BORN TO DIE ╱ DRACO MALFOY
꒷꒦ · ˚.‧ . written by ella . . . © -lostgardens
068 ━━━━━ ❛ fetch that golden egg ❜

It was finally the day. The day Olivia went up against a dragon and won or went up against a dragon and died. Was she nervous? You bet Merlin's beard she was. After finding out what her first task was and talking with Draco because of his ferret incident, she went to the library and began searching every shelf for every book on dragons, only stopping one day to spend her birthday with her friends like she did every year. Yes, she was now fifteen. No matter the species of dragon or the author of the books, she read as much as she could, not knowing exactly what she was going to face.

An advantage that she had was that she'd already known a great deal about dragons since they were a topic of interest for her, but still, she was glad to have doubled up on her studies of them. She'd also used one of her weekly meetings with Snape to talk about everything. He'd explained to her the competition she had—Fleur, Diggory, Krum, and Potter—and what the tournament would be like. And luckily, they were allowed to use wands.

At least they had given her (and the others) that much.

The task she was facing that day was not only to go against a dragon, but she also had to get an egg from it. She had to somehow steal an egg from a dragon. Not an actual dragon egg, but one that looked much like it, she believed. Which meant that the territorial and quite large creature she was soon going to face would be just as protective of it as if it were its own.

She was just outside the champions' tent, on her way to enter, when someone behind her called her name. She swiftly turned around, curious if it were Snape coming to give her some last-minute pointers or perhaps even a good luck wish. Her eyes, however, did not land on the professor with shoulder-length black hair and dark, somewhat beady eyes, but instead, blinding white blonde hair and cloudy gray eyes.

Draco smiled at her; it wasn't the bright smile that she liked, but it was soft and worked well enough, she supposed. He was walking towards her, only about ten feet away from her. And when he stopped in front of her, looking down into her eyes, his face brightened just the slightest. "I just wanted to wish you luck," he said. Then he leaned down and placed a small kiss on her cheek, like she had done a few times to him.

Her face heated, and her stomach fluttered. But the feeling didn't last long because the sound of a camera snapping rang in their ears, and their attention darted to their left, seeing the one and only Rita Skeeter and her blasted photographer staring at them. The blonde woman had a satisfied smirk on her face, probably reveling in the fact that she now has something to write about Olivia for her stupid article, Me, Myself, and I, since Olivia gave her nothing in their first interview except for the fact that she had a nasty temper. And not only would it feature Olivia, but Draco's name would also be mentioned.

She could only imagine what Rita's lying mind would come up with.

Olivia just glared at her and watched as the two walked away. "I should've cursed her when I had the chance," she muttered under her breath, then focused back on Draco. They stared at each other with gleaming eyes for a second, falling back into the feeling that had just occurred mere seconds ago. "I should probably get in the tent." She pointed her thumb over her shoulder, gesturing to the large, light-yellow thing standing tall behind her.

Draco simply nodded and then took a step back. He lingered for a moment before he finally turned and began walking away.

Olivia watched him until he disappeared from her sight, and then she let out a breath, turning around to the tent. She walked the eight more feet she had to it and entered. Inside, she could tell that all of the others were racked with nerves. As Potter paced, Diggory just stood, seeming like he was in another place, and Fleur and Krum were in their bunks, where they had been when she first left to get some fresh air. She did her best to hide what she was feeling, listening to Dumbledore as his voice sounded over the speakers outside the tent.

"Your attention, please," the old wizard began, his voice echoing throughout the arena. Olivia moved to the table and sat down. She felt odd having her hair in two pigtail braids; she never had her hair up, but she needed some way of keeping it out of her face. "This is a great day for all of us."

Speak for yourself, Olivia thought with a roll of her eyes.

The sound of dragons roaring churned Olivia's stomach as the crowd grew louder. And she saw Potter stop his pacing for a moment. Fleur and Diggory looked up as well, while Olivia glanced at Krum, seeing him just putting on his robes. They were all wearing them—the blasted outfits to represent their schools.

She, Potter, and Diggory were wearing robes that looked much like their school ones—most of them black with the inside of the hood their house colors. They also had two yellow stripes going down the sleeves and the sides of their bodies, as well as the outside of the hood. Their surnames were on the back as well, matching in color to their hoods—hers green, Diggory's yellow, and Potter's red. Krum was wearing a completely red robe with brassy-gold tassels on the bottom and the end of the sleeves. And Fleur wore dark blue trousers with a matching shirt and gloves, as well as a white vest to go over top.

