"Attention students," McGonagall's voice filled the great hall. The sound of forks and knives scraping against plates ceased as everyone looked towards the headmistress with resigned interest. "I'm sure by now most of you have heard about the murder in Dufftown."
A murmur filled the hall as people whispered about the muggle girl. Clementine's hair fell across her face, hiding from view as everyone continued chattering with their theories and speculation about her death.
"Due to its close proximity to our school, we have decided to increase security measures. Trips to Hogsmeade will only be allowed by those seventeen or older." McGonagall continued.
"You've gone mad!" Vanessa's voice called out in protest. It was followed by a roar of agreement from other students.
"Quiet!" McGonagall pursed her lips and waited for everyone to settle down, "Those older than seventeen, including professors, must go to Hogsmeade in groups of two or more. No one is to be on campus grounds near the woods alone until further notice."
"Things must be getting serious for McGonagall to alert the students." Theo muttered so only Clementine could hear. She looked up at him, watching the concern in his eyes fade to warmth as she met his gaze.
"Something like that." Clementine flushed, staring back down at the table. The subject of the Dufftown murder was getting harder to avoid. It kept creeping into conversation, and made her more and more anxious the more time she spent thinking about it.
"Oi," Neville whispered, leaning across Luna to get their attention, "We're all going to Hog's Head tonight. Are you coming?"
"Who is we?" Theo asked.
Neville shrugged, "The usual group."
Theo's face lit up and he looked at Clementine, "Sure, we'll come."
"I think I'll pass." Clementine muttered. She was not thrilled to have Theo answering for her. "It's been a long day."
"Suit yourself." Neville turned his attention back to McGonagall.
She played with the food on her plate for the remainder of McGonagall's speech, but had lost her appetite completely. She wasn't in the mood to be here. She just wanted to go back to her room and be alone.
As soon as they were dismissed, Clementine leapt out of her seat without as much as a goodbye. She knew Theo would catch up to her, he always did. She had barely made it out of the Great Hall when she felt his hand wrap around her wrist, pulling her to a stop.
"Clem, what's going on?" Theo's brows knit together in concern. "You don't want to go?"
"You could have asked me if I wanted to go to Hogsmeade." Clementine frowned, "Instead of just speaking for me."
"That's why you're mad?" Theo laughed, "I thought it was something serious. Come on, you have to go with me! We need to travel in pairs if you listen to what McGonagall has to say."
Clementine could feel her icy exterior melting away as she watched the smile on Theo's face. It never took much for him to convince her of anything, often to her own detriment. He grinned even wider as he felt her begin to cave.
"Alright, fine." Clementine conceded. She pointed a finger at him accusingly, "But you're buying all of my drinks."
"What kind of man would I be if I made a witch pay for her own drinks?" Theo winked.
The dirt crunched under their feet as they walked the path towards Hogsmeade. The sun had already set, and darkness covered everything like a blanket. Clementine pulled her coat tighter around her body as the air began to turn colder.
Theo held his wand in his hand, the tip of it illuminating the way. Every once in a while he would point it towards the woods, watching as the light got swallowed up by the dense layer of trees.
"Would you stop doing that?" Clementine picked up her pace, anxious to see the lights from Hogsmeade in the distance. "It's making me nervous."
"I'm just checking to make sure there's no murderers lurking in the darkness." Theo said, the sound being absorbed into the woods creating a chilling echo. "Don't worry. I'll be able to protect you if any werewolves cross our path."
"I'm more than capable of protecting myself. It's not the werewolves I'm concerned about." Clementine hissed.
"You're not seriously scared of a murderer on the loose, are you?" Theo shone the light from his wand in Clementine's face like an interrogation lamp.
Clementine squinted and looked away from the light, "No... I dunno... Maybe? The rune thing is bothering me. Luna thinks it was a blood ritual."
"Luna Lovegood also thinks that nargles are real." Theo snorted as he threw his arm around Clementine's shoulders. He pulled her close enough that the scent of his cologne, an intoxicating mix of tobacco and vanilla.
