Carina Malfoy//h.potter

CHAPTER TWELVE

It was the attack on the Gryffindor ghost that caused panic among the student body. He was already dead and someone or something managed to petrify it. There was a rush to book seats on the Hogwarts Express back home for Christmas. Narcissa Malfoy tried repeatedly to convince her twins to return home but it went from ear to another.

No one seemed to want to be around Harry Potter over the holidays and they kept skirting around him in the corridors while most of them where pointing, whispering and even hissing as he passed by them. Carina began to pity him, this is the second year in a row that the Potter boy has been outcasted by the students around here. Speaking of the Potter boy, he tried many times to talk to Carina in order to explain himself for the Dueling club scene but no Slytherin would allow him to get close enough to their Lady.

On the other hand, Carina noticed the rather rather dubious behavior of the Gryffindor's Golden Trio.  She is absolutely certain that they stole some ingredients from Snape's storage, she just has no proof of this to comfort them about it. However, she can't put a finger on what they would need a powdered horn of a Bicorn or a shredded skin of a Boomslang.

A month has passed and Christmas holidays arrived urging most of them to leave. Cedric promised his favourite twins to write them and he gave them his presents personally as did them. Carina spend most of her holidays in Hogwarts library searching every kind of monster book to figure out what kind of creature the Slytherin hair was using against muggleborns. Draco when he was not with Goyle and Crabbe he would help her but he always came to get her from the library to dine in the Great Hall.

On New Years Eve, Draco and Carina were done eating in the Great Hall and they decided to stay for a little longer playing Wizard Chess while they pointed out the decorations in the room. The Great Hall was magnificent with dozens of Christmas tress and holly streamers and mistletoes everywhere. The ceiling was enchanted to make snow fall but it was warm and dry. Dumbledore was leading some Professors and students that stayed behind, particularly Weasleys, in a few of his favourite carols with Hagrid booming more and more loudly each eggnog. Surprisingly, no Potter and Co. was around.

In the Great Hall, now there were only the Malfoy twins and some other Professors. Draco was winning against Carina in the Chess as they eat some pudding that their godfather, Severus Snape, gave them  much to their amazement. Draco smirked amused as he watched his sister pouting, she was always a sore loser. Out of the blue, they noticed someone taking a seat next to Draco, they glanced up and blinked curiously when they saw none other but Dumbledore smiling down at them with a childlike glint in his blue eyes.

"May I?" he asked in a polite manner and the twins exchanged a quick glance to each other then nodded mutely.

"Happy Christmas sir." spoke suddenly Carina breaking the awkward silence while she continued exchanging a skeptical look with her brother.

"Happy Christmas Mister and Miss Malfoy." replied kindly Dumbledore.

"Excuse me Professor Dumbledore, without wanting to sound rude but why are you here?"she asked making Draco's grey eyes widen and kick her leg gaining her attention as she hissed in pain and he gave her a warning look.

Dumbledore chuckled as he observed the Malfoy twins behavior "Well, Miss Malfoy, I was just wondering if you and Mister Malfoy find Hogwards comfortable. I ought to believe that this is the first time that you ever been away from home on Christmas."

Carina ordered her Queen to move before replying "Thank you for your concern Professor but we feel that Hogwarts is also our home, right Dray?"

Draco watched as his bishop destroyed her Queen "Of course it is." he replied with a small smile.