Lost Memories

xlix. crushed

Using our learn technique from Snape, I pointed my wand at Ron and non-verbally disarmed him, "Expelliamus!" "Don't be stupid—"

"Harry's snogged Cho Chang!" shouted Ginny over my shoulder, who sounded close to tears now. "Hermione's snogged Viktor Krum and Charlotte's snogged Cedric Diggory and Malfoy, it's only you who acts like it's something disgusting, Ron, and that's because you've got about as much experience as a twelve-year-old!"

And with that, she stormed away.

"Watch yourself, Ron," I pointed to him. "You're supposed to protect your little sister, not make her feel horrible."

Ron glared at me while I walked past, going after Ginny. At breakfast, the next day, Hermione and I almost clawed Harry's eyes out on the day of the first Quidditch match. He spiked Ron's morning drink with his liquid luck potion.

"Ron, I warn you, don't drink it!" Hermione repeated, alarmed; Ron picked up the glass, drained it in one gulp, and said, "Stop bossing me around, Hermione."

Before Harry could respond and Hermione can react, owls came in from the above windows dropping off letters and packages to all the students of Hogwarts. Looking up, I noticed a large box coming towards the Gryffindor Table.

"What is that?" Ron muttered, completely forgetting his current vow of silence.

The three owls that carried the box fluttered closer to us and landed the box on the ground behind me. Students all around me looking to see what was given.

"Whose is that?" Hermione turned around to look at the box. "Lottie, it's for you."

"For me?" I spun around, forgetting my breakfast, and looked at the box. A slip of parchment was stuck on the box:

Charlotte Rae,

Good luck with your first Quidditch Game.

S. Snape

"Oh no," I mumbled and looked up to the staff table where Snape had been looking at me.

"What is it?" Harry stood up to see the box from over the table.

"I think it's a broom," I whispered.

"Open it!" Ginny said from beside me.

Getting out of my seat, I crouch down and open the flaps of the box. Like I had suspected, I had gotten a broomstick: Firebolt Supreme.

"It isn't..." Ron gasped.

"It is," I sighed. I looked back up to see Snape still watching me. I gave him a tight smile, which he accepted and looked away.

Taking my new Firebolt Supreme out of the Great Hall, I was stopped by Draco– only him. Following him to an empty corridor, we sat on one of the benches. Before Draco could say anything to me, I quickly cut him off.

"Why'd you do it?"

"Do what?" I narrowed my eyes at him; he very well knew what I meant. Draco gave me a pleading look, "Char, I don't want to talk about that now—"

"Did you know that my friends are constantly trying to figure out whether or not it's true? I always defend you no matter what, even when you ignore me and push me aside," I informed him.

"Says the one that needed time to think!" Draco said hotly. He took a deep breath to compose himself, "Charlotte..."

"Draco, why did you do it?" I asked quietly.

"I didn't have a choice."

"You always have a choice, Draco."

"Not me!" he shouted, standing up. "I didn't have a choice. My father is in Azkaban thanks to your friends, the Dark Lord would have—" Draco grabbed my shoulders, holding me in place, and whispered very close to my face, "—He would have killed me and my mother."