touched his bicep gently.
"You'll find happiness again." She smiled up at him with unbridled kindness.
He didn't feel like he deserved the sincerity in her eyes. She really believed in the goodness of the world and that fate was kind to all. He took to her hopefulness like a moth a flame.
They looked at each other within a moment of hesitation. The air felt electric. He leaned forward to bring his forehead to hers, as to ask for permission.
She felt a rush of heat cascade down her spine. She was practically vibrating with anticipation. She loved this part of the game where you were left to imagine how they would touch you and what things they might whisper in your ear. She was on the cusp of finding out.
The warnings of the screaming star's couldn't reach her so deep in the dungeons. She closed the space between them with a soft kiss to tease him and pulled away — looking into his eyes.
That featherlight kiss ignited him. This was inevitable, a star finding roaring orbit with the smallest pull.
So he pulled her back into his arms with a firm grip, deepening the kiss. Theo slipped his tongue into her mouth. He squeezed her lower back and slid his hand lower, and lower. He traced his hand along her jawline, then clutched her hair and pulled her head back to kiss her neck. He moaned into the kiss as she arched into him.
She wanted to touch more of him.
He leaned over her, finding her mouth again and squeezed the back of her thighs —his hands creeping just below the hem of her dress. He wanted to go under the silky fabric and find out just how much she liked this.
Dahlia pulled away suddenly, lightheaded either from the kiss or the liquor. He was resistant to let her out of his arms.
"Are you alright?" He asked. Her mood suddenly changed. Her skin feverish.
"Can we go back, please?" Dahlia inquired nervously.
She felt herself spiraling. She wasn't sure if she was going to vomit, and she suddenly wished she had her friends around for support. Dahlia knew she had about a half hour before Eloise would be holding her hair back and out of a toilet.
He nodded with glassy eyes. "You're going to kill me, love," he said, breathless.
He kissed her temple and straightened her dress. "Come on, let's get out of here."
She took his hand, squeezed it for luck, as he led her out of his dorm. She was singularly focused on getting back to her bed as she attempted to stifle her nausea. If Theo spoke to her, she wasn't sure what he might've said.
When they arrived back to the common room, Dahlia let go of his hand and disappeared into the night. She quickly landed in the hands of Amelia as she pulled her into the chaos. She greeted Dahlia by pouring a shot into her mouth. Dahlia choked it down and laughed. She had reached the point in the early hours of the morning where good decision making had abandoned her. Where was her dorm? And how could she get out of here? She quickly remembered.
She wasn't sure if the noise and lights were making her feel sick or ethereal. She touched the back of the wall to ground herself. She felt wood instead of stone. She turned around and saw a figment of her mother's home. Unclear if she was panicked or at peace, she looked up expecting to see the wooden beams of her childhood home. But no, she looked up and saw carved stone and intricate stained glass. Wait, she thought, this is the common room. She was dissociating. She turned to find Amelia but she was kissing Blaise in the darkness. Panic crept over her.
A stranger harshly gripped her arm. She tilted her head and saw silver-white hair. Draco looked down, meeting her starry gaze, and a forged metal mask covered his face. She closed her eyes and pulled away, but his grip didn't falter. She looked up at him again with terror but saw nothing but his usual scowl.
"Would you stop struggling, Aldair. I'm kicking you out before you puke all over everyone," he scowled. Draco led her up the stairs of the dungeons and through the serpent door of the Slytherin common room.
"Let go of me! You fucking smell," she exclaimed as she hit his arms. He wore entirely too much cologne.
He laughed quite genuinely like her attempts at insults were amusing. Then he pushed her off of him roughly. "Walk," he commanded as he pointed towards the stairs leading up to the other common rooms.
She took her shoes off and felt infinitely more smaller next to him now. She suddenly wished she had support as her mind was clouded in a swirling dizziness. She wasn't about to prove his point by stumbling up the stairs.
"Come on," she sighed innocently. "You're walking me back." She shrugged as if she was admitting defeat to Amelia, her best friend, not someone who hated her dearly.
"I'm not your mother," he scoffed in disbelief.
"You dragged me out of the party," she whispered even though it was just the two of them. "There is a thing called a consequence. Unclear if you've heard it."
"Oh, shut the fuck up, Aldair." He talked animatedly with his hands in a way she had never seen before. He was typically cool and collected.
She felt a sudden surge of clarity. "You know what? Fuck you. I'm going back inside to find one of my roommates, or Theo, to walk me to my dormitory."
He stormed towards her, then proceeded to grab her arm and pulled her up the stairs. As much as he hated her, he hated seeing her with Theo more. He pulled her along like a screaming child. They walked back in tense silence until he couldn't stand it anymore.
"Are you pleased with yourself? You ruined my potion in class today and you ruined my fucking night," he spat.
They approached the entrance to the Ravenclaw common room. She laughed happily, drunkenly with a small hiccup.
"I want you to know I am quite pleased with myself," she said leaning into his tight grasp around her arm. She turned to face him. "I think you like this," she whispered. "You don't think I saw you watching me?"
"You are nothing but a joke to me," he whispered back, stepping closer.
They were playing a game of push and pull, unknowingly fighting the universe. She leaned back from his terrible whisper, but neither could resist the invisible pull. His insult stung but in her drunken heat she was almost more annoyed he wasn't acting on the tension between them as his grey eyes locked on hers.
"A Malfoy who can only run his mouth, how original." She smirked getting closer to his face. A horrid voice within her ached to be kissed again. A rage simmering within herself, at herself, that it was Draco standing before her.
She saw a fury rise within his eyes. He let go of her, harshly shoving her into the wall. "I knew from the first fucking moment I saw you that you were a stupid, little nightmare." He pushed his falling hair out of his face as she stood wide eyed.
He narrowed his gaze, drilling into her. "Do you think our status isn't aligned? You go around oblivious to the notion that you're also a pureblood and carry that responsibility, as well. You know, at least I'm worth something to my family. I have purpose. The only thing you're good for is wasting your father's time and money until he can marry you off to someone he considers more important and useful to him than you." He chuckled at the notion, "what a miserable life."
She held his glare as he cut her a hundred little times with her deepest insecurities. No one deserved this.
He pushed his chest to hers. "I don't want to look at you. I don't want to hear you. And I most definitely, don't want to touch you. I don't care who your fucking father is. You're beneath me."
Draco violently ripped himself away from her. He walked down the stairs of the tower smoothly as if he hadn't just devastated her. She stood arms crossed, barefoot and shivering. She wondered what the point of him pulling her away from the party had been. To yell at her? Punish her?
When he was gone and out of earshot, she instantly covered her mouth, forcing herself to keep in a sob. She reminded herself that she was just drunk and that it would be alright. She may not even remember this, hopefully. His words only hurt worse because she was intoxicated and emotional.
As he stormed down the tower, Draco could sense a disgusting self-hatred that was entirely new. He didn't return back to her though as much as something urged him. There was nothing to regret, he told himself. She had practically asked for his wrath and he delivered it. He heard the door shut above, noting she was now safely within the walls of her own common room. He pressed on.
Dahlia went to her dormitory and immediately crawled into her bed. She held herself together and forced her eyes shut despite a spinning sensation. She imagined her mother behind her, but it only soothed her for so long. She knew she would be a disappointment to her, too. She eventually fell asleep. She dreamt she was a child again on a bright, golden beach. She put her head in her mother's lap, closed her eyes and listened to the waves.