BORN TO DIE    ╱    DRACO MALFOY
꒷꒦ · ˚.‧ . written by ella . . . © -lostgardens
089 ━━━━━━━━━ ❛ sweet sixteen ❜

The ending weeks of October came and went, as did the school days and Saturday of the first week of November, and then it was Olivia's sixteenth birthday. Everything with Dumbledore's Army was going swimmingly, and, though Filch and Umbridge suspected things and tried to catch them in the act of what they were up to, neither knew anything for certain, and they hadn't been found out. Her friends noticed her and Lucas not being around as much but didn't say anything about it. They, too, had distanced themselves from Olivia during the week leading up to her birthday, as they did every year, though she already knew that they were planning her little early-morning present opening. She didn't understand why they still tried to surprise her, despite knowing that she knew about it.

Knew about it, she did indeed, as she walked down the stairs and into the common room. Just as always, a slew of people jump up, yelling, "Happy birthday!" in her face. Then Pansy walked over to her and placed the party hat on her head, receiving a narrow-eyed look from her best friend when she let the string snap against the underside of her chin. After that, she was guided over to the couches, where she, again, just as every year, sat between Pansy and Draco, while Blaise, Lucas, and Theodore sat across from them.

She opened Pansy's present first, and inside the small box were two bracelets. She furrowed her brows, glancing over at her best friend, only seeing the bright smile on her face. "There's two in here," she told her, as if that fact wasn't obvious.

"They're friendship bracelets, Olivia," Pansy replied, speaking to her as if she was silly for not knowing that. She kind of was, because it was clear what they were. "One for me"—the short-haired girl reached in the box and took one of the bracelets out of it—"one for you."

"Thank you." Olivia smiled kindly, slipping the bracelet onto her wrist alongside her charm bracelet as Pansy did the same with her own. Then she opened Lucas's gift, already knowing that it was going to be another charm for the bracelet. And it was. There were two of them—a quill and a book.

"Since I got you two cat charms by accident," he began, gesturing to the two cat charms on her bracelet—one he had gotten her when he first got her the bracelet in her first year and the second during her third year. She hadn't even realized when she had opened her gifts that year, only when she put the charm on her bracelet. She and Lucas had a good laugh about it, wondering how he could've forgotten that he already got her a cat charm. "I thought I'd get you two this year to make up for the one you were shorted before," he explained.

Like she did with Pansy, she offered him a kind smile. "Thank you, Luke."

She closed the box after that, setting it aside with the one from Pansy, and moved onto Blaise's gift, which she was sure she already knew what it was. He handed her the large box that was familiar to her from years of getting the same gift from him. "I wonder what this could be," she joked, giving him a look before she slowly smirked.

"You are in for quite a surprise." He went along with her joke, also smirking.

She opened the box, and lo and behold, it was exactly what she thought it'd be. Inside, there was a brand-new version of the boots she was wearing. She didn't mind that Blaise got her the same thing every year—she was quite appreciative of having refreshed versions of the shoes she wore daily. Her eyes found her friend, and she sweetly thanked him, placing the lid back on the box once more.

He dipped his head in response as she set the box aside.

Then she moved onto Theodore, who handed her a wrapped gift. It looked like a book, reminding her of the one that Dumbledore had given her at the end of the prior year. She took it from him and began unwrapping it. It was a book, she concluded as she ran her hand along the front, reading the title. It was a book of poems by Emily Dickinson. She looked up at him, seeing him give her a small smile. "Thank you, Theodore," she told him, matching his smile.

"You're welcome," he replied. "I also have this." He stood up from his seat and went to the side of the couch, picking up and bringing out a small wooden chest for her to see. "I remember how you said that your mother went into your room and"—he shot a glance in Draco's direction—"went through your things, so I thought you could use this. It is a magical chest. It only opens for the owner," he explained, setting the chest at her feet before he sat back down.

