"Shit, shit, shit," Dahlia whispered to herself. She was always running late.
"Why hello, Miss Aldair!" Professor Flitwick waved to her across the slimming corridor as she surged passed.
"Hello, Professor! Hope you had a lovely summer!" She called in a collected voice that didn't match her internal chaos.
"Fuck," she mumbled, storming down the Grand Staircase to the dungeons, her cloak catching the draft behind. Her first class of the day was Advanced Potions. She pushed urgently through the hall, nearly running in a rare show of panic before bursting into the classroom. She threw her book bag down at the last available cauldron as the clock finished it's toll.
Of course, no one wants to sit next to him, she thought. Dahlia huffed breathlessly, taking a seat next to Draco. He didn't spare a glance at her dramatic arrival.
"I saved you one," Amelia yawned from the opposite station as she handed her the Advanced Potions Making textbook.
Dahlia heard a giggle and looked over to see Juliet flirting with Harry. She let out a small groan and a prayer to every sort of god.
"I know," Amelia replied, agreeing with her sentiment. She explained the day's assignment. They were to brew the draught of living death. The student with the best potion would win a vial of Liquid Luck.
Definitely not me, Dahlia thought. Potions had always been her weakest subject.
She gathered her 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 hand across her lower back.
"I didn't know Ravenclaws were late to class, Aldair," Theo said lowly behind her ear, nearly cringing himself.
Why had he tried to make a smooth comment based on her house? He should have stuck to a simple greeting. He had originally left his first block open to dedicate extra time to train for quidditch. However, once he had heard that Dahlia had Advanced Potions this period, he had arrived early to the very same class to beg Professor Slughorn to let him attend. He had luckily had the grades from his O.W.Ls to prove he was capable of this class so Slughorn had allowed it. This was a secret he preferred to keep to himself, but Amelia most definitely had caught wind.
Dahlia could practically hear his devilish grin. She turned to find him standing 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 crossed her mind and she grinned to herself.
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 in her veins when he had touched her lower back. She was also not in the best mood as she had been late to class and now had to sit next to Draco, who called her a fucking idiot only a few hours ago.
"Ouch, you sure know how to win my heart." Theo looked up at her with a sideways grin. 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 sharply, too close. He lowered his voice. "See you tonight?" It was more of a demand than an ask. He sauntered back to his own station across the classroom. Once again avoiding her response in case it was anything but yes.
She noticed Pansy, who was seated on Draco's other side, keeping a steady eye on their interaction. She whispered something into Draco's ear and he pulled away, questionably horrified that she felt comfortable enough to do such a thing.
Amelia lowered her head and spat a laugh before eying Theo, sharing a joke. Dahlia didn't have time to shoot Pansy an empathetic glance as Draco, lost in his horror, had bumped into her, 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 withheld from outbursts if only to scream it out in her pillow later, but she was simmering from last night, and wishing she had been more brave to stand up for herself then.
"Get over yourself, Aldair," he scoffed.
Her veins bubbled, heated by his dismissiveness. She noticed there was extra wormwood on her open book. She picked it up and slammed it down near his cauldron. The shavings filled the air, and the extra wormwood drifted into his potion.
"Oops," she drawled, tone innocent as a fawn. Dahlia smiled viciously, knowing she just ruined his chance of acquiring Liquid Luck.
Draco stilled, sawing his jaw and fury alighting. He turned and eyed her slowly. He sneered down, ready to strangle her. He couldn't tell if he hated her, or if he liked this. There was something awful beneath her perfection and he seemed to have brought if forth. It was a thrill at his own expense.
She swayed her hip into his thigh carelessly and intentionally hard, but he refused to budge. "So sorry, Malfoy. But I think you can afford a fresh vial of Liquid Luck...I mean, if you can find another for sale."
He shook his head, slow and precise. He had never known a more infuriating creature. "You fucking..."
Juliet intervened at that very moment, breaking all tension as she stepped between them.
"I'm just going to...to scoot this over here," she mumbled quietly, moving Dahlia's cauldron to the very end of the table to separate them.
