Chasing Shadows || Draco Malfoy x OC

Year 4- Ch. 57

Céline was sure she wasn't the only one to resister the urge to roll their eyes.

"Congratulations, Harry!" Rita exclaimed. "I was wondering if you could give me a quick word? How you felt facing the dragon? How you're feeling now with the fairness of the score?"

Céline felt her lip twitch downward as the blonde woman deliberately ignored the rest of the group, especially when there was another champion standing right behind Harry.

"Yeah, you can have a word." Harry sneered, "goodbye."

Céline and Ron couldn't help but snort. That was when Rita Skeeter finally took notice of the rest of them. They started walking again, the reporter tried to ask Cedric the same question, but he simply ignored her. They all headed back to the castle, leaving a ruffled witch.

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At the start of December, the weather started to become colder with more wind and sleet around the grounds of Hogwarts.

It was Care of Magical Creatures, where the students stood shivering in the pumpkin patch, the icy wind was blowing Céline's hair all over the place.

She groaned digging in the pockets of her robes looking for something to tie her hair with. She knew she always kept one in her pockets for when she had to study.

She finally pulled out an elastic hair tie and placed it around her wrist as she started to gather all of her hair into a ponytail. She combed her fingers through her hair to try and grab any straggling strands.

Draco, who was standing right behind her, couldn't help but stare down at her slender neck. He watched her as she tried to pull up her long wavy dark brown hair. The wind was blowing towards them, so with every movement, Draco would get a waft of her lavender vanilla scented shampoo, making his jaw clench and unclench.

She pulled her hair through the hair tie, securing it so that the wind wouldn't blow it in her face. Her ears immediately started to feel the cold from the windy. She made a mental note to start grabbing her ear muffs for lessons.

"I'm not sure whether or not the Skrewts hibernate." Hagrid said to the class. They were all looking at the now ten Skrewts, that were six feet long. "Though we'll jus' try an' see if they fancied a kip... we'll just' settle 'em down in these boxes."

He had placed boxes that he had constructed to fit the creatures. Hagrid lined it with some fluffy blankets and pillows inside each of the boxes.

"We'll jus' lead 'em here," said Hagrid.  "Then put the lids on an' see what happens."

Unfortunately, the Skrewts did not hibernate and didn't appreciate being forced into a pillow lined box and nailed in.

"Don't panic now, Don't panic." Hagrid said to all the students who were running away from the now rampant creatures. The boxes that Hagrid had constructed were now destroyed and smoldering in pieces around the pumpkin patch.

Most of the students, Draco, Crabbe, and Goyle in the lead, had all ran into Hagrid's hut, barricading the door.

Meanwhile, Harry, Ron, Hermione, and Céline were among the remaining students who stayed outside to help gather the Skrewts.

Together they managed to restrain and tie up nine of the ten skrewts, but not without acquiring many cuts and burns along the way.

"Don't frighten him, now!" Hagrid said to Harry and Ron who were being cornered by the last skrewt. "Jus' try an' slip a rope around the sting, so he doesn't hurt the others." Céline and Hermione were on the side, bent over with their hands in their knees, catching their breaths. They had just finished wrangling the ninth skrewt.

"Yeah, we wouldn't want that to happen, would we?" Ron shouted angrily as he and Harry shot more sparks at the creature.

"Well, well, well... this does look like fun."

Céline internally groaned as she recognized the witch's voice. She looked over and saw Rita Skeeter leaning against over Hagrid's garden fence.

She cringed at what the woman was wearing. Rita was wearing a thick magenta cloak with a furry purple collar today.

Hagrid had launched himself into the last skrewt and flattened it. "Who're you?" He asked, as he tied the rope around the sting and tightened it.

"Rita Skeeter, Daily Prophet reporter." She said beaming at him.

"I thought Dumbledore said you weren' allowed inside the school anymore." Hagrid frowned slightly.

"What are those fascinating creatures called?" She asked him, completely ignoring what he just said.

"Blast-Ended Skrewts." He grunted.

"Really?... where do they come from?" Rita asked, looking as if she were truly interested in knowing.

Céline saw Hagrid's face turn a bit red, she couldn't deny that she was also a bit curious as to how Hagrid had obtained these creatures.

"They're very interesting. Aren't they Harry?" Hermione suddenly said, gaining the attention of the woman.

"You're here, Harry!" She looked around and took in the pumpkin patch that was in a bit of disarray. "So you like Care of Magical Creatures, do you? One of your favorite lessons?"

"Yes," he said daringly. Hagrid beamed down at him.

"Lovely." She said, "really lovely. So you've been doing this long?" She now looked back to Hagrid.

Céline noticed how Rita's eyes traveled to her, who had torn up robes, and the other students who were also nursing some burns and cuts.

"This is on'y me second year." Said Hagrid.

"Lovely... don't suppose you'd like an interview, would you? Share some of your experience with Magical Creatures? The Prophet does a zoological column every Wednesday. We could feature these— er— Bang-Ended Scoots."

"Blast-Ended Screwts." Céline corrected her in a curt manner, but Rita didn't spare her a glance.

"Er—-" Hagrid hesitated, not noticing Céline or Hermione's discreet head shake to imply that he declines the offer. "Yeah, sure, why not?"

Céline let out a sigh of disappointment. She was sure she wasn't the only one who felt like that reporter was up to something, but she couldn't do anything as she watched Hagrid make arrangement with Rita Skeeter to meet at the Three Broomsticks later in the week.  Thankfully the bell rang and Céline was ready to go to her dorm and change quickly before her next class.

"Well goodbye now, Harry!" She called out to him as he made his way up to the castle with Ron, Hermione, and Céline.

The trio stood with Céline as she waited for Daphne and Tracey to come back up from Hagrid's hut. As soon as they arrived she said her goodbyes to her friend and headed  to Ancient Runes with her best friends, not before they had quickly returned to their dorm so Céline could change into new robes.

After lessons, the headed to dinner, she sat with Cedric that evening. She had to eat a bit quickly, though since she planned on heading to the library to do some quick studying before curfew.

She headed to the library and just as she was about to enter, Harry and Ron came out.

"Oh, hey Cél." Harry said smiling at her.

She smiled back at them, "Hey, I'm surprised to see you two coming out of the library." She giggled. "Finally decided to take a leaf out of Hermione's book and start studying?"

"Ha ha." Ron said rolling his eyes, but still had a grin on his face. "We were actually looking for her. She wasn't at dinner or the library."

"Oh, well, you know her. Always off, keeping herself busy."  She shrugged.

Just then they heard quick footsteps coming their way.

"Harry!" Hermione called out, panting.

They all turned to look at her out of breathe.

"Harry, you've got to come, quickly." She urged. "The most amazing thing happened.." she grabbed his arm dragging him away. Céline and Ron quickly followed them.