BORN TO DIE     ╱ DRACO MALFOY
꒷꒦ · ˚.‧ .  written by ella . . . © -lostgardens
010 ━━━━━━━━ ❛ happy birthday ❜

November 5th was the day marked on the calendar as the autumn leaves fell to coat the once-evergreen grounds of Hogwarts.

A disgusting day, might one add? It was a horrid and disturbingly gross day; it was Olivia's birthday—her twelfth birthday.

As she was lying in her bed, her bored-filled eyes trapped on the ceiling up above, all of her thoughts rolled around in her head like bowling balls. Olivia could not stand it. She hated this day. It was the worst of the worst. She didn't understand why it was even a thing. Why did she have to be twelve? Why did she have to grow up at all?

It wasn't like anyone besides her brother and their house elves ever celebrated it with her. She was glad that nobody at Hogwarts knew about the rancid day. With a huff, she sat up in her bed, her ever-so-messy hair making itself known, and she looked around her room.

No Pansy. No Daphne.

She found it very odd that they weren't there, dead to the world and asleep in their beds, which were perfectly made, as she stared at the green colors that blinded her. It was a Saturday; what could they possibly be doing that would coax them to get up at seven in the morning?

And that's when the blood-chilling thought hit her. No, they couldn't know. There was no way they knew. It is definitely not possible. There is absolutely zero possibility of them knowing about her birthday.

And that's when her memory hit her right in the face with even more evidence that it was quite possible. For the past week or so, her group had been acting suspiciously and secretively. And it all started when she caught them whispering in the common room that one morning—but she chose to ignore that thought.

She continued to search the room from the comfort of her warm bed, trying to find a clue as to what they were doing. Because it definitely didn't have to do with her birthday, she was sure of it. Her bear, Mr. Snake, was clutched in her arms as she decided it was time to get up for the day instead of avoiding the inevitable.

Her duvet was slung off her legs, along with her sheets, and she climbed her way off of the soft mattress that she had so graciously replaced without anyone knowing. After that, her bed was neatly made, and Mr. Snake found his rightful place hidden behind her pillows, so no one would ever see him.

She walked over to the bathroom, flicked on the too-bright light, and when she caught sight of her tangled hair, she cringed a little. She quickly brushed out all of the tangled mess, and once that situation was handled, after a bit of cursing, she brushed her teeth, leaving a fresh mint taste in her mouth.

Going to her wardrobe, she scoured through the mess of clothes but finally decided on a loose, black sweater and a plaid skirt that looked too much like her uniform skirt for her liking, and, of course, her black boots.

She was glad that her stupid uniform wasn't among today's options for dress wear, seeing as though she didn't have classes, and she thanked Merlin for both of those.

After she was ready to face the day and the challenges it may bring, she grabbed her wand from her nightstand and put it in her bag, then made her way out of her room, going straight for the common room.

When she reached the bottom of the stairs, she stopped, whispering to herself her daily affirmations. "You will not curse anyone today; you'll control your anger; you won't act out; you will not plan anyone's murder." And once she was satisfied with her mindset, she finished her journey into the murky room.

As her sage eyes roamed around the room, she saw that it was completely empty; there was no one in sight, which confused her. Her brows furrowed. The room was quite darker than usual, and that made her suspicious. There should've been at least one person in there at that hour, but no, there was not one. Or so she thought.

Suddenly, everyone, including some people who Olivia hadn't even talked to, jumped out, yelling, "Surprise!"

Olivia's face showed nothing but disgust, and if you looked closely enough, there was the tiniest bit of shock in her pupils, but she didn't let it show in her expressions.

Her slender fingers tickled to reach into her bag, pull out her wand, and curse everyone in the room for surprising her, but she couldn't; she promised Snape that she would be on her best behavior. Curse that man!

She saw Theodore walking over to her with a party hat. She glared at him. "If you put that on me, you'll lose your hands," she threatened.

He awkwardly smiled, feeling as though she would make good on her threat, which she would, but he still put the hat on her despite it. The tiny string snapped against her fair skin under her jaw, causing her to squeeze her eyes shut, trying to calm her brewing anger.

Theodore quickly backed away from her as Pansy stepped next to her. "Happy Birthday, Olivia," she said, smiling.

