Chasing Shadows || Draco Malfoy x OC

Year 4- Ch. 82

As soon as the doors closed, Hermione looked at Céline, confused.

"What did he mean when he said he couldn't do anything unless you say something?" She asked.

"Yeah. You already said something about the girl who pushed you." Said Ron.

"Oh..." Céline hesitated. "He meant say something... against my parents."

They all waited for her to say something else. Harry was staring at her deep in thought.

"Something has always been stuck in the back of my mind. Be honest...That day... after the World Cup, when your dad came to get you at The Burrow." He said slowly, as if putting the pieces together. "That... wasn't the only thing he did, was it?"

"What do you mean 'the only thing' what did he do?" Daphne asked more seriously.

"Céline said he didn't." Hermione said, and then looked at Céline, who was looking down not being able to face them.

"What did her father do?" Asked Tracey.

"He slapped her in front of all of us and the practically dragged her out of our house." Spat Ron, causing Daphne and Tracey to gasp in surprise.

"Enough." Céline finally said. She took a deep breath, before looking at Harry. Her eyes were glistening just thinking about that week. "All I will say for now is, yes. There was more, a lot more."

He frowned and clenched his fists tightly. "Why didn't you tell us?"

"I wanted to spare you the awful imagery." Said Céline.

"How did Dumbledore know?" Asked Hermione.

"I have no clue... there was only one person who knew, and they didn't say anything." She looked at Daphne who looked shocked by this. "But Dumbledore was the who asked Snape to come get me on the first night of the year. He wanted him to make me some healing potion." Céline sighed.

"That makes more sense as to why he called you to his office." Daphne said.

"Who was the other person who knew?" Asked Ron.

"I don't want to talk about this now..." said Céline, running her uninjured hand through her hair and then she looked at Harry with pleading eyes. "Harry you need to focus on the third task.... As for everyone... Just please, I know you have a lot of questions. I know I kept these things from you... but— after the tournament.— Once everything dies down... I just need sometime to gather my thoughts on everything. I've never told anyone this... so give me some time... please."

Everyone fell silent, Harry and Ron looked upset, while Daphne, Tracey, and Hermione looked at their friend with a mixture of emotion. They wanted to know more, but they decided to leave it at that for now, because they knew how hard it was for her.

Daphne had an idea of the other person who knew about what was happening, but she wanted Céline to confirm it. Madame Pomfrey came over to them, kicking all of the visitors out, saying that Céline needed to rest.

They all reluctantly left the hospital wing, leaving Céline in her thoughts. So many things were running through her mind, with what happened last night, and what will happen after Dumbledore tells Madame Maxime, about what her parents will say and do once word comes back to them, and what she will have to talk about with her friends.

Madame Pomfrey hands her a healing potion, and a potion for dreamless sleep, telling her to take it so she can get a full rest without her mind running wild. As soon as she took it, she felt her eyelids heavy and with the exhaustion of everything that just happened she let herself drift into sleep.

When she woke up the lighting had changed, instead of the bright yellow sunlight lighting up the hospital wing, there were now deep orange and purple hues reflecting on the stone walls.

She heard Madame Pomfrey talking to someone. She couldn't see who, because the divider was pulled on the sides of her bed for privacy.

"I'm telling you she hasn't woken up yet." Said Madame Pomfrey, sternly. "I will send word of when she does."

Céline heard the footsteps coming closer, until she saw the familiar platinum blonde haired boy, with a very upset look on his face, appear around the divider. Madame Pomfrey right behind him looking exasperated with him.

"Oh, Miss Everhart. You must have just woken up." She said, giving a look to Draco, before coming around the other side of the bed. "How are you feeling, dear?"

Céline tried to sit up with the help of Madame Pomfrey. "I'm definitely less sore than I was this morning. Thank you Madame Pomfrey." Céline said politely, purposely avoiding Draco's burning gaze.

"The arm is still going to need a couple of more days to heal properly, even with Skele-Gro. But other than that, I think we can get you out of here by tomorrow morning." She said to Céline, in a softer tone than what she was using with Draco. "This one has been coming almost every other hour to see if you were awake. So I'll leave you two." With that she walked away.

There was a thick silence between them. Draco stepped closer, drawing a stool closer to sit down. He looked over her reddened face, taking notes of the scrapes on her cheek and forehead, as well as the bruise on her jaw. He looked down her arms, until his eyes stayed on her left forearm that was wrapped in stiff and thick layers of bandages.

"So... how was your lessons today?" She said meekly. He was still frowning and still looking at her arm. He didn't answer. It was only after a couple more minutes of silences that he spoke.

"Dumbledore came to me... asking about what I had on the DuPont girl." He said curtly. Still looking at her arm. Céline looked down, not knowing what to say to him. "He then told me what happened to you last night." He finally looked over to her.

Céline sighed, still unable to look at him. "She came out of nowhere... it all happened so quickly, that I didn't even have time to react. She said something to me and then pushed me..." she said wincing at the state of her arm.

She felt frustrated with herself that it happened to her again. How Marie Ann ended up breaking the same arm. How her father tried to tell Professor Dumbledore that she had fallen, just like how he told Madame Maxime.

"I saw your parents head up to Dumbledore's office with Madame Maxime earlier." He said. Celine's eyes snapped to his. They're eyes finally locking into each others. His eyes were dark, swirling with pent up angry, just waiting to be released. "Tell me one good reason why I shouldn't go and hex that girl."

Céline leaned over and reached for his balled up hand that was on his leg. She felt his hand loosen at her touch. "Because personally... I'd like to think you're better than that." She said softly. His eyes were still filled with anger, but his expression softened slightly. "Professor Dumbledore will take care of it, Draco."

"And your parents?" He said

She looked away from him and thought for a moment. "They're going to be furious, but I don't want to let them sweep this under the rug again... she won't let me move on if they do..."

"What did she say to you?" Draco asked as he looked back down to her arm.

"That she wanted me to be alone here too. She said she was angry that I made friends. She did a good job of isolating me at my old school... all the friends I had first year, slowly disappeared until I had no one on my side by the end of my second year..." Said Céline, her eyebrows furrowed. "I don't know if there's an actual reason why she hates me or-"

"If she's just psychotic." He said dryly. She slowly nodded, thinking that was more likely.

"I just want to think that Professor Dumbledore won't be able to keep my parents from dismissing it this time, because it happened here." She said, but there was a little bit of doubt in her voice. She knew her parents were influential, they would do anything to make sure this doesn't become gossip.

They sat there in silence for a while. Both in busy in their own thoughts, until they heard footsteps running towards them.