Charmed ; lashton

Third year : lukes a stalker

2

Luke watched his friend hurry away for the third time that week and was now beginning to suspect that something was up. Sure Calum was rubbish at potions but even so Luke was certain that Slughorn didn't offer remedial potions three times a week, although an exception would be to an owl student Luke imagined. Then again if they were doing owls and needed remedial potions they were probably screwed. So this meant one of two things. Either Calum had a girlfriend or he was up to something, likely to be the latter, something dodgy and therefore Luke had to stop him before he ended up dead or worse expelled.

Following a little way behind, he waved his wand casting a harmless spell creating a silvery track that followed his friend. He had got the hang of it only two days before cornering Ashton and Brooke into helping him. They both had thought he was insane and that Calum would tell them in his own time, and that he was entitled to secrets. He remembered Brooke's voice, "what are you going to do when you find him? Play possum". To be fair he hadn't thought that far at that point but now he had mapped out a carefully worded statement depending on the worst case scenario. He was certain he could sweet talk his way out of things by now, being the youngest did come with advantages.

Still as he found himself heading to a common Hufflepuff hangout area, he was becoming less certain as to what he was going to say. Hufflepuffs aren't fans of Slytherins and would happily rat him out. A ridiculous notion but all the same times at Hogwarts were barely moving forward, especially if their history lessons were telling. The silver trail turned left down an empty corridor which left Luke starting to conclude that Calum was definitely in trouble. What hold had the Hufflepuffs put on him? Maybe he should just turn back and go find Jack. Put in a strong word that messing with his best friend was rather uncool, even if admitting that Calum was his best friend would place him in the uncool too.

The trail stopped by an empty room that the door was shut but conveniently had a window in from the corridor. Most unusual at Hogwarts but given that hufflepuff housing was near the kitchens it seemed to have plenty of unoccupied rooms. A place for storage? Maybe he was wrong, and that Calum did have a secret girlfriend. That would be fine. Calum was almost fourteen and it was perfectly acceptable to date. Luke was sure Jack had three girls on the go at that age, at least according to Ben's letters where he basically had rat him out as to how he had ended up with a bat bogey hex. Stepping on the ledge, Luke peered into see what was going on and why Calum was in that room.

No way he couldn't could he? Surely he would have told Luke. Like, this was not something you keep from your friend. I mean he could judge but even so. Calum head was too the back of him, alongside the head of another person who suspiciously looked male. No they were definitely male. Luke had even considered that Calum might have been gay. Hes well aware people don't advertise it and thirteen seemed a little young to be working out whether or not you were into guys or even girls. Sure they had been bombarded about the birds and the bees talk that parents regularly gave and it was certain to come at some point from a hogwarts teacher. Luke would ask his brothers but that would lead to there needing to be an explanation and he didn't want to go there.

Music seemed to be cutting in and out. "No, I seriously think that you need to change the order up. I swear that light em up needs to go before somebody that you used to know. It just makes sense, '' Calum's voice argued. Luke ducked back down. He wished there was an easier way to look in. Alternatively, a spell to allow him to see through walls would have been great, like x-ray vision that comics blabbed about so much. Less risk of being caught. Resting a hand on the ledge, he balanced listening to the other guys retort. "You really think? Or do you think I should put backseat serenade between them" the stranger's voice returned. "Put it in but either way I think you should still put light 'em up before both of them. Go out with somebody that you used to know. Use it as the finisher"