"I will be using this," she said with a small nod. "Thank you, again."

He just hummed in response.

She set the book on top of the magical chest and then rested her hands on her knees. The silence fell over them for a second as she adjusted herself in seat, realizing the last person that was left. Her hands ran along her knees in anticipation, and she felt almost nervous about what Draco could have possibly gotten for her. If he got her anything at all, that was. She didn't expect him to, since they hadn't been speaking.

"Draco, it's your turn," Pansy told the boy, glancing at him from behind Olivia as she leaned against the back of the couch. He was slumped in his seat, not looking thrilled to be there. Olivia didn't notice, however, because she didn't glance in his direction, as she did not want to see him. "Go on, give her your gift." Pansy's tone was slightly tense and ordering, like a parent telling their child to apologize to their sibling, even though they knew they didn't want to.

Draco exhaled through his nose, then sat up a little straighter. He leaned over, grabbing a wooden display box from the floor, before sitting up again.

The tension between the group was strong as the others watched them. Olivia just kept her eyes forward, subconsciously picking at the skin around her nails as she tried her best not to drift away in her mind.

Then Draco turned to her, not looking up.

She inhaled and squeezed her eyes shut momentarily, feeling his eyes on her. And once she felt a bit calmer, she opened her eyes again and faced him, yet she was holding her breath.

He simply handed her the box.

Olivia reached to take it, staring down at what was in his hands instead of his face, feeling tense with each movement she took. When she grabbed the box after hesitating for a moment, with the eyes of the others burning her skin, her hand brushed his. She practically shuddered, feeling tingles on her skin and through her body. She pulled her hand away from his and further down the side of the box as fast as possible, not letting the contact linger even though she wanted it to. Her eyes found his when she quickly looked up, seeing him staring at her as well. She looked away and took the box from him rather urgently, moving it so that it sat in her lap, and she faced forward.

His eyes were still on her; she could feel them, but she didn't dare look over at him.

The truth was, she missed him desperately despite trying her hardest not to. It had been a little over two months since they had gotten back to Hogwarts, and she and Draco hadn't spoken more than a few times during that. She had been so busy with Dumbledore's Army, so they hadn't seen each other as frequently as usual either; much less had been sitting this close to each other.

She lifted the lid of the box, revealing what was inside.

"A mirror..." Olivia muttered, staring down at what Draco had gotten her.

It was a pretty mirror, from what she could see. It had flowers engraved into it and was decorated with blue stones. Olivia would venture that they were sapphires, rich in their deep-blue color.

"It's antique and enchanted—a talking mirror," he informed her, letting out a sigh. His tone was a tad bored, like he was tired and didn't want to be there. She was sure that he didn't. Or maybe he was uncomfortable, much like her. "It is rumored to have belonged to Helena Ravenclaw," he added, causing Olivia to look over at him. The sapphires made sense upon learning that information. He wasn't looking at her as he continued, "I thought you'd find that interesting since you like to read up on history and such."

Olivia looked down at the mirror. "Oh..."

"Maybe you can use Nott's special box to keep it safe," he retorted, leaning slightly closer to her with clear annoyance in his tone and a thin smile on his lips. Then he stood up from the couch just as she found him with her gaze again. He brushed past her and Pansy's legs, saying, "See you lot in the Great Hall," as he made his way to the common room door.

Olivia's eyes lingered on his back as he walked away, and then on the door after he had gone, letting it close behind him. Her mind was flooded with an argument about whether she should go after him, like she wanted to do, or if she should just stay in her spot, like she knew she should do. She was still upset with him, but she missed him all at the same time. It was tiring, the constant back and forth in her mind—her heart always going against her head.

Sighing, Olivia moved the box from her lap, closing it and setting it down where Draco had been sitting, and then she stood up from the couch hastily. Her eyes remained on the door as she brushed past Pansy, starting towards it.

"Olivia, the hat!" Pansy's voice rang in her ears before she could get too far.

