|| Star-Crossed ||

24

Missing

HARRY POTTER

"He said our lessons are at an end." I said. I was sitting in the Great Hall with Ron and Hermione and eating dinner. "Why? What did you do?" Hermione asked. "Why do you assume I did something?" I asked. "Well, did you?" Ron asked. I sighed. "Yes" I mumbled. "Harry! You need those lessons." Hermione exclaimed. "I know, Mione." I said with a groan. "What did you do, mate?" Ron asked. "I may or may not have looked into Snape's memories and saw him getting bullied by my dad and the rest of the Marauders." I said. Ron laughed and Hermione sighed. "What about Caroline? Is she still having lessons?" Ron asked. "I think so. Snape said that he was going to talk to her after class." I said. They nodded. "This is bad. You need-" Hermione started.

"Well, I saw you with her so where is she?!" We all stopped as I heard voices shouting from outside. "I told you, I don't know. Now back off!" someone else shouted. "Why don't you stop flirting with my girlfriend!" the voice yelled. "She's not your girlfriend. She's her own person. And we are just friends." the voice yelled back. "Friends who sleep together!" the other person said. "Oh shit" Ron said with a snicker. "Oh get over yourself. That was one time, a year ago. Before you were dating her." the voice said. "Stop listening. This is private." Hermione said. "It's a bit hard, Mione. Their bloody screaming." Ron said. I nodded. By now, everyone was paying attention. "Just stop talking to her!" the other person said. "If we don't stop talking, are you going to call her a whore again?" the other person said. "Wait a minute, that's what..." I trailed off.

We all got up and ran outside. Malfoy had Max pinned against the wall and Max had a bloody nose. They were arguing about Caroline. "Bloody hell" Ron said. We pulled them apart and I looked at Malfoy. "What's going on?" I asked. "He won't tell me where Caroline is." Draco said. "I told you, I don't know!" Max scoffed. "Wait, she's missing?" I asked. My heart started racing. "We were supposed to meet by the lake after classes. But she never showed. And this jackass was flirting with her all day." Draco spat. "I was not! And no wonder she's gone. You're insufferable!" Max snapped. "That's enough!" Hermione shouted. We all froze. "If Caroline's missing, that's all that matters. Not this toxic masculinity fueled chest thumping contest." she said. We all nodded. I was starting to get more and more nervous. "Where did you all last see her?" I asked. "Potions" they both said at the same time. We all exchanged looks. "Snape asked her to stay after, to talk about something. She told me she'd see me later." Max added. "Then he's the last person to see her. Let's go talk to him." Hermione said. "Fun" Ron mumbled. "Ron..." Hermione said in a warning voice. "I'm just saying, Snape's not going to help us," he said. "He's a professor." Hermione said. "Like that's ever meant anything" Ron said.

"He'll help us. I can make him." Draco said. I rolled my eyes. "You can't bribe everyone, Malfoy." I said. "He's my godfather. He'll help." he said plainly then he started walking. I looked at everyone else and they were just as surprised as me to hear that.
Snape is Malfoy's godfather? Since when?

We arrived at the door to his quarters and I stared at everything. I've never been to a teachers quarters. "How do you even know where his quarters are?" Ron asked. "I'm his godson, Weaselbee. I know things." Malfoy snapped. Max chuckled. Malfoy knocked when Snape opened the door. He looked at us and narrowed his eyes. "I told you to only come if it's an emergency," he said. "It is." Draco replied. He sighed. "What do you need?" he asked. "Caroline. Nobody has seen her since potions." Max said. His face fell. For a moment, he actually looked scared. Like... he cared. "We had a legilimency lesson during her free period. At least one of you should be prepared." he grumbled. "Yes, I get it. You're pissed. Can you be pissed after we find my sister?" I said. He narrowed his eyes at me. "Split up and look for her. I'll speak to McGonagall." he started. "Ok" I said. "I'll get Theo, Enzo and Blaise." Draco said. "I'll get Mary, Luna and Naomi," Max added. "No, don't get them," Snape said. "Everyone looked at him. "Nobody else should know about the Legilimency lessons. Dumbledores ordered me to keep it a secret. Especially from Umbridge." Snape said. "But we need everyone to look for her." Max said. "It's fine. We'll have enough." I said. "But what if-" Draco started. "Draco..." Snape warned. He sighed. "Fine," he said. Snape walked off to go talk to McGonagall and we made a plan. "Hermione, go check the library. Ron, get Ginny and go check her dorm. Max, go check the places she usually hides out. You know where those are." I said. He nodded. "I'll check the Astronomy Tower." Draco said. "Ok, good. Everyone knows what to do?" I asked. "Wait, where are you going?" Draco asked. "Her one hiding spot nobody else knows about." I said. They gave me a nod of understanding. I started to walk down the hall and I pulled Malfoy aside. "What? I'm going to-" he started. "Just wait," I snapped. He glared at me but nodded. "If I'm right and she is where I think she is, I'm going to need some help. If I'm not back in exactly 30 minutes, Send Snape to Moaning Myrtle's bathroom." I said. His face dropped. "You think she's in the chamber of secrets?" he asked. "Caroline and I are the only ones who can get in. Because we speak Parseltongue. She goes there sometimes when she needs a break. Despite the giant dead basilisk, it is safe down there. She feels safe." I said. He looked at me with curiosity. "I'm coming with you." he said. "No. I need you to get Snape if she is down there so he can apparate us back." I said. He smirked. "I can do it." he said. My jaw dropped. "You can apparate?" I exclaimed. He nodded. "Snape taught me in third year." he said casually as we walked. I stared in shock. "Close your mouth, Potter. It's not that hard." he said. I just shook my head. We walked in silence until he said something I didn't expect. He looked at me and his fists were clenched. It looked as if he was about to say the hardest thing in the world and I reckon it was.

"I love your sister," he said. "Ok?" I said. A lot of people love my sister. She's the child who lived. "No, I mean.... I love her. I've never loved anyone before. Not the way I love her." he said. I stopped. "Why?" I asked. "Because when she looks at me, she doesn't see the Slytherin ice prince, the monster parents warn their children about. She sees me." he said. He stared at the floor but his eyes were glassy. I nodded. "She loves you too." I said. And we continued.