"One day she'll prove you right about all her little creatures." She smiled and leaned into Theo's embrace. He felt warm as the cool night air kissed her skin. "I think Luna knows more than any of us ever give her credit for."
The Hog's Head Inn came into view and the pair walked inside, greeted by a rush of warmth from the blazing fire. It was a small crowd tonight, just like every night, Clementine assumed. It seemed like the only people who frequented the pub were friends of Cho's, wanting to keep her in business.
"Look who finally showed up!" Neville raised his drink, still nearly full, and greeted them. They hadn't been there long, but he had been patiently awaiting their arrival.
"I didn't think you were coming." Blaise smirked, "Malfoy says that the dead body in the woods has you properly spooked, Clem."
Clementine's eyes drifted to the other side of the bar where Draco sat. He was busy staring at Theo's arm around her. She blushed and slipped out of his grasp to take the empty seat next to Blaise. "I'm not scared. It's just strange that the muggle police haven't come up with any leads yet. I think McGonagall is keeping information from me... From all of us."
"Maybe she has her reasons." Draco interjected.
"Firewhiskey?" Cho asked, but the question was rhetorical as she had already started to fill a glass, handing it to her. Clementine nodded in appreciation before taking her first sip. With Theo and Draco looming over her shoulders, she was going to need all the alcohol she could get.
"I would be scared if it were me." Blaise argued, "Neville showed us the muggle paper. You two look nearly identical."
"No they don't." Draco disagreed. "They just have the same hair color."
"Serial killers often have a type." Neville noted as his eyes scanned Clementine, "the hair... the eyes... similar body type. It all factors in to consideration."
"With all that taken into consideration, your fiancee would be a target as well." Draco's eyes drifted over to Luna who was conversing quietly with Cho. Her face lit up with laughter at something the witch was saying to her, none the wiser to the conversation happening on the other side of the room.
"That's different." Neville sputtered. "Luna is—"
"This isn't a serial killer!" Clementine interjected. Their conversation wasn't helping her nerves. "There's been one murder. One."
The bell on the door rang and the cool night air prickled Clementine's skin. She looked up to see Pansy Parkinson saunter into the room.
"Hello, boys." Pansy's painted red lips twisted up into a smirk. She leaned in and gave Theo a kiss on the cheek before passing by Clementine to do the same to Draco and Blaise. Her eyes landed on Neville and she frowned, "Longbottom."
"Parkinson." He responded in a similar tone. No one else in the room noticed the rising tension between the two except Clementine. Her eyes narrowed as she watched the woman glide across the room gracefully.
"Are you pathetic wizards ready for me to take all your money?" Pansy quirked a brow before raising a hand towards Cho, "My usual."
"There's no way I'm losing to you again." Blaise grinned and pulled out a satchel of galleons. He hopped down from his stool and moved to a nearby table. "I came more than prepared."
"What's she on about?" Clementine asked Theo, keeping an eye on the witch as she settled in at the table and produced a deck of cards.
"We play cards here once a week. Mostly for money, but sometimes it can get out of hand." He grinned suggestively. "Do you want to play?"
"I'm not one for gambling." Clementine declined.
"You in, Malfoy?" Pansy looked up at her friend as she and Neville settled in across from one another. Her eyes flickered to Neville and she gave him a sly smirk of approval.
"Only a fool would play against you in a game of dragon poker." Draco smirked, "I'd like to stay rich if I can help it."
"I'll play." Theo leapt from his seat to join their table. "I'll buy you a drink with my winnings, Clem."
"So you're coming here on dates with him now?" Draco slid on to Blaise's empty barstool and watched his friends ready to gamble away their galleons. He quickly got bored and let his eyes wander over Clementine's frame, finding her infinitely more interesting.
"It's not a date." Clementine kept her eyes trained forward, attempting to focus on the game. Draco was proving to be a distraction. "We have to come to Hogsmeade in pairs now, in case you haven't heard."
"That rule wasn't made for my benefit, believe me." Draco gloated. "I can handle myself just fine on my own."
