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THE Great Hall was eerily quiet during Yule. The usual hum of chatter and clinking silverware had faded into a strange stillness, as most students had gone home to spend the holidays with their families.

Yet, five of them remained—five Slytherins scattered among the long, polished tables.

Athena was one of them, her dark hair falling over her shoulder as she sat at the Slytherin table, the silence surrounding her bringing more comfort than pain.

She reached for the serving dish in front of her, piling a generous heap of scrambled eggs onto her plate. The yellow fluff seemed to stand out against the deep green of the tablecloth, the contrast almost comforting in its simplicity.

She picked up her fork, the cold metal clinking lightly against the plate as she pierced a forkful of eggs, bringing it to her mouth with a small, disinterested sigh.

Athena chewed absently, her eyes scanning the empty hall, lingering on the way the golden candles above flickered in the stillness. It wasn't often she had the Great Hall to herself—usually, even during the quieter times, there was at least some lingering noise from other students or a handful of teachers walking about.

But not now.

It was the first time in a long while she found herself in the castle without the usual chaos. No one to bother her, no one to make her feel like an outsider. Just the soft echo of her own thoughts and the faint smell of breakfast wafting through the air.

Her fork clinked against her plate as she set it down.

The silence was beginning to feel heavy, and for a moment, she didn't know what to do with herself. Still, she resisted the urge to leave, her thoughts drifting to the students who'd gone home and the ones who'd stayed behind.

The holidays were supposed to be a break, but it didn't feel much like one.

Not when she felt more worried about staying in the castle than happy. Since her mother had requested her presence, and Athena denied, she felt the worry gnawing at her heart.

Already, she was dreading summer and what problem her denying her mother would cause.

But she still had a small hope in her heart that maybe—maybe—everything would be alright.

She put the goblet that she filled with orange juice a moment ago to her lips and drank from it, eyes stopping on the girl that sat down right across from her with a smile.

Isadora Flint's dark hair clashed beautifully with her pale skin. Her dark lashes were beautifully curled, and her nails were painted a deep shade of blue—unusual for a Slytherin girl.

Blue was for Ravenclaws. Not Slytherins.

But Isadora didn't seem to care. She wasn't the type to follow the norms just because they existed. She had always struck Athena as someone who—despite her family name—seemed to operate by her own rules, walking with a confidence that was both disarming and admirable.

It was something Athena couldn't help but notice.

"Goodmorning," said Isadora cheerfully, piling a small serving of the scrambled eggs on the serving plate in front of her. "So," she continued without waiting for an answer, stabbing her fork into the eggs with a casual air, "what brings you to the castle during the holidays? Not many of us stick around."

Athena could feel a tug of curiosity in her voice. She remembered, though, that almost nobody knew about her problems at Malfoy Manor. Putting her goblet down, she replied, "I like Hogwarts more than... well, my family."

Isadora raised an eyebrow, her lips curving up slightly. "More than family?" She considered the idea for a moment, tapping her fork against the side of her plate thoughtfully. "I suppose you could be right. Family can be... distracting."

Her tone held an underlying edge of experience—like she knew exactly what it felt like to be trapped by family obligations and expectations.

Athena found herself looking at Isadora more closely now, noticing the subtle tension in the way she moved, the flick of her wrist as she adjusted her hair.

It was a faint thing, barely noticeable, but it spoke volumes about someone who was no stranger to the weight of a family name.

Knowing that it seemed like changing the subject would be better, Athena smiled. "I guess now I know why Nott stayed instead of going home to his sister this Yule."

Most knew the only reason Dorian Nott ever went home was to see his little sister, Delilah Nott.

The teenage boy never failed to show just how much he loved the younger sibling of his. Delilah was the one thing in his life that seemed to anchor him, the one person he always made time for no matter what.

So, when Athena had walked into the Great Hall earlier and found him sitting across from Tom Riddle, of all people, she was surprised.

Isadora blushed, but her lips turned up. "He wanted to spend some time with me away from prying eyes," she replied quietly, even though nobody else was near them to hear.

Riddle and Nott were on the other side of the table.

Athena glanced over at Dorian, who was now nodding quietly at something Riddle had said, but his eyes kept flicking toward Isadora when he thought no one was looking.

It was subtle, almost not noticable, but Athena could see it. The way his gaze softened whenever it landed on Isadora, the small, half-hidden smile.

It was the kind of look that wasn't given lightly.

And judging by the way Isadora's blush deepened, she knew the girl noticed as well.

"He's not exactly subtle, is he?" Athena let out a small laugh, prompting Isadora to nod in agreement.

Still, Isadora's lips quirked up even further. Shaking her head, she changed the subject. "Have you heard about Edmund Avery's betrothal?"

Athena's laughter ceased. Her mouth dropped open in shock, shaking her head in disbelief. "Edmund got betrothed?"

Maybe that was why her mother had asked for her presence.

"His betrothal party is tomorrow." Isadora nodded, drumming her fingers absentmindedly on the table as a faraway glint entered her eyes. "They're all getting betrothed."

Athena pursed her lips in pity, knowing what the girl was feeling. Both of them were worried of what this would mean for them—Isadora more so, since her elder brothers were both betrothed, graduated, and possibly married already.

Still, Athena couldn't believe Lucinda hadn't mentioned a thing to her about Edmund's possible betrothal soon. But when her thoughts wandered there, she realized how Lucinda had been more closed off than usual—as if worry had plagued her.

