BORN TO DIE ╱ DRACO MALFOY
꒷꒦ · ˚.‧ . written by ella . . . © -lostgardens
058 ━━━━━ ❛ he will return tonight ❜

"Broaden your minds. You must look beyond. The art of crystal gazing is in the clearing of the inner eye. Only then can you see." Trelawney's voice couldn't have been more tiring to listen to than it was in that moment. Olivia was seriously regretting taking on this class as an elective. Well, she always was, but now even more so. "Try again," the woman added, her voice sounding almost pitiful.

Olivia stared at the crystal ball sitting on the table between her and Draco. There was nothing to see, and she was glad for that. She didn't want or need any more things clouding her mind. However, she still wished there was something, just for curiosity's sake.

Olivia looked up, and her eyes found the professor, trailing her as she walked over to Potter, Weasley, and Granger's table. "Now, what do we have here, hmm?" the woman asked, bringing Weasley out of his slumber. He and Potter sat up quickly, looking as if they'd been caught doing something they should have. Granger, on the other hand, looked rather bored.

"Oh, do you mind me trying?" Granger asked, putting on a smile.

Trelawney looked at her with glee, perhaps happy that someone was taking an interest in her teachings. "Ah, ah," she gasped, lifting her hand. Her gaze lingered on the Gryffindor girl for a moment longer before both of them focused on the crystal ball.

Granger stared at the professor after her quick glance at the topic at hand. "The Grim..." The girl paused when the thick-lensed, glasses-wearing woman looked at her curiously. "Possibly," she added, grimacing at the theory.

Trelawney leaned in a little closer, and Olivia watched as Granger furrowed her brows, peering at the woman as if she had said something untruthful, despite her not having said anything at all. "My dear, from the first moment you stepped foot in my class, I sensed that you did not"—she grabbed the girl's hand, studying it—"possess the proper spirit for the noble art of Divination." The crazed-haired woman continued to study Granger's palm, and Olivia watched from afar, stifling a laugh at the words. "No, you see,"—she pointed at a spot on Granger's palm—"there?" Her voice sounded full of dread. "Ah, you may be young in years, but the heart that beats beneath your bosom is as shriveled as an old maid's."

Olivia practically cackled at this, placing a hand over her mouth to quiet it. Talk about the pot calling the kettle black. Granger sent her a narrow-eyed look but didn't mutter a word. Draco watched the interaction between the professor and the student carefully as well, also holding back his laughter.

"Your soul, as dry as the pages of the books to which you so desperately cleave, mm-hmm," Trelawney continued, completely and utterly oblivious to the fact that she was insulting one of her students greatly. Perhaps, in her mind, her words weren't meant to hurt, just the truth in which she loved to speak, no matter what. She continued to examine the girl's hand before patting it in a motherly way and focusing on the girl's twisted-in-annoyance gaze.

Granger took her hand from the woman's grasp, grabbed her bag from the floor, and stood up, not-so-accidentally knocking the crystal ball off of the table. Trelawney watched in confusion, curling into herself as Granger walked away with another word. Potter and Weasley's focus remained on the ball rather than their friend, who was storming off because someone told her something (that was completely true) she did not want to hear.

"What's her problem?" A girl muttered as everyone watched Granger walk away.

"Have I said something?" asked Trelawney, focusing on Potter. Her eyes then found Weasley, still confused.

It wasn't just something... It was everything. Olivia kept her thoughts and opinions to herself, since that was best for everyone, and she didn't want the professor to find interest in her and spew something that she did not want to hear. That was just the best for her. She picked fun at Granger in her head, but she knew, deep down, that she probably would've reacted in the same way.

The remainder of the class passed slowly, with everyone staring boredly at their crystal balls. Not trying at all to find what they were supposed to see in them. But eventually, it was over, and Olivia grabbed her bag and hopped out of her seat faster than she ever had. There was no way she could've survived any longer in there, haunted by Trelawney's presence or the fact that she could figure out a simple task. It was killing her how bad she was at the "noble art of Divination."

She, her friends, and the rest of the students piled out of the room. And once she and her group were gathered outside the door, they began making their way down the staircase. Olivia clutched the strap of her bag and let out a small sigh.

"Granger's losing it more and more each day. I wonder if it has something to do with her being a mudbl—" Theodore went to make a joke about the girl's blood status, but thought better of it. Or perhaps it was because Olivia was glaring at him so hard that he felt his bones chill. "Never mind," he muttered with a short chuckle.

