Chasing Shadows || Draco Malfoy x OC

Year 3- Ch. 13

A few months have passed, and Draco has noticed a serious change in Céline. He always tried to start something with her, but she never took the bait. She would simply smile and shrug it off. He hated it, he would always feel a twinge in his chest. So, he decided to dig deeper.

He wasn't the only one who noticed, Daphne and Tracey had been trying to get her to tell them what was wrong but she would just look at them confused and tell him that she was just tired or stressed from studying and that she's been feeling a lot of pressure from her parents recently.

Even the golden trio noticed a change in her. Harry felt like she had been trying to avoid them. He didn't like it, but when he tried to confront her about it, she gave them the same excuse.

By the time May came around, Céline had kept to herself, not talking to anyone. It was even concerning Pansy, though she wouldn't show it.

One afternoon, Daphne called Harry out to the library. When he came to her with Hermione and Ron, she glared at them with her arms crossed. 

"Do you need something from us?" Ron said suspiciously.

"Yes, I want to know if you knew anything about what was happening with Céline." She looked at Harry. "I know she was pretty close with you."

Harry's expression changed to a solurmn one, as he sighed. "Honestly I was hoping you would know. She hasn't spoken to me in a month. Every time I tried to approach her she would run away. I'm really worried about her."

She sighed and her arms to her side. "She's been doing the same with us too. She's been looking so stressed. She's such a nice girl who tells you when something is bothering her, I don't get what's been happening. She's always sneaking out at weird times at night, one of these days she's going to get caught. And if her parents find out..." she trailed off shivering. "Let's just say from what she's told me. Her father isn't the nicest person out there."

Harry nodded in understanding. Hermione looked like she was in deep thought before she spoke, "have you ever tried to follow her?"

Daphne nodded, "yes, but she knows a disillusionment charm. So we always end up losing her."

Hermione looked at Harry and he nodded, then looked back at Daphne, "what time does she usually sneak off?"

"These days? Mostly in the afternoon around lunch, sometimes at odd hours in the night. But it's been more frequent." She answered in confusion.

"I'm going to stick close to the Great Hall in the afternoons for the next couple of days. If she sneaks off, then come find me. I'll help you find her. But only you, no one else." There was a seriousness to him, she stared at him with skepticism for a moment before nodding in agreement, trusting him.

A couple of days later she saw Céline sneak off, Daphne asked Draco and Tracey to keep an eye on her and try not to lose her while she goes and confirms something.

She runs to the Great Hall scanning the room she sees Harry sitting with his friends eating, before striding over to him and tapping his shoulder. He looked up at her and she nodded. The smile he had on his face disappeared and excused himself and led him and Daphne out of the Great Hall to an empty nearby classroom.

"You must promise me you won't tell anyone about this." Harry stated to Daphne as he dug something out of his pocket. "Not a soul." She looked at him irritably

"If it's to help Céline, you don't have to worry. My lips are sealed." She agreed. He pulled out his map and explained that this map shows every still person around the school. She was stunned, "this is bloody brilliant." She breathed.

He looked around the map for a moment, "there.  the bridge by the clock tower." He pointed to the map, showing Daphne the little shoe prints moving across the bridge stopping in front of two other pairs of shoes. "It looks like she's meeting up with a... Hannah DuPont.. and Louise Bellmose..?" He looked at her to see if she recognized the names.

She stared at the map for a moment to try and think of the names, when she straightened up and gasped. "I knew those bitches were up to no good!"  He looked at her surprised from the outburst. She looked infuriated, quickly storming to the door, "Thanks Potter! You've been a real lifesaver, either I'll fill you in later or I'll have Céline come to you!" she waved and she raced out the room down the hall.