Olivia turned around in confusion, seeing her best friend pointing to the top of her own head. She then realized that she was still wearing the party hat that Pansy had put on her when she first entered the common room. Letting out a huff, she tore the hat from her head and tossed it to her best friend, who caught it effortlessly. Then she rushed to the common room exit as her friends watched. She didn't really know what she was going to say to Draco as she exited into the corridor, where she saw him walking up ahead, but she wanted to speak to him.

Her steps were quick against the stone floor as she got just a bit closer to him. "Draco," she said loud enough for him to hear.

He stopped in his tracks instantly but didn't turn around to face her, closing his eyes as he inhaled deeply.

She stopped as well and waited for him to look at her.

It took him an extended minute before he did. His movements were slow as he faced her, his brows raised as he let out a questioning hum. He placed his hands in the pockets of his trousers as he watched her closely, waiting for her to say what she wanted to say.

The problem was, she still wasn't sure what that was. A breath fell from her lips as she averted her eyes around the corridor, searching for her words. Then she focused back on him. Why did he seem upset with her? It made no sense and frustrated her, but she wasn't in the mood to start an argument with him right then, so she bit her tongue and said, "Um, thank you." She paused, then pointed back at the blank wall behind her, throwing her thumb over her shoulder. "For the gift."

Draco just tipped his head, his lips pulled into a thin line. "You're welcome, Olivia." Then he fell silent again, staring at her awkwardly as she did the same. And when she opened her mouth to speak, he added, "See you in the Great Hall."

And with that, he walked away as her mouth snapped shut. Her brows knitted in sadness, watching him as he got further and further away as he went down the corridor. Then she let out a sigh, turned around, and began her way back to the common room.

As she stared down at her boots with each step, letting her mind go over what had just happened, she heard the sound of whispering coming in front of her.

"Shhh," someone hissed.

"Bloody hell, here she comes," another added.

She looked up, expecting to see the familiar blank wall. Except it wasn't blank like usual once the door was closed because the door hadn't disappeared. No, it was still slightly cracked open.

It didn't take her long to realize that the whispers were from her friends and that they had been spying on her and Draco's conversation. Luckily, neither one of them had said anything too dramatic. She just continued to walk closer to the door as she narrowed her eyes.

"Quickly, close the door," a feminine voice—Pansy—said in a rush. "I think she saw us."

The door was then shut, and it disappeared.

Olivia rolled her eyes as she reached the wall and whispered the password, causing it to reappear in front of her. She opened it and entered, seeing her friends sitting on the couches, just as they had been when she left, looking as innocent as ever.

Fakes, they were. There was nothing innocent about them.

They were seemingly in the middle of a conversation when she approached them with boredom on her face, and Pansy looked up at her. "Oh, hey, Olivia." She greeted Olivia with a smile. "How, uh, how was your talk with Draco?" She asked as if she did have a clue as to how it had gone.

Olivia pinned her with a knowing look. "See, I would answer that, but I think that you all already know what I would say." She lazily pointed her finger at all of them, then dropped her hand to her side and brushed past Pansy again. Gathering her things, she tried not to let their pity looks bother her. And once everything she had gotten that morning was in her hands, she moved by her best friend again and made her way to the staircase.

She took her gifts to her room, placing her poetry book from Theodore in her bag because she knew she'd read it later, even though she had already read all of Emily Dickinson's poems before, and went back down the stairs. Then she and the others made their way to join Draco in the Great Hall.

Breakfast was mostly silent for Draco and Olivia, but the others talked around them, as did everyone else in the Great Hall. Most didn't know that it was her birthday, and she was glad for it, much like she was every year. She was never in the mood to deal with a bunch of birthday wishes from people she barely knew the names of. Not even the ones from Dumbledore's Army knew, including Harry, Hermione, and Weasley. She planned on keeping it that way for the foreseeable future.

