𝐬𝐭𝐨𝐜𝐤𝐡𝐨𝐥𝐦 𝐬𝐲𝐧𝐝𝐫𝐨𝐦𝐞 [𝐝𝐫𝐚𝐜𝐨 𝐦𝐚𝐥𝐟𝐨𝐲]

c h a p t e r s i x

Clutched between my hands was a letter, the wax seal was pressed elegantly to the back. "Malfoy Manor" was impressed in small writing. I glanced at Draco, he was laughing, oblivious to anything (as per usual) he wasn't looking up at me, expecting me to cry out when something evil jumped out of the envelope. Despite Draco's lack of interest in the envelope Knight had dropped on my table, I decided it would be best if I left it for the dorms. Turning it over in my hands a few times I checked that it wasn't a howler before chucking it in the front pocket of my robes. I would take it upstairs after breakfast and read it later when I got back after lessons.

***

Picking potions for a filler subject was a bit of a joke at the beginning of this year, but after two lessons I was already regretting my decision, I had lost the liquid luck to Harry Potter, who was never as good at potions last year as he seems to be now. Draco looked particularly angry when his potion didn't work out yesterday, it looked good until Professor Slughorn put the leaf in the liquid just for it to be spat out again.

Today Slughorn had us brewing up love potions, Canyon seemed excited by the opportunity and she had finished her potion before anyone else. Her potion was a deep red, mine resembled more of a blue. Her potion was, interestingly, producing little heart-shaped bubbles that were rising to the ceiling like balloons and popping mid-air.

Lessons had bored me today, just wanting to get back to my dorms to read the intriguing letter. Nothing about it made sense, it couldn't have been a mistake that it landed on my lap as it had been delivered by Knight and had my name scribbled across it in a sloped hand.

Draco hadn't acted differently today, he hadn't changed his actions towards me, and considering Lucius was serving a sentence in Azkaban it only made sense that Narcissa should be the one who sent this letter. What did she want from me, had there been a mistake?

"Evie, are you listening?"

"Sorry, what?"

"We are going to go back and chill out in the common room for a bit, considering we have a free period and no one will be back for a while it would be nice for us to relax without the other years running around!" canyon exclaimed.

"Modesty has the muggle falling water" Draco added, referring to alcohol.

"I don't know guys; I am kind of tired"

"Really Vent, is that because you spent half the night in the owlery?" Blaise questioned me, dropping the tool he was using to mix his potion onto the floor. As he bent to pick it up I wondered how he knew I was missing.

"How'd you know I was up late?" he appeared above the table again.

"I was sat in the common room when you walked by, I was looking for Draco"

The conversation ended quickly as both Draco and I shot daggers through our eyes, signaling for Blaise to shut up.

"I'll come" I sighed, and Modesty and Canyon squealed.

"Focus on the potions please ladies!" Slughorn shouted from the other side of the classroom, he was hovering over Harry, congratulating him on every step he took. Rolling my eyes, I turned back to my little group, all with smiles on their faces, probably thinking of muggle falling water.

My potion was beginning to turn to the same red as Canyon's and a small smirk of achievement appeared upon my face.

I suppose the letter will have to wait.

***

"Pass me the bottle." I didn't pass the bottle. "Evieeeeeeeeeee"

Reluctantly I picked up the bottle and shoved it towards Blaise, Canyon, and Modesty. They had downed nearly a bottle of "vodka" between the three of them. Draco and I sat silently, watching them get intoxicated. The bell was about to ring and streams of other Slytherins were about to burst into the common room.

"We should probably take them somewhere" I mumbled. Draco didn't reply but he nodded.

"Your dorm?"

I was a little taken back, but I had no reason to be. So, in silence, we directed the drunk trio towards my dorms.

"You just want Blaise to be sick in my room instead of yours" I joked, earning a smile from Draco.

"Why are you two not drunk?" Canyon slurred.

"We have better things to do" I replied.

"You haven't argued much!"

"Thank you for the report Canyon" Draco smiled as he pushed the door open towards my dorm. The door squeaked a little as it ran over a floorboard that rose above the others slightly.

Giggling, the three of them ran straight to canyon and modesty's beds, Blaise jumping on the end of Canyons whilst Canyon sat perched on the end looking slightly sick. Modesty laid flat out across hers, obviously thinking.

"Here we go" Draco sighed, he was walking towards my bed about to sit down.

It was the same every time at this point. Canyon would feel sick, Blaise would get hyper and Modesty would sit and think.

With a crunch, I realised Draco had sat on the letter. He stood up again, grabbing it from below him and straightening it with his hands. He had only seen the front, my name scribbled quickly across the front, and not the green Malfoy stamp.

A smile spread across his face as he stood to his feet and wondered towards the cupboard, my heart dropped as it fully hit me that Draco had the letter no one was meant to see.

"Wait, Draco, pass that here" I begged.

"Why should I?"

"Because-" I had only just begun to speak when he turned the white envelope around his hands like a feather.

He looked up at me, confused as his eye caught the serpent green Malfoy stamp. "what in merlin's beard?

"If I'm being honest Draco I don't even know myself, I thought it was a mistake when it dropped on my lap at the dining hall this morning, I thought it was for you, but it clearly has my name on the front, and it was Knight that delivered it not one of your birds"

"Open it" he demanded. His knuckles tensing as he passed the envelope back and perched on my bed again, his hands gripping the sheets almost desperately.

"I don't think-"

"Open it, Evia"

Shaking, my hands picked at the wax pressed into the paper. I didn't want to rip it, I felt like that would ruin a part of the evidence to a huge puzzle. Draco was rolling his rings nervously around his fingers. With a quiet rip, the wax unsealed from the envelope. I gulped. Wiping my free hand down my robes to remove the anxious layer of sweat that had collected there. The letter was written in the same scrawl as my name on the front. It read:

" dear evia vent,

You have been invited...