Chasing Shadows || Draco Malfoy x OC

Year 4- Ch. 70

The morning of the second task, Cedric woke up groggy. After his argument with Céline the night before, he decided to go back to his room. He thought back to what Céline had said last evening, he felt so terrible about forgetting their date. And even worse for calling her a child.

He always had a feeling that was something Céline was worried about. That people saw her as too young to be in a relationship with him, but he never thought that way, she always carried herself with grace and maturity for her age. Three years wasn't even that much of a gap in general, but many people thought otherwise.

His own friends voiced their opinions about her age, but he always brushed it off. The night of the Yule Ball, he accidentally made her uncomfortable with his actions. He didn't mean to, just got carried away in the moment and she looked so gorgeous in her dress.

So it hurt his pride a bit, when she couldn't even look at him in the eyes after. He didn't want to push it so he let her go to bed that night. He would even pretend as though nothing happened when he saw her again. His friends were still there and when they asked where she had gone, he told them that she went to bed early. They joked about her age again, and then Cho came over, defending her.

He had appreciated it. They spent the rest of the ball hanging out. He also didn't fail to notice the constant glares from across the room from a certain platinum-blonde hair boy. Draco always had a problem with him, it was clear that he felt a certain way about Céline.

The way he cockily said he would steal his girlfriend for a dance —Cedric scoffed at the thought— Draco knew what he was implying. But Céline seemed oblivious about Draco's feelings.

Thinking about that, Cedric supposed he understood where Céline came from with her assumptions about Cho.

Cedric sighed. He knew he needed to find Céline and apologize, he did see how Cho looked at him, he was aware of her feelings, and he still spent more time with Cho than he did Céline. He checked the time: eight-thirty.

He sighed again, he would find her in the crowds or after the task.

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Daphne woke up at eight in the morning, immediately looking over to her best friends bed, still empty and neatly made up.  She sat up in her own bed with a frown.

"Has she still not come back?" Tracey asked, yawning.

"No," Daphne looked over to Tracey, "I woke up a few times throughout the night to see if she came back, but nothing..."

"Maybe she did, and just went to get breakfast early." Tracey said not even believing her own words.

"Maybe it was the Beauxbatons girl?" Daphne asked worriedly.

The two stared at each other for a moment, then quickly got up and got into their uniforms. They hastily came down to the common room and saw Draco sitting on one of the leather couches reading and Pansy sitting next to him on the other end.

"Malfoy," called Daphne, he looked up at her. "Did you happen to see Céline last night at any point, or this morning?"

He frowned at her, closing his book. "No, why?"

"We don't think she ever returned to our room last night..." Tracey said.

Draco's eyebrows furrowed, "what do you mean she hasn't come back?"

"As in just that."

"Oh please," scoffed Pansy, "she probably spent the night with her boyfriend."

Draco scowled at Pansy.