After breakfast, she went off on her own as her friends went back to the common room. She spent some time in the quietness of the library, reading, studying, and enjoying her time alone. Then she left the library, after returning all of the books to their rightful places, and made her way around the school for what felt like the millionth time. As she had told Theodore a few weeks prior, one would think she'd get tired of walking aimlessly around the school, but she never did. She had seen almost every nook and cranny of it, but she never wanted to not see it.

Eventually, she was climbing the stairs of the Astronomy Tower, though the sun was still up and burning brightly. She hadn't been there in a while, so it was quite refreshing. However, a suspicion that she'd had was confirmed to be true while she was up there. She preferred it at night. After all, that was when it was meant to be seen and looked its best with the shining stars and glowing moon painted on the midnight-blue canvas.

She went to the courtyard once she was done in the tower and sat down on one of the benches as her schoolmates passed by, laughing and talking amongst themselves. She simply pulled out the poetry book that Theodore had gotten her from her bag and began reading.

That was where she was sitting when Draco walked over to her.

She looked up from her book, keeping it open as she found his gaze and took him in. He seemed... almost nervous, just a bit. Completely different from the coldness he'd shown her earlier in the corridor. Her brows furrowed at this, but she didn't ask him what he wanted, seeing as though he had come up to her. If he wanted to speak, he would have to say the first word. She wasn't going to seek him out like she had done earlier in the corridor.

But he didn't speak.

Instead, he pulled something from his pocket and held it out between his two fingers, seeming to want her to take it. She looked down at what he had and saw the familiar green wax seal, indented with the Malfoy crest, keeping the folded parchment closed. Her mind flashed back to all of the letters she'd received from him over the summer, thinking about all of the times she ran her thumb over that seal and her name written on the back of the parchment in his neat and perfect handwriting. Her heart swelled and pegged at the same time due to the memories and the fact that he was giving her yet another letter, this time face-to-face.

It took her a moment, but eventually she snapped her book shut, resting it on her lap, and took the letter from him. He shuffled from one foot to the other as she peeled back the wax seal and opened the letter, focusing on the words his beautiful handwriting had to say.

Dear Olivia,
On today, of all days, I had a sudden realization that we always start off with misunderstandings. It is how we intercept in the great scheme of our magical existence. I can already imagine you rolling your eyes as you read this, still angry with my poor choice of words. With my inability to accept Potter's words at face value. He is everything I despise; you do know that, right? That he embodies everything I don't have? I always wonder why you spend your days in his company. You are too good for him. Just as you're too good for me.

That isn't the point of this letter. The point is that I do believe you, which in turn means I believe him, no matter how much it hurts my pride. I say what I say and do what I do because there is nothing else for me to do. I have never second-guessed you, and I have never thought you would lie to me. If you say the greatest evil is back and walking this earth, then I believe you. I just hate that it means I have to believe in Potter too.

Now, this is the better part of the letter that I added at the end to keep you interested long enough to read this far. As you have surely said yourself, I am difficult and stubborn and too much for most. I drive everyone mad. Which is ironic considering you drive me mad, but that is not the point. You handle it well; you take all of my faults and shortcomings with a caring grace that few have ever shown me. I thought that meant I could show affection in my own way, like a secret to keep close to my chest so nobody could steal you away and hide you from me. I never assumed that I would be pushing you out the door by forgetting that you have your own needs too. Needs I have neglected by hiding the care I hold from the light.

I am not ashamed of you—of whatever we have conjured—despite our parents despising us for it. I keep my affections hidden from the world because it so easily takes all that is good. And all that is good in my life is you. I need you to believe me. I need you to speak to me again, even if it's just to yell at me.

I miss you. Happy birthday.

