Heliophilia; d.m

XXXI

VIOLET

"Are you sure this is a good idea? It's not too late to go back." I asked Draco again, standing on the small hill in front of the Wallace Mansion.

That night, no matter how many times I asked him if he was sure it was a good idea to show up there shoulder to shoulder with me, he looked more confident than ever. With a slight, barely noticeable grin, with a confident pose, opening his shoulders wide, he glanced at me and held out his elbow for me to take it.

"Let's go, Violet." He said under his breath as my hand brushed the fabric of his jacket at his elbow, and he led me toward the entrance to a large white-stone mansion, walking steadily down a narrow path.

The cutout at the hem of my dress exposed my thigh every time I took a step, blowing the warm evening air over my skin and my heels clicked on the stone path, almost drowning out the sound of the cicadas.

I could have enjoyed the beauty of their estate, the slender firs reaching their sharp tips into the sunset sky, where the peach-colored brushstrokes spread out, I could have stopped and watched the sunset, as the sun slowly sank below the horizon, hiding from our eyes, as the splash of azure water in a small fountain perfectly combined with the chirping of grasshoppers and the chirping of birds, I could have once again thought about how much I loved summer sunsets, if I hadn't been focused on a big, wide door that hid what I most didn't want.

"Let's go straight to my parents, they should be together." Draco said before entering the mansion. "Behave calmly and don't worry."

"You're confusing me with someone else. I'm not worried." I said, trying to sound as confident as I could, and Draco pulled me through the already open doors, with the roll of his eyes.

As soon as we crossed the threshold, I was enveloped by a wave of stuffy and warmer than the outside air. A light melody playing from the back of the house, and people with glasses in their hands met us with gazes.

And I couldn't tell if they were looking at us because we were late, because I wasn't supposed to be there, or all at once.

Without seeming to be bothered by anything, I squared my shoulders and let Draco lead me straight to Narcissa and Lucius, who were standing with Adele's parents, talking about something, with light and insincere smiles on their faces, which faded as soon as their eyes fell on me.

During my time living under the same roof with the Malfoy family, I had long ago realized how much they disliked it when things went wrong, when someone did something against them, when they had no control over it, and the look on their faces sent a pleasant shiver down my spine.

"Draco, Violet, good to see you." Adele's mother, I didn't even know her name, nodded slightly, smiling only at the corners of her lips, her eyes unreadable, and turned to her husband, not even waiting for us to say anything.

This was the essence of all those people who thought they were at the top of the wizarding world, who thought they were omnipotent, who were sure that they could do or say whatever they wanted just because of their status and amount of money — they were really empty people who showed their manners and hospitality only when it was convenient.

"I heard about your friend," She spoke again, raising her eyebrows as if she had just remembered my presence, "I'm sorry you lost her. Losing loved ones must be hard, right?" The question sounded so innocent and easy, as if it wasn't her daughter who killed my friend.

Adele was an exact copy of her mother, both externally and internally — they were like snakes, curling around you, whispering sweet words, but at any moment ready to pounce and spit out poison, or strangle you until your bones crack.