forced | d.m.

02.hate

December '00 | H E R

Deep breaths.

Deep.

Breaths.

"Hey."

Althea awkwardly stands in the doorframe and only when Draco looks up the stack of their finance papers, does she take a couple hesitant steps inside his study.

"Is it alright with you if my sister comes over here?" First tentatively, the words soon rattle off her tongue. "It will be for a couple of days after christmas until she goes back to Hogwarts. She won't be a hassle, I promise. Only, she wants to visit me badly and we barely get to spend time together since I graduated and she doesn't like being with my parents too much. You know her, right? Talia?"

Internally, Draco smiles at her tiny ramble but keeps his face blank. "If you want her over, you can do as you please. There is no need to ask, just tell me so I'll know."

Althea nods understandingly. She thinks that is it but he keeps looking at her, expecting something. He doesn't mean...

"Oh, now—okay—uhm, Talia is coming over to stay for a few days," she tells him, her limbs feeling out of place. "Prepare yourself."

He nods one single time. "Thanks for telling me."

Althea's lips quirk up for a split second before she takes some steps back, preventing another uncomfortable silence.

This was awkward as hell.

That is when he notices that she is dressed nice, wearing a chic pantsuit with heels. She has also curled her hair a little and wears some make up.

Normally, that is nothing new. Althea is a sophisticated woman thanks to her upbringing, but there is still a difference between her staying at the house or...

"Are you going out?" his tone is void of any emotion.

She stops herself from slipping out of the room, meeting his eyes again. "Yeah, with my friends. Nothing fancy."

Draco's jaw tightens at the mention. One thing she has learned is that he is not a fan, like at all, of her best friend Elliot.

Her at-the-time boyfriend at Hogwarts wasn't too big of a fan either and to this day, Althea doesn't know why.

"Want to come along?" she tries to ease his nerves. In fact, she wouldn't mind for him to join her despite the fact that this is her time off from the suffocating place that is supposed to be her home.

She would love for them to make some progress.

"Oh, I'm—I will meet up with Blaise and the others," he tells her, scratching the side of his neck with one finger.

Althea was prepared for that answer, nodding again. "Alright, have fun."

His brows furrow slightly. "Th-Thanks, you too."

If she were to nod again, she might think her head falls off.

The sound of heels clicking against the marble floor echo as her pace quickens towards the exit.

—◇—

Sitting at a café somewhere in London, Althea feels like a weight has been lifted off her shoulders when surrounded by her best friends Bonnie and Elliot.

They are her only outlet to the binding mess that is her life and they have been ever since she met the twins at a party once in their Ravenclaw common room.