BORN TO DIE ╱ DRACO MALFOY
꒷꒦ · ˚.‧ . written by ella . . . © -lostgardens
012 ━━━━━━━━ ❛ christmas break ❜

The snowfall was light. The sun was bright. And in a room stood three girls packing for the very anticipated Christmas Break. It was finally time. The thing they had been greatly waiting for—the time when they were away from school and they could spend time with the ones they cared for most.

"I can't believe it's finally the day!" Pansy gleamed, shoving some clothes into her trunk. "It feels like we've been in school for ages now. But finally, I get to spend time away from these green walls and enjoy the beauty of France like I was born to do," she added, stopping what she was doing and spinning around once with a lovestruck look on her face.

Olivia and Daphne glanced at each other, trying to hide their amusement at the girl's dramatics.

It was finally Christmas break, the time when they went home. Or, in Pansy's case, to France with Blaise and Theodore to visit Zabini's mother, as she had so graciously made them aware of.

Olivia was ready to be back at the manor with Lucas, just to relax with her face shoved in an endless amount of books. She was ready to see their house elves, Trinky and Bobbin, that she missed so dearly. Her parents... not so much. She wasn't sure if they were going to spend the holidays at the manor or not—they never did, but this year could've been different.

She doubted it, though.

"Yes, me neither," Daphne agreed, packing away some of her books neatly.

Olivia stayed quiet as she continued to pack, and Pansy and Daphne went on and on about their plans. She just listened, not having much to add. The most exciting thing she would probably do over break was go to Hogsmeade with Lucas.

She was excited to introduce her brother to Tommy, who was in his crate on Olivia's bed. The pet and the person from whom she received him had been mentioned in her most recent letter to her brother, so he knew about her love for the animal and her disdain for the person who gifted him to her.

She didn't let that thought fill her mind too much and focused solely on the fact that she knew she had a cat—one that matched her personality to a tee.

But finally, once the girls were packed and their trunks were full of things they probably didn't need but wanted to take anyway, they headed out of their room, said goodbye to it for now, and went downstairs to the common room.

That's where their friends and Malfoy stood, waiting.

"Finally. What took you three so long?" Theodore huffed, getting up from the couch.

"Oh, hush your whining." Pansy furrowed her brows, waving a dismissive hand in his direction.

And then the group left the common room, heading straight for the carriages that would take them to the train.

≀⋆⁺₊⋆ ꗃ 𖦹⨳✺

On the train, Olivia sat beside Pansy and the window. They were in the compartment the girl had sat in with Theodore and Blaise just a few months prior. Olivia had deemed it their compartment from that time on, and she would do anything to keep it that way.

Her head rested on the chilly window as she looked out at the falling white powder that slowly added to the thick blanket already covering the ground. The sound of her friends and Malfoy talking was mere background noise as peace fell over her.

The coldness mixed with finally being able to relax made her lids grow heavy, and she turned to rest her head on Pansy's shoulder. The short-haired girl sent her a glance but saw that she was going to sleep. Pansy didn't mind Olivia lying on her shoulder, but it was a surprise, to say the least.

After a moment, the sound of chatting and the speed of the train fell quiet, and Olivia's eyes shut tightly. She was sound asleep.

≀⋆⁺₊⋆ ꗃ 𖦹⨳✺

Waking up as someone shook her, Olivia peeled her eyes open, and the slightly dim brightness of the day came into focus. Pansy still sat next to her as she looked at her with a soft smile on her face.

Her head was still resting on the girl's shoulder.

"Good morning, sunshine," Pansy teased as Olivia straightened her spine. "Have a nice slumber?" She continued, watching the girl beside her rub her eyes.

"Yeah." Olivia's voice came out slightly hoarse from her deep sleep. "Are we here?" she asked, her brows slightly furrowing. She hadn't meant to sleep the whole time—she really hadn't meant to sleep at all. She reckoned that lying her head on Pansy's shoulder probably wasn't the best way of doing that.

"Yeah, we're here." Pansy gave her another soft smile, standing up from her seat.

Olivia looked around the compartment, seeing that the rest of her friends and Malfoy weren't there anymore. She heard talking outside the door, and she concluded that they were probably out there, waiting on the two of them.

She stood up to stand alongside Pansy and grabbed her bag from the seat. Letting out a deep breath, she ran her hand through her hair and followed the girl through the door, where her eyes landed on the rest of their group.

