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Chapter Text

You’d been waiting for your opportunity to go on the Exchange since your fourth year. You’d never been out of the United States before, and while you wished you could visit Beauxbatons in France or Castelobruxo in Brazil, you hadn’t learned any foreign languages in your early school years. Besides, the British school was said to be just as different education-wise as any of the other schools, and Hogwarts had just opened up to being participants in the IMSEP (International Magic Student Exchange Program) recently. You and everyone else who was selected would be the first overseas visitors the school would have in over a four decades.

Since Hogwarts was a very sought-after Exchange destination, a lottery system had been set into place. You awaited your letter by owl everyday over the summer, wondering if it would contain the words you so desperately hoped it would. Exchange letters were supposed to be delivered by the end of July. Today was July 30th, and you were beginning to think you weren’t going to be picked. Your very best friend, Alex, was selected for the Hogwarts exchange last week, and in her letter she sent you she said she wouldn’t go if you weren’t also selected. As much as you appreciate the sentiment, you didn’t want Alex to miss out on her opportunity. You sat on the porch of your house, thinking of how you could convince Alex to go without you, when a dark brown owl silently settled onto the railing in front of you.

“MOM!” You screeched. The owl startled, dropping the precious letter from its beak. You dove to  catch it in your shaking hands, hitting your head on the railing. “Ow…” You rubbed your head, and the owl flew off, disgruntled.

“Sweetheart, what is it?” Your mom opened the front door and took in your slumped figure on the front porch, sounding worried.

You simply held up the letter, and she gasped. In the house, you torn it open with the letter opener, and read the words so fast you almost didn’t get it.

Dear Ms. Y/L/N,

Congratulations! From a pool of seventy-eight students, you and fourteen of your classmates were chosen to go on this year’s International Magic Student Exchange Program to Hogwarts School of Witchcraft and Wizardry in Scotland, United Kingdom. While we will miss you at Ilvermorny, we hope you will have a wonderful and edifying time out of the country. More information is enclosed about your expectations set forth by your chosen school, and the time and place of the Portkey leaving Ilvermorny in September.

Signed,

Joan Rittler, Principal of Ilvermorny School of Witchcraft and Wizardry

On September 12th, you and your parents traveled to Ilvermorny by apparation. Looking out across the grounds, you felt a small twinge in your heart that you wouldn’t be back here until the start of your seventh year. All your other friends were either on another Exchange, or hadn’t applied at all, and you would miss them all so much.

On the front lawn of the school, students and teachers you all knew well milled about. Ilvermorny’s term was starting next week, but the Hogwarts, Beauxbaton, and Durmstrang terms all started today. Three chairs had been set up in the great front lawn– your portkeys to each of your schools.

“You have a wonderful time, okay?” Your mom said, hugging you goodbye.

“I will, I promise. I’ll write you as often as I do while I’m here.” You promised, hugging her tightly.

You dad gave you a hug also and a pat on the back. “I’m sure you’ll have just as much fun as you do here. Don’t get all posh on us over there!”

You beamed up at him. “I won’t!”

You dragged your suitcase over to the portkey, and your parents apparated away. Alex arrived a few minutes later and you grabbed each other in a bone crushing hug. “DUDE I’M SO EXCITED!”

“DUDE ME TOO!”

Quickly, the other students started to arrive. It was a small group, all people you were either friendly with or knew decently well. Your friend Chris from Washington and Sarah from Kentucky had been chosen to go. Some boys you knew from wandwork, Jason, and Kenny. Alice from your Charms class who was Sarah’s best friend was also there. When the clock struck one, you all gathered around your portkey. One of your favorite teachers, Ms. Bell, approached your group.

“Hey guys! Is everyone excited?”

You all chorused your yes’s.

“Okay, please make sure everything you’re taking with you is either on your body, or grasped firmly. We don’t want you leaving anything behind!” She pulled a pocket watch out, checking the time.

You straddle your trunk and grip the handle at one end, your other hand grabbed ahold of the portkey.

“Have fun guys! Okay, everyone get ready on three, two…”

On one, you felt the familiar whoosh of being sucked in by the portkey. Beside you, Alex screamed in delight. Within moments, you’d all been transported, and you tried to slow down as the Earth came up to meet you. Minorly successful, you stumbled as you hit the ground, dragging your trunk behind you. The results of the portkey travel were mixed, some of your friends crashing to the ground in a heap while others gracefully floated down with not a hair out of place.

You’d seemed to have landed near a train station. Fir trees rose up around you, the stretching single platform going off into a tiny town. As you took in the crisp air, you turned to see a tall looming man watching you all arrived with amusement.

“Welcome to ‘Ogwarts!” He bellowed, laughing as the last of you brushed off your jeans. “My name is ‘Agrid, I’m the groundskeeper here. Let’s get you all to the castle so we can ‘ave some grub, eh?”

The fifteen of you all dragged your stuff to the four waiting carriages. Hagrid went on as you walked, telling you all about the school. He lifted all your trunks with ease into the tall cars.

“Thank you,” you said, climbing up after your things.

The drive was very peaceful, the self-pulling carriages rolling quietly through the forest. At your first glimpse of the castle, you all gasped, ooh-ing and ahh-ing.

“I love the lake!” Alice said.

“It’s beautiful. I wonder how big it is inside. Bigger than Ilvermorny, do you think?” You asked.

“Hogwarts has half our student body, so I’d guess not. Although they don’t look much different.” Sarah explained, her eyes on the castle.

Everyone was giggling in excitement as you took tiny boats across the lake to get to the castle. After the long hike up the steps, you were all greeted by a tall woman in a traditional witch’s hat. Hagrid waved you all goodbye, and she thanked him. “Welcome, Ilvermorny students! We are all very glad to have you with us this year. I am professor McGonagall, head of Gryffindor house. I will be showing you to your dorms and then we will all head to the great hall for dinner. Now, after some discussion among the staff, we will be straying from our original plan. I’m sorry if this disappoints some of you, but none of you will be sorted into houses for this year.”

A murmur went through your small group. You had been excited to be sorted, to see if you got into the supposed Hogwarts equivalent of your house at Ilvermorny.

“We all thought it was best since there are so few of you, to keep you together. We’ve created your own dorms for you here, and the only time you will be separated from the Hogwarts students is for lodging. The rest of the time, you will be permitted to eat at any table with any new friends you make, enter any common room you’re invited into, and if you enjoy Quidditch you may try out to be on any house’s team when it is time. If you have a question at anytime, look for a student with the Prefect badge on, and they will help you to the best of their ability.”

Okay, that wasn’t so bad. You all followed McGonagall through twisting halls of the castle. It had huge, vaulted ceilings, and a grand staircase that had you all in wonder. Your Ilvermrony dorm was up on what she described as the west towers, at the end of a secluded corridor. A beautiful tapestry was hung on the wall of what looked like a young witch. Upon closer inspection, you recognized the woman as Isolt Sayre, founder of Ilvermorny. “This is the guardian of your dorms while you are here. Give her a password, and only you will be allowed in.”

You all were silent for a moment before Kenny spoke up. “Wait, right now?”

“There is no time like the present,” Professor McGonagall replied.

The fifteen of your formed a huddle, tossing around options. Finally, you all settled on Greylock, the mountain on which Ilvermorny was built.

Tapestry-Isolt smiled, and then the tapestry itself curled upwards, revealing a door. Professor McGonagall opened it, revealing a square room with a fireplace, a few couches and chairs and several large windows overlooking the lake. Two hallways branched off from the main room. “Please take the next thirty minutes to get settled, and change into your new uniforms. Boys on the left girls on the right, please!”

You all scattered, splitting off into the different sides. Each room housed four people, and you, Alex, Sarah, and Alice all agreed to room with one another. Your room had an old fashioned stove in the middle to warm it, with more windows going over each small bed. A tiny bathroom was attached to one end. After unpacking a bit, you all changed into your new uniforms. At Ilvermorny you wore all black under your robes, but here you had white button-ups and dark grey sweaters for if it was cold. You all had ties in stripes of cranberry red and blue, Ilvermorny colors, and your black robes were lined with the same pink-red color.

“To distinguish us from the other houses,” Sarah explained.

Five till the hour, you all gathered in the common room of your dorm, and between all of your brains you managed to make it back to where you’d started, where the entrance to the great hall was. Dinner was much different than you were used to at home, with long tables instead of high stacks, and all the years intermingled at the tables for each house. While everyone else was inside sitting with their houses, you all clustered together outside. A small group of about thirty first-years were there too, dressed in all black.

“Aw, they’re going to get sorted,” you sighed, putting a hand on your heart.

Alex made a similar soft face. “So small, so young.”

Professor McGonagall came out of the hall and looked at the group of you. “Ilvermorny students, you may proceed into the hall. There has been a small table set up at the front for you just for tonight. I hope you will enjoy watching the sorting ceremony.”

As the group of you walked into the hall, you could feel the eyes of all the Hogwarts students watching you. Everyone was staring, and Alex grabbed your hand. You squeezed it back to tell her it was okay. You settled down at your table in the front, with Alex on your one side and Chris on your left.

The sorting ceremony was very interesting to say the least. The first years, some trembling with excitement, some with fear, all went up one by one to sit on a chair and had what might’ve been the world’s rattiest looking hat sat upon their head. It talked, and would voice everything it was seeing in the kid’s mind and where it thought they should be placed. It would finally call out a house, sometimes taking up to three minutes to decide, and the house that was selected for the child would erupt into cheers at their dinner table.

When the sorting was over, Headmaster Dumbledore stood at the podium to speak. “Welcome back to another year at Hogwarts, or for some of us, your first year. As you’ve noticed, we have some wonderful students from the American school, Ilvermorny, here with us. They will be visiting all year, so please be kind and helpful to both them and our first-years these beginning weeks. Now, please, enjoy your dinner!”

The next day, you were all over the castle trying to get to your classes. At Ilvermorny, classes were separated into different parts of the castle based on what year you took the class in, so you never had to talk very far to get from place to place, unless you were going to an outdoors class. Here, classes were held in towers, dungeons, inside, outside, and it seemed like you’d run through every fucking corridor imaginable just this morning.

Just as you were about to rip your hair out in frustration, you noticed a group of three boys in green robes and ties. But one had a shiny pin attached to the front of his robe- a Prefect’s pin. You took off after them, waving your parchment timetable.

“Hey! HEY!”

The boy in the Prefect’s pin, who had nearly-white blonde hair, turned to look at you, confused by the yelling. You caught up to them and gasped for breath while he stared at you expectantly.

“Um… Professor McGonagall said I, uh, I mean we could ask a Prefect for help? If we needed it? Can you tell me where this is?” You pointed to the spot on your timetable that said ‘Potions- Professor Snape’ and nothing else.

The blonde Prefect took your parchment from you and considered it, and then you for a moment. “It’s in the west towers, that way,” he said, pointing. “Third flight of steps up.” He handed the parchment back.

“Okay. Thank you,” you breathed. “I can’t find anything in this giant ass castle.”

One side of his mouth quirked up, amused. “Sure. Better hurry, best not to be late.” He looked at you once more before turning on his heels and walking off, his two silent friends following him. You dashed off in the other direction.

In the towers, you walked up what seemed to be three floors, but there wasn’t even anything there. You went up and up until you reached a classroom, but one look inside told you it was definitely not potions.

You wandered some more, hopelessly lost. How could the Prefect boy have been so wrong? Did he do it on purpose? That would’ve been mean. You were on the verge of giving up when you saw another person in the hall. You asked them and they pointed you back downstairs to the dungeons. “It’s the only room down there that’s used, and the door is usually open. You can’t miss it,” She said. “If there’s a really scary looking guy with long black hair teaching, you know you’re in the right place.”

You thanked them profusely, and then followed their instructions all the way back down. Indeed, the door was open, and one peek inside the classroom confirmed the description of the teacher. Students were seated in twos around square tables while he lectured. Tentatively, you knocked on the door frame. Everyone in the class turned to look at you.

“Uh, I think I’m supposed to be here. I got lost.” You squeaked out.

The teacher– Professor Snape, you supposed– strode over silently and held out his hand. You offered your timetable and he snatched it away. After looking at it, he handed it back. “Find an empty seat. And do not, be late, again.” A small laugh could be heard from the back.

As soon as he turned, you grimaced. The only empty chair was on the side of the room, a table currently filled with three boys and one girl. You sat down next to her as quietly as you could while Professor Snape began to talk again. Your eyes swept across the rest of the room, and your heart nearly skipped as you caught sight of a familiar face. Not one of your friends, but the exact boy from earlier who you’d asked for directions. He was in this class too, and purposely told you wrong! Rage heated the skin on your face, but you made yourself turn away and focus on what Professor Snape was saying.

The girl you sat next too had wild hair and brown skin. She looked at you sympathetically, but didn’t say anything. You guessed this was a no-talking class.

Indeed it was not. Even though this was the first day, he assigned a potion to create with the remaining time in the class. As soon as he he let you go to begin work, the girl next to you turned and offered her hand. “I’m Hermione. Don’t worry about Snape, he’s like that to everyone. You’re one of the exchange students, I see.”

“I’m Y/N. Eh, it’s fine. He seems mean but as long as I do good work, that’s what matters. Right?”

Hermione beamed. “I think we’ll get along well. Let me know if you need any help finding your other classes after this. I know it can be confusing at first.”

“It’s hard but that’s not why I was late. I tried to ask a Prefect for help, but he told me wrong on purpose.” You frowned.

Hermione looked confused. “How do you know?”

“Cuz he’s right over there.” You pointed across the room to where the blonde boy was standing, sleeves rolled up and already working on his potion. Hermione’s face turned to pure rage.

“Malfoy,” she spat. “He’s the most intolerant person on this planet, mean to everyone.”

“Malfoy?” The red haired boy across the table asked, returning to his seat with an armful of ingredients. “What’d that arse do this time.”

“He told me the wrong way here on purpose,” you said.

The redhead rolled his eyes. “Bloody hell, can that git leave anyone alone? You poor lot haven’t even been here a whole day.”

You looked back over at the boy across the room. “Whatever. I don’t put up with people’s bullshit.”

The redhead widened his eyes and turned make eye contact with the boy with brown hair next to him. “Now that’s the attitude to have. I’m Ron.” He stuck out his hand across the table to you. “And this is Harry, and Neville is who sits over there. Malfoy hates all of us to, so welcome to the club.”

You shook Ron’s hand and laughed lightly. “Is the club very big?”

“Enormous.” Hermione rolled her eyes. “Hopefully it was just a one time incident. Come on, we can make the potion together.”

You followed Hermione back to the store room and gathered ingredients to being back to the table. “I can do the caterpillars and daisy root,” you offered as soon as you got back to the table. You began to expertly cut the caterpillars into thin slices while Hermione heated the cauldron.

“You’re supposed to peel those, you know.” You gestured across the table to Ron, who was sprinkling whole shrivelfig into his potion. Ron looked helplessly into his cauldron.

“Have you made shrinking solution before?” Hermione asked.

“Sure,” you answered. “My mom taught me potions at home, so I finished the course early. I took Advanced Potions last year.” You moved onto the daisy root, your knife moving quickly. “I was disappointed to see it on my schedule again when I got it this morning. I was hoping I could take a wandwork class, since you all make wands differently over here.”

All four of the others looked across the table at you silently. “What?”

“Wandwork? Like, creating wands?” Hermione asked, eyes wide.

“Uh, yeah? Do you guys not learn that here?”

Neville looked amazed. “Isn’t that dangerous? To teach everyone to make wands?”

“I mean, we never actually make any. It’s mostly about the different properties and how to identify them,” You explain. “If you don’t learn wandwork how are you supposed to duel?”

“To duel?” Ron and Harry asked at the same time.

“You know, advantages of Phoenix feather over unicorn hair? Properties that increase a wand’s tendency towards dark magic?” You offered. All you received in return were blank faces. “Wow you guys really don’t know.”

Hermione took the cutting board from you and added in the ingredients you’d chopped. “I’ll finish this. Tell me more about wand theory.”

The rest of the class you helped Hermione a little while you answered her questions about your wandwork class at Ilvermorny. You’d taken an intro class last year, so you knew a little. Hermione’s questions were very specific so you did your best to answer. Her enthusiasm for learning was very evident, and she seemed to like you a lot already based on your knowledge of potions and now wandwork theory. Professor Snape came over eventually and gave you and Hermione’s perfect potion a good mark, and the class was dismissed.

“Want to sit with us at lunch?” Hermione asked as you all walked out of the room.

“Sure, but only if my friend Alex can also. I don’t think she has anyone to sit with yet and I don’t want to leave her alone.” You replied. Today there was no Ilvermony-only table, so the pressure to find friends to sit with at meals was real.

“Of course.”

You were looking at Harry out of the corner of your eye, trying to decide why he looked so familiar, when you heard boyish laughter from behind you. Hermione sighed, and the four of you stopped and turned at the sound of “Granger!”

The source of the giggling was none other than Malfoy and his two friends. You scowled, and he looked right at you. “Decided to take the newbie under your wing, hm, Granger?”

“She seems perfectly capable on her own, Malfoy. I’m just being friendly.” Hermione spat, grabbing your arm to pull you away. But you broke free of her grip and stalked right up to him, pointing your finger in his face.

“Listen, dickhead. I don’t know what your deal is, but you stay in your lane and I’ll say in mine. Got it?”

He and his friends ooh-ed at your comment while you spun on your heel to walk of, this time you grabbed Hermione’s arm. “So it’s true Americans are as rude as they say!” He called after you. You bit back a reply and just walked away faster.

At lunch, you dragged Alex over to sit with your new friends.

“Ugh, I can’t find anything in this big ass building,” she groaned. “I don’t understand– there’s half as many kids here as Ilvermorny! Why the fuck are there so many rooms.”

“Dude, me either. Wanna hear this bullshit that happened to me this morning?” While you put food on your plate, you told Alex the story of what happened with Malfoy. “He’s right over there.”

Alex turned from her place across from you to look for him. “Interesting,” she hummed. “That’s funny, cuz he’s your type.”

Hermione nearly spit out her drink. “Excuse me?”

You felt your face heat up. “What? Asshole boys?”

“Nah, blonde hair, pale with some freckles… are those blue eyes I see?” She teased.

“They’re grey, so no. Also, fuck off.”

“I was gonna say,” Ron said, voice muffled by food. “We were gonna have to revoke our offer of friendship if you did.”

“Understandable.” You glared across the great hall, and Malfoy looked back at you. A wicked smile broke across his face that just made you scowl harder. “Never in a million years.”

Chapter Text

For the next month, things only got worse. Quite the opposite of what Hermione had hoped would happen, Malfoy took to annoying you at every turn. While the trio tried to tell you to just let it go and he wouldn’t lash out so much, you were not one to sit by and let shit happen. If he tried to trip you, you’d do it back. Insults about how unbearable each other’s accents were would be thrown across corridors. You would sit in Divination class, throwing pieces of parchment at each other’s heads when Professor Trelawney wasn’t looking. If you and Harry were together, it was twice as bad. Malfoy loathed the both of you with a passion, and several times Alex and Ron were pulling the two of you back before it got any worse. All the Ilvermorny students hated him just as much and often you would stand up for each other in the face of his and his gang’s opposition.

Back at Ilvermorny, you were nearly a model student when you wanted to be. You got good grades and liked to please teachers you found worthy of your respect and time. Since coming to Hogwarts you’d wanted to keep up your good student reputation, but Malfoy was getting you dangerously close to being in trouble with the administration. It was almost a game to see how far you could get.

“Watch your step.” Malfoy stuck his leg out, nearly causing you to fall down the spiraling staircase that led from the Astronomy tower.

You managed to catch yourself on the rail just in time. “Aye bruh, chill,” you said, righting yourself.

“Aye bruh, chill,” he mocked, imitating your voice and your American accent. “I hope there’s a charm out there somewhere that can make you learn some proper Queen’s English, listening to you talk gives me a headache.”

“You sure it’s not just your giant ego taking up all that space in your skull?” You called, following him down the stairs.

“No, because it only seems to come on when I have to look at your face.”

You ran down the stairs, and as you passed him you pulled the hood of his cloak over his head. His hand snapped out and grabbed the handle of your knapsack, keeping you from running forward, and he yanked back so you fell against him. “Ugh,” you groaned, twisting around so he let go. “Get your hands off me, Malfoy.”

He pushed his hood off his head and leaned forwards. You leaned back to avoid his face, almost falling down the steps again. He laughed. “You’re never going to win at whatever this is.”

“Try me.”

“Oh, believe me, I am.” His storm grey eyes that haunted at you at night glimmered with anticipation as he side stepped around you, swishing his cloak dramatically. You rolled your eyes.

Later that afternoon when you and the rest of the Ilvermorny gang were hanging out in the courtyard, you decided to exact your revenge and gain the upper hand.

“Hey, everyone. Watch this.” You got up, tossing your cloak onto your backpack.

“Don’t go provoking him, y/n” Sarah sighed.

“No, guys, I promise this is going to be funny.” All your classmates watched as you strode across the courtyard. “Hey, Malfoy!”

He turned, the permanent glare on his face present. “What do you want?”

“Come here, I want to show you something.”

You walked towards each other, meeting in the middle. He crossed his arms. “Well?”

Below your waist, you stuck out your left hand, your pointer finger and thumb making a circle. When Malfoy looked down at your hand gesture, you brought your right hand up, and slapped the back of his neck as hard as you possibly could. The corner full of Ilvermorny students erupted into hollers.

“HOLY SHIT, SHE NECKED YOU BUT GOOD, DRACO!” Kenny screamed. The boys were absolutely losing their shit, doubled over in laughter. Alex was wiping tears from her eyes. The other Hogwarts students who didn’t even quite understand what had just taken place were laughing along with them.

Malfoy’s hand flew to his neck which was already turning an angry red. He looked up at you while you laughed at him, pure rage in his eyes. But instead of throwing an insult, he reached out to grab you. You jumped out of the way, surprised. “You’re gonna pay for that,” he growled.

You turned and ran, laughter still bubbling from your mouth. “Not if you can’t catch me!”

You sprinted to one end of the courtyard, grabbing a column and sliding around the corner and onto the walkway. The Ilvermorny students cheered you on as you sprinted out of the courtyard with Draco hot on your heels. You ran out of the castle and onto the grounds. You turned a corner and climbed up a tree, hoping you were fast enough so that you would lose him.

Not a second later had you been covered by the branches, Malfoy burst out of the corridor and looked around for you. You tried to control your heavy breathing, being still as possible. Blood rushed though your ears.

“Where the hell did she go,” he muttered, looking around the patch of grass.

Malfoy passed your tree, and you waited a few seconds before changing your position to sit on a branch to wait it out. You were not a runner. A few moments passed, and you let yourself catch your breath. Underneath you, someone cleared their throat and your heart skipped a beat.

You looked down slowly, only to see Draco grinning up at you. “Shit,” you whispered.

Malfoy shed his own cloak and began to climb the tree up after you. Your instinct told you to jump down or climb higher, but you were too tired to run from him again. A jump would be too far without getting injured. So you stayed put, deciding that in the tree he couldn’t do you much harm. He settled on the branch across from you and wiped his palms on his uniform pants. Silence.

