Obliviate My Heart {Book 2}

29. Sirius's return

Everything seemed to fall into place once Draco and I got together. That might sound cliche and stupid, but it did. We sat next to each other in potions, sometimes coyly holding hands. We would meet up after dinner to talk, occasionally kiss.

I was quite good at balancing my relationship with my friends, to my surprise. It helped that Draco had been less vindictive towards my friends, and hung around with Blaise more--who had the power of sticking a leash on Draco. I had to put up with side-comments from the boys, but I could put up with that. At least Harry somehow accepted it.

But Gennie found herself getting some unwanted attention in the aftermath of the second task. First of all, people kept pestering her about what it was like underwater in the task. Also, people kept wiggling their eyebrows at her and Cole together.

After their very obvious display of affection for each other, it became clear to others that they were together. But if I hadn't know they were together, I wouldn't have guessed it. They were quite a shy couple, kissing each other occasionally, but nearly always holding hands.

It was pretty freaking adorable; you could just tell how much they cared about each other. 

As we entered March the weather became drier, but cruel winds skinned my hands and face every time I went out onto the grounds. There were delays in the post because the owls kept being blown off course. The brown owl that I had sent to Sirius with the dates of the Hogsmeade weekend turned up at breakfast on Friday morning with half its feathers sticking up the wrong way.

Sirius's letter was almost as short as the previous one.

Be at stile at end of road out of Hogsmeade (past Dervish and Banges) at two o'clock on Saturday afternoon. Bring as much food as you can.

I showed the others the note.

"He hasn't come back to Hogsmeade?" said Ron incredulously.

"It looks like it, doesn't it?" said Hermione.

"I can't believe him," said Harry tensely, "if he's caught. . ."

"Made it so far, though, hasn't he?" said Cole. "And it's not like the place is swarming with dementors anymore."

"If I'm honest, I really want to see Sirius." I said, folding up the letter. "It should be great."

I approached the final lesson of the afternoon - double Potions - feeling considerably more cheerful than he usually did when descending the steps to the dungeons.

Draco, Crabbe, and Goyle were standing in a huddle outside the classroom door with Pansy Parkinson's gang of Slytherin girls. All of them were looking at something I couldn't see and sniggering heartily. Pansys pug-like face peered excitedly around Goyle's broad back as we approached.

"There they are, there they are!" she giggled, and the knot of Slytherins broke apart.

I saw that Pansy had a magazine in her hands - Witch Weekly. The moving picture on the front showed a curly-haired witch who was smiling toothily and pointing at a large sponge cake with her wand.

"You might find something to interest you in there, Granger!" Pansy said loudly, and she threw the magazine at Hermione, who caught it, looking startled. At that moment, the dungeon door opened, and Snape beckoned them all inside.

I slid into my seat next to Draco, which I had sat in for the last two weeks. He gave me a smile, and a squeeze of the hand. "So, how you been?" he asked.

"So-so," I said shyly. "So, what was that article about?"

"About your brother and Granger." Draco said. "According to the papers, he's been going around with her."