Olivia hummed, glancing down at the steps, when she felt something brush her ankle. There was the crystal ball that Granger had knocked off the table. It would be thoughtful of her to bring it back to the class, she supposed. Well, good thing she wasn't that thoughtful of a person.

She and her friends continued to walk as Blaise hit Theodore's shoulder. "No, come on, mate," he prompted, wanting his friend to risk the chance of being cursed. He sounded quite amused. "Finish your sentence," he added as they came to the last step.

"I'm okay," Theodore replied sheepishly.

Everyone, except for Olivia, laughed at the boy, shaking their heads in amusement. Then they fell silent as they continued to walk for another long moment. But then, all of a sudden, Olivia stopped in her tracks halfway down the corridor. Her friends walked for a few more steps before they realized she was no longer walking with them. Turning around, they gave her confused looks, their brows furrowed.

"I'll be right back. I left my book in Trelawney's class." And with that, she began back down the corridor again, leading herself back to the staircase.

"Is a book really worth walking up all of those stairs again?" Theodore called out.

She ignored his words and brushed past the students she passed. At some point in her journey to the classroom, she passed Weasley. He was no longer with Potter, looking quite bored by himself as he walked down the staircase. She didn't pay him any mind, not really caring.

It felt like forever before she finally reached the door of the classroom. As she walked in, it was dead silent, which wasn't odd. Trelawney was there alone, after all. But as she moved a little further in, she heard the woman's voice, and at first she thought she might be talking to herself. Olivia would not put it past her. That is, until she saw the professor gripping onto Potter's shoulder, her voice eerie, and her eyes not focused on him. It was almost like she was in a trance.

"He will return tonight," the woman said, her voice sounding multiplied and not her own.

"Sorry?" Potter asked, confused.

Olivia moved so that she could hear the conversation but not be seen by anyone in the room.

Trelawney breathed in, sounding like she couldn't breathe. Or, rather, demonic. Either way, Olivia did not like the feeling that settled in her bones. "Tonight, he who betrayed his friends, whose heart rots with murder, shall break free."

It hit Olivia then. Sirius Black. The woman was talking about Sirius Black. He was going to return tonight, according to Trelawney's eerie prophecy. The pit in Olivia's stomach that seemed to like to show itself whenever something was going to go badly made itself known loudly and clearly.

"Innocent blood shall be spilt, and servant and master shall be reunited once more." The last word was drawn out, like something being expelled from one's self. And then there was choking and coughing. Olivia peeked around from where she was hiding and saw that Trelawney was no longer holding onto the boy's shoulder, and she didn't seem to be stuck in her trance. The woman hacked a few more times, like Tommy used to whenever he had a furball stuck in his throat, before she seemed to realize Potter was there. She looked him one over before sticking out a comforting hand. "Oh, I'm so sorry, dear boy. Did you say something?" She inquired, not having a clue as to what had just happened.

"No. Nothing," Potter stammered as he backed away from the woman.

Olivia tucked her head back into her hiding spot, taking in small and quiet breaths. Potter rushed out of the room after that, the words of the labeled-crazy professor on his mind, just as they were Olivia's. He didn't even seem to notice the girl in her hiding place, and she knew that it wasn't because of how well she was at being undetected. (She was quite good at it indeed, but not at that moment.)

And after a moment, she finally came in view of the professor, who in fact wasn't looking at her but instead at her desk. Olivia quickly made her way over to her table, searching around for her book, and when she found it, she began rushing towards the exit like Potter.

"Dear child?" Trelawney's voice drew.

Grimacing, Olivia turned around to face the woman. "Pay no mind to my disturbance, Professor," she told her, offering a half smile, one torn between genuine and downright freaked out. She lifted her book for the woman to see. "I just forgot my book. I'll be on my way now." Then she left without another word, not leaving room for the professor to say one either.

He will return tonight, were the only words that lingered in Olivia's mind as she raced down the stairs and made her way to find her friends. This was what her parents had feared would happen—what she and everyone else had feared would happen. Sirius Black was out and finally coming for Potter. He was returning.

Innocent blood shall be spilt. Olivia hoped and prayed that it didn't come to that. Servant and master shall be reunited once more. What was that supposed to mean? Then it hit her. How could she not see it from the beginning? Master—Voldemort. Servant—Sirius. Trelawney had quite literally laid it out in full, and it took her that long to understand. She had known the lore behind that man and his ties, yet her mind blanked for a moment.

She knew all of that, yet she couldn't help but feel like a piece of the puzzle was missing.

Perhaps her paranoia was eating her alive again.

Or perhaps not...

