the valerian in your thoughts

chapter three

This year was in no way planned to be any different. Draco and his mates were already thinking of possible tricks and mischief for the younger students to give them a good welcome; it was the only thing that made Hogwarts easier for him. During the first week, however, it appeared that he didn't even need to; whole Hogwarts was focused on stalking Callie Michon.

Even now, Zabini next to him kept switching his gaze between the right and left side of the hall. Nott was the first to notice his uneasy look and nudged him to keep him still. In return, Zabini slapped him on the head and only then spotted Crabbe and Goyle.

They were talking quietly with their heads close together and Draco had to demand them to speak up, so someone could understand their mumbling.

Crabbe swallowed.

'It's Michon. She hasn't been spotted today, at least so far.'

'Aren't you supposed to show her around, mate?', Goyle wondered as his friend answered for him.

Draco raised his eyebrows, Zabini sighed.

'Indeed, but I suppose she had found her way around the castle.'

He looked stressed and tensed; normally, Blaise hated to chase after someone. But after all that he had experienced with Callie, out of which he made more than it was, he was ready to wait a little more.

Draco was annoyed; it was rather unsettling how she was all his mates would talk about, no matter where. No girl, no person, had ever made them act so foolishly. However, it really was strange how Michon neither showed up at breakfast nor at the first three classes. She had only been spotted once so far, hovering around a dementor out of the castle in the morning, but was quickly brought back inside by Professor Snape. The teachers seemed fine with her absence though, Professor Flitwick even a bit relieved not to be in her presence. The topics switched from the mass murderer Sirius Black to Callie Michon, from Callie Michon back to the mass murderer Sirius Black. It felt like Hogwarts was equally as frightened of spotting either of the two in its halls.

The castle was in full flood already; the halls were filled with students making their way through crowds of other groups. His own group of friends sat on an edge at the Entrance courtyard's corridors, where the other students would brush past them without coming remotely near the five of them. It was also a good spot to see her, and be seen by her, shall she come, but Blaise had not told anyone that. He started talking about his mother's new devotee instead, and how long he'd think the poor man would last. He reckoned for it to be a few months before he would get his dark suit Blaise had wanted for quite a while. The others halfway listened with attendance, and therefore Draco was the only one to first notice her.

He then forgot to eat his apple; it just laid in his hands unbitten.

Callie Michon made her way through the hallway, this time in a Slytherin uniform, with the coat and a few books around her left arm that didn't seem to fit in the bag she had on her other side. It suited her very well, accentuating her curves around the waist. Some girls rolled up their skirts to show more leg, but she looked fine with how it was the originally intended to fit. Her body was decorated with a small variety of accessories, a darkly colored necklaces, from short to reaching a length above her belly, two big silver dangling earrings, and next to the other rings on her left hand, her family ring, of course.

He subconsciously touched his own.

It was obvious that she cared about her looks and impression to others. No one would strut their way around with such grace and confidence if they didn't. And when Callie Michon once whipped her hair to one side, revealing the platinum strands underneath, students did not just jump out of her way, but everyone's eyes were on her right hand. Her hand that had just been hidden behind her back and also hidden by the black glove yesterday.