Heiress of Slytherin

chapter 6 - save yourself

if the world was blind

how many people would you impress?

Somewhere during the middle of the sorting ceremony, which Mara found to be quite quick and decisive compared to Ilvermorny's, Draco slid onto the bench across from Mara and Bram, looking quite pleased with himself. Mara raised an eyebrow at him, but he shook his head, a gesture that Mara took to mean that he would tell her later.

After a quite compelling speech given by Dumbledore that Mara pretended to be captivated by, something about dark forces that were penetrating the castle walls and weapons and students, the houses were dismissed to go to their dormitories and instructed to follow their prefects. Mara wasn't completely listening, but rather closely observing the mannerisms of the headmaster, looking for weaknesses. Although he was calm, serious, and actually quite old, he was obviously well-respected by everyone under the Dining Hall's enchanted ceiling. Everyone, of course, except herself and perhaps Malfoy and Pearce.

Mara stood up from the table along with the other Slytherins. Across the room, she caught sight of Potter, Granger, and Weasley waving at every student they walked by and inwardly grimaced. Potter's nose looked slightly black and blue and there were traces of blood on the collar of his wrinkled shirt. It was obviously hastily or unpracticedly mended with an Episkey charm. She knew immediately who had been spying on herself, Pearce, and Malfoy on the train and quickly searched her memory, hoping that they hadn't let slip any of their plans.

"Have fun showing the first years around a school you've never been to before, Grimsbane. Let me know when you're ready to give my title back," Pansy hissed in Mara's ear as she sauntered to the Slytherin common room, black-and-emerald robes snapping smartly around her ankles.

"Just follow the other prefects, you'll be fine," Bram said said after she left, placing a hand on Mara's arm as if to pull her along or perhaps comfort her as the two seventh-year prefects rounded up the first-years and started explaining the importance of the password and boasting about the fact that nobody outside of Slytherin had been in the common room in seven centuries.

"Yes, that was my plan, but thanks for reminding me. You know how forgetful I am," Mara bit back, wrenching her arm out of Bram's grasp. He held up both hands in mock surrender.

"Have fun finding your way to the common room on your own. Oh, by the way, watch out for moving staircases, ghosts, and Filch. He's quite nasty, especially on the first day of school," Bram said with a smirk before striding out of the Great Hall.

"Are you trying to scare me, Pearce?" she muttered under her breath, knowing that he was too far away to hear her.

"Come on then, let's go to the common room," Draco said, running a hand through his blonde hair and following Bram's trail. Mara reluctantly fell into step beside him.

"So, I've been thinking that I should get a boyfriend. You know, to help with the whole 'fitting in', 'good girl' thing," Mara said, tilting her head to the side to gauge his reaction as the two of them walked down a stone-floored corridor, dodging students going the opposite way.

His eyes snapped to Mara's and one of his eyebrows arched. His only response was, "Oh? Is this your way of asking me out, Grimsbane?"

"Of course not. Maybe someone from Gryffindor? They seem to be the favorites," Mara replied darkly with a smirk.

"You've got that right," He replied shortly with a sly grin.

"Do you have any suggestions? Any golden boys that would be easily seduced? You know everyone at Hogwarts much better than I do," Mara replied, gazing up to see students heading to their common rooms via giant moving staircases, chatting with each other and with the characters in the many portraits on the walls of the castle.

"Oh, I'm sure any old Gryffindor would do the trick. But please, don't go flirting with Potter. I don't think Bram could handle that," He replied as they turned to go down to the dungeons.

"What does Bram have to do with this?"

"Oh, I don't know," Malfoy said with a smirk that suggested that he definitely did know.

"Are you suggesting..."

"I'm definitely not suggesting anything, Grimsbane," Malfoy said, shaking his head and catching the door to the common room after a few younger students, holding it open for Mara to go through first. "I'm not suggesting anything at all."

They entered the common room to find it bustling with Slytherins. Most were streaming up to their dormitories to unpack their belongings, but many were sitting on the couches, gossiping with friends.

Like Bram, who was looking particularly cozy with Parkinson on an armchair obviously meant for one person. Mara narrowed her eyes at the two of them, and Draco caught her staring.

"I thought the two of you hated her," Mara said evenly, trying to suppress the uncalled for jealousy that was threatening to show in her voice. She wasn't sure quite where it was coming from.

"Mmm. I suspect that he has ulterior motives," Draco replied just as evenly, with that same I know something that you don't smirk from earlier.

"Ulterior motives? Like what?" Mara pressed, looking away as Bram and her made eye contact. She had a feeling that she knew what ulterior motives he was talking about, but wanted him to say it first.

Malfoy didn't answer her question but instead pointed over to the left. "The girls' dormitories are up that way and the boys are next to them, so if you need anything..."

"Right. Thanks, Malfoy," Mara replied, waving goodnight as she started to walk away.

Suddenly, she turned back and ran to Malfoy, put a hand on his shoulder, and pressed a kiss to his cheek while hissing, "Just go along with it."

Draco did a wonderful job of blushing while Mara hurried up to her dorm, shooting a demure smile in Bram's direction.

As Malfoy disappeared to the boy's dormitory, Bram unclenched his fist, disentangled himself from Parkinson's clawlike grasp, and stalked out of the Slytherin common room. Even though it wasn't the sixth year prefects' night to patrol, he was in the mood to yell at some Gryffindors. 

that gif for mara/genevieve is insanely cute, right?? i hope you're having a great week. and go listen to glass animals, they've changed my life lolol. 

also, i love you if you're reading this ;)

-rnm