Yours,
Draco

After finishing the letter, Olivia just stared at it for a moment, not knowing what to do. His words were so warming to her heart, and she felt her chin slightly wobble. She swallowed down her feelings and finally looked up at him, seeing him stare down at her with a nervous look still twisting his features. Her brows were knitted with pain as her eyes flickered over his face, and then he looked to the ground as if he were frightened that she might reject him and didn't want to face it or her.

Slowly, setting her book and the letter next to her on the bench, she stood, and he looked up again and watched her every movement. She felt like forgiving him as she took a step closer, but she didn't want to make it that easy for him. As much as his words swelled her heart and made her feel like she could breathe again, he still hadn't shown everyone else that he wanted her. Sure, maybe if one looked close enough, they'd see his feelings deep in his gaze, like he'd written of—a secret hidden deep in his heart so no one could steal it. But she wasn't sure he'd ever be able to tell someone about them besides himself and her.

"I wanted you to prove that you feel these things," she began, her tone heavy as she tried to hold back her emotion, "to show them to everyone. I wanted—"

Before she could even finish her sentence, Draco took a step forward, cupped her face in his hands, and brought his lips to hers, pulling her closer to him. She was tense for a moment, and then she practically melted into the kiss, bringing her own hands to his face. Her fingers moved to the back of his head, running through his hair.

Neither realized it, but there were people watching them from all around—the talk of Draco Malfoy and Olivia Mallard snogging in the courtyard was sure to make its rounds by morning. Their friends also stood just behind them, lingering in the corridor that opened to the courtyard. Pansy and Blaise looked amused and almost happy as they focused on Olivia and Draco, while Lucas was staring up at the sky, not wanting to see his sister kissing anyone. Crabbe and Goyle weren't even paying attention, being too busy messing around, and Theodore had an unreadable expression on his face.

Eventually, Draco and Olivia pulled back from one another. She dropped her hands to her sides, keeping her eyes closed as his hands continued holding her face. Then she opened her eyes but didn't meet his burning gaze as her focus fell to the ground. She tried her best to hold back a smile, and he just looked down at her with a smirk on his face. "Did you mean something like that, Liv?" he asked confidently, tucking some of her hair behind her ear as his other hand was shoved into his trousers pocket.

It was exactly what she had meant, and he knew that.

Her eyes remained on the ground, staring at their shoes, and she continued to hold back her grin. She gave a simple shrug like it was nothing major. "More or less," she answered, her gaze finally drifting up. Her eyes scanned over his body before she found his eyes and smirk. Her own smile broke on her lips for a short second. But before he could tease her about it or even notice it, she stood taller, placing her hands on the back of his neck, and pulled him closer to her. She planted her lips back on his, and their kiss picked up where it left off as they ignored the whispers and stares coming from around them.

She really enjoyed kissing him, even if he pissed her off sometimes.

But, despite how much she enjoyed feeling his lips on hers, she pulled back before they could go on for too long, a thought crossing her mind. She gave him a knowing look, noting his confusion. "We can't snog out in the open like this," she told him innocently, wrapping her arms around the back of his neck. Then she leaned just slightly closer, brushing her lips against his as she stared into his eyes and whispered, "We have to follow your girlfriend's rules, after all."

Draco sarcastically nodded in agreement, his hands moving to rest on her waist. "Shall we go somewhere private, then?" His smirk returned as he also whispered against her lips.

"See, I would..." She took a step back from him, half-shrugging, before gathering her things from the bench. She put the book and the letter in her bag, then slung the strap over her shoulder and held it with her hand. "But I have somewhere else I need to be."

Draco watched as she began walking away, turning her back to him and heading in the direction of the corridor. "Are you going to hold her over my head forever?" He called out, and she didn't need him to say a name to know who he was speaking of—Umbridge—alluding to the fact that he'd sided with the woman once or twice.

Olivia just looked at him over her shoulder, continuing with her steps, and smirked. Then she faced forward again as she passed by their friends, who were all watching her. "Hi," she said to them, and they returned her greeting with smiles and nods and small mutters of "Hi." She continued on, not slowing her steps as she focused on her brother. "Come on, Luke," she told him, knowing that they needed to get to a Dumbledore's Army meeting.

