BORN TO DIE ╱       DRACO MALFOY
꒷꒦ · ˚.‧ . written by ella . . . © -lostgardens
056 ━━ ❛ snowy grounds and dream homes ❜

Walking out of the front doors of Hogwarts, Olivia and her group, now no longer including Daphne, were met with the bright white powder. Lucas wasn't with them either, seeing as though he couldn't go to Hogsmeade, but his list of gifts was tucked away in Olivia's bag. Students around were bundled in their warmest of warmest coats, scarves, hats, and gloves—all layered on top of their clothes to keep from getting frostbite.

As they began walking with the rest of the students, laughing, chatting, and throwing snowballs at each other, they passed by the Weasley twins, who were standing next to a rather prize-winning snowman with a pointy hat, four pieces of coal on its round, snow-made stomach, a chipper coal smile and eyes, a carrot nose, and... whiskers? The last bit threw Olivia for a loop.

What kind of snowman had whiskers?

"Nice snowman," she told them, offering a tight smile. She could feel the eyes of her friends on her as she continued in front of them, perhaps wondering why she was talking to two Gryffindors while their chatter quieted down. Weasleys, nonetheless. She ignored them, however, keeping her eye on the snowman as she studied it.

The twins offered her matching smirks as she met their gazes. "Thank you," they replied in unison, and she wasn't sure if she missed it or not, but one of them sent her a wink. She believed it was Fred, though she could still barely tell them apart from one another. Then the boys focused on her friends, who were giving them odd looks.

After that, Olivia continued to walk away with her friends trailing along behind her through the thick layer of snow, muttering about in confusion. The air was rather chill as they caught up with the rest of the students heading towards the village. It didn't take them that long to arrive in Hogsmeade, since it was such a short walk, and then they were free to do their own thing. Crabbe and Goyle had joined them along the way, along with that boy, Pike, whom Olivia despised for no apparent reason.

Theodore and Blaise wasted no more time dragging the group into Honeydukes, ready to stock up on their treats like they had on their first trip there. Olivia wasn't entirely against it; she could do for some more Chocolate Frogs.

Draco seemed to be on her trail anywhere she moved. She'd send him a glance, and he'd just return it with a smile. He really was like a lost little puppy. Or hatchling, rather. "You know, Draco," Olivia began, coming to a sudden stop and causing him to almost run into her back. Her eyes stayed focused on all of the treats around her as she studied them with false interest. "I fear Granger was right about you."

He gave her a puzzled expression, not knowing what she meant. "How's that?"

She smirked, meeting his gaze. "You do follow me around like a lost little puppy. Almost like a lap dragon," she teased, reminding him of the conversation they'd had with the Gryffindor girl the last time they were in the store together.

"Right," he nodded, sounding almost annoyed.

Olivia let out a small laugh as she continued around the store. This time, Draco did not follow her. Perhaps he hadn't wanted the nickname to come back around to haunt him again. Little did he know, Olivia was planning on using it every chance she got, always looking for a way to tease him.

Once they all had their treats and such and paid for them, they left Honeydukes and ventured on. Olivia snuck away every so often, grabbing the gifts that Lucas had been wanting for everyone, except the ones for her, of course. She luckily had her extension-charmed bag, the one that Astoria had gotten her for her birthday (she may not have liked the girl's sister, but a good gift was a good gift), so she could easily store the presents without the others seeing.

But when she was finally through with that, an hour or so had gone by. Their time left in Hogsmeade for that weekend was slowly ticking away. While Theodore was talking about going to The Three Broomsticks again, whining about how he wanted another Butterbeer, Draco spotted none other than Weasley and Granger, walking alone and towards where the Shrieking Shack was located.

He grabbed Olivia's wrist. "Come on," he told the group as he dragged the girl along with him.

Everyone followed despite not knowing exactly where they were going. And Olivia wanted to know why, out of all of them, Draco had grabbed her arm. Crabbe, Goyle, and Pike trailed closely in pursuit of the blonde boy.