“Well? Where’s the dramatic and biting quip?” You asked.

He braced his foot on your branch, stretching his leg across the small gap between the two of you. “Don’t have one yet.”

“I must say, I’m disappointed,” you said with mock disdain, sticking your nose in the air.

He chuckled. “What does this mean?” He asked.

You turned your nose down to look back at him, to his hand. He had his fingers in an O shape, and he reached across the gap between your branches and awkwardly slapped the back of your neck, almost throwing you off balance.

“God fucking damn it,” you muttered. “That was a quick turn around, even for you.” But you couldn’t fight the small smile on your face.

“Got you,” he said, a satisfied look on his face. “Couldn’t pass it up. But seriously, what is it?”

“Necking? Never heard of it?”

“Sounds dumb.”

“Well, that’s what it is. Usually, you do it across the room. Trick the other person into looking at your hand, and they have to slap themselves on the neck, or you get to do it to them later. Or if someone does something dumb, you tell them to neck themselves as punishment.”

He considered your words. It was weird, having a conversation like this with him. “Interesting. So, you neck yourself for being dumb enough to let me follow you up here.”

“I was tired, okay? I didn’t feel like moving. How about you neck yourself for being dumb enough to sit on a tree branch that’s dead.”

Malfoy looked down, slightly alarmed, and you laughed. “Gotcha. Neck yourself.”

“Fuck off.”

“You fuck off.”

“Fine.” Malfoy climbed back down the tree and slung his cloak back over his shoulder, not looking back as he walked off.

Since the day of the necking incident, your fighting had escalated from just tossing words at each other to more physical fighting. It started with you grabbing each other’s robes as you passed, so hard that often you’d fall down or into someone else. You’d get in his face when you insulted him, so close you could smell his shampoo, and poke your fingers into his chest. He’d grab your hand so hard your knuckles would crack.

But you would admit you’d made a mistake by escalating it to hair. As you and Sarah were leaving the library one day, you saw Malfoy hunched over a table studying, his back to you. As you walked past, you shoved your fingers into his hair and pulled his face into his book. It was funny at the time, but you hadn’t considered that you had the longer hair out of the two of you, something he often used to his advantage. Like today.

You were on your way to Potions with Hermione and Alex, when you felt a hand brush against your back. Draco grabbed one of your two french braids, pulling so hard you arched back to avoid the pain. “Ugh, bitch!” You cried, rubbing your scalp. Malfoy spun around in front of you.

“Funny, I only see one in this hallway and it’s not me,” he sneered, walking backwards to keep pace with you.

“Get out of my fucking way.” You pushed him square in the chest with both hands, but he didn’t fall. Instead, he caught both your wrists and yanked you forward.

You stumbled into him, and became instantly terrified of how your chests were pressed together. You fought against his grip and got back on your feet. Hermione was not one to stand by, and she reached out to pull your arms apart. “Leave her alone,” she growled.

Malfoy merely glared at her in disgust, smirked at you, and turned to walk down the hall ahead of you.

“Y’all’s sexual tension is crazy.” Alex said flatly as soon as Malfoy was out of earshot.

“W-what?” You sputtered, heat crawling up your neck. “Absolutely not!”

“You can’t keep your hands off each other!” She exclaimed.

“I certainly don’t think y/n would have a crush on the boy who bothers her to no end!” Hermione cried.

“I said sexual tension, not a crush, Hermione,” Alex said.

“The only reason I ever touch Draco Malfoy is to curb my burning desire to deck him right in his nose, thank you very much,” you said haughtily.

“Whatever you sayyy…” Alex sings, as she leaves you and Hermione at the door of the potions classroom, skipping the rest of the way down the hall and around the corner.

You and Hermione take your seats at your table, getting out your textbooks and ink. The room falls silent as Snape enters, the door slamming behind him. You take to your usual posture of slumped in your chair with your arms crossed.

As Snape begins to explain the lesson, you kick your leg under the table to get Ron’s attention. “You reckon I can make the throw into Malfoy’s caldron?” You whispered.

“Oh, for sure,” Ron nodded feverently. “I’ll spot you. Make sure it’s something that’ll explode.”

The two of you laughed quietly, but were cut off by Snape’s glare. “Y/L/N, Weasley? Something funny?’

“No, sir,” you both said quickly.

Snape did not look impressed. “Five points from Gryffindor.” Ron groaned and slumped in his seat. “Y/L/N, get up.”

The word ‘why?’ was on the tip of your tongue, but you held yourself back. You sighed and stood, putting on your knapsack and grabbing your textbook, awaiting instructions. Snape put up an arm. “Go sit next to Mr. Malfoy.”

Your eyes bulged from your head, and across the room, so did Draco’s. Hermione, Ron, Harry and Neville all looked at you with pity. You just kicked your chair back under the desk, stalked across the room, and set your stuff down before dropping in the chair next to Malfoy.

“As I was saying, you’re all going to be making the Draught of Peace today. And thanks to Mr. Weasley and Ms. Y/L/N, you’ll also be answering the questions in the textbook on page two-hundred and seventy-two, to be turned in by the end of class with your potion.”

Everyone groaned loudly.  “Fuck”, you muttered, leaning your head back. Ron wore a matching grimace. You locked eyes across the room and mouthed ‘sorry’. He just shrugged back.

Snape told everyone to get started, and Draco wasted no time. “Nice going, Y/L/N,” he said, kicking the leg of your chair.

“If you want, you can make the potion and I can do both our questions,” you offered.

Draco seemed to consider this. “Fine, but don’t expect to do this all the time.” He stood, going to the store room to gather ingredients. You cracked open the textbook and took a look at the questions. There were a hundred. Great.

Draco started the potion as you got out two pieces of parchment for the questions. “Can I see a piece of your homework?” You asked.

“Why?”

“So I can copy your handwriting, duh.”

Draco rolled his eyes and passed you his quill. “Just use the mirror charm.”

“The what?”

He sighed loudly and turned away from the cauldron. “The mirror charm? Charm my quill to yours so they write at the same time, and mine will write the words in my handwriting. I thought you’d at least learn something useful in your school full of cheaters.”

The blank look on your face said enough. Draco huffed. “Fine, you do the potion, I’ll do the questions. Don’t screw it up.”

“I’ve already passed Advanced Potions, thank you very much.” You stood up and held your quill out. Draco snatched it from your hand and you roughly brushed past each other to trade places.

You were mostly silent for the rest of the class. Draco answered the questions, the two quills moving in unison across the parchment. Once or twice, he slid the textbook over near you and silently pointed to a question to get your opinion on the answer. You made the potion, watching the clock to time the adding of the ingredients and stirring. When you finished, you carefully filled two vials with the Draught and stoppered them. Draco had just finished the questions, and handed you your quill. You wrote your name at the top of your copy, and handed him a vial. As the two of you walked up to Snape’s desk at the front and offered your work to him, you realized you had finished first, because of your… teamwork?

Snape skeptically snatched your parchments and vials from your hands, and looked over the answers. When he seemed satisfied, he opened your vials and sniffed them. “Decent work. You are free to go. Please bring your cauldron up, I would like to retain the rest of your potion.”

You and Draco nodded and turned away to go clean up your area. As you walked back, Hermione was gaping at you. You gave her a confused look and a shrug. You gathered your things up from the desk and placed your cauldron on Snape’s desk, and left the classroom a few paces behind Draco. You didn’t catch up to him, and he didn’t bother turning around.

For the rest of November and December, Snape kept you and Malfoy seated together. You managed to get through most classes requiring individual work with little arguing. Sometimes Draco would set a container of an ingredient on the table after using it and it would be empty, and you would just huff and go get a fresh bottle, flicking him on the back of his head as you went.

When it came to partnered assignments, Draco was actually not a horrible person to work with. Like Hermione, he was skilled at potions, and with your knowledge from having already took the class you were often the first ones done. You’d still criticize each other on your chopping technique, or disagree about measurements, most of which the discussions would end with just a stomped foot. But you did learn things from watching him– how to more efficiently use the mortar and pestle, the proper shade of green for skele-gro. You caught him cutting scarab beetles the way you always did, which made you think he learned for you, too.

And, despite what Draco had said your first day sitting together, you did often split bookwork and potion making. He was always the one to suggest it.

Chapter Text

As the December holiday approached, all the Ilvermorny students were getting excited to head home for the break. You were sitting your common room with a few of the other students, talking about your plans for break.

“I’m so excited to go home and have some fucking grits, dude… this porridge shit they eat here? Absolute trash.” Jason lamented.

“I KNOW! I just want a real buttermilk biscuit with some jam for the first time in four months,” you agreed. “A cracker is not a biscuit! It’s a fucking cracker! Also I want coffee in the morning, not tea.”

“Y’all talking bout breakfast, bro I just want some barbecue,” Kenny piped up. You all moaned in unison.

“A hamburger… literally anything besides these fucking meat pies. I’m over it. At least the dessert here is good.” Alex sighed.

“Do they let students cook here? Maybe I should ask my mom to send me back with some recipes.” You gazed up at the American flag which was hung over the mantle in the common room, charmed to always be fluttering as if in the wind, daydreaming about your mom’s homemade bread.

“I hear the Hufflepuff dorms are right near the kitchen, I can ask Madeline about it tomorrow,” Sarah offered.

“We should make some of our friends here some American food.” Alex said. She and Chris were playing mini gobstones on the table in the center of the room, and she waved her wand to make her move.

You sat up with a start. “Ohmygod, guys. What if we threw a Christmas party before the break? We can make a bunch of American food, invite our friends…”

Alice and Sarah exchanged a glance. “That’s a great idea, y/n!” Everyone else agreed.

“We can play them some American Christmas music!”

“And do a gift exchange!”

Ideas flew across the room. Chris and Sarah went off to get the other students who were in their dorms to come to the common room, and the fifteen of you planned it out together. Everyone got to invite two new friends, since the Ilvermorny dorms were small and probably couldn’t hold that many people. Sarah and Alice would find out about using the kitchen and created a menu of six American Christmas staples. Alex volunteered to procure illicit substances. You and Chris were on decorations with a few other people.

“Alex, want to split our invites? We need to invite the trio,” you said after all the planning was done.

“Sure. I don’t really want to invite anyone else, so I can take Ron and Harry. You use your invite on Hermione and someone else. I know everyone loves you.” Alex said.

“Okay, if you’re sure.” You thought– maybe you could invite Mari from magical creatures class? Or Noor, who you often saw in the library… did she like to go to parties?

You mulled it over the next day, the square of parchment with the day and time written out on it folded neatly in your robe pocket. You saw Mari at class, but she was busy and you realized you didn’t know her really that well. You didn’t see Noor in the library.

Two days before the party, you and Chris were in the common room making paper snowflakes and charming them to float near the ceiling. “Who’d you invite?” You ask.

“Emi, from my astronomy class. She’s in Slytherin, but she’s really friendly to me. Didn’t use my other invite,” he said. The scissors he’d charmed levitated in the air next to him, snipping away at a piece of paper. Chris took it and unfolded it, guiding it up to the ceiling with his wand to be with the others.

“Couldn’t think of anyone?”

“Nah. You?”

“I haven’t used my other invite either,” you confessed. “I want to, but I don’t really know anyone else who would want to come to this party.”

“Maybe you should invite someone who wouldn’t want to come. You never know, maybe they’ll have a good time,” Chris said.

“Hm, maybe you’re right.”

On the day of the party, the Ilvermorny common room was buzzing with excitement. To contribute to the American Christmas theme of the party, you’d put on your Ilvermorny house sweatshirt and a santa hat you found in Hogsmead last week. Sarah and Alice were bringing the food up from the kitchen with the help of the elves, and Alex was carting out cases of firewhiskey from back in your dorm where she’d been storing it. Someone had got the record player going, and Frank Sinatra’s Christmas album is already playing.

Around six o’clock, your guests started arriving. Emi, was one of the first to arrive. A tiny asian girl, Emi was absolutely hilarious. She tried and loved all the food that had been set out, and was excitedly asking you and Chris questions about Ilvermorny. She and Chris apparently didn’t talk near as much in class as he’d let led you to believe which you found very funny.

More people you knew began to trickle in- Ginny, Ron’s sister, who Alex had a crush on, and someone had invited Neville which made you very happy. The trio showed up soon after, and you gave each of them a hug.

“Merry Christmas you guys!”

“Merry early Christmas!” Hermione squeezed you extra tight.

“Thanks for coming.”

“Of course,” said Harry.

“Hey, where can I get one of those?” Ron pointed to the firewhiskey bottle in your hand. Hermione whacked him across the back of the head.

“God, Ron, you’re so rude!”

You just giggled. “It’s fine. Here, follow me.”

After getting Ron and Harry a drink, you all sat around in the chairs and chatted. Alex and a few other friends came over and completed the circle. You all laugh as Ron tries various American foods from his loaded plate.

“What’s fhis called again? Pasta and cheese?” Ron mumbles around the food in his mouth.

“Mac and cheese,” Alex laughs.

“It’s bloody felicious, fhat’s what if is! ‘Mione, you’ve got fo fry if.” He slides the plate in front of her, covering his mouth as a piece of pasta tries to escape. Hermione just rolls her eyes.

Tapestry-Isolt appears on the side of the cloth that faces into the common room, making a gesture. Alex jumps up from her spot on the floor. “Someone’s here.” Your hastily take a big drink from you bottle of fire whiskey.

Ron continues to prod Hermione to try the mac and cheese. You hear people raising their voices at the door. Everyone quiets down, looking to the doorway. Alex is barring the way, but you can see Malfoy’s shock of blonde hair over her shoulder.

“Dude, get out of here.”

“I’m telling you, Huckabee, I was invited.”

“By who?”

“By me.” All eyes in the room sweep to you. Alex whipped around, her jaw slack. Malfoy crossed his arms smugly. “What?” You held out your hands. “Shit gets kind of boring when he’s not around.”

The only sound in the room is young Michael Jackson’s voice coming from the record that’s playing.

“For Christ’s sake,” you sigh, standing up. People turn back to their conversations and you walk across the common room to the door. Alex gives you a look. “Give it a rest, okay?” You say, crossing your arms.

“Okay.” She suppresses a smirk and walks off.

You turn back to Draco. “You want a drink?”

He looks at you skeptically. “Sure.”

Draco moves over to an empty spot on the wall and you return with a bottle of firewhiskey for him. He takes it and has a sip, and you lean back on the wall beside him. “So,” he begins, looking out across the room. “Did you invite me so we could get in a shouting match, I can slap you and you can punch me in the nose, and then I can leave? All because you’re bored?”

“No,” you say defensively.

Draco raises his eyebrow and looks at you out of the corner of his eye.

“I was just… being nice.” You say hotly. “Chris told me to invite someone who might not enjoy parties. The Christmas spirit, all that bullshit.”

“You? being nice?” He smirks.

“I’m actually very nice, you’re just never lucky enough to get to see it.” You stick your chin up and sip from your bottle.

“Right,” he says with an eye roll. He pulls a square of parchment out of his pocket, and you recognize it as the invitation to the party you’d slipped into his robe pocket during potions two days ago. “I knew it was you. No one else I know has handwriting this atrocious.”

You slap his arm, and he chuckles. You snatch the parchment from his fingers. “My handwriting may not be that great, but it still says right here ‘festive holiday party’. I don’t think all black counts as festive.” You point to the words on the parchment, and then at his outfit.

Draco reaches down and tugs up his pant leg, exposing a green sock-clad ankle. “What do you call this then?”

“A weak attempt,” you shoot back. He lets out a small laugh and shakes his head. Your current conversation reminded you of the time up in the tree outside the courtyard. You didn’t entirely hate talking to him like this.

“What’ve you got on? It’s quite ugly.”

“My festive, American outfit.” You straighten the collar of your pullover. “This is my Ilvermorny house sweater, and it’s not ugly.”

Draco takes in the green fabric with his eyes. “What’s your house at home?”

You’re a little surprised by his interest. “I’m in Horned Serpent.” You turn to the side, and point at your house crest that’s stitched on the left breast.

“So… is that like Slytherin here?” He asks.

“I’m not sure.” You furrow your brow. “I think it would maybe be Ravenclaw. Horned Serpent favors the mind, and scholars. But I don’t really think I would be in Ravenclaw if I was sorted here. Sometimes I don’t even think I should be in Horned Serpent at home. At Ilvermorny, sometimes you can be sorted into two houses, and then you get to choose. I was sorted into Horned Serpent and Pukwudgie. I picked Horned Serpent.”

Draco was quiet as he considered this. “You can fight with the Sorting Hat here, but you can’t choose your house. Our first year, we all watched Longbottom argue with the stupid thing for almost five minutes.”

The side of your mouth quirked up. “You? How long did it take the Sorting Hat to figure out you were a Slytherin?”

“Almost immediately,” he said smugly.

“How surprising.”

In the center of the room, Alex, Chris, and the trio were watching the two of you talk. Ron was still shoveling mac and cheese into his mouth with fervor.

“God, Ron, how can you stand to eat and look at them at the same time?” Hermione said, looking slightly disgusted.

“What exactly is going on?” Harry asked, genuinely confused. “I’ve seen them fight since they day you all arrived. They can’t stand one another.”

“This is what I was fucking telling you guys! The sexual tension.” Alex slammed her hand on the table. “All she does is talk about how stupid his face is. I think she has a crush on him and doesn’t know it.”

“The other day, I told her to invite someone she didn’t think would enjoy parties, just to be nice.” Chris said. “I didn’t realize she’d take it so literally.”

“Oh, look, they’re going at it now…” Ron gestured with his fork over toward you and Draco, who were now arguing.

“What are we talking about?” Emi returned to the circle with more food and sat down next to Chris in front of the fireplace.

“How Malfoy and y/n are eye-fucking.” Alex stated.

Emi wrinkled her nose. “Whatttttt?! Her and Draco? Never. He hates her guts– All I ever hear him talking about is how stupid her face is.”

Alex threw up her hands. “WHAT DID I SAY!”

“Here, let’s find out.” Emi put her cookie back on her plate, and waved her hands around. “Draco!”

The trio frantically tried to tell Emi to stop, but it was too late. Draco walked over, with you trailing a bit behind. “Oh, hello Emi. I didn’t realize you were coming here.”

“Yeah, same to you.” She patted the empty spot on the ground next to her. “Come sit, we’re playing a game.”

Draco awkwardly sat down, looking across the table at the trio in disgust. You walked behind them to sit on the hearth between Alex and Chris. “How did you even get here? Did you lie to Snape?” Draco asked his housemate.

“I have my ways.” Emi stated, picking her cookie back up and eating it in one bite. “How did you get here?”

“I’m the Prefect, I can go wherever I want.” Draco said, taking a sip of his firewhiskey.

Emi nodded approvingly, then brushed the crumbs off her fingers. “Let’s play truth or dare, I’ll go first. Y//n, truth or dare?”

“Uh, truth, I guess,” you said.

“Have you ever thought about kissing Draco?”

You nearly spit out the sip of firewhiskey you’d just taken, and next to you, Alex burst out laughing. You felt your face getting hot. “Uh, have I ever thought about it?”

“Yeah,” Emi said, completely blank faced.

You paused, and looked off into the distance for just a moment. “Sure. I’ve thought about it.” You took another sip from your bottle, avoiding eye contact with anyone.

Emi seemed satisfied. “Alright. Your turn, then.”

You bit your lip, then turned to Draco. “Hey Malfoy, truth or dare.”

He narrowed his eyes at you. “Truth.”

“Have you ever thought about kissing me?”

Draco didn’t miss a beat. “Have I ever thought about it?” He echoed you from moments ago.

“Yeah.”

He took a drink of firewhiskey. “Sure. I’ve thought about it.”

Hermione flopped back into her chair, looking defeated, and Ron’s mouth was open. Harry looked nearly green, while Alex’s eyes were glinting dangerously.

Emi looked pleased. “Well, there we are. I’m adjourning the game.”

“Emi, you can’t just do that.” Draco frowned. “You: truth or dare.”

“I don’t have to play, I just adjourned the game.”

“Mmm, you started it so you’re automatically playing.” Draco poked her arm. “Truth or dare?”

“Fine,” she sighed dramatically. “Dare.”

“Dare you to go eat all the rest of that disgusting-looking pie.” Draco pointed across the room to the perfectly normal looking apple pie on the table.

“Hah! Jokes on you Malfoy, this American food is delicious.” She turned to Chris on her other side. “Chris! Go get it for me.”

“Damn, what happened to please?” Chris said, but he was already getting up. Emi patted his leg as he walked by.

“Ooh, now it’s my turn again. Hm,” she tapped her chin, looking around the circle. “Hermione, truth or dare?”

Hermione grimaced. “Truth, please.”

Emi drummed her fingers together with a look of great concentration on her face. “Tell us something about about Hogwarts we don’t know.”

“Emi, that’s a lame truth,” Alex laments.

“What? She’s smart, you lot don’t know anything about here, I’m curious.” Emi takes the pie from Chris, who has just returned, and she takes a bite.

Hermione takes the compliment in stride. “Hm, well, there’s a legend that there’s a secret room underneath the girl’s bathroom on the first floor. No one ever goes in because that’s where Moaning Myrtle lives, but the times I have been I haven’t found any evidence of it. There’s loads of other secret passages across the whole castle, I’ve used the ones near the Charms room to get to class in the Towers on time before. And the Room of Requirement is supposedly somewhere on the fourth floor.” Hermione rattles on.

“What’s the Room of Requirement?” You ask.

“What it sounds like,” Hermione explains. “You go, and if you really are in need of something or a space, a door will appear. When you enter, the room will be suited to your needs. I’ve never heard of anyone going there, though.”

“I’ve been.”

All eyes turn to Draco. “What? When?” Hermione says, shocked.

“A few times. None of your business.” He shrugs.

“Mmm! I wanna go!” Emi swallows a bite of pie and throws her fork down.

“Yeah, Malfoy,” you prod. “Take us.”

Chris and Alex chime in with their agreement. Draco looks skeptical.

“Why should I?”

“Because it’s the Christmas spirit, asshole.” You get up and walk to the door, shoving your santa hat onto Draco’s head as you walk past. “Everyone! We’re going on a field trip!” You announce to the whole party. Draco glares at you, and you grin back. “Let’s go, sunshine. You lead the way.”

The large group of you troop through the halls, Draco leading the way. “I look better in this than you.” He leans against the rail of one of the moving staircases, gesturing to your hat.

“At least you’re looking slightly festive now.” You lean back on the railing opposite him.

“Sexual tensionnnnn,” Alex hisses loudly from a few steps below. You and Draco cast her matching sneers.

“You two are the ones who admitted to thinking about kissing one another, so stop looking like that.” Chris said, putting his hands up. Emi giggles, grabbing onto his arm.

“Key word: thought!” You cried. “It’s hard not to think about something when someone brings it up.”

“Oh, so you hadn’t thought about it before tonight?” Draco teased.

“NO.” You said indignantly.

