RECKLESS FUN | Blaise Zabini | Au

23- THE MALFOY MANOR

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"WHO ARE YOU? What is your purpose in trying to enter the Malfoy Manor?" The iron gate before the black-haired girl had contorted into a face and questioned her in addition to just barring her way.

"I am Zoe Black and uh... I don't know, gate, that's a stupid question." Zoe answered, feeling baffled by the question. "Look, mate, I'm here just to hang out with my cousin Draco. I'm sure if you talk to him or whatever it is that you do, he'll explain it to you since he was the one to invite me here."

Without any warning, the iron gates opened, letting Zoe enter the Malfoy Manor. A handsome house was standing in the midst of morning dawn and fog from the night's rain at the end of a gravel driveway. There was a large hedge curving on the sides of the driveway.

Growing up, Zoe never really learnt to call any house home: she was always a guest rather than a resident. Whenever she would come to the Malfoy Manor when she and Draco were small, Zoe had always envied him.

Zoe noticed an albino peacock was striding on the driveway. A sense of nostalgia took over her and she begun to grin. Could it be the same peacock she had teased and annoyed years ago? How long did peacocks even live?

The white peacock was approaching her and when it was closer, Zoe realised it was charging at her. Yes, the girl was now sure it was the same peacock from her childhood as he tried to attack her.

"Oh, boy."

Zoe had no other choice than try to ran away from the angry bird.

She went around the hedge to get off the driveway. On the other side, standing on the well cared lawn for a second Zoe thought she was on the clear until she saw the peacock jumping on the hedge.

The bird was fast. It was nearing her and Zoe knew there wasn't a scenario where she would have the chance to make it to the house before the peacock would catch up with her.

Her eyes set on to the fountain in the yard and an idea popped to her head.

Zoe jumped into the deep water fountain. The cold temperature of the water took over her as if she had caught on fire. 

When she resurfaced, her soaking wet clothes were weighing her down and sticking into her like second skin. Victoriously, she glanced at the white peacock going around the fountain.

"Ha! Piss off! Peacoks can't swim, better luck next time!"

"Zoe? What are you doing?"

The doubtful voice belonged to none other than Draco Malfoy. The blond boy was staring at her with furrowed brows. He appeared to find the situation very odd.

Next to Draco, was standing Blaise Zabini. His brown skin seemed to glow in the rays of the sunrise. The line of his jaw seemed to have sharpened over the course of the days Zoe hadn't seen him. His dark eyes were fixated on her.

"Why are you swimming in a fountain with your clothes on?" Blaise asked, scanning her up and down.

"That mad pigeon tried to kill me."

Both of the boys heads snapped to stare in the direction the white peacock. With a sigh, Draco told the peacock to leave and it obeyed.

Zoe stood up from the fountain, smiling mischievously while she was dripping with water. "I'm back."

"What are you doing here?" Draco asked, appearing surprised.

"What do you mean? The letter you sent said that I should come by if I felt like it, here I am."