Draco kept watching her walk away, his hands in his pockets and a small smile on his face.

He'd finally gotten her back.

Theodore, on the other hand, lingered with Blaise, Pansy, Crabbe, and Goyle for a long and thoughtful moment, contemplating telling her what was on his mind as she got further and further away. But eventually, one side won, and he followed her into the corridor. His eyes landed on her and Lucas's backs as they walked side by side and started to wherever they were going. "So you're just going to forgive him like that?" he questioned her, the frustration clear in his tone and his voice loud enough for her to hear. He tossed his arms up and let them fall back to his sides.

Olivia and Lucas both stopped in their tracks, turning around to face Theodore, confusion in their expressions. Her brows furrowed deeply as she took him in. A beat of silence passed by before she opened her mouth to speak, while her brother just stood beside her, feeling awkward.

"You do realize that he is thinking of being a part of Umbridge's little goon squad?" Theodore went on before she could even utter a word, raising his brows as he took a step closer. "He's going to be the leader of it." Another step was taken, and he lowered his voice with his next words. "Because they suspect that Potter and you are up to something, Olivia. Umbridge wants someone to spy on him."

She couldn't even fully take in what he was saying before she was staring at his back, and he was walking away, presumably going back to the others. Lucas looked at his sister worriedly as her eyes fell to the ground. Her mind wandered with annoying questions.

Was Draco just getting closer to her to spy on her? Was that why he made amends and "proved" his feelings for her with another letter and a kiss in front of everyone in the courtyard? Were his words lies? Did he actually mean them? Had she made a huge mistake in trusting him and believing that his intentions were true? How had Umbridge even come to suspect them?

Olivia knew (or at least had a suspicion) that the professor had heard a bit of their conversation the day that Dumbledore's Army was first established, while they'd been walking back to the school, but...

She hadn't heard that much, had she?

Nothing incriminating, at least. And despite the fact that Filch had been camped outside the Room of Requirement every night that they had a meeting, he never saw anything good enough to say for certain that they were doing something they weren't supposed to.

How had Draco gotten involved in the first place? And what was this talk of a goon squad that Theodore had been speaking about? What did that mean? How was Draco so trusted by Umbridge to be the so-called leader of it?

Her anger rose with each question that roamed her mind.

She knew that Lucas could tell that much because he'd taken a step closer to her as she looked up, her face twisted in a scowl. "Olivia..." he tried to reach for her as she took a step forward, but her arm slipped out of his grasp before he could get too much of a hold on her, and she stormed back to the courtyard.

She found Draco talking with their friends, with a smile on his face that made him seem as if he were truly happy. It was almost close to the smile that she adored, but that wasn't what was on her mind. When she reached him, he didn't even have time to fully focus on her before she was shoving him backwards, causing him to stumble a bit, his face turning into confusion. She took a step closer to him with narrowed eyes as he regained his balance. "Do you truly think how she runs the school is right!?" she asked angrily, not even letting him mutter a thing.

Draco's brows knitted together as he watched her closer, seeing her anger. Confusion lingered through his mind by her shift in attitude after what had just happened between them. "Wha..."

"Umbridge," Olivia clarified quickly, not even letting him finish. "Are you working for her?"

A look of guilt flashed over Draco's face, answering her question.

She let out a sigh of frustration and took another step closer to him, with only a few inches of distance between them as she looked up at him with annoyance and anger. "She tortures students in those little detentions of hers," she reminded him, thinking back to all of the horror stories she'd heard swirling around the school since Umbridge had arrived and what she had experienced herself. "She did it to me as well, in case you've forgotten." She raised her brows, seeing the guilt still on his face. "She makes this school miserable. And what, Draco? Are you going to help her with that just because you dislike a few people?" She thought about his hatred for the Golden Trio, mainly Harry, which he had admitted in his letter was the reason why he'd been so hesitant to tell her that he believed her, as well as his dislike for Dumbledore. It wasn't as if the Headmaster was her best friend either, but she wasn't going to ruin the school because of her personal feelings towards him.