The staircase slid into place and Draco sauntered off into the next corridor, shooting you a look that said ‘right, sure.’ You run up beside him and whack him on the arm. “Dick! I do not waste my precious time thinking about you.”

“Hey, that hurt!” He reaches out and shoves you sideways.

“For the love of Christ, STOP FLIRTING!” Alex yells.

“We are not!” You and Draco yell back.

You turn the corner and Draco leads everyone to what seems to be a blank wall. “Is this it?” You ask.

“Yes, now shut up so I can concentrate.” Draco closes his eyes, and everyone becomes quiet. For a few moments nothing happens, then the stone wall slowly starts to shift. Swirling lines curl around the shape of large double doors, and a round handle forms in front of Draco. He opens his eyes and looks at the doors, satisfied. “This is the room where people come when they need to hide something.”

Draco tugs the large doors open, and everyone gasps as they look in. The room seems to go on forever, stacks of objects piling up into mountains every few feet. Thin aisles weave between the piles for people to walk between. Everyone files in, going their various ways down the different paths. Draco seems pleased by everyone’s amazement.

“What’s that sound?” You ask, coming to stand beside him again.

“There’s probably a record player in here somewhere. It’s always playing when I come, so it must be broken.” Draco says.

“How often do you come here to hide stuff?” You tease.

“I told you, none of your business,” he shoots back.

“C’mon,” you gesture for him to follow you. “Let’s see if we can find it.”

Draco follows you without much question, and the voices of everyone else fade away as you go deeper into the Room. You turn various corners, trying to follow the sound of the music. “There’s so much stuff in here,” you muse aloud, letting your fingers brush over the dusty surface of a long-forgotten desk.

“It’s thousands of years of useless junk, since I assume people have been hiding thing here since Hogwarts began,” Draco answers.

You turn another corner where there’s a slightly more open area. There’s a huge shelf that’s filled with broken teacups, so many they look likely to spill over at any moment.

“I don’t think we’re getting any closer.” Draco’s voice is softer than normal, and right behind you.

You turn around and find yourself only a few inches away from his chest. “Yeah, the music, uh, sounds about the same,” you say, your eyes flitting up to his face. You can’t help but catch sight of his lips, which look incredibly soft and inviting up close.

You both move toward each other at the same time, but you also both stop just a fraction of an inch away from one another. Draco’s head is tilted down, and you can feel his gentle breath on your lips. “Draco, what are we doing?” You whisper.

He swallows before answering. “Can we just not think about it?”

Your heart feels like it’s going to flutter out of your chest. “Okay.”

Draco’s head dips down, and he captures your lips with his. At first, the kiss is soft, but it doesn’t take long for the usual fire between you to flare. You’re kissing like you argue, one of you always trying to best the other. One of Draco’s hands comes around the small of your back, his fingertips brushing against your skin, while the other flies to your neck and rests on your racing pulse. You dig your fingers into his hair, knocking your hat off his head and pulling him down towards you. He groans into your mouth.

Together, you take a step backwards so you’re up against the shelf. Your back hits it harder than you meant to and you let out a small gasp. China rattles above you.

“Y/n, is that you?”

Your lips separate with a pop, and Draco’s eyes are wide. Someone is coming.

Alex pops around the corner a few seconds later, and sees you mending the teacups on the shelf. “Oh, yay, it’s you. You all good? I thought I heard something about to break.”

“Nah, just the cups,” you say, waving your wand again to repair another.

“Cool. I think the rest of us were gonna head back now, you coming?”

“Uh, I’d like to stay here a little longer. I think this place is dope.”

Alex looks skeptical. “Alright, just don’t get lost. Hey, where’s Malfoy? I can’t find that bitch either.”

You shrug. Alex raises her eyebrows. You sigh and lower your wand from the shelf. “Jesus fuck, there’s nothing going on between us, okay? I don’t know where he is, he probably left already.”

“Alrighttttt,” Alex sings. “Uh-huh. Sure. I definitely believe you. One hundred percent.” She turns on her heel and walks off.

After her footsteps fade, Draco reappears from around another corner, a stupid grin on his face. “Honestly, I’m hurt you consider that nothing.”

“Oh, fuck off.” You guide a repaired teacup back to its place on the shelf.

“I can show you some more, if you’d like?” His arms wrap around your torso and he places a kiss on the side of your neck, making you giggle.

“Okay, okay! But not here. We’re liable to break something for real.”  

His eyes glint mischievously. “I know just the place.”

The tapestry has barely fallen into place behind you before you’re being pushed up against the wall in the tiny alcove behind it, Draco’s lips meeting yours with passion. “Draco… what exactly… are we… doing,” you ask again, between kisses. You part, breathless, dim light from the torches in the corridor filtering through the tapestry, illuminating Draco’s face just enough to see the flush on his cheeks.

“I dunno,” he says, lips descending onto your neck. “Can we not talk… about it… right this moment.”

“Ugh, fine.” Your hands thread into his fine hair again. “But we have to talk about it tomorrow.”

Draco’s face reappears in front of yours again. “God, you’re so difficult sometimes. I love it.”

He lifts you up the wall so your faces are more in line, putting one of his legs between yours to stabilize you. Your toes barely brush the ground, and for the first time you’re truly aware of how much taller he is than you. One of his hands slips under your sweater, and you sigh in delight as his fingertips skate across the skin of your hip. “Mmm, someone’s eager.” He gently nips at your lower lip.

“‘S been a while,” you mumble.

Draco’s mouth cracks into a smile, ending your kiss. You pout and he laughs. “I know I’m good but, seriously, how long’s it been.”

You hope he can see your eyes roll in the dim light. “I thought we weren’t gonna talk about anything right now.”

“Yeah, but now I’m curious.” Now his fingers are gliding along the small of your back, and you arch away at the feathery touch, which just amuses him more.

“Like… maybe a year and a half.”

“A year?” Draco’s mouth drops open, and you hate the look of arrogance that’s taking over his face at being the first to kiss you in such a long time. “There is absolutely no way.”

“I’ll leave, you know.” You threaten, taking your arms off his shoulders and crossing them.

Draco suddenly grabs onto your upper arms. “Please don’t.”

“So then stop running your mouth and kiss me, you idiot.” You uncross your arms and grab at Draco’s collar.

“Luckily for you, I’m excellent at both of those things.”

It had been… a long time. You’d spent the better part of an hour in the corridor on the third floor, and now you were making your way back to the Ilvermorny dorms much later than you’d have liked. You tried to tell Draco Alex would only get more suspicious, but he was… very persuasive.

“Greylock,” you said to tapestry-Isolt. She stepped to the side to let you through. The party had dwindled to most of the Ilvermorny students, the trio, and Emi, who were seated by the fire playing a card game.

“What’s up?” You asked, plopping down into a chair. All you received were stares in return. “Uh, hello?”

“You were gone for a while.” Alex says, leaning back against the hearth, Ginny's legs draped across her lap.

“Yeah, I did end up getting a little lost. That room was huge.” Everyone continues to stare.

“Got you hat back, then?” Alex gestures to your head.

FUCK. “Uh, yeah. I saw Malfoy when I was leaving, asked for it back. I guess he was just wandering around, too.”

“Uh-huh.” Alex can’t keep the smirk off her face.

“I literally just happened to see him and all I did was ask for my fucking hat back, okay? Hop off my dick.”

“What’s on your neck?” Alex points, and you feel the blood drain from your face.

You don’t say anything to that. Alex throws her hand of cards to the side, deflty sliding out from under Ginny and onto your chair. “Ah! Alex, get the fuck off me!’ You cry, desperately holding up the collar of your sweater as Alex tries to pull it down.

But Alex wins in the end. She yanks down the left side of your collar, revealing the forming bruises across your collarbone. “HOLY SHIT YOU LET MALFOY GIVE YOU A HICKEY.”

“NO I DID NOT.”

“I’M LOOKING RIGHT AT THEM, BITCH!”

Your cheeks are flaming, and you let out a muffled scream into your hands. Emi is losing it with laughter.

“You let that git’s lips touch your face? More than your face?” Harry stuttered. Ron made a gagging noise.

“Y/n, I cannot believe you did that!” Hermione wailed.

“OKAY, everyone chill out.” You put your hands out. “It doesn’t mean anything.”

“How do you know?” Alex cries.

“Because I explicitly asked and he said, ‘let’s not talk about it right this moment,’ quote.” You punctuate your sentences by punching your fist into your palm.

“Uh-huh, cos he was too damn busy sucking on your neck like a fucking leech.” Alex poked at your collarbone and you swatted her hand away.

“Oh my gooood, that’s such a Draco thing to say to someone he’s totally into.” Emi drawled.

Your blush flares back up. “What? He’s not ‘totally into me’.”

“Uh, absolutely yes,” Emi shoots back. “Tomorrow you’ll see.”

As it turns out, tomorrow’s ‘we’ll talk about it later’ begins in a similar place as last night. Draco’s hands are gripping at the back of your uniform shirt as you tug on his tie, his lips already attached to the sensitive piece of skin behind your ear. You can’t stop the moans rolling out of your mouth.

“I like how much you like this,” his voice rasps against your skin.

“Yeah, and I’d love to give you some payback for last night but we have something to discuss.”

“Can’t we just do this a little longer?” He nearly whines against your lips.

You grab the front of his shirt and spin him around, so he’s the one with his back to the wall. His eyes open in surprise at your aggression. “Do you like me or not?” You get straight to the point.

The edge of his mouth quirks up. “I definitely like it when you do that.”

This gets him a quick slap on his cheek. “I’m dead ass serious, Draco. I’m not the kind of girl who just goes around kissing whoever, alright?”

“Yeah, I sort of figured that when you said you hadn’t been kissed in a year and a half.”

You let go of his shirt and turn to leave. Maybe he really was just using you since all he still wanted was to tease you.

Draco’s hand closes around your wrist. “Wait, Y/n, I’m sorry. I didn’t mean to make fun of you.”

You turn to face him again. “But that’s all we ever do, Draco! Everything I know about you is stuff I tease you about. There’s no point in this, I’m bad at not catching feelings. I know myself.”

“Me either! Listen, I know you know me well enough to at least know I’m not actually stupid. I wouldn’t have kissed you for no reason.”

“Oh, you totally would have.”

“Okay, fine, I’m an arse but I’m still a gentleman. There’s a line I don’t cross. To answer your question, yes, I do fancy you. I like being around you. I look forward to potions everyday. I might not know much about you but I do notice things about you that I think are utterly adorable.”

Your cheeks heat up at his compliment, and you throw yourself against his chest in a hug.

Draco rests his hand on your hair. “I tease you because you’re the only one who can keep up. I love your wit, I think it’s one of the most attractive things about you. If you want to try… being together, we can do that. Just maybe not tell anyone because that’d be a bloody mess.” He adds quickly.

“I like those things about you, too.” You say, turning your head so he can hear you clearly. “You’re smart, and I happen to think you’re pretty cute also.”

“Just cute?”

“Nah, your jawline is pretty hot. And your accent.”

“I knew there was no way you actually hated my accent.”

You pull away and playfully slap his chest. “Okay, boyfriend,” you smirk. “Can we get to kissing, because I go back home tomorrow and I need my fix before Christmas.”

“Ugh!” Draco groans, throwing his head back. “I forgot about that.”

“Yah-huh.” You give an exaggerated nod.

“I think kissing just might make waiting worse,” he says playfully.

“Let’s find out.”

Several minutes later you return to the Great Hall to catch the end of the lunch hour. Everyone’s expectant eyes are on you as you take your seat and casually start eating.

“Well?” Alex pries.

“Huh? Oh, we talked.”

“Okay? And?” Ron urges.

You shrug noncommittally. “We both agreed it was probably a bad idea. A one time thing.”

The trio sighs in relief, while Alex crosses her arms and huffs. “Ugh! You’re so boring.”

You just put another bite of food in your mouth and give her a mock-sad face. “Sorry to disappoint.”

Across the Hall, Draco enters and heads to they Slytherin table. He shoots a quick wink your way before sitting down with his own friends, careful to not look over at you again for the rest of the meal.

Chapter Text

Your two-week winter break at home seemed to drag on forever. While you were certainly excited to be back in your own bed in your own house, eating your mother’s delicious home cooking, you were having the familiar feeling of missing something. It always came on when you came home for breaks. Living at a boarding school and having roommates nine months out of the year had you used to constantly seeing people, and being in your empty house with only your parents was a lot less action and excitement than you were used to.

That, and you were thinking about what a certain blonde British boy was doing on his vacation.

By the time new years had passed, you were bouncing off the walls ready to get back to Hogwarts. On January 5th, you all met at Ilvermorny to take the portkey back to Scotland.

“Alex! Merry-Late-Christmas!”

“Aw, Merry-Late-Christmas to you, too!” She responded as you embraced.

“Hey, we’re both wearing our necklaces! Cuteeee.” You pointed to the matching golden disks around each others necks. They had an engraving of your zodiac signs, that were charmed to move. Alex’s fish that represented Pisces swam in slow circles across the disk.

“Best idea we’ve ever had.” She stated. “You excited to get back?”

“Uh-huh,” you said, trying to sound casual. “I’m prepared this time. Mom sent me with a bunch of cookie recipes.”

“Fuck yeah.”

After giving more post-holiday hugs to the rest of your exchange group, you all grabbed ahold of the portkey and landed on the Hogwarts Express station like last time, where Hagrid was waiting yet again. On the carriage ride over, you were nearly vibrating with excitement and nervousness all at once. You and Draco hadn’t exchanged letters at all over break, so you weren’t quite sure how your first meeting was going to go. You’d agreed it would be good to make it seem like you’d called a truce on your aggressive fighting around other people, but you weren’t sure how that meant you could say hi to him once you got there. A wave? Just a smile? Maybe nothing?

It seemed you would have to wait until later. Other students were also arriving, and the castle was bustling with people running to their common rooms and reuniting in the halls. You and the rest of your friends dragged your bags up to the west towers towards your tapestry. After a bit of unpacking and changing back into your Hogwarts robes, you made your way down to the hall for dinner.

“Alex! Y/n!” A group of familiar voices called. You and Alex turned around on the moving staircase to see the trio running up to you.

“It’s HHR!” You and Alex said, pronouncing the acronym like “her”.  Hermione grabbed the both of you into a hug before either of the boys could.

“Did you guys have a brilliant Christmas?”

“Yes! Look at our necklaces.” You brought yours up for her to look at and she ooh’d.

“Oi, I want a hug,” Ron complained. Alex squeezed both boys, lifting them clean off the floor as she hugged them. Your hugs were more gentler.

You all walked into the great all together, Ron and Harry telling a tale of something that happened at the Burrow over the break that involved family Quidditch. You were mostly tuning it out, your eyes scanning the Slytherin table across the hall for a familiar quiff of bleach-blonde hair. You frowned, wondering how you could be missing him when he had such a distinct-

There. Storm grey eyes caught yours, and the distance between the tables disappeared. You couldn’t help the smile that broke out across your face, and he didn’t hold back his either.

The moment was gone too quickly. Alex grabbed your robe sleeve and pulled you into the seat next to her, your back to the Slytherin table. You tried to settle down, barely fighting off the urge to turn back around in your seat just to get another look at him. Merlin, what had gotten into you? Barely a month ago you would’ve been glad to not see him for a whole meal, and here you were, sat with your friends at the dinner table while the ghost of his hands pressed into your back. You took a deep, clarifying breath, and made yourself focus.

Dumbledore made his announcements. You all filled up on roasted vegetables and mashed potatoes with gravy, and the mince pie you’d gotten to tolerate. Once or twice you turned around under the guise of stretching your back. ...Maybe three times.

When dinner was over Harry invited you and Alex back to the Gryffindor common room to hang out. You both agreed, and you promised to come as soon as you finished unpacking. Back in your dorm, you pulled off your cloak and tie to change into a more cozy sweatshirt. When you sat on your bed to change into some pants, you heard a crunch.

“What the hell?” You lifted up you thigh and pressed on your robe. The crunch came again. You felt around on your robe and dug a hand into the pocket, coming up with a folded square of parchment. There, in familiar looping cursive, was a note that read ‘Meet me on the fourth floor behind the lake tapestry at eight’.

Heat rose in your cheeks. That sneaky bastard! You quickly shoved the note back under your uniform and put on your leggings.

“You ready?” Alex’s voice made you jump.

“Uh, actually, I might pass,” you said, feeling a little bad as you lied. “I think I ate too much and I just want to lie down. Or maybe take a walk,” you added quickly. “Tell HHR I said sorry.”

“Alright, I hope you feel better.” Alex kissed the crown of your head and left the dorm. You checked your watch- it was already seven forty-five, and you had a tapestry to find.

You waited what you felt was a sufficient amount of time to put distance between you and Alex before heading out. You turned another corner, scanning the walls with your eyes for a tapestry with a lake. When was Draco going to figure out that this castle was too damn big for such arbitrary instructions?

“Where do you think you’re going?” A loud voice rang out from behind you that made your heart skip a beat. You turned slowly on the ball of your heel, already trying to come up with an excuse for your wandering.

Instead of a teacher, a familiar devious smile graced the face of Draco Malfoy.

“Asshole.” You grinned.

Draco opened his arms and you ran into them. His arms firmly wrapped around your waist, and he picked you up and spun you around in a circle. Your face was buried in the crook of his neck, and the smell of his cologne and shampoo filled your nose. When he finally put your feet back on the ground and he tried to pull away, you held on and rocked the two of you side to side for a moment. “Hiiiiiiiiiii,” you giggled.

“Hiiiiiiiiiii,” he said back, mimicking your tone. You finally pulled back, and found his grey eyes alight with excitement even in the dim corridor. He kissed your forehead, his hands coming up to cup both sides of your face. You sighed, looping your arms around his neck.

“Did you have a nice break?” You asked, moving to nip at his jawline.

“Mm, could’ve been better,” he hummed, his thumb brushing your cheek as you planted another kiss on his neck, before moving towards his lips. “Ah! Not here. Tapestry.” He pulled just out of your reach.

“Not my fault you picked a place I don’t know about.”

“You were close, come, it’s just down this way.” Draco untangled himself from you and took your hand.

“Carry me?” You asked sweetly.

He sighed. “Fine. Hop up.”

You rode piggyback style down the hall, shoving your face into Draco’s hair as he walked. “Your shampoo is so nice,” you mumble. “I wanna smell your hair all the time.

“Thank you, I suppose. Hey, are you biting me!” He laughed as your tapped your teeth against his head.

“No, but maybe I will.” You leaned down and gently bit on Draco’s neck, the bit of skin between the collar of his sweater and his hair. You flicked your tongue across his skin and you heard him take in a sharp breath through his nose.

“You can’t wait two seconds can you?” Draco let you down and pulled aside the tapestry. You were surprised to see this one had a window behind it, bright moonlight illuminating the space behind the thick cloth. Draco spun you around in front of the window and dropped the edge of the tapestry behind him, sealing you off from the hall.

You grabbed his hands and pulled him towards you again, attaching your lips back onto his jaw. Draco’s hands came to rest on your hips, his thumbs tracing circles on the skin just above the waistband of your leggings.

“I thought about you all holiday,” he whispered as your lips traveled down his neck, your nail tracing patterns on the opposite side.

“I thought about you, too,” you said between kisses.

Draco dipped his head down, and you found yourself level with his mouth instead of his collarbone. Your lips met in a much anticipated kiss. It felt like the time between your last kiss with Draco had been even longer than your last kiss with your ex.

You tangled your hands into Draco’s fine hair, and his voice rumbled in pleasure, his fingers digging into your back. In the back of your mind you were acutely aware that you were making out with Draco Malfoy , a fact that was still hard to believe some times. You’d spent most of your break wondering if you’d just imagined the feel of his body pressed against yours, but now that you were back together it felt better than you’d remembered.

You turned your bodies so Draco’s back was to the wall, and pushed him gently down so he was sitting on the edge of the window sill with you between his legs. It was a high window, but it made your bodies more in line since he was a bit taller than you. You undid the top two buttons of his uniform shirt, and his hands traveled further up under your sweatshirt. He sighed, letting his head lean back against the glass as you peppered kisses across his collarbone. Time for some payback.

You kissed until your lips were swollen. You didn’t check your watch to look at the time, but it had certainly been a while. Now, you just stood against each other in a loose hug, Draco’s chin resting on the top of your head while you both gazed out the window and talked.

“I hope you didn’t give me any love bites above my collar, or I’ll kill you.” Draco said.

“Nah, I was careful,” you promised. “Better watch yourself in the Quidditch changing rooms, though.”

Draco let out a short laugh. “Noted.”

You lapsed back into comfortable silence for a moment before you spoke again. “Draco, what are we gonna do when classes start? We’ll have homework and I can’t just be leaving the dorms every night to take a walk or Alex will start getting suspicious. I can’t hide much from her.”

“Don’t worry, we’ll come up with something,” Draco said comfortingly. “We’ll still see each other  during the day. Maybe we can go to Hogsmead together on Saturdays by ourselves.”

“Mmm, I do love chocolate,” you sighed.

“Me too.” Draco moved to kiss the top of your head. “Tell me more things I don’t know about you.”

You thought for a moment. “Let’s see… I’m from _______ back in the states, so that’s why my accent is so thick. I have no siblings. My mom’s a herbologist but the only thing she was able to teach me about plants was potions. And because I’m pretty decent at that I’m not bad at cooking. I absolutely hate riding brooms, but I love to ride horses.”

Draco pulled back to look at you, surprise painting his face. “You hate riding brooms? Why?”

“They’re scary!” You counter. “Those things are dangerous. You’re on a piece of magical wood that’s about as finicky as a new wand. I don’t trust them,” you huff.

Draco throws back his head and barks a laugh. “Are you serious? Did you ever learn to ride a broom properly? You have way more control over a broom than a horse .”

“Of course I learned, I was just shit at it so I stopped. Besides, horses are easier when you can talk to them.”

Draco’s eyes widened. “You can talk to horses?”

You nod. “I can talk to regular animals, but not magical ones."

“And how did this fact not take precedence over you knowing how to cook.”

You roll your eyes. “I forget some people don’t know that.”

“Right,” Draco teases back. “I’ll teach you how to ride a broom if you’d like.”

“Thanks, but no thanks.” You hug him a little tighter in what you hope is an encouraging way. “Heights scare me. You tell me something about you now.”

Draco sighs as he thinks. “I’m an only child, too. I can play the piano, and I’ve never tried to cook because we have house elves at home who do everything for us. Maybe I’d be good at it because I am good at potions, I dunno. I wish I could play Quidditch when I graduate, but I think father expects me to be like him and take a job at the Ministry.”

“‘Father’?” You raise an eyebrow. “Damn, you must hate your parents.”

Draco tilts his head to the side. “Hate is a strong word. My mother is nice.”

“You still said father, though. People only say that when they really hate their parents. At least in America we do. Or is your family like, one of those super-fancy and super-formal British families?”

“Fine, maybe a little of both,” he concedes. “But definitely the fancy British family part. That’s how all- well, most Pureblood families are here.”

You stiffen at the word ‘Pureblood’. “Wait, are you…?” You trail off.

