Born to Rule: The Story of the Slytherin Princess (paused)

Chapter 8

  "I'm fiercely 

independent, butI'm also terrified of being alone."

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As Christmas drew near, Clarissa felt her excitement building with each passing moment. She couldn't wait to return home to see her parents and beloved pets. The snow, which had transformed the world outside into a soft and ethereal wonderland, only added to the enchanting ambiance of the holidays. But, above all else, it was the anticipation of presents that truly stirred Clarissa's heart.

She was all packed up and ready to go, but her roommate Daphne had forgotten to pack her own belongings. Unlike Clarissa, who relished in the process of preparing for Hogwarts, Daphne had always relied on the house elves to handle such mundane tasks. With a sigh, Clarissa began organizing Daphne's clothes and folding them into her luggage.

"Are you excited for Christmas?" Clarissa asked, trying to make small talk.

Daphne grunted in response. "I'm not looking forward to seeing my irritating little sister."

Clarissa raised an eyebrow. "Why don't you two get along?"

"She's jealous of me," Daphne explained. "Astoria has never been the favorite child, and she resents me for it. That's why she and our parents constantly bicker."

As Clarissa listened, she couldn't help but feel sorry for Astoria. But she kept her thoughts to herself and instead asked, "What house does she want to be in?"

"Slytherin, of course," Daphne scoffed. "Our parents are obsessed with maintaining our pureblood legacy. But Astoria doesn't have what it takes to be a true Slytherin."

Clarissa was curious. "What makes you say that?"

Daphne proceeded to list Astoria's shortcomings: she didn't believe in blood purity, lacked ambition, and worst of all, had betrayed her own family and friends in the past. Clarissa couldn't help but feel a sense of unease as she listened to Daphne's reasoning.

As they finished packing, Clarissa couldn't shake off the feeling that the tension between Daphne and Astoria was only going to escalate during the holidays. She made a silent vow to try and make the best of the situation and spread some holiday cheer, no matter what.

Once everyone was leaving Hogwarts, they were surprised to learn that Ron and Harry were staying behind at Hogwarts. But soon enough, they all piled into a cabinet and waited for the train to start. Once it did, everyone went about their own business. Daphne was fawning over Blaise and Theo, which made Clarissa uneasy, while Draco was obsessively trying to keep his hair neat. Crabbe and Goyle, as always, were eating sweets and treats from the trolley.

It was then that Draco brought up an interesting topic. "Did I ever tell you guys about the time I met Potter before Hogwarts?" he asked, surprising everyone.

Blaise was the first to speak up. "Wait, you what?" he said, clearly shocked.

Draco went on to explain how he had met Harry before they had started at Hogwarts. 

"Draco, I'm going to get my wand now. Do you want to come with father and me?" Clarissa asked.

Draco declined, saying he needed to get his robes fitted. Clarissa went off to get her wand, leaving Draco to go to Madam Malkin's Robes for All Occasions.

As Draco stepped into Madam Malkin's Robes for all Occasions, the seamstress swiftly measured him for his robes and began pinning him up. "Sweetie, what house do you think you're going to be in?" she asked inquisitively.