"You claim to care about me, Draco, but I don't believe you," she continued, and it was the truth, despite what he wrote in his letter. "You told me that her making me carve words in my hand was the consequence of my actions. That doesn't sound like the words of someone who cares for me." She felt her emotions almost getting the better of her, but she bit them back. She wanted to hurt him like he'd hurt her. "You're pathetic, and you're a liar."

His eyes flickered with a bit of hurt.

She ignored it and the peg in her heart and turned to Pansy and Blaise, who were both staring at her in shock and with raised brows. "Are you two a part of this as well?" she inquired, giving them a questioning look. She truly hoped they weren't.

"No, Olivia, of course not," Pansy replied, seeming upset that the girl would even think that.

The relief washed over Olivia when Blaise shook his head no, agreeing with Pansy's answer.  She didn't even bother asking Crabbe or Goyle because she knew what they'd say—they went along with everything Draco did, and she was certain this time wasn't any different.

She let out a bitter laugh as she shook her head and looked away from all of them. "I am not sure if that makes it better or worse," she muttered, focusing back on Draco, who was still staring at her, his expression now blank and flat, not showing any emotion like he'd been trained to do. He was sure to make his father proud; she wanted to roll her eyes at the thought.

But when she took a step back instead, going to leave, Draco's mask cracked slightly, and he took a step forward, reaching out for her. "Olivia," he murmured.

She simply lifted a finger, pointing it at him, and he stopped. "Don't touch me," she told him bitterly, gritting her teeth. "Ever again." She began digging in her bag as he watched her like he had a million thoughts running through his mind. She pulled out the folded piece of parchment that he had just given her ten or so minutes prior and shoved it into his chest, and he caught it with his hands. "And you can keep your stupid letter."  She paused, taking a step back from him, huffing out a frustrated breath. "I know it's just a bunch of lies anyway. That's all it ever is with you."

He didn't even get a second to retort before she whipped around and stormed off. Lucas followed quickly behind her while she brushed past Theodore, who looked slightly shocked by the outburst, even though it was his words that had driven her there.

Once she was out of sight, Draco looked at Theodore, glaring at him with a sneer. "What did you tell her?" he asked, gripping the letter in his hand, slightly crumbling it in his tight grip. His mind flashed back to watching the boy chase after her into the corridor.

Theodore, with his hands in his trousers pockets, changed his stunned expression and just stared at Draco blankly, seeming unaffected by his friend's angry expression. "The truth," he replied, shrugging like it was nothing. "She deserved to know."

"You told her because you thought she deserved to know?"

Draco didn't sound like he believed Theodore at all.

"Yes," the curly-haired boy said. He wasn't completely lying. No, Olivia deserving to know hadn't been his main motive behind telling her about Draco and his loyalties, but she had deserved to know, so his answer wasn't false.

Draco took a step forward, no longer narrowing his eyes or sneering, but he did have a frustrated look on his face as Pansy, Blaise, Crabbe, and Goyle watched him. "See," he began, shoving his hands in his pockets to match Theodore, along with the letter, "I think you only told her because you want her for yourself, Nott." He smirked at him snarkily. "You don't hide it very well, I'll admit. We"—he gestured to the others with a lazy hand before focusing back on his friend—"all see it, and yet she still doesn't notice because she wants me."

Theodore slowly walked closer, coming to be right in Draco's face with his hands still stuffed in his pockets. "You're right. She does want you," he agreed, smirking and speaking with confidence. His tone was slightly bitter and tight with annoyance, however. "Yet, you can't seem to keep her for more than a day," he added, trying to hit Draco right where it hurt, like he had done to him. He watched as Draco's smirk faltered and the sneer came back to his mouth before he took a step back, still smiling. "Now, if you don't mind..." He lifted his hand to the corridor and then turned and walked away as the others watched him.