≀⋆⁺₊⋆ ꗃ 𖦹⨳✺

Later in the day, freshly changed from her robes into more suitable clothes (a sweater, a skirt, and some sheer black tights, which was an outfit much like her uniform), Olivia stood in the library, going over a book. In the back of her mind lingered Trelawney's words. She couldn't help but think about them, not having much else on her mind any longer. He will return tonight. Sirius Black was coming for Potter, and Olivia hoped to be as far away from that as she could.

"Olivia," Granger hissed as she came up behind the girl. A few people around them shushed the Gryffindor, who was usually the one doing that act, but were ignored.

Turning around, Olivia's eyes landed on the Golden ones walking towards her, the front girl looking as if a vein were fixing to burst in her forehead, while the boys were alongside her, seeming a tad sheepish, not nearly as fiery as their other. They, too, were dressed out of their robes and into more casual clothes. Not that the fact was important; Olivia just noticed.

She wondered what she had done to piss the likes of Granger and two followers off. Well, she had done plenty in the time that they knew each other, but not as recently, if she remembered correctly.

"Can I help you, Granger?" asked Olivia, giving the girl a bored look as she set the book she was holding on the table. She moved so that her bottom was sat against the table edge, and she crossed her arms over her chest, raising her brows with dead eyes as a pair.

Granger bit back her sharp tone, glancing to her sides at her two friends, then focused back on her Slytherin counterpart. "Do you have any clue as to what your mate, Malfoy, is doing?" The girl practically seethed.

"Well, if he's doing something I would take offense to, then he's not my mate," Olivia admitted, standing up straight. She took a small step forward, thinking about what the boy could possibly be doing that could anger Granger. A lot came to mind, but none that she thought were likely since most were in-person activities. "What is it that he's doing?" She crossed her arms over her chest and lifted her chin, staring right into Granger's eyes.

"Come on," Granger said, grabbing onto the girl's wrist in an instant. Olivia's right arm dropped to her side, while her left was almost ripped from her body by Granger's strength. The bushy-haired girl began rushing away without a second thought, dragging Olivia along with her as Potter and Weasley trailed close behind.

For once, Olivia was glad that she had not brought her bag to the library with her because Granger wouldn't have even given her a second to grab it if she had. The girl's steps were fast, and Olivia had to keep up if she wanted her wrist to stay intact. She stomped all the way out of the library, through the corridors, and across the bridge connecting two parts of the castle, leading them closer to Hagrid's Hut.

"I can't believe they're going to kill Buckbeak," Granger muttered. "It's too horrible."

She had finally let go of Olivia's wrist, and the girl rubbed it gently. It was somewhat sore from the strong grip of the Gryffindor girl. Then Olivia's mind went over the words she had just heard. They were going to kill Buckbeak. Olivia knew why Granger had assumed she'd known about it. Buckbeak had attacked her, after all. She just couldn't believe Draco would be part of this, no doubt having his father do the ordering of the execution. It was his fault it happened, not Buckbeak's or anyone else's—downright, all Draco's fault.

"It just got worse," Weasley whined, looking frightened as they came to a stop at the end of the bridge.

Olivia brushed past Potter, looking at what the other three were, and saw none other than the boy she was seriously considering cursing, as well as Pike, Goyle, and Crabbe. They were all hunched together, watching where the execution was probably going to happen, and Olivia let out an annoyed breath. She was confused as to why Weasley was shocked that Draco was there. Wasn't that the whole point Granger had been making?

"What did I tell you?" Draco said to his goons. "Father said I could keep the hippogriff's head," he bragged, causing the other boys to laugh. "I think I'll donate it to the Gryffindor's common room."

"Wicked!" Crabbe replied as Granger stepped down the steps of the bridge.

Weasley and Potter sent each other a glance before looking at Olivia. She had a sour look on her face, right pissed at the boy she'd been getting closer to each day. He was oh-so close to ruining that completely. After a second, she followed in Granger's steps, and Potter and Weasley followed in hers.

"Oh, this is going to be rich," Draco said in amusement.

Granger picked up where her stomping left off, and Olivia was surprised that she could hear the girl's steps as if they were in an echoing corridor and not on small blades of grass.

"Huh, look who's here." Crabbe turned to focus on the approaching people, along with the other three boys. He had that same amusement tone that Draco did, and Olivia wanted to wipe the smirks right off all of their faces.

"Ah, come to see the show?" asked Draco teasingly, completely disregarding Olivia's presence.

"You!" Granger began, sounding irritable as she continued to pace down the grass. "You foul, loathsome, evil, little cockroach!" Her wand was out in an instant, pointing straight at Draco, putting it right up to his neck.

