Tʜᴇ Dᴀʀᴋ Lᴏʀᴅ's Aɴɢᴇʟ | Tom Riddle √

115: A Drunken Revelry

"Did you know that you two were thirty minutes late?" Blaise smirked as soon as Tom and Cassiopeia settled down at the Three Broomsticks Inn.

The inn was as crowded as ever, and it was a special occasion since it was their last Christmas holiday at Hogwarts. Year seven students were invited to celebrate Christmas at the school, and the Winter Ball had already been planned by the teachers.

"She took a long shower, and I had to wait," Tom quickly replied, rolling his eyes.

Cassiopeia sat with Tom while Draco was opposite her with the couple. Draco informed them that he would pay for all the Firewhisky they were going to consume.

"We all know Tommy boy is impatient," Pansy laughed, and Cassiopeia joined in, hearing the nickname. "Isn't it?"

"We talked about it, Pansy," Tom rolled his eyes at her. "Don't call me that stupid name."

"But that's really cute, darling," Cassiopeia pinched his cheek and pecked him, giggling. A slight pink tinted his cheek as he looked away, tapping his fingers on the table.

"You two are really cute together," Draco commented, and the four of them exchanged surprised glances. "Don't give me those faces; I'm serious."

"I love to see Cassie happy with him," he added and stood up to leave to order the Firewhisky.

"What about his... incest thing?" Pansy raised her brow, receiving an elbow smack from Blaise. "Ouch, I'm just telling. It's not a secret that he was crazy about Cassiopeia."

"I agree," Tom nodded, acknowledging the situation. "I guess he finally understood that he has no right to pursue her."

"He does have something going on with Astoria," Cassiopeia added, steering the conversation away from an awkward topic. "I think he's caught feelings for her, and they're involved in some way, you know."

"Finally, he found someone to tame him," Blaise smiled. "I'm genuinely happy for him. You know how arrogant he is, Cass."

"I know, right," she nodded. "Last year, before summer holidays, we talked about it. I think he's confessed his feelings to Astoria. And she's a nice girl. She'd be a great cousin-in-law to me."

"You two really care about Draco," Pansy frowned. "No offense, but I've seen it countless times since year one."

"Of course, he's my cousin who grew up with me," Cassiopeia grinned. "Don't tell him, but he's a sweeter person than you guys think. Did you know he used to talk in his sleep when we were kids? Some days he scolded me in his dreams after we had heated arguments."

"He's lucky to have a cousin like you," Blaise said. "You two are like twins in many ways, excluding your appearance, of course."

"Funny," Cassiopeia rolled her eyes. "I never wanted to be another Malfoy."

She looked around, reminiscing about the moments she shared with Tom. The table where he had proposed to her still looked the same, with a few new furnishings. Her gaze wandered to the staircase where Tom had taken her to a room, where they had spent a memorable night.

"Recalling something, are we?" Tom whispered seductively, brushing his hand along her thigh over her black stockings. "I still want to do that right now."

Cassiopeia raised her brow, remembering they had shared an intimate moment just before they arrived. It wasn't a secret that it was challenging for them to keep their hands to themselves when they were together.

"Here we go," Draco announced as he settled down, and a server brought them Firewhisky. "And drink as much as you want."

"Seriously?" Cassiopeia took a cup and had her first sip. "Anyone up for a bet with me to drink Firewhisky?"