Pansy and Blaise gave each other knowing looks, and Draco's eyes didn't leave Theodore's back as he watched him go off in the direction Lucas and Olivia had gone.

Olivia stood at the bottom of the stairs of the Astronomy Tower, with Lucas by her side and trying to hold in her tears. She turned to her brother, offering him a barely-there and soft smile. "Go on to the meeting." She waved her hand dismissively, not being in the mood for company, let alone to teach a bunch of her schoolmates how to defend themselves against the Dark Arts. She just needed a moment alone—a break away from everything. "I'll be there soon enough. Tell the others that."

She noticed her brother's hesitation to leave her alone, but eventually he did walk away and go in the direction of the Room of Requirement. And she just went up the stairs once he was gone, making her way over to the wall. Slowly, she sat down onto the floor, taking in the scenery of the day sky, burning sun, and fluffy clouds as she held back her emotions.

Once again, she'd trusted Draco, and once again, he had proved her a fool for doing so. And yet, part of her wanted to forget all about his affiliation with Umbridge, his father's loyalties to Voldemort, and everything that screamed at her that it was a bad idea to be with him, or even around him, for that matter, because that was all she wanted—to be with him, despite everything that had happened and all of the sadness and hurt she had felt because of him and his actions.

It wasn't another minute that had gone by, and footfall on the metal of the staircase echoed in her ears. And for a moment, she thought—hoped—that it might've been Draco coming up there. The tower was their spot, after all.

But Theodore came into view, and her hope died and her heart squeezed with the loss.

It was probably for the best anyway.

"I thought I'd find you up here," the boy told her, causing her to send him a thin smile. He walked over to her slowly and sat down next to her, leaning his back against the wall, just as she was doing.

Her focus turned back to the sky, placing the back of her head against the cold stone she sat against. She inhaled deeply, swallowing her tears, as she felt Theodore's gaze on her. Then she rested her head against his shoulder, not even noticing the way he tensed and his heart rate picked up.

He kept a calm and blank look on his face, though she wasn't even looking at him. And when he heard her sniffle a couple of times, he glanced over at her, only seeing the top of her head from the way she was laying against him. "Are you all right, Olivia?" he asked quietly.

"I'll live," she replied in the same tone, and then patted his arm a couple of times. "You are a good friend, Theodore," she told him, feeling grateful that he had told her about Draco before she could get too wrapped up in him and her feelings again, even if part of her also wished he hadn't told her about it all. Because she wanted to be wrapped up in Draco and her feelings for him just for a bit after the last couple of months of not speaking with him. But that would've only made the disappointment worse when she ultimately found out about him and the squad. So yes, it was for the best that Theodore had told her; she was grateful for it, in fact. (Her mind was so conflicted.) "Thank you for telling me."

She hadn't seen it, but the boy had winced at the word "friend," hating to admit that Draco had been right about him wanting to be more with her, despite her lack of notice and her infatuation with their friend.

"I try my best," he mumbled.

≀⋆⁺₊⋆ ꗃ 𖦹⨳✺

━━━━ ella's speaking !
30K AND 31K??? OMG TYSM

also a BIG thank you to my best friend, indi ( -fairyszn ), for writing the letter from draco to olivia bc i was struggling greatly. go give her a follow and read her books bc you will not be disappointed!!! ilysm indilicious <33

i really hope you enjoyed this chapter and all of the gifts that olivia received bc it took me a good time to choose each one (besides blaise and lucas's ofc)

i'm so sorry for giving you hope of draco and olivia being fine and then taking that away... again.

make sure to comment and vote 🫶🏻

kisses.

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

word count: 6896. written: 7.3-5.24. published: 8.27.24.