BORN TO DIE ╱ DRACO MALFOY
꒷꒦ · ˚.‧ . written by ella . . . © -lostgardens
032 ━━━━━━ ❛ secrets and revenge ❜

Her birthday had come and gone. Her friends, as well as Malfoy and Daphne, had all gotten her gifts, which she had kindly accepted. The tragedy of Tommy's death had finally settled in her mind, but the whispers that she was a cat murderer, dark witch, and psychopath had run around the school like it was the hottest new gossip. She ignored it all and focused on her to-do list.

Task Number One: Discover why Daphne killed Tommy (complete)

Olivia, for the life of her, couldn't decide why Daphne had done it. Was it because she was some kind of cat hater who would rather see one dead than happy? Was it because she was allergic and the only way to get rid of him was to kill him? Was it because Tommy had scratched up Daphne's favorite pair of shoes?

The first two options were quickly debunked—Daphne had a few cats of her own back at her family's estate, so no, she wasn't a cat hater, nor was she allergic. And Daphne had actually grown out of those shoes and had been meaning to get rid of them for some time, so Tommy had actually done her a favor.

Then it was the thoughts that made Olivia shudder. Was it because Daphne was jealous of Olivia? Was she so jealous that Malfoy had gotten Tommy for her that she took it out on the poor creature? Was it because Malfoy had this weird interest in Olivia (one that she would not admit was a crush because that was disgusting) that she wanted to hurt her roommate by killing the one thing that meant the most to her, save for Lucas?

Was her jealousy seriously that strong?

These thoughts were more likely, and Olivia hated that. Jealousy (that was so misplaced), was it the motive behind murder? What lunacy! Malfoy had a weird interest in Olivia; that was obvious. But she couldn't help that—if she could, she would. It was disgusting, and Olivia hated it, but it wasn't her fault or problem to deal with.

It wasn't a sure-fire reason, but it was the best one Olivia could come up with. So with that, the task was marked as complete.

Task Number Two: Recheck supplies received on my birthday (complete)

This was something she'd done as soon as she got back to her dorm. Daphne and Pansy had luckily not been in there, so she lifted the floorboard, grabbed the cloth roll, and opened it on her bed. Everything she remembered from the night she received it was there, and nothing else caught her eye, so she rolled it back up and stuck it under the floor once more.

Task Number Three: Figure out what secrets Lucas is hiding and why he's hiding them (on hold)

This task was one that she had to tread lightly with and was partially done with when she began her to-do list. Lucas was her brother; she trusted him with everything, and she didn't want to ruin that trust. But being a concerned sister, she wanted to know what was going on with him.

Had he always had nightmares? What were his nightmares about? Were they similar to hers or even the same? And why had he hidden them from her? Those were her questions. There weren't too many, but she also didn't want him to think she was snooping, so she didn't ask them.

Short and simple—the task was put on hold for further evaluation.

Task Number Four: Plot Revenge on Daphne (in progress)

She had a plan, one that she kept to herself for obvious reasons. Never wanting to go into too much detail, she was still working out the kinks of this one. Everything was thought out, but there were still a few aspects left to reassure. And it would be a long-game plan, so she had to wait with a bright, I-do-not-suspect-a-thing smile on her face and an I-am-not-going-to-seek-revenge attitude around Daphne.

So far, she believed Daphne hadn't suspected anything. Perhaps the girl was upset about her actions, or perhaps not. Either way, Olivia was going to get revenge. She was going to avenge Tommy, like she had promised. And she did not care if she was being dramatic about it.

Task four was marked in progress for small reasons.

Task Five: Figure out who opened the Chamber of Secrets before the trio (in progress)

Another in-progress task, this one. She knew the history behind the chamber—what she had read in books, the story McGonagall had told the class, and who the true heir of Slytherin was. But Tom Riddle, Voldemort, He-Who-Must-Not-Be-Named, You-Know-Who, the Dark Lord, the Heir of Slytherin, Tommy's namesake, whatever you wanted to call him, was dead.

So who was the one opening the chamber? That was the big question. And she, Olivia Katherine Mallard, deemed 'Slytherin Princess' and 'Devil Incarnate' by her peers, could not figure it out. It was driving her insane. Who was it? She didn't know.