Olivia peeled her eyes open, sending the Parkinson girl a glare that she chose to ignore. Pansy grabbed the girl's arm and began dragging her over to the couches, a bright smile on her face, as Olivia appeared to be about to lose it.

"Was this your idea?" Olivia asked, her tongue bitter as she narrowed her eyes at Malfoy.

A look of offense overtook his face at her blame. He shook his head, denying her accusations. "This was all Pansy's idea; I had no part in it whatsoever," he told her. He was lying straight through his teeth.

"Oh, you're such a little liar; you're the one that pitched the idea to me; I just made it happen," Pansy retorted, crossing her arms over her chest.

"Whatever," Malfoy huffed, annoyed that the brunette had ratted him out.

Olivia rolled her eyes, taking a seat on the couch next to the blonde boy. Pansy followed the motions of the birthday girl and sat down next to her.

Olivia stared at her friends with an awkward and distasteful look, which they noticed... for the most part. She had noticed that Theodore and Blaise didn't threaten to meet her eye, and that made her curious. But before she could even utter a breath to bring up that topic, Daphne's voice was heard.

"What's wrong, Olivia?" Daphne asked.

"I don't like my birthday," Olivia deadpanned, going to stand up, but her arm was pulled on by Pansy. The Mallard girl sent the short-haired girl an annoyed grimace, but Pansy chose to ignore it and sent a small smile in return.

Olivia gave the girl a questioning look, confused by her happiness. "We have gifts," Pansy told her, sending her a "please stay just a little bit longer" smile.

Olivia's face brightened just a little bit, not getting too carried away with the amount of cheerfulness that she showed. She wasn't particularly cheerful, just a little. "I like gifts." She adjusted her position in her seat, preparing herself for the gifts.

"Good, because we each got you one," the Parkinson girl added, grabbing a box off the table.

Olivia felt a little flicker in her cold heart. "You did?" she asked, as if the thought were unbelievable, slightly convinced Pansy was joking.

"Yep," she replied as everyone, besides Malfoy, stuck up or pointed to the boxes and bags they had.

Olivia's eyes widened slightly as she took in her surroundings. She wasn't going to tell them that she had never actually gotten presents for her birthday from anyone besides her brother.

His presents were just handmade ones, which she loved with everything in her, and not the ones that you actually had to shop for. But she was sure that the shock was apparent on her face, and she was sure they knew what she was thinking.

She looked at each one of them, seeing their pitiful looks overcome their expressions, and she quickly made her face cold again, reaffirming her mask. No emotions; they'll think you're weak. Her mother's words rang loudly in her ears, and she grabbed the box Pansy was handing her.

"Don't worry, Olivia; we'll always be here to watch you open the gifts we get you," Pansy reassured her with a smile, despite Olivia not saying anything.

"What?" Her brows furrowed with confusion. She knew what Pansy was talking about, but she wasn't going to let her know that. No weakness. No emotions. "I didn't say anything about being worried."

"Yeah, but it was written all over your face," Pansy explained. And before Olivia could even mutter a refusal, the Parkinson girl continued. "Okay, now open my gift—I think you'll like it!" she cheered, clasping her hands with neatly painted black nails together.

Letting out a frustrated breath, Olivia looked at the box, which had a ribbon neatly wrapped around it and tied in a bow at the top. The brightness of the pink box and ribbon hurt her eyes, but she decided to keep her lips tightly closed. She pulled one of the ends of the bow and unraveled it.

By now, everyone who wasn't necessarily her friend, excluding Malfoy, had left the scene, not really caring to watch a twelve-year-old open birthday presents.

Throwing the ribbon on the ground, Olivia pulled the lid off of the box, putting that on the ground as well. That's when her eyes land on her lovely gift from the smiling girl next to her.

The brightness of the hot pink blinded her, causing her to squint her eyes a bit. The green hues of her eyes roamed the soft fabric of the beautiful sweater as everyone's eyes roamed her.

She wasn't looking at them, but she could feel the boys' stifling laughs.

"Don't you love it?" Pansy inquired, her tone tinged with excitement.

Olivia could feel a small pit in her stomach. An obviously fake smile encapsulated her lips, but her eyes didn't dare meet the girl beside her. "It's certainly something," Olivia muttered, trying to keep a smile on her face.

