Shadow Claw: The Life Story - The Fifth Chapter

Ch. 13 - Suspicious Activity

That's right! Shadow Claw is back and better than ever! Prepare your butts for a joyride of JennyxDraco, kittens everywhere, crying, more crying and... oh, more crying. *cough cough cough* dracoissuchajerkitsunrealomgwhyjenny *cough cough cough*

"Shadow, they cannot come."

I tried to plead with my mate, our two kittens clinging from his feet, crying out for me because I was leaving. We had decided weeks ago that Snowy and Tobias would stay in the Clan for obvious reasons - Voldemort was at large, and it wasn't safe out in the open.

But I wanted my babies with me. They needed me, and I didn't want to go.

"Shadow, come on, we're going to miss the train." Nova was heavily pregnant, but still about a month away from giving birth, and so that being said, together we'd decided that we would go to Hogwarts by train this year. It made a difference, I supposed, from the same scenery day after day. Plus, the flight to the Clan and school was hours worth of flying, and if we bumped into any thick wind pockets, Nova would be swept away - she could not fly like that.

"Shadow." Shade muttered gently, kissing my lips urgently. "You must go. Go on, baby. Hawthorne and I will be along soon. Don't you worry." He smiled, and I bit my lip, nodding reluctantly. Jenny's note drifted through my mind briefly, but I shoved it to one side and kissed my mate back, then bent down to say goodbye to my kits.

"Mummy has to go now, I'm afraid." Snowy wailed louder and louder, which caused Tobias to sob and whimper just as much. It brought tears to my eyes, but I found my strength and gathered them in my arms, "You two are going to be alright without me. You're going to be good, and I'll be home before you know it." I forced a smile, but it seemed to soothe their worries. Snowy sniffled, pawing my hands with teary eyes, "Mummy." She mewled. Tobias nuzzled my legs, purring quietly. "Mwummy." He said, both of them sitting down on their father's feet.

"I'll miss you two. Goodbye, babies." I kissed their heads gently, gave Shade a last caress, and then headed towards Nova. She was licking Hawthorne lovingly, but as she turned to me, I realised that she would miss her mate as much as I would miss my family.

"Come on, let's get this show on the road." She flicked her ears in amusement, but didn't say anything. We began our journey through the trees, towards the small platform that the Hogwarts Express would stop at for us.

*

"Stay there, Nova, I'm going to find Jenny." I told Nova to stay in her carriage, where she was happily drowsing like a domestic cat. She nodded slowly; a wide yawn elicited from her jaws as she slowly drifted off again, a silky purr emanating from her throat.

I sighed, shaking my head, then I left the room and slipped through to a carriage full of rich Slytherins. I didn't have my robes on yet, because we still had a way to go, so I was wearing a short-sleeved ebony V-neck, dark washed jeans and my hair in a neat plait, though my side fringe still hanging over my eye. Everybody stared, some whispered, some pointed and some looked away, silent. I passed Malfoy on the way through, and I turned my nose up at him, my body giving off a light, black smoke as if I were about to shift. He shuffled uncomfortably in his seat, but then I passed over like a shadow. There were a couple of newbie first years too, so I gave them a cold glare before I moved on to the next carriage.

This one was lined with compartments and had quite a few people going up and down - most were young girls, chattering about the chosen one or something like that. Harry was obviously very popular - I bet Jenny enjoyed that. I noticed Luna Lovegood, with her Quibbler magazine, and Neville Longbottom - both had joined Harry and the others down in the Ministry in our fifth year of school. The two disappeared into a compartment, the door sliding shut behind Neville, and so I followed them to the door. Ron and Hermione appeared next to me all of a sudden, and I let them inside.

I rested one arm on my hip, the other on the door. Harry, Ron, Hermione, Neville and Luna were all inside, most of them gazing at me questionably. "You haven't, by chance, seen Jenny or James, have you?" I asked, my voice quite cynical and mysterious to my own ears. Ron shivered, "You sound like Snape, Shadow. Don't do that." He complained, rubbing his arms. A smirk formed on my lips slightly, but I straightened up, waiting for my answer.

"No, Shadow, we haven't, I'm afraid. Not since we got on the train, that is." Hermione replied, and I nodded very gently. Luna looked up from her Quibbler, which was upside-down as usual, and her eyes adorned a set of Spectrespecs that made her look like a rainbow, deranged owl. "I have." Her misty voice carried over my gently, like a strange cloud. "Jenny was with James are probably down the hall. Mhm, don't look now but there's a girl with a message behind you." My head snapped to the side, and sure enough, there was a girl there with blushing cheeks and fluttery eyes.

"H-Harry Potter, a message to you." She scattered away as soon as she could, away from my baleful glower. I gave a last glance to the group before stalking off down the hallway, my sights set on finding my two friends.

I found them in the end, in a lonely compartment with a couple of sweets that they'd brought with them. I slid in, smiling faintly at them both. James was asleep, curled around a little pile of blood lollipops, while Jenny was tucked into a book, though her facial expression showed she did not enjoy it too much.

"Hey, Shadow." She smiled back at me, weakly. Her eyes were cast with shadows and her lips turned downwards slightly in more of a grimace. It was not a sight that I wanted to see.

Did she really care about Draco so much that she was losing herself?