BORN TO DIE    ╱    DRACO MALFOY
꒷꒦ · ˚.‧ . written by ella . . . © -lostgardens
104 ━ ❛ out with the old, in with the new ❜

She was crying. No, she was sobbing as she entered the Great Hall. Eyes from all around immediately found her as she tucked some of her hair behind her ears and walked over to the Gryffindor table. She had her knee-high socks on, as well as her Mary Janes, and tears coated her cheeks. Confusion was coming from all around the room; no one really ever saw Olivia Mallard crying, let alone sobbing like she was in that moment. It just wasn't her. She was usually giving looks that could kill or looking as if she were about to kill. Other times, she had no expression at all—no show of what she was feeling.

As she came to a stop, Harry and Weasley looked up at her, ending their conversation with Hermione, whom Olivia stood behind. They looked rather shocked by her appearance, and Hermione slowly turned around to look at her, too. Her brows furrowed in confusion, and she quickly stood up. "Olivia, what's wrong?" she asked, her tone genuinely worried.

Olivia met her gaze before letting out another sob, practically pouncing on her and wrapping her in a hug. Her head rested on Hermione's tense shoulder, and she continued to cry, her eyes falling closed. She felt small pats on her back as Hermione awkwardly comforted her.

"My fr-friends... former friends now... they were talking about me in such nasty ways because I told Draco to stay away from me," Olivia confessed, struggling through her words as she cried and sniffed. Then she pulled back from Hermione. "Usually it doesn't bother me when strangers say horrid things, but these are my friends. Were my friends." She squeezed her eyes shut, putting her face in her hands. "Last night, I told Pansy all about what happened between me and Draco, and then this morning, I heard them all talking about me, saying that I was being dramatic about what happened between me and him and that I just needed to move on from it all." Her chin wobbled and her brows knitted together as tears streamed down her cheeks. "Can you believe that? I thought they cared for me, but I suppose I was wrong." She pulled Hermione in for another hug, squeezing her eyes shut as everyone watched this, including the ones at the Slytherin table.

Olivia Mallard was hugging Hermione Granger and crying on her shoulder. It almost felt like a fever dream to most. Some knew that they were friendly, and the majority knew that they had run into danger more times than not, but this was a whole different level. If the ones who believed that way didn't think her a blood traitor before, they certainly did now.

"I am so sorry, Olivia," Hermione consoled, returning to awkwardly patting the girl's back in an attempt at comforting her. "If you want, you can hang around with Harry, Ron, and me," she offered after a long pause, feeling tense under Olivia's hold.

Olivia pulled back again, her hands resting on Hermione's arms, looking hopeful. "Really?"

Hermione nodded with a small hum. "Right, boys?" she asked, not even looking at them.

"Yeah, Olivia, you're always welcome," Harry replied, then elbowed Weasley when he didn't say anything and gave him a bewildered look.

Weasley quickly turned to the girls, seeing them both staring at him. "Uh, yeah. Yeah, of course, Olivia."

"Thank you," she told them, smiling kindly. She wiped away some of her tears as Hermione guided her to sit down next to her. A plate appeared in front of Olivia right as she did, and she set her bag down next to her. She got some curious looks from the Gryffindors around them, but she didn't pay them any mind as she began filling her plate with the breakfast foods she wanted. The eyes of the others were boring into the back of her head.

Olivia just sighed and looked up at Harry, who was staring at her curiously. She offered him a small, closed-lipped smile and then popped a grape in her mouth. Breakfast was mostly like that, tense and awkward, with everyone staring at and whispering about her, even some glances from Weasley. But she just ignored them and ate her food.

Once breakfast was over, the four of them stood up from the table, along with everyone else around the room, and began making their way to the double doors. They stopped once they were in the corridor, and the three Gryffindors looked between each other and then focused on her. "Do you want to walk to class with us or..." Harry muttered, pointing down the corridor.

"Uhm, I think I'm going to try and find Lucas," she told them, wanting to talk to her brother before he headed off to class like her. She gave them a small smile. It was sort of awkward with them, and she wondered why. It wasn't as if they were complete strangers. Perhaps it was because she never spent time with them outside of running into danger, Dumbledore's Army (which was no longer), and meetings at the Order's headquarters. "Go on without me."

"All right," Hermione replied, returning the smile. "See you in class, Olivia."

She watched as they walked away, going in the direction of their first class of the day. Then she turned around, hoping to catch Lucas as he walked out of the Great Hall, and luckily, she did. Her eyes caught on to the group, and she made her way over to her brother. Casting a short glance in Draco's direction, she grabbed Lucas's arm and pulled him away before anyone could ask her anything.

