Caleb leaned heavily against the wall and watched with boredom as a red haired girl wrote in a book across the hallway. His eyebrows were furrowed, hands shoved deep in his levi pockets. His silk shirt bunched up on his arms and even the spell on his skin making him paler couldn't hide the shining lines of faint scars and recent bruise from his last lesson before returning to Hogwarts. He was softly biting the chap of his lip. A necklace with a ring on it dangled beneath his shirt. It glimmered softly in the candle light of the hall. A soft hand slid around his wrist and Caleb smiled before he even had the chance to look at who it was.
"Hey, Blondie," Caleb said, turning to face the person behind him.
"Shut up, Freckles," Draco retorted, a soft pout on his lips.
Caleb smiled and stood up straight. Shadowed eyes met lit ones and Caleb relaxed his form.
"You're late," He scolded.
"You were keeping track?" Draco countered, a swift cock of his eyebrow making Caleb smile.
"Yes," Caleb replied "One punch for every minute on the clock."
Draco lost his smile and Caleb did so after. There was an awkward pause between the two of them.
"So..." Draco said, shoving his hands in his robes, "Why were you staring at the Weasel?"
Caleb turned to look at the girl tucked away in the corner. She was writing furiously in her book.
"Is that Ginny Weasley?" Caleb asked, surprised he hadn't seen the girl before. He had seen her around, surely, but not as clearly as now.
"Yeah," Draco answered, looking past to watch the girl. "Not much to look at though. Keeps to herself. So again I ask; Why are you watching her? I thought you had a thing with Potter."
Caleb started coughing harshly.
His eyes bulged from his head. His pale skin went red as he struggled to draw breath. Draco laughed and punched Caleb's arm playfully.
"I'm just messing with you," He laughed and then stopped to look at Caleb "Unless....?"
"IdonothaveathingforHarryPotter," Caleb wheezed in a quiet whisper.
"I mean I can understand if you did," Draco said monotonously "he's alright for a ponce"
"I do not have a crush on Harry Potter," Caleb repeated a little louder, his face red with embarrassment.
"You do have almost every class with the boy," Draco went on, counting reasons on his fingers.
"I do NOT have a crush on Harry Potter," Caleb said with a frown.
"And he IS okay looking in a spawn of Hades kind of way," Draco said with a smirk.
"I do not like Harry Potter," Caleb growled softly.
"And your skin complexion matches eachother so well-"
"I DO NOT HAVE A CRUSH ON HARRY POTTER"
A few students scattered around the hall turned to stare at the auburn haired boy.
"Well if no one thought you did before," Draco said softly "they certainly do now."
Caleb turned to glare at Draco earning a sheepish smile in return.
Caleb frowned and turned back to look at the Weasley.
"She's always writing in that thing," He said, softly "She never speaks. She never eats. She doesn't even seem to move she just appears."
Draco's eyes narrowed as he looked towards the girl. Caleb's voice had a mysterious tone that was mesmerizing to listen to. It was able to make anyone suspicious. Myths turned to fact. Opinions to law. Mandela Effect to reality.
"It's like she is a ghost who moves silently through the castle. No one else seems to notice her. No one else seems to see her. Sometimes I wonder if she is real. She responds to no name when anyone around is called. She doesn't react to loud noise. She didn't even flinch when Snape called her out for not paying attention in study hall one day. It makes me wonder about her. About what she is always writing in there."
Draco felt a soft chill go down his spine and turned from watching the girl to look at Caleb. He looked as cold as ice. His eyes were hard.
"She is just a girl. A blood traitor at that. I'm sure it's just a stupid diary,"
Caleb stared at the book and felt a tugging below his navel. As if someone were pulling him he took a step forward. His eyes glazed over in a hallowed gleam.
"No," he said in an airy breath" it's something more. Something important."
Draco pulled Caleb's arm and Caleb snapped back into focus.
"Forget about her and the book," Draco said, a seriousness in his eyes.
The two walked out of the hall in silence. Caleb paused to turn back to look at the book. Ginny was staring directly into his eyes. Her eyes burned in a white heat he could not place. Her fiery passion slid across his back like cool water leaving tingles in its wake. He did not like the fierce look in her eyes. Then as he turned the corner, she was gone.
