mahogany ; d.m

59 - disappearances

For the remainder of the Christmas holidays, Athena made an effort to distract herself with the company of others, constantly seeking things to do. Sometimes it would be practicing flying and playing Quidditch, and after the days that passed, she'd managed to get a lot better.

Sometimes it would be baking, helping Mrs Weasley cook, playing muggle sports with the others and teaching them the ones they didn't know already.

Time passed rather quickly as it usually did when she was preoccupied.

She tried so hard not to let her mind drift to how things had been last year. It had been especially hard on Christmas Day when she'd sat at the table eating the delicious dinner and remembering the many more faces that had surrounded her. Including Cedric.

Comparing how things were with how things are was the most agonising form of torture she put herself through.

On the train ride back to Hogwarts, Ginny and Athena had claimed a compartment to themselves. It wasn't a rare occurrence this year considering half of the school hadn't returned.

It had been fairly peaceful until half way into the journey, Pansy interrupted the comfortable silence, appearing awfully panicked as she propelled the door to their compartment open.

"Hi Pansy, how was your Christmas?" Athena asked.

"Good, good—" she rushed with her reply. "Have either of you seen Luna?"

The two of them shook their heads, "No sorry. Why? Is she not on the train?"

"I'm not sure. None of us saw her at the station and then we got onto the train and she hadn't turned up," she explained. "Anyway, I'm gonna keep looking. Let me know if you see her, will you."

"Of course," Athena smiled, faintly, watching as Pansy clambered away down the train hallway.

She didn't want to feel too concerned over the apparent situation, but lingered on it for a while. It seemed strange that others would show worry for Luna's unknown whereabouts, as if there was a reason to panic.

She erased the thoughts, leaving the matter alone until there was a substantial reason to feel concerned.

Several minutes later, Maeve peeked through the window to their compartment, before she jolted the door open and leant against its frame.

"Alright, you two?" she raised her brows and nodded her head. "Has Parkinson already been in here?"

"Yeah. Said she's looking for Luna," Ginny replied.

"Is everything okay?" Athena asked.

Maeve straightened from her casual lean and pranced into their compartment, flopping down onto the seat beside Ginny and opposite Athena.

"We don't know. I'm not too worried. I mean it's Luna. She'll show up eventually, she always does. Probably just flying in on a thestral or something," she chuckled, clearing the tension. "I said I'd help Parkinson look because she wouldn't shut up about it. The boys were about to throw themselves out the bloody window."

Luna had definitely gone home for Christmas, having been in the same compartment as Athena on the journey back.

Pansy reappeared on the other side of the door a few minutes later, expressing even more panic than she had before. She shoved it open and stammered inside, perching down beside Athena.

"I've looked through the entire train—every compartment. Can't find her anywhere," she sighed.

"I'm sure it's alright. I wouldn't start worrying until we actually get there anyway," Maeve attempted to reassure her.