"What's going on?" he asked her, clearly confused with her scene.

"I heard some hurtful things, and I want a break from everyone, so I thought I'd sit with Harry and Hermione today," she said like it was nothing. It was nothing. "Weasley just happened to be there," she sighed.

"Hurtful things?" He furrowed his brows. "What hurtful things?"

"I'll tell you about it later, Luke. I need to get to class, and so do you." She hugged him, then pulled away before he could even hug her back. She offered a smile. "See you later." And then she walked away without another word, leaving him with his mouth open and confused.

He just let out a breath in defeat as she got further and further away.

Olivia shuffled through the crowd of students, quickly trying to make her way to Transfiguration when someone came up to her side. She glanced over, her eyes catching onto Train Boy, who had a smile on his face. "Where're you off to?"

"Transfiguration," she replied. "You?"

"Same."

With that, they walked to McGonagall's classroom. Inside, they made their way to the front, Olivia noticing the Golden Trio in there and opting to sit next to each other. Olivia set her bag down on the floor under the desk she sat at and pulled out her book from it, preparing for the class to begin, as the boy beside her did the same. Then they waited for the rest of the class to pile in, for the bell to ring, signaling the beginning of the lesson, and for McGonagall to show up.

Olivia had planned on simply sitting there in silence, but when a paper bird landed in front of her, she looked down at it and sighed. She already knew it was from Draco, who was behind her and sitting in the aisle of desks next to her. She picked up the bird, unfolding it. Her eyes immediately caught onto Draco's familiar handwriting. But before she could read it, she felt eyes on her, and not the ones of Draco, so she glanced over, seeing Train Boy glancing down at the note. His eyes caught onto hers instantly when she looked at him curiously. He simply smiled, acting as if he hadn't been caught peeking at her note, and she returned the smile as he faced his book again.

Her smile fell as her brows slightly furrowed.

That boy definitely had some boundary issues.

Clearing the thought from her mind, she refocused on the note, turning it a bit so that no one could peek at it, not knowing what Draco could've possibly said. You look beautiful today; too bad you're wasting your time with him. Wanna sneak away and have some more fun with me? That was what the note read, and she knew who he was referring to about "having some more fun with him." She rolled her eyes at the thought. He wasn't keeping his distance from her, like he had dramatically said he was going to the night before.

Trying to think of a response, Olivia grabbed her quill and inkwell from her bag. She opened her inkwell and dipped her quill in it, gathering some ink. Then she began writing her response right below his question. She smirked to herself as she finished the last word, then closed her inkwell, folded up the parchment into a bird again, and sent it back in Draco's direction.

She watched him as he caught it and unfolded it, reading over her words. I know, and I would, but I don't want to pity-fuck you again. She most definitely hadn't been feeling any pity for him the first and only time, but he didn't have to know that.

His eyes narrowed on her as he looked up, and her smirk deepened. But then McGonagall blocked her view of Draco, and Olivia's face fell as she turned around to the front and tossed her inkwell and quill back into her bag before the professor could see. The witch grabbed the note from Draco, who seemed reluctant to give it up, and suddenly the classroom was silent. Everyone, excluding Olivia, who did not move her eyes from the front of the room, watched McGonagall read over the note, her eyes going wider with each word she took in. She focused on Draco with a look of bewilderment, and then Olivia could feel her gaze burning into the back of her head, but she didn't falter or meet her eyes.

"Miss Mallard," the woman's Scottish accent rang in the girl's ears as she came to a stop next to her, looking down at her with a stern look.

Olivia looked up with a look of innocence, kindly smiling. "Hello, professor."

"Are you the one who sent Mr. Malfoy this obscene note?" she asked, holding out the parchment for Olivia to see.

Olivia read over it for the sake of appearance, and then her brows furrowed in offense. "You think I would write such profanity?" Her tone was saddened by the woman's accusations, though they were true. She placed a hand over her heart. "I would never."

McGonagall looked over the students behind her, then her eyes landed on the girl again. "I would like to believe not, but you do happen to be his only friend on this side of the room, my dear."

Olivia, too, looked over the students behind her, seeing that the majority were ones that would never be caught dead near Draco Malfoy. Focusing back on McGonagall, her chin wobbled and her brows knitted in sorrow as she fought back the waterworks. "He and I are no longer  friends," she admitted, trying to keep in her emotions. "He called me a blood traitor." A tear fell, and she saw McGonagall's expression soften, though there was a bit of shock. "And after his father's arrest, I wouldn't want to associate myself with someone like that." She knew her words were harsh, and they hurt for her to say, but they were already out, and she couldn't take them back.

