𝒯𝒽ℯ 𝒫𝓇ℴ𝓂𝒾𝓈ℯ𝒹 𝒪𝓃ℯ | 𝐝𝐫𝐚𝐜𝐨 𝐦𝐚𝐥𝐟𝐨𝐲 |

#11 Broken Hearts

I couldn't find Maribel anywhere.

She kind of vanished, which was odd. Today was Friday, so our classes were done by lunch but since I had Potions and my sister Transfiguration, I didn't saw her since breakfast. If it wasn't for her skipping her favorite dinner time at lunch, I wouldn't be concerned.

"Did you saw Maribel?", I asked El sitting on the other side of me along with Luna. The two were deep in conversation since I arrived at the table where they luckily saved me a seat because there was only one seat empty at the Slytherin table when it wasn't for the first years end - next to Draco. And since I couldn't assess his mood, especially now that the Hogsmeade visit was on the next day which I already had to spend with him, I wasn't complaining sitting with the two girls.

"No, she wasn't in Transfiguration either", Luna said with a sweet smile. "Maybe she doesn't feel well, wasn't she in the common room?"

"No", I said now truly worried. It was strange for her skipping lunch, but much stranger it was for her skipping class when it wasn't for a good reason.

The pumpkin pie in front of me didn't smell as delicious as it did before. A bad feeling tingled in my belly, let me feel sick and definitely not able to eat anything anymore.

"Don't worry, she's probably fine", El said as she shoved herself a fog full of pudding in her mouth. „Maybe she's fed with her Hufflepuff handsome."

„Eleonora!", Luna breathed out and nudged her shoulder before both bursted out laughing.

"No, something is off", I whispered more to myself as to the others right before I stood up. I couldn't ignore the worry overwhelming, rushing through me like waves of adrenalin. I noticed Dracos' questioning gaze as he saw me startled rushing past his table and I noticed the empty seat on the Hufflepuff table too.

***

As I walked by the small courtyard in the middle of the open corridors, I saw Cedric sitting on a small bench, his head low as he stroked his fingers across his temples.

"Cedric, hey, did you saw Maribel?", I asked, but stopped in my tracks right at the stone arch.

My heart sunk at the picture and just like that I felt as if I knew what was going on. My steps lead me towards his position across the small gravel path until I simply sat down next to the boy, not looking up at the sudden company. He didn't need to, seeing the reddish cheeks, the trails his tears left on his skin even though he tried his hardest to hide them from me was enough.

"What happened?", I asked in a small and calm voice, although my mind was already racing to all possible scenarios. The sky above changed into a grey blanket of clouds by now, giving us the best, cold end of November impression nature could manage. Really fitting the current mood.

"Maribel broke up with me", Cedric said after he cleared his throat. It was heartbreaking how he tried to smile like he always did. Tried to straighten up his figure even though he felt like breaking. "Just like that."

"Just like that?", I asked, as I laid my hand on his trembling back. I didn't need to hear the reason why she did. I knew right away that it had something to do with our parents in some way. Or that she simply couldn't handle the situation. My sister was strong - probably in a way I never could be - but even she stumbled under the family's weight sometimes.

Cedric caught himself after a few deep breaths and looked up to meet my worried gaze. His eyes were puffy, but on his lips was a small smile. Even if it didn't reach his eyes, I was stunned by the boys behavior. That although he was probably feeling the worst, he tried to be seen as the good boy he was told to be. The sunny boy of Hogwarts.