"Typical." Clementine scoffed and finished off her drink. It burned the back of her throat as she swallowed it down. "Draco Malfoy always thinking he's above the rules."
"And I thought Clementine Beaumont didn't follow rules." Draco's eyes remained trained on her as if she were the only person in the room. He licked his lips slowly as his mouth quirked into a wicked grin.
"There's still time for that, believe me." Clementine looked back at the bar to see another drink already waiting for her. She picked it up and swirled it in her hand, letting the ice clink the sides of the glass before lifting it to her lips.
"Fuck!" Theo shouted. The two turned their heads to the table as he threw a few coins at Pansy. "Let's go again."
"I'm out." Neville stood from the table and yawned. Luna stood to follow. "I can't lose too much money, we need it for the wedding."
"We're meeting with wedding bands tomorrow." Luna sang as she intertwined her hand with Neville's, "The Weird Sisters are a top contender."
"The Weird Sisters... How appropriate." Pansy muttered to herself while rolling her eyes. She turned her attention to Clementine and Draco, "Now that Mum and Dad are leaving would you two care to play a game?"
Clementine watched as Pansy waved the cards in the air, tempting her.
"She won't play." Blaise's upper lip twinged as he smirked, "Clementine is too afraid of losing."
"I'll play a round." Clementine joined them at the table. She never liked being told she wouldn't do something. "However, I didn't come prepared with any money to gamble."
"Don't worry about money. This is the adult round, darling." Pansy hummed as she let the cards begin to shuffle themselves in the air, "You're familiar with High Card, Low Card?"
"Vaguely." Clementine wrinkled her nose. "You just guess if the next card is higher or lower than the last, right?"
"Oh, this'll be fun." Blaise's eyes lit up, "I love taking advantage of a new player."
"If not money, then what are we using to bet with?" Clementine asked.
"Our clothes." Pansy deadpanned as the cards set themselves neatly in a pile in the center of the table. One card flipped over to reveal a sleeping dragon. Clementine watched as smoke poured in and out of the dragon's nostrils. It was a seven.
"I'll play." Draco pulled out the empty chair next to Clementine and sat down. Theo did little to hide his displeasure at the sight of his best friend joining the group.
"I knew you couldn't resist." Pansy's smirk grew wider. She pulled the top card off of the deck and stared at it, "Alright, Malfoy. Is this card higher or lower than a seven?"
"Higher." Draco said affirmatively.
Pansy flipped the card around in her manicured fingers to reveal a nine before tossing the card at him. She peeled her shirt off of her torso, revealing her bright purple bra and chest tattoos. "You're no fun."
Clementine looked around the bar, noticing that they were the only people left besides Cho who was quietly watching while she cleaned up behind the bar.
Theo flipped the next card over to reveal a three. He picked up the next one from the stack and grinned, "Alright, Tangerine. Higher or lower?"
Draco scoffed at the use of her nickname before leaning back in his chair to watch the two of them play the round. Clementine did her best to ignore him as she focused on Theo, but Draco's face was stuck in her peripheral. She could easily tell by the look on Theo's face that the card was lower than a three.
"Lower."
Theo tossed the two card across the table and undid the buckle of his belt, tossing it onto the table. He looked at Blaise before he could say anything. "That count's as an item of clothing."
"Cheater." Blaise chuckled before swiping the next card from the deck to flip it over. An eight. He held one in his hand before looking at Pansy. "Your go."
"Lower." She said confidently.
"So close, but no." Blaise blew out air from his cheeks and flipped the card over, "A nine."
"This will be a quick game then." Pansy stood up and shimmied out of her pants slowly so she was standing in only her knickers and bra.
Draco rolled his eyes and flipped over the next card, completely uninterested in her antics. A five.
"Clementine," Her name easily rolled off Draco's tongue. He raised a brow, but his face revealed no information to her whatsoever, "Higher, or lower?"
She chewed on her lip, concentrating hard on the back of the card. Draco continued to stare at her before she let out a deep breath and nodded, "Higher."
