Chasing Shadows || Draco Malfoy x OC

Year 4- Ch. 72

Word spread quickly around the school grounds about Céline and Cedric breaking up, many girls happy to hear that he was available again, and were quick to start approaching him.

Daphne and Tracey were constantly checking up on her, but Céline seemed her usual chipper self. They were worried that she was heart broken. She assured them that, though it was sad, her and Cedric broke it off amicably and they still considered each other friends.

When she went to hang out with Harry, Ron and Hermione, they also asked if she was okay or if they needed to pummel Cedric. She let them know that she was fine, and that no one needed pummeling.

Soon March came rolling through and it was the day before their Hogsmeade trip, the four of them were walking to double potions, Harry in a bright mood. He had filled Céline in on the letters he had been sending back and forth with Sirius Black, and how he was going to see him on Saturday. She asked her to come along and she happily agreed, excited to finally meet Harry's uncle.

When they arrived to the doors of the classroom, there was Draco, with Crabbe and Goyle, and Pansy with her group of particularly nasty girlfriends.

They were snickering at a magazine, when they looked over to see Céline and the other coming, Pansy came over giggling.

"You might find something that interest you, Granger." Pansy threw the magazine to Hermione, who caught it. The doors to the classroom opened, they all walked in, Céline sat with Daphne, Tracey and Draco in one table.

As soon as Snape turned away, Pansy and her friends all stared at Hermione and the boys, along with Draco. Céline can see Hermione trying not to laugh, turning around to give Pansy a sarcastic smile, waving to her.

Céline let out a snort, loving the fact that whatever the magazine contained didn't bother Hermione, Draco looked down toward his cauldron, a bit of disappointment in his eyes. Céline nudge him and he looked to her.

"Did you not get the reaction you wanted?" She said giving him a pouty look, before smirking. He rolled his eyes.

Just then Professor Snape came behind Harry and the others "Fascinating thought your social life undoubtedly is, Miss Granger," he said coldly, "I must ask you to not discuss it in my class, ten points from Gryffindor."

Draco looked back to Céline with a smug smirk, "that was more of the reaction I was waiting for." Céline looked at Harry, he was glaring at Professor Snape. He glanced over to her table, and frowned even more seeing Draco snickering as he pushed his badge to POTTER STINKS.

Céline looked over, pushing Draco back, to get a better look at his badge and rolled her eyes, putting her hand out to him, "give it." She hissed.

"No." He said placing a hand over his badge, but the look she gave him made him a bit worried what she would do to him if he didn't listen, so he sighed unpinning his badge from his robes and placing it in her hand.

She quickly stuffed it into her back, she looked back to Harry who was giving her an appreciative smile.

"Ah... reading magazines under the table as well, another ten points from Gryffindor." Said Professor Snape, snatching the magazine from the chair. He opened it "oh but of course Potter has to keep up with his press."

He then began to read out loud an article that Rita Skeeter had written, "Harry Potter's Secret Heartbreak..."

He continued, pausing for Draco and his goons to laughed with every sentence.

The article talked about Harry being heart broken that his girlfriend, Hermione, has been leading on Viktor Krum who was openly smitten with her. Céline looked at her friends who were blushing red. She cursed Rita Skeeter in her mind, hoping she would step into some dung wherever she was.

"Well I think I had better separate you three, so you can keep your minds on the potions rather than your entangled love lives. Weasley you stay there, Miss Granger, over there next to Miss Parkinson, Potter, that table in front of my desk. Move. Now." He ordered.

The two of them moved to Theo new tables, Hermione sat at the table next to Céline, where Pansy was still snickering at her. Hermione looked over to Céline and rolled her eyes, making Céline stifle her laughter.

For a while they all worked diligently on their potions, when there was a knock on the door, then entered Professor Karkaroff. He walked over to Professor Snape and spoke lowly to him. Céline would glance every once in a while throughout the classes to see if the Professor ever left, but stood behind Professor Snape's desk until the lessons were over.

As soon as the bell rang, Céline packed up her books and ingredients, Draco looked over to Céline to say something, but she had already walked over to Hermione.

Céline, Hermione, and Ron waited for Harry down the stone corridor. He came out, briskly walking over to them. He then began telling him about Karkaroff's conversation with Snape, saying he showed Snape something that was on the inner forearm, but he couldn't see what it was.

The next day Céline left the castle with Daphne and Tracy, she always enjoyed the fact that Hogsmeade Trips don't require them to wear their school uniforms. She decided to wear a chocolate brown cable-knit sweater, neatly tucked in her dark green pleated skirt.

They were giggling about something, as they walked to the doors to Honeydukes. The door opened in front of them and there came out Cedric with his friends laughing about some joke.

"Oh sorry, excuse us." Cedric said as they had almost ran into the girls. He looked to them and realized it was Céline. "Oh sorry, Cél."

"You're fine." She said casually, stepping to the side so they could pass.

"Following Ced around, are you?" One of his friends joked. Céline looked at him unamused.

Daphne opened her mouth to say something, but Cedric looked to his friend seriously.

"Hey. That's not alright. She didn't do anything, for you to say something like that." He said sternly. His friend looked at him by surprise, shrinking back a little, before looking to Céline.

"Sorry.." he said.

"It's fine." She shrugged, she gestured with her hand away from the store. "You were just going? Don't let us keep you."

His friends started walking away from them, Cedric held back for a second. "Sorry about him..." he said sincerely, patting her upper arm.

She smiled at him, "it's alright." He smiled back to her before saying goodbye and walking away.  The girls walked into Honeydukes, where it was crowded with people as usual.

"You handled that a lot better than I would have." Daphne grumbled. Céline just laughed, and started grabbing her favorite chocolates and other candies for Harry, Hermione, and Ron.

After a while she left her friends and hurried over in the direction of Dervish and Banges. She saw the trio walking up ahead of her and hurriedly over

"Thank goodness I'm not late." Céline said as she caught up.

"You're right on time." Hermione said to her, she looked down to see her carrying a bag from Honeydukes. "Oh what's this?"

Céline smiled and looked at her back, "I got you guys some sweets, and" she looked to Harry, "you think he would like some chocolates?" She asked him, making sure not to mention his Godfather's name. He smiled at her and nodded.

"I wouldn't see why not." He said, looking at his watch. "Let's keep going, it's almost time." He said continuing forwards with the rest of them in tow.