Chosen || Draco Malfoy

46 - Buns Of Steel

I confide in Ron and Hermione about the bag of presents I'd found in my parents wardrobe.

"You illegally Apparrated without a licence?!" Hermione scolded me at once. "Don't you realise the sorts of trouble you could get into? Merlin, you shouldn't have told us, you've put me and Ron in such positions as prefects-"

"Uh- I think you're missing the bigger picture here, 'mione," Ron cuts in nervously upon seeing my face. "Cece's parents have clearly gone missing and most likely taken against their will."

"And this is exactly why I'm going to modify my parents' memories and send them someplace far away from here." Hermione says, folding her arms across her chest. "I enquired to Dumbledore about what sort of protection plans he had in place for the vulnerable and all he did was pat my head and call me a clever little witch."

The three of us shake our heads as we continue our journey into Hogsmeade. It is the first visit of the school year, and it's freezing despite it still being only autumn.

"I just don't know how I can begin to even find them," I sigh. "None of the adults seem to be taking my concerns seriously at all."

"Well, I say just keep doing your schooling," Hermione says in a sage voice, "whatever's happened to them, your parents' wouldn't want you to ruin your education. Now, let's hurry and take shelter in the Three Broomsticks. I can't possibly begin to thaw out until I get a nice warm Butterbeer inside of me."

"I'll get that for you," Ron says a little too hurriedly, his face going an adorable shade of red, "I mean- uh- if you like?"

I follow them inside, only for Ron to immediately have a hissy fit at the sight of his sister getting some tongue.

I leave him and Hermione arguing about it, claiming the need for the toilet.

"Oh, hi Katie," I say cheerily as I waltz into the ladies to find the Gryffindor staring at herself in the mirror. "Not another pimple, I hope? I blame this cold weather. I know some excellent face cream I can recommend. It's not cheap I'm afraid but let's be honest, you cannot put a price on flawless skin."

The nearest cubicle is in use so I go to the one next to it, loudly telling Katie all about various skin treatments, and my top ten favourite rated concealers.

Once I flush the chain and come back out, however, she is gone.

"Damn, the bitch didn't even thank me for the free beauty consultation." I sniff to myself as I wash my hands.

Back out in the pub, Ron and Hermione are both sitting in an angry silence with Butterbeers untouched in front of them. I try and make conversation but both are too mad at the other to make the effort.

Finding them too much like hard work, I make an excuse about needing to get on with some homework and leave.

On the track back to Hogwarts, I spy a familiar white-blond haired Slytherin striding on up ahead, my heart doing that strange change of rhythm thing it often does whenever I unexpectedly see him.

I think about calling out to him, but then I quickly stop myself. We have an agreement only to be seen together in private, and anyone can walk on by out here and see us not fighting.

Still, I speed up my pace in the hope to catch him up. It has been almost two weeks since my birthday and I find myself somewhat missing him. It is the sex, I am missing of course... nothing else.

Not that we have been ignoring each other since - on the contrary. It is mostly just looks: the odd coy smile across the Great Hall during meal times, the twinkle in his eye when I pass him in the corridors. Once, he even discreetly brushed his fingers along my backside when he stood behind me in the queue for the stationary cupboard during Charms class.