Draco silently set the card down face up, a King, before working at the buttons on his own shirt. It was hard for Clementine to look away, while Draco kept his eyes trained on her. His body practically glowed as the warm fire light touched his porcelain skin. Her eyes traced every muscle as he slowly revealed them to her before carelessly tossing the shirt on the ground behind him.
"Alright," Theo's voice clipped as he flipped over another card. He was clearly irritated by Draco's antics, "A Four." Theo picked up another card and looked around at the group.
"Shouldn't it be my turn?" Clementine frowned as she tore her eyes away to glare at Theo, "You already had your go."
"If you stop paying attention you lose your turn." Blaise explained, "We had to add that rule when Theo here started playing with us."
"I like to appreciate the human body, what can I say?" Theo shrugged, "Higher or lower, Zabini?"
"I'm out." Zabini eyed the group carefully before removing himself from the table, "I need another drink."
"Oh!" Pansy's eyes lit up as she gathered her clothes, "A drink sounds good. I'll do that, too."
"You're leaving in the middle of the game?" Clementine's heart raced as she picked up on what they were doing. This was their plan the entire time to leave her stuck between Theo and Draco, half clothed.
"You three can finish up." Pansy giggled before whispering something to Cho. The witch giggled back to her and the three watched excitedly from the bar. "We'll watch."
"Okay, Clem." Theo turned his attention back to her and the game, "Higher or lower than a four."
"Higher." Clementine refocused, fully determined to keep all of her clothing on tonight.
Theo flipped the card over, revealing a two. The dragon on the card let out a roar. Clementine stood to slip out of her dress when Draco put up a hand to stop her before she revealed herself to the group.
"Don't undress just yet. Theo cheated, as he's known to do." Draco challenged his friend, giving him a knowing look.
"I have no idea what you're talking about." Theo's eyes widened. He looked completely flustered, obviously caught up in his lie.
Draco whipped out his wand, placing the tip on the card in front of him. "Finite Incantatem."
The image on the card swirled to reveal a ten on the card where there used to be a two. The dragon grew in size from a small Norwegian Ridgeback to a Swedish Short-Snout.
"Theo!" Clementine said in disgust and disbelief. "I can't believe you would do that."
"He's already seen enough of her without cheating being necessary." Blaise snickered, earning glares from each of them.
"Don't go." Theo protested as he pulled his shirt over his head to reveal his own chiseled chest, "I'm sorry. I got too into the game, and you're the only one who hasn't lost yet so I wanted to make it even. One more round, you can choose the card this time."
"Make it more interesting." Pansy called out, "Do a sudden death match!"
"A what?" Clementine furrowed her brow as she sat back down.
"It means we both have to guess at the same time." Draco's grey eyes flashed. "You pull the cards."
"Raise the stakes a bit, this whole stripping thing is getting a bit boring." Cho chided. "You lot do this every week and I'm tired of it."
"You do this every week?" Clementine blinked, picturing the two of them naked at a table with other women ogling them, just as she had been guilty of doing. She didn't like the idea of that.
"Theo does." Draco responded, "Normally I don't partake, but given the circumstances..." He trailed off as his eyes scanned her still fully-clothed form. "I had to make sure he wouldn't cheat tonight."
"Yeah." Theo snorted, shooting an angry look in Draco's direction, "That's definitely the reason you decided to play."
"One more round, then." Clementine reached forward, flipping over the first card as she cleared her throat. She tried to focus, pleading that the flush on her skin would disappear.
The card was a Queen.
She slid a second card into the palm of her hand, studying it carefully. A Hungarian Horntail stared back at her, swishing it's tail back and forth. Clementine lifted her eyes to see Draco and Theo both watching her carefully. She licked her lips deep in thought as they each tried to determine if the card was higher or lower.
"It's higher." Clementine told them, breaking the silence.
"You're not supposed to tell us." Theo slammed his hands on the table in frustration. "That defeats the entire purpose."
"She's not." Draco's eyes flickered between the card in her hand and Clementine's face, "She's trying to bluff."