They glared at each other, steadfast. He slowly smirked. It was a nasty thing, but Dahlia swallowed hard as she felt the room bend, nature swooned by it. She nearly broke sweat, fighting off the murmurs reaching for the surface in her mind.
"Yes, Yes. This should be good," Juliet hummed, grabbing Dahlia's arm and pulling her a few steps back. She kept her eyes locked on Draco, unwilling to lose this fight as she stumbled next to her friend.
"It's not worth it! Don't you want to make it into Slug Club?" Juliet murmured into her ear.
Dahlia finally turned to Juliet, reality snapping into place. "Not really, 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, overhearing her. She whirled around, ready to fight yet she found the amused eyes of Theo instead. Her gravity nearly shifted.
"You're being ridiculous," Juliet whispered harshly.
"Behave, children!" Amelia called over her shoulder from the opposite station. Her eyes widened and she yelped, spotting Theo's quick proximity.
Dahlia responded with the slam of her knife, slicing clean through a rogue Sopophorous Bean as she mouthed a profanity at Draco.
"We're all shaking in our stockings, Aldair," Theo chimed, stealing the knife from her hand in a fluid motion as he passed behind her back.
Draco threw down a rag, frowning at him. "You're so predictable, Nott," he mocked.
"Hey!" She yelled after Theo. "My weapon!"
They sat in silence for the rest of class. Draco shot her several unfriendly glares, but she didn't bother. She had no desire to make peace. She was feeling unwell this morning, anyway. Her dream was haunting her. Malfoy's face burned in like a flame in the depths of her mind. 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.
She finally snapped her textbook closed as she put the finishing touches on her potion. Amelia strolled over to take a gander at her work as she had finished quite a while ago.
"Merlin's pants, Dahlia. That looks awful. I'm shocked you didn't blow up the whole fucking castle!" Amelia exclaimed, incredulous.
"I think it's supposed to look like this. It is called the draught of living death," Dahlia replied, defending her work.
"Draco, what do you think?" Amelia asked, knowing she was only adding friction to a match. Dahlia rubbed her forehead. She had surely just given him a wide opportunity to make another snide comment.
"Maybe stick to divinations," Draco surmised confidently, wearing a sinister grin.
She nearly shivered. Dahlia raised a brow, asking Amelia if he knew. Amelia shook her head once quickly, imperceptible to others but not to Dahlia. Draco 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. He dropped a single leaf into Draco's potion and it simmered in perfect balance.
"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. She winced as the cauldron hissed instantaneously.
"See?" Dahlia said, reading from her textbook. "It's supposed to do that!"
As if summoned, the cauldron violently projected black goo onto the stone ceiling.
"Oh, heavens!" Professor Slughorn yelped. The classroom fell into brief hysterics as they cringed and ducked beneath the exploding concotion.
"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," Dahlia answered.
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 officially dismissed, he came and gathered her books. He walked her out of the potions 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 back with determined eyes.
The way he gazed from her eyes to her mouth as she spoke made her wish that she had instead dreamed of him last night. He watched her intently as if anticipating what she might do or say next. To be the center of his attention, even for a second, felt as if she were made the center of his entire existence. It was a gift.
He left her at the top of the stairs as they had different classes next. He glanced back at her one last time, a sly grin inviting her to chase, before disappearing completely. She blinked hard, questioning her own reality. How? She stood mystified in the center of a bustling hall.
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 at once and she coughed violently. She shook off a familiarity, but she thought of the gilded manor once more.
————————————
Theodore Nott lounged lazily upon a cream sofa in the Slytherin common room beneath the effervescent emerald glow of the Black Lake.
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 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, but 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 entirely. 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 frown. He leaned over Blaise and stole a line of the sweetened lilac powder before his friend could snort it. It hit him in the chest before he could even utter a word of sarcastic 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 innocently.
"It was right in front of-" 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 and were running behind schedule. 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.
"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's insult 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. "Seriously, we've been back for five minutes and your anger management is-"
She looked back down at her sandal and noticed a shadowy figure standing alone, looking over the ledge. She squinted, then gasped.
"Dahlia!" Juliet screamed in an excited whisper from the window. "I think it's him! Dahlia, you must go get my shoe!"