"I knew you'd like it the moment I saw it!" Pansy cheered. "You're going to let me borrow it, aren't you?"

That's when Olivia knew what was going on. Pansy's gleaming smile and pleading eyes confirmed her suspicions. The Parkinson girl had only bought the gift for Olivia so that she could have an excuse to get it.

"You can borrow it all you'd like—you can keep it for as long as you want, even; it doesn't really matter to me," Olivia said, her happy facade falling off her face with one blink.

"Great!" Pansy replied.

And after that, it got silent—almost an awkward silence—as Olivia shoved the sweater back in the box and put it on the ground. She straightened her posture once more as Daphne sent her a small smile, beginning to speak.

"Open mine next," Daphne instructed the girl who sat in front of her.

Olivia was handed a small bag by the blonde, the black color catching her eye. It wasn't very heavy, but it wasn't light either. Her thin fingers slowly removed the tissue paper inside, then she tossed it onto the ground so that it would lay alongside the bright pink ribbon.

She reached into the bag once more. Everyone's eyes were fixed on her, but she didn't pay them any mind as she pulled out her gift. It was a book—a book written by a muggle author, to be a little more specific.

Her eyes shot up to look at the smiling girl. Olivia narrowed her eyes. She was confused as to how—and why—Daphne had obtained, of all things, a Muggle book.

"I noticed you like to read, so I thought a book would be perfect," Daphne explained as she nervously ran her hands over her knees, Olivia's piercing gaze making her stomach turn. "I hope you don't already have that one," she added.

Olivia glanced down at the book once more. The gold and red cover captured her attention. "Vanity Fair" was written on the front and sides of the cover.

She looked up at Daphne again, her eyes wide with surprise. "No, I don't have this book, especially not a first edition," Olivia began, running her fingers along the spine of the book. "Thank you, Daphne; this must've cost you a fortune."

"Well, I wanted to get you something special—after all, it is your birthday." The Greengrass girl shrugged, her bright smile returning.

Malfoy glanced over Olivia's shoulder to look at the book. "William Makepeace Thackery," he read from the cover. "I've never heard of him."

Olivia looked at him, her eyes narrowing. "He's a famous British novelist, Malfoy," she spat. "If you would get your head out of your arse, you might know that," she seethed, putting the book back in the bag.

"Well, was he a wizard?" he asked, adjusting his posture.

"No," she replied, rolling her eyes.

"Then I don't care." He had a cocky smirk on his face, which made Olivia want to strangle him.

This was the first time she had really looked at him that morning, but there wasn't much to see due to the fact that he looked the same almost every day. His hair was neatly gelled back, his gray eyes were as stormy as ever, and his overly confident ego seeped through his pores. Typical Malfoy.

She decided against the deathly notion of strangling him, and she scoffed. Ignoring his words, she turned away from him once more. Her eyes landed on Theodore, who was holding up a sloppily wrapped box. "I hope you like it," he muttered, scratching the back of his head once she had taken it out of his hands.

Olivia began to tear apart the paper so she could see the box underneath. And once she had gotten off every bit of the green-toned wrapping, she stared at the black box with suspicion. Something seemed off. And knowing Theodore, something was definitely afoot, especially seeing as he couldn't meet Olivia's eye as she glanced up at him, as well as the constant nervous neck scratching he was doing.

Cautiously, she opened the box. As soon as the lid was removed from the box, pieces of confetti in many colors exploded in Olivia's face. She didn't flinch, but she could tell the others around her did. Theodore's amused laugh was heard next. His hands slapped against his knees as his shoulders bounced, and his laughter was as loud as ever.

Everyone just stared blankly at the boy, which he either didn't notice or didn't care about. But once his tear-filled eyes looked up at Olivia, his laughter began to subside. His green-gray eyes looked all around, disappointment coming across his face as he realized that no one else found his "prank" as funny as he did. "Merlin's grave; you lot need to lighten up a bit." He shook his head.

Olivia's eyes narrowed at the boy, making him straighten his spine and clear his throat. He sighed, disappointed in his friends' lack of humor. "Check under the tissue paper at the bottom of the box," he instructed Olivia. She sent him a suspicious glare as Pansy began to pick confetti out of her friend's dark hair. "I swear there are no more pranks," Theodore added, lifting his hands in defense.