Draco looks confused. “A Pureblood? Yes. Why?”

You stare back out the window, then look at back him. “I just… I guess that makes sense. That’s why your hair is like, unnaturally pale.”

“Yes, but what else? Do you not know any Purebloods at Ilvermorny?” Draco’s brow furrowed.

“No, there’s plenty.” You weren’t sure how to tell him this without hurting his feelings. “Just… in America, for a long time, there were laws made by the Magical Congress that Witches and Wizards couldn’t marry a No-Maj, in order to protect wizarding society in the new world. Eventually people realized those laws were dated, and in like the late 20’s they were repealed. Blood purity pretty much became unimportant across the country except in the South.” You shook your head a little. “Both Magical people and No-Maj’s from the South are crazy, but that’s another story. I guess what I’m trying to get at is now there aren’t a lot of Pureblood families in America anymore. Most everyone has at least one No-Maj in their family tree. I do know some Purebloods back at home but…” You cringed a little at what you were about to say. “People call them inbreds.”

Draco looked horrified.

“Not that I think that about you!” You said quickly, waving your hands. “All of them are perfectly nice, and only some of their parents are weird about the blood-purity thing. It’s not a big deal, honestly. I don’t think you family heritage could make you a bad person, Pureblood or not, that’s just being judgemental. That’s just what some people say.”

Draco blinked. “Okay.”

You felt awful. “I’m so sorry, I didn’t want to make you feel bad.” You stood on your tiptoes and kissed his cheek before putting your hands on either side of his face. “I do not think of Purebloods like that.”

“It’s alright, y/n.” Draco smiled softly down at you, putting one of his hands on top of yours that was still resting on his cheek.

“Is it though? I’m really sorry, maybe I shouldn’t’ve-”

“Y/n! It’s okay, I promise,” Draco said. “I’m glad you said something. Better to know this way then have it explained to me with a bunch of other people around.”

“Okay,” you sighed, pulling Draco’s hand down to kiss the back of it. “I’m still sorry though.”

“What for! The y/n I know two weeks ago would make fun of my entire bloodline with no remorse. You saying anything nice to me I consider a gift.” He winked.

That made you smile. “Okay, true. I guess I just can’t burn you one second and make out with you the next.”

“Who said I wouldn’t like it if you did?”

“Says the part of me who learned the golden rule when I was six.”

Draco went back to looking confused. “The what?”

“Nevermind,” you sigh. “I don’t want it to be too different between us now, but I want it to be a little different.”

“Yeah, me either.” Draco went back to resting his chin on your head. “We’ll figure it out.”

When you both felt your eyes closing, you went your separate ways to your dorms. Alex was back in your room when you returned.

“You feeling any better? Where’d you go?” Alex asked.

“Just to the nurse, she gave me something for my stomach. I’m feeling fine now.”

“Okay, that’s good,” she said, pulling off her shoes and grabbing her book from her nightstand.

“How was HHR?” You asked.

“Good, except I can’t tell if Harry has a crush on me or not?”

“I thought Harry liked that girl in Ravenclaw? You and Chris play Quidditch with?"

“Cho? Yeah so did I.”

“Weird.” You shrug. “Okay, I’m tired as hell. G’night.”

“Nighty night.”

Alex stayed up and read her book, and you kept your back to her and pretended to sleep. You hoped Draco would come up with a new plan for you guys to meet, because hiding this from Alex was going to be very difficult.

The rest of January came and went without much excitement. You and Draco regularly met up at night, or sometimes in the middle of the day on Tuesdays when you both had a free block before lunch. So far, you were avoiding major suspicion.

The most you’d been asked about it was by Hermione, who seemed frustrated you and Draco were doing so well in potions. You managed to convince her your ‘truce’ about fighting each other made it much easier to work together in class, and she’d finally let it go. Even Alex had stopped asking where you were going at night sometimes.

The third weekend in February brought one of the more anticipated Quidditch matches of the year, at least for the people you knew. The Ravenclaw/ Slytherin match. In Quidditch trials in September, both Alex and Chris had won spots on the Ravenclaw Quidditch team, the only two Ilvermorny students out of the six who tried out. The Gryffindor team had regained their players from last year, minus one student who’d graduated, and Alex was sad at first she wouldn’t get to play on the same team as Harry, Ginny and Ron. However, the Ravenclaw captain had said they’d been struggling as a team for the past two years, and with Chris as a Beater and Alex as a Chaser, they’d beat Hufflepuff easily back in November.

As Chris and Alex brought Ravenclaw success, the rest of the Exchange students had adopted a strong pro-Ravenclaw attitude where the subject of Quidditch concerned. You had been excited for the Ravenclaw/Slytherin match since your friends made the team, and at first it was so you could watch them beat Draco’s team into the dirt.

Now that wasn’t quite the case, but you were still excited.

“Y/n, you wearing that green scarf is honestly no better than you coming and telling me you’ve become a Death Eater,” Ron bemoaned as the four of you walked down to the pitch.

“I told you, I have equal stake in this match. I’ve got on more blue anyway! Let me live, Ron.”

“Okay, sure, you and Malfoy are cool now, or whatever, but this is Quidditch we’re talking about. Don’t you know this could be bad karma for the whole game!” Ron cried.

“Seriously. Potions class is one thing, but Quidditch support is only something couples do, you know.”

Harry got a smack on the back of the head for that one.

Hermione and Ron laughed while you defended yourself. You were nearly to the pitch when you heard your name being called.

“Y/n! Y/N! GUYS WAIT UP!”

You turned to see Emi running down the hill with short strides, her long Slytherin scarf about to trip her with every step. She’d wrapped it around her neck several times but the edges were still brushing along the snowy ground. Emi finally caught up to the four of you, and she clutched your arm to steady herself as you all started walking again. You noticed she had a small Ravenclaw flag clutched in her hand.

“Emi! Are you double-teaming too?” You asked with surprise.

“Yeah,” Emi smiled. “For Chris! But don’t tell anyone else in Slytherin, though. I’ll be hung in the common room by my toes before the match is even over,” she added, suddenly very serious.

“Okay.” You turned to the trio. “See! I’m not the only one. Embrace the interhouse harmony, guys.”

“Oh, yeah, I bet you have this exact same attitude at Ilvermorny Quidditch games, too,” Ron grumbled.

“Come this way,” Emi said, pulling you along the outside wall of the pitch. “We need to sit on the end, so we can be be where the two sides will meet. That way we can be equally supportive.”

Emi led the way to the end of the pitch, and planted herself right in the middle of the box, the trio following behind you. The mixed-team box was mostly filled with people you didn’t know, who were from Hufflepuff and Gryffindor. “So, Chris huh?” You asked, gently nudging Emi with your elbow.

Emi’s face remained passive as she surveyed the crowd that wound around the pitch. “He’s just my friend. It’s nice to have someone to talk to who isn’t complaining. My dorm mates are so fucking annoying,” she sighed. “Pansy never shuts her mouth. Don’t tell her I said that.”

You giggled.

“What about you huh?” She turned to you, her eyebrows going up in a suggestive way. “I hear you and Draco are mates now, and here you are with the green scarf. Is it his?”

“No! Draco and I are also just friends. Sort of. I mean we get along now but we’re not like, buddies or anything,” you say. Emi just looks at you for a long moment before turning back to the pitch.

“Is the Slytherin team any good? I didn’t come to that match last term.” You say to Emi.

“Yes, we’re very good. Well, we are now. We got a new keeper two years ago who’s very good, and Draco has been a great Seeker since last year. He was awful before that-maybe he learned over the summer or something,” Emi postulated.

“It’s true. His dad bought him the Seeker position our first year and Harry was way better than him. Still is.” Ron interjected, leaning down to poke his head between you and Emi.

“Okay, well, we won the Quidditch cup last year Weasley, so what’s really important?” Emi said haughtily.

Before Ron could respond, the pitch erupted into cheers as the two teams came out. Two towers across from each other on the pitch, one green and the other blue, had a tiny open spot halfway down where the teams emerged from. The Ravenclaw team flew off first, weaving around the pitch to get everyone excited. Alex dramatically jumped off the tower, pulling her broom under her and soaring off at the last second. The five of you jumped to your feet and started hollering as Chris and Alex flew by.

Slytherin came out next, flying in their diamond formation. Even with all the snow, you spotted Draco in the front by his white hair, leading the team as the Seeker. As they passed by, you and Emi screamed your cheers.

“Welcome to the fourth Quidditch match of this school year! Today’s match- Ravenclaw vs Slytherin!” The student announcer called, her voice echoing around the pitch.

The Quidditch referee, a teacher you didn’t know, trudged out onto the snowy pitch and put down the box with the balls. It vibrated in anticipation of being opened. The two teams hovered in a circle around her, the Ravenclaw team in front of you. Alex’s red hair in it’s double braids stood out against the grey sky. The teacher opened the box, and out flew the Snitch and the two Bludgers. Draco and Cho, Ravenclaw’s seeker, watched the tiny golden ball zip away. The referee threw the Quaffle into the air, and the game began.

Alex, lithe and quick on her broom, snatched the Quaffle from the air, leaving a crash of Slytherin players in her wake. The one other Ravenclaw chasers flew off after her, as well as Chris to protect her from oncoming Bludgers.

Ron had told you the Slytherin team played dirty, and they were certainly committing some fouls that were going uncaught. Ravenclaw was not to be underestimated though, and Chris and his fellow beater were landing multiple shots of the Bludgers onto oncoming Slytherin chasers.

Roughly twenty minutes into the game, the teams were tied thirty to thirty. Neither Cho nor Draco had been able to relocate the snitch since the beginning of the game. Both players were hanging around the edges of the pitch, scanning the horizon for any sign of the golden ball. Draco had his arms crossed, and was looking frustrated. Across the pitch, Alex scored another goal for Ravenclaw and you whooped.

“Oi, this is slow going,” Ron complained.

“It hasn’t been half an hour yet, Ron,” Hermione pointed out. “Last game was nearly two hours!”

“Yeah, and besides, Ravenclaw is in the lead again. Alex is so fast,” you said, watching your friend zip across the pitch, doing a corkscrew in celebration of her goal.

“She could be a Seeker,” Harry mused.

“I think she likes the teamwork of being a Chaser,” you replied.

A gasp went up from across the pitch, and your caught the moment just in time. One of the Slytherin beaters, Crabbe, had hit a Bludger Chris’s way. He moved to hit it away with his bat, but it hit him square in the face instead. Chris managed to stay on his broom but was sent spinninging sideways. When he righted himself he swiped a sleeve across his face- the sapphire fabric was stained with blood. Emi clutched your arm with worry, and you squeezed her hand to reassure her. All of the crowd who could see Chris’s bloody face all booed Crabbe.

“I’m going to punch Crabbe in the nose for that,” Emi growled under her breath.

“I’ll lift you up,” added Ron.

“Oh, shut up.”

In the time that everyone was distracted by Chris and Crabbe’s altercation on the end of the pitch, a Slytherin Chaser had scored a goal.

“The game is tied again, forty to forty,” The announcer called. “Neither of our Seekers have spotted the Snitch yet.”

Indeed. Another ten minutes passed by, with more goals scored. Your eyes were following Alex around the pitch, and she was about to catch a pass from her fellow Chaser when Harry gasped from behind you. “Guys, look up!”

You all tilted your heads back, and were shocked into momentary silence. Harry’s keen Seeker eyes had spotted the Snitch, hovering over your stand several feet above you all. From Cho and Draco’s high vantage point, the Snitch was sure to blend in with the crowd. You whipped your head back to the pitch. Draco and Cho still hovered high, oblivious.

“CHO!” Harry yelled. “CHO! THE SNITCH! ”

You thought Cho was too far to hear him. As expected, Cho didn’t turn your way. But Hermione and Ron quickly joined him.

“CHO! CHO!”

Emi looked conflicted for a moment, then seemed to remember her house pride. She screeched at the top of her tiny lungs. “DRACOOOOOOO!”

All your friends were screaming, Ron’s pale face turning red from it. Emi waved her arms wildly, and you made a decision. “DRACO!” You screamed. “ DRACO MALFOY !”

Finally, the ruckus you were all causing in the box finally caught the attention of the Seekers. They both looked briefly to your side, wondering if it was just enthusiastic cheering, but all five of you pointed up. Emi started jumping.

They reacted immediately, both coming towards the box at lightning speed. Draco and Cho closed in, and the Snitch zipped from side to side. Everyone in the box screeched, ducking down as the two Quidditch players zoomed overhead. The whoosh of wind blew your hair all about your face, and you brushed it aside to look up again. The Snitch was gone.

Everyone scrambled up, craning their necks as the Seekers came around from outside the pitch to see who’d gotten it, but they were both still in pursuit. The Snitch was flying fast now, into the center where the rest of the players were. Now everyone around the pitch was screaming, the announcer barely able to keep up with all the action.

Draco and Cho were swift, but most of the other players were not. The other Slytherin beater hit a Bludger that was meant for Cho, but hit Draco instead when he suddenly moved down. The force sent him sideways into Cho, and Alex, holding the Quaffle, was trying to dodge them, but she ended up catching the front of her broomstick on Cho’s body, sending all three of them flying off their brooms in various directions. They all landed in the snowy ground in puffs of white.

Everyone gasped collectively. Alex and Draco lay limp in the snow, while Cho cried out in pain, holding her middle. The pitch got quiet for a moment as the other players stopped, with the Quaffle still tucked under Alex’s arm out of play. Cho rolled to the side, her dark hair spread out around her head in the snow like a halo. She lifted one of her arms up from her stomach. Clutched in her fist was the shimmering Snitch.

The hospital wing was very full. Chris had to have his nose reset; Cho had a bruised stomach; Draco was nursing a headache and a split lip, and Alex had sprained her wrist. You and the Trio were standing around Alex who was sitting on a bed in the wing, waiting her turn for a healing spell from Madame Pomfrey.

“You played brilliant Alex,” Ron said, brimming with excitement.

“Yeah, you and Chris are the Ravenclaw dream team.” You beamed.

“Hell yeah, you know it.” Alex offered up her good hand for a high five, and you slapped your palms together.

“I’m seriously so proud of you,” Ginny said. “Your second win of the year!”

Alex smiled. “I’m definitely reporting this all back to Cameron back home- the Thunderbird team doesn’t know what they’re missing.”

Madame Pomfrey stepped around the curtain that divided the beds. You got up from where you were sitting near Alex, so she could have room to treat her. Across the room, Chris had already had his nose reset. He was sitting on his bed, wiping dried blood off his face with a wet washcloth. His free hand was clasped in Emi’s, who was sitting close on the bed next to him, and you smiled to yourself.

“I’ll be back,” you said to Hermione, who was standing next to you, and walked around the foot to Alex’s bed and to the other side of the curtain.

Draco sat on the side of his bed, legs crossed underneath him. His lip had been healed, but he was holding a cloth full of ice to his temple.

“Hey,” you said settling down into the chair next to the bed

“Hey,” he replied. “Thanks for helping me during the game.”

You shrugged. “Well, Emi isn’t loud enough on her own. Besides, it was only fair. Are you okay? That looked like a nasty collision.” Your forehead creased with concern.

Now it was Draco’s turn to shrug. “I’ve had worse. The snow didn’t make it so bad, and we were close the the ground anyway. I’ll be sore tomorrow, though.” He stretched his back, as if already feeling it. “Landed on my left shoulder really hard.”

“I told you brooms are dangerous.” You smirked.

Draco rolled his eyes. “This is Quidditch. If you were riding a broom normally, your chances of getting hurt lower considerabl- hey, quit that!” He reached out to smack your arm, catching you mouthing the words along with him in a mocking way.

You both laughed, smile lines forming around Draco’s eyes and cheeks. They were the cutest thing.

You scooted to the edge of your chair, taking Draco’s hand. You leaned your elbow on the bed next to you, resting your cheek on his knuckles. “When you were both coming towards us, I thought that…” you trailed off when Draco put a finger to his lips to silence you. For a second, you were confused, but then Draco pointed to the curtain separating his and Alex’s beds. All was quiet on the other side. Too quiet.

You let go of Draco’s hand and yanked back the curtain. Hermione, Ron, Harry and Alex were all perched on the near side of the bed, obviously listening. You leaned back into your chair, and Draco brought the ice back up to his temple. “Hey guys. Want to join our conversation?”

Ron started blushing, and Hermione and Harry averted their eyes. Alex stared you down with a calculating look on her face. You pulled the curtain back across between you, and you and Draco immediately started giggling again.

You go up from your chair. “Feel better. I’ll see you later.”

“Bye.”

You quickly glanced across the room. Emi and Chris were still engrossed in each other. You planted a quick kiss on the top of Draco’s head and left the hospital wing.

Chapter Text

Late March finally ended the constant snow outside, but it was still cold. Green plants that were beginning to emerge all across the grounds. You admired them through the windows on your way back to the Ilvermorny common room, from seeing Draco.

To your surprise, everyone was stuffed into the common room. Your entrance makes everyone cheer.

“Finally! I we’ve been waiting on you,” Alex said.

All the available space in the room was taken up, so you planted yourself on Chris’s lap. “Sorry, the moving staircases were slow going.”

Jason sat on the middle of the couch, leaning over the table in the center of the room. “Who here wants to be sorted into a Hogwarts house?”

Everyone in the room raised their hands. Jason rubbed his together eagerly. “That’s what I thought. I’ve come up with another, personally, genius prank. One that would get us all sorted.”

All your friends ooh’ed with excitement. Jason explained the plan to everyone in detail, the idea of it had you all laughing and yelling. Jason put up his hands to get everyone to settle down.

“Now, I’m putting myself in charge of phase two. Which means one or two of us and a trusted Hogwarts student to take over phase one.” Jason said.

“Have we tried asking?” Alice interjected. “It’s halfway through the second term. Don’t you think one of the nicer professors would be willing to let us be Sorted? If we say it’s just for fun?”

“I asked McGonagall today,” Sarah sighed, looking defeated. “She was our best bet, and she said no.”

“So, we need to A: locate the hat, and B: steal it and return it. All before the day after tomorrow. Any takers?” Jason asked.

Alex’s hand shot up. “I’ll go.”

“I will, too,” You added. “You can’t go alone.” Alex ginned, and you high-fived.

“Perfect,” Jason said. “See if you can get one of your friends to tell you where the hat is. And remember, unless they’re in this room or we’ve entrusted them with this plan, they’re not to know any details of this operation. Is everyone in?”

Everyone agreed. While most everyone dispersed, You, Alex, Chris, Jason, Kenny and Sarah hung back. “So Alex and Y/N are on Sorting Hat Securing duty. You guys have anyone in mind to help?”

You thought for a moment, and you and Alex exchanged a glance. “Harry,” you said in unison.

Jason nodded. “The rest of us will work on securing the clothes. We need to sort as soon as possible so we can get the rest together. This one is going to be great, I can feel it.”

The next day, you and Alex cornered Harry in a quiet corner of the library. “You want to steal the sorting hat?”

“Yes,” Alex said. “Ron is always talking about how you and Dumbledore are all buddy-buddy, and how you’re always in his office. You’re our best shot at getting in.”

“Fine, I’m always up for some breaking and entering. But why do you need the hat so bad?”

“We all just want to be sorted really badly,” you put on your best pout. “And McGonagall already said no.”

“Alright,” Harry rested his chin in his hand. “I honestly have no idea when he goes to sleep, so we’d better stakeout outside the office to make sure the coast is clear. I’ve got just the thing to help us.” His green eyes glinted in the darkness of the library, a smile spreading across his face.

“So, tonight?” Alex said with excitement.

“Brilliant. Meet me on the third floor at the end of the main corridor after we leave dinner. We’ll go up together.”

You were buzzing with anticipation all afternoon. In Potions class that afternoon, Draco passed you a note while you practiced brewing Wideye potion. ‘Can we meet tonight?’ it read.

You tapped the square of parchment, considering. You trusted Draco plenty, but the prank would be even more funny if he didn’t know. ‘Sorry. I’m hanging out with Alex and Harry :(‘

‘Later?’ he scrawled.

‘Kind of an all night deal.’

‘You’re terrible >:( what are you doing?’

You smiled a little. Snape was still at the front of the room, but you didn’t want your note confiscated and your plan ruined. ‘Secret mission’.

Draco glanced at the paper and raised an eyebrow at you. You just shrugged. After class he walked with you down the hall, begging you to tell him. “I want to know!”

“No! This is top secret. If you knew, I’d have to kill you.”

“Come on, pleaseeee,” his arms reached for your sides, where he knew you were ticklish. You gasped, pushing his arms away.

“I really will kill you if you do that right here in the hall.”

“It’s called a corridor, you American ,” he leaned down in your face. “Just tell meeeeeeee.”

“Why, do you want to come?”

“Maybe if I knew what it was, I could tell you.”

Gears in your mind started turning. You pulled Draco to the wall, and tugged his head down to whisper in his ear. “We’re going to steal the sorting hat from the Headmaster’s office.”

Draco pulled back in surprise. “You’re serious?”

“No one can know,” you said seriously. “Would you help us? You’re a Prefect, if we get caught you can help us.” Draco’s grey eyes were wide and unfocused as he considered your offer. “You’ve never broken the rules before, have you?” You smirked.

Draco’s brow furrowed. “Yes I have.” He pouted. “Just... breaking into the Dumbledore’s office as a Prefect is generally frowned upon.”

You started off down the hall again. “We’re meeting at the third floor at the main of the end hall after dinner. Are you seriously down to help?”

“Sure,” Draco said finally. “I’ll come.”

“Harry will be there, you know.”

“Just kick him out.” Draco stated. “Bring me instead.”

“No can do. He’s our in; he knows the password and everything.”

“Okay well, if you think I would be helpful, I’ll come. Can’t promise we’ll get along, though.”

“What’s your beef with him anyway? And Ron and Hermione?” You asked.

“We just don’t get along.” Draco shrugged. “Never have.”

You nodded. “Okay. See you later.”

“Bye.” He shot you a wink before you went down separate halls to your next classes.

Later, Harry left dinner early claiming he had detention to serve, while you and Alex both knew he was off to his room to get the supplies he’d claimed would help you on your mission. When everyone was dismissed from the Great Hall, you and Alex made your way up to the third floor. Draco was already there, waiting. Alex pulled you behind a pillar as soon as she spotted him.

“We can’t let him see us meeting Harry,” Alex whispered. “Can you get him to leave?”

“Uh, I sort of invited him.”

“You WHAT!” Alex cried, dropping her whisper. She grabbed your arm and pulled you back into the hall. Draco looked at you both curiously as you approached. “You better have a good explanation for this,” Alex groaned.

“I do! He’s a Prefect! If we get caught, he can just say he found us and we can keep going.” You hissed.

When you finally got to the end of the hall, Alex just crossed her arms in annoyance. Draco turned to you. “You didn’t ask her, did you.”

“If I did she would’ve said no,” you sighed.

“Damn right I would’ve.”

At the far end of the hall, Harry appeared. In one hand he had a thick stack of parchment, and in the other was a bundle of silvery cloth. He caught sight of you both standing with Draco, and silently raised his arms to ask ‘what the fuck is he doing here?’. Alex just pointed at you.