She heard some murmurs around the room from her classmates, probably surprised that she and Draco were no longer on good terms. But all her mind could focus on was his eyes burning into the side of her face. She glanced over at him, seeing his eyes fall to the professor, who was staring at him with shock. Olivia sniffled a bit, covering her face as she tried to hold in her tears.

"Mr. Malfoy," McGonagall gasped, her tone full of shock. "We do not call others such awful names. It is not tolerated in this classroom or in this school, nor is what is written on this note." She took a step closer to him, holding up the parchment. Draco's mouth was hanging open as he tried to find words to defend himself, feeling Olivia's tear-filled eyes on him. But before he could utter a word, McGonagall added, "Detention for you. Come by my classroom this evening."

She turned around and made her way over to her desk as everyone watched her. Draco was scowling, clearly upset that he'd received detention, and Olivia studied him as he focused on her once more. She smirked at his anger, wiping away her tears as he glared at her, and then turned around to face the front.

After that, class began.

When they were leaving, Olivia stood up from her seat, gathered her things, and exited the room along with Train Boy. She really needed to figure out his name. It hadn't even been a day, and she was already tired of referring to him as Train Boy. That'd be a task for another day, however. She didn't get too far down the corridor, just like earlier, before Draco was grabbing her arm and pulling her away from the new boy and into an alcove, out of view of everyone else.

"What was that in there?" he asked, rather annoyed as he pointed out of the alcove.

Olivia furrowed her brows, seeming innocently confused. "What do you mean?"

"I didn't call you a blood traitor," he said pointedly. "And... Is my father's arrest why you're staying away from me and the others? Is that why you pulled that little crying stunt in the Great Hall?" He questioned her like the possibility had just crossed his mind. "If so, I hope you realize I can't control my father, nor his actions, and neither can Pansy, Theodore, Crabbe, or Goyle with their fathers. We can't help what or who our families decide to believe in." He huffed out a breath, his scowl still on his face, his brows furrowed in angered confusion. "I thought you understood that."

"That's not what it's about," she replied flatly, as if he were supposed to know what it was about.

"Then what is it?"

She took a step closer to him, her chest brushing against his as she stared up and into his eyes. "Am I supposed to explain everything to you?" She quirked a brow, and her face fell flat again, only a wicked smirk turning the corners of her mouth. "Now, if you'll excuse me, I have somewhere to be."

"Where?"

"Away from you," she replied, brushing past him and exiting the alcove. She didn't look back at him, letting him stare at her back.

He huffed out a breath once she was gone, running a hand through his hair.

What was going on with her?

≀⋆⁺₊⋆ ꗃ 𖦹⨳✺

Later that day, Olivia stood at the door in front of Snape's classroom. Now that he was no longer Potions Master, he was in the DADA classroom and office, which was something Olivia knew she was going to have to get used to. Her meetings with him were also something she was going to have to get used to since it'd been so long since they'd had them. She realized that if she needed to talk later in the night or earlier in the morning, she'd have to make a longer commute.

She would only admit it to herself, but she was going to rather miss him as Potions Master. She hoped Slughorn would be good, though, but despite his already clear favoritism towards Harry, she wasn't sure he would be any different than Dumbledore. It was to be expected, Harry being favored by the man—he was Harry Potter, after all. But she knew the older man had been a Slytherin during his time at Hogwarts, so she prayed to Merlin that it wasn't too bad. That he wasn't biased towards anyone, even his own house, like most of the professors could be.

Raising her fist, Olivia knocked on the door, not waiting for Snape to tell her to come in before opening the door. Classes were over for the day, so she didn't have to worry about interrupting one of his lessons. As she entered, he looked up from the work on his desk and found her eyes as she shut the door behind her.

"Hello," she greeted, not sounding rather enthusiastic. He didn't expect any less from her, and she knew that. She was glad for it. She wasn't quite in the happy-go-lucky mood that year, not that she had been any other year. She made her way over to his desk, pulling a chair with her so that she could sit in front of it, as always. When she stopped, she placed her bag on the floor next to her feet and clasped her hands in her lap as she stared at him.

He just stared back, his face blank.