They quietly followed the duo into the woods and watched as they stopped at the wires surrounding the perimeter. Then, after a moment of watching the two chat, Draco decided it was time for them to move in. He and Olivia began approaching them as Crabbe, Goyle, and Pike followed, and Blaise, Theodore, and Pansy stayed behind to watch.

"Well, well, look who's here," Draco called out with an almost teasing tone, making himself known to the two. Olivia could hear the snark dripping in the boy's voice as she, Draco, Crabbe, Goyle, and Pike approached the two Gryffindors that they just loved to pick fun at. She supposed it would've been even better if their famous companion was along with them for the moment. But Potter was still stuck at Hogwarts with an unsigned permission form.

What a pity.

Draco's signature smirk was on his pale, looked-heavenly-in-the-winter features, watching as Weasley and Granger turned to face him. "You two shopping for your new dream home?" Olivia wanted to roll her eyes at the boy's remark, wondering why he dragged her into this, but she didn't. "Bit grand for you, isn't it, Weasel-bee?" He raised his brows as they came to stop in front of them. He then looked at the Shrieking Shack, taking in all of its run-down glory, before focusing back on the two. "Don't your family sleep in, uh, one room?"

"Draco," Olivia warned with a light tone.

He glanced over at her, meeting her pointed look, then focused back on the Gryffindors when Weasley told him, "Shut your mouth, Malfoy."

"Ooh, not very friendly," Draco countered, once more with that same snarky, teasing tone from before. He paused for a moment, his smug grin escaping his face as he stared at Weasley. "Boys, I think it's time we teach Weasel-bee how to respect his superiors." He didn't address Olivia, as he shrugged his coat's lapels forward in a sense of superiority, because he knew that she wouldn't go along with his plans.

Granger laughed at this. "I hope you don't mean yourself," she retorted, stepping in front of her friend.

Olivia just rolled her eyes—at both of them and their stupid little bickering match.

"How dare you talk to me?" Draco sneered. "You filthy little mudblood."

Olivia's eyes shot in his direction, annoyed at his use of that word. She thought he was done with it, but apparently not. She supposed one attempt at an apology wasn't enough to change his whole view of the word. She should've known better. Hopefully, the book she'd lent him for the dare would give him a little insight into oppression and its effects on the oppressed.

Smacking his arm, Olivia gave him another sharp look.

He just rubbed his arm and ignored her gaze. He faced Granger and Weasley again, ready to continue his tease. But before he could do anything more, a snowball came flying from their left, hitting him right in the side of the head. He quickly turned to face the direction it had come along with everyone else, all clouded with confusion.

No one was there, yet Olivia felt as if she were staring right at someone.

Nothing happened for a long pause, and Draco asked, "Who's there?" His gaze fell from where he was looking and went to where Pansy, Blaise, and Theodore still stood. He had thought that maybe it had been one of them, but clearly he was wrong.

And just as he was turning back to search for the culprit, another snowball came flying at him, smacking him right in the face. He fell back into Crabbe with a grunt as Goyle and Pike stumbled about. More snowballs came their way, and Olivia backed up, out of range.

Draco shoved Crabbe after he got his footing back, telling him, "Don't just stand there; do something!"

"What!?" the boy asked, throwing his hands up with a glance at Pike, not understanding what his friend wanted him to do.

In an instant, Pike's hat was pulled down over his eyes, Crabbe was pantsed, and Goyle was tangled about in his coat.

Olivia's eyes went wide in amusement as she tried to stifle a laugh and not focus on Crabbe's green underwear with multi-colored Christmas lights to decorate.

The boys gasped, Pike pulled up his hat so he could see, Crabbe bent down to pull up his pants, and Goyle tried to fix his coat. And Draco just stood there, still trying to find out who had done it. While Crabbe tried to get his pants up, he was knocked down from behind.

Granger laughed. Olivia continued to fight hers, too. And Weasley just looked amused by the whole thing, finally glad that Draco was getting a taste of his own medicine.

Pike's scarf lifted next, causing his face to twist in utter horror as he began to be dragged around, his feet marking two trails in the snow. Olivia glanced up to where her other friends stood and saw them watching the scene in confusion, no doubt wondering what was happening. Draco's stance was wide as Olivia focused on him next, looking as if he were ready to attack if anyone neared him again. Then he stumbled backwards and tripped over Crabbe, who was still lying on the ground.