It was only in that moment, and that moment only, that Olivia wished she attended Beauxbatons. Firstly, because she wouldn't have volunteered herself to go to Hogwarts in the first place for a chance in this tournament. Second, she wasn't even old enough to put her name forward, even if she had volunteered herself, meaning she wouldn't have come unless she was a part of their little welcoming act like Fleur's younger sister was. And lastly, Fleur's outfit beat hers by a long shot.

"Each of the three tasks involves very considerable danger," Dumbledore went on. "Please keep your seats at all times, as it will minimize any risk of danger."

Olivia tuned out the man's voice as she focused on Potter standing next to the side of the tent, clearly listening out of it. Granger then appeared on the other side, trying to keep herself hidden. She couldn't hear what they were saying since they were whispering. So she moved her eyes away from them, trying not to make it obvious to their others that they were having a conversation or that she was even aware of it in the first place when the two were seemingly trying to keep it secret. Then suddenly, the tent flap was pushed open, and Granger was hugging Potter, wrapping her arms around his neck.

That stupid sound of a camera snapping rang in their ears, and the flash shone in their eyes. Olivia looked up, only to find Rita and her photographer looking at Potter and Granger like she had with her and Draco. Oh, that blasted woman! Could one get deja vu when the thing she got the feeling about happened that very same day?

"Young love," Rita dreamily said, watching the two pull away from one another. Olivia rolled her eyes as the reporter focused on her, piling into the room with the click of her heels. "It seems as though you and that boy you were with, Olivia, have some competition."

Olivia's heated gaze snapped at her as she stood up swiftly, almost knocking her chair to the ground. She took a few steps forward, narrowing her eyes. "Draco and I are strictly friends. There's no competition, you meddlesome twat."

Rita didn't seem to take offense to the girl's name-calling; instead, she seemed to beam. "Oh, Draco? As in Draco Malfoy?" She focused solely on Olivia for a moment, then began waving her finger in the air with a knowing smirk. "I thought that was him, but how could I be sure? Now, though, you have confirmed it yourself!" Her replacement Quick-Quote Quill jotted down on parchment beside her head, and Olivia was ready to break that one as well.

Glancing over at Potter, Olivia watched him send her a look that told her not to do what she was thinking of doing. Either breaking the quill or breaking the woman. Both worked as well. She just inhaled deeply, focusing back on Rita. "I didn't confirm anything."

The woman sent her a wink, as she had during their interview. "Of course you didn't." Then her focus was on Potter and Granger again. "How..." she paused, thinking of the word she wanted: "stirring." She lifted a finger, gesturing for her quill to write it down. "If everything goes unfortunately today, you two might even make the front page," she told the two Gryffindors, then faced Olivia. "Or perhaps even you and Mr. Malfoy, seeing as though a kiss on the cheek is more than a hug."

Olivia sneered at the Prophet reporter in front of her and her bloody quill, then her eyes drifted to Diggory, who stood behind Rita, watching him give her a surprised look at hearing of the small, meaningless thing Draco had done.

"You have no business here," Krum stated with his strong Bulgarian accent, coming out of his bunk. "This tent is for champions," he continued as Rita rolled her eyes and turned to face him, "and friends."

The woman's attitude seemed to disappear when she realized she was facing one of the greatest Quidditch Seekers in the world. She looked him up and down as he gave her a stern expression. "No matter," she replied. "We've, uh, got what we wanted." Her quill lifted to brush across the boy's face, which he backed away from as she turned away from them. Her photographer lifted his camera once more, snapped a picture of Krum, Diggory, and Fleur, and then followed her like they were going to leave. But they didn't; they just placed themselves behind the champions, waiting for the next piece of gossip to twist and lie about in the paper.

Dumbledore came in right after, standing behind Potter and Granger, alongside Crouch, Karkaroff, Madame Maxime, and Filch. "Good day, champions. Gather around, please." He gestured with his hand for them to come closer. And so they did. He didn't even seem to notice Granger, Rita, or her photographer. "Now, you've waited, you've wondered, and at last, the moment has arrived. A moment only five of you"—he looked around at each of them—"can fully appreciate." He then did a double-take, focusing on Granger, who stood beside him. "What are you doing here, Miss Granger?"

