Then I Met You [D.M.]

Year Two: Sick Day

16th December, 1992, Wednesday

No one could find Violet the following morning.

When Hannah, Aimee, and Caroline got up for breakfast, they'd found Violet's bed already made up. Her bag and all of her things were exactly as she'd left them the night before. Caroline brushed it off, while Aimee and Hannah were more concerned.

They'd hoped Violet had just left early for breakfast, but when they got the the Great Hall, she wasn't there either. They grew more suspicious as the meal went on, wondering where the girl could be. Even Cedric had no idea where she was.

By the end of the meal, Aimee had become so concerned that she rushed to the back of the hall, only stopping when she was in front of Professor McGonagall.

"Professor!" Aimee exclaimed, "Violet's missing!"

"What?" The Professor leaned forward, "What do you mean missing?"

"We haven't seen her all morning!" Aimee was quickly becoming a nervous wreck, thinking about what could've happened to her friend, "What if something happened? What if she got petrified?!"

"If I may," Madam Pomfrey moved to stand beside McGonagall, who had sprung up from her chair in panic, "Ms. Ellis came to me late last night not feeling well. She's resting in the hospital wing- Ah, ah!"

Aimee had begun to back away, wanting to run to check on her friend, but Madam Pomfrey stopped her, "Please leave her to rest, Ms. McCall, I fear she needs it. She'll be fine in a day or two."

"Oh," Professor McGonagall sighed and collapsed back into her chair, her complexion oddly pale.

"Okay..." Aimee nodded, "Thank you, Madam Pomfrey."

Aimee rushed back to her friends to inform them of what she'd found out. Madam Pomfrey fussed over McGonagall, asking if she was alright or needed anything. McGonagall only waved her off, stating she was just concerned for her student. Madam Pomfrey knew it was more than that; she'd begun having the same thoughts and concerns about Violet as McGonagall.

Pomfrey had spent five year with the boy they knew, patching him up and helping him through some of his darkest moments. She'd seen the way Violet reflected so many of his physical attributes, from her brunette hair to her ivory skin. Even the way they carried themselves was so similar, with their shoulders hunched and head down, but always with a soft smile.

It wouldn't be long before Pomfrey and McGonagall would speak about the girl and their suspicions and what they would mean if they were true...

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Draco didn't know where Violet was. He looked for her all throughout breakfast, he looked for her in the halls between classes, he looked for her at lunch. He didn't know where she was, or why she'd suddenly disappeared. He knew it was likely because of what had happened the previous night, which made him feel worse about himself.

He'd been beating himself up over his behaviour, for how poorly he'd treated her. He felt nothing but regret, guilt, and anger at himself. He wanted to apologize, to make it up to her, but he couldn't do that if he couldn't find her. Not that he knew what to say or do if he did. This was entirely new to him; meaningful apologies and wanting to make someone else feel better? He'd never done that before.

By the time he arrived to Defense Against the Darks Arts that afternoon, he was ready to crawl out of his own skin. His friends had started questioning him, wondering what he was constantly looking for and why he was so on edge. He only dismissed their questions, not wanting them to know about Violet. He was becoming more and more protective of her, and he knew if he'd told his friends about her, she would no longer be just his. Besides, if the Slytherins found out Draco was rapidly becoming obsessed with a Hufflepuff? He'd lose all respect and become the biggest joke of the house.