𝖉𝖆𝖗𝖐 𝖕𝖆𝖗𝖆𝖉𝖎𝖘𝖊, 𝐝. 𝐦𝐚𝐥𝐟𝐨𝐲¹

𝟎𝟎𝟏. WARM WELCOME

        Draco held eye contact with Topaz as he, Goyle, and Crabbe made their way to a long sofa in front of the fire. His blue eyes held contempt, his lips pulled back in a sneer as he gazed at Topaz. His friends seemed to notice that he was uninterested in their conversation and their eyes drifted to Topaz as well.

       While Topaz and Draco certainly didn't get along, they didn't really interact all that often, either. They had a sort of...agreement, one could say. It came to fruition the day that Topaz and Draco first met two years ago. 

        After their little spat in the Great Hall, things only got worse once they reached the Slytherin common room that night. Topaz found Amber crying in the corner, horrified that she had been sorted into Slytherin instead of Ravenclaw, as every Lovegood before her had, and when Draco stumbled upon the crying girl, he wasted no time in sinking his claws in.

       Topaz got in his face and the two shoved each other around before Snape got in between them and docked a few points from House Slytherin for their behavior. Topaz remembered with a twitch of her lips the way Draco's cheek had glowed with a red handprint the size of Topaz's hand. She was the first and only person who had ever put her hands on Draco Malfoy, but the boy had somehow spun the tale into one that painted himself as the victim, as the one who had been mercilessly attacked for no reason.

      Still, after that encounter, Draco hadn't said a single word to Topaz in two years. Two years. She didn't mind being ignored by him and his idiotic friends, but when the other Slytherins started to treat her as if she was invisible, well, that changed things. It seemed that Draco truly was the Prince of Slytherin, as the majority of their house had no problem doing horrible things just to get in his good graces.

      The only time they ever interacted was when his friends picked on one of Topaz's few remaining friends, but even then, they didn't share words, only nasty looks.

       Draco paused for a moment, his body poised to take a seat on the black leather sofa as if he was struggling to decide between sitting or approaching Topaz. After a moment, he arched one pale brow and took a seat, his arms immediately crossing over his chest.

       Topaz's lips quirked ever-so-slightly as she settled back into the armchair and allowed her eyes to flutter shut. She was going to rest now that she knew Draco wasn't going to bother her. 

       Or so she thought.

        Only a few measly seconds passed before a pair of heavy footsteps shuffled toward Topaz. With a curt sigh, she opened her eyes to glare up at Goyle as he stared down at her with a stupid grin on his face.

       "Leave her be," Draco sighed from across the room, earning a curious glance from Topaz. "She's more trouble than it's worth," he muttered, his pale eyes sliding down her body before he turned away from the girl.

      Topaz scoffed as Goyle looked over at Draco. "What, worried I'll insult your girlfriend?" he teased with a high-pitched laugh, earning a snort from Crabbe. Draco, however, didn't appreciate the dig as he snapped his head up, his pale eyes full of fury.

       Both Topaz and Draco barked out a sarcastic laugh as they made eye contact from across the room. "Girlfriend?!" they exclaimed simultaneously. Topaz shook her head as she stood up, discarding the knitted blanket as she crossed her arms over her chest. "Goyle," she said with a condescending click of her tongue, "it would do you good to keep your oversized mouth shut for once. Draco would never be the object of my affection. I don't date bigots," she spat, her arms crossing over her chest. 

       Goyle's hand rose to his mouth as Draco slowly made his way over to them, Crabbe close behind. Goyle instinctively moved out of the way as Malfoy stepped around a small, round table, his eyes narrowing into silts. "Bigot?" he exclaimed in response, his brows raised beneath his blond bangs.