The girl looked up at him sheepishly. Oh, um..." She focused on Potter as she slowly backed away. "Sorry, I'll just go." And then she left, with Rita and her photographer now the only intruders remaining in the tent.

Dumbledore didn't think too long about her words or pay any mind to the other two, and he turned to the man who stood beside him. "Barty, the bag." He placed his hand behind Crouch's back, guiding him towards the center of everyone.

Crouch took a step forward, holding a bag in his hands. "Champions, in a circle around me," he instructed, gesturing his pointer finger in a circle. Then he grabbed onto Fleur's arm. "Miss Delacour, over here." He pulled her by his right side, where Potter was standing, and Olivia watched the girl pull her arm back, looking at him with disgust for touching her. The man didn't seem to pay attention to her disdain, or perhaps he just didn't think anything of it as he moved on to Krum. "Mr. Krum." He pointed for the boy to move next to the blonde, which he did. "And, uh, Potter," he said, turning in a circle looking for the boy, then he found him where he stood behind his back, "Mr. Potter, over here. That's right." He pulled the boy to his left and then focused on Olivia. "Miss Mallard, if you would stand between these two," he told her, nodding to the spot between Potter and Diggory and making it a point not to touch her. Olivia rolled her eyes, but did as told as she sent a nasty glance back at Rita and ignored the Hufflepuff staring down at her.

"Now..." Crouch continued once they were all in order, facing Fleur. They were in the order that they had been chosen by the goblet, Olivia realized. "Miss Delacour, if you will." He opened the bag and lifted it up to the girl, who looked down at it with fear. There were snarls and smoke coming from it, like there were little, miniature dragons inside. Fleur reached inside and plucked out a... little, miniature dragon.

Huh, Olivia thought.

"The Welsh Green," Crouch identified, and Fleur dropped the small creature into the glove-covered palm of her other hand. Then she slowly looked up at her headmistress, who had her hands placed on her student's shoulders, as the dragon breathed a little puff of fire.

"Mr. Krum." Crouch moved over to the Bulgarian. Krum put his hand inside the bag as his High Master lingered over his shoulder, wondering what dragon his prime student was going to have to face in the arena. "The Chinese Fireball," the man informed. "Ooh..."

Next was Diggory. Olivia watched as the man with pristinely combed hair raised the back for the Hufflepuff boy to select from. Diggory just stared down at it for a long moment before he reached inside, digging around for his dragon. When he pulled one out, Crouch said, "The Swedish Short-Snout."

Then he faced Olivia. "Just two left." Olivia stuck her hand in the bag, feeling between the two remaining dragons for a moment. Then she grabbed one by its tail and pulled it to the top. She dropped it in her palm, seeing what dragon she had chosen. The familiarity came to her mind almost immediately. "Ah, the Hebr—" Crouch began.

"Hebridean Black," she finished for him, staring down at the small version of her favorite dragon ever. The one that was her patronus, the one that Draco had gotten a glass replica made of based on a sketch by her brother. It was the one she knew everything there was to know about. How good was her luck for this to happen? Not very, and she knew that, but she wasn't asking any questions. Could she beat it? Most likely not, but it would still be an interesting story to tell if she survived.

"Which leaves..." Crouch moved to Potter.

"The Horntail," the boy murmured under his breath.

"What's that, boy?"

Potter looked up at the man quickly. "Nothing." He then reached into the bag, wincing when the last dragon no doubt nipped at him, and then he pulled it out for everyone to see, holding it in the palm of his hand.

"The Hungarian Horntail," Crouch told him, and then faced the others. "These represent five very real dragons, each of which has been given a golden egg to protect." Based on the tone of his voice, it seemed to Olivia that this was information that they were supposed to just now be learning. Perhaps Snape had gone a little too far when revealing things about the tournament to her. "Your objective is simple: collect the egg." His attention went to Krum. "This you must do, for each egg contains a clue"—his gaze fell on Fleur—"without which you cannot hope to proceed to the next task." He paused, then asked, "Any questions?"

No one said anything.

"Very well," Dumbledore began. "Good luck, champions." He placed his arm around Crouch's shoulder—the man who was taking a step back and smiling excitedly—as he took his place in front of all of them and then focused on Diggory. "Mr. Diggory, at the sound of the cannon, you may..."

And then the cannon went off before the headmaster could even finish his words, startling everyone. Rita shrieked, clinging onto the Hufflepuff boy's robes for support to keep up right. Olivia sent the woman another nasty look as Diggory moved forward and away from her. He stared down at the ground, seeming to be preparing himself to go out there in front of everyone, who was now chanting his name in anticipation of the first task starting, and face off with a dragon. Another moment passed by, and then he was gone.