"It's not higher. There's no way." Theo frowned, leaning back in his chair. His eyes looked determined. "I'm going to say lower."
"It's higher." Draco repeated, his eyes unwavering. "Definitely higher."
"Higher than a queen with all those cards in the deck?" Theo scoffed, "You want to lose, Malfoy."
Clementine flipped her card over on the table, revealing a King. Theo groaned and stormed off to the bathroom. The rickety door slammed shut, shaking the walls as the corners of Draco's lips lifted into a triumphant smirk.
Pansy threw her head back and let out a boisterous laugh that made her shoulders shake, "Well, we have a winner. Are you going to collect your prize, Malfoy?"
"What's his prize exactly?" Clementine blinked as she got to her feet, "We didn't determine that before starting the round."
"I'll walk you back to the castle." Draco snipped as he pulled his shirt back over his torso, "We can discuss my prize later."
"What about Theo?" Clementine looked back to the bathroom door that was still shut. His discarded shirt still lay on the floor.
"We can console little old Theo." Pansy drawled, "Go run along back to your ivory tower in the castle, Darling."
Clementine's eyes narrowed as she stared back at Pansy. The witch looked almost gleeful to see Clementine get upset. She pulled on her coat and stormed outside, with Draco quick on her heels.
"Why does Pansy hate me so much?" Clementine snarled. "We used to be friends, you know. Genuine friends."
"She's a bit resentful of the way you left." Draco explained a bit defensively. Pansy was obviously still one of his closest friends all these years later. He still had a soft spot for her. "A lot of people are."
Clementine continued stomping up the path, "An ivory fucking tower, she said! That's funny coming from her. Have you noticed what's been going on between her and Neville? Gods I wanted to give them both a piece of my mind tonight."
"Longbottom?" Draco shook his head, his blond hair falling across his forehead, "She still can't stand him."
"Oh yeah?" The cold air was starting to make Clementine's nose turn pink in the moonlight, "That explains why they keep sneaking around together then."
"They're not..." Draco paused and tilted his head to the side as he considered the possibility, "Are they really?"
"I've caught them twice now." Clementine explained. "Theo doesn't believe me. He keeps telling me to let it go."
"And Luna doesn't have a clue?" Draco wondered aloud. "What a prat."
"Thank you!" Clementine exclaimed. She felt relief wash over her that someone believed her and gave Draco an appreciative smile. "I knew it wasn't a crazy idea."
A heavy silence fell between them, with the only sound of leaves crunching underneath their feet. Draco was lost in thought. Clementine assumed he was thinking about the affair that Pansy and Neville were having. It was a lot for one person to wrap their head around.
The woods stood still as they walked back to the school. The silence felt calming, almost beckoning them to enter and be swallowed by the darkness. A light breeze made the trees shiver as more of their leaves floated to the ground.
It wasn't until they reached her room that Draco decided to speak up again.
He stood in front of Clementine's door, his infamous smirk returning to his face. "I didn't forget about redeeming my prize, you know."
Clementine's breath hitched and her heart raced in her chest, "I'm not a prize to be won, you know. You don't own me."
"I don't want to own you." Draco looked unamused as he leaned in close to her ear. His lips brushed against her cheek lightly at first before pressing against her skin more earnestly. Even the way he barely touched her set her entire body on fire. He whispered before pulling away, "I just want you."
Clementine stood there, unable to speak as Draco turned to leave. She hated that he left her breathless. She hated the way that her heart was beating uncontrollably.
But mostly, she hated the way that she felt guilty for also thinking about Theo.
"Goodnight, Beaumont." Draco shouted back at her, knowing that she was still staring at him.
She could tell he was still smirking to himself as she turned away to open her door, hiding the matching grin that she couldn't get rid of, even if she tried.
_______
I hate this chapter 😖 Writer's block came for me, and unfortunately she won. Most of the information in this chapter is important to the story, despite it feeling like filler. Hopefully the tension was fun enough to hold y'all over! Hold tight for another chapter soon x