Potter

Chapter 90

"What do you mean you've never cast a patronus?"

"I mean I've never cast a patronus," Draco said simply and without turning his head away from his book. From where I sat on the other end of the couch I frowned, wondering how he could sound so casual about it. He shifted a little, moving his feet up from where they had been previously resting in my lap.

"But do you mean you've tried and can't, or that you've just never tried?" I attempted to clarify, eyebrows raised as I looked in the direction of my fiancé. To my irritation, Draco merely shrugged again.

"I don't know."

"How could you not know? You–,"

"Lily! I can't find Matilda!" Caiden's voice called first from the hallway, only to grow louder as he marched into the living room. Hogwarts: A History was held under his arm and a frown pulled on his face. I frowned back at him, sitting up a little straighter on the couch.

"Where did you last see her?" I asked, shutting the book on medical wizardry I had been reading. 

Caiden shrugged.

"I think she went upstairs, but she won't come when I call."

"Then we'll look for her upstairs," I told him, setting my book down and lifting myself up from the couch with a small huff. Reaching over, I held out a hand to Draco, who looked at it with mild interest.

"What?"

"Come along, Malfoy. You're going to come help me find the cat," I told him, at which he rolled his eyes but put the book down. He took my hand as he stood up, not even bothering to try and let me pull him up to his feet– I had the distinct impression trying to do so would send us both crashing to the ground.

"The cat is probably napping somewhere," Draco told me.

"Well, it's a good chance for an adventure," I said back.

"In a house."

"Narnia was found in a wardrobe?"

"I have no idea what that is," Draco sighed, but let me pull him along anyway. Caiden seemed significantly relieved that we were coming to help, darting forward out of the room, down the hall and towards the stairway where he waited for us to catch up.

"I was reading, and then she went up there," Caiden said, pointing upwards. "And I don't want to go up there alone."

"Nothing up there can hurt you, Caiden," I sighed, reaching over to ruffle his hair fondly. "We'll find her, don't worry. She probably just wanted to explore."

"Probably," Caiden agreed, though he still looked troubled. "I'm just worried. It's a tricky house."

"That it is. You wanna stay down here?" I asked, a little surprised when Caiden nodded eagerly. But then, it had been awhile since he had stayed in Grimmauld– and even after living here, the house did have an air about it that could sometimes be less than comforting.

The decapitated house elves certainly did not help.

"We'll be right back," I assured him with a smile. "Don't worry, okay?"

He nodded. Beside me, Draco shifted a little as he stepped backwards up the first stair, eyebrows raised expectantly.

"Well, come along, Potter," he said, giving my hand a small tug before turning to start the walk up. I rolled my eyes, turning to give Caiden one hopefully reassuring smile before I turned and followed my fiancé upstairs.

Like it often was, the stairway to 12 Grimmauld Place was drab and dreary, filled with pictures of unpleasant people and the even more unpleasant house elf heads. There had been attempts to liven up the place since our arrival for summer, but short of knocking out the wall there was not much to be done; the bigger renovations would have to wait until the house was less occupied.