Dahlia rolled her eyes, doubting it was Theo. Juliet loved finding the perfect situations where flames might ignite. She was wishful-thinking, but Dahlia was ready to leave and in dire need to get to 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 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, then headed down the spiraling staircase of Ravenclaw tower. She peered through the arching 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 only 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 preferred being alone, more comfortable with his thoughts than anywhere else as he had always been surrounded by ghosts, memories of the ones he loved most. Lately, he often felt like he might be drifting alone in an endless sea, waiting for a gruesome beast 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, anyone, or something entirely different.
He closed his eyes and exhaled the smoke slowly, content in his own misery. He quickly looked over his shoulder as he heard the door behind him open. He smiled to himself, unable to fathom that he might have any sort of luck. It was a fallen angel, misplaced and now within his grasp. His flame quickly burned brighter. The world seemed to move reverently around her. He wondered what it might cost him to fall into her orbit.
It was 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 ever wonder who it might be?
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 class," he teased smoothly.
His sour mood had quickly turned into playful banter at his stroke of 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.
She shifted her weight in apprehension. He wasn't a good idea, and he knew her senses were right to tell her to run. He grinned, in the hopes of dampening all good sense.
"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 sad and tired 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," she added in a teasing manner.
Dahlia's skin prickled. 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 even 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 would just need to resist the urge her heart felt for attachment. He was far 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 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 him by the ledge. 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 from beneath his lashes.
He's unbelievably smug, she thought.
"You are so-" she started.
"What?" He quickly beckoned her to continue, amusement dancing in his eyes.
She paused and scoffed.
"...annoying," she finished. She let her mouth hang open as the word fell from her lips so he might imagine them in certain places.
She observed him with a soft smile as she leaned forward against the stone wall. Theo met her gaze as he leaned back next to her, facing the castle. It dawned on her 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, beckoning to be seen in the daylight. The light of the moon unwillingly cut against the more angular features of his face. His dark hair seemed more unruly in the evening. He was the most brilliant shadow, a thief of starlight. The hours of the night suited him, although the night didn't particularly care for him. She imagined if mischief could smile, it might 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 chuckled in a softer voice, wearing 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 now pressed to the stone wall. Theo stood straighter, masking his vulnerability.
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 teased, concealing a wish. He anticipated the moment where she would allow him to step closer.
She narrowed her eyes and tilted her head. He was too arrogant for his own good. A Nott, through and through. If he was a nobody, she just might. She even might have already.
"No, the stars warned me against it," she sighed, phrasing it as a dramatic joke instead of the honest truth. They hadn't screamed so loud in all her years.
"Oh really? Should I steal you away to a place where they cannot find us?" His voice dropped to a murmur, and her skin chilled. Her thoughts leaving her entirely.
She gravitated towards his warmth as she let her head fall back. What was she doing?
This might be a mistake.
He stepped closer. His arm brushed hers as he leaned against the ledge next to her. His muscles tensed, and she could sense briefly that he was fighting the urge to pull her into him. If she looked now, met his gaze, she knew she would drown.
"Let's get to the party," she quickly mumbled, finding reason where it seemed impossible.
Her stomach turned as she met his gaze, expecting to find displeasure that she wouldn't play his game.
"Sure," he answered warmly. "Absolutely." He pulled the hood of her cloak over her head playfully. "Come on," he laughed lightly.
Theo was a bit disappointed, but he was grateful that she was coming at all. He wanted to see the look on Draco's face when he came back with Dahlia. She had always been elusive amongst his group of friends, despite her and Amelia's close friendship. Whether she distanced herself on purpose or Amelia kept her at arm's length, he wasn't sure. He knew of her, but everyone did. Her father was renowned publicly and infamous within certain circles. She had been touted as the ministry darling due to her father's position and quite frankly, her appearance and demeanor. She 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 unsure his words were worthy of her. She was kind, esteemed, quiet 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 in her wide eyes. He knew now, after the carriage ride, that she hadn't even remembered their short interaction.
