NEMESIS || Draco Malfoy

40

"I'm an idiot." In front of me, Kai was pacing back and forth in a less busy corner of the room, a mildly annoyed look on his face. "Tell me I'm an idiot, Merlin—" He cut himself off with a sigh, hands in his hair.

Head tilted slightly; I watched him carefully, a flicker of amusement crossing my features at his words. My eyes darted over to where Chauncey Conebush — the reason for Kai's dismay — was stood.

"The one time I decide to get drunk is the one time I run into the alchemist of the century—" He whined, eyes flickering back and forth between the old man and me stood by the fireplace.

"I thought you were tipsy, at most—" I reminded the boy with a smug smirk, not being able to hide the amusement his current attitude brought me. Of course, he didn't share my sentiment, and so, instead of letting me finish my sentence, he cut me off with a singular raise of his hand and a grim look in his eyes.

Defensively, I raised my own hands. Though, the smirk on my lips only grew wider.

"Come on, Kai," I muttered, brows raised. "You know what they say—"

"And what's that?"

My moment of hesitation was all it took for Kai to roll his eyes. Unsure of what it truly was that they said, I tried it with, "Alcohol only makes networking easier?"

A groan escaped his mouth, though the corners of his lips twitched upwards into a smile regardless.

"Okay, so do I seem—" He took a deep breath, straightening his back and shaking his entire body once. "Do I seem drunk?" He asked, a slight slur in his voice as he gave me a lopsided grin.

Someone who didn't know Kai sober — polite, put together, coherent thoughts, and all that — might not spot the difference between the two versions of him. I definitely did.

Though, with a glance towards the clock hanging on the wall, I decided against telling him that.

"Not at all," I quipped, already leading him back into the crowded area.

The brunette gave me an inquiring look, though I ignored it skillfully. "Alright, go on—" I urged, coming to a halt myself as I pushed him towards the alchemist he so desperately wanted to talk to.

I guessed that's what these events were meant for, anyway— at least he'd be able to use it that way, too.

It was 8.30 when he finally stumbled over to him, greeting the man with a charming smile and his hand held out for him to shake it. I knew Kai would do just fine— he always did. Everything he touched somehow turned into gold.

And so, I took my opportunity to slip out of the crowded room, my stomach turning in anticipation as well as anxiety as I rushed through the empty corridors towards the dungeons.

The sound of my heels against the stone floor grounded me, made sure I didn't get lost in my thoughts and overthought what should be an easy process;

Pour two glasses of nettle wine—lace one of them with a drop of Venectu. Remember which glass contained the deadly poison. Offer said glass to Malfoy. Watch him die.

A shiver ran down my spine as soon as I was hit with the noticeably colder air in the dungeons, almost stumbling down the stairs before coming to a halt in front of the bare stretch of wall.

I was in my empty dorm mere moments later, hands shaking slightly as I unlocked the drawer of my nightstand. Though, I pulled myself together— did what I had to do in order to make this work.

Not only for myself but my family, too; To make them proud. To make the Dark Lord proud.

Just like I had done once before, the black poison levitated through the air until I had safely manoeuvred it into the half-filled wine glass. For a moment, I worried the Venectu wouldn't lose its colour;