Evelyn Riddle: The Forgotten Chronicles- Book 5

Chapter 3

Chapter Three

When Evelyn arrived at Hogwarts, the castle was eerily quiet, its usual hum of students and bustling activity absent. She wasted no time making her way to the Slytherin dormitories, her footsteps echoing softly in the empty halls. Once inside her dorm, she immediately began unpacking her things. It felt good to get organized, to have a task. She had just finished carefully arranging her books on the shelf when she heard the telltale sound of the common room door creaking open.

Her heart skipped a beat. She grinned to herself, trying to suppress the sudden rush of excitement as she moved toward the stairs. Be cool, she thought, though her pace quickened despite herself.

As she descended the last few steps, her breath caught. There he was.

Draco stood in the center of the common room, his trunk at his feet and a light summer jacket draped over one arm. He was shrugging it off as she approached, and when his eyes met hers, his face lit up with a genuine smile that made her heart flutter.

"Well, look who it is," he said, his tone light and teasing. "I thought I'd have the place to myself for at least a few minutes."

Evelyn couldn't stop the grin spreading across her face. "Sorry to disappoint," she replied, though the glint in her eyes said otherwise.

Draco took a couple of quick steps toward her, closing the distance between them, and, to her surprise, pulled her into a hug. His embrace was firm but tentative, as though testing her reaction. Her breath hitched slightly as she felt the warmth of his arms around her.

"Miss me?" he murmured, his tone teasing, but the warmth in his voice made Evelyn's face heat up immediately.

She pulled back just enough to meet his gaze, her cheeks burning. "A bit," she replied, trying to sound nonchalant, though her tone betrayed her.

Draco smirked, clearly delighted by her reaction. "A bit? And here I was thinking I'd been on your mind all summer."

Evelyn's lips curved into a smile and she felt her cheeks warm. "You're insufferable."

"Mhm," Draco said, leaning closer with a mischievous glint in his eye, "but here you are, blushing like mad. Adorable, by the way."

Evelyn's eyes widened, her breath catching in her throat as she felt more heat rising to her cheeks. She opened her mouth to respond, to snap back with something clever, but her mind betrayed her, leaving her speechless. The grin that spread across Draco's face only deepened, clearly reveling in the effect he had on her.

But he played it cool, stepping back and grabbing his trunk with an effortless air. "I'm going to go unpack," he said, his tone as smooth as ever. He paused briefly, his smirk widening as he glanced back at her. "Then we can figure out how to have some fun."

Before she could muster a reply, he disappeared up the staircase to the boys' dormitory, leaving Evelyn standing at the bottom of the stairs, her heart racing and her thoughts in disarray. She let out a long breath, her lips twitching into an involuntary smile. He always managed to leave her simultaneously flustered and amused.

Evelyn turned and flopped into one of the plush green armchairs by the fire, sinking into the cushions as the warmth of the flames flickered across the room. Her smile lingered for a moment, but as the quiet of the common room enveloped her, it gave way to a flutter of nerves—almost panic.

You're here. He's here. Alone. For a week.

The reality of it hit her like a Bludger. Her stomach twisted in knots, the gravity of the situation settling over her. What if she embarrassed herself? What if she said something stupid or did something awkward? How was she supposed to act around him without the usual buffer of their peers or the structured chaos of classes? The thought made her heart pound for entirely different reasons than before.