"I'll wait for you to grab your friends and we can head over. I can let you in," he sighed. Theo watched her walk inside. He admired the view one last time from the landing as the midnight mist rolled in. He gazed up at the sky, wishing for once the angels, or even demons, would hear his plea 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 he was growing insecure in the horrible realization that he couldn't quite read her.
She smiled, happily enough.
"It was perfectly fine. And no, unfortunately not," she chuckled. "How was yours?"
"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. It echoed brightly in the tower. Her approval meant everything to him, and she was so blissfully unaware.
"Maybe so. Maybe not," she shrugged, nudging him back. Her smile never left her face. He hoped he might steal it from the world and keep it to himself.
————————————
Draco Malfoy hated losing.
The common room was at full capacity and a large group had gathered around the table to watch them play cards. 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 eye.
"Oi!" Xavier yelled, waving over to the entrance of the common room.
Draco looked up and spotted Theo walking into the common room along with Dahlia Aldair and two other girls. A wave of discontent washed over him and drowned his mood. He wondered how much time they had spent together since Theo had left over an hours ago. He hovered above her like a hopeless shadow.
Draco sat back, pulling at his bottom lip ripe with irritation.
He 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 anyone. However, Dahlia had never given him the time the day, but she gave no man the time a day. She preferred to stay huddled amongst hoards of squawking females. His parents had asked about her several times, suggesting how lovely they might look together.
She's 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 that 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 had said Dahlia held her dreams close and she wasn't cut out for his cynicism — it would never work. Besides, she annoyed him more than half the time. She had said he was too cruel for her, but he had heard through the rumors. She was no stranger to late nights fueled by the worst habits, despite her facade.
In his deepest thoughts, he'd admit that he liked the way she hemmed her skirt a little too short despite her prude 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 beneath her demure 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 over the years.
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 possibly a 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 lying down any cards, and he wanted to keep Theo from rolling any dices.
"Hi, my love!" Amelia called, 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 that she was stunning — and he hated it. There was something unsettling to her beauty. He thought if he stared too long, it might make him weep. It was uncanny; troubling. Her beauty was both dazzling and alluring, yet ghastly like a disaster of natural devastation, or maybe his.
Dahlia leaned over Blaise who was seated next to Draco and gave him a light hug to say hello. 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 shot him a peculiar look, aware of his discomfort.
"Do I sicken you, Draco?" She leered, still leaning in his direction, satisfied with herself.
Even positioned as an insult, he loved to see his name in her mouth. 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 placed a hand on his shoulder, torturing him as she stood up straight. Her touch burned straight through his skin and branded his soul. He prayed to whatever god there was to drag her back to the pits 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 as Theo poured her 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 a while back. While popular, few spoke to him outside his immediate group. He was uncomfortably attractive. He was tall with tidy raven hair and curious snow-capped 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.
Lucas resembled a golden retriever next to Xavier with his waved blonde hair and supple, tanned face. He reminded her of the muggle boys who thrived most beneath the scorching sun of summer. She wondered how someone with such kind eyes found themselves within this circle. They matched her own, emerald in color, although shaded in a darker intent.
"Here you go, love," Theo said passing Dahlia a drink as she migrated closer to her friends. He brushed his hand against her waist, making his intention clear to those who might be watching.
"I'll find you later," he whispered 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.
Dahlia snorted, raising her drink to her lips.
"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.
Eloise rolled her eyes and Juliet giggled. Dahlia downed her drink entirely. Soon they were sharing stories of their summers. Amelia told them how she had chased Dahlia's summer crush out her second-story window one night. Dahlia covered her face to avoid the embarrassment, remembering how her Amelia's father had almost killed him as he chased him off into the night.
Three drinks in and Dahlia was being pulled by Amelia and Juliet to dance. Dahlia loved the way liquor felt pumping into her heart. It calmed her wandering mind and heightened her senses. She felt one plane closer to the ether here in the dark, intoxicated and entirely numb. 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 showcased 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 worth her time at a party.
She was leaning back into Amelia when she locked eyes with Draco. He sat across the room from her, seated crudely on a velvet couch. He leaned forward and blew smoke of burnt roots from his lips. His silver hair was distinguishable, even in the darkness and through the shadows. 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. He raised a brow, confirming the worst — he knew, and 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 much more liquor.