It felt like forever that he was out there, completing his task. The oohs and ahhs of the crowd were heard by those still inside the tent with each move Diggory made, though none of the champions could actually see them. Olivia found it revolting how easily their schoolmates could find entertainment in them going through dangerous tasks that could possibly result in death. But she knew that if she hadn't been in the tent, preparing herself to face a Hebridean Black, then she'd be out there, too, watching these tasks go on.

Finally, those cheers ended for a moment, and then the cannon shot again, this time signaling for Fleur to go. The girl left, and the cheers started up again. This time felt shorter than the last, but it really wasn't. Once more, the crowd fell somewhat silent, and then the cannon went off, and it was time for Krum to go out there. And that meant that she was next.

She stood up from where she sat on her bunk and began pacing. She shook her clammy, fingerless-glove-covered hands, trying to rid the nerves from her body. Potter was the only one left in there with her, besides Filch, who was handling the cannon, but he seemed out of it—dissociated as he dealt with his own worries and thoughts.

"Three of our champions have now faced their dragon," Dumbledore began over the speakers again, causing Olivia to stop in her tracks. Had it truly been that long since Krum left? How was it already time for her to compete? Her breathing was heavy, and she felt as if her heart was going to burst out of her chest. She rubbed her sternum and inhaled and exhaled deeply, in and out. "And so each one of them will proceed to the next task, and now for our fourth and second-to-last contest, Olivia Mallard."

Olivia inhaled and exhaled once more before she forced herself to be calm and exited the tent. She walked a short distance before the arena came into sight, and when she went a little further, she was now in sight of all those in the stands. More people than she had expected chanted her name, and the stands were filled.

The arena itself was covered in rocks, some large and some small, lining the walls and ground. There was not an inch of grass in sight, but that wasn't what Olivia's focus was on. She was staring at the large Hebridean Black that was chained to her left. It was snarling, its brilliant purple eyes trained on her, watching her every step.

Dragons were quite perceptive creatures, especially Hebridean Blacks. They were one of the more aggressive species of dragons, which, of course, Olivia was only remembering at the moment. So that earlier thought of being lucky died in an instant. She took small and slow steps to the right of the arena, not really having a plan of attack. She could hear the annoyance coming from her fellow students at the lack of action, but she ignored it. She would rather survive than win or satisfy their need for violence and danger.

The dragon crept slowly towards her as she continued going to the right. The egg was just across the way; she could see it out of the corner of her eye. If she could just get far enough... As if the dragon knew what she was thinking, it moved closer to the center of the arena, blocking her sight of the egg and ruining the not-so-good plan she had. It hadn't been the best, but it was all she'd had, and now she didn't know what to do.

She slowly removed her wand from her robes, gripping it tightly. She needed to focus and come up with something solid. Or at least do something. She was Olivia Mallard, for the love of Merlin! She'd been doing wandless magic for most of her life, was at the top of her class, advanced in all her lessons (divination did not count), and was feared by most that encountered her. She could do this. It was just a dragon. She just needed to believe in herself. Her friends believed in her. Her brother believed in her. Draco believed in her. She could do this. She just had to be the best. She was the best.

She would do this.

With that new mindset in place, Olivia moved forward, changing her course of action. She was going to bypass the dragon. She could do it. Her wand was drawn to her side and held tightly in her left hand. It wasn't helping her that she had a soft spot for dragons. This one was chained there by force, and she couldn't blame it for being territorial and protective.

Before she could get too far, the dragon used its very large and dark wings to climb towards her. It swatted at her in an instant, and she fell backwards, wincing at the throbbing pain she felt as soon as her skull slammed on the rocks. The crowd got louder, oohing at the sudden movements. She was glad her pain was aiding their entertainment.

She got up quickly, rushing towards the left of the rocks. She could feel the heat of fire behind her, but she didn't look back, not in the particular mood to get her face melted off. The dragon followed her with haste, cornering her again. She was face-to-face with it as she cast, "Confundo!" She hoped she could confuse the dragon so that it wouldn't know what it was doing. But before the pink stream of light could hit the creature, it flew up and dodged it. The spell hit the wall across the way from Olivia and bounced back her way. She jumped to the ground, dodging it, and the spell hit a rock.

