The Divine Bloodline |H.P.|

|44| The Triwizard Tournament

The sound of heels clicking echoed hauntingly through the halls. Caspian tried his best to look at whoever was coming, but his heavy eyelids refused to open.

Instead, all he could do was lie there and wait. Wait as whoever was coming was going to see him absolutely shit faced on the floor, reeking of booze. He probably looked as bad as he felt.

Please don't let it be mom, he groaned to himself. She worries too much...makes the things that aren't a big deal a big deal, yet ignores the important stuff...

But also don't let it be-

"Caspian? What are you doing?"

His eyes finally opened, but they still felt quite heavy. Everything was blurry at first. Gradually, though, everything became clearer, and he could see a woman in a satin green dress and wide worried pale eyes.

He smiled drowsily. "Can't you tell, Isabella? I'm having my own party," he slurred, swinging the bottle back to his lips. He heard Isabella curse.

"No no no, give me that," she cooed gently, prying the bottle from his grasp. She joined him on the floor and placed the bottle where he couldn't reach.

Caspian scoffed. "Since when did you become such a bore."

"Since when did you drink? That's usually mom and dad's department," she quipped.

He scowled. "Don't compare me to him."

"Then stop acting like a-" she paused abruptly, seconds away from saying something they both knew she would regret.

She took a deep breath. "Let's start over. Why did you leave the party?"

"Why did YOU leave the party? Getting away from your fiance?" He teased.

Isabella chuckled humorlessly. The noise cold and cruel.

"Rabastan is not my fiance."

"Oh thank god. You could do so much better," he scoffed.

His sister giggled. "I know I can. That's why I'm with Sirius."

"...he wears a man-bun."

"What does that have to do with anything?"

"Just thought it was worth mentioning," he shrugged, pulling out a pack of cigarettes from within his tux. As he put one between his lips, Isabella held her hand out.

He handed her a cigarette, and lit it up for both of them.

Caspian dropped his head back against the wall, exhaling heavily. "How are things between you and Black?"

Isabella's eyes widened. "Fine...thanks for asking."

"No problem," he nodded.

For a few moments they sat in silence. The deep bass of the orchestra from the ball room cast a strange, deep low hum. The cigarettes gradually burned out, becoming shorter and shorter as more heavy smoke filtered though the air.

"Is it true he got kicked out this past summer?" Caspian blurted.

Isabella frowned. "He did not get kicked out. He chose to leave."

"That's not what Walburga Black is saying," he said in a sing song voice.

Isabella rolled her eyes. "Yes, because society gossip has just always been so reliable, hasn't it?"