IMPERIO // Draco Malfoy X Reader

Chapter 12: Slytherin Common Room

...Malfoys have graciously extended an invitation for you to spend this holiday at their manor, as your mother and I will be traveling to Moscow on business-

You stopped reading the letter, and folded it back together. Of course.

Not that you were really expecting anything different.

You looked down at the letter in your lap. The creamy parchment that had come directly from your fathers desk. You could picture him sitting there, writing this, sealing it off with the family crest, handing it off to Teagert, the house elf. Teagert would take it down to the kitchen, where Reginald, your fathers great horned owl, would be waiting to fly it out.

You ran your fingers over the edges of the paper.

How long had it been since you had spent a holiday at the manor?

Did Teagert even bother decorating for Christmas anymore?

When had been the last time you didn't spend Christmas with someone else?

First year it had been the Benoits. You had gone to France with them, and visited their family. That had been a good trip.

Second year it had been the Parksinsons, and their manor. You and Pansy had snuck down to the great room to try and catch Father Christmas in the act and had gotten scolded in the morning. It had been worth it though.

Third year had been the worst. You'd had to stay at the school as a punishment, all by yourself. You'd nearly cried in relief when the break was over.

Fourth and fifth year had been much the same - you'd spent both years with the Benoits again, and picked up a little more French than the first time you'd gone on holiday with them. As nice as France was though, you longed for a holiday at home.

Cognitively, you understood that the real holiday you were longing for never existed, but you could still hope.

Maybe this year would be different. You'd never stayed with the Malfoys before, though you knew their manor well enough. Maybe, this would be a nice holiday...

Dinah jumped up into your lap, crushing the letter under her paws.

"Hello Dinah." You smiled, scratching down your cats spine. "I see you've been eating well..."

She seemed more plump since the last time you had seen her - no doubt filling up on all the field mice that looked to the castle for protection from winter. Plump, but happy.

She purred, pushing her face up under your chin.

"Looks like we'll be spending our holiday at the Malfoys this year." You told your cat, indulging her in some head scratches. She paid the statement no mind, just curling up on your thighs, crumpling the letter even more.

"The Malfoys this year, huh?"

You turned your head to see Leo behind you, leaning his forearms on the back of the sofa you were sitting on.

"Yeah." You smiled thinly. "I assume you and Lyre are going to visit the family in Paris again?"

Leo nodded. "Same old same old."

You sighed, stroking your cat. "Must be nice."

Leo shrugged. "It's what it is." He said. "But I'm sure you'll have a nice time at the Malfoys. I'm pretty sure Pansy and Theo are going to be there too, heard them talking about it earlier."

It would be nice to have some of your other friends there as well, you supposed. You simply hummed, still stroking Dinah. You moved to scratching behind her ears, listening to her purring pick up intensity.

"I actually wanted to ask you something." Leo said.

"Oh?" You tilted your head back to look at him. "And what would that be?"

"Slughorn is having this Christmas party thing." Leo said. "And we're supposed to bring a date. I guess I was just wondering if you would go with me?"

You felt your heart drop a little. "Leo... I'm sorry, but I don't really fancy you like that-"

"Oh, no!" Leo said. "I wasn't- no. I just needed a friend to go with me, and Lyre said I should ask you..." He trailed off, looking embarrassed.

"Oh!" You said. "Well then yeah, I'll go with you. I'm sorry for assuming..."

"No, it's fine..." Leo said. "I um. Actually fancy someone else, but it would be weird if I asked..."

You glanced in front of you, to the crackling fire. "I actually fancy someone else too, that's why I was, you know..."

"Yeah, I knew." Leo said. "It's kind of why I asked you, 'cause I knew you wouldn't take it like that..."

You glanced back at Leo. "You know that I fancy...?"

Leo nodded, a sly grin on his face. "You're not exactly subtle about the staring. You're just lucky that he's a bit thick-headed."

You felt your face heat up. "Oh."

"Don't worry, I'm not going to say anything to him." Leo assured you.

You smiled, a little relieved. "Thanks."

"Not an issue." Leo said, standing up from where he was leaning against the couch. "I'm going to head out to the library, but thanks."

"Yeah, of course." You said.

Leo smiled at you again before heading over to the door to the common room, stepping out into the corridors.

You turned back to the fire and your cat.

Dinah was looking up at you, bright green eyes inquisitive. You smiled down at her, scratching under her chin.

"That was awkward." You told her. "But I guess I'm going to a Christmas party with Leo."

Dinah blinked at you.

You sighed, just leaning into the sofa as you watched the fire. At least you would have Slughorns party to look forward to before you were spirited off to the Malfoys for the holiday.

You glanced back down at the letter Dinah was sitting on.

Working it out from under her, you smoothed out the wrinkles as best you could. The rest of the letter was nothing of importance- the same old reminders to keep your grades in top condition, that the family name was riding on you.

You were so tired of it.

Crumpling the letter into a ball, you tossed it into the fire and watched it burn.