The clock had long since passed ten when I finally pressed my initials onto the parchment, slipping the letter carefully into a cream-colored envelope. Sealing it with a lick, I immediately regretted the sour taste of glue and paper that lingered unpleasantly on my tongue. Shaking my head in mild disgust, I set the letter aside.
A soft snicker echoed from the far side of the common room, pulling my attention away from the flickering flames. My eyes narrowed at the familiar flash of platinum blonde hair and a self-satisfied smirk.
"You know," Draco Malfoy began, his voice low as his gaze swept the near-empty chamber, "I had no idea there were two Potters." His tone was equal parts teasing and intrigued.
The Slytherin common room was unlike anything I'd encountered before. The walls and ceiling were carved from cold, rough stone, giving a cavernous impression deep beneath the castle. Black and dark green leather sofas dotted the room in casual clusters, their worn surfaces inviting. Overhead, round green lamps hung from iron chains, casting a moody, emerald glow that mingled with the watery light filtering through the enormous windows.
Those windows, stretching along the entire outer wall, offered a mesmerizing view of the Black Lake's shadowy depths. The ever-shifting aquatic hues painted the room in eerie green tones, interrupted only by the warm blaze of the massive fireplace that dominated one side of the chamber. The firelight painted orange highlights on the stone and leather, balancing the chill with a comforting touch of warmth and homeliness.
I continued to stare into the fire, deliberately ignoring Draco's gaze as it returned to me. "Perhaps it's better if you pretend you don't know," I said quietly, "It would do both of us some favor."
He huffed, moving closer with a smug grin. "I gave your brother some advice when we first met. I'm willing to extend the same courtesy to you." His eyes glinted with mischief. "You wouldn't want to make friends with the wrong crowd, after all."
I allowed a sarcastic smile to creep onto my lips. "If your charm had matched your offer the first time around, I doubt he would have turned you down." The smirk faltered on Draco's face at that.
"Oh, do apologize," he muttered, pretending to be lost in thought before breaking into a smirk. "But it was all true."
Before I could retort, a familiar voice interrupted us from the doorway. Inkwood poked her head in, her mischievous grin lighting up her face. "Isn't one Potter enough to obsess over, Malfoy?" she teased, waving me over.
I laughed, grateful for the interruption, and hurried over. Draco's lips pressed into a thin line, clearly annoyed, but before he could snap something back we shut the door behind us, cutting off any further insults.
"I owe you," I said, collapsing onto one of the narrow beds in our shared dormitory with a grin. Inkwood just waved it off, already chuckling.
"Any chance to get a jab in at Malfoy? I'll take it without hesitation, no questions asked."
Curious, I asked about Draco's fixation on Harry. Inkwood's half-smile was tinged with knowing as she explained, "After your father told Draco to befriend your brother and Harry refused, he's held a grudge ever since. Their daily confrontations have become something of a spectacle—some say they remind us of a bickering old couple."
"They really do seem to hate each other," I observed.
"Oh, they do." Inkwood's giggle echoed in the cozy room.
The next morning, after a sumptuous breakfast, I stretched and pushed back my chair at the long dining table. The hall buzzed with early chatter and the clatter of cutlery, sunlight pouring through the high, stained-glass windows and warming the stone floor.
Excitement bubbled beneath my calm exterior as I headed toward my 9 AM divination class, eager to see how it would compare to the dreary lessons back at Durmstrang. I had missed yesterday’s dinner, but if breakfast was any indication, Hogwarts’ culinary offerings promised to be a comfort.
Harry jogged up beside me, his familiar grin wide as he noticed the satisfied curve of my lips. "Food always does wonders for your mood," he joked.
I sighed, half hopeful, half wary. "Let's just hope divination doesn’t spoil it. At Durmstrang, the classes were mind-numbingly dull."
We were nearly out of the Great Hall when a shrill voice called from across one of the Slytherin tables. "Potter! The Dementors are coming! Potter!" The girl laughed, clearly enjoying the attention as several students, including Draco, burst into laughter.
"Dementors?" I asked, nudging Harry as we stepped into the corridor.
He exhaled slowly, recalling the incident from the train ride. "Yeah, those dark creatures we encountered on the Hogwarts Express yesterday." He seemed lost in thought.
"I didn’t see anything," I admitted, eyes narrowing in curiosity as I studied his face.
"You weren’t at the welcoming feast last night," Harry reminded me with a sheepish grin, realizing I had missed Dumbledore’s speech. "They’ve stationed Dementors at all the castle’s entrances now, to keep watch for Sirius Black."
I frowned, the name stirring distant memories of whispered fears and urgent warnings. Sirius Black, a notorious figure whose escape from Azkaban had sent ripples through the magical world, was now the reason for a heightened state of alert at Hogwarts.
"Why would he come here?" I questioned, puzzled.
Harry just shook his head, uncertainty clouding his bright eyes. "I don’t know. But everyone’s on edge. Dumbledore said it’s a precaution, in case Sirius decides to show up."