Aary's POV
"Stop it." Draco hisses.
I dig my finger into the icing on the cake and lick it off dramatically, all while smiling at him. He shoots me a glare and continues to place sprinkles on the top.
"How come we didn't do anything for Mal's birthday last year?" I ask.
He sighs. "I offered, she wasn't really up for it."
Looking back at this time a year ago, I thought that was our lowest point. I think that's what we all thought.
"Alright, get out of my way." Draco demands while picking up the cake.
I roll my eyes while moving to the opposite side of the counter beside Blaise. Once Draco starts making his way to Snape's study, we follow behind. He signals for me to knock on the door and I do so.
After a few seconds, Snape opens the door slowly. He stares down at the cake awkwardly with newspaper in his hand. He sighs heavily, then moves out of the way. I peek past Draco's shoulder and see Mal passed out in one of the chairs with a book cradled in her arms.
Carefully Draco sets the cake on the tea table, then crouches beside her. He moves the strand of hair dangling in her face and slowly I see her eyes open.
"Happy birthday, loser." Draco says quietly.
She sits upright and stretches her arms dramatically, then pulls Draco in for a kiss. Snape rolls his eyes before exiting the room.
"We made you a cake!" I say happily while pointing to the table.
"I made you a cake." Draco mumbles.
Blaise mocks him while cutting the cake into slices. Mal brings her knees up to her chest and smiles at us.
"You three are the greatest." She says. "What kind of cake is it?"
"Strawberry." Draco and I say in sync.
I take a plate from Blaise and hand it to Mal, who quickly starts eating. Her and Snape have spent the past 24 hours discussing horcruxes and I don't think she's really taken care of herself while doing so.
"So," Draco sighs while wiping his mouth. "What do you want to do today?"
Mal shrugs. "We could watch a movie or something-"
"Lame, try again." Blaise yawns.
She slouches in the chair and crosses her arms. I notice Draco getting lost in thought but before I can ask him anything, he starts talking.
"I have an idea."
Mal scrunches her eyebrows. "What?"
"I have an idea, but it's mad." He mutters.
Mal and I make eye contact and I can't help but smirk. Although Draco hasn't explained, I know it's right up our alley.
"Get dressed," Draco says while getting up. "We're going to take a trip to Wiltshire."
Malory's POV
I still have no clue what we're doing or what Draco has planned, but it's an excuse to wear something other than pajamas.
(Malory's outfit for the night)
"You know you don't have to wear long sleeves around us, right?" Aary asks. "We aren't scared of the mark or anything."
(Aary's outfit for the night)
I stare down at my left arm and sigh. If only she knew that's not what I'm worried will scare them.
"I know, it's just my entire closet." I chuckle.
She comes up behind me in the mirror and wraps her arms around my waist, giving me a hug. When she rests her head on my shoulder, I smile at her in the mirror. I wait for her to do the same but she just frowns.
"I'm sorry we can't have a party for your birthday."
I turn around and face her. "As long as I'm with you three, I'm happy. Okay?"
Her sad expression eventually turns to a smile. She leaves a kiss on my nose then grabs my hand, and the two of us hurry into the sitting room.
Blaise and Draco hop up from the sofa the second they see us. My eyes grow big when I see Draco's outfit, specifically because I didn't pick it out and it looks good.
(Draco's outfit for the night)
(Blaise's outfit for the night)
"Are you ready to have fun?" He asks me while wrapping his arms around my shoulders.
I nod. "Can you please tell me what we're doing?"
He pretends to zip his lips and before I can flick him off, he uses a finger to twirl me in a circle.
"I like this outfit a lot." He tells me.
Aary stares down at her imaginary watch as a way of letting us know that it's time to go. Draco nods for me to leave out the door first so I start walking, but then a voice stops me.
"You can't just leave without telling me where you're going." Snape snaps.
I look up at Draco for an answer. He runs his fingers through his hair and chuckles.
"I already told you, we're going to Wiltshire."
Snape's eyes narrow. "No, you're not. If The Dark Lord sees you, he's not going to be happy."
"I thought you said you wanted me to be a kid." I mutter.
He gives me a sympathetic look. "I do, but right now is not the time."
I let go of Draco's hand and walk over to Snape. At first he looks confused but when I pull him in for a hug, he doesn't question it.
"I know you're trying to protect us, and I really appreciate it." I say softly. "But I may never get the chance to have fun ever again."
He sighs, then gently pulls away from me. "Just please don't go to Wiltshire. That's the last place you four need to be right now."
I smile and nod, then rejoin the others at the front door. We all say one last goodbye, then hurry outside.
"Well now where are we going to go?" Aary huffs.
Draco signals for us to grab onto him and immediately we do just that. In an instant, the four of us are transported to an empty street in a new town. I glance at the houses for a long moment, they look familiar.
"Where are we?" Blaise asks.
"Wiltshire." Draco responds while walking.
I pull on his sleeve, nervously. "I told Snape we wouldn't come here, Draco!"
When I don't stop nagging him, he stops aggressively and turns to face us.
"We had to come here, alright?"
Aary and I both tilt our heads, confused. "Why?"
"Because," Draco smirks. "This is where the car is."
Before I can ask questions, I see Draco raise his hand with a key between his fingers. When he presses it twice, the sound of a car alarm goes off in the distance.