So, in progress, it would stay.

Finally, Task Number Six: Don't get caught doing any of this (on-going)

Instead of being in progress, this task was ongoing. It wasn't failing. Quite the opposite, actually. She'd hated to toot her own horn or whatever that saying was, but she thought she was doing a pretty good job of staying discreet. And if anything, she could've blamed her odd behavior on grief (which was slightly true).

And with all of that going on, Olivia had forgotten to ask Lucas if he had wanted to go back to the manor for the break or even tell him about her and their mother's odd interaction altogether. It was too late, though—break had begun two days prior, and the train had left the station (literally).

That was how Olivia found herself walking down the corridor past curfew with none other than Malfoy. Only she, Lucas, Malfoy, Daphne, Crabbe, and Goyle had stayed at Hogwarts for Yule. Pansy, Blaise, and Theodore took another trip to France to visit Blaise's mother. And, much to her surprise, Malfoy hadn't been that bad of company—it was odd; he was actually bearable sometimes.

She played with her necklace, the one Malfoy had gotten her for Christmas the prior year and that she had put on to test her theory about Daphne's jealousy, as she and Malfoy walked in silence. They, mostly Malfoy, were on the hunt for Crabbe and Goyle. The two henchmen had disappeared after dinner.

As they turned a corner, that was when they saw them. They seemed to be talking to... Percy the Prefect? How odd. "Crabbe, Goyle, where have you two been?" Malfoy asked as he and Olivia walked up to the two boys. "Pigging out in the Great Hall all this time?" he added, which confused Olivia.

He did know that they had disappeared after dinner, right? Ignoring his words, she studied the two boys, whom she'd somewhat considered friends. They looked nervous, which made Olivia narrow her already suspicious-of-everything eyes. And was Goyle wearing glasses?

Crabbe nodded, answering Malfoy's question.

"Why are you wearing glasses?" Malfoy furrowed his brows at Goyle as they came to a stop next to the boys, and he got a better look at them.

"Uh. Um, reading," Goyle admitted.

Was it just Olivia, or did his voice sound a bit off? Whinier than usual, or something like that? Shaking the thoughts from her head, she focused on his words. Reading?

Malfoy looked surprised as well. "Reading?" He narrowed his eyes.

"Mm-hm," Goyle nodded.

"I didn't know you could read," Malfoy admitted, not letting the suspicious look fall from his face.

Olivia matched this, studying the boy with curiosity. "I wish I would've known that before I spent all of that time teaching you how to read," she huffed, placing her hands on her hips. That had been one of her distractions and ways of getting information without seeming suspicious. Everyone seemed to spill their secrets around Crabbe and Goyle, probably thinking the two wouldn't be paying attention enough to listen. Which they weren't completely wrong about.

No one seemed to listen to her words, and Malfoy's face relaxed as he turned to Weasley. He took a step forward, and Olivia and the two other boys did so as well—their attention was all on the prefect. "And what are you doing down here, Weasley?"

"Mind your attitude, Malfoy," Percy sneered.

Malfoy matched his look with a scowl of his own as he lifted his brows. And after a momentary staring contest between the blonde and the redhead, the Slytherins walked away, going to the common room.

Olivia rolled her eyes as they walked away. Why was she stuck with the boys? Oh, that's right. Pansy was in France, living her best life, and Daphne was someone Olivia didn't want to be and couldn't be around with thinking about hexing her. And Lucas, the only boy that never got on her nerves, was in his room, she supposed, doing whatever it was that he did.

When they reached the blank wall, Malfoy whispered the password, the door appeared, and Olivia didn't miss the slightly shocked looks from Crabbe and Goyle, not only when the door appeared but when it opened and revealed the common room.

They were definitely acting stranger than normal.

Once they entered, Olivia took her spot in one of the chairs, while Malfoy plopped down on the couch. And Crabbe and Goyle just stood there. Olivia creased her brows as her eyes narrowed, examining the two once more.

"Well, sit down," Malfoy instructed. Crabbe and Goyle looked at one another before slowly sitting on the couch to the right of Olivia and across from Malfoy. They looked uncomfortable as they glanced around the room, and Malfoy began speaking again. "You'd never know the Weasleys were purebloods the way they behave," the blonde said.