She was most certainly not ready to see her parents again. Even though she had been on her absolute best behavior, she knew her mother would find something to scold her about. Her father would remain quiet just as always, and Lucas would do the same—he hated his mother's harsh words, but he also hated being in the middle of everything, so he always stayed quiet.

Walking off the train and catching the fresh air of Platform 9 ¾, Olivia glanced around, trying to find her family. Her eyes felt the heat of a dead stare, and she caught the eye of her mother. There, a mere twenty or so feet away from the train, stood Clodagh in her pristine glory, alongside her bent-at-her-will husband, Andrew, and their slightly awkward and quiet son, Lucas.

Olivia sighed and looked away from her mother. She walked over to the luggage carrier, her friends and Malfoy following closely behind, and she searched for her trunk and Tommy's crate. Once she found them, she lifted the crate up to her eye level, peeking in only to see her cat sleeping soundly. Oh, how she wished she could be more like him—not a care in the world.

Lowering her arm down, she waited for her friends and Malfoy to gather their things, and then she began walking towards the people she shared blood with. The others followed behind her, and when she stopped a good ten feet away from her parents and Lucas, she turned to face them.

"See you all in two weeks," she muttered, her face blank. No weakness. "Don't have too much fun without me," she added, and then turned to her family before any of them could mutter a response.

She walked to the three she shared similarities with, and her friends and Malfoy walked away, going to their own people. Not meeting her mother's eyes, she set her trunk and Tommy's crate down, her arms growing a bit tired.

Her father stepped forward and picked up her trunk as he shot her a glance.

"What is that?" Her mother's face twisted in disgust as she pointed at the crate that still sat on the ground.

"A cat," Olivia replied, her tone flat as she looked up to meet the woman's cold eyes.

Clodagh's eyes narrowed in suspicion as she met her daughter's stare. "Where did you get it?" she asked, her voice harsh.

"He was a gift for my birthday," the girl stated.

"And who might be the one responsible for such a gift?" the woman scoffed.

Olivia inhaled deeply, not wanting to tell the truth. She knew how her mother would react to hearing the boy's name, but she also knew that if she lied, the woman would know. She had a sixth sense about that—a trait Olivia undoubtedly inherited.

She stared into her mother's cold green eyes—another trait she happened to share with her. Her eyes searched the woman's face, watching as her brows raised, letting her know that she was waiting for an answer.

"Malfoy," Olivia finally said.

"Malfoy?" Clodagh echoed, her eyes narrowing even more.

"Yes," Olivia confirmed. "Trust me, I want it to be anyone else just as much as you do, but it was indeed Malfoy," she added, bending down to pick up the crate where Tommy still slept inside.

Her mother scoffed harshly in disgust. "Are you friends with that boy?"

"No, mother. I am not desperate," Olivia retorted, her face still void of any emotion.

"Good," Clodagh clipped. "Oh, and stay away from him from now on, will you?" she added—an order rather than a suggestion. And with that, she turned away, her long, black dress swaying with the movement as she walked towards the wall that led out off of the platform.

Olivia studied her as she walked away. Her hair was up in a tight updo like usual, and she walked with confidence, most likely reveling in the way people moved out of her way with a hint of fear in their features.

Sighing, the girl followed her mother, with Lucas and their father walking hastily behind them, neither speaking a word.

≀⋆⁺₊⋆ ꗃ 𖦹⨳✺

Once they arrived back at the manor, Andrew handed off Olivia's trunk to Bobbin, one of their family's house elves, and the girl handed her Tommy's crate. And with a snap, the creature disappeared, no doubt taking both things to the young girl's room.

Olivia let the familiar feeling of the manor and its magic take over her as she inhaled deeply, the strong scent of pumpkin and cinnamon filling her nose. Lucas stood off to the side as Clodagh turned to face her daughter.

Feeling her mother's cold eyes on her, Olivia faced her.

"Your father and I have another business trip to take, meaning we're not going to be here all break," the woman explained like it were something new, clasping her hands in front of her where she stood, resting them on her stomach. "Don't cause any trouble. We'll be back to see you off."

"Alright." Olivia nodded.

Most children would be upset that their parents were scurrying off on a business trip when they returned home for the holidays after being away, but Olivia wasn't. She didn't care that much for the ones she had to call her parents.

It was her first year at Hogwarts, but it wasn't the first year they hadn't spent the holidays with their children.

And she knew it wouldn't be the last.

It was always something. Whether it was a business trip or some other excuse, they were never there at the manor, and Olivia and Lucas were both used to it.