She sat up with the help of her elbows and watched the dragon hover in the air for a moment, staring down at her. It huffed, and smoke left its nostrils. Her eyes went slightly wider as she clambered up and began rushing away. But the dragon dove down, hitting again with its wing. She went flying backwards, once more knocking her head against a rock.

She was dazed for a moment, long enough for the dragon to stand over her, digging its claws into her arms. She cried out in pain, the noise echoing in the arena, as the crowd let out grimacing noises themselves and continued to ooh. The creature growled as it came closer to her face, its large horns brushing against her face, causing her to look to the side, not wanting to face its glowing purple eyes and hot breath as it prepared to spit fire at her if she wasn't quick enough. Her biceps were pinned down, feeling the nails bury themselves into her skin and muscles, but she could luckily move her wrists just enough to point her wand at the dragon's side and call out, "Diffindo!" It wasn't that strong of a charm, but it was enough to slash the scaly flesh of the beast a few times.

The dragon roared loudly, causing Olivia's ears to ring. It removed one set of claws out of one of her arms, then fell on its side, ripping the other set of sharp nails from her other arms. She rolled out from under it and stood quickly. She could feel the blood trickling down her arms, but she didn't have time to think about how she might bleed out. Turning to watch the dragon as it climbed to its feet, Olivia ran backwards, glancing back to make sure she wouldn't fall.

She was getting closer to the egg, but the dragon was getting closer to her as well.

She watched it lower itself, its calculating eyes on her, studying her every move. She saw it breathe in, its wings hammering on the stones with each move it took towards her. She faced forward, running even faster as the crowd got even louder. She knew what was about to happen; she just hoped she could get to the egg fast enough.

Then she felt the vibrations of the ground as the dragon climbed towards her quicker than it had before. She turned around, continuing to run as she stared at it. There was smoke huffing out of its nose, and then its mouth opened. Fire and heat hit her in an instant, and she screamed, slipping to the ground and down the rocks. She felt the hard stone scratching her back, cutting her skin, and rubbing it raw. That was it; she was dead.

She had to be. Or at least dying. She had just been blasted with the fire from a dragon, the hottest flames known to man. She thought she was gone, and she was sure the crowd did as well. But then the heat was gone, and gasps were heard echoing against the arena.

Her eyes peeled open, and she looked around. She could still see. She was still in that stupid arena with the dragon. She glanced down at her body, which seemed untouched by flames. No burned or charred skin, only the cuts and slowly-forming bruises from all the other knock-downs. Her robes had small sparks to them, which she patted out with her sleeve. Then her gaze found the dragon standing in front of her. It looked angry that she wasn't a burned pile of bones and flesh.

"That wasn't very nice, now was it?" Olivia teased, feeling the slightest bit more confident.

It reared back, going to hit her with another shot of flames as she quickly stood, fighting against the pain and soreness of her injuries. Before the fire could hit her, she lifted her wand and said, "Arresto Momentum!" And the dragon slowed down; its movements were still happening, but not as quickly as before. The crowd went silent as she rushed to the dragon's side, climbing on some rocks so that she was tall enough to climb on its back.

She wasn't completely sure she knew what she was doing or if this was even a good idea, but it felt right. And, if time had taught her anything, it was to go with her gut, no matter what. She felt a weird connection with the dragon. Perhaps it was because it had hit her with its flames, which should've burned her, and she survived, or perhaps not.

She got on the dragon's back, just in time when the charm had worn off and its fire exited its mouth, hitting the rock Olivia had been lying on. Who knew if she would've survived a second round of that fire? It fought against her on its back, almost slinging her off, but she held on, making sure not to grab its scales. Her touch, however, was on the scaly skin, rubbing it in circles. She lifted her left hand as the dragon began to fly up, pointing her wand at the chain holding it down.

If this was a bad idea, she knew she would pay the price, but it seemed right. "Bombarda!" she said loudly, and the chain broke. The dragon took off in an instant, going towards the sky. The crowd shouted, some in awe and some in fear. As she passed by the students, she could've sworn her eyes landed on that familiar head of white-blonde hair. But it was gone in a flash.

She flew further and further up. At first, she thought she was going to fall or the dragon was going to throw her off, but it didn't. It fought against her at first, but as she continued rubbing her hand along its back, it slowly calmed, and she finally got a handle on it. Not control. No, she and the dragon were doing this together. That was how it had to be. Not one with more power than the other.