Harry walked to the end of the corridor and crossed his arms. “He’s not coming.” Harry said plainly.

“Guys,” you pleaded. “C’mon. He can be useful. If we get caught-”

“We won’t,” said Harry.

“How are we supposed to sit outside Dumbledore’s office without being noticed?” You asked.

In response, Harry held up the silvery cloth. “And, we’ll be able to see if anyone’s coming with this,” he held up the stack of blank parchment. “He’s not coming.”

“Can we just go,” you groaned, stomping your foot.

“Fine,” Alex said. “But you can’t just go around inviting your boyfriend to extremely-secret prank missions just because he’s lonely.”

At Alex’s words, both you and Draco stiffened. You felt your face get hot. Alex smirked. “That’s what I thought. Now let’s go before someone decides to come this way.”

Harry looked slightly shocked by Alex’s revelation, glancing between you and Draco. You rubbed a hand across you face. Harry shook out the silvery cloth. “Only three of us can fit under here,” he said. “Since you’re apparently immune to prosecution, you stay outside.” Harry glared at Draco.

“Fine,” Draco ground out.

Harry threw the cloak over his shoulders, and almost immediately parts of him turned invisible. He opened each side for you and Alex to join him underneath. “Holy shit,” Alex breathed. Harry pulled the hood up and over, and you held the front of the cloak together. Draco’s eyes widened as the three of you vanished.

Harry pulled out the map, and touched his wand to the surface. “I solemnly swear that I’m up to no good,” he whispered.  Red ink appeared all over the pages, creating a moving map of the castle right before your eyes.

“That’s so dope,” you breathed in amazement. Harry opened the map up and refolded it to show where you were. All four of your names were clustered together.

“It would be nice if I knew what was going on,” Draco drawled. His eyes were focused vaguely in the area that you were all standing, but since you were invisible he could only guess as to where you were.

“None of your business,” Harry snapped. “Let’s get going. Looks like the only people in the towers now are some couple snogging.” It occurred to you that if Harry had so desired, he could’ve opened this map at any time and seen you and Draco’s footprints in the same place late at night.

Draco walked in front with the three of you shuffling behind under the cloak. Harry had been right- if one more person had tried to fit underneath, surely all your ankles would’ve been exposed. “Does this map show Dumbledore?” You whispered.

“Yes,” Harry said, “But not if he’s in his office or not. His footprints disappear as soon as he enters.”

Draco led the way to a part of the castle you’d never seen before. At the end of the corridor was a enclave in the wall, occupied by a large sculpture of a gargoyle with raised wings.

When you reached the end of the hall, Draco turned back. “What no?”

Alex poked her head out from the cloak. “We wait. Hopefully Dumbledore will leave soon, and when he does we can slip in and grab the hat.”

You, Alex and Harry all sat against one wall of the corridor with the cloak still draped around your shoulders, ready to be pulled up if someone came your way. Draco sat against the opposite wall. Harry kept the map tucked behind his legs.

After a couple minutes of sitting in silence, Harry cleared his throat. “So, uh… how long?”

You looked across the hall at Draco. He had the same questioning look on his face, letting you decide what to tell them. “Like three months.”

“That’s since…” Harry started.

“Before Christmas!” Alex finished. She reached her leg across Harry to kick you at you. “You fucking suck.”

“How could you tell?” Draco asked Alex.

“She’s my best friend. Who’s also leaving for random reasons three nights a week.” Alex said.

“We were going to tell you eventually,” you said, defensive. “We just knew you guys would get all pissy.” You huffed.

“I’m not pissed,” Alex countered. “Okay maybe a little. But you know I never stay mad.”

“Aw.” You reached your arm across Harry and clasped Alex’s hand. “Love you.”

“Love you, too.”

“OKAY, well what about me. Can I be mad?” Harry asked.

“No,” you and Alex said together.

“You guys do that a lot and kind of freaks me out,” Harry said.

“Okay, I wanna share a secret, too.” Alex says. “Ginny and I are dating.”

“WHAT?” Draco and Harry cry.

“Oh, I thought everyone already knew that.” you say, looking between Draco and Harry.

“No!” Harry practically yells. “Ron’s going to kill you!”

“He won’t ever get the chance.” Alex says.

Draco rolls his eyes in disgust. “Please, for the love of Merlin, let’s not turn this into a second year’s sleepover party.”

“God, you never shut up do you, Malfoy?” Harry grinds out.

“What’s you guy’s problem?” Alex asked. “I mean I know Malfoy is an annoying shithead but y’all have MAJOR beef.”

“Hey!” Draco interjected.

“That’s what I asked him earlier!” You cried.

Harry scowled. “We just don’t get along, alright?”

“For once, I must agree.” Draco added. “The day we get along is the day we shag, which is not bloody likely.”

“That’s homophobic.” Alex joked.

“Who said I didn’t like boys?” Draco countered. “I’m talking about Potter, here.”

“Ohh, I see,” Alex smirked. “I’m beginning to think all of your anger towards people is just pent up, raw bisexual energy, Malfoy.”

“Mmm, but as you so helpfully pointed out, I have a girlfriend now for me to let it out on.”

You buried your face in your knees. Harry made a fake gagging noise. You pulled your face up and glanced over at the map in Harry’s lap, and your heart nearly skipped out of your chest.

“Fuck, guys, the cloak.” You pointed to the map, trying to pull the cloak over you as quickly as you could. Dumbledore’s footprints were right around the corner.

“Shit,” Alex hissed. “He’s coming.”

The three of you stood, you and Alex pulling the cloak closed. Draco stayed sitting, conjuring glowing white butterflies with his wand, looking nonchalant.

Dumbledore rounded the corner, and you held your breath as he drew closer.

“Good evening, Mr. Malfoy. May I help you?” The Headmaster asked.

“No, sir,” Draco said, guiding the butterflies around with his wand. “Just looking for a quiet place to sit for a moment.”

Dumbledore let out a thoughtful hum. “Well, I shall leave you to your thoughts, then. Please make sure your back in your dorm before curfew, Mr. Malfoy.”

“Of course, sir.”

Dumbledore walked up to the gargoyle statue, and sensing his presence, it turned with a stony grinding sound. You all remained silent until the Headmaster’s footsteps receded, and the gargoyle had rotated back into place.

“Well, shit.” Alex said, poking her head out of the cloak.

“We’re so fucking dumb.” You groaned, sticking your head out, too. “Why didn’t we check the map to make sure he wasn’t somewhere else before we sat around and wasted our time? He was at dinner just like the rest of us- of course he wouldn’t come straight here. We could’ve gone in and out of there in the time we were waiting.”

Draco joined you all in standing. “Well, looks like you’re up, Potter.”

“Me?” Harry questioned, tucking the map back into the pocket of his hoodie with his wand.

“Someone’s got to go in there and distract him while the rest of us get the hat. And it’s bloody well not going to be me, and neither of them have any reason to go up there.” Draco said.

He was right, and Harry didn’t look like he liked that fact. He stepped out from under the cloak with a sigh. “Alright, let’s go.”

You scooted into the center spot, and Draco tucked under the cloak in your previous spot. Harry approached the bird statue. “Ginger Newt,” he says, and the gargoyle begins to move.

The stairs are small, and the three of you under the cloak manage to make it up without falling. There’s another, wooden door at the top of the stairs, which swings open as it senses you all coming. Harry steps in first.

For a moment, you’re overcome with wonder at the interior of the headmaster’s office. Charmed paintings like the ones in the moving stairwell cover the walls up to the top. Most of the figures are sleeping. Various objects around the room are spinning or making quiet noise. There’s a large glass case filled with hundreds of tiny vials with yellowed labels, and beyond Dumbledore’s desk is a small staircase up to a miniature observation deck. Next to the desk, and gigantic red bird is perched on a stick. Dumbledore is standing next to it, offering it food from his hand. He doesn’t turn as Harry enters the room, but simply greets Harry without even looking to know who it is.

“Good evening, Harry. As much as I enjoy your impromptu visits, I do think I am going to have to change the password to my office.”

The three of you under the cloak move as quietly as you can. The whizzing objects around the room make just enough noise to cover the sounds of your steps. You glance around the room a few times, looking for the hat. One of Draco’s pale fingers reaches over your shoulder, pointing just to your right. High up on a shelf is the ratty sorting hat.

“Sorry to intrude, Professor.” Harry apologizes.

“It’s quite fine. I just know your classmate Draco Malfoy was just downstairs when I arrived, and he looked very settled, and I don’t see you sharing the password with him anytime soon.”

You bit your lip to keep from laughing. You know Draco is probably rolling his eyes.

Harry walks over to where the Headmaster is standing, and asks him something about the bird. Dumbledore launches into a long story, and with his back to the three of you and his attention on Harry, you’re free to get at the sorting hat.

Alex pulls her wand from inside her jacket and waves it at the hat. It gently but quickly floats off the shelf. You part the front of the cloak as much as you dare to catch the hat, and it lands softy in your arms. It’s bigger than you expected up close, and there’s limited space under the cloak, so you squish the pointed top flat so you can pull the edges of the cloak together again.

“Oi, what in the devil do you think you’re doin’?” The hat yells.

It writhes in your hands, trying to straighten itself. Instinctively, you drop it and jump back. However, back is into Draco, and the two of you fall, taking Alex with you. The cloak falls away from and you all lie in a heap on the floor.

Harry looks stressed. Dumbledore looks amused at the pile of students who’ve just appeared on his office floor. “Ah, Ms. Huckabee, Ms. Y/L/N. Lovely to see you again, too Mr. Malfoy,” Dumbledore says. “Would you three care to tell me why you’ve snuck into my office?”

Alex looks stricken. You feel yourself start to go hot with embarrassment. “We’re so sorry, Professor,” Alex starts, sitting up. “It was wrong of us to come in her without your permission. We feel terrible.”

“Speak for yourself,” Draco mutters.

Dumbledore leaves the bird and walks down the few steps to pick the sorting hat off the ground. The three of you stand, and Alex balls up the invisibility cloak behind her. “May I ask where you came across that, Ms. Huckabee?” Dumbledore asks.

“Um.” Alex bites her lip. “It’s Harry’s.”

Dumbledore turns back to Harry. “Ah, I am beginning to understand. However, I am still curious as to why you felt the need to break into my office and steal a Hogwarts artifact that is nearly a thousand years old.”

“A thousand?” you squeak.

“Yes, the sorting hat was created by the great founding members of Hogwarts, just for sorting purposes. I can assure you it does nothing else, except, perhaps, chastise others for improperly handling it.” Dumbledore sets the hat on his desk.

“That’s all we wanted it for, Sir,” you say shyly. “We- I mean, the Ilvermorny students, all want to be sorted.”

“You had your friend Harry here right where he could’ve asked me,” Dumbledore gestured to Harry. “Did you not think to do that?”

“No, but we asked Professor McGonagall what she thought,” you started. “But she already said no,” you and Alex finished together.

Dumbledore stroked his beard thoughtfully. “Well, Professor McGonagall is not me, and I am the Headmaster. I shall let you Ilvermorny students borrow the hat for sorting purposes. I trust that Mr. Potter and Mr. Malfoy will ensure it’s safe return.”

You and Alex exchanged a shocked glance.

“However,” Dumbledore continued, “I feel as if there is… something else you’re not telling me. I would like to know before I turn the hat over to you.”

Alex laced her fingers together nervously. Then she proceeded to explain the rest of the prank to Dumbledore. He listened very attentively, and smiled when she was finished. “But we won’t do that anymore, Sir.” Alex assured. “We do really, genuinely want to know our Hogwarts house.”

“Oh, on the contrary my dear, I would encourage you all to go through with your plan.” Dumbledore says. Your jaw nearly drops. “It sounds very humorous. As long as I am left out of it, so that I may remember it all, I will let you continue with your plan. Ever since the Weasley twins graduated last year, there has not been enough excitement around the castle.”

Dumbledore offers the hat to Harry. “Please see that it is returned before midnight tonight.”

Harry takes the hat gently, careful not to squish it again. “Thank you so much, Professor. We’ll be very careful with it.”

Dumbledore nods, dismissing you all. You scuttle towards the door and down the tiny staircase. You and Alex collapse into a bout of hysterical laughter from relief.

“Oh. My. God.” You gasped in between breaths. “I thought we were dead. That we were headed back to Ilvermorny for sure.”

“A THOUSAND YEARS OLD!” Alex cried. “Dude, we were man-handling an ancient British wizarding artifact.”

“Holy shit.”

“Holy shit .”

“Personally, I’d call that a success.” Harry smiled. “But let’s please get this over with quickly.”

The four of you made your way to the West towers, and when you entered the Ilvermorny common room all the exchange students were assembled on the couches. Everyone looked to the doorway with anticipation.

“We’ve got the hat, bitchessss!” Alex yelled. Harry held it up behind her, and everyone cheered.

“Why are they here?” Jason asked, looking at Draco and Harry.

“They came with us. But to make a long story short, we got caught,” you said. Everyone did a collective gasp. “BUT, we got away with it, and Dumbledore even said he wants to be in on it, so…” Everyone laughed.

Harry placed the hat on the table in the middle of the room. “I think you guys should do it in alphabetical order, like the first years do.” Harry suggested.

“Hey, alphabetical order is unfair. Some of us can’t help our last names start with a ‘Z’” Kenny complained.

“Also, me and Y/N got the hat,” Alex interjected. “Can’t we go first?”

“Okay, okay,” Sarah put her hands up to get everyone’s attention. “Alex and Y/N first, reverse alphabetical order.” Sarah grabbed a spare piece of parchment from one of the tables in the room and began to order the other thirteen exchange students. “Is it going to sing like it did at the beginning of the year?” She asked.

“No, I will not sing,” the hat declared loudly, making everyone jump. “Once a year is far too often to bear the burden of sorting students, you should be grateful I’m not refusing after being squashed so violently!”

“Sorry,” You said to the hat, cringing.

Harry grabbed the hat by the point of the top, and took the list from Sarah. “I’ll be McGonagall. Which one of you wants to go first?” Harry asked.

“Alex, you go.” You gestured towards the hearth for her to sit.

“Are you sure?” She asked.

You nodded. Alex bounced over to Harry and sat on the hearth, and Harry placed the hat on her head. It wiggled a little to settle onto her head, humming. The hat only sat on her for a moment before yelling across the room “GRYFFINDOR!”

Everyone cheered, and Harry especially looked excited. He pulled the hat off her head and she jumped up to give him a hug. “You’re next, Y/N.”

You took Alex’s place on the hearth and rubbed your sweaty hands on your pants. You weren’t sure why you were so nervous- this was sixteen of your closest friends in one room, not the whole school. Harry put the hat on you, and you felt it move around on your head.

‘Hmm, interesting one here.’ the hat said into your mind. ‘I see some bravery here, lots of loyalty, too. Plenty of ambition as well. You have many qualities of all the houses, very interesting.’

You squirmed uncomfortably on the stone as everyone, especially Alex and Draco, looked at you expectantly.

‘I sense a lot of strength in your mind… but no, Ravenclaw would not be the fit for you. Lots of ambition and cunning of a Slytherin. Your bravery and loyalty would make you a good Gryffindor, but I think your loyalty pushes you more towards Hufflepuff.’

You frowned. ‘Hufflepuff? How can I be a Slytherin and a Hufflepuff? Aren’t they opposites?’ You thought.

The hat grumbled into your ear, ‘No so much opposites, but different parts of the same whole.’

You huffed. ‘Can’t you just pick one already?’

‘Now, only a Slytherin would say that.’ The hat said.

‘Huh? Wait, I didn’t mean-’

“You all are too old for sorting!” The hat yelled allowed. “You think too much with your mind and not enough with your heart. SLYTHERIN!”

While everyone else cheered, Alex clapped and looked surprised. Draco started laughing. You sat down next to him on the couch with a huff. “Are you angry?” He asked, incredulous. Harry called Kenny up to go next.

“I think it’s wrong.” You said, crossing your arms. “It nearly put me in Hufflepuff, then I was mean to it so it made me a Slytherin.”

This only made Draco laugh harder. Alex placed a comforting hand on your knee. “It’s alright, Y/N. It’s only for one day,” she said sympathetically. She knew the angst you had about your Ilvermorny house at home.

You sighed. “Yeah. I just wish these stupid magical objects would get it right for once.”

Kenny was made a Gryffindor. Sarah and Alice were made Ravenclaws. When Chris was announced as a Hufflepuff, you wished you were with him. Not that you really minded being sorted as a Slytherin (you were with your boyfriend, after all), you just felt as if you’d altered the decision as you had at home when you willingly picked Horned Serpent. You’d hoped the sorting hat would put you in a house that was about who you were in your heart, not your mind.

While everyone was focused on the sorting, Draco brushed the back of his hand across yours. You intertwined your fingers where no one could see, and that made you feel a little better.

Jason was the last to go, and he was sorted into Gryffindor. “Are you kidding me! Out of all of us here, I’m the only one in Slytherin?!” You groaned, flopping over on the couch into Alex’s lap.

“Don’t be so down,” Draco said, turning towards you. “You can be with me and Emi tomorrow.”

“Yeah,” you agreed. You’d almost forgotten Emi. “She’s a nice Slytherin. I can be a nice Slytherin.”

“What, and I’m not?” Draco mock-pouted.

“Oh, definitely not.” You said.

The whole common room was abuzz with everyone talking about the sorting. Harry tossed the list on the table and walked over to your couch. “Alright, I’m gonna take this back. Can I have my cloak, Alex?”

Alex pulled the silvery bundle from under her leg, and handed it to Harry.

“I’ll go, too. I hate when Snape asks questions,” Draco sighed standing.

“Thanks for helping boys,” you called as they walked out.

“See you tomorrow!” Alex added.

“Hey,” Jason called just before they left. “Don’t tell anyone, ya heard?”

Harry motioned locking his lips and throwing away the keys, then disappeared with Malfoy behind the tapestry.

The next day, you woke up and fixed your hair and did your makeup before putting on the green tie Sarah handed you, and the socks with the green stripes. Her, Chris, Kenny and Jason had all snuck down to the laundry room last night and secured new uniforms for everyone after the sorting. Today, you would all enter the Great Hall with your new houses, as if the Ilvermorny exchange students didn’t even exist.

You turned in front of the mirror, admiring your new green-trimmed cloak. “Hey, you look hot,” Alex says, coming out of the bathroom. The red on her tie makes her hair stand out, and you tell her so.

“You’re right though, these robes make my eyes really green. Do I look Slytherin-y enough?”

“I dunno what that means, but I’m gonna say yes anyway.”

You step away from the mirror and sit back on your bed, rummaging through your makeup bag. You pull out your liquid eyeliner and open the bottle. The tiny brush flies from your hands, and you close your eyes, letting the charmed brush do all the work for you. When you feel the brush fly back into the bottle in your hand, you open your eyes again. “How about now?” You ask Alex.

“Oh, definitely Slytherin-y.”

Alice and Sarah are dressed in their blue robes, and you all make your way down to the Great Hall. To your immense relief, you see Emi just about to go into the Hall with her dorm mates. “Emi!”

She turns at the sound of your voice and takes in your appearance with some surprise. “Y/N! Nice outfit. What are you guys up to?” She asks, looking at the rest of the Ilvermorny kids coming down behind you.

“I’ll tell you in a minute, but could I sit with you at breakfast this morning?” You plead. “I haven’t got anyone else to eat with.”

“What about Draco?” Emi asks, pushing her glasses back with a finger.

“His friends are hella annoying.”

“Fair enough.” Emi shrugs. “My dorm mates aren’t so hot either, but Pansy usually sits near him anyway. We’ll be close by.”

“Thanks Emi!” You turn to go.

“Wait! What’s going on?”

“I told you, I’ll tell you in a minute!” You call as you skip away. “One second, I promise!”

Emi groans dramatically, and then goes to join her friends in entering the hall.

“Okay, everyone remember their positions?” Jason asks one last time. Everyone nods. “Please don’t mess this up. Then we might get into some real trouble. Game time baby!” He claps his hands together.

You all cluster in a group, whispering nervously. As you enter the Hall you all take out your wands as subtly as possible while making your way to your tables. Each of you points you wand at a different teacher, and focuses on all their memories of the Ilvermorny students.

Obliviate, you think, focusing on Professor Flitwick. You feel his memories slip from his mind, and tuck you wand, away satisfied. You’re so focused on making your way to Emi and the success of your spell, you miss Draco openly staring at you as you pass by.

You sit down next to Emi, tucking your skirt in. You steal another glance over at the teachers table to see the aftermath. Most have stopped eating, looking off to the distance as if slightly confused. Professor Trelawney looks to have taken it the hardest, and is patting the many pockets all over her dress frantically, like she’d forgotten something. You bite back a laugh and turn to your empty plate.

“Why are you here?”

You look across from you to see Pansy Parkinson staring at you, not even trying to hide her disdain.

“We’re playing a prank on all the staff,” You say, spreading jam on a slice of toast. “Last night, we got sorted, and we all just oblivated the staff so they think we’ve been Hogwarts students for years.”

“OhmyGOD that’s the FUNNIEST IDEA EVER!” Emi bursts into laughter, almost spitting out her eggs. “What about us? We all will know!”

“That’s the point!” You say. “Everyone gets a good laugh. It’s just to make fun of the teachers.”

“Even Dumbledore?” The girl next to Pansy asks, breathless. You think her name is Daphne.

“No, he knows.”

“He knows?” Emi gasps.

“Yeah, he actually found out, but he thought it would be funny if he let us do it. So none of you go around sabotaging our prank!” You say, pointing your finger around the table.

“Wait, go back.” Pansy says. “You got sorted? How? There’s no way you’re a Slytherin.” Pansy says, crossing her arms.

“I am a Slytherin. Says the sorting hat.” You bite your toast. Pansy has an eyebrow raised. “Ask Draco if you don’t believe me. He was there.”

Pansy’s jaw drops, and she whips her head around to look three seats down at Draco. “Dray! Is it true?”

You finally look over and catch Draco still staring at you. His eyes refocus on Pansy’s face at her words. “Oh, yes. It’s quite true. The hat was very sure.” Pansy turns away, looking disgusted. Draco winks at you, and you sit a little taller.

After breakfast is over, you leave the hall with Emi to go to your first class. You feel someone throw an arm around your shoulder, and you turn your head to see Draco.

“Hey,” you smile.

“You look beautiful in green,” Draco whispers in your ear. You shiver.

“Thanks,” you say, leaning into him a little.

“Draco Malfoy, you are the biggest liar I know,” Emi says accusingly, pointing a finger back and forth between you and Draco. “I see this.”

“What are you talking about Emi?” Draco says with mock confusion, moving to wrap both his arms around your waist. “I can’t tell my girlfriend since the beginning of the school year she looks pretty?” You roll your eyes at his tone, but you still blush.

Emi grins. “AHHHHH, I knew it! Knew it knew it knew ittttt,” she sings, skipping off down the hall to Herbology.

You giggle as she disappears around the corner. You turn around in Draco’s arms. “Let’s do this all day.”

“Act like a couple?”