It hurt in the beginning, of course. The feeling of not being wanted by the ones that were supposed to love them most, but then they became numb to it.

It was their normal, and there was no changing that.

There were no family traditions, no opening presents as their parents watched in happiness, no Christmas tree decorating, and no playing in the snow. Nothing. It was only ever Olivia, Lucas, their house elves, and a mostly empty and dead manor.

Not even the portraits of their ancestors made good company. They were all insane from the looks of it, and they only rambled on and on about how life was in their day and age.

Clodagh shot one last glance at each of her children, and then she and her lap-dog husband walked to the entrance, leaving without another word. No goodbye, no we'll see you later, no we'll write to you—just a glance and silence, just their normal.

Finally released from the impending presence of her parents, Olivia let out a breath that she wasn't aware she had been holding. Her eyes found Lucas's, seeing him already staring at her. She softly smiled at him. "I've missed you." Those were the first words she had spoken to him, and they were the most important.

"I've missed you, too." He returned her smile. "The manor has been entirely too boring without you here. Mother and father were barely around per usual, and Bobbin and Trinky only make good company for so long," he lightly laughed.

She took a step towards the slightly shorter boy and wrapped her arms around his neck, pulling him into a bone-crushing hug. She was glad she was finally with him again. The weight of keeping up with her family's image was finally lifted from her shoulders, but only if it were going to last two weeks. She was glad for it.

He wrapped his arms around her, too, in an equally strong hold. They stayed like that for a moment, and then the snaps of Bobbin and Trinky appearing caused them to turn their heads to the two house elves.

"Miss Olivia has returned home at last. Trinky has missed her dearly," the house elf cheered, her eyes tearing up.

"I've missed you, too, Trinky." Olivia smiled, moving towards her.

All of the house elves in the Mallard manor, including Bobbin and Trinky, were there of their own free will. They were all free elves looking for work when Clodagh and Andrew hired them.

The two might've been cruel and vile to most, including their own children, but they weren't believers in enslaving elves, like most pure-blood families, and Olivia somewhat admired them for that.

The bare minimum of human decency, and she felt a sense of respect—she could've honestly scoffed at that.

Bobbin and Trinky had been with the family ever since Clodagh and Andrew wed in the autumn of 1974, and they had practically raised Olivia and Lucas and were fiercely loyal to the family.

"Miss Olivia's things are in her room," Bobbin chimed in, her big eyes shining with happiness.

"Thank you, Bobbin." Olivia smiled. And then she turned to Lucas, meeting his green eyes with her own. "I'm going to take a shower, trying to wash off the muggy feeling I have, and then we can catch up. I have loads to go over with you," she told him, beginning to walk towards the stairs as he followed.

"You mean to tell me there's more than what you've written in your letters?" he asked, amusement filling his soft voice.

"Yes," she nodded, and then went upstairs, heading towards her room.

≀⋆⁺₊⋆ ꗃ 𖦹⨳✺

Freshly clean and dressed in some comfortable clothes, Olivia headed out of her room and down the long corridor of her manor as Tommy followed her. She let him out of his crate as soon as she stepped out of her shower, not wanting him to be trapped any longer.

She received greetings and welcome homes from each portrait, which she returned and thanked as her bare feet padded against the hardwood floors. Then she stepped back downstairs in search of her brother as Tommy scurried down the steps alongside her.

She found him sitting on the couch, his sketch book resting on his propped-up knees as he drew.

Sitting down next to him, she glanced over at the paper, trying to see what he was drawing. Her eyes widened at the detailed sketch of Bobbin and Trinky. Her brother had always been a talented artist, and she knew this, but to say that he had improved greatly since she had last seen one of his pieces would be an understatement.

"Luke, that is amazing," she gasped.

"Thank you, Livvy. It's a Christmas present for Bobbin. I'm going to make another for Trinky," he explained, not glancing at her as he continued to focus on his sketch.

"They're both going to love them," she said, patting his shoulder.

The familiar snap of an apparition was heard behind them, and they both glanced behind them. Bobbin appeared with a tray of freshly baked snickerdoodle cookies and two mugs of hot chocolate—their favorite—and Lucas slightly turned away from the elf, making sure she wouldn't be able to see his artwork.

"Bobbin made Miss Olivia and Mister Lucas's favorite treats," she gleamed. "Bobbin hopes they enjoy them!" She set the tray down on the table in front of them and then turned to the fireplace, which was void of flames. With a snap of her long and bony fingers, the flames came alive, and warmth instantly filled the rather cold manor, letting a warm glow coat the dark furniture and walls.