She guided the dragon down and back to the arena. They flew over to the students once more, and Olivia watched with a smirk on her face as they bent down at the dragon's closeness to them, trying not to get hit. Then she and the dragon moved towards the golden egg, the thing Olivia was there for in the first place.

The dragon leaned sideways, coming close enough to the ground for Olivia to grab the egg, then they straightened back out, flying around overhead the arena a bit more. Everyone in the stands just watched in amazement, not knowing how the girl did it—how she got the dragon to calm down. And frankly, neither did Olivia. But it was an incredible feeling.

She and the dragon landed on the ground with a loud boom as it planted its feet and the top of its wings down, rumbling up some dust. Olivia slid off its back, holding the golden egg close to her chest. When her feet were firmly on the ground, she held the egg up in the air with a bright smile on her face, and the crowd cheered loudly. Applause and excited shouts were heard all around, everyone staring down at Olivia and the dragon that stood tall beside her.

She had done it. She had completed the first task.

≀⋆⁺₊⋆ ꗃ 𖦹⨳✺

Potter had been successful with his task as well; he retrieved the golden egg. He had to fly around Hogwarts on his Firebolt while being pursued by a dragon. But he had completed the task nonetheless. Olivia didn't care about that, though; she had won her task, and she'd gotten first place with a five-point lead! Potter and Diggory tied for second with forty points, Krum got third, and Fleur got fourth. She knew Dumbledore was probably over the moon with his three champions in the lead.

Her victory was all that was on her mind, however, as she ran across the grounds, holding the golden egg tightly in her arms. Her friends were just across the way from her, talking amongst themselves, not even noticing the girl, who was covered in cuts, bruises, dirt, soot, and blood, with her hair a mess and the braids no longer recognizable as a hairstyle, coming their way. When she reached them, she tossed the egg to the ground and practically pounced on Draco, wrapping her arms around his neck in a tight hug. He immediately hugged her back, wrapping his arms around her midsection.

"I did it," she whispered, resting her head on his shoulder.

He pulled back only slightly so that he could see her face. "I told you that you would," he reminded her, sending her a bright smile.

She returned the gesture, knowing that he liked it on her just as much as she did on him. Then he set her down, and the sudden rush went straight to her head. The smile on her face faltered as she stumbled a bit. "Whoa," she muttered as she kept her balance with a hand on Draco's arm. His hand fell on the underside of her bicep at the same time, luckily where the wounds were not, and he held her steady as the others stuck their hands out just in case she went in any of their directions.

Concern was twisting Draco's features as he looked over her once. "Are you all right?"

"Yeah," she breathed out, giving a short, tight-lipped grin as she looked up at him. "I think I've just lost a lot of blood," she admitted, remembering the claws of the dragon digging into her arms and the scraps and cuts all over her body.

"Perhaps you should go to the hospital," Lucas chimed in, sounding and looking worried.

Olivia just nodded, surprising the others when she didn't fight the suggestion. Theodore picked up the golden egg, examining it closely as they began walking. Draco removed his hand from Olivia after a moment, making sure she was balanced on her own.

Pansy reassured him that she and Lucas would help Olivia if she needed it and told him to go along with Theodore, Blaise, Crabbe, and Goyle, who all walked in front of them. Then she turned to her best friend with a knowing smirk on her face. "Olivia Katherine Mallard," she began, causing Olivia, who she had her arm looped with, to glance at her. "Do you fancy Draco?" Her voice was a little louder than necessary, and the girl whom she was speaking to's eyes went wide.

Olivia shushed her roommate quickly, glancing in front of them, only to see Draco sending a curious look back. She hoped he had only heard his name or was checking to make sure she was all right—she didn't need him thinking something else. Letting out a sigh as he faced forward again, she squeezed her eyes shut before finding Pansy's gaze once more, seeing the dark-haired girl's smirk. "I do not fancy him," she replied as they continued walking.

"Interesting because the way you were looking at him says something different." Pansy tilted her head down, hitting the girl with a knowing expression, the smirk still curling at the corners of her mouth.

Olivia just rolled her eyes and looked away, feeling her face heat as she watched the side of the blonde boy's face. He had his hands in his trouser pockets, his steps were broad due to his long legs, and he was smirking as he talked with Theodore, who still held Olivia's golden egg, and Blaise. Crabbe and Goyle walked in front of him, being his good little bodyguards.

