The Girl Who Vanished

Chapter 6: Draco's Friend

"Hello, Neville."

Ana had taken the chance to skip out on breakfast that morning, deciding to take a quick peak at the greenhouse that she had missed so badly over summer break. The summer heat was beating down wonderfully, and Ana wished it could be so perfect all the time. Sleeping in the dungeons especially during the winter months was pure agony, but her body came alive under the warm September sun.

She knew that Gryffindor and Slytherin had Herbology first thing, and as she suspected, the young Gryffindor boy was sitting at the flowerbed nervously anticipating the lesson plan. He was slightly sweating from the light bouncing directly off the glass and onto him, but otherwise his wide grin and beaming eyes at her arrival told her that he was just fine.

"Ana! What are you doing here? Don't you have class?"

"Of course I do, Neville, in twenty minutes. Breakfast is still going on. Why are you here so early?"

"I was hoping to catch Professor Sprout but I don't think I got so lucky. Tell me about your summer though," his front teeth somehow appeared even bigger as he smiled widely at her.

Ana took a spot beside him, telling him about being in her greenhouse at the Manor. His ears perked at the mention of her own personal greenhouse and began imaging having an oasis like that for himself. She recounted every plant and herb for him, going into immense detail just to see his smile spread even farther across his face, taking in the information like she was telling him a children's story. By the time she got to the last type of weed, Ana found that company was on its way. Thankfully, it was a familiar face.

"Hey, Ron!" the girl called out to him with a polite wave, before standing up from her stool.

The red head stared at her, his nose scrunching up in confusion at her being there, especially with Neville of all people.

"Neville, I'll talk to you later," she hardly gave the boy enough time to respond before she zipped out of the greenhouse. Not only was she late for Charms, but being seen with Neville would probably not work in her favor.

Her hip slammed into the sturdy glass doorframe, nearly colliding with another student.

She looked up to see another pair of green robes in front of her, belonging to Pansy Parkinson. The younger girl glared at Ana, probably silently fuming from the amount of times she and the girls have kept her up. Instead of mirroring the young girl's expression, Ana smirked softly, as if there was absolutely no bad blood between the two. Ana had no problems with the girl; if Pansy had a problem, then she'd have to suffer in silence. The older girl continued on her way, passing by the inky haired girl without a worry in the world.

The prospect of being caught talking to Neville didn't innately worry Ana, but if she was caught by the wrong person, she knew it would look odd. However, with the amount of time she spent in the greenhouses anyways, her being there early on a beautiful summer's day was as good an alibi as any.

~

"You can't be serious?" Lucian chuckled as he took a big bite of his apple pie and ice cream, enjoying the dessert slowly unlike his sister who had finished not one, but two slices before he even picked up his spoon.

"I am. This boy Roger Davies, he's a Ravenclaw, he mentioned that both Harry and Ron flew a car into the Whomping Willow! Didn't you hear that howler Ron got a few days ago?" Ana answered him, giggling as she went in for a cinnamon roll. "Snape was grumbling about the dungeons like he had been smacked in the face. He's taking it hard."