𝐓𝐇𝐄 𝐃𝐀𝐑𝐊𝐄𝐒𝐓 𝐃𝐀𝐘 . 𝐓𝐇𝐄𝐎𝐃𝐎𝐑𝐄 𝐍𝐎𝐓𝐓

𝐑𝐄𝐆𝐀𝐑𝐃𝐄𝐑 𝐄𝐍 𝐀𝐑𝐑𝐈È𝐑𝐄.

1994;

Upon returning to school, Viola was relieved to be out of the confines of the manor. With Victorie occupied by a supposedly important meeting, Viola had the rare opportunity to walk alone on platform 9¾.

This alone time was a much welcomed change after weeks of being cooped up in the manor, and Viola was thoroughly appreciative of the brief respite.

"I've been looking for you," Draco stated as he approached Viola from behind, his crisp black suit fitting well with her form-fitting dark green dress and matching black nylon stockings.

The combination of colors emphasized their shared sense of style, while also providing a slight contrast in the overall presentation and drawing more attention to their shared appreciation of fashion and form.

"It seems everyone is these days," Viola remarked with a subtle hint of amusement, crossing her arms as she continued to walk alongside Draco.

"Did she say anything?" Draco inquired in a hushed tone, leaning in closer towards Viola. Viola's raised brow at his query, "Did Victorie say anything?"

Between Draco and Viola, it was an unspoken rule that they could always confide in each other, regardless of whether Blaise, Pansy, and Theo were present. They shared a special sibling-like bond, constantly relying on one another for support or guidance. Despite their playful teasing.

"She didn't say much" Viola retorted, her tone matter-of-fact. "If it wasn't for my observation over her I doubt I would've gotten anything,"

A quick glance around the bustling crowd made her aware of the many eyes watching her and Draco, and she was quick to refocus her attention elsewhere to avoid further interaction with others.

"I'll tell you about it later," Viola replied quickly, almost dismissively, as they boarded the train.

As they entered further, Viola's attention was immediately captured by a boy with light brown hair and blue eyes. The boy noticed her gaze and returned it with a bashful smile, his cheeks turning red. His friends wasted no time teasing him, causing Viola to quickly look away, with small playful roll to her eyes.

"Vio," Pansy said, as Draco pushed the compartment door open, "Where's Ivy?"

Viola exasperatedly rolled her eyes out of this time annoyance and replied, "Grand-mère thinks that keeping Ivy at the manor would be better than at Hogwarts. I just hope she won't feed her to any guests."

The remark prompted a smile of amusement out of Blaise, as Viola's gaze shifted towards Theo, whose face bore a black eye. However, she knew better than to comment or ask him anything with regards to the bruise.

They all shared similarities in the aspect of having skeletons in their closets, which manifested in a myriad of ways. For Theo, his black eye being a result of his father's harshness towards him, having endured a difficult family dynamic with his mother, Amelia, having passed away the summer of their first year.

Draco also had a similarly overbearing father, who expected nothing but the best from him, expecting him to shoulder the responsibility of caring for the whole family once he was of age,
while Blaise's mother Joanne, a ghastly lady was perpetually in search of a next man, with no sign of where his father was in the picture.