𝙀𝙐𝙋𝙃𝙊𝙍𝙄𝘼 ➣ 𝐷. 𝑀𝑎𝑙𝑓𝑜𝑦✔

𝟒𝟔 | 𝑹𝑼𝑴𝑶𝑹𝑺

"𝗪𝗢𝗪, 𝗟𝗘𝗡𝗢𝗥𝗔. 𝗬𝗢𝗨 𝗟𝗢𝗢𝗞 𝗔𝗠𝗔𝗭𝗜𝗡𝗚," 𝗕𝗟𝗔𝗜𝗦𝗘 gapes, a small smile on his face. I smile at him and shrug.

"I tend to clean up nice." My comment makes him chuckle and the two of us head to the Christmas party. I decided to go with a silky, emerald green dress that stops just above my ankles. It's actually a lot like the dress I wore in my dream I had last year; when I "met" Voldemort. The only difference is I don't have a fake, gold snake resting on my back. When we arrive at the Christmas party, Slughorn greets Blaise, but doesn't look all too pleased about see me. And it probably doesn't help we showed up late, either.

"Good afternoon, Miss Kane," he says through gritted teeth. I can tell it was hard enough for him to say that. I want so badly to snap at him, but I give him a fake smile.

"Same to you, professor." I end the conversation there, having no interest in talking to the elderly man before me any longer. And he notices my disinterest in his presence, and excuses himself. I let out a huff of annoyance before turning to Blaise. "Okay, I've had my share of the party. Can I leave now?"

"We only just got here," Blaise whispers to me, a disapproving look in his eyes, one that makes my shoulders slump. "Try to last at least an hour."

I click my tongue, the only thing stopping me from saying something I'll regret before turning on my heel and facing the party. I immediately feel claustrophobic with the amount of people in the room. Though, you'd think I'd be used to this, but I'm not. The corridors and Great Hall are much larger than this room, so there's more space to move freely. But in here, it feels like every step forces me to be within close proximity of people.

"Well, well, well. Look who decided to show her face." My brows furrow at the unfamiliar voice, most definitely directed at me. When I turn in that direction, I see a good-looking guy around my age making his way toward Blaise and I. Well, just me now. I don't feel Blaise behind me anymore, leaving me to my own devices. The boy before me is definitely not a Slytherin, but one of the other three houses; I'm not sure which, and frankly, I don't really care. "Lenora Kane."

"Do I know you?" I ask, bored. I only came to this stupid party because I promised Eleanor I'd say yes to being Blaise's plus one. I already regret it.

"No, you don't. But I know you... Your Oscar Kane's daughter." Great. Five minutes in and I'm already being targeted. Thanks, dad. "The same Oscar Kane that tortured and killed my aunt and uncle because they wouldn't follow You-Know-Who."

"Good, Lord," I mutter, rolling my eyes. Pinching the bridge of my nose, I let out a long, deep sigh in an attempt to keep calm. "Look... Whatever your name is. I don't know why you felt the need to tell me this, but frankly, I don't really care."

His face falls, almost shocked at my response. I don't think people realize that I don't care what my father's done; I don't talk to him. Bloody hell, the last time I did, we were screaming at each other. "Excuse me?"

"Yeah, excuse you. Whatever happened is between my father and your family; it doesn't involve me. Now if you'll excuse me, I have a party to enjoy."

I don't let him get another word in because before he can, I shoulder check him on my way past, and he doesn't seem to like that very much because I only make it about three steps away before his hand is gripping my bicep harshly. Faster than either of us can process, I whip my wand out (I had hidden it in my dress just in case) and point it at his throat. A few people nearby gasp and the boy looks like he's about to pee.

"Let. Go," I hiss lowly, but still loud enough for him to hear me. "Or so help me, I will torture you just like your aunt and uncle."

"McLaggan, will that be two months detention?" Snape's low, smooth voice echoes throughout the room, stopping all conversation around us. The boy shakes his head hesitantly, taking a step away from me, but I don't lower my wand just yet.

"No, sir." Not even a second later, he swallows hard and quickly turns on his heel, rushing in the opposite direction of us. My heart flutters in my chest, not in a good way, when I realize Snape could very well get mad at me, too. I did point my wand at a anothet student. Turning on my heel slowly, I look up at the man towering above me menacingly.

"Miss Kane... You've made it quite a habit pointing your wand at other students."

"He deserved it," I hiss lowly. "Making comments about me because of my father. He's lucky I didn't shove the bloody thing up his--."

"Enough." My heart drops to my stomach, and I instantly feel nervous, but it's all for naught because for the first time in the last six years, I see the tiniest hint of a smile threatening to break his stoic persona. He doesn't utter another word, leaving me feeling a bit victorious.

A moment later, the doors suddenly burst open and Filch hobbles in, dragging an angry Draco with him by his collar. "Take your hands off me filthy squib!"

My eyes widen when Draco halts in the middle of the room. He sends the man a glare.

"Professor Slughorn, sir. I just discovered this one lurking in an upstairs corridor," Filch says, making me roll my eyes. What a tattletale, he is. "He claims to have been invited to your party."

"Okay, okay! I was gatecrashing," the boy exclaims. "Happy?"

Snape leaves my side and takes a few steps toward Draco, stopping in front of him. It's then that Draco rips his suit out of Filch's grasp and faces the dark-haired man. "I'll escort him out."

"Certainly, professor."

Draco's eyes look to me, trailing up and down, and suddenly, I feel so exposed. My cheeks grow hot as a small smirk forms on his lips. I swallow hard and watch as the two men walk out of the room. Slughorn gets the party going again. Is there something I don't know about Draco and Snape? There's something about their knowing expressions to one another that bugs me. I'm assuming Snape knows of Draco's task; he is a death eater after all. If I follow them, maybe I can learn something.

I take off in the direction of the doors, bursting through them into the dark corridor. But they're already gone. My jaw tightens and I let out a quiet sigh before turning on my heel and heading back to the party reluctantly.

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