The Barrows. Another pureblood family from the long lines of Slytherin ancestry. It's 1991, and Elmira and Clyde Barrows' daughter's first year at Hogwarts School of Witchcraft and Wizardry has arrived.
The Wizarding World is not safe to our young O...
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"𝐃𝐫𝐚𝐜𝐨, 𝐭𝐞𝐥𝐥 𝐦𝐞."
☾ ⋆*･ﾟ:⋆*･ﾟ:⠀ *⋆.*:･ﾟ .: ⋆*･ﾟ.⋆ ☽
The two Slytherins slipped away undetected, retreating quickly to the castle's dungeons and towards the common room. Almost everyone had gone to their dorms by now; it was nearly ten o'clock, the curfew was at ten. They descended the stairs, their dress shoes clicking on the cut flagstones that curved downwards into the depths of the school that not many people dared to tread unless they had class or were a Slytherin student themselves. Many of the corridors were closed off to students, but it mainly was just storage, Ophelia believed. Excess books, cauldrons or materials that a student might need but only permitted in the classroom. Snape's storeroom was just next to his office, a dingy little cupboard that was filled to the brim with beakers and vials of various herbs, powders and dissected animals like newts and frogs. Ophelia had only seen the room for a moment, Snape was standing on a ladder and gathering ingredients for their next potions class, and once he caught her snooping, he shut the door with a flick of his wand.
Draco grabbed Ophelia's arm once he realised she was daydreaming, again, and pulled her into the main chamber of the house, straight across the entire room before settling down in a small, more private place where they could talk. The main commons were only filled with the procrastinators and insomniacs who were awake late into the night but wouldn't disturb the two unless necessary. Some bookshelves next to a smaller fireplace burning with a dying flame that flickered across the empty walls. The only two main pieces of furniture in the room were two black leather chairs, matching the giant sofas in the main room, which sat in front of a dying fire in the cool air from the underside of the Black Sea. The water filled the room with a murky, bluish-green light that only appeared on sunny days when the sky wasn't as dismal as it was today. Though, it was still home. At least when Draco was there.
He had dragged her through the entire school and only let go when the two sat in their respective seats. Ophelia stared at Draco intently.
"Is there anything you'd like to tell me?" Ophelia asked tartly. The boy stayed quiet, shifting uncomfortably and pursing his lips.
"Draco," Ophelia demanded.
"Well..." Draco started, hands slapping his knees and dropping his shoulders with a slump.
"Just tell me for bloody sake!"
"Fine! Merlin, you sound like my mother. Anyways, my father wrote back to me." Draco said, biting his top lip and sliding it through his teeth.
Ophelia was confused. He hadn't told her about him writing to his father and wracked her brain for a sliver of conversation that mentioned a letter. She furrowed her eyebrows. Once Draco realised her confusion, he clarified.
"I know you asked me not to, but... I... I needed to know."
Finally, it clicked. Ophelia had told Draco about the conversation she overheard her father, and Mr Malfoy had just before the term started. Draco had offered to write to his father to clarify her concerns, but she shut it down immediately. Of course, she felt hurt; Draco had disobeyed her wishes and knew she would receive an interesting letter from her father any day now. But still, she wanted to know the answers.
"That's it? That's what you dragged me through the entire castle to tell me about?" Ophelia was baffled.
"Well, no." Draco replied, standing up and beginning to pace about the room.
"Then what else?" Ophelia followed the blonde boy with her head, sitting cross-legged and placed her hands on her crossed ankles.
"Well, I asked him about the night he spoke with your father," Draco said, gesturing to something invisible with his hands as he explained every detail. "He was a bit disturbed by your eavesdropping but promised that he wouldn't write to your father. I begged him not to, I promise I did."
Draco stopped in his tracks and held out his pinky to her, which she interlocked her own pinky with and shook it once.
"Keep going." Ophelia urged.
"He said that there was something very important that he was tasked to do, and it was nothing that neither of us had to worry about. They were talking about someone very important, and kept assuring me that he wouldn't hurt us."
"He? Who's he?" Ophelia inquired.
"He as in You Know Who." Draco said quietly, the name enduring an eerie sense of nervousness.
"Really?"
"I presume so. But I wonder, why would he not hurt us?" Draco tapped his chin with his index finger in deep thought.
"Why are you asking me? You're the one with all the information." Ophelia said airily, exhaling as she spoke.
"It was rhetorical! Geez." Draco held up his hands in defence.
"Maybe it's got something to do with our parents," Draco kept on. "I mean, your father and mine are in good standing with the Wizemganot–"
"Wizengamot." Ophelia corrected him with a sly smirk of her own.
"Shove off. As I was saying, they're in good standing. People like Weasley's traitor of a father aren't. Maybe it's something to do with that." Draco continued, shooting a playful glare at Ophelia as he kept talking.
"That seems implausible, and too obvious." Ophelia shrugged, tossing her legs over the armrest of the chair and lying back.
"It was only a suggestion. Everyone's got to start somewhere, anyways." Draco replied.
"Hopefully we'll figure it out before he does any more damage." Ophelia suggested.
"Us? You're joking."
"Everyone's got to start somewhere." Ophelia smirked playfully, sharing an equally mirthful grin with the blonde boy. Everything seemed as if it was going their way.
☾ ⋆*･ﾟ:⋆*･ﾟ:⠀ *⋆.*:･ﾟ .: ⋆*･ﾟ.⋆ ☽
Author's Note: EEEE sorry this took me so long to get out i was having a moment with schoolwork and just mental shit, but i am BACK ON THAT GRIND BAYBEE. in the words of tommyinnit: "i'm married to the grind."
"no more cringy minecraft youtuber stuff, please!": i can hear you all begging.
okay! byebye now i'll see you in the next chapter :)
P.S. whaattt no im not writing this so i can extend the word count whattttt get outta here
