SERENDIPITY. ❪ harry potter ❫¹

𝐯. GINGERS IN THE ALLEY

"I'd just have Father or Mother use a serving charm," Draco said matter of factly. "Much more effective."

Nyx just got up from hanging up yet another blanket to fortify their walls and left in search of some scissors and paper. Much to her surprise, she ran into Dobby the house elf; she would have thought everyone would be asleep at this time. When she explained her situation to Dobby, he snapped his fingers, disappeared from her sight then appeared again with the material and tools that she needed.

"Well look at that!" Nyx laughed. She bent down and hugged the small creature. "Thank you so much, Dobby."

The little house-elf just looked at her with his large eyes, unsure of what to do—no one in his entire life had ever hugged him before, honestly, he wasn't sure what the gesture was; but he liked it.

"Anytime, Miss Nyx Riddle."

With the materials that she needed, Nyx went straight to work, cutting away, folding in certain places and then using some tape that Dobby had kindly gotten for her to piece her fabrication together then she picked up a gas lamp and rushed back to Draco's room.

When Nyx barged back into his room Draco opened his eyes quickly and sat up. He had been trying to get some sleep in while she was away but now that she was back, and that seemed like a pipe dream. 

He watched curiously as Nyx set the lit lamp in the middle of their blanket fort and then placed the paper she'd cut up with strange designs over the top of it. His eyes widened when the inside of their fort was illuminated with lights of different sizes and shapes, on closer inspection he saw that they were... stars?

"How did you do that?" Draco asked her, his voice a low whisper.

Nyx laid down across from him, on the other side of the lamp onto some of the pillows Draco had filled their fort with. 

"Arts and crafts at my orphanage. About three years ago we learned how to make paper lanterns for Halloween after learning that we couldn't use pumpkins."

Draco nodded and laid down on their back, looking at the lights. But for some odd reason, he couldn't shake the feeling that Nyx was hiding something or rather waiting for him to ask her about something so she could have a reason to talk about it.

"Okay, what's going on?" he asked her. When she didn't answer he turned his head to look at her. Nyx was staring at the lamp, for once her eyes weren't twinkling with wonder and there wasn't a smile plastered on her face. She looked worried, tense even. It made him realize something, in that moment when Draco looked at her he no longer saw a caricature but a human being capable of doubts and worries.

"You came to me." He started again. Her eyes flickered up to him. "You could have gone to my parents but you came to me. Why?"

"I like you," she admitted gently.

"You've only known me for a day. You don't know everything about me if you did," Draco paused. He was sure. They were two different people entirely. "Well, you wouldn't be saying that."

"I like you," Nyx repeated herself, ignoring everything he'd just said. "Everyone I once knew is long gone, but you're here. You're my friend."

"I'm here..." Draco whispered. It was weird having someone say that to him. Draco had friends, sure, but none of his friends had ever said something like that to him; admitted so subtly that they needed him, and none of them had done it after only one day of knowing a thing.

"You can talk to me," he found himself saying. Now, that was certainly out of character.

"Everything has been amazing so far," Nyx started. It would seem that Draco had said just the right words to get her to start talking. "Truly. But now I've realized just how crazy it all is. Learning so much information in a matter of weeks? Then being shipped off yet again to this Hogwarts School? Meeting so many new people... I don't know. I've realized how terrifying it all is. What if I'm not built for it?"