"Thank you, Bobbin." Olivia smiled at the elf, leaning forward to grab a mug and a cookie.

Then, with another loud snap, Bobbin disappeared.

The siblings sat quiet for a moment as Olivia took a sip of the hot drink decorated with small marshmellows and cinnamon and then a bite of her cookie, while Lucas continued his sketch. She watched the flames dance, feeling fully at peace for the first time in months. She breathed in and out, letting her muscles relax and the warmth of the mug coat her small hands.

Hearing a sigh, she turned to her brother and saw him close his book and put it down beside him. He leaned forward, grabbed the other mug, and took a sip of the drink. And then, after another beat of silence, he spoke. "The manor has been entirely too quiet as of late, more so than before, and you're home now, so that should change," he muttered.

"Right," she replied, nodding. She bent forward, setting the mug back on the tray. She ate the rest of her cookie, brushing her hands together to rid them of the crumbs. Turning to face the boy beside her, her light green eyes met his emerald ones. "So, you remember how I said that one of my friends—yes, I'm calling them that now—said that she thinks Malfoy fancies me?" she asked, adding in that bit about calling them friends when he gave her an odd look.

He nodded. "Yeah."

"Well, as much as I hate to admit it, I think she's right," she huffed, annoyance filling her face and tone.

"I could've told you that," he laughed. "He got you a cat, for crying out loud," he gleamed, setting his mug down on the tray next to hers. "Where is he, by the way?" he asked, referring to Tommy as he looked around the room.

She furrowed her brows, now wondering the same thing. Standing up, she began searching around the room. "Tommy," she called. He had come down there with her, but he was in a new environment and probably wanted to explore. She walked around the room in search of him when her eyes found their way to the slightly open door of her father's study.

Worry filled her, hoping that her companion hadn't wandered in there. No one was allowed in there, and she was sure that rule applied to her cat as well. The door being cracked was surprising—usually it was locked when her parents were away.

Glancing back at Lucas, who was looking at her over the couch, she sent him a confused look. He shrugged in response, even though she hadn't asked him anything, letting her know that he too did not know why the door was open.

Curiosity filled her as she looked back at the door. She had to check the room, right? To make sure Tommy wasn't in there, of course. If he was in there, he could mess something up or knock something over—something important. Logically, it made sense for her to check.

Still, she hesitated before walking to the door. Her parents weren't there; they were long gone on their trip, and they wouldn't possibly be able to know she went in there. Right?

She stepped closer. Her hand brushed against the wooden door and pushed it open a little more.

The darkness and coldness of the room were overwhelming, like most things in the manor. Every light was off, and the room was still. It was her first time ever in there, but she wasn't shocked by how it was set up.

Dark furniture was placed around in a precise and neat manner, and dark Victorian wallpaper lined the walls. With the few peeks in the room she'd ever had, she only saw the large desk right in the middle of the room.

Now, she saw the desk, the wall of shelves filled with books, the drawing board off to the side of the door, the round table covered in papers, scrolls, and books, and the dark leather settee that sat diagonally to the desk.

There was still no movement, and she was sure that Tommy wasn't in there, but she couldn't help the curiosity crawling up her neck, so she walked over to the desk and flickered on the lamp. The warm glow of the light filled the formerly dark room, and she looked around some more.

There was a window on the opposite wall of the door, and peeking through the curtains sat the back grounds of the manor. The garden full of flowers that her mother had so graciously shipped in from all around the world, as the blanket of snow around it was being added to by each passing second, was all that could be seen.

Moving around the desk, her eyes scanned the papers littering it. There was nothing of importance that caught her eye, and that deflated her hope of finding out what her parents always whispered about in there.

She moved towards the round table, searching the papers and scrolls that coated the tabletop. Still, she couldn't find anything that seemed important, so she moved away from there and over to the floor-to-ceiling bookshelf that lined the right wall.

She scanned the titles of each book she could read, wondering what books her father kept out of their family library—out of her reach. Most were just first additions that she was sure he had collected over the years or ones that the previous Mallard men that once occupied the study had passed down.

But one book in particular caught her attention, and as she reached for it, she felt a tingle in her fingers. A wash of something came over her as she stood on her tiptoes. But before she could get a hold of it, though, Lucas's voice rang in her ears, and she flattened her stance on the ground.

