Arctic Love

Chapter 29: Small Vacation

We all walk out to the courtyard and mount our brooms.

"Where are we going anyway?" Ron asks

"No idea" Harry says as he starts to hover.

I hover on my broom and follow Harry as we head to the Black Lake. I look down at the now frozen lake and admire the perfect white snow. The sun reflects off it and the entire lake sparkles.

"Hogsmeade!" Harry yells back to me.

"What?" I tell back

"Hogsmeade!" He repeats

"Oh" I yell back.

I tilt my broom forward to gain more speed and fly in between Harry and Hermione.

I haven't been to Hogsmeade in a long time. I always imagined going with Draco and getting butterbeer but he's always got something elaborate planned.

We cross the lake and to the village and get ready to land. Harry touches down first then me followed by Ron and Hermione.

"Harry, why didn't we just walk?" I ask getting off my broom.

"Because he had no bloody idea where he was going when we left" Ron adds

"He's right, I didn't," Harry says with a laugh.

Hermione laughs at Harry and links arms with me.

"Let's go, we won't get a table standing out here," Hermione says tugging on Ron's coat.

We start to walk to the Three Broomsticks and talk along the way.

"Have you ever tried fire whiskey Harry?" Ron asks

"No, have you?" Harry asks curiously

"No," Ron says looking at the ground. "But Fred says it's brilliant" Ron adds

"Fred also told you that you could turn your rat into a plate with muggle foods" Hermione adds

"He was very convincing," Ron says in defense.

"So when's our next DA meeting?" I ask Hermione.

"We can only fit it one more before the holidays, we were thinking tomorrow" she answers looking Harry's way.

"Tomorrow would be brilliant, everyone will have the time," Harry says.

"I'll be there," I say moving a price of hair from my face.

We walk to the door of the Three Broomsticks and walk in. The room is dimly lit and quite loud. We see an open spot at a table and head towards it. We push by a few people that smell of alcohol and smoke. There's one old man who's half asleep, one continuously stabbing a knife into a table and a group of men playing muggle gambling games. I make an effort to not look at the people as I pass them. Coming to the broomsticks has always been fun but I always forget how creepy some people can be.

We sit down and I sit one side with Harry and Rob and Hermione sit across from us. A waitress instantly notices us and walks up so us swiftly and smiles at us. I notice her short hair and the many tiny ringlets it has. She's wearing bright red lipstick and a yellow and red apron. She pulls out a small notepad and pen and looks at Harry.

"What can I get you dear's?" She asks

"Four butter beers please," Harry says

"Right away," she says closing her notepad and walking away.

I feel myself drift off in thought about Draco. What he's doing, who he's with? if he's worried about me if he's alone. Thoughts rush through my head and I start to feel bad about leaving him. These last few weeks have been so crazy. Draco and I had such an incredible night when he was attacked, then Claire was. I'm still lying to Draco about the DA meetings and I haven't taken any time to be with Logan and Mike.

"Elena?" Ron says tapping my hand on the table.

"What?" I say snapping back to reality.

"Can you tell the others about the DA meeting?" He asks

"Of course," I say smiling at him trying to act like I was listening.

"Fantastic" Ron says

The waitress comes sliding through the crowd and places down our butter beers.

"There you are dear," she says placing one in front of me.

"Thank you," I say cupping my hands around the glass.

"So Elena, what are you doing for the holidays?" Harry asks

"I invited her to have Christmas dinner with us" Hermione buts in.

"Really?!" Harry says excitedly "Do you think you could make it?" Harry asks

"I still have to ask my mom and brothers but I would love too," I say

"Brilliant," Harry says

I smile at him then take a sip of my drink. It's smooth and tastes amazing. Literally like liquid butter.

"I'll ask Logan when I get back to Hogwarts" I add

"How is he?" Harry asks "I never see him around the common room," he says looking at Hermione, who seems to give a look of an agreement.

"He's good, I think he might have a girlfriend," I say

"I can find out," Hermione says confidently.

"Could you?" I ask "I would love to know who she is"

"Definitely," Hermione says.

"What about Mike?" Harry asks

"I'm not sure, I honestly haven't talked to him in a while," I say realizing the truth.

I haven't talked to Mike since I was in the hospital wing after the fall with Pansy. That was so long ago. I always take time to see Logan but not Mike.

"You guys can catch up over the holidays," Harry says.

I take another sip of my butterbeer and sigh.

"Anyway, what did you want to tell us. You said you had lots to say at breakfast" Hermione says.

"Oh right," I say

I explain what happens this morning when Ben told me how he felt and how I've been hiding from Draco since I woke up because I didn't want drama. I explain how I think Ben and Pansy have teamed up to hurt my friends and how I'm scared they'll hurt my brothers.

"So that's why you were so happy to come here?" Ron says realizing my escape plan.

"I just needed to be away from everything for a while," I say

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I knock on Draco's door and wait for an answer. The doorknob turns and the door opens.

Draco stands in the doorway wearing light grey sweatpants and a black T-shirt.

His eyes get larger as he sees me, and he instantly pulls me towards him and hugs me.

"Where have you been?" He says in a panic.

"The Three Broomsticks," I say in pain as he squeezes the air out of me.

"Why would you go there?" He asks letting me go. He holds my hands and looks at me very concerned.

"I went with Ron, Harry, and Hermione," I say

"Wha...., forget it," he says as he notices my reaction to what he was about to say.

"Come in," he says moving out of the way so I can go into his room.

I walk by him and sit in his chair from his desk.

"I have something to ask you," he says walking up to me and looking down at me.

"What is it?" I ask looking up at him.

"Would you like to spend the holidays with me?" He asks.