"Thought we could continue our meetings now that Umbridge is no longer here," she admitted, practically mumbling her words. She didn't know why she was so uncomfortable being there. It wasn't like anything new. The meetings had begun in her third year. Snape knew more of her feelings than most of her friends did. She'd only just confessed things to Pansy. The only person over Snape was Lucas, but still, her brother didn't know some of the things the professor did.

Snape continued to stare at her as she averted her eyes, placing them on her hands as she picked at the skin around her nails. Then he looked away from her and focused on his work once more. "How's everything going with your friends?" he asked, sounding like the question was on the back of his mind—just a form of small talk—as he flipped through the parchment in front of it. But Olivia knew it was just an act he was putting on to get her to open up more.

"What do you mean?" Her brows furrowed like she had no idea what he was talking about as she focused on him. "Everything's fine." She didn't know why she showed up to this meeting if she was going to be closed off and not tell him the truth—she had done it the first time, and she was doing it now.

Everything was not fine.

He glanced up before focusing back on the parchment. "You speak as if I wasn't in the Great Hall this morning, Olivia. I saw you crying and sitting with Potter, Granger, and Weasley at the Gryffindor table." He set the parchment down, clasping his hands over it as he met her cold gaze. "Everyone did."

She frowned her lips carelessly, shaking her head gently, and shrugged. "Still don't understand what that has to do with my friends."

"I assumed something had happened with them or perhaps Draco to make you seek their comfort." He watched her go to speak but continued before she could utter a word, already knowing what her argument would be. "I am aware that you have gotten closer over the years, seeing all you've been through together."

Snape fell silent, his thoughts going back to her going into the Chamber of Secrets with Potter and Weasley, her following Potter and Granger under the Whomping Willow and into the Shrieking Shack to save Weasley from Black, her and Potter competing in the Triwizard Tournament together and facing Voldemort, who in turn killed Cedric Diggory right in front of them, and her teaching Dumbledore's Army with Potter and going to the Department of Mysteries with a slew of other students, where they faced off Death Eaters, including Lucius Malfoy. He didn't speak any of this aloud, however, waiting for her to bring it up.

But she didn't, so he continued. "You have a routine, Olivia, is all." She just stared at him blankly. "You've explained this to me. You've done it most of the days you've spent in this castle." She woke up from her nightmares, got ready for the day, walked around the castle until breakfast, went to breakfast and found her friends, went to lessons, went to the Great Hall, the library, or the common room for her lunch break, finished her lessons for the day, went to the library or Astronomy Tower or both before dinner, went to the Great Hall for dinner and to meet her friends, and then went back to her room to get ready for bed and sleep so she can repeat it again the next day. "I couldn't help but notice that you broke that routine this morning."

Olivia remained quiet, keeping her breathing steady, though he could tell that she was annoyed that he could read her so well. Then her expression relaxed as she shrugged again, looking away from him with a raise of her brows, trying to make it seem like the conversation was boring her. She inhaled deeply, then exhaled, focusing back on him. "I wanted a change. I need a break from my friends, so I thought I'd go to Harry, Hermione, and Weasley. I didn't realize that was a crime." She smirked, putting a careless and sarcastic mask on. "Lock me away in Azkaban."

"Ah." Snape lifted his chin, his tone still in its monotone glory. "So something did happen? Mind telling me what it was?"

Olivia's smirk fell as she narrowed her eyes slightly at him. "I overheard them call me a blood traitor," she confessed, inhaling deeply as she looked down at her hands.

His brows raised, showing a bit of surprise. "With Lucas around?"

"No," she answered quickly, looking up at him with knitted brows. How could he think her brother would be around for such a thing? She sighed, running a hand through her hair. "He was off with his Ravenclaw friends."

He seemed to think about this information for a moment, taking in her words with an unreadable expression as his eyes fell off her. Then he looked up, seeing her looking off to the side. "Well," he began, causing her eyes to snap to him. "I'm sure if you tell him, he'd want to stop spending time around them. Perhaps you could tell him so he's not confused as to why you've suddenly stopped being around." His gaze turned more suspicious as he narrowed his eyes. "Unless you're not telling him because you're lying."

Olivia scoffed, grabbing her bag from the floor. "This is stupid," she told him, getting up from her seat and slinging the strap of her bag over her shoulder. She walked to the door, and she could feel his eyes on her back. Then she stopped in her tracks and whipped around. "I'm not lying, I'll have you know," she said pointedly, taking a step closer. "I just don't see a reason for telling him. I know my brother. Now that I'm no longer going to be around, he'll probably be off with his Ravenclaw friends more. After all, he only became friends with the others because they were my friends. Now, he has the freedom to do what he wants."

