All the lies // D.M.

17 - Breaking Point

Cathleen Avery

Malfoy's gaze lingered on me, the weight of the moment in the hallway stretching between us like an invisible thread I didn't want to acknowledge. Was this some cruel game, or was it something else entirely? I didn't know, and I wasn't about to let myself care enough to find out.

I'd stopped playing these kinds of games the moment Holden started using threats to keep me in line. Now, all I wanted was to get through this year, get away from Draco Malfoy, and leave all this confusion and tension behind me. Life would be simpler that way—or at least less suffocating.

His eyes skipped away from my face and the conversation with Blaise and Theo cut off as Lupin walked in and I turned back to face the front again.

The professor had his usual enthusiastic grin etched on his face, immediately setting the class on edge.

"I'm excited to announce tasks two and three today," he began, his eyes sweeping the room like he was about to unveil some great secret. "This Friday, we'll have a duelling contest. It's time to sharpen your skills and practise your technique. And next Wednesday, you'll engage in one-on-one combat—without wands. Unconventional, perhaps, but you never know when you might find yourself in a situation where wandless defence is necessary."

The class buzzed with murmurs, some excited, others groaning but they were silent at once when Lupin clapped his hands together. "Start preparing and practising. Today, we'll focus on duel-ready spells. Pair up, please."

The room erupted into motion as everyone turned to their usual partners—their neighbours at their desks. So I stayed where I was, Theo and I nodding at each other with a smile. Good. I'm glad I can do this with Theo, who made everything more fun and stayed as far away as possible from the blonde devil.

We busied ourselves with simple spells, blocking and countering with fluid movements and it was easy to fall into an easy rhythm of back and forth. Still, every now and then the hairs on the back of my neck prickled knowing someone was watching me. Could be Draco. Could be Holden. Either way, I fought every instinct in my body to check who it was and focused on Theo, his playful grin and banter instead.

The class ended without incident—just the way I wanted. I gathered my books quickly, aiming to escape before anyone could corner me, but as I reached the door, Holden stepped into my path.

"Hey, Cathy," he said smoothly, holding something in his hand. "I got this last Sunday." He said and handed me an envelope, the kind that made my stomach drop the moment I saw it. The seal on the front was unmistakable. Maroon and golden, a circular arc triangle with a curved M in the middle, woven with vine—my grandfather's. I didn't even need to open it to know it was bad news. It could only be bad news if it's him. Holden tilted his head slightly, watching me frown at the envelope in my hands, lips parted.

"You should consider writing them back," Holden added, his tone deliberately casual, but the undertone wasn't lost on me. He pulled something else from his pocket—a second envelope, plainer but just as menacing. "These are some designs for the invitations. They want us to choose one."

The parchment in his hand might as well have been a chain and my throat tightened, my pulse quickening as I stared at it. An invisible clock ticked louder in my mind, the seconds slipping away. I had hoped—foolishly, apparently—that I could avoid this. That somehow, I'd find a way out of the plans they'd made for me, for us. But time was slipping through my fingers, and the walls around me were closing in.

I swallowed hard, my voice barely steady as I replied. "I'll think about it."

Holden gave a small nod, his expression unreadable before he walked away, leaving me standing alone in the hallway, clutching my books like a lifeline. I closed my eyes for a moment, inhaling deeply to steady the rush of emotions threatening to pull me under. Stay calm. Don't let them see you break.