Chasing Shadows || Draco Malfoy x OC

(Summer) Year 4- Ch. 25

As they walked back through the woods, Hermione huffed angrily, "Did you see how they treated her?" after a moment she sighed, "what do you think will happen to Winky?"

"I'm not sure." Mr. Weasley.

"The way Mr. Diggory called her 'elf' and the way Mr. Crouch looked down on her. It was like.... Like she wasn't even human." She continued

"She is not though." Said Ron, earning him a glare from Hermione.

"That doesn't mean she doesn't have feelings, Ron"

"Hermione, I agree with you." Mr. Weasley sighed, "but now is not the right time to be discussing 'elf rights'. We need to get back to the tent. What happened to the others?"

"We lost them in the dark." Said Ron, "but why was everyone so hung up on the skull thing?"

"Well talk about that when we get back to the tent." Mr. Weasley said before stopping for a moment, turning to look at Céline. She stopped in her tracts looking at him with wide eyes. "As for you Miss Everhart." He sighed again, "your father, I imagine, must be deeply worried about you."

Céline looked at him with a doubtful expression, "I don't believe so, Mr. Weasley. I'm sure his main priority was to get the Bulgarian Minister to safety." She said to him respectfully.

"Nonsense, you're his daughter!" He dismissed the idea. "I will say I don't think he will be happy seeing you with us though. You might get an earful from that man." He stared at her for a moment, "well I'll just have to speak with him when he comes to get you. You'll come with us back to the tent, and we'll go from there." He turned again and continued walking.

"Thank you Mr. Weasley." She said politely, but deep down she was utterly terrified at the thought of seeing her father.

Then they reached the edge of the woods and they were immediately surround my scared witches and wizards asking Mr. Weasley many questions. He reassured them and lead the four of them back to the tent.

Another redheaded young man popped his head out of the tent and Ron bent over and whispered to Céline. "That's my older brother Charlie."

"Dad," said Charlie as he stepped out to greet them, "what's going on? Fred, George and Ginny got back okay but the others—"

"I have them here, plus one. Let's go inside." Mr. Weasley said gently moving Charlie aside stepping into the tent. The four of them quickly followed, Charlie eyeing Céline as she stepped in last.

Another redheaded man was sitting on a bed holding a bed sheet to his arm that was bleeding profusely. Charlie's shirt was ripped and another boy with curly red hair was sporting a bloody nose.

"That's Bill over there.. and that's Percy." Said Ron to Céline. She smiled at him appreciatively. She looked at Fred George and Ginny thankfully unhurt but visibly shaken by all of it.

Mr. Weasley proceeded to explain everything that happened in the woods and with Winky, which led to Hermione yelling at Percy for agreeing with Mr. Crouch. It surprised everyone in the room, except Céline as she didn't understand their friendship. But she guessed that Hermione had never snapped at Percy before.

Ron then asked again about the significance of the Dark Mark, that's when Mr. Weasley explained that the Dark Mark is conjured when Death Eaters have killed. Everyone sat in eerie silence that sent a shiver down Céline's spine.

That's when Harry asked who the Death Eaters were, so Hermione explained this time that they were the ones who followed and supported You-Know-Who. They spoke a little while more about it before Mr. Weasley sighed.

"It's late, if your mother hears about this she'll be worried sick. Let's get a few hours of sleep and get an early portkey back home." He said.

Everyone got up to settle into bed, before Mr. Weasley stopped and looked at Céline who was standing awkwardly not knowing what to do. "Dear, you'll have to come home with us and I'll send a letter to your father so he can come get you. In the meantime, get some rest, you must be exhausted." He gently patted her shoulder and looked down to her knees, which were crusted with dry blood. She looked down at them surprised.

"Oh! I'm sorry, Mr. Weasley! I'll clean my knees up so I don't dirty the furniture. I honestly forgot about them with everything that happened." Céline said quickly, slightly embarrassed. Bill chuckled at her and she looked at him.

"I don't think a little dry blood will do anything." He smiled at her as they both looked at the bloodied bedsheet he was holding. Her cheeks turned pink in embarrassment. She bid them goodnight and followed Hermione and Ginny out to the other tent.

After a few hours of sleep Mr. Weasley packed up the tents with magic and they quickly left the campsite. They were able to get an old rubber tire portkey and they were sent back to Stoatshead Hill before the sun as fully risen. Céline looked out towards cliff that faced the beautiful ocean. She stared at it for a moment before snapped back into reality when Hermione called her to hurry up.

They eventually get back to the Weasley's home. Céline looked up at the structure in awe. Not fully able to analyze it as she her a cry echo down the pathway to the home. When she looked she saw a redheaded woman running towards them.

"Oh! Thank goodness! Thank goodness!" She cried to them. She had a rolled up Daily Prophet in her hands. "Arthur, I was so worried! So worried!" She flung her arms around her husband.

"Oh! You're alright! You're alive! Oh boys!" She moved to hug the twins, "I yelled at you before you left and it's been eating me alive!" Céline watched the whole interaction, not able to help the feeling of jealousy seeing this worried mother hug her family.

She made her rounds to everyone, even Harry and Hermione and then she stopped at Céline, "oh darling, this is Charles Everhart's daughter, Céline. She was with Ron, Harry and Hermione during the whole... thing." Mr. Weasley spoke up. Mrs. Weasley looked at her husband surprised, before looking back at Céline up and down.

"Hello, Mrs. Weasley, it's a pleasure to meet you—" she was cut off by Ron's mother pulling her into a strong embrace.

"My dear, I'm glad you are safe! All of you!" She said as she pulled away. Céline was stiff as she never knows how to feel when an adult, specifically a motherly figure, hugs her. Mrs. Weasley gave her a slightly confused look based on Céline's reaction to the hug, before leading everyone into the cramped tiny kitchen.

Once Céline found a seat, Ginny gave her a warm wet cloth for her knees, she gave her an appreciative smile as she started to clean her wounds. Mrs. Weasley went to everyone who was injured and healed them.

After reading the Daily Prophet Mr. Weasley sighed and told his wife he would need to go into work, when looked over to Céline, "I think it'll be a little difficult trying to find him through all this chaos, so I'll send a letter to your father, so he knows where to come get you." She simply nodded with a tight smile.

"Mrs. Weasley, hedwig hasn't come with any letter , has she?" Harry asked

"No, there hasn't been any mail yet dear."

"I see, Ron mind if I take my things up to your room?" Harry looked at Ron.

"Yeah I'll go too." Ron nodded standing from his seat. "Hermione?" She nodded. As they started heading to Harry tapped Céline on the shoulder and she looked at him.

"You too Céline? Come on." He said as he gestured to her to follow. She got up awkwardly and looked at everyone who wasn't really paying attention before she followed her friends up the steps to what looked like a messy room.

Harry then sat them down and explained that his scar was burning that Saturday morning. They looked at him shocked. Harry then looked to Céline, who looked confused, and explained what that had meant. That's when her expression matched the others. Ron insisted that it might have been a nightmare, not at all convincing Harry. Then he spoke about how he was waiting for a letter back from his godfather Sirius black.

After a moment of silence while Harry sat lost in thought, Ron offered Harry to play quidditch with him and his brother, to which he eagerly agreed.

Céline sat there with Hermione talking about different things and how summer had been.