Whispers in the Shadows || Slytherin Boys

the secrect invitation

The cool dungeon air brushed against my skin as I finally stepped out of Potions class, my mind reeling. The note Draco had given to me after class - its weight still pressed firmly into my pocket - was impossible to ignore. Astronomy Tower. Midnight. The simple words sent shivers down my spine, a mix of curiosity and dread battling within me.

But before I could fully process what that invitation meant, a familiar voice broke through the haze.

"Hey, what took you so long? Draco already left a while ago."

Avery stood by the stone wall outside the Potions classroom, her arms crossed as she pushed off the wall and joined me in the corridor. I had told her not to wait, to head to the castle without me, but she hadn't listened - of course, she hadn't.

I smiled weakly, trying to shake off the lingering unease from the note. "Sorry, got held up, it was a total mess," I said, falling into step beside her as we moved toward the Great Hall.

She gave me a skeptical look, her eyes scanning my face like she could read every secret I was trying to hide. "You've been off since days, Cat. What's going on?" Her voice softened with concern, and I felt a pang of guilt. "You're not telling me something. We always share everything. What is it?"

I hesitated, my hand unconsciously brushing the pocket where Draco's note lay folded. My heart ached with the weight of the secrets I had been keeping from her, but how could I possibly explain what was happening? Not just the note, but the growing tension between me and the slytherins - Draco, Mattheo, Theo, and the rest. And now this mysterious midnight gathering...

"I'm just tired all the time," I said quickly, forcing a smile that I hoped would ease her worries. "Potions was a bit intense today. You know how Professor Snape is. You were there."

Avery frowned, clearly not convinced. She opened her mouth as if to press further, but then she stopped herself. Instead, she sighed, shaking her head. "Alright, if you say so. But seriously, if something's going on... you'd tell me, right?"

"Of course," I lied, my stomach twisting with guilt. I hated keeping things from her - especially when we had always been so close. But this was different. This was something I didn't even fully understand myself.

As we walked together toward the Great Hall, the air between us felt heavier than usual. Avery's silence said more than words ever could. She was hurt. She could sense that I was pulling away, that I wasn't being fully honest with her, and it stung. But I didn't know how to fix it without dragging her into the mess that had become my life recently. Without disappointing her.

When we then entered the Great Hall, the sound of clinking cutlery and murmured conversations filled the space, but my attention was immediately drawn to the Slytherin table. I searched for any sign of Draco or Mattheo, or even Theo, but none of them were there. The usual faces that I had come to expect were conspicuously absent, and it only deepened the knot of tension in my chest. Where were they?

They had vanished - like ghosts slipping out of sight, their presence lingering in the back of my mind even when they weren't there. It was unsettling. What could they possibly be planning? And why did they want me at the Astronomy Tower?

Avery must have noticed my distraction because she nudged me gently as we sat down at the Ravenclaw table. "Are you going to eat, or just stare at the Slytherin table all night?" she teased lightly, but there was an edge of worry in her tone again.

I blinked, quickly tearing my gaze away from the empty spots at the far end of the hall. "Sorry," I mumbled, grabbing a piece of bread and trying to focus on my plate. "Just... distracted."

She didn't press the issue, but I could feel her eyes on me throughout the meal. I forced myself to eat, taking bites of food mechanically, though I tasted none of it. My mind was too wrapped up in the possibilities of what awaited me at the tower tonight. The absence of the slytherins during dinner only made it feel more ominous, like they were all somewhere else, preparing for whatever it was they had planned for their party.