With a sigh, Olivia brushed away Pansy's hand and moved the tissue paper. Her eyes caught sight of a couple of things. Laying neatly on top of one another, there sat, in the bottom of the box, some high-quality parchment, a quill, and an inkwell. She glanced up at Theodore, her brows furrowing slightly.

"Uh, I know that you like to write to your brother, so I assumed those things would be suitable as a present." He scratched his neck, just as he had before. "Oh, and there's a journal underneath all of that—you know, just in case you want to write your deep, dark secrets, which you can always share with me." He smirked, sending her a wink, his nervousness leaving his body as quickly as it had entered.

"Thank you, Theodore, but I don't have any secrets—especially not deep, dark ones," she explained, putting the lid back on the box. She set it on the floor alongside her other presents as Theodore furrowed his brows.

"Come on, everyone has secrets," he replied, slumping in his seat a bit.

"Not me," Olivia retorted, shrugging her shoulders. The boy studied her suspiciously, his eyes narrowing into thin, accusing slits. But when her blank expression didn't falter under what he thought to be an intimidating glare, he relaxed, letting out a sigh.

"Everyone has at least one secret; I just know it," he muttered, more to himself than to the others.

"Anyways..." Blaise began. "The only gifts left are from Draco and me, and since I'm the better option, I figure I should give you mine first," he smirked, picking up the bag from beside his chair.

His stretched arm reached far enough for Olivia to grab the bag from his slim hand. The bag matched the one that Daphne gave her in color, but it was more luxurious in style and material. She pulled out what appeared to be a shoe box with the words "LOUIS VUITTON" written in thin, black letters. She recognized the name, but she couldn't quite put her finger on where she had heard it.

Olivia quickly opened the box, trying to see if the contents would spark some recognition. And besides, she was ready for the gift opening to be over; she hated the attention, plus she was bored and hungry.

An expensive-looking pair of black boots caught her eye. Her eyes shot up at Blaise more, but she didn't show her shock at the expense.

"Um, I noticed that you're always wearing those black boots," he began, pointing at her shoes, "and they're a bit worn out, so I thought a new pair would be a good option." He cleared his throat as her gaze bore into him. "My mother picked them out, so I hope they are suitable for your taste, but you know, who would an expensive French brand not be suitable for?" he chuckled.

"They're very nice," Olivia said with a nod, running her hand over the boots' leather material.

"Yeah, I can't stand my mother, but I won't deny she has good taste in fashion," he continued. "Seems to be the only thing she has good taste in," he mumbled, causing Theodore to snort from beside him. He shot the Nott boy a glare, but it was ignored.

"Alright, Draco, it's your turn," Pansy reminded the blonde boy, who sat slumped beside Olivia. He looked disinterested in the moment, but once he heard his name, his eyes shot up.

"Oh, right." He cleared his throat, sitting up straight and preparing himself for the backlash he knew Olivia was going to give him for the gift. He got up, moving behind the coach. He picked up a box off the ground, then he moved back to his seat.

Olivia looked at him suspiciously as he handed her the box. She took it from his hands and glanced down at it. Her brows furrowed. Why were there holes in the box? Inhaling deeply, she studied the box, every possibility of what could be inside running through her head at high speed. "Malfoy, why are there holes in the box?" she questioned, not looking at him.

"Uh, just open it and you'll see," he responded, sending her a kind smile. "I swear there's nothing that will pop out or jump at you," he added, the memory of Theodore's confetti coming back into play in his mind. He glanced at the boy, seeing a smirk playing on his lips.

Another deep breath was taken by the Mallard girl. She could feel Pansy moving her hair out of her face as it hung like a curtain around her, tucking it behind her ear. She reckoned the girl wanted a better look at what Malfoy's present was. The lid was slowly lifted by Olivia, who was careful because she didn't trust Malfoy's word about there not being any pranks.

Her eyes widened when she saw what was inside. A twinge of something ruffled in her gut, and she didn't know whether it was hunger or happiness. Her green eyes studied the sleeping cat that was lying in the box.