“ Be a couple.” You say, poking his chest. “It can be part of the prank today, but then we’ll just keep doing it. That way we don’t have to dramatically tell everyone.”

“I love it,” Draco said, his eyes glinting. He leans down and gives you a quick kiss on the lips before slipping away to his class. “See you later, darling.”

You head to transfiguration with a smile on your face.

Classes are definitely more interesting. Kenny, who had been in charge of obliviating McGonagall, accidentally made her forget everyone’s names. Transfiguration was a constant stream of her teaching, interspersed with “I’m terribly sorry, but I and just having a bad day today with names,” followed by a shake of her head. Professor Flitwick was very certain that Sarah was a Prefect, and why wasn’t she wearing her pin? When Sarah tried to explain with a straight face that she had never been made a Prefect at all, Professor Flitwick just responded by giving her a badge right then and there.

By lunch, all the students had figured it out. The halls were filled with giggles, sharing various stories of confused teachers. You shared a lunch block with Draco, and you sat next to him at the mostly empty Slytherin table. “This is the best idea we’ve ever had,” you say, taking a sandwich off the floating tray.

“I must say, it is quite funny.” Draco agreed.

Across the hall, you saw Alex sitting with HHR. You gave them a wave, and Alex waved back. Hermione and Ron were staring at the two of you. Harry watched them with an amused expression.

You put a hand on Draco’s knee. “Kiss me. Quick, while they’re staring.” You leaned over and you and Draco’s lips connected for a moment. The idea that you were kissing in public was exhilarating. Your faces stayed close together after the fact, and Draco brushed your noses together. “One more time, for good measure,” he whispered. He kissed you again, longer this time, his fingertips resting gently on your jaw.

When he pulled away, you glanced over at the Gryffindor table. “Holy shit, Draco, look at their faces.” Both Ron and Hermione were slack jawed, while Alex and Harry tried to contain their laughter.

Draco turned to look at them. You both collapsed into laughter, you leaning your head on his shoulder. “Merlin, she’s coming over here. Oh, she’s proper pissed off,” Draco laughed as Hermione got up abruptly from the bench and stalked around the perimeter of the tables. You tried to eat your sandwich as normally as possible, while Draco just put an arm around you.

“Hey Hermione, what’s up?” You said as she approached.

Hermione slammed her hands on the table in front of you. “How long has this been going on? How could you not tell us?!” She cried.

“I dunno what you’re talking about Granger,” Draco said. “Y/n’s been my girlfriend since October. Don’t you remember?”

“Oh, and you honestly expect me to believe this is part of the prank?” Hermione crosses her arms. “We’re talking about this later.” She points at you.

You hold your arms up in mock surrender as Hermione walks off. “Fuck, maybe we shouldn't have waited so long.”

“Probably would’ve been a similar reaction no matter what,” Draco points out. He grabs a stray piece of lettuce off your plate. “Come on, we’ve got twenty minutes before potions.”

In potions lecture, Snape caught you doodling on your parchment. “Ms. Y/L/N, could you please enlighten me to the purpose of Bundimun acid in Doxycide?” He drawled, stopping next to your desk. You covered the unicorn head you were drawing with your hand self-consciously.

“The Bundimun acid is the first paralyzer of the Doxies when they are exposed to the potion, and eventually the hemlock is what actually kills them. You have to add the Bundimun acid to the cauldron first so it can be heated alone to the proper temperature to ensure maximum reactivity.” You rattled off, remembering what your mom had told you a long time ago.

You looked up at Snape from the corner of your eye. He waited a moment, then continued walking. “Very good. Ten points to Slytherin.”

You barely contained your laugh, which came out as a loud snort, which you in turn had to cover with a cough. Next to you, Draco was biting his lip hard to keep from laughing.

After potions in the late afternoon, most of the upper year students had a free period, and since the weather was nice you were all in the courtyard. Sarah gathered all the Ilvermorny students together, and handed Emi her camera to take a photo.

“The settings should all be good,” Sarah said as Emi examined the camera. Draco stood to the side of Emi, holding your knapsack and cloak. HHR were all sitting on a nearby bench to watch.

Emi looked at the group of you and took on a thoughtful expression. “Chris, you’re too tall, go stand in the back… yes, good. Jason, you too, in between Sarah and- yeah there you go. And take off your cloak, you’re the only one. Y/N, get down on the bottom since you’re the only Slytherin.”

You moved from your spot next to Alex and squatted on the ground, holding your arms out to the side and grinning. Emi snapped the picture. “Nobody move!” She let Sarah’s camera dangle around her neck and picked up Alex’s polaroid to take another.

“Take like three, Emi!” She called through her smile.

Emi took the pictures, handing them off to Draco as she took each one. He put your bag down so he could shake them. You all got out of your pose and gathered around to look at the pictures as they came up.

“Aw, you all look so cute!” Emi said, snatching one of the photos from Draco’s hand. “Chris, why are you making that face?”

“That’s my smile, Emi,” Chris said patiently.

“Ah, I’m just teasing,” She said, patting his arm. “Such a Hufflepuff response, though.”

“Throwback to last night when I was almost a Hufflepuff,” you said, gazing at the other pictures in Draco’s hands.

“See, now there’s a sorting that would’ve made some sense.” Ron says from over your shoulder. “Can’t believe we weren’t invited.”

“Jason did say it was top secret,” Alex said.

“I was only there because I helped with the hat and they had to tell Dumbledore. Even I wasn’t supposed to know.” Harry added.

“Yeah, whatever. You’re all a bunch of tossers,” Ron complained. “Y/N, I can’t believe Snape gave you house points. That’s not fair! You have to make sure everything is back the way it was tomorrow- 10 points can be a big difference when it comes to the house cup!”

“No!” Emi and Draco cried.

“Wait, you got house points for Slytherin?” Alex gasped, “Holy shit, that’s funny.”

“It was hilarious. I almost lost it.” You said, laughing again as you remembered it.

Draco handed the other two photos to Alex. “Emi, will you take one of us?” Draco asked.

“Sure. Alex, can I use your camera?”

“Go ahead.”

You and Draco moved out of the circle and stood where Emi told you to. Draco stood behind you and rested his chin on the top of your head. You held his hands in front and smiled. All the Ilvermorny girls aw’d.

Emi pulled the photo out of the top and shook it. You walked over to take a look at it. “Ooh! That’s cuteeee.” Emi said. As the photo developed, you could see more clearly that Draco had closed his eyes on purpose as Emi took the picture. He had only a slight smile, but with his eyes shut he looked very content. The soft breeze had strands of your hair moving in the wind. “It is cute,” you agreed.

“Are you guys doing this as part of the prank, or…” Sarah asked.

You and Draco looked at each other a moment. “Sure.”

“By the way, Ginny and I are also dating as part of the prank.” Alex interjected. All eyes turn to Ginny, who was clearly not expecting this.

“I’d bloody hope so!” Ron groans. “That would be too much for me in one day.”

In response, Ginny just whacks the back of her brother’s head as she passes, and plants a kiss on Alex’s cheek.

Chapter Text

“Fucking finally.” Alex smirks at you good-naturedly as you meet her in the corridors between the Horned Serpent and Thunderbird dorms.

“Ms. Angeles had to pin my skirt! It was an emergency!” You reply.

Alex just rolls her eyes, and you head off in the direction of the center of the Ilvermorny castle. “Ugh. I wish Mr. Foxbrair had let me wear the boys outfit,” she pulls at the suspenders of her pale blue skirt irritably.

“At least we have pockets!” You say, digging your hands into them for emphasis. “I think they’re cute.” You spin as you walk, letting the skirt flare out. You and Alex, like all the rest of the last years, are dressed in your formal Ilvermorny uniforms. Blue suspender skirts and white long-sleeve button downs for the girls, while the boys wear cranberry pants and white button-downs. Everyone wears ties with their house emblem.

As last years, you’ve arrived at Ilvermorny a few hours early to change into your uniforms and prepare for the lower years to arrive. You get perform the opening dance at the First Feast tonight, and help younger students find their way as they settle in. But first– you want your wand.

There’s a bit of a line at the counter, which has multiple windows. You and Alex join the shortest one, and you peer over the shoulder of the person in front of you to watch the slender wand boxes fly around as the teachers working the counter summon them from the safe behind.

“I’m so glad this is the last time we ever have to do this. I can’t wait to do magic at home,” Alex sighs.

“Same. It’s so hard having to go from cleaning my room here and then having to do it manually all summer,” you agree.

You and Alex are both startled by a hand clapping down on your shoulders. You both turn to see Chris behind you, laughing.

“Chris! Hey!” You say, grabbing him around the middle in a tight hug. Alex piles on top and the three of you giggle, swaying unsteadily.

“What’s up?” He asks as you all separate.

“Not much,” Alex says. “You look good in those pants.”

Chris poses. “I think pink and red are my colors. Too bad I’m going to look like a giant idiot when we have to dance.”

“Chris, literally all we do is weave between the tables and shoot the streamers out of our wands. We’ve watched it happen for the past six years, do you not know how it goes?” You ask, incredulous.

“You think I pay attention?” He responds. You just laugh and move forward in the line.

 Alex gets her wand first and cradles it like a newborn. “Ohhhhh, my sweet baby, I missed you.” She kisses it gently for dramatic effect. You don’t even laugh though, because the second you have yours in your hand, you feel like you could do the same. Holding your wand for the first time in three months makes your nerves come alive and you feel like you could burst at the seams with happiness. Being reunited with your wand feels like being reconnected with a part of your soul.

You flick your wand and gentle wisps of glittery mist come out of the tip and dissipate into the air, making you grin. “I love magic.”

The three of you mill around in the entryway afterwards, greeting all your other friends you hadn’t seen over the holidays. Some of your friends from last year’s exchange trip come over, too.

“What’s up, Y/n?” Kenny asks as he sweeps you into a hug.

“Hey!” You and Alex take turns giving him a hug, and he goes in for a handshake with Chris.

“How was Taiwan?”

“Oh, so cool.” Chris’s eyes glitter.

“Whoa, I forgot you were going there!” You exclaim. “You were meeting family, right?”

“Yeah. So many cousins, so many family meals. I’ve never eaten so much zong zi in my life , dude.”

“Did you go anywhere else?” Kenny elbows him, a sly smile on his face. “England, perhaps?”

Chris just rolls his eyes. “No. Emi only ever sent me three letters, but she was in China visiting her family like I was in Taiwan. What about you guys?” He turns to you and Alex. “Either of you go to Europe?”

“Hell no, Portkeys overseas are expensive!” Alex says. Chris was, of course, referring to her visiting the Weasley’s. Ron was of course angry Ginny kept dating his friends, but the rest of you thought it was cute. Chris and Kenny look at you expectantly.

You shake your head. “Me neither. Draco was traveling, and we agreed against meeting the parents anyway. It was never that serious.” You give a shrug. It was true, though. Still, when you’d left Hogwarts in June, it had obviously been a sad departure. You’d been a little teary as you hugged goodbye.

“Are you crying?” Draco had asked, sounding both shocked and concerned for you.

“No,” you said grumpily, rubbing your eyes fiercely on the edge of your sleeve.

His eyes had softened and he brushed your hair out of your face. “Come on, you know you can’t lie to me. Why?”

You’d just buried your head into his chest, too embarrassed about being so emotional. “‘Cuz we’re breaking up and I can’t handle it like an adult. Ugh.” You’d mumbled.

Draco pulled you away from him a little so he could whisper in your ear. “Who said we’re breaking up?”

“We’re not?” You’d sniffed.

He’d had that stupid smile on his face that made you want to deck him but also make your heart jump into your throat. “Last I checked, I didn’t break up with you, so, unless you’re the one doing the breaking up…” 

“Oh, I hate you!” You’d groaned, but also smiling at the same time. Draco had picked you up off the ground to make you giggle.

“I hate you, too. So stop crying!” He’d put you down and pressed a few kisses on your cheek and your forehead. “Write to me, okay? I promise we’ll see each other again.”

“Okay, we better. Wait, I need your address!”

“Oh, shit. Do you have parchment?”

“No.”

“Uh, okay stick out your arm.”

You’d both been a giggling mess as Draco scratched out his address onto your forearm with one of his fancy Always-Inked Quills, your laughing interspersed with him begging you to be more still and not smudge.

“We’re such idiots.” Your tears of sadness had turned to ones of laughter.

“Speak for yourself!” He’d exclaimed. You kissed one last time.

“Bye, Y/N.”

“Bye, Draco.”

“Uh, ‘not that serious’ my ass.” Alex says, bringing you back out of your memories. “You were both crying.”

“We were laughing!” You defended. “And it’s true, we only exchanged a few letters. We were both busy and international owl post takes a while.”

“Damn, we all got the shaft from our British wifeys!” Chris complains.

“Aha, not me!” Alex does a little dance. “Ginny is coming for the Exchange this year.”

Chris and Kenny ooh’d. You already knew this, of course. Alex was lucky that Ginny was in the year below. It was unlikely you’d see any of your Hogwarts friends until you graduated, but Alex and Ginny would get a whole other year together.

“Who’s coming for the Exchange?” Sarah had appeared, walking up with Alice.

“Ginny Weasley,” you answer.

“Ooh, fun. Who else is coming?” Sarah asks.

You all exchange glances. “I dunno, I guess we didn’t really know many other people in the year below us while we were there,” Kenny says.

“I don’t think any of Gin’s friends are coming, she probably would’ve mentioned it,” adds Alex.

“Anyone want to go to the inner courtyard to go do some spells?” Chris suggests, changing the subject.

You all agree readily, and head outside. You take turns messing around– levitating rocks, each other, and you and Chris have a mini-duel, ending with his dress uniform completely ruined. Sarah expertly Scourgifies it clean again. Alex and Kenny work together to enlarge a small patch of mushrooms so you can all climb on them. Chris has just discovered they’re great slides when you hear a voice ring across the courtyard.

“WHAT DO YOU YOU ALL THINK YOU’RE DOING?”

Everyone freezes, your first instinct being fear. You turn your head, gazing down from the mushroom to see Ms. Bell standing a few feet off, watching you with a smile on your face.

“Uh, nothing!” Kenny calls.

“Hey Ms. Bell!” You, Sarah and Alice chorus.“We’ll put it back, don’t worry!” You slide down off the mushroom and run over to her to give your favorite teacher a hug.

“How was your summer? You need to come visit me and tell me about your Exchange year!” She asks, giving you a gentle squeeze.

“Great!I’ll definitely come by to tell you about Hogwarts.”

“Awesome!” She beams.  “Ready for your last year?”

“Yes! But also no, I’ll be so sad to leave.” You say, as the rest of the group comes over to say hello. “I’m going to sign up for your new class! the History of Magical Painting and Photography, right?”

“Yes, I’m excited for it,” she says, giving Sarah a side hug. “You should all sign up if you like art, I think it’s going to be lots of fun. I’ve been planning for it all summer.” Sarah and Alice nod, and the others politely say they’ll consider it.

“Alright, I’ve got to go. I’m on Exchange Student duty again.” Ms. Bell brandishes a scroll of parchment, her own dress cloak swishing as she moves.  “Fix those mushrooms back before you all leave, please!”

“Wait, which Exchange?” You ask.

“Hogwarts, same as last time.”

“Can we see the list?” Alex asks. “My girlfriend is coming, we just want to see if there’s anyone else we know.”

Ms. Bell unrolls the parchment and you all gather around to read it. Your eyes scan the paper and you don’t recognize anyone else except Ginny– Wait! Your heart skips a beat, and you blink your eyes and grasp the edge of the parchment next to Ms. Bell’s hand, making sure you read it correctly.

Draco Malfoy.

“See anyone else you know?” Ms. Bell asks.

Alex catches sight of your shocked expression and laughs. “We know him!” She points to Draco’s name.

“But… but he’s in our year. He isn’t eligible for the Exchange,” you say softly. “It must be a mistake.”

“Hm, I don’t think so. I remember he was a later addition.”

You’re still staring off into space while Ms. Bell rolls up the parchment. “I really have to go. Would you guys like to come along to greet your friends?”

You and Alex follow Ms. Bell out of the courtyard, still slightly in a haze. Was Draco really coming? He’d never mentioned it to you, while you were at Hogwarts or in any of his letters. And besides, IMSEP rules were really strict; He was too old for Exchange. Alex elbowed you and broke you from your stupor.

“You didn’t know he was coming?” She asks.

“No! I had no idea! Is that like, allowed?” Even as you say it, thoughts are already bubbling into your mind. Draco, here, at Ilvermorny. With you. You’ll get to show him around, go to classes again, you can go on dates on weekends out… You were getting excited. Alex is smiling like crazy and clutching your hand. You can’t help but grin also.

When you get to the front lawn, the afternoon sun is getting lower as the last of the Portkeys come in. Students are arriving in descending order of their grade, so they can get settled into their dorms before dinner. First year’s arrive last, as well as Exchange students, so they can be sorted before the First Feast. You watch a group of eleven year olds go by, led by a teacher and another last year. Ms. Bell leads you over to an open patch of grass where the Hogwarts Portkey will let out, and checks her watch. “They should be here any moment.”

A moment later, there’s a whooshing sound and a group of almost twenty people land on the lawn pretty far away, some of who you can see toppling over as they land hard. “Oh no, we’re too far away!” Ms. Bell begins walking at a brisk pace towards the group.

Alex starts running, obviously already honed in on Ginny. You walk along with Ms. Bell, still not sure Draco will be there. As you draw closer, you spot his bright hair in the mass of people. You start running too.

Draco spots you coming, and looks slightly surprised, but still smiling. He lets go of his trunk and bag to open his arms, and you launch yourself into them.

“Hey baby!” He laughs into your ear as he spins you around. “Are you surprised?"

“You. Are. The biggest. Bastard!” You cry once he puts you down, hitting on his chest with your fists to punctuate your words.

“Ouch! Okay, enough with the hitting!” He’s still laughing though, pulling your fists away. You put up a tiny fight, but he’s much stronger than you. When he lets go you wrap your arms around him in another hug.

“Yes I’m surprised!” You say, pulling back again. You’re not sure if you want to hug him again, kiss him, hit him some more or just look into his eyes. There’s so much you want to do at once. “And wow , I think you got tan when you went to Italy.”

Draco chuckles. “It won’t last long. And look at you! You’ve cut your hair!” He takes his hands off your waist to brush through the strands.

“Yes! It’s a little shorter now. You like?”

“I love it.” His eyes keep flicking across your face and the rest of you like he can’t get enough, and you’re glad to know he feels the same way. He leans down and finally places a gentle kiss on your lips, and you feel like you could explode from happiness.

Ms. Bell finally reaches the group. “Hi Everyone! Welcome to Ilvermorny. Please look around and make sure the person you were standing next to is here, sometimes people do go missing… all good?” She retrieves the used Portkey, an umbrella, from the ground, and waves her wand. Everyone’s luggage vanishes, off to be kept until after the sorting. “Alright, let's go!” We don’t want to get behind schedule, we’ve got lots to do tonight before we get to eat!”

You grab Draco’s hand as you all start the walk back towards the castle. “So how were you allowed to come here? You’re too old for Exchange! How did you convince your parents? How long will you be here?” All the questions that were buzzing around in your head came spilling out all at once.

“I’ll be here all year,” Draco said. “I transferred, I’m not on Exchange. And lots and lots of convincing.”

You really didn’t have anything to say, you were just in happy shock. You smiled to yourself as you looked back at the castle and thought about Draco living there, too.

“I hope you’re not mad,” he said, looking over at you. “Should I have told you?”

“No! I’m not mad, just surprised is all!” You say. “Wow, I can’t wait for you to get sorted!”

“Should be interesting,” Draco muses. “I’ve been wondering how it will go.” The group had reached the castle, and Draco gives your hand a squeeze. “We’ll talk after, okay? You can show me around.”

Ms. Bell marches up the steps and stops in between the large statues of Isolt Sayre and James Steward, where the large group of first years are gathered. She motions for you and Alex to follow her, and you leave Draco behind with a wink. The three of you go around the set of big front doors and enter through a side corridor.

You part from Ms. Bell, and head quickly up the stairs to the balcony under the glass dome on the main rotunda. Alex spots your friends, and you both hurry to join them, muttering apologies as you make your way to the railing– last years get to sit at the front to watch the sorting.

“Hey,” you mutter, sitting down just behind your roommates, Stella and Grace. You hadn’t seen them since you moved in earlier that afternoon. “Guess what?”

“What?” Grace asks. Chris shifts back to be next to you so Alex can sit near the railing and dangle her feet off the edge.

“Y/N’s boyfriend is here.” Alex answers before you can.

“What?” Stella gasps. Grace’s mouth drops open in surprise. “You didn’t tell us!”

“I literally found out ten minutes ago! Sneaky asshole.” You look between Alex and Chris. “He’s transferred .”

“Oh, shit.” Chris looked impressed. “Because of you?”

“Maybe? I don’t know! We didn’t get to talk too much, we were coming in here.”

“Point him out to us when he comes in.” Grace says, looking towards the big double doors. Stella nods in agreement.

A hush falls over the rotunda as your Principal, Joan Rittler, sweeps into view below to stand on the golden knot on the floor, surrounded by the four statues of Ilvermorny. She’s wearing dress robes also, long black ones with intricate navy, cranberry and gold embroidery that swirl gently. Her long dreadlocks are piled on her head in a complicated knot that also has gold accents decorating it. She raises her ring covered hands for complete silence. “Hello, everyone,” she begins. “We are about to start our age old tradition of Sorting our new students. Please remember to remain quiet until the student has chosen their House.”

 She turns and raises her hands toward the double doors, and they swing open. The group of first years all shuffle in uncertainty, the older group of exchange students sticking out at the back because they’re so much taller. Principal Rittler ushers them to come further inside with a welcoming smile on her face. Once the blob of kids has made a rough semicircular shape at the edge of the room, the doors close back. You spot Draco near the wall, his eyes scanning the balcony for you, but you’re probably just a bit too far back. You elbow Grace and point to Draco’s blonde head.

“I didn’t know you were dating an albino,” Grace murmurs over the sound of the footsteps below.

You can’t even argue with her. “He’s actually tan right now, if you can believe it.”

“Merlin.”

Principal Rittler’s voice fills the rotunda without her even trying. “Welcome, students. You are all about to be sorted into your Houses. You will come up, one at a time, and stand on this knot–” she gestures to her feet– “and your House will be announced by the movement of the statues. You may then go over and join your new House mates behind the statue.”

“We have Thunderbird, for those with powerful and adventurous souls. Puckwudgie, for the strong and healing of heart. Wampus, for the brave warriors of body, and Horned Serpent for those engaged and scholarly minds. If more than once House wants you, it is up to you to choose, so think carefully.”

You felt a tiny twinge in your stomach at Principal Rittler’s words as you did every year.

“May the sorting begin.” Principal Rittler pulls her wand from inside her robes and conjures a scroll. She steps back off the knot and outside the circle of statues, and lets the long scroll fall open. “Acworth, Ames.”

