𝐊𝐀𝐋𝐎𝐍 | 𝘍𝘳𝘦𝘥 𝘞𝘦𝘢𝘴𝘭𝘦𝘺

Chapter 42 - My only Love

Her cousin mirrored her shrewd smirk, then his eyes lit up, "Oh, I nearly forgot! Mother wishes to meet you." Betelgeuse nearly chocked on her pumpkin juice.

"What?"

"Yes, after all the letters I wrote home about finding my lost cousin, she started nagging me about meeting you. I finally caved." Betelgeuse nodded. "Maybe you could spend the Yule evening at Malfoy Manor?" Betelgeuse detected a hopeful tone in Draco's voice and beheld a crestfallen look darken his fair visage when she shook her head. "I have a previous engagement on Yule eventide, but I could visit on New Year's Day."

Draco could not contain his happiness; finally, someone his age could stay with him during the Christmas holidays, and that someone was even a relative. He was elated. "I will inform Mother then."

Betelgeuse nodded, then with a solemn face, she added, " I am pleased your mother is delighted to meet me, as long as she does not start planning our wedding."

Draco spluttered the drink in his mouth from surprise, drenching a boy on the left of Betelgeuse. "Bloody —"

"Shut up, Blaise! — Salazar, never, and I mean NEVER, suggest a thing like that ever again, Bel," Draco grumbled, drying the water that had poured on his clothes with a silken handkerchief. Betelgeuse laughed at his flustered state. "It's not bloody funny."

"Sure, it is not, Draco."

"How is your tryst with the Weasel boy?" Draco casually asked, suppressing a grin. Betelgeuse's eyes widened slightly, but she quickly regained her usual aloof composure, Draco internally groaned. "I did not remember so many twattle-baskets at Hogwarts. I guess Hilliard is not the only one."

Draco frowned, "Who?"

"A Ravenclaw prefect Humungous Bighead paired me with."

Draco looked even more confused, "Who?!"

Betelgeuse dismissed his question with a blasé wave of her dainty hand.

"Draco," an approaching hight-pitched petulant voice interrupted the cousins' conversation. Betelgeuse saw Draco roll his pretty grey eyes at a short girl with black eyes and a black bowl haircut.

Ah, yes, Pansy Parkinson.

Pansy's dull black eyes ran over Betelgeuse's form; if Betelgeuse did not know any better, she would have assumed that Pansy Parkinson had a crush on her considering she was so clearly checking her out. "Black really isn't your colour," the girl stated with confidence, then with a much more subsided tone added, "Black."

Betelgeuse was indeed dressed in all black; she raised an eyebrow at her statement. Draco put his head in his hands and groaned.

This girl is truly an imbecile.

"I would wish to ignore your presence, but since you have imposed yourself so rudely on us, I desire to do you a favour and overlook the complete idiocy you just spoke. Furthermore, my black attire is more symbolic than a fashion statement." Betelgeuse stated nonchalantly.

"Oh?" Pansy stupidly asked.

Betelgeuse turned to the younger girl, smiling pleasantly. "The reason I wear black so much is to remind people like you, Parkinson, not to make me mad or annoyed because I am already dressed for their requiem, cretin." She finished with a sharp edge of her voice, and without sparing a last glance to the girl, turned to face her cousin.

"A failed Slytherin," he commented, smiling.

☆☆☆