"Come with me?" He murmured into her ear.
She had no objections at this hour beneath 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 gently over 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. Her stomach flipped, realizing they were going far deeper into the dungeons of the Slytherin dormitories than she intended.
He halted, and opened a large, wooden door to the left. It was unmarked, as if one should know the path to their dormitory by heart or be lost to the dungeons. He held the door open to reveal a circular room with domed ceilings made of light stone and dark woods. Canopied beds lined the wall, similar to her own dormitory. Plush furniture in varying shades of green and silver adorned the room. A roaring fireplace with jade flames sat directly across from her as she crossed the threshold.
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," she answered. "The only other dormitory I've been inside is Amelia's — where you can hardly see the floor."
She laughed softly, trying to disguise how nervous she was.
Theo leaned against his wooden bedpost, carefully choosing his next words. He didn't want to fuck this up. He couldn't. He felt as if he had Persephone walking amongst his own underworld right now. Theo had to remind himself that he wasn't Hades; he hadn't kidnapped her and she was here on her own accord, but she was nervous. He could tell by the stiffness in her spine, the tightness in her sweet smile. He needed to make her feel more comfortable. She couldn't leave just yet.
"You know Dahlia, I just realized I don't know anything about you when it seems you've heard plenty about me."
She shook her head. "I was only kidding when I said I had heard things, Theo."
She meant to reassure him as. she held a sense that 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 Amelia's home. He had drank a ridiculous amount of firewhisky.
"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.
Fucking 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 and on about muggle studies as long as she sat on his bed, legs crossed. He imagined what it would be like to uncross them for her. She didn't even realize what she had done.
"Well I live with my father. He works for the ministry, which is how I know Amelia."
She spoke casually, as if the the whole wizarding world wasn't aware of who her father was. He nodded, listening carefully.
"Our fathers are good friends because our mothers are, well were, close." Dahlia's voice drifted, never knowing if it was best to ignore the subject when mostly everyone knew.
Theo nodded, wordlessly, happy to take whatever she would share with him.
"My mother died three years ago," she added, waving it off. "But my parents were, er, somewhat separated for a bit of time before that. My mother took off, settled in a small beach town on the east coast of The States before she died. I'm not sure what you've read in the papers, but I assure you, it wasn't half as bad as they made it seem."
He nodded, and she wished he would answer her instead. He studied her instead, arms crossed over his chest.
"He didn't kill her...I know what they whisper," she whispered more to herself.
But it truly had been that bad. 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 darkness. Nothing her mother had said over those last few years had made much sense, and she had relied on a caretaker in the end.
Theo finally spoke. "My mother died, too." He straightened uncomfortably, standing tall as he shared this small piece of information from his life. She concluded that he wasn't nearly as forthcoming as herself.
"Is that why you could see the thestrals pulling the carriage?" She asked.
His eyes lit in surprise. He hadn't noticed Dahlia looking at him then.
"Perhaps," he sighed.
Theo didn't want to reveal that it was his mother's own violent death that he had witnessed. It was quiet for a moment.
"Look at us," he said to fill the silence, "bonding over dead mothers."
Dahlia snorted and laughed darkly. He grinned, sharing her humor.
She pointed to the picture by his bed. "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 from the bed and slowly stepped to where he was still leaning against one of his roommate's bedpost, arms still crossed over his chest. He took in her every move, assessing even the slightest shake in her nervous hand.
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. She was mistaken, yet he took to her hopefulness like a moth a flame.
They stood still, eyes locked, stuck within a moment of hesitation. The air moved, electric. He leaned forward to bring his forehead to hers as to ask for permission.
A rush of heat cascaded down her spine, practically vibrating with anticipation. She loved this part of the game where there was only a moment left to imagine how they might touch you and what things they might whisper in your ear. She was on the cusp of finding out. Relief was so close.
He reached out for her, thumb brushing over her beating pulse within the hollow of her neck, tracing upwards to the precious curve of her jaw.