A tiny girl with thin hair scurries from the middle of the blob and goes to stand on the knot. A few tense moments pass, and then the Thunderbird comes to life and beats it’s huge wooden wings. Thunderbirds all around the balcony burst into cheers as Ames beams and walks over to stand behind the statue.

It goes on like this, down the list. Ilvermorny is a huge school, and between first years and Exchange students there are at least eighty people to be sorted. You lean over and whisper in Chris’s ear. “Kinda makes you miss the fifteen minute Hogwarts sorting, doesn’t it?”

Chris’s eyes go wide as he gives you a deep nod.

You watch as the light changes from yellow to orange through the top of the dome. Two children have more than one statue offer them a place in their House, which always livens up the sorting. One girl immediately chooses Puckwudgie, while the other boy starts to cry before finally choosing Horned Serpent. You hope he’s not wrong, and make a mental note to try and find him at some point during the first week. 

Finally, all the first years are done, and it’s time for the Exchange students. Principal Rittler turns her scroll over to the back side. “Álvarez, Jose!” A tan boy steps onto the knot and is immediately made a Wampus.

When Principal Rittler calls out “Malfoy, Draco,” your heart starts to go double time, like it’s you getting sorted all over again. You lean forwards to look between the bars of the railing, and you can feel Chris, Alex, Grace and Stella all watching you as much as they watch him.

Draco steps out onto the knot. There is no movement for a second, and then, three statues come alive at once. The Puckwudgie raises his arrow up, while the Thunderbird beats its wings. The crystal set into the forehead of the Horned Serpent glows, and it twists its neck around.

Murmurs are heard across the rotunda. You’ve seen threes happen only twice more in your years at Ilvermorny. Twos are much more common, and fours almost unheard of. Everyone is watching with bated breath to see which house Draco will choose, but you have a feeling you already know.

When Draco walks over to join the group behind the Horned Serpent statue, you scream along with Stella and Grace. The rest of your House is the loudest it’s been all night.

Several other students go, and then it’s Ginny’s turn. Alex is gripped by the same anticipation as you as Ginny strides out of the group and onto the knot. She’s made a Thunderbird, and Alex whistles loudly for her.

You grab Alex’s shoulder. “Did you guess right, too?” You yell over the other Thunderbird’s raucous applause.

“Uh-huh!”

You and Alex high-five hard.

Finally, the sorting comes to an end. Another set of double doors opposite the main ones open into Ilvermony’s Great Hall, and the newly sorted first years rush inside to receive their first wands. While the wand choosing doesn’t take nearly as long as the sorting, it’s another round of waiting the upper years have to endure. There’s lots of traffic going down the two staircases from the balcony to the main floor.

“Aw, guys, that was our last sorting!” Stella pulls a face and puts her hand on her heart.

“So many lasts,” Chris adds.

“Hey, look on the bright side,” you interject. “This gets to be our first time leading the dance and the songs!”

“True.”

You finally emerge at the bottom of the stairs. You intend to try and find Draco, so he can know where to sit, but your Head of House, Ms. Angeles, is collecting last years at the back of the rotunda. You and Alex exchange an annoyed glance as you make your way over.

Ms. Angeles is attempting to count everyone, but gives up. She rests the tip of her wand on her neck and clears her throat. Everyone stops talking, lower years still filing into the Great Hall peer over at you all as they walk. “I sincerely hope that after six years you know how this is going to work!” Ms. Angeles’s voice sounds extra loud.

Next to you, Chris grimaces.

“If you don’t, stand behind someone who does and follow them. Four lines, please! And do not stand next to your house mates!”

Alex grabs you, and you in turn grab Chris. Grace and Stella follow you anyway as you make your way to one of the four lines forming. “Think again if you thought I’d listen to a single order Angeles tells me this year,” Grace mumbles.

Ms. Angeles evens up the lines until she’s satisfied. Through the open doors you can see that most everyone has taken a seat at the many tables, first years closest to the walls, with a cluster of empty tables in the center of the room for the last years to sit at. The edges of the room are fraught with excited conversations as eleven year old’s hold and compare wands for the first time, unable to contain their excitement. Ms. Angeles leaves you to take her seat at the staff table, and you all wait as the last few people sort themselves out. It’s then you notice Draco sitting all alone at one of the empty tables. He’s picked one on the edge so he blends in with the sixth years at the tables nearest to him, but it’s still a sad sight. You cover your mouth with your hands, not sure if you want to laugh or cry.

“Aw, Draco!” Alex notices, too.

“That’s literally the saddest thing I’ve ever seen in my life,” Stella comments.

“We have to go over there after, oh my God,” you giggle, tearing up. All your emotions from the past hour– seeing your friends again after summer, Draco suddenly appearing, and remembering you’re doing this all for the last time– are coming to the surface in a weird mix.

“Babe! Are you crying?” Alex turns around and puts a hand on your shoulder.

“No! I mean, yes, but… I don’t know, there’s too much happening right now!” You sniff, flicking away the tears that cling to your lashes. “Ugh! Okay, let’s go.” You pull out your wand and bounce on the balls of your feet, ready to get the dance started.

There is some whisper-arguing amongst the four leaders of the lines, and then they set off skipping, starting to clap in time. The two center lines wind their way back and forth between the tables through middle, while the outer lines go along the wall.

“We stand as one united,

Against the Puritan.

We draw our inspiration,

From good witch Morrigan.”

The students sitting down continue clapping while you all sing. Your line turns when you reach the staff table, and you begin to skip in the opposite direction of the other lines. Most of the first years sit at their tables and listen to the song, watching with excitement. Older students reach out their hands and you give them all high fives as you pass. Across the hall, Draco catches your eye, smiling as he watches you dance. You grin back as your classmates sing about Ilvermorny, the supreme wizard school, and green streamers come out of your wand as you twirl around.

After a long and satisfying First Feast, you jump up from your table to go find Draco. After the dance, you hadn’t been able to make your way to sit with him. Alex was also unable to find a seat near Ginny, and so you’d both suffered through the meal away from your partners. But now that it was time to go back to your dorms, you had the chance to find Draco and not be separated again.

As everyone exited from the hall, you squeeze your way over through the crowd. “Hey.”

“Hey.” He grabs your hand to keep you together.

“I knew you’d be Horned Serpent” you say, following your House mates out of the hall and towards the west staircase. “Did you pick it to be with me, or because you felt it fit?

“Many reasons,” he says. “But I will have you know I read up on Ilvermorny this summer and did think about it before I got here.”

“Really?” You’re impressed, but also that’s such a thing he would do. Draco doesn’t like unknowns.

“Of course. Got to be prepared, right?”

You don’t say anything, and instead just enjoy a moment to yourself gazing at his face. “Wait ‘till you see our common room, it’s so fun.”

You climb up several flights of stairs until you reach a large wooden door that’s covered in a grid of carvings. The door is already open, letting the steady stream of students through. “You get in my tapping certain squares in a pattern,” you say as you pass. “We’ll find it out from someone before tomorrow. And I want to take you around.”

As you enter the Horned Serpent common room, you turn to Draco to see his reaction. The Horned Serpent dorms are located in one of the five big turrets of the castle, meaning the construction leads vertically rather than horizontally. The common room is a the bottom, a large circular room with chairs, couches, and three fireplaces on the walls. Piles of books are all over the floor, separating clusters of chairs near the fires or windows, so people can study or talk in groups. Your favorite part of the common room though is the ceiling– perhaps hundreds of chandeliers, ranging from the largest one in the center to tiny ones the size of cups cover the room in a soft glow. On opposite sides of the room are entrances to the different dormitories, and you drag Draco over to the left one.

“This is to the girl’s rooms, I want you to meet my cats!”

“Can I go in there?” Draco says, unsure.

“Duh.” You roll your eyes. “I wouldn’t be taking you if I couldn’t”

You lead the way up a spiral staircase. You stop on the second landing, which is semicircular, and lead Draco to the second door.

“Hey.” You poke your head inside. Grace is already laying on her bed, reading, while Stella is at her desk struggling to open an ink bottle.

“Hey,” Stella and Grace answer in unison. “Did you bring him?” Grace asks, marking her place and closing her book. 

You nod. You step into the room and pull Draco in behind you. “These are my friends, Stella and Grace.” 

Draco looks back and forth between the three of you for a moment. “Are you guys… sure you aren’t related?”

Grace laughs and you sigh. “People get us mixed up all the time. Our hair looks the same from the back. But other than that we all look different, I’d say.” Your first year at Ilvermorny had been a tough one for teachers. Stella and Grace being your roommates, they were also your first friends, so you all had to endure lots of “Grace! No, er- Y/N!” “Actually, I’m Stella,” in any class and around the hallways. As you’d gotten older and the three of you had changed around your haircuts, it had gotten easier.

“Congratulations on Horned Serpent, Draco,” Grace says as Stella continues to struggle with her ink bottle. “It’s lucky you got to pick. So did Y/N.”

“Yes, she’s told me about it. And you all, too. Er, do you want a hand with that?” Draco asks as Stella slams the ink back onto the desk in defeat.

“Please.” Stella grabs the bottle and silently offers to toss it. Draco nods and catches it deftly with one hand, cracks it open in one go, and throws it back to a bewildered Stella.

“Show off,” you mutter, bending down to look under your bed.

“Hot,” Grace corrects. “You picked a better one this time, Y/N.”

You choose to ignore this comment. From under your bed, you pull a fat grey cat. “Draco, this is Benedict, one of my cats.” With Benedict’s massive body balanced against your chest, you reach onto your bed and scoop up a much smaller black cat with huge green eyes with your other hand. “And this is Sophie.” Now that you’ve woken the cats up, their voices start to filter into your head.

‘Who’s this?’ Sophie questions, sniffing the air.

‘Mom, I don’t like it, he smells different!’ Benny starts to squirm in your arms.

“Settle down,” you say, clutching Benny tighter to you. “And be nice! This is Draco, I’ve told you about him.”

“Ahem, your cats?” Grace interrupts. “They’re my kids too now, I looked after them for you while you were gone.”

“Fine, our cats.” You hold Sophie out to Draco. “Here, she wants to see you.”

Draco takes Sophie from you with some hesitation. You wrangle Benny in more securely now that you have both hands. ‘Oh, he’s warm!’ Sophie closes her eyes and starts to purr. ‘I see why you chose this one.’

‘Mom NO! Sophie don’t, he seems strange! Don’t trust him!’

“Don’t be rude!” You scold. Benny continues to writhe in your arms so you put him down, and he runs over and jumps onto Grace’s bed.

“Hah!” She says triumphantly.

“He’ll come around,” you assure Draco. “But for now Sophie really seems to like you, she’s always been the friendlier one.”

‘More like reckless!’ Benny meows allowed, but only you understand what it means.

“Be nicer to your sister!” You say to him. He sulks back and hides behind Grace.

“What are they saying?” Draco asks, intrigued. He scratches Sophie under her chin and she purrs even more.

“Benny says you smell and Sophie says you’re warm and I made a good choice.”

Draco laughs, which disturbs Sophie a bit. ‘Ah, he can be loud though! I’m too hot now. I want to keep napping.’ She leaps from Draco’s arms and back onto her little hollow in your blankets.

“It seems like they’re done. Let’s go on a castle tour.” You move around Draco to go back out the door. Stella and Grace chorus goodbye as you whisk Draco out again.

As you re-enter the common room, Draco stops you. “Can I find my room first? I want us to be able to take our time and I want to know where I’m going when we get back.”

“Oh, yeah, of course. My bad.” You start to blush with embarrassment that you’d forgotten. “Want me to go up there with you?”

“I think I can manage.” He gives you that stupid crooked smile and you immediately realize you’ve been a little clingy.                                                                                                        

“I’ll wait down here for you when you’re ready,” you say as Draco disappears up the stairs. You settle into one of the chairs to wait, swinging your feet over the side. Several more of your House mates pass, including Alice, who gives you the pattern for the door. After what feels like an eternity, Draco reemerges from the boys dormitories looking pleased.

You close the book you’d pulled out to pass the time. “Are you with anyone you know?”

Draco shook his head. “No. You know Gao and Will very well?”

“Which Will?” You chuckle as you get up. “There’s at least 5. And Gao’s real name is Will too, by the way. We just all call him Gao.”

“Brilliant,” Draco sighs. “Also no. He’s got brown hair and green eyes if that helps.”

“Nope, two of them look like that.”

“I give up.”

“I’ll find out tomorrow and give you my opinion.”

You lead the way out of the common room and into the halls. “Where do you wanna go first?”

“I don’t care.” Draco takes up your hand. “Your favorite spots.”

So you take Draco around the castle. Ilvermorny is massive, and you show him little shortcuts along the way when you can. You take him to the halls where all the seventh year classes are located, and down to the hallway where Ms. Bell’s new history classes are taking place and halfway convince Draco to sign up with you. As you go through the halls, you greet all the statues you’ve come to know over the years. Ilvermony’s corridors are filled with enchanted sculpture, some small, some lifesize, and others so massive they require their own small rounded spaces and are situated in the middle of hallways. You take him to see your favorite, called Lady Lightfoot, whom everyone affectionately calls Lucy.

You pull Draco into her rounded hallway room, one side of which has huge windows that look out onto the East Lawn of Ilvermorny. Linda has long locks of flowing hair and is sculpted in a sheer dress. She’s in her true sculpted position, resting against a rock, when you enter.

“Hi, Lucy!” Your words echo in the empty room.

Lucy turns away from gazing out the window at the sound of your voice. “Y/n! What a lovely surprise, I should expect one of my favorite students to come and visit on the first night! And after such a long time, too.” The two of you walk to stand in front of her, and Lucy’s pale marble face beams down at you. Her stone locks fall about her face as though they were as soft as real hair. “Who’s this?”

“Lucy, this is my boyfriend, Draco. He’s from Hogwarts.”

Lucy gasps so loudly both you and Draco jump. “Boyfriend! My, you leave me for a year and come back with an English beau? And he’s handsome too!” She leans down to get a better look.

You laugh, and start to blush again. “I’m just showing him around.”

“How lovely,” she sighs, clasping her hands together. “I’m so glad you’ve opened your heart up again, Y/n.”

You draw in a short breath. This was not a subject you wanted to broach tonight, and take this as a cue to get out before Lucy spills anything else about your embarrassing lower year self. And why did everyone keep bringing it up?

“We’ve still got lots to see, but we’ll be by tomorrow. Bye!” You drag Draco to the exit and keep going down the hall. “Okay, I’ve saved the best for last. Come this way.”

At the end of the hall, you find a wooden door to the left of another big window. You tug on the door–it’s always a bit sticky– while Draco gazes out across the lawn.

“The Quidditch pitch here is huge,” he says, sounding impressed. “Much bigger than Hogwarts’.”

“Oh, yeah definitely,” you grunt, giving the door one last hard pull and it finally comes open. “That’s what we’re going to look at, but the view is better from up here.” You usher for Draco to follow you into the door.

It leads to a short set of stairs which have a trapdoor at the top. Draco closes the door at the bottom at your instruction, and you light your wand to see in the darkness. The trapdoor is easier to open, and you climb up and out.

You come out on a small landing, a circular balcony with a roof just big enough for four people to sit or stand. Draco emerges from the trapdoor and you firmly shut it behind him. “So this is what those tiny little turrets are,” Draco says.

“Yep, there’s little places like this all over the castle.” You use your wand to blow a few leaves and dust off the floor of the balcony. “Some are permanently closed, but others you can get to. This is the one my friends and I use. Mostly people use it for smoking, but I like the view.”

You join Draco in leaning against the railing. “You can see the pitch, and that building is the creatures barn, where all the magical animals live.”

You watch the sunset over the trees for a few moments before you feel Draco staring at you. “What?” You say, looking over.

Draco pushes off the railing and leans back against one of the pillars holding up the roof. “I don’t know what you’re waiting for.”

“I’m the one waiting?” You put a hand to your chest in disbelief. “I brought you up here.”

Draco opens his arms up. “Come on.”

“No.” You smirk.

Draco’s mouth drops open. “Stop being difficult, Y/n!” He pretends to sound aghast.

“I’ve never been difficult in my life,” you say airily, turning back to look out across the trees. Draco comes up behind you, wrapping his arms around your torso and resting his chin on top of your head. Your heart flutters in your chest with excitement. Draco reaches a hand up to brush your hair away from the side of your face, and you feel his breath on your ear when he dips his head down. There’s nothing you can do to stop the involuntary curl of your toes when he presses his mouth to the sensitive part of your neck, and your resolve is immediately broken.

You twist around in his arms, and your noses brush together as your lips meet in a much anticipated kiss. An entire summer of waiting comes to the surface immediately, and you’re pulling each other close with an almost desperate need. You hadn’t forgotten how well you fit together and the wonderful ways Draco could touch you that made you dizzy with desire, but it was nice to have a refresher.

“I’m so glad you’re here,” you say unevenly between kisses.

“Me too,” he responds, just as breathless.

After several long minutes of heated kissing, you end sitting on the floor in Draco’s lap, his fingers tracing patterns along the sides of your thighs while you catch your breath.

“I know how much you like Ms. Bell, but Merlin if I wasn’t angry I couldn’t kiss you like that when I first caught sight of you.”

You let out a soft laugh, and press a kiss to his forehead. “So tell me, I want to know the story of how you ‘go here now’.”

He lets out a sigh and looks off to the side, fingers still trailing across your legs absentmindedly. “I was so tired of Hogwarts. My father always wanted to send me to another European wizarding school, but mum wanted me closer to home. I told them about how all the Exchange students from America took much more useful and interesting classes and how schooling abroad looks impressive, and after a few weeks I had them convinced. Mother was annoyed I didn’t just apply for Exchange last year, but this way I won’t get behind in classes like everyone, because I’ll graduate with you all here.

Obviously I chose Ilvermorny because you’re here. But if you’re worried about this being some grand romantic gesture I was expecting you to return, that’s not it.”

You nod, taking in everything he’s said. You brush a finger down the line of his neck to his partially unbuttoned shirt collar. “I did wonder about that. But those are good reasons. Ilvermorny is superior, anyway,” you smirk.

“Good,” he says, running his entire hand over your leg now. “I thought you might be mad that I came without telling you, but I wanted it to be a surprise. I know you do like a little romantic gesture.”

“Thanks. I really think you’ll like it here, too. I meant it when I said I’m glad you’re– hey, stop that! I’m trying to talk!”

Draco’s slid both his hands under you skirt, making you gasp. You grab his wrists and put his hands back near your knees while he laughs.

“You know, it won’t be as convenient as it was at Hogwarts. We both have roommates now, it won’t be like when we could have your Prefect’s room all to ourselves all the time,”  you say.

“Yes I know, which is why I’m trying to get a head start.” He grabs one of your hands, brushing his fingers across your open palm.

Suddenly you feel a bit shy. “I hope you don’t regret transferring. It’s a lot different here than Hogwarts, and my friends can sometimes be a lot sometimes.”

“So I’ve gathered from Alex and Grace.” Draco flips your hand over and your fingers intertwine together. “I’m sure it will be fine, darling. I’ll make my own friends too, some of yours are bound to be obnoxious.”

That makes you laugh again. “I’m sure, especially since Ginny will be hanging around.”

Draco seemed to have genuinely forgotten this because he leans his head back against the railing and makes a face. “God, I forgot about her.”

“Come on, Ginny isn’t that bad! She’s less annoying than Ron.”

“They’re all annoying,” he scowls.

“Now who’s being difficult?”

He reaches out and pinches your sides, making you squeal. “No tickling! Or no kisses!” You warn.

“How about I get both?” He wraps his arms around you and pulls you against his chest, kissing you repeatedly on your cheek while he digs his fingers into your sides again.

“Nooooo!” You cry, wiggling around like your cat had earlier. You sucessfully pin one of his arms against the railings and grab his other wrist, your free hand groping at your side for your wand. He’s strong, though, and twists his arm around in your grasp to keep you from reaching it.

You wrestle for a minute, which unfortunately ends with you against the ground under Draco’s iron grip. The two of you never fully grew out of the fighting phase of your relationship.

“At least you can’t tickle me now,” you pant, blowing a wisp of hair out of your face.

Draco eyes are flirting all across your face and down your neck, just like when he saw you when he first arrived. Except it’s different now that you’re alone and pinned beneath him.

“Let me go,” you say, narrowing your eyes.

Draco stays silent and loosens his grip experimentally. You slip your arms out from his hold and instead rest them across his back, inviting him to come closer again.

You might not have Draco’s single bedroom this year, but you suppose the balcony isn’t too bad either.

Chapter Text

Chapter Text

“Which Potion did you pick for the analysis question?”

Grace, who’s sitting in the armchair across from the low table Draco is seated at, answers. “Sleekeazy’s, so I could talk about the effect on women’s beauty standards.” 

Draco just hums in response, and you can feel the vibration of his entire body on your neck from your place in his lap. You open your eyes to look up at him. For anyone else, this angle up from the bottom of his chin would look atrocious, but somehow Draco still manages to look attractive as he taps his pinky nail against his teeth in concentration. Tucked under your arm at Draco’s side, Sophie stretches and purrs while you scratch her belly. 

This was your idea of a perfect evening: your boyfriend, your cat, and a quiet common room with the scratching of Draco’s quill to soothe you. 

All of this was broken, however, when Stella burst through the door. “GUYS! Stop what you’re doing right now and look at what I found.”

Reluctantly, you lift your head from Draco’s lap, careful to pull your arm from around Sophie so as not to disturb her as you sit up. Grace closes her book, and Draco pauses in his writing. Stella kneels at the end of the table and smoothes out a tiny piece of parchment that is sparkling with glitter, and it takes you a moment to register the particles that stick to her fingers as Pixie dust.

“What is that?” Grace questions, joining you all on the floor at table level. 

Stella’s eyes are reflecting the Pixie shimmer. “It's a clue about the Lunar Promenade.” You and Grace both gasp, and Grace takes the parchment from Stella. “Careful, I want to save all that Pixie dust! Don’t let it get all on your fingers.”

“Where did you find that?” You ask.

“Where else? On a Pixie, obviously. It was perched on one of the windows as I was coming here. I almost didn’t see it because it was so high up. I just looked at it, and it flew off and dropped the note to me. And I was right about what it was.” She says proudly.

“Can we perhaps backtrack to what the Lunar Promenade is?” Draco taps his finger on the table.

“It’s just this dance we have here,” you say, taking the parchment from Grace by the corner to touch it as little as possible. “It’s always held in a secret location and you have to solve these clues and bring a special object to get in. Overrated, in my opinion.”

Draco looks over your shoulder as you read the parchment. In tiny writing, it says:

Angel month, angel day at the angel hour,

Your heart can grow fonder, or more sour.

One to one, as you may arrive,

And be aware, what pulls the tide.

“‘What pulls the tide’, that’s how you knew it was about the dance?” Draco asks.

“I mean, yeah. That and it was being carried by a freaking Pixie.”

“What did the middle lines say again?” Grace asks. You read it out to her. “Okay, so ‘one to one’ means a date right? You can use one object for two people.”

“What if your date is the object?” You muse.

“Too easy,” Stella says. “There will probably be something else.”