Olivia rolled her eyes at his words, leaned forward to pick up a book from the table, and flipped it open, not caring what page she landed on.

"They're an embarrassment to the Wizarding World," Malfoy continued, looking off at one of the walls. "All of them," he added, meeting the gazes of his henchmen. That was when Crabbe's fist balled on his leg, and Olivia looked up at the sound of his knuckles cracking. He looked angry. Why did he look angry? "What's wrong with you, Crabbe?" Malfoy asked, also confused.

Goyle nudged Crabbe, and that was when Olivia decided it was time for her to set the book down and pay close attention to the two boys. They were acting rather odd, and she wanted to know why.

Crabbe seemed to snap out of his anger, and he gave Goyle a sideways glance, then cleared his throat. "Stomach ache," he said, excusing his peculiar behavior. He shot a glance at Olivia and visibly swallowed, as if she were making him nervous. She'd made him nervous before, so that wasn't too odd.

Olivia leaned back in her seat, her eyes not leaving the odd boys as Malfoy looked at them the same way. There was a moment of staring silence, then Malfoy said, "You know, I'm surprised that the Daily Prophet hasn't done a report on all of these attacks." Olivia glanced over at him, wondering where he was going to go with this. "I suppose Dumbledore is trying to hush it up."

"Woah, Malfoy. That is probably the smartest thing you've ever said," Olivia sarcastically mused, giving him a snarky smile.

"That's probably the smartest thing you've ever said," Malfoy mocked her under his breath. "Thank you, Olivia, but I've said plenty of smart things in my time; I'll have you know." He lifted his chin in pride. "Father always said that Dumbledore was the worst thing that ever happened to his place," he continued.

"Oh, so it was your father saying the smart things." Olivia nodded, as if this knew information just dawned on her.

"You're wrong! Both of you!" Goyle shouted as Malfoy was rolling his eyes. All eyes snapped to the boy, looking at him with confusion, then Malfoy's turned into a scowl. Goyle, yelling at Malfoy? It was unheard of.

Goyle seemed to realize his mistake as Malfoy swung his feet off the couch and stood. Olivia just held back a laugh, curious as to what was about to happen next. Malfoy trying to be intimidating was funny in and of itself.

"What?" Malfoy asked. "You think there's someone here who's worse than Dumbledore?" His voice sounded astonished and slightly bugged, like he couldn't believe what he had heard. Crabbe shook his head, and Goyle looked down, ashamed. "Well, do you?"

"Harry Potter?" Goyle said as he looked up.

Good answer, Olivia thought. For Malfoy, at least.

Malfoy straightened his spine slowly as he took in the answer, still staring at his friend, causing Goyle to gulp. Then he scoffed, amused. "Good one, Goyle." He looked away from the boys and somewhere else in the common room. Olivia wondered if he was just doing that for dramatics. "You're absolutely right." The boys in front of him looked relieved, which made Olivia even curiouser. "Saint Potter," Malfoy spat. "And people actually think that he's the heir of Slytherin?"

Olivia stood up, wanting to stretch her legs. She came to stand next to Malfoy as Crabbe and Goyle shared a look, then glanced at them. "But then you must have some idea who's behind it all," Goyle said.

"You know I don't, Goyle. I told you yesterday," Malfoy reminded him, pacing over to one of the tables. He picked up a small box, most likely someone's forgotten present, and tossed it between his hands. "How many times do I have to tell you?" He sat on the table, rattling the box next to his ear. "Is this yours?" he asked, looking at the boys, then giving Olivia a look. The three shook their heads, and Malfoy pocketed the box.

Scoffing, Olivia rolled her eyes, making her way over to Malfoy. "But my father did say this," he began as she grabbed his robes and dug in his pocket, pulling out the box. He gave her a curious look as she set it back on the table where he had found it. She countered his look with a pointed one. Rolling his eyes, he continued, "It's been fifty years since the chamber was opened."

He paused, letting the information linger in the air. "He wouldn't tell me who opened it, only that they were expelled," he explained. "The last time the Chamber of Secrets was opened, a Mudblood died." Malfoy ignored the annoyed look Olivia gave him for his use of that word and continued. "So it's only a matter of time before one of them is killed this time," he admitted. "As for me, I hope it's Granger."

