I Am Not Nothing

Chapter Nineteen

We continued to walk down the corridors and look in the booths. 

"Maybe they stayed at the school over the holidays?" I suggested after passing many other booths.

"I found them." Draco said, stopping in front of me.

He knocked on the booth door and pulled it open.

"Draco! Where have you been? No letter? You didn't even try to look for us on the platform?" A girl's voice said.

I recognised it immediately. Pansy Parkinson.

"He was busy." I said, hiding from view of the others.

"Who's that?" A boy asked.

I watched as someone pushed Draco out of the way and turn to me. Parkinson stood there, completely shocked for a second before laughing and pulling me into a hug.

"Hello, Parkinson." I laughed, hugging her back.

The second I started hugging back, though, she let go of me and looked concern.

"They've changed you. You would never do that before." She told me.

I looked back at Draco as he rolled his eyes, then I looked back as Parkinson.

"It was a one time thing. Won't happen again." I assured her.

I watched as a tall boy walked out of the booth. Goyle looked down at me excitedly.

"Hey, you're not gorging yourself with sweets?" I joked.

"You should see the booth. It's trashed." Parkinson told me.

"Of course it is." I laughed.

"Hey!" Goyle exclaimed, glaring down at the two of us.

"It is yours and Crabbe's fault." Parkinson shrugged.

"Well, I have to go find Stainface. I'll see you at school." I told them.

"You're not coming back?" Goyle asked.

"No, I'm busy." I told him.

With that, I flipped my hood up and walked back the way Draco and I came. I had noticed a blue cloak matched with black curly hair only a couple booths back. When I found it again, I barged in and sat next to the girl in the blue cloak.

"What can I do for you, Sister?" Auzilen asked.

I glared between her and Luna Lovegood.

"I just wanted to remind you that I'm not back. It's best for my own amusement when people find out from their own experiences. So you can't tell anyone. Not yet." I told Auzilen.

"It is nice to see you Raven Snape. I will keep your secret. Do not worry. I'm good at keeping secrets." Lovegood's voice squeaked. 

Lovegood's gaze turned back to The Quibbler in her hands, which was being held upside down. I rolled my eyes and stood up. I looked down at Auzilen. 

"I get it. Don't tell anyone," She sighed, "Now you should get back to Ross. He probably misses you."

I didn't stay another second. I turned around and walked out of the booth as fast as I could. 
Auzilen found out about Ross not long after I came home from America. She heard us talking and became nosy. I tried to hide the truth from her, but Ross had another idea. He explained everything to her, even though I didn't want him to. My father also found out, but I knew that he had known for a while and didn't really care. I knew he used legilemency to see Ross, but I got no praise for successfully performing such a difficult transfiguration. Instead, I got a cold glare from my father, which was no different from any other cold look I've ever been given.
When I reached the booth where Draco and I left Ross, I walked in and sat next to my friend. I sighed and placed my head on his shoulder.