"Right," Lucas nodded, looking up at the sky as he thought. "It's not like you spent the whole summer ranting about him," he teased. He bumped her shoulder gently with his as he reminded her of the nights they spent in the star-viewing room of their manor, just talking, mostly about boys.

She sent him a narrow look, and he smirked.

"Oh?" Pansy raised her brows. "Do tell."

≀⋆⁺₊⋆ ꗃ 𖦹⨳✺

Walking into the common room after visiting the hospital wing and only getting the major injuries she had patched up and drinking a blood-replenishing potion, Olivia, as well as her friends, who stuck with her the whole time, were met with the eyes of dozens of Slytherins. They had smiles on their faces, staring right at Olivia as she held her golden egg a little closer to her chest. She had won it—earned it—and she was not going to risk someone getting their sticky fingers on it.

They began cheering loudly, causing the headache that she had gained from the two knocks of her head on the hard stones to pound even harder against her skull. She winced and moved further into the room as the door closed behind her. She was all for celebrating her, if the people doing so were not the same ones who had been betting against her in the beginning. It would also help if she did not feel like she had just been trampled by a herd of centaurs.

She just brushed past the group, her friends following her as she made her way towards the left staircase. Someone threw their arm around her shoulder, and she glared up at him and said, "Do not touch me." She watched as he backed away slowly, and then Draco came up beside her, doing the same thing as he guided her towards the stairs.

"So it's all right for him to do it, but not me?" The boy called out from behind her.

Rolling her eyes, she did not reply as Draco sent a glance back at him. They climbed up the stairs to the left and made their way towards hers and Pansy's dorm. When they reached it, Draco dropped his arm from around Olivia, and Pansy unlocked the door and opened it. She entered, then Olivia, and then the others one-by-one. Crabbe and Goyle were no longer with them, as they were off doing their own thing.

Olivia felt gross since she was dirty, so she tossed the egg and her wand down on the bed and said, "I'm going to shower." She went over to her dresser, grabbed pajamas out of it, and then made her way to the bathroom. She took a long shower, scrubbing every inch of herself twice until she felt completely clean and had all of the dried blood and dirt off of her, and then got out, dried herself off with a soft towel, brushed through her tangled hair, cleaned her teeth, and got dressed.

When she exited the bathroom, after tossing her dirty clothes into the basket she and Pansy shared, she found that everyone was still there. She walked over to her bed, snuggling under the duvet as she leaned forward to grab her wand and prized possession from where she had tossed them. "I never want to fight a dragon ever again," she told them, examining the egg.

"At least you got something out of it," Blaise replied, nodding to the gold thing she held.

"Yeah, I suppose." She let out a sigh, feeling tired as the bits of stress came back. "Crouch said that this has a clue to our next task, but I don't know how to get it."

"Try opening it and see what that does," Pansy suggested.

She could do that, but Olivia didn't know if it was that simple. No, she was sure it wasn't. But she twisted the top anyway. The egg fell open into three different parts, and a terrible shrieking sound came from it, echoing loudly around the room. They all winced, covering their ears as Olivia's face twisted in dismay, and she fought to close it again. When she finally got all the parts back together and the top twisted back closed, the deafening noise seized, much to their fortune.

It took them a moment to settle back in their spots on the two girls' beds, uncovering their ears and looking around with confused looks as they searched each other's faces. "What the bloody hell was that all about?" Theodore asked.

Olivia just shrugged, having no clue.

She had no clue, indeed.

≀⋆⁺₊⋆ ꗃ 𖦹⨳✺

━━━━ ella's speaking !
i struggled so much with this chapter, but not because of writing it. i was writing, everything was fine and dandy, until google docs (which i write all of this in) informed me that my doc has reached the character limit. so i decided to just make a new doc and start it with this chapter, which was something i had planned to do eventually. i thought i copied the full chapter so i deleted it in the original doc and went to paste it in the new one just to find out that i didn't actually copy it. when i went back to look at my changes on the old doc, it hadn't saved all that i had written so i couldn't restore the full thing, only part of it (which was 1000 words less). so then i had to rewrite a portion of it, and i actually wanted to lose my mind. but it's here now, and everything is fine.

n e ways, olivia getting first in this task as she should‼️

i hope you enjoyed this chapter, so that my struggles are worth it LMAO. make sure to comment and vote 🫶🏻

kisses.

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

word count: 6536.   written: 3.8.24.   published: 4.1.24.