Chasing Shadows || Draco Malfoy x OC

Year 6- Ch. 183

Harry finds Céline at the Slytherin table one morning and pulls her aside.

"I wanted to talk to you for a moment." He said to her. Their friendship had gotten a little better since Christmas, but not quite to how it was before. He hated that this year his friend group had been quite separated, with Hermione avoiding being near Ron and Céline not spending as much time with him either.

"Sure Harry, what's the matter?" Céline said as they walk to a quiet area out in the entrance hall. He took a deep breath, because he knew this conversation could turn bad if he wasn't careful.

"It's... About Malfoy." He said carefully, making sure to gauge her reaction. Her face was still neutral. "Have you been keeping track of where he's been going?"

She stares at him for a moment, before looking away, "I... I've been trying to follow him, but.. I keep losing him." She said. She felt bad for lying to Harry, but she really wanted to handle this before he got involved. Harry sighs and runs his hand through his hair.

"I've been trying to keep an eye on him too, even Crabbe and Goyle, but they're never with him." He said. Céline's head snaps to him.

"You've been following him?" She asked.

"Not physically, but I've been tracking him with Marauder's Map. But its odd, because I can almost never find him on the map." Harry admitted. "I'm even thinking that he might be leaving the grounds."

"No, its not that." Céline says, "Security has gotten tighter. So it's nearly impossible to get out without getting caught." Harry nods in agreement.

"Yeah, I thought the same thing too... Maybe I've just missed his name through the crowd of footsteps on the map." Harry says, he looks at her and he can tell she's hiding something. "You... Know what what he's doing, don't you?" He said suddenly, his eyes narrowed slightly. Céline's eyes widened a little.

She stayed quiet for a moment before looking around, "look, I don't know what he's doing ... But I know where he's been going-- but please, Harry. Let me try to stop him before you go and tell the headmaster on him. Please." She says quietly. He can see the worry and plead in her emerald eyes. Harry's eyebrows creased a little.

"But what if you take too long and it's too late and he succeeds in whatever he's planning?" Harry asked.

"If I get to a point where I can't handle it then, I'll go straight to you so you can do whatever you need to do. But please, trust me when I say I'm trying. I know he doesn't want to do whatever they told him to do... I can see how tired he is and how much pressure he's been dealing with... If I can convince him to stop.." Celine says softly..

Harry stands there contemplating her words. They tugged at his heart, seeing how desperate she was to try and save the person she loved. His jaw clenched and unclenched. He relented.

"Fine. But promise me, that if you think there's no convincing, then you come to me." Said Harry firmly, "I'm serious Céline."

Celine bit her lip nervously, but nodded, "I promise..." She said quietly.

They stand there for a moment before she spoke again, "can I ask a favor?" She said.

"Sure, what is it?"

"Lend me your invisibility cloak?" Céline asked him. "I need to get past his lookouts." She added.

Harry nods, "alright." He said, opening his bag and handing her the cloak. "I keep it on me now at all times. Return it to me when you're done." Céline takes the cloak and puts it in her own bag. She was planning on using it the next time she followed Draco. This time she was going to sneak into the Room of Requirements.