"Bite your tongue," Olivia scowled, smacking his shoulder. At that same moment, Crabbe leapt from his seat, ready to charge Malfoy, only to be stopped by Goyle.

Olivia gave them a confused look as Malfoy asked, "What's the matter with you two?" He paused, his eyes falling between both boys. "You're acting very...odd." Odd was an understatement.

"It's his stomach ache," Goyle excused, sounding unsure of himself. Then he turned to Crabbe. "Calm down," he whispered.

Olivia heard it. Malfoy, uncaring, did not.

She was so busy paying attention to the boys and their behavior that she didn't even notice Malfoy grab the small box again and unravel the ribbon holding it closed. She heard Crabbe whisper, "S-scar," which confused her. So naturally, she walked back over to her seat and sat down, grabbing her book and pretending not to be interested.

Pretending was what she did, but in fact, she was looking at them through her lashes—watching them curiously. Goyle seemed to have a particular and unique scar appearing on his forehead. And that was when it hit her. Goyle was Potter; Potter was Goyle. Which must've meant that Crabbe was Weasley; Weasley was Crabbe.

She held back her suspicious gaze as Goyle—Potter—reached to touch his forehead. He then pointed to Crabbe—Weasley—and whispered, "Hair," causing the shorter boy to gasp. She looked over at Crabbe, seeing heeps of undeniably Weasley red hair sprouting from his scalp.

They glanced over at Malfoy, who was too busy messing with whatever was in the box, and then they looked to Olivia, who seemed to be reading her book. With that, they rushed up the stairs and away from the scene.

"Hey, where are you going?" Malfoy called out from behind them. Olivia stood and went to stand next to the blonde once more, watching knowingly as the two ran up the stairs and out of the common room, not muttering a single thing in response.

Olivia looked over at Malfoy once the boys were gone, and she gave him a curious look, which he returned. Then she noticed the thing in his hands—no doubt the gift from that box. She scowled and said, "Really, Malfoy? It's not yours."

"It's worthless, anyway." He shrugged, tossing the thing behind him and onto the table.

Rolling her eyes, Olivia began to walk away. "Goodnight, Malfoy," she said over her shoulder.

"Goodnight, Olivia," he replied.

≀⋆⁺₊⋆ ꗃ 𖦹⨳✺

Later that night, Olivia lied in bed. The room felt smaller than usual—just her and Daphne, nothing in the way of her hexing her, finally seeking that revenge that she so desperately wanted. But she had a plan, and she knew her plan was solid—that she needed to wait. That knowledge didn't stop the temptation.

So with that thought and the knowledge that Daphne was long asleep in mind, she creeped out of bed with her wand clutched in her grasp. She silently made her way over to Daphne's bedside. She was right there, asleep and unsuspecting. She could just hex or curse her, and Tommy would be avenged.

It was right there in the palm of her hand, so why could she bring herself to do it?

Daphne was not moving besides the sleeping breaths she took. So simple—just one mutter of an incantation and it'd be over. But Olivia couldn't do it. She had a plan, and she needed to stick to it. So with one final glare at the girl, Olivia walked away and went back to bed.

Sliding back under her cold blanket, missing the warmth of Tommy, she placed her wand back under her pillow and closed her eyes. The room was dark, so it wasn't necessary, but she did it despite that.

And after a moment of still, unmoving, cold silence, Daphne sat up in her bed, looking around the room. Olivia peeled her eyes open slightly, seeing the girl staring at her from her own bed across the darkness. Both could feel the tension in the room, and a chill crept down Daphne's spine.

Then, after a moment, Daphne lied back down, facing away from Olivia. Turning your back on your enemies was never a good idea, Daphne. Olivia glared at the girl's back with fully aware and open eyes, anger still seeping from her pores.

Ik zai je wreken; ik zweer het.

≀⋆⁺₊⋆ ꗃ 𖦹⨳✺

━━━━ ella's speaking !
shortish chapter bc i needed to have this information put in! i hope you enjoyed, and i'd love to hear your theories on what you think olivia is going to do to get revenge on daphne.

make sure to comment and vote!!

kisses.

━━━━━━━━━━ born to die,
© -LOSTGARDENS,          oct 2023

word count: 3278. written: 10.14.23. published: 10.18.23.