Challenged Love

Chapter 14

The moment I entered the Great Hall for dinner, our eyes immediately locked. I noticed his eyes were razor-sharp at first, but softened once they laid upon me. Even as I advanced towards him, he never diverted his gaze away from mine. It was as if he were challenging me to break eye contact. When I sat across from him at the Slytherin table, I still had not looked away.

"Looks like someone finally decided to show up," Draco remarked.

"I'm glad you missed me," I responded.

Draco narrowed his glare towards the table as a laugh escaped his lips, like a hiss between his teeth. I could not help but let out a small laugh myself. For some reason, the moment felt just like old times.

"Where were you anyway?" he asked me, a spark of distress in his eyes that only appeared for a split second.

I then sensed my heart drop within my chest. I wondered how many more times I would be asked this question.

"Your mother and I went somewhere, but I am not allowed to discuss the subject further," I stated unsmiling.

He frowned. "How come?"

"Because I was instructed to," I simply stated and subtly hinted that I wanted to drop the topic.

I could tell he was curious, but I was grateful when he did not press for more information. I probably would have exploded from all of the emotional pressure I was enduring.

Right then, Blaise came and settled himself next to me.

"Oh hey Holly," he said. "Where were you?"

"No where," I quickly said. "Where's Kasper?"

"Not sure," he answered. "I was going to ask one of you the same question."

We all searched around with our eyes for Kasper. That was when I accidentally caught Potter staring me down from the Gryffindor table. He swiftly looked away and tried to play it off by moving his eye's everywhere but my direction. I decided to brush off the situation, though it did weird me out a bit.

Shortly after, I lay eyes on Kasper, who was walking with a Ravenclaw girl. Blaise, Draco, and I watched as they both said their goodbyes and departed ways at the entrance of the Great Hall.

As Kasper sat next to Draco, no one said anything. Instead, we each exchanged a confused, inquisitive glare with Kasper.

"Why is everyone staring at me weirdly?" he inquired, though I am sure he knew the reason.

Blaise smirked at him. "Who's the girl?"

The look Kasper gave Blaise suggested that he was unbothered by his teasing. "Her name is Lara Stone."

I spotted her at the Ravenclaw table, her face buried deep into a book

"I don't recognize her," I admitted.

"She's super shy," Kasper added.

Suddenly, the mail owls came flooding into the Great Hall, dropping Daily Prophets from the sky. I noticed as the mail owls sparked an interest in Kasper, pulling his attention away from Blaise, who had asked how he and Lara met. Once a newspaper landed into his hands, Kasper instantly began scanning each page. Draco and I exchanged a glance, meaning we were both wondering why Kasper seemed so eager for the Daily Prophet.

"Anything?" Blaise questioned, dropping the previous subject.

"No, they're still out there," Kasper sighed.

He has been checking the newspapers every time they come, but the way he did it today seemed much more desperate.

That was when it hit me. Kasper was checking for any news about the capture of his parents. I knew it was hard to go about life all while knowing his parents were out there running freely and recklessly, causing havoc everywhere they took a step. It was driving Kasper crazy, I knew. I began to feel guilty, even though I could do nothing to change anything.