And that was when Olivia broke out into a fit of laughter.

Pike screamed a few more times before he fell to the ground as well, grabbing onto Goyle's arm and bringing him down with him.

Draco began yelling soon after, and Olivia tried her best to wipe away the laughter-caused tears and focus on him. He was being dragged across the snow as he screamed in horror. His legs rose in the air, as if he were being held at the ankles. He flailed his arms, trying to stop himself from going any further.

Focusing on her friends, who stood at the top of the hill, Olivia watched Theodore, Pansy, and Blaise absolutely lose it in a fit of laughter, holding onto each other as they tried to stay upright.

"What's up, Malfoy? Lost your skis?" Weasley called out.

Draco was dragged a little further before his legs were dropped to the ground, and he scrambled to get up. Olivia moved a little closer to where he was as he ran away, going towards Crabbe, Goyle, and Pike, who were also struggling to stand. She was laughing loudly as she watched the boys scramble away.

Draco pushed Crabbe down when he got to him; the boy was in his way, of course. "Get out of the way!" he ordered with a shaky voice. And when he reached Pike and Goyle, he pushed them down too, almost tripping over one of the boys' legs. "Move!"

The boy climbed up the hill, and Olivia watched him closely. That was, until her shoulder was bumped. Her laughter died down a bit, and her brows furrowed. She reached out, grabbing onto whatever was invisible and had bumped into her. Her mind wandered, curious as to what—or rather, whom—it might be. But then the thought of only one person who would get a kick out of harassing Malfoy like that came to mind.

"Is that you, Potter?" she asked quietly, dropping her hand.

But before her question could be answered, Draco was hastily making his way back towards her. He looked so frightened that the mirth filled her body once more. His eyes were wide, his face twisted in horror, and his whole body was tense, waiting for something else to happen as he grabbed her hand and dragged her along with him.

Too caught up in her laughter again, Olivia didn't even realize the action of his hand in hers. And even if she did, it wasn't something she didn't completely mind. He pulled her with him as he scrambled back up the hill, running past Theodore, Blaise, and Pansy, who were still fighting to keep enough strength to stand from their intense amusement. Crabbe, Goyle, and Pike ran behind them, panting in horror and exasperation.

They moved far enough away from Granger, Weasley, and their invisible friend for Draco's liking before they fell to the ground. Olivia was still laughing, taking her hand from Draco's and putting it over her mouth to try and get a grip on herself.

Draco was just watching annoyance for a moment.

She was laughing at his inconvenience, and she was making no apology for it. But also, she was laughing, and he couldn't help but muse at the sound. It was so pure and rare for anyone to hear it, especially him. His eyes remained on her as he watched her roll around in the snow, laughing her head off at his expense, before he found himself breaking. First, it was a crack of a smile, then it was full of laughter alongside her.

Olivia focused on him as she tried to collect herself, fully aware of the three pairs of eyes watching them intently, while the other three tried to collect themselves. A few breaths fell from her lips as she watched him, and he watched her, both of them thinking the same thing.

They'd be okay. They were just friends, after all.

≀⋆⁺₊⋆ ꗃ 𖦹⨳✺

Knocking on Lucas's door, Olivia waited a moment before she heard him say, "Come in."

The group had just returned from Hogsmeade, and Olivia knew she needed to give Lucas the gifts that she had fetched for him. She opened the door and entered, seeing Lucas lounging on his bed, his sketchbook propped up against his raised knees. The boy gave her a soft smile when he focused on her, laying his legs flat on his bed and setting his sketchbook and pencil aside.

Closing the door behind her, Olivia returned the smile before she took a quick glance around the room. It was much like hers—there were three beds, counting the one Lucas sat on, three desks, three wardrobes, three dressers, and a door off to the side, presumably a bathroom. Her brother was the only one in the room, and she supposed his roommates were off doing something. Lucas never spoke of them, so she assumed they weren't that close.

"I've brought the gifts you've requested," she told him, making her way towards his bed and lifting up her bag. "It wasn't an easy task slipping away to get them, but I managed well enough." She was exaggerating. It was actually quite easy to slip away.