“All that ‘angel’ stuff though… no ideas about.” Grace furrows her brow, thinking.

“It’s eleven, isn’t it?” Draco says. “When does this usually take place?”

“Uh, like November. What do you mean, ‘it’s eleven’?” Stella asks.

“Sequential numbers are often referred to as angel numbers,” Draco explains. “In this case it’s probably eleven. One-one. November is the eleventh month.”

“And so it’s probably taking place on November eleventh,” Grace says, catching on.

“At eleven o’clock!” You finish.

Stella claps her hands together. “Look at us go, Horned Serpent excellence.”

“Sick.” Grace whips out her journal and scribbles it down. “We can tell everyone at breakfast tomorrow. And we’ll just have to keep our eyes peeled for another clue.”

“What happened to this being a secret?” Draco asks.

“This is just the first clue,” you say. “It doesn’t matter who knows this one, really. The object is the only thing that can get you in. Besides, if you don’t tell at least some people, it won’t really be a dance.”

“And if we don’t tell Alex, she’ll murder us,” Stella adds. 

“Mostly we keep it secret from the younger ones.” Grace elaborates. “When we were fifteen a bunch of firsties showed up– it was horrible.”

Stella heads off to your room to extract and save as much pixie dust as she can from the parchment scrap, and Grace decides to follow her and get ready for bed. You settle back into Draco’s lap while he finishes off his essay, the common room falling back into silence.

“Do you actually want to go to this thing?” You ask him, your hand returning to scratch behind Sophie’s ears. 

“Do you not?” He responds.

You shrug then realize he’s not looking at you. “I mean, I’ve skipped a few years. Once you’ve gone you’ve gone, you know? The clues are fun and all but the dance itself is kinda meh.”

“I’d like to go with you, though.” Draco looks down at you, a little deflated, giving his best pout.

“Then we can go!” You backpedal. “It’s not like I’m majorly against it or anything. I just didn’t really peg you as that kind of person.”

“Well, believe me, I've had my share of formal events at home. But it’s much more fun at school. With, you know… people… you enjoy being around.” Draco hastily returns to his essay.

“You mean friends?” You smirk.

“Shut up,” Draco growls in a tone that would make most people shrink back, but to you feels like no more than a huffy grumble. You close your eyes again to return to your nap, a content smile playing on your lips.

༄

The next clue is found in mid-October, by Sarah. She comes up to you and Alex in the library, who are “studying” for Astrology, and shows you a piece of paper that's sopping wet, miraculously still intact, with another riddle across the front of it.

“I found it in one of the fountains near the rotunda,” she says. 

Vaults with no money,

And stones that fortify.

Take stairs towards the heart,

Where windows show no sky.

“Ooh, the location.” You and Alex peer over Sarah’s shoulders at the paper carefully smoothed onto the library desk. “What could it mean? This makes it sound like it could be anywhere in the interior of the castle, where there’s no windows to the outside. That’s a bunch of places!” Alex says.

“Yeah, and this entire castle is made of stone,” Sarah adds. “This one is going to be a little harder.”

You copy down the clue on the page of notes you’d been studying from, and instead spend the rest of the night meditating on it and not your Astrology unit.

Later that week you’re in History of Magical Painting and Photography, taking a detour through architecture. As you’re scratching away in your scrapbook, labeling the diagrams you’ve drawn of buttresses and pillars, your eyes float back to your previous notes on types of ceiling structures. Vaulted ceilings; ribbed, barrel or fan shaped...

Vaults with no money.

Your heart starts beating a little faster. When Ms. Bell dismisses the class, you grab Draco and Stella by the wrists and pull them into a secluded corner of the hallway outside. “Guys, I think I might’ve figured out the clue.” You open your scrapbook up and point to your carefully drawn diagrams of the types on vaulted ceilings. “I think this is what the line in the clue about vaults is about!”

“Vaulted ceilings?” Stella asks.

“Y/N, this entire castle has vaulted ceilings. Ms. Bell said that in class when we were going over it,” Draco points out.

“Yeah, yeah, I know.” You wave him off. “But put it into context. The dance isn’t going to take place in a hallway. And there’s very few rooms in the castle that have vaulted ceilings. One is the Great Hall, but that’s probably out of the question. We just need to think and explore what rooms in the castle are big enough to have the dance in, have vaulted ceilings, and no windows to the outside.”

Draco and Stella exchange a look of thought. “I guess it’s possible. Let’s discuss at dinner,” Stella says.

In the great hall that night, the topic inevitably shifts to that of the dance. You and Stella are quick to let out twin gasps as you remember your possible discovery from earlier. “We have a theory about the clue,” Stella says as you rummage around in your knapsack for your notebook. 

“In Art History today we were discussing castle construction,” You begin, flipping through the pages to find your illustrations. “The way a lot of the ceilings are shaped in this castle are called vaulted ceilings. We have to think of a room that has this construction that can also fit with the rest of the clue!”

Alex taps her fork against her teeth, stretching out her hand for your notebook. “What’s the rest of the clue again?”

Sarah helpfully gets out the paper from her bag and recites it for everyone.

“Oh, easy,” She says simply. “ Probably the basement.”

“This castle has a basement?” Ginny quirks her head.

“Yeah,” Grace chimes in. “It’s just below here, more towards the central tower where the teachers live. ‘Take stairs toward the heart’, it must mean near Isolt Sayre’s original room that the castle was built around. And the no windows line? Gotta be basement.”

Alex and Grace high-five across the table, satisfied in their assessment. 

“How does everyone know about these basements? You mean I’ve been here seven years and I didn’t know we had basements?!” You cry.

“Babes. Maybe you’d know if you ever did some sneaking around,” Alex waves you off as she puts another fork of mashed potato into her mouth.

You sigh, deciding to bite your tongue and let it go.

༄

With the confirmation of the dance’s date and now the location, word was spreading through the castle. Upper years kept the information close and between friends, but even hints have been dropped to lower years that had them peeking around corners, perking up watching their seniors whisper in the library, and teachers were giving knowing looks to students as they scoured dark corners for the next clue. 

Now that Draco had dropped the hint that he’d like to take you to the dance you hadn’t bothered with since you and James split, you had other things to think about.

You rifled through your stash of formalwear in your trunk, but nothing was really looking suitable. All your nicest gowns were ones you’d worn to Ilvermonry dances before, and everything else was too plain, too short, or didn’t look like it would fit you anymore. “Grace, can I have that magazine you were looking at?”

Grace flings the magazine across the room like a frisbee, and you barely catch it. Feeling a little defeated, you sit inside your trunk, dangling your legs over the side as you crack open the magazine.

“Ugh, these are so pretty, but they’re so expensive,” you bemoan. A shimmery white one that’s covered in beading catches your eye, but it’s nearly thirty galleons– way too much.

“Just ask your parents to buy it for you. It’s your last year, I’m sure they’d be willing to let you get something a little fancy,” Stella says. At your returning sigh, she drags her own trunk out from under her bed. “Come look through mine, you can borrow something if you want. I’ve got plenty of dresses from all the times mom got married.”

“Would they even fit me? Our boobs are completely different sizes.”

Stella shrugs. “We could probably have it altered. Ms. Angeles can do some enchanting, or whatever.”

“Thanks, Stell.” You pull yourself out of your own trunk and walk across the room. Stella’s trunk has been cast with the Expansion Charm, and you can basically walk into it completely. An entire section has nice dresses hung up, and you start pulling out ones that catch your eye. Above, you hear someone knock at the door of your room. “Come in,” Stella and Grace say at the same time.

“Oh, hey, Draco,” you hear Grace say. 

You pop your head out of the top of the trunk. Draco has let himself in and is tearing through your side of the dorm. “Uh, what are you doing?” You ask. “I’m over here.”

“I’m not here for you,” Draco says, already halfway under your bed. “I’m here for my son.”

“What?”

In answer, Draco shimmies out from under the bed with a limp Benedict in his arms, whom he stuffs up the front of his Quidditch team sweatshirt. You hear Benny’s voice in your head.

‘Ah! So dark! Help!’ Benny begins to wriggle inside Draco’s shirt.

You giggle at the sight. “He can’t see in there! Let him put his head out.”

Draco winces as he maneuvers the cat further up, and you can only assume Benny is digging in with his claws. Benny pokes his head out of the sweatshirt collar, right under Draco’s chin, with wide eyes. ‘Ah, much better.’  Draco gives his head a little awkward and appreciative pat.

“Hey, while you’re here, tell me which of these you like best.” 

“Don’t distract me, I have to go finish my stupid bloody Transfiguration essay,” Draco wines, throwing his head back.

“Then why are you busy stealing my cat if you have work? And don’t forget, you’re the one who wanted to go in the first place.” You throw your hands up. “Two seconds.” You dip back down into the trunk to pull out some of the dresses you like.

“Gao and Will are gone and it’s lonely in my room,” Draco pouts. 

You emerge from Stella’s trunk with three dresses– one pink, that’s light and fluffy. Another is silver and shifts in the light to be pale blue. The last is sparkling green, which you know Draco likes. You lay them out on the floor in front of him and rest your head on your arms on the lip of the trunk. “What do you think?” 

Draco considers. “I like this one.” He points to the silver one. “It looks like the moon.” 

You are a bit surprised by his choice. “Alright. I liked this one a lot, too.”

Draco crouches down to your level. Despite being wide awake barely a minute ago, Benny is falling fast asleep, his head hammocked on Draco’s collar. Draco brushes his chin across the soft fur on the top of your cat’s head. “And you’ll go with the theme. But pick whichever one you want, you’ll look nice in any of them.” 

Between his words and his little subconscious act of affection, your heart squeezes a little in your chest. “Aw, thanks babe.” You drag the pink and green dresses back into the trunk to put them back. “Okay, go finish your essay.”

“No ‘goodbye, thank you for being so sweet to me, Draco’ kiss?” He leans over the edge of the trunk to yell.

“Get out of my room!”

Draco leaves as you hang up the dresses in their proper spot and clamber out of Stella’s trunk, closing the lid behind you. “Thanks, Stell,” you say again as you pick up the silver dress and toss it on your bed, beginning  to unbutton your shirt. Instead of responding, Stella watches you with interest, and you catch her gaze in the reflection of your mirror. “What?”

“You guys are the weirdest couple.”

“Well, Y/N did say they weren’t serious,” Grace supplies. 

“Uhm, what? Please elaborate.” Stella sits up on her bed, scooting to the edge to look between the two of you with interest.

Now in just your underwear and socks, you pull the dress off the hanger and step into the pool of shimmery fabric. “It’s… hard to explain. We like each other. Neither of us are gonna see other people. We just don’t put too much stock in it, really.” You pull the dress up around your shoulders, noting the fit is a little tight around your butt, where Stella is on the skinnier side. Your hands flap uselessly across your middle back, seeking the zipper, and Stella gets up to help you.

“Yeah, you might need this part adjusted.” Stella pulls at the area where the neckline doesn’t quite fit right around your boobs. Other than that it looks to be the right length with some heels. You turn to your own trunk to find a pair to test it with. 

Stella leans against the poster of your bed as you rummage around. “Y/N,” she begins delicately. “Does this have anything to do with James?”

You cease your shuffle of your own clothes briefly, taken a bit aback. “Erm,” you start, grabbing the straps of your black high heels. You sit on your bed and busy yourself with putting them on. “What do you mean?”

“Just that James really hurt you. It was screwed up what he said, and I know that you were upset for a really long time after. It messes you up wheh people say they don’t like you anymore and move on fast, it’s happened to me.” Stella shares a quick glance with Grace. “I’m your friend and… I just get this feeling you’re being a little overcompensating with the detachment with Draco.”

You shuffle around with the straps to avoid looking at your friends. “I’m not,” You reply, voice small.

“You’re allowed to like him, Y/N” Grace adds gently. “You haven’t dated anyone since James. It’s scary to be vulnerable to people again after you’ve been burned, but you deserve to have something like that again.” 

A sigh escapes your lips, and you fold your hands together in your lap. “I know. I mean, I know it deep down. But it’s hard. You guys didn’t get to see how much we fought at the beginning of last year. It’s not hard to remember how easily and often we fought, all the things he’s said to me. Even though we’re just playing and I do it too, I just can’t help but wonder if he’d go back to thinking those things if we ever broke up.”

Stella reaches out and grabs one of your hands, pulling you to your feet and facing you towards the mirror. The hem of the dress falls down perfectly skimming the floor. “Y/N, listen to us. The man came all the way to Ilvermorny for you–”

“He said there were a number of academic reasons–”

“–Picked your house–” Grace buts in.

“Again, a number of reasons!”

“–Called your cat his child–” Stella says over you.

“...”

“–And, in my opinion, says all the right things.” Grace finishes. “You look hot in this dress. Draco has a hot girlfriend. Draco has a smart girlfriend. Draco’s girlfriend is one of the best witches of her year. He’d be dim as James to drop you, and something tells me he’s way more bright.” 

“I know it, I’ve seen his exam grades!” Stella sweeps your hair off your shoulder and rests her chin on you, wrapping you in a hug. “We want to see you happy, Y/N.”

Grace slides off her bed and joins your hug. “Quit being dumb and let him love you! And if all that shit from before you dated is still on your mind, say something! You owe it to him and to you to be totally honest.”

You look in the mirror at your friends embracing you, and you can’t help but smile. “Thanks guys. And yeah, you’re right. Maybe I’ll bring it up to him.”

“I think that would be a good idea.”

༄

The next day, you make up your mind to take your friends advice. Breakfast comes and goes as usual, and you decide you’ll either catch Draco again in your free block that afternoon after lunch, or in the evening. However, between your first two blocks Draco doesn’t shoot you his usual mischievous grin he does when you encounter one another on the stairs.

“Draco looks pissed.” Alex remarks bluntly.

“You always say that,” you mumble back, but watch his retreating figure down the stairs just long enough to catch the way he brushes everyone aside without a glance, intent on getting to his next class. Something twists in your stomach, remembering your conversation from last night. I just can’t help but wonder if he’d go back to those things if we ever broke up.

Lunch doesn’t look any more optimistic either. The midday meal hour is sparse already, with some classes overlapping that leads to a less populated Great Hall. It’s a Thursday, so you’re eating with Alex, Ginny, and Chris, where Draco might join you for a few minutes. But today, you watch him hustle in, speak to Robert briefly who’s several tables over with the other Horned Serpent Quidditch boys, and leave again without eating. The other girls continue their interested discussion about the third clue that has yet to make its appearance, with the dance only a week and a half away, but you can’t find it in you to engage with the conversation.

Since it doesn’t look like Draco will be joining you for your free block, you head to the library with Chris to make use of your time. Well, it honestly meant to start that way, especially with Chris’s advanced wandwork knowledge, but ten minutes in you’ve devolved from the worksheet you were picking away at.

“Draco’s been weird all day, and I don’t know what’s gotten into him.” You scratch a pattern in the corner of your parchment with your quill absentmindedly.

“I’m pretty sure it’s about what happened in History of Magic class,” Chris says.

“Oh?” You lift your head back up. “What happened?”

“We got to talking about the Sacred Twenty-Eight.”

Ah . That would definitely do it.

“He was pretty uncomfortable, I could tell,” Chris goes on. “And he was really holding back. I’m surprised he didn’t walk out after someone said some insensitive thing about British Purebloods.”

You feel bad for Draco, but there’s nothing much to be done. “I told him people can be like that here.”

“I know. We talked about it after class.”

You blink in surprise. “You got him to talk to you about it?”

“Yeah,” Chris says. “I mean, I get it. I don’t go around telling people either. I talked to him about how mom and dad got divorced, and how I’m the only Pureblood sibling, all that shit.” Chris pushes his ink bottle around on the desk. “It’s definitely different, because of how my parents are separated. I don’t think he’d ever heard of any Purebloods getting a divorce before.”

“I honestly don’t know what those sort of situations are like over there,” you say. “But I’m glad you talked to him.”

“I think it helped him feel a little better. But I’m sure he’s still angry, I can’t imagine what I’d do if I found my name in a textbook. And James was really harsh with what he said.”

You stiffen. “...James?”

Chris pales. Clearly he’d meant to keep that piece of information between him and Draco. “Um, yeah. He was the one who said the insensitive thing.”

You rub the heels of your hands against your eyes. “I don’t even want to know what he said,” you groan. 

“I’m sure Draco will tell you if he wants to,” Chris reasons. “I mean, it was just the same old shit.”

You rest your cheek on your palm, dejected. It was barely over a month into school, and you knew the situation that was brewing between James, Draco, and you was delicate, even if neither boy was really noticing. “I told Draco the first week to try and leave James be, but if he’s gonna make it difficult I don’t know how much I can do.”

Chris grimaces. “Yeah. I mean, I can run interference as much as I can. Like I said, I was able to talk to Draco about it after class. But Y/N, honestly, I don’t think anyone is super keen to hold Draco back from ripping into him the next time he does something stupid.”

“I can’t really blame you.”

“Also, Dracos hella scary.”

That gets a chuckle out of you. “Believe me, if I was any bit of a lesser person I would tell Draco to have at him. I just don’t have time to do drama this year.”

“Tell me about it,” Chris sighs. “Quidditch shit, family shit, graduation shit… it’s a lot.”

“Family shit?”

Chris widens his eyes and nods to that. “Family shit. My dad’s having another baby. With his girlfriend.”

“Oh, shit,” you breathe. Chris looks distraught. “The No-Maj girlfriend?”

“Yeah. I told Draco about that, too. He was the first person I told. And now you, I guess.”

You reach across the table to put your hand on top Chris’s. “I’m sorry, Chris. I know that must be hard.”

“Yeah. It sucks major dick, actually.” Chris lets out a short laugh. “I’m almost eighteen. The age gap between me and Adrianna and Lina is big enough,” Chris says, referring to his twin, eight year old sisters. “I feel like… I can never see this new baby as my sibling. By the time they’ll be old enough to come to Ilvermorny, I’m going to be, like, fucking thirty!”

You rub your thumb on his hands sympathetically. 

“I’m trying not to get too upset over it,” he says. “Nothing to be done. I’m just going to mom’s house for breaks, and then we’ll be done with school, and I can move to wherever I want and that’ll be that.” 

“Yeah.” You shrug. “Seventh year kind of sucks, huh?”

“Why are we all so stressed!” Chris groans, flopping down onto the table. He slides his arms out, knocking over his ink bottle with a clink. “Oh shit oh shit oh fuck–”

“Chris!”

Chris starts to make flustered rapid breathing noises, then lets out a silent scream when he notices ink has gotten all over the cuff of his sleeve. You grab your wand, pointing it at Chris’s sleeve and the desk, desperately trying to cast the cleaning charm but the two of you have collapsed into such giggles you can’t even cast straight.

Dinner feels tense. Draco has come to join your usual group for the evening meal, and even though he’s acting reserved, at least he showed up. When everyone is getting up to go their separate ways for the evening, you trap Draco into walking with you and coerce him into joining you on the turret balcony. 

“Chris told me what happened today in History of Magic.” You decide to cut to the chase when Draco sees past your attempts at small talk on the way there.

Draco just closes his eyes and takes a breath. The light breeze ruffles his hair. “Yes.” Is all he says.

You cuddle up next to him, and you can feel his appreciation in the way his arms wrap around you and squeeze tight. “Chris didn’t tell me everything but… I just wanted to say I’m sorry you had to deal with that. People here–”

“Are just like that, I know. I remember you telling me,” he cuts in, but it sounds more resigned than angry if anything. He runs a hand over your hair. “It’s weird to feel the tables turned. It’s not like this in England.”

You bite your lip. You want to make a comment about how Harry and Ron used to go on about all of Draco’s past offenses when you first met them last year, but you have a feeling that's already going through Draco’s head and bringing it up wouldn’t be very helpful. You love Draco now, and know he’s different, but your mixed feelings about the different discrimination that you’d seen your own freinds go through growing up and the type that you’d been informed about while abroad where very hard to reconcile in your mind. Draco deserved a taste of his own potion, you supposed? Then again, this was exactly the sort of thing you and Alex would get into a duel with someone over if they dared make fun of Chris.

Silence stretched on as you both processed things unspoken. “And just that it was him .” Draco finally acquiesces.

“Yeah.” This time you don’t bother jumping to James’s defense. “I”m sure no one would’ve batted an eyelash if you’d exploded. Even me. That’s very justifiable.”

“Well, I was just keeping what you said in mind,” Draco sighed. “Except being well behaved is not really my area.”

You chuckle, squeezing him a little tighter and rubbing your hands across his back. The October chill is beginning to set in as the sun goes down. “I’m proud of you.”

“Thank you.” Draco’s voice sounds a little more satisfied. “Also, it was nice to speak with Chris. Someone who understands.”

“I know!” You say happily, looking up at him. “I’m glad he reached out. That means a lot to me that he did that for you and that you got to have that.”

“Yes. And it felt a little more productive and less angry than any discussion me and Pansy ever had about something like that. Now, can we please go back inside, I’m getting cold .”

“Fine, fine.” You clamber back down through the trapdoor and back into the hallway, clasping hands as you walk back to the dorm. You pass the rotunda that Lucy is situated in, and she acts looking smitten as you pass hand in hand.

“A little evening rendezvous?” She teases, blinking her empty eyes.

“Sure,” you indulge her as you pause on your path. “How are you, Lucy?”

“Splendid!” She cries, throwing up her hands. “And you two are maybe just the two lovebirds I wanted to see!”

“Us?” Asks Draco.

“Yes,” Lucy says with a wink. “I mean, it could be anyone really, but it would be especially exciting to give to one of my favorite people on the year of her graduation!”

“Oh?” You startle. What could Lucy be talking about?

“Well, I can’t really give too many hints,” she wrings her marble hands apologetically. “But is there anything you’re curious about? Anything you… notice?” She leans forward off her rock, a little exaggerated.

You pour your gaze over Lucy the statue, examining her marble figure in the last rays of sunlight coming through the opposite windows. She’s just as bright as ever, her stony ringlets of hair falling all about. But the way she’s leaning, purposely to the left–

“What’s that?” You gasp, pointing to behind Lucy’s ear, where a bit of navy blue is peeking out.

Lucy giggles. “Oh, this? Here you go!” She pulls an envelope, tiny in her large hands, out from her hair and reaches down. You take it from her and tear it open. The final clue for the dance.

Like a puzzle piece,

Or socks in the same hue,

All you need to enter

Is right in front of you.

You and Draco stare at the paper and then at each other. “What? That’s so ambiguous! Socks?” You say.

Draco wrinkles his nose. “Well, it sort of sounds like two things.”

Lucy rests her chin on her hands as she watches the two of you with bated breath.

Draco thinks for another moment. “Wait… what was it you just said, Lucy?”

She looks startled. “Oh! Anything you’re curious about?”

Draco shakes his head. “No, before that.”

“Y/N being my favorite?”

“No, the other thing!”

“Oh!” You swear you see her marble eyes twinkle. “You two were just the lovebirds I wanted to see!”

Draco turns to you again and points at the clue. “Two things. I think you just have to bring a date.”

“That’s it!” You jump, throwing your arms around Draco’s neck. “The object is someone you love!”