Silvermade || Draco Malfoy x Reader

Chapter 78 - The Cave and Padfoot

The rest of the week was spent with me and Draco giving each other the silent treatment. He still sat with us, but he showed no sign of even acknowledging my presence, even the glares and the sneers ceased as he focused all his attention on conversing with just the rest of our friends, acting as if I was merely a stain on the wall. I didn't really enjoy that fact, so I typically stayed next to Harry, Ron, and Hermione, sitting next to them in classes and eating my meals at the Gryffindor table.

On Saturday, I left the Great Hall after lunch with Harry, Ron, and Hermione for Hosgmeade and the planned meet-up with Sirius. Seeing as Draco and I were still not talking, I didn't have to make up any excuse so I could join them.

"Have you and Malfoy broken up?" Ron asked while the four of us walked the cobbled streets of the village.

I sighed. "I don't think so."

"But you aren't talking to each other." Harry said.

"Yeah, but there wasn't really any specific mention of a break up." I said. "And it's not as if I wanted that to happen too."

"I'm sure it'll be alright." Hermione said sympathetically.

"Anyway, what happened during Potions? Karkaroff came after I left the class didn't he?" I asked, no longer wanting to hear any mention of my relationship with Draco.

"Before that, I'm sure you all saw how Snape was talking to me after he asked me to move seats." Harry said as the three of us nodded. "He's under the impression that I'm the one who broke into his office because of that night when they saw the egg and the map."

"Boomslang skin and Gillyweed were missing from his storage — of course, Dobby must've got the Gillyweed from there that I used for the task, but I have no idea who took the Boomslang skin." Harry frowned. "And then when I told him that I never did it, he threatened to make me drink Veritaserum."

"The truth potion? But the use of that is under very strict guidelines of the Ministry." Hermione frowned.

"Right. Because Snape cares about that." Ron said sarcastically.

"Well, whatever he initially planned on doing with the truth potion, he seemed to have forgotten it when Karkaroff came barging in." Harry said just as the four of us went into Gladrags Wizardwear first to buy presents for Dobby, seeing as we still had a bit of time before two o'clock.

"So, what did Snape and Karkaroff talk about?" I asked Harry while we were selecting the most lurid socks we could.

He was holding out a pair of socks patterned with flashing gold and silver stars as he answered.

"They didn't really talk much." Harry said. "Karkaroff just showed his left forearm to Snape and said that it's never been that clear before."

"What was it?" Hermione asked.

"I didn't see it." Harry said. "Snape was fuming at him to put whatever it is away, and then Karkaroff left without another word."

"That's awfully suspicious." I frowned.

"I agree." Ron nodded. "Maybe Karkaroff and Snape are plotting to kill Har —"

Hermione shook her head and scoffed. "Don't even finish that sentence."

Ron glared at her just as Harry finished shopping for Dobby's present. We immediately left Gladrags without any more of Ron insisting that Snape was plotting to kill Harry, lest he wanted to be scolded by Hermione again.

At half-past one, the four of us made our way up the High Street, past Dervish and Banges, and out towards the end of the village. I've never ventured this far out at Hogsmeade before. There was a winding lane leading out into the wild countryside that surrounded the village. The cottages were fewer here, and their gardens larger. We were walking towards the foot of the mountain, and just a few meters away, we can already see the fence by the end of the road that Sirius mentioned in his letter. Waiting for us was a very large, shaggy black dog which was carrying some newspapers in its mouth, and looked very familiar.