And that reminded Athena that, since Edmund would get betrothed, it would be Lucinda's turn soon.

Shaking her head, Athena let out a sigh. "You're only fourteen, Isadora. I doubt it'll be your turn anytime soon," she tried, but was met by a look from the girl.

"You know age is nothing when it comes to these types of things," Isadora said, her voice low but steady, as if she were offering a reality check. "Your friend, Druella Rosier, was betrothed at my age."

Athena had always found that a little unsettling. But Isadora wasn't wrong. It was hardly a rare practice, especially in families like theirs, where traditions ran deep and family reputation often came before personal desires. Even when Druella had opened up about wishing she had a love marriage instead of an arranged one, she had gone through it with a strong heart and mind.

And now, she seemed more used to her betrothed, Cygnus Black. Athena was grateful Black was more of a gentleman than most other purebloods nowadays.

"You don't have to follow the same path just because it's been laid out for someone else." Athena put her fork down, giving Isadora a look.

Isadora's lips twitched into a smile—faint, but there—and for a moment, Athena could've sworn she saw something almost defensive in her eyes, like she was bracing for a judgment from Athena for not following the pureblood ideology of betrothals.

But when the girl realized Athena agreed with her, she shrugged. "I guess so," replied Isadora, glancing at the boy down the table from the corner of her eye. Her lips twitched into a smile again.

And Athena was thankful that even if the girl had to be betrothed, then it would be to a guy like Dorian Nott, who was obviously head over heels for her.

"Athena Malfoy!" Professor Slughorn's booming voice rang out from behind her, making Athena jump slightly. She straightened up quickly, turning to face the rotund, jolly figure of Slughorn, who was grinning ear to ear. His thick fingers rested on the edge of the table, his beady eyes twinkling with his usual mixture of charm and curiosity.

When she turned to give him a polite smile, he wasted no time continuing, his voice carrying a hint of exaggerated surprise. "I did not expect to see you here, especially after the wonderful news we've all been hearing this morning about young Avery's betrothal party coming up! Quite the affair, isn't it? A most splendid occasion for the family, no doubt. And, as luck would have it, I, myself, have been invited!"

He beamed, his cheeks puffing up in delight, clearly relishing the opportunity to share the information with Athena as though it were some great honor to be in the know. His eyes glinted, waiting for her reaction, and it was obvious that Slughorn thought his invitation to the event somehow elevated his status among the faculty—and certainly in Athena's eyes.

"Quite the circle, these betrothals," he continued, stroking his chin thoughtfully, "and of course, with a family name like yours, I wouldn't be surprised if you—" he gave a deliberate pause, as if weighing the words, "—were to be next." He chuckled at his own little joke, tapping his thick fingers on the armrest of his chair, clearly pleased with himself.

Athena opened her mouth to reply, but was cut off by a voice behind her by Isadora's side. "I doubt that, Professor. Considering that Abraxas Malfoy is, in fact, still not ready for such a thing," said the smooth and icy voice of Tom Riddle.

Athena turned to look at him, noting the tension that lined the boy's features—as though the idea of her getting betrothed were absurd to him.

She immediately scowled, but did not reply and turned to the Professor again and opened her mouth to reply, but was cut off for the second time—

"Ah, Tom!" Professor Slughorn boomed, his eyes sparkling with pride as he turned toward Riddle, who was standing nearby. "You and Athena have made quite the pair of prefects," he continued, his voice warm and approving, completely oblivious to the subtle shift in Riddle's posture—his shoulders tightening, his jaw setting. Slughorn didn't notice the way Riddle's gaze narrowed just slightly, a flicker of something unreadable flashing in his eyes.

"Two of Hogwarts' brightest students," Slughorn went on, completely in his element, "both paired together to patrol, well, that was one of my best ideas yet, I think!" He chuckled heartily, as if the sheer brilliance of his matchmaking had impressed even himself. "Even Headmaster Dippet agrees, you know. He was so pleased when he heard about it."

Athena gave the professor a small, neutral smile, just enough to avoid being rude but not enough to encourage any more of his flattery. "It's certainly been... efficient," she said, her voice polite but measured, letting the words linger just long enough to convey she wasn't entirely enamored with the arrangement.

Riddle, however, said nothing. His expression was unreadable, but his silence was as loud as Slughorn's gushing.

Slughorn didn't seem to notice, his tone still rich with satisfaction. "Oh, yes! Between the two of you, no doubt you'll set a fine example for the younger students. I do hope you'll make sure to keep up those high standards, hmm?" He clapped his hands together, clearly proud of his own success in fostering the prefects' bond. Glancing at the quiet girl in front of Athena, Slughorn merely looked away and said, "Well, I better get going. Especially if I attend that betrothal party tomorrow. Do enjoy the rest of your Yule, my dear students!"

And with that, the Professor left without waiting for a reply.

Athena rolled her eyes when Riddle left as well without even looking at her. Stabbing the scrambled eggs on her plate with a little more force than necessary, her anger was obvious.

"What was that about?" Isadora's brows furrowed in confusion.

"Riddle being Riddle," mumbled Athena bitterly, letting out a sigh before standing up, leaving the eggs on her plate without finishing them. Her voice became softer and more genuine as she said, "I'll be in the library if you need anything, Isadora. Have fun with Nott!"

Not waiting to see the way Isadora completely flushed red, Athena left the Great Hall and could not wait to get to the library; her only sense of comfort in the castle.