by my side¹ - d. malfoy

Thirteen

LAURA DRAGGED Draco to a room on the seventh floor to see a room she had heard about. They walked down the hall when a door appeared in front of Laura. She wiggled her eyebrows at Draco, going to open the door.

"Oh wow," Laura said as they walked in, "this is even cooler than I thought."

The two of them walked in to see it was a cozy room. It had a Slytherin theme with a dark green couch against the wall and a fireplace like the one in the common room. Laura took no time, going over to the couch and seeing a platter of snacks sitting on the table.

Draco sat by her, looking curiously at the box Snape had given Laura.

"Here goes nothing," Laura said with a small smile, opening the box. At the top was a letter from her parents.

To our dearest Laura,

We just wanted to tell you that we are so proud of you and what you did during the first task. You have always been our brave girl, even when you weren't so courageous.

You were so creative getting past that Horntail. Your dad and I were proud of your flying skills. We were also surprised when there was a hole in the shed, and your broom was missing... Your dad was muttering most of the task, worried about his little girl, but you made that Horntail look like a simple feat.

Knowing your personality, you don't want to dwell too much on that first task, but the Yule Ball is coming up. We included a dress we thought you might like to wear, but don't be afraid to buy a different one. I promise we won't be offended. Be sure to tell us who you're going with! We can't wait to see all of the pictures and stories of the dance.

We also left a few things for you, along with some memory-inducing pictures (some might have to do with Draco... No spoilers!).

We'll send you another letter soon; we just wanted to let you know how much we love and miss you. Pay attention in class, and don't get into too much trouble!

Love your loving parents,

Mom and Dad

Laura let out a sad sigh as she leaned back onto the couch. Seeing her mom's handwriting made her miss her parents, even though it had been only a few weeks since she had seen them.

"Do you need a hug?" Draco asked softly. He hadn't seen the letter, just seeing the sad state it caused Laura.

"Just an arm," Laura shrugged.

Draco nodded, putting an arm around her. She took a deep breath and looked through the rest of the box.

She pulled out a forest green dress, causing her to smile. Her mom knew just what she liked. Laura was definitely going to wear it to the Yule Ball.

It was an a-line green dress with lace detail on the top, flowing out with green layers of tulle and sleeves. It was embroidered with flowers and vines climbing up from the bottom of the dress. The best part was the pockets; Laura was seriously in love.

"Wow, that is gorgeous," Draco said, looking as Laura stood up, holding it up to her body. "Are you going to wear it to the dance?"

"Oh, for sure," Laura grinned. "I'm a little scared for my date, though... They might have to fight other people because of how good I'll look," Laura winked at Draco.

"You're going to need something to protect you then, Potter," he smirked.

Laura shook her head and gave him a thumbs down as she folded the dress.

"I'm self-sufficient, Malfoy," she said, sitting back down by him.

Laura placed the dress on the table and found a satin bag under where it had sat in the box. Laura opened it to see a gold locket with a charm. Engraved on the charm was the letter 'P' for Potter. Laura gently opened the locket, revealing a picture of her and her parents smiling and laughing.