The dark coat of the animal caused her eyes to soften. She couldn't believe that Malfoy had done something so... sweet for a present. Confusion over how he knew that she had always wanted a black cat ran through her mind, but she ignored it.

"Oh my Merlin, it's so cute!" Pansy cheered, clapping her hands together.

"Leave it to Draco to outshine all of us in the gift department," Theodore sighed, rolling his eyes. "His gift even made Olivia smile, and I didn't think that was physically possible for her to do." His words caused everyone's eyes to shoot over to the Mallard girl, who indeed had a small smile on her face.

She ignored all of their stares and continued to look at the cat. The cat began to stir out of its slumber, releasing a big yawn, causing Olivia's smile to grow. Its eyes fluttered open, showcasing the vibrant green hue.

Olivia's gaze moved to Malfoy, her mouth agape. She didn't know what to say. She was greatly appreciative of such a nice and meaningful gift, but she still despised him, so she wasn't sure if a "thank you" would send him the wrong idea.

"Uh... I don't know what to say," she muttered, the first time in her life that she was left without anything to say.

"You don't have to say anything," Malfoy said with a shrug. "I take it you like your present?" he asked, a small smirk on his lips.

"Yes, very much so," she replied, her face going blank again, deciding that she had shown too much emotion for the time being. "I've always wanted a cat, specifically a black cat with green eyes," she revealed, picking up the cat from the box.

"What are you going to name him?" Malfoy asked. He examined her as she held the cat to her face, just studying him.

"It's a boy?" She asked, her gaze returning to Malfoy. He released a hum in response as she turned back to the cat. "I'm going to name you Tommy," she said, her eyes filling with light. "I think Tommy suits you," she told the cat, who was resting his paws on her face, showing her that he was already comfortable in his environment and with her.

"Why Tommy?" Malfoy inquired, a bit of confusion and amusement lacing his tone.

Olivia didn't answer; she just kept staring at Tommy, still not able to believe that she had a cat—the cat she had wished for the entirety of her twelve years of living.

Confusion coated the group as they watched her smirk grow. That was when the realization of where the name came from hit them. Their faces went blank with shock, and they all looked around at one another just to make sure they were all thinking the same thing.

After a moment of silence, Olivia set Tommy on her lap, with him immediately lying down, and she looked around at all of her friends and Malfoy. "I'm hungry; we should head down to breakfast before we miss it," she told them.

"Yes, we should," Pansy agreed. "But you might want to take the party hat off first," she added, letting out a small laugh.

≀⋆⁺₊⋆ ꗃ 𖦹⨳✺

The group of Slytherins walked into the Great Hall. Olivia's head was safe from the ugly birthday hat, and her presents, including Tommy, were secure in her bedroom.

Tommy had curled up on her bed, going to sleep instantly, and Olivia pondered staying in her room just to watch him instead of going to breakfast, but Pansy dragged her out of the room before she could decide.

Her eyes met the band of chatting students, sleep still hanging in their eyes. None of them were paying attention to the students as they walked to their table, and Olivia was particularly glad for it; she had had her fill of attention for one month in the span of the morning.

She sat down, with Pansy and Malfoy sitting on either side of her and Daphne, Theodore, and Blaise sitting opposite of them. And, as if on cue, dozens of owls burst through the Great Hall doors, carrying various types of mail in their talons.

A small box dropped in front of Olivia, and she presumed it was from Lucas. There was a letter attached to it, and when her eyes spotted the red circle in the corner, her suspicions were confirmed.

Every year prior, Lucas had always made her something for her birthday, seeing as though he was just a child and didn't have money of his own. Most kids in his position would just ask their parents for a couple of galleons and call it a day, but Lucas was different from other kids—he was too scared of his parents to ask for anything, let alone money.

Nonetheless, she was always grateful for his gifts, and she knew that no matter what she got, whether it was expensive, homemade, or practical, the gifts from her brother would always be her favorites because he was her favorite person.

"Who is that from?" Theodore asked, his mouth full of food.

Olivia grimaced at the boy's lack of manners but decided against ridiculing him for it. "My brother," she told him, running her hand over the red circle. "He makes something for me every year," she continued.

