amnesia | d.m.

chapter 48

"Are you going home for Christmas break?" I asked Ginny as we left the Room. She shook her head.

"Mum says it's not safe. I'm safer at the castle...as ironic as that sounds. She's been so busy with the Order. Fred and George will probably send presents though. Though I'm not exactly sure how since Errol, our owl, can barely even deliver a simple message without collapsing to the ground."

"Great, then I won't be alone this winter." I smiled to myself but felt my face fall as I noticed a student walking out of a classroom, caressing their bruised wrists. "I think a lot of students will be going home this break and not returning..." I mumbled to Ginny. She nodded her head in sadness and approached the small Hufflepuff boy to go and comfort him. I followed closely, wincing when I neared his bruises. But I stopped when I noticed a sudden heat on my neck.

With furrowed eyebrows, I loosened my tie and gazed into the collar of my shirt. I had tucked the serpentine necklace in after noticing Lavender's constant hard stares. With Ginny's back facing me, I took a quick glance and found the serpentine glowing bright green, and it was glowing brighter by the minute. Sucking in a sharp breath, I immediately began walking backwards.

"Um...I have to go..." I trailed off just as Ginny turned. "I think I just...got my period." I lied, biting my tongue from the heat of the necklace.

"Oh, okay." Ginny replied and I spun on my heels and dashed into the nearest classroom, stepping into a fireplace so I can travel to the Slytherin common room through Floo. Muttering the password to myself, the flames shot up around me and moments later I was sliding out of the Slytherin fireplace to 4 sets of eyes staring at me with surprise.

"Where have you been?" Draco shrieked as he immediately stood and helped me to my feet.

"Are you kidding?" I groaned as I stared at our small crew and wiped some excess soot from my face. "I thought you had an emergency."

"I do! Listen to this." he nodded at Blaise who solemnly turned up the volume to a worn out radio sitting beside him. Pansy was sitting on Theo's lap, both listening intently to the voice on the radio. I furrowed my eyebrows in confusion. "It's called Potterwatch."

"Where did you get that?" I asked.

"Nott. He snatched it from a Gryffindor to take a look." said Draco. "Pretty sure it was made by a Weasel." I scowled at this, shooting both the boys death glares for being thieves.

"Calm down, you angry witch." Theo snorted but immediately stopped when Draco glared at him. "I'll give it back...once we're finished. They've got plenty more. Besides, the only reason it's reached our possession is because well..." Theo trailed off, shooting Draco a look. I glanced between the two, then looked at Pansy and Blaise expectantly.

"They call us the defected." said Pansy. "Meaning...we're no longer...allied with You-Know-Who. That's what few of the Gryffindors at Hogwarts have been labeling some of us ever since Draco..."

"Ever since Draco what?" I murmured. My eyes shot toward the boy who stared at the floor intently with knitted eyebrows.

"They don't know about me yet because of my father who still serves...but ever since I've been with you, and Blaise has been so upset about Sphinx, Parkinson and Nott have decided to remain neutral, I guess. It's the safer option, anyway."

"Yes, we're here because Malfoy fell in love with the goody-two-shoes Slytherin." Theo sniggered to himself sarcastically. Draco provided Theo with a cold hard stare.

"Yes, for all those who haven't heard, the Ministry has licenced so called "Snatchers" to hunt down and bring in anyone who is deemed to be "Undesirable"." That must have been Fred or George Weasley on the other end, I recognized their voices quite well.