"Hermione, no!" Ron called out. "He's not worth it."

"Oh, come on, Ronald," Olivia countered, crossing her arms over her chest as she watched Draco whimper in fear, almost to the point of crying. He had backed himself up to the tall stone, and Granger's wand was still pointed at his neck. "It's not like he doesn't deserve it."

Everyone was silent for a lingering moment, besides Draco whimpering in fear, before Granger let up and lowered her wand. Draco relaxed almost immediately, going back to his arrogant, egotistic, made-Olivia-want-to-murder-him self. He then began snickering, no doubt thinking Granger was some kind of all-mighty bark-but-no-bite, good-doing coward who wouldn't hold her own.

He, thankfully, was mistaken.

Granger turned as if she were going to walk away, but then threw her fist right into Draco's face, hitting him square in the nose and throwing his head back into the stone, which he still leaned against.

"Malfoy, are you okay?" Crabbe asked worriedly as he, Pike, and Goyle helped the boy up.

Once they stood, they began piling away like rats who had been caught in a kitchen, brushing past Olivia as she glared at them. They looked back once as Draco, embarrassed by the moment, said, "Not a word to anyone, understood?"

"That felt good," Granger admitted, catching Olivia's attention.

Draco was still mumbling nonsense behind them, but no one paid them any mind. Granger looked relieved to have stood up to the boy, and not just with words. She had hit him, and Olivia couldn't help but feel a little proud.

"Not good—brilliant!" Weasley corrected.

Olivia had a half-grin on her face as she took a step closer to the girl. "Nice punch, Granger."

"Thanks," the girl replied with a matching smile on her own face.

Glancing back, Olivia looked at the bridge. The boys were no longer in sight, but she was sure that they were still trying to get away. She wanted to have her own word with that boy. "I'll be right back," she told them just before making her way back to the bridge.

Lo and behold, Draco and his goons were only a little less than halfway down it. "Malfoy!" Olivia called out, similar in tone to Granger when she first confronted the boy.

He turned around quickly, giving her a questioning and frightened look. He stopped in his tracks, while Goyle, Crabbe, and Pike lingered behind. They seemed as if they were ready to defend him, if need be, but at the same time, they looked like they were going to run for the hills if Olivia even glanced in their general direction.

Olivia made her way toward him with long steps, and she was surprised he didn't run in the opposite direction. When she stood in front of him, she stopped, glaring at him with all of her might. "Why did you do that?" she asked, pointing a finger behind her and towards where they'd just been. She didn't even give him a second to answer. "You had no right," she told him, pushing her finger into his chest forcefully.

He sneered, giving her the same look she was giving him. "That bloody thing attacked you, Olivia. You should be grateful someone did something about it." He sounded so arrogant, like always, and Olivia was starting to get really tired of it. Crossing his arms over his chest, he lifted his chin, trying to put on a brave face.

"Exactly, Malfoy. He attacked me, not you," she argued, using his own words against him. Her voice was so angry, she was surprised she was not shouting at him. "You had absolutely no right to get Daddy dearest to order an execution."

He opened his mouth to speak, but she held up her hand.

"I don't even want you to waste your breath on saying you did this for me," she continued, already knowing what he was going to say. "I heard you when we approached you—bragging about how you were going to get to keep Buckbeak's head and how you were going to give it to Gryffindor." Her eyes narrowed even more, watching as his mouth opened and shut a few times. "You only did this for yourself and to have something to hold over them—to use against them when you antagonize them." She huffed out a breath, glancing at the boys standing behind Draco. "And don't think you lot are any better, encouraging this—finding humor in it." She paused, giving the blonde boy a once-over. "Animals should not have to pay for stupid wizards' faults."

She scowled at them once more before she began to walk away. But one last thought lingered in her mind, and she felt the need to voice it. Turning back around to Draco, she added to her lecture, "Every time I see something decent in you, you do something to ruin it."

And with that said, she whipped around, going back to where she had been before.

As she stepped down the steps at the end of the bridge, she no longer saw the trio standing where they had been when she followed Draco and the others. Her brows furrowed, her heart still beating rapidly from her anger, and her gaze flickered all around, trying to find sight of them.

She walked a little further onto the grounds, still not seeing them anywhere. Going even further, she found the stone steps leading towards Hagrid's Hut. After another moment of looking around, she concluded that they had run off somewhere, despite her telling them that she'd be right back. Perhaps they didn't have time to stick around for her.