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 then pulled away, looking true into his eyes. He would be hers now, a promise of pain beneath round lashes. That featherlight kiss ignited him, she felt it in his tightening grip.
This was inevitable, he was sure of it, a star finding roaring orbit with the smallest pull. So he pulled her back into his arms with a firm grasp, deepening the kiss. Theo slipped his tongue into her mouth and she fell into him. He squeezed her waist, wishing there was less fabric. He slid his fingers lower, and lower. He traced his tongue along her jawline, then clutched her hair and pulled her head back to kiss her neck. He groaned into her mouth as she arched into him.
He leaned over her, finding her mouth again and squeezing 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.
This was the end of ends, she was sure of it. She had never hoped someone might carve their name into her skin as she did now. He was glorious, a dark enchantment in her hold. Wait, she panicked. Something is wrong. Wrong.
Dahlia pulled away suddenly with a gasp, lightheaded either from the kiss or the liquor. He was resistant to let her out of his arms, but sensed the moment things turned.
"Are you alright?" He questioned quietly, holding her up.
Her skin felt feverish.
"Can we go back, please?" Dahlia asked nervously.
She felt herself spiraling. She wasn't sure if she was going to vomit, and she suddenly wished she had her friends around. Dahlia knew she had about a half hour before Eloise would be holding her hair back and out of a toilet.
He nodded with matching glassy eyes. "You're going to kill me, love," he muttered, breathless. He kissed her temple and straightened her dress. "Come on, let's get you out of here."
She took his hand, squeezing it for luck as he led her out of his dorm. Now 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 as she searched for help. She quickly landed in the hands of Amelia, who pulled her into the chaos. She greeted Dahlia by pouring a shot into her mouth. Dahlia choked it down and forced a laugh. 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 now. 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 estate. 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 newly crept.
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 in silent 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 snickered quite genuinely, like her attempts at insults were amusing. He pushed her off of him roughly. "Walk," he ordered, pointing towards the stairs that led to the other common rooms.
She took her shoes off and felt infinitely 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, not someone who openly disliked her.
"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 consequence. Unclear if you've heard it."
"Oh, shut the fuck up, Aldair." He spoke animatedly with his hands. He was typically so cool and collected. She had never seen such range from him before.
She felt a sudden surge of clarity. "No, fuck you," she whispered. "I'm going back inside to find one of my roommates, or Theo, to walk me to my dormitory."
He stormed towards her, grabbed 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 today and you ruined my fucking night," he spat.
They approached the entrance to the Ravenclaw common room. She giggled happily, entirely drunk with a small hiccup.
"I want you to know that I am quite pleased with myself," she said leaning into his tight grasp around her arm, stepping in front of him 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, tightening his grip.
They were playing a game of push and pull, unknowingly fighting the universe. She leaned back from his terrible whisper, but neither could resist. His insult stung but in her drunken heat she was almost more annoyed he wasn't acting on the tension between them as his storm-promising eyes locked on hers. He held her back with just enough distance to recall his hatred.
"A Malfoy who can only run his mouth...how original." She smirked, pushing closer to his face, knowing her arm might bruise for it. A horrid desire 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 back his falling hair out of his face as she stood wide eyed, laughing to himself.
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. She was speechless, stuck on each violent syllable.
He pushed his chest to hers, knowing that she had hoped for this under entirely different circumstances. "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," he whispered viciously. He pushed her back against the wall once more as he ripped himself away from her.
He strolled 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? And for what? Because she merely existed? When he was gone and out of earshot, she covered her mouth, forcing herself to keep in a sob.
Don't cry. Don't cry.
She squeezed her eyes shut. She was just drunk. It would be alright. She may not even remember this, hopefully. His words only hurt worse because she was intoxicated and emotional.
It was nothing. Nothing happened.
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. Never bold enough, and too weak in her magic. Drinking far too much and giving all of herself to boys who didn't deserve it. Maybe the rain was only her mother's tears.
She eventually fell asleep, where 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.
As he paced at the base of 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, lethally. He extended his hearing with a charm, and heard the door of her dormitory shut from above and a soft snore. Noting she was safely within the walls of her own room, he returned to the dungeons.