"Well, I appreciate it." He dipped in gratitude before giving her another smile.

Olivia began digging around in her bag, trying to locate the gifts she had bought from Lucas's list and not her own. She didn't want her brother to accidentally see what she had gotten him—she was quite proud of the find, and ruining the surprise was something that she wasn't trying to do. Placing each and every bag and box on the bed, she felt the weight of her bag lessen. "There you are," she told him rather chipperly.

"You're in a good mood," he noted, offering her a curious look.

She shrugged, pulling her bag closed once more. "I had an adventurous time in Hogsmeade," she admitted, remembering the invisible (assumed to be) Potter messing with the boys.

"Oh?" He quirked a brow, now interested in what she meant.

She let a small smirk crawl its way onto her face and then sat down on the bed. "So everything was fine and dandy while we shopped and whatnot, but then Draco noticed Weasley and Granger going towards the Shrieking Shack, and you know him, so, of course, he had to follow," she began, not wasting another second in reliving the moment. Lucas leaned in a little closer, criss-crossing his legs and resting his elbows on his knees. "He dragged me along with him, and everyone else followed. When we caught up with the two, they were staring at the shack. Draco teased them a bit, but that's not the amusing part." She paused, taking in a breath. "A snowball came flying at Draco, hit him in the face, and then there was more, but no one was there, at least not to the naked eye."

Lucas gave her a confused look.

"I think Potter was using some type of invisibility cloak to hide," she admitted, waving her hand dismissively as if the information wasn't important. "Anyway, he messed with Draco, Crabbe, Goyle, and Pike. He pantsed Crabbe. Then he knocked him down when he attempted to pull his trousers back up. Goyle was twisted about in his coat. And Pike's hat was pulled over his eyes. Then he spun around, as if Potter were holding him by his scarf."

The boy in front of her gave a little chuckle.

"They were all on the ground by this point. Draco was the only one who stood. Then he was knocked down as well." She paused, thinking back. "He was dragged by the ankles, which was hilarious to me—not so much him, though." She smirked.

"And I don't exaggerate when I tell you that he was yelling as if someone were about to murder him." She waved her hand around as she explained. "But finally, once that was all over, he got up and pushed Crabbe, Goyle, and Pike to the ground as he tried to get away. Then, I suppose, he realized that I was being left behind, which I didn't mind. He ran back to me, looking insane, grabbed my hand, and dragged me along with him. We fell to the ground, and then he finally found light in the situation."

She took a moment to go over her words in her head before she sighed. She was no longer focused on the boy sitting in front of her but rather on the floor. "Though, now that I've explained it, I guess it was a lot more humorous in the moment." Shrugging her shoulders, she gave him another small smile as she met his gaze. "I really wish you could've been there today, Luke."

"Me too," he replied. "But I'll be able to go next year."

She nodded, and they sat in silence for another long moment. Then she stood up from the bed, holding the straps of her bag tightly in her hands as she turned to face him. "Well, I'm going to take a shower. I'll be in the common room after that; you should come down and join us before dinner."

"I will," he assured, watching as she walked to the door.

"Good." She rested a hand on the knob of the door as she took another short glance around his room. "I like your room, Lucas. I wish it had some of your sketches decorating it, though. Your talent would liven it up." And with that, she opened the door and left the room, going back to hers.

She'd had a good day. She only hoped those would continue.

If only she could've hoped just a little stronger.

≀⋆⁺₊⋆ ꗃ 𖦹⨳✺

━━━━ ella's speaking !
did i finish this chapter wayyy before i finished chapters 54 & 55?? yes, yes i did 😭😭

but anyways, act three is completely written teehee — the last four chapters are being edited and then they will be published !!

also, i forgot to say this last chapter, but this book now has 11.9K reads?? that's INSANE!! tysm for continuing to read this book as well as support me and my writing, it means the world to me 🫶🏻

make sure to comment and vote !!

kisses.

━━━━━━━━━━ born to die,
© -LOSTGARDENS,          feb 2024

word count: 3300.   written: 1.17.24.   published: 2.18.24.