Snape stood from his desk, rounding it but keeping a rather large distance between them. "He has come to care about them, has he not? He does consider them his friends as well, right?"

Olivia sighed, looking away from him as she shifted on her feet. "He does."

"And you don't want to ruin that because of something that you're not being truthful about, am I correct?" He raised his brows as she faced him again with clear irritation on her features.

"I am not lying," she replied matter-of-factly. "And besides the whole blood traitor thing, their parents are Death Eaters. There is nothing wrong with me no longer wanting to associate myself with those kinds," she added bitterly, raising her chin with some pride.

"You've never seemed to care about that before."

"Things change," she stated flatly. "Now, if you'll excuse me, I'm going to the library." She whipped around without another word or letting him speak and walked out of the classroom, making a scene of her storming over to the door.

She was practically fuming as she went down the corridor. The nerve Snape had on him to question her decisions. What was the big deal about her wanting a fresh start? A change? New friends? People who actually agreed with her views and weren't blood purists. The Golden Trio wasn't even as bad as some made them out to be, even if Weasley was involved. Not even as bad as Olivia had once thought them to be. Yes, Hermione could be a know-it-all, but so could Olivia. Harry could jump to conclusions even without proof, but so could Olivia. Weasley could be annoying. Did they still get special treatment? Yes, and that irritated Olivia to no end, but she knew that it wasn't completely their fault. And it wasn't as if she was going to spend every waking moment with them.

She made her way down the corridors, going to the library, where she sat and studied for the rest of the time before dinner. Afterwards, she didn't head to the Astronomy Tower like she might've on some other nights, not wanting to be there as of late. Instead, she went straight to the Great Hall for dinner and went over to the Slytherin table. This time around, however, she didn't stop when she came across her former friends talking and laughing amongst each other; she went right by them and found the emptiest part of the table.

She received some odd looks from the ones at the table with her, which she ignored as she began filling her plate. She noticed some mutters and whispers around her and even from her friends—former friends—who had stopped their conversation to look at her in confusion. Her eyes did not find theirs as she grabbed a book from her bag and opened it to the page she was on. She began reading and eating her dinner, away from everyone else, and not paying mind to their curiosity. Not even the blank stare she felt on her from the professors' table.

It was only a moment later that someone was sitting down in front of her. She looked up from her book, feeling their eyes on her, and she met the familiar brown eyes of Train Boy. He had a small smile on his face as she countered his expression with a bored look.

"Hi there," he said.

"Hi," Olivia muttered before focusing back on her book.

"Have you figured out my name yet?"

She hadn't even tried.

Olivia focused on him with a sigh as she closed her book, knowing that she was not going to be able to read while he was sitting in front of her. "No, I have not." She set her book next to her plate, then placed her elbows on the table as she leaned forward slightly. "For now, you are still Train Boy," she replied with a tight smile.

"Ah." He nodded in understanding. "Have you heard about the beginning of the year party Slytherin is going to be throwing?" he asked her rather loudly, causing some around him to glare at him as they shushed him. He furrowed his brows at them, giving them a confused look before focusing on Olivia with one of the same. He lowered his voice with his next words as he leaned forward. "Nott and Zabini are hosting it, right? I'm still not sure who they are." He lightly laughed.

"Theodore Nott and Blaise Zabini, yes. I'm surprised you don't know them since their families are quite wealthy and popular in our world," she told him, actually slightly surprised.

"I don't usually keep up with the different families in our world, Olivia," he replied, still with a smile, though it had turned more into a smirk. "I barely know anyone at this school."

She narrowed her eyes in suspicion. "But you know me?"

"Everyone knows you." His smirk deepened as he sat up straighter. "You're Olivia Mallard. You forget that I went to Durmstrang in my fourth year. You were all the talk when they got back. Olivia Mallard, the girl who faced You-Know-Who alongside Harry Potter and one of the winners of the Triwizard Tournament." He spoke as if he were reading from a headline.

"Right." She nodded, her face relaxing back into blankness.

"Now, about this party," he continued.

"We don't usually speak of them hence"—she pointed a finger around, nodding to the ones that had shushed him before dropping it—"all of the shushing. Only sixth and seventh years are allowed to attend since they're the most trusted to keep the secret of it all. Though they haven't really been secret from the other years in the past," she explained, keeping her voice low. It was a secret, after all. "It seems as if you came here at the perfect time. That is, if you're the partying sort." She paused, waiting for him to reply, but he didn't, so she continued. She looked over at her former friends, seeing them back to their conversation, though it didn't seem quite as joyous. "Blaise and Theodore are hosting it this year. The honor was passed down to them from the previous hosts of the last two years since they're the most trustworthy to make it actually interesting. Though I am sure they'll have Pansy's help. It's one of the only times all the houses get together without too much incident, so I've heard."

