WITH FIRE AND IRON | Draco Malfoy

xvi. case

"Aren't you two friends?" He uses his free arm to prop himself up. "I don't think Malfoy would appreciate you talking behind his back to me."

Her shoulder moves up to give him a half-shrug and leans on her arms. "I'm not insulting him or talking behind his back. I'm holding him accountable for his idiocy. His envy blinded him yesterday. Don't misunderstand me though, I still think he's a great flyer. Besides, he's aware as well."

Diana turns her head away to stare at the light streaming down on the glass panes and into the room. The sight was quite beautiful, distracting. Harry saw this as a sign to drop the subject. She had that far away look again, in her eyes. The one he would see during classes when she's walking, and even eating in the Great Hall. It's hard not to notice, eyes naturally gravitate to her.

Tap. Tap. Tap.

The sound of footsteps grew closer and closer, catching the two's attention at once. They were frantic as if something were chasing their necks. That wasn't the case though. It was the case of carrying in the frozen body of Colin Creevey.

* * *

Rumors flew around the place like owls dropping down letters and parcels. The news of the odd attacks has spread across the whole castle. Despite this, however, Diana and Draco's friend group remained calm and unbothered.

"Get your smelly feet off you doorknob," shrieked Pansy, pushing Blaise's sock-covered feet off of her lap. A loud yelp escapes him when she does manage to push him off but rather his legs, his whole body fell.

"Oops," she says, unapologetic before proceeding to flip through her copy of the Prophet Daily.

"Checkmate," from the round table beside the fireplace, said Draco as he and Theo sat with a chessboard in front of them. Theo's face scrunching slightly in a frown and Draco's proud smirk--he didn't even try to hide it--at the sight of himself winning.

Daphne was back in the girl's dormitory, trying out a new skincare product her mother sent her from Asia and though she had the option to go as well, Diana stayed down with the others to make up for her early monthly check-up. A dark green blanket covered her, her sock cladded toes peeking out from underneath as she clutched the gift Draco had given her to her chest, using it as a cushion for her head.

"Why are women so violent?" Blaise groans, getting up from the ground as he rubs the soreness from his hip.

"You keep giving them reasons to," Pansy deadpanned.

His eyebrows furrowed and a frown appeared on his lips. They were agape as if to protest but it died down, unsure now on how to respond.

"I heard a rumor," a girl's voice sang from above them--Daphne. Her hair was tied in a bun, a silk robe wrapped around her pajamas as her face glistened with a white sheen.

"Here we go again," Theo sighed. He was left to clean once again the scraps of his loss. The smug smirk on Malfoy's face was sickening, it made his face harden into a sneer before bitterly picking up the piece with unnecessary force.

By then, Daphne already sat herself down between Pansy and Blaise.

"There's been another attack," she starts off. "It's a first-year this time. Colin Creevey was his name I think, Gryffindor."

Draco laughs, leaning back on his seat. "I should send the monster a present. Do you think it would appreciate a Hippogriff on a platter?"

"Makes you wonder though," Blaise muses. "Who could possibly be the Heir of Slytherin?"

All of them paused. Direct descendants of the four founders of Hogwarts were unheard of. Since the majority of them died off except for Helena Hufflepuff's descendants: The Smiths, but not everyone knew of that. They were humble characters and never really spoke of their ancestor.