"Olivia, Tommy's right here," the boy informed her, his voice just outside the room. She could hear some footfall, and then it stopped, and she knew he was standing at the door. "What are you doing?" he asked, confusion lacing his tone.

Quickly, she turned to him, sending him a sheepish smile, seeing Tommy in his arms with his tail swaying back and forth. "Nothing," she muttered, walking to the desk. She turned off the lamp and then walked to the door.

She left the office with one last glance, and then she closed the door. The sound of the door locking caught her ears, and she grimaced, mentally cursing. She should've known that her father would have the door charmed to lock when fully closed. She just hoped that when her parents returned, they wouldn't remember that they left the door open and unlocked.

Not letting the disdain show in her features, she looked up at Lucas, who had his brows furrowed in suspicion.

"What?" she asked, her eyes searching his.

And after a moment, he shook his head, wiping away his expression. "Nothing," he muttered, setting Tommy down on the floor. A beat of silence passed over them, and he looked away from her and down at the kitten, who was in the middle of stretching—his back arched as his tail curled slightly. "So this is the cat Malfoy got for you, huh?" he asked, but it was more of a statement than a question.

"Yep," she replied, moving over to the couch again. She didn't sit down, though, and neither did he, as he followed her.

They watched Tommy together as the black cat licked his paws and wiped them over the top of his head. His wicked green eyes were squeezed shut as he bathed himself.

Another beat of silence passed, and Olivia didn't know why, but it felt tense with awkwardness. Maybe it was because her brother caught her snooping around the forbidden study instead of looking for her cat like she was supposed to be doing. Or maybe it was because of the lack of time they had spent together over the past few months. She didn't know, but she knew she didn't like it.

Glancing around the empty and polished room, she sighed, catching her brother's attention. "We should decorate," she stated, flickering her gaze at him as her hands rested on her hips.

"What?" he asked, confusion showing in his expression.

"For Yule," she elaborated. "We never have, and I think we should. The manor is looking a tad dark and unfestive."

"It always looks dark and unfestive," he chuckled. Since when are you the festive type?"

She just shrugged in response. "I don't know. It'll give us something to do," she explained. "We can even loop Bobbin and Trinky in," she added, throwing her hand up in an offer. "It would be nice to actually have a tree to put presents under this year."

He let out a sigh as he thought, a moment of silence passing over them once more. "Alright," he finally agreed, a small smile on his face.

And so that's what they did. Bobbin and Trinky conjured up decorations and a tree and began setting everything up. Using wandless magic, Olivia placed ornaments, tinsel, and all of the other tree decorations all over it—placing the gold star on top last—making it look good with the help of Lucas's artistic eye.

Then they placed the berry and leaf garland—which was enchanted to stay fresh—along the mantle of the fireplace, alongside some other decorations. A tree skirt went under the tree, covering a circle of the dark floor. And then, Bobbin and Trinky made two stockings appear, hanging on the fireplace—one said 'Olivia' and the other, 'Lucas'.

Olivia conjured up two more, with the names of the house elves. The big-eyed creatures cried at this, and she had to comfort them so they'd stop.

And once everything was done, the four stepped back, Tommy brushing against each of their ankles as he walked around them, and they admired their work.

For probably the first time ever, Mallard Manor had life and joy. It was tastefully decorated, and you could tell it was some sort of home for a family—if you could call them that. And even though Clodagh and Andrew wouldn't be there for the holidays, Olivia knew that on Christmas morning, the underside of the tree would be filled with presents from them, making it complete.

The two adults did it every year—though without the tree. Usually, the piles of presents would be stacked in the sitting room, waiting to be opened. They would get the two children many meaningless gifts—nothing special or out of love was ever there.

It was always the latest releases, things they assumed the children would enjoy.

But Olivia didn't want to worry about that at the moment—she just wanted to be there with her brother and her two favorite house elves, who had been more mothers to her than the woman who actually gave birth to her. She wanted to enjoy her Yule with no worries.

And so, help her, Merlin; she was going to try her hardest to do so.

≀⋆⁺₊⋆ ꗃ 𖦹⨳✺

━━━━ ella's speaking !
ugh i've missed writing my favorite siblings !!

bobbin and trinky are superior, i don't make the rules (i do actually bc it's my fic but that's besides the point) 🤞🏻

this is the first of four chapters that will take place over christmas break and i'm so excited to write the rest omg

and i really hoped you enjoyed this chapter !!

kisses.

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

word count: 4755. written: 8.29.23. published: 8.29.23.