It wasn't something that she minded; she'd probably do the same.

As she turned back to go to the bridge again, she breathed in and out, trying to calm herself. Looking down, she watched each of her steps press the grass down into the ground. The wind bit at her skin—it was getting quite warmer as they entered the spring months, but that winter chill still lingered.

Her foot almost reached the bottom step when she heard a loud scream. And the words came back to her mind.

He will return tonight.

Rushing towards the sounds of the screams, Olivia found the Whomping Willow. But that wasn't what her eyes focused on. Weasley was being dragged away... By a black dog? The Grim? She didn't know what it was; all she knew was that its teeth were digging into the boy's ankle as it pulled him away from Granger and Potter, who were rushing towards him. Olivia quickly ran towards them as the two still-standing Gryffindors did the same.

"Ron! Wait!" Potter called out.

"Ron!" shouted Granger.

Weasley was still being pulled away by the Grim-Dog creature, and it did not look like that was going to stop anytime soon. Olivia noticed that the boy was crying, practically sobbing, at that moment, and she didn't blame him in the slightest. He held onto his rat for dear life in one hand and clawed at the ground with the other. "Harry!" the boy sobbed.

"Ron!" Granger yelled once more.

Olivia was now caught up with the two running, trying to get to Weasley as fast as they were.

"Harry, help!"

Potter dove for the boy, trying to get ahold of him. And he was close, almost grabbing the boy's hand. But, alas, all three of them were too late. Weasley was harshly pulled into a hole that had planted itself under the Whomping Willow, screaming in horror as he disappeared from their sight.

"Ron! Ron!" Potter shouted, still clawing at the ground, as Olivia and Granger came to a stop beside him.

"Ron!" the Gryffindor girl said just before helping Potter up.

Olivia looked up just as Potter was getting back on his feet. The only thing to be met was the tree's long and twisted branch swinging at them. None of them even had a second to react as it hid them in their stomachs with full force, throwing them to the ground. When they landed, Olivia felt like the wind had been knocked out of her—wait, that's right, it had!

The three of them struggled to get up, all hurting from how hard they'd been hit, and Olivia believed that was the moment the two Gryffindors realized she was alongside them once more. They gave her a short glance before focusing on the tree. They watched as the wind picked up, the tree spun around with it, and the faint screams of Weasley sounded from below the tree.

"Come on," Potter instructed, gesturing for the girls to move with him.

They raced forward, dodging the tree limbs as they came smacking down around them. "Move!" Potter shouted as one fell down between him and Granger. All three of them fell to the ground, getting out of the way before they were crushed.

Scrambling to their feet, they only had a second to think before Granger was yelling, "Duck!"

She and Olivia did as she said, but Potter, on the other hand, was hit right in the chest, tossing him to the ground once more. Standing up straight, both girls looked back at the boy before focusing on the task at hand: trying not to get hit. The tree branch came at them again, more towards their ankles, and both girls jumped over it.

But the next one hit Granger right in the stomach, while Olivia jumped to the ground. She was really regretting following the screams. She should have never followed the screams. Moving to lay on her back, she propped herself up with her elbows, watching as the tree carried Granger around and moved down to crush Potter. Luckily, the boy rolled out of the way.

Olivia got back on her feet, watching the tree carefully. Granger screamed bloody murder as she held onto the branch tightly and was swung round and round, almost hitting Potter along the way. He ducked out of the way, and Olivia did the same when it came around to her.

"Harry!" Granger screamed just before the limb, which she so desperately held on to, tore through the trees. As the girl came back around once more, passing by Potter, she grabbed ahold of his shirt, pulling him onto the branch with her.

Olivia's brows furrowed, but she didn't even have a moment to think before the tree came after her. She ducked and then watched it go around once more. And then Granger tossed Potter into the hole, where Weasley had been taken. Slowly, Olivia stood straight again, appreciating the girl's plan for a split second.

Then she felt the tug of a hand on her sweater, and she wanted to curse the girl. Olivia really, really regretted following the screams. Granger dragged her along with the spinning of the tree, Olivia screaming at the girl, possibly saying some not very kind things.

And then down the rabbit hole she went.

≀⋆⁺₊⋆ ꗃ 𖦹⨳✺

━━━━ ella's speaking !
welp- they're in danger once again lmfao

i hope you enjoyed this chapter — the next one will be published tomorrow (feb. 28th), and the last one of act three, the day after that (feb. 29th) !!

make sure to comment and vote 🫶🏻

kisses.

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

word count: 4658.   written: 1.21.24.   published: 2.27.24.