Innocent | d. malfoy

- sixty -

Aria Rowen

May 31st. It had arrived a lot quicker than I'd anticipated. Exams were over, Draco was gone, and now I was lying in my dorm alone— on my birthday.

I knew that Dylan, Jenna, and Indy were all too busy during the day to spend any time with me so I didn't bother to ask them if they wanted to hang out.

I paced around, occasionally reaching for something else that could be packed away ahead of time. I was only at Hogwarts for a few more days before I would be on my own, in the real world.

Everyone else had big plans for what they would do once they left. Some already had job offers, some would spend time with family or friends, but me? I didn't exactly have any of that— yet the small voice inside my head kept whispering to me, telling me to wait a little longer before I made any final plans or decisions for my future.

Dylan offered her own home as a place for me to stay where she'd also be staying. I had spent several summers there with her and her mom, but I didn't want to seem like a burden. I could always just talk to Draco—

Knock. Knock. Knock.

I turned around, confused as to why someone was showing up this late to my dorm. I gave a final look around to make sure that my room wasn't too much of a mess due to everything being pulled out of their drawers and cupboards before I grasped the handle, giving it a firm turn as I opened the door.

"Happy Birthday!" Dylan practically attacked me as she stepped into my dorm, wrapping her arms around my neck and pulling me into a hug before I could even realize that it was her.

The sudden gesture caused me to stumble back a bit as Jenna and Indy walked in behind her, each of them wearing bright smiles upon their faces. "W—What are you all doing here?" I gave a small laugh as Dylan stepped back.

"It's your birthday of course... we couldn't just forget about you— though I'm sure that you wouldn't mind staying in your room all day," Indy reached forward and hugged me as well as she spoke.

It was true. I never treated birthdays like a huge deal but I guess it was kind of upsetting to spend it in your room, keeping to yourself.

"—Now, we are going to go out and have some fun, alright?" Jenna took my hands into her own as she spoke, and it was more like a demand than a question.

I looked down at my appearance, realizing that I still had on a pair of sweatpants and a jumper.

"And please dress nicely," Jenna followed her statement with a laugh, causing me to playfully roll my eyes at her.

"Fine... I'll be out in a minute..." I expected them to leave my room, but instead they moved further into my dorm. Dylan and Indy plopped down on my bed, making themselves comfortable as Jenna approached the different piles of clothes sitting around my room.

"Wear something like this..." She held up several different outfit choices before tossing them all at me in hopes that I would catch them.

It took almost thirty more minutes before I finally stepped out of my bathroom, feeling at least somewhat satisfied with how I looked.

They'd convinced me to go with a black skirt, along with a thin, grey, long-sleeved top. Even though it was nearly summer, it could get a bit cool at night. Indy assisted in curling my hair, allowing it to lay over my shoulders.

Before I knew it I was being pulled out of my dorm and down out of the Hufflepuff common room. They seemed even more excited about where they were taking me than I was— probably because I had absolutely no idea where we were going.