Without another thought, she began to open the letter. And once the parchment was safely unfolded, Lucas' neat handwriting came into her sight.

Dear Liv,

Happy Birthday, dear sister! I hope your day goes well, and I wish I was there to celebrate it with you. Inside the box lies your present from me. I hope you like it, and I cannot wait to see you at Christmas.

Please write back and tell me everything you got, because I know that you must've gotten something. And tell me how Hogwarts is treating you. Have you made anyone cry recently? I ask this because I recall you telling me about the incident that happened a couple of weeks ago with the Hufflepuff girl.

Oh, Trinky and Bobbin say hello and happy birthday as well.

Sincerely, your brother

Olivia smiled at the letter, and she could feel the wandering eyes on her. She missed her brother so dearly. Christmas break couldn't come fast enough. She was ready to have a break from classes, and everyone around her seemed to be too cheery all the time, as well as the keen eye Snape always had on her and her actions, making sure her steps were kept in a straight line.

She set the letter down on the wooden table, and she grabbed the box from the table. It was rather small, so she reckoned that Lucas had made her a bracelet of some sort or maybe a necklace. She slowly pulled the lid off of the box, and her eyes landed on a rather expensive-looking bracelet, which shocked her.

Her mind pondered if he had finally worked up the courage to ask their parents for some money. And that's when she recalled all of the letters she had been receiving from Lucas over her first few months at the magical school. He hadn't been mentioning their parents as much, not like he had in the first couple. Her first thought was that maybe there wasn't much to report to her, but in the back of her mind, a thought that she desperately hated poked at her.

What if, since she was gone, their parents were finally being as they should be? She hadn't always known that Lucas was the favorite of the pair, and she couldn't blame anyone or anything but herself and her own actions for that. She most definitely couldn't blame Lucas. Between the two—and most likely in their parents eyes—he was an angel, a saint, and she was the devil's spawn, Satan reincarnated.

She was snapped out of her racing and worrisome thoughts when Daphne's voice was heard. "I'm sorry?" Olivia furrowed her brows; her ears had not had the decency to listen to the Greengrass' words, and Olivia cursed herself for getting wrapped up in her troubles.

"I asked what he got you," Daphne repeated, sending a sweet smile to the girl in front of her.

"Right," Olivia muttered. "Um, he got me a bracelet," she told the group, pulling the gift from its box to show them.

"Wow, that's gorgeous!" Pansy gawked, her eyes going wide to examine the beauty better.

It was a silver charm bracelet. Some dainty charms were already placed on it, most likely picked specifically by Lucas to suit his sister. There was a dragon with sapphire eyes, as well as a cat charm, its eyes glowing a bright emerald, causing Olivia to narrow her eyes, and a couple other beautiful charms, all with special meaning to the Mallard girl.

"Yes, it's beautiful, but expensive," she began, examining the bracelet. "I don't know how he could possibly afford it," she confessed, a twinge of guilt in her voice. She hated that Lucas was spending that much money on her.

"Isn't your family, like, one of the wealthiest in the wizarding world?" Blaise asked just before shoveling some food into his mouth.

"Yes—well, technically, my parents are the ones with the money; Lucas and I just happen to be their children, despite our wishes," she explained, her voice growing quieter as she said the last bit.

"I'm sure that he just found a couple of galleons lying around and decided to buy you a more suitable present," Theodore suggested, trying to ease Olivia's concerns.

"Theo, this definitely took more than a couple of galleons to buy," Pansy snorted. "But please don't worry, Olivia; I'm sure that everything is alright, and you shouldn't be worried about him spending a bit of money on a present—it's a kind gesture, really," she continued, turning to face the girl beside her as she rested a comforting hand on her shoulder.

After a moment, Pansy took the bracelet out of Olivia's hand and grabbed the girl's wrist at the same time. "Here, I'll put it on for you." She sent a small and kind smile to the girl, her piercing green eyes staring at her with a little twinkle.

And once the bracelet was secure on Olivia's wrist, she began to study it once more. Her slim fingers turned it, looking at each charm individually.

"Now, I think it's time that we start eating," Pansy said, despite the fact that all three of the boys had already been shoving their faces full of food as soon as they sat down. She began filling her plate, but when she noticed Olivia was still distracted, she gently bumped shoulders with her, capturing her attention and sending her another sweet smile.

