𝑵𝑰𝑲𝑶𝑳𝑨 𝑷𝑶𝑻𝑻𝑬𝑹 ⭑ 𝑫𝑹𝑨𝑪𝑶 𝑴𝑨𝑳𝑭𝑶𝒀

FIVE: A Reminder of the Past

I woke up the next day with a weird feeling of mixed emotions. I was glad to turn to see Daphne with me this Christmas though, her and Blaise had decided to stay at Hogwarts for the holidays so they could spend it together this year. I thought it was sweet, but Draco had mocked it when they had mentioned it to him.

"Merry Christmas!" she exclaimed, and I smiled at her.

"Merry Christmas, Daphne."

We headed down the the great hall for the usual amazing Christmas breakfast. I wondered over to Harry who still looked glum.

"Cheer up Potter! It's Christmas for heaven's sake," the Weasley twins called, as they ran past letting off small fireworks around the place with their wands.

"They're right Harry, we should forget about, just for today," I said, sitting beside him. He poked at his pancakes, clearly no willing to eat.

"I don't feel very festive with him running free," he muttered.

"Just one day, please. We'll focus on it after the days over," I reassured him. He sighed and nodded grumpily. I shrugged at Ron who just weakly smiled back at me.

"Merry Christmas guys," I said, walking bac over to the Slytherin table.

"How is he?" Draco asked, as I sat next to him again.

"Mr Malfoy," I gapsed at him. "Did you really just ask how my brother's doing?" I asked, hanging my jaw open at him.

"Oh come on," he scoffed, looking at the others.

"It was pretty shocking," Blaise added, and Malfoy glared back at me. I nudged him playfully and began to eat. I felt Theo's eyes on us every now and then down the table, but I was purposefully ignoring making eye contact. I wouldn't deal with anyone's sulking on Christmas.

***

After breakfast, we headed out into the snow, and down through the forest beside Hogsmeade.

"Do you really think Sirius is still in Hogwarts somewhere? I mean, surely someone would have spotten him after all this time," Daphne said, striking conversation as we walked through the forest.

"Maybe the Fat Lady got it wrong," Blaise shrugged.

"No, he's here somewhere. I know it," I said. I wasn't sure why or how, but I sensed his presence. Besides, if it wasn't here everyone wouldn't be so uptight and worried, especially on Christmas.

"But how is it so he's managed to not be seen?" Daphne asked, holding onto Blaise's arm shivering in the cold. I stared at my feet crunching in the snow as we walked.

"I think he has been seen, just not by anyone willing to sell him out," I explained. Draco frowned at me.

"You mean someone's helping him in the castle?" he asked, eyebrows raised.

"It's possible, a teacher perhaps," Daphne added.

"Maybe Sirius bargained his way in with someone, or maybe he just has a mutual friend who wants the same thing as him," I thought out loud, frowning to think of suspects but not being able to come up with any.

"What do you reckon he's doing right now," Blaise said, trying to lighten the mood looking at the sky.

"Waiting for the prey to let their guards down," Daphne started, "so he can choose him moment and when to.. pounce!" she yelled, jumping onto Blaise and throwing snow down his clothes. They laughed and rolled around in the snow together, I watched and leant against a tree beside them.

"You're troubled," Draco stated, leaning up against it beside me. "But you've never been one afraid of a fight, so what is it?" I glanced at him, wondering it was even something I should speak on with Draco. After all, like Ron told me last year in Diagon Alley, if Draco and his father were involved in the Dark Side, I should watch what I mention to him. Still, as he stood in front of me blocking my daydream and looking down into my eyes, I couldn't help but want to share everything with him. I sighed and looked away from him.