"Interesting," he muttered, also looking over at the group of Slytherins. Then his gaze slowly fell on Olivia again. "I'm not sure if I'm the partying sort. Are you?"

Olivia shrugged, meeting his eyes. "I've learned that my emotions get the better of me when I'm drunk." She thought back to the ball after her fourth year had ended. It wasn't one of her best memories.

He seemed to study her for a moment. "Why do I get the feeling that you're one that doesn't like to share their emotions?"

"Perhaps, because I am not." She looked over him. "Not with strangers at least."

"Am I a stranger?"

"Seeing as I just met you, I am going to go with yes."

He laughed, and Olivia didn't know why, but it was unsettling to her. Not the laugh itself, but the fact that he had. "Well, hopefully that can change. That is, if you're not dragged away every time we talk," he told her, glancing over at Draco, who was now glaring at them. Olivia didn't look over to Draco as Train Boy focused back on her. He stared at her for a moment before quirking a brow. "Is he your boyfriend, or...?"

"No," Olivia answered quickly. "Why do you ask?"

"Just curious." He shrugged, and she narrowed her eyes slightly.

"I'm not looking for anything romantic, so..."

He raised his hands defensively. "I wasn't assuming you were, Olivia," he admitted, a small smirk turning at his mouth. He dropped his hands to the table, his smirk still in place. She couldn't read him, and that annoyed her quite a lot. She couldn't figure out what he was aiming for by befriending her. "I'm not interested in you like that, I can assure you."

Her eyes stayed narrowed as she looked over him in suspicion. "Not like that, you say. So then, how are you interested in me? Or rather, why?"

His smirk deepened, and her annoyance grew. She didn't like others knowing something she didn't, especially when they flaunted that fact in her face, much like he was doing in this moment. "You'll see," he told her, leaning slightly forward. Then he began standing up, and her eyes followed him. He looked down at her and stepped over the bench. "I'll see you later, Olivia. Try to figure out my name in the meantime." He let out a chuckle as he began to walk away, putting his back to her.

She just watched his every move with a glare, seeing him go from where she was at the table, pass by, and glance over at Draco, who, in turn, glared at him, and then go to the doors before exiting the Great Hall.

She wasn't sure how she felt about that boy. He'd grabbed her on the train to get her attention instead of just saying her name, which he had clearly already known; he'd put her up to some name game and knew more about her than she knew about him, and he was very vague, like Dumbledore. He also acted like he knew something she didn't, and he was very confident in himself, which Olivia usually found admirable, but he was almost too confident in himself. It was annoying.

It drove her mad that she couldn't figure him out.

She would, though, one day. Whether he liked it or not, she would.

Sighing, Olivia put her book back in her bag and ate as much of her dinner as she could before she stood up from the table, throwing the strap of her bag over her shoulder, and began making her way towards the double doors. Just before she could make her escape, however, she felt a hand on her shoulder and heard someone say her name.

Turning around, her eyes landed on Harry, who seemed a bit out of breath from where he had undoubtedly jogged towards her from the Gryffindor table. He was looking at her with a curious look, which she returned with a raise of her brows.

"You know, if you want, you can sit at the Gryffindor table with us, so you don't have to sit alone," he told her, throwing his thumb over his shoulder in the direction of his house's table, where Weasley and Hermione sat and watched them. "I saw that you had someone to sit with, but just in case he's not around."

She smiled at him kindly. "Thanks, Harry. I'll keep that in mind."

"Of course, Olivia." He returned the smile. "You're always welcome with us."

"Good to know."

It was certainly good to know.

≀⋆⁺₊⋆ ꗃ 𖦹⨳✺

━━━━ ella's speaking !
so sorry for the wait 😭 i took a two-week break from writing (not by choice- life and other things got in the way) and i haven't had any time to edit chapters until now. i plan to get back into the swing of things bc i hoping to have this fic finished and published by the end of january (original goal was end of dec but i digress)

anyway, i hope you enjoyed this chapter, and bare with me for what's to come! and tysm for 49K reads !!

make sure to comment and vote 🫶🏻

kisses.

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

word count: 5761. written: 8.11.-9.19.24. published: 12.18.24.