Chasing Shadows || Draco Malfoy x OC

Year 4- Ch. 80

**T.W- physical assault**

The next morning, Céline is walking to breakfast with Daphne and Tracey, as she sits down, Draco looked over to her and smirks.

"Much better." He said more to himself as he takes a bite out of his apple, but Céline's ear show a tinge of pink. She tucks in some of her long cascading hair behind her ear before putting some fruit onto her plate.

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Days continues and the castle was now buzzing with excitement and tension as they enter June, getting closer to the day of the third task. Céline would spend minimal time with Harry, Ron, and Hermione. She would get to talk to them durning Care of Magical Creatures class or if they run into each other in the library.

Céline was relieved to hear that Harry had gotten a few defensive spells and hexes, but still felt bad that she couldn't have been more help.

And just as she had hoped, rarely saw her parents around the school, but when her mother did see her, she would give her a look of disapproval. Her headache subsided a great deal after pull her hair back into a painful bun. She spent a lot of time with Daphne and Tracey studying for the exams and occasionally with Draco.

One evening, in the library, a couple of days before the third task, Céline was with her friends, digging through her bags. She would then check her hair again, then her pockets, and repeat it.

"What are you looking for, Cél?" Asked Daphne, who was currently staring daggers at her textbook for their Ancient Ruins class.

"My hair pin... I'm missing one of them." Said Céline as she dumps all the contents of her bag onto the table.

Daphne looked up to her, closing her book. "Do you need help finding it?" She said sound very eager to step away from all the books. Tracey looks up from her books as well.

"Maybe it fell somewhere?" She said as she looked on the ground.

Céline stops to think about her day and where it may have fallen, then checked her watch there was still an hour before curfew. "Maybe the Great Hall? During dinner?"

"Let's go check." Daphne said spring up from her seat. "Please, if I look at these dammed books any longer, I will gouge my eyes out."

After packing their things they head towards the Entrance Hall.

"Do you know if you still had them after transfiguration lessons?" Asked Tracey. Céline thought for a moment and frowned.

"I'm not sure..." she said, a bit frustrated with herself.

"I'll go check there then, if we split we can cover more ground and retrace more steps." She said, the other two nodded as Tracey turns and heads in the direction of the Transfiguration class.

As Daphne and Céline reach the entrance hall, Céline stops.

"We had Care of Magical Creatures today... maybe I dropped it there.. I'll go and check." Said Céline. Daphne looked at her for a moment, looking slightly concerned.

"Maybe I should go with you there, it's rather dark now." Daphne said, "and the Beauxbatons students could still be out."

Céline checked her watch again and shook her head, "no, Madame Maxime has a pretty tight schedule on her students, they shouldn't be out by this time. Don't worry I'll be quick and it's at Hagrid's cabin, so I'll be safe." She said trying to reassure her.

Daphne hesitated but finally agreed, entering the Great Hall. Céline quickly steps out of the front entrance and heads down the steps of the castle. Just as she reached the top of the hill, she heard footsteps behind her. She stops and turns around, and her heart sank. Standing directly behind her was Marie Ann.

"T-tu ne devrais pas être ici à cette heure." Said Céline, her voice not as stable as she had hoped for. Marie Ann tilted her head slightly. (You shouldn't be out here at this hour.)

"Tu sais ce qui me met en colère ? Que vous vous êtes entouré de gens... Non, je veux que tu sois seul ici aussi." Said Marie Ann, her lip twitch slightly upward. Her tone of voice that sounded almost unhinged and was making Céline so scared that she was frozen in place. (You know what angers me? That you have surrounded yourself with people... No, I want you alone here too.)

Marie Ann steps closer, so that her face was next to hers, as if to whisper in her ear. "Je ne te permettrai pas d'avoir des amis. Vous avez oublié qui je suis, alors laissez-moi vous le rappeler." She said in a whisper. (I will not allow you to have friends. You have forgotten who I am, so let me remind you.)

With that Céline saw Marie Ann's smiling face growing distant and then her surroundings began to spin around her, after she felt a forceful shove against her chest. She felt pain everywhere on her body as it smacked on the ground hard, rolling and tumbling down the steep stony steps. As the steps curved, the stairs beneath her shifted to the grassy hill.

She felt an excruciating pain as she heard her arm crack as it hit a protruding rock. A cry ripped through her throat from the pain. The spinning finally stopped as she came to the base of the hill. Her vision was blurry from the tears that spilled out of her eyes, her body trembling from shock.

She heard quick and heavy footsteps approaching. Her name being called out with panicked. Céline's eyes followed where the voice was coming from and she saw a large figure. When it came closer she saw Hagrid's panic stricken face.

He was saying something to her, but she could barely hear him, his voice sounded distant and muffled. As he bent down she heard him better.

"I'm gon' pick yeh up now, 'Kay Céline?" He said, she just stared at him as she cried. "Bear with me, now." He gently picked her up from the ground and she cried louder from the movement of her arm. "I know, I know it hurts, Céline. I'm gon' try an' get yer up to the hospital wing as quick as I can."

He hastily made his way up the hill and they got to the top, Céline tried to look around, but the culprit was no longer there. The pain was unbearable and she saw her vision getting darker and blurrier until everything went black.

As Hagrid came rushing through the entrance hall, Harry, Ron and Hermione exciting the Great Hall. They immediately noticed him and were about to wave to him until they saw he was carrying a student.

"Hagrid!" Harry called as they ran to him. He came to a halt and turned to look at them. As he turned they got a better look at who was in Hagrid's arms.

There was blood and dirt covering Céline from head to toe, she was unconscious and her tear stained face littered with scrapes.

"Go find Dumbledore, tell 'im to come to the Hospital wing, right now." Hagrid told them frantically.

"What happened?" Asked Harry, in shock at the sight of his friend.

"Go now!" Hagrid said, before turning back around and running up the stairs.