Olivia quietly sighed, and she began filling her plate as well, her stomach desperate for the full-English breakfast that sat in front of her.

≀⋆⁺₊⋆ ꗃ 𖦹⨳✺

It was later that night. Olivia, Pansy, and Daphne were all ready for bed, lying in their beds. Their room was quiet; Olivia was clutching onto Mr. Snake as Tommy curled up beside her, making himself comfortable and preparing for his slumber.

"Did you have a good birthday, Olivia?" Pansy asked. Olivia could feel the girls' eyes on her, but the green-tented darkness encapsulating the room made it impossible for her to see them.

"Yes, I did," she responded.

"Good, I'm glad."

After that, it was silent again. And after thirty minutes, Olivia could hear the soft breathing of the two other girls, which let her know that they were asleep.

Sleep was trying to take over Olivia, but she was fighting it. She didn't know why, but she didn't want to sleep. It wasn't that she was scared of having the nightmare again; in fact, she hadn't seemed to have to for a couple of weeks, not since she had gotten settled at Hogwarts.

Her usual routine had changed a lot since she arrived. She seemed to never have time for anything she liked to do. She hadn't touched a book, besides her work books and spell books, since the train ride to Hogwarts.

Her eyes stared at the ceiling for what felt like mere seconds. But those seconds were actually hours. Before she could even decide that she needed to go to sleep, a faint knock on the door—the only one that her paranoid mind could hear—startled her.

Slowly, she rose from her bed, setting her bear down in her place, then she grabbed her wand off of her nightstand. She took a glance at the clock and saw that it was four in the morning, which was the average wake-up time for her.

She continued to walk, making sure that her steps were quiet for two reasons. One, she didn't want to wake up the sleeping girls because she has learned that they are not the most tolerable people when they are tired and irritated; and two, she didn't want to let the person behind the door—if they were still there—know that she had heard them or that she was coming for them.

Quickly, but quietly, she pulled the door open, her arm extended out, her wand ready to cast a curse if necessary. But she was met with no one—just the empty hallway. One thing did catch her attention, though. Right at the front of the doorway sat a rolled-up cloth with a tie holding it together.

Her arm went back to her side as she studied the item suspiciously. She noted that on top of it sat a small piece of parchment. She bent down and picked up the cloth roll. Closing her door, she studied it suspiciously. She walked back over to her bed, where Tommy still slept peacefully. She noted that he was going to be a calm cat, very suitable for her.

She picked up the note and read it.

YOU'LL NEED THESE FOR YOUR PROTECTION.
DON'T TRUST ANYONE.

That's all it read. Her brows furrowed in confusion and worry. And that's when she set the note down, and then she pulled the cloth string, unraveling the knot, and letting the cloth unroll in front of her.

Her eyes went wide when she saw the contents. Knives and daggers, potions, different ingredients and magic-related items, and rolls of parchment, which she believed were spells or recipes—Everything from silver daggers with enchanting designs engraved on the handles to unicorn blood

She was about to sit down and study the contents, but she heard Daphne stirring awake, and she decided it was best that she do that when she was alone.

She quickly rolled the cloth back up, grabbed the note off of her bed, and kneeled down beside her bed. Pulling up the loose floorboard she had discovered earlier that week, she moved it out of her way and stuck the rolled-up cloth and note inside.

"Olivia," she heard Daphne mutter, and she glanced over her bed to see the silhouette of the girl staring at her from her bed.

She moved the floorboard back into place, then stood up, dusting off her hands. "Yeah?" Olivia responded, her voice just above a whisper.

"What are you doing?" Daphne asked.

Don't trust anyone.

"Uh, I dropped something," she lied.

"Oh."

≀⋆⁺₊⋆ ꗃ 𖦹⨳✺

━━━━ ella's speaking !
chapter ten has finally arrived !! i love this chapter sm oml

i really hoped you enjoyed it as well !!

also, go follow my wp tiktok @lostgardens.wp, i post edits on there for this fic as well as others !!

kisses.

━━━━━━━━━━━ born to die,
© -LOSTGARDENS, august 2023

word count: 6078.   written: 2.14.23.   published: 2.14.23.