THE CURSED NECKLACE-062
A/n: I don't know about you, but I love soft Draco
SEVERAL WEEKS LATER
"For weeks you carry around this book, practically sleep with it, yet you have no desire to find out who the half-blood prince is?" Hermione says, as they walked around the grounds of Hogwarts.
The rest of November passed quickly and December came with heavy snow, nothing changed with Hermione's and Draco's relationship, nor Ella's and Ron's. Lavender obviously had a crush on Ron, which Diana, Hermione, Koda, Ginny, and of course, Ella, thought was tremendously repulsive.
Ron seemed to like the attention that Lavender was giving him, so much that he started to talk with the girl even more than usual. Diana noticed that he spent less time with Ella, and more qith Lavender, who was delighted that the fact that her crush was actually making time for her and leaving the youngest Edwards feeling dejected.
Other then, Ron, horrifyingly, giving Lavender Brown any time of day, not one, but both of his sisters are dating people, which made him rather pissy. His baby sister was dating Dean Thomas, and of course, his other baby sister (by several months) was dating his best friend.
As much as he was fine with his best friend dating his sister, Ron doesn't like to see them with their lips locked and their bodies too close for his comfort. And not to mention, catching Ginny's and Dean's lips locked in the common room a few times and might have wedged himself between the couple, stopping them.
He was protective of them, and Diana and Ginny thought he had a weird way of showing it.
" I didn't say I wasn't curious, and I don't sleep with it," Harry snapped back, hostily.
Diana furrowed her brows, glancing at her boyfriend. "Then why was it under your pillow last night?"
"Well, it's true," Ron says, nodding his head. "I get a nice chat before I go to bed. Now all you do is read that bloody book. It's just like being with Hermione and Ana,"
"Well, I was curious, so I went to—"
"The library," Ron, Harry, and Diana said together, causing Hermione roll her eyes.
"The library, and?" Harry asked.
"And nothing," Hermione said sadly. "I couldn't find a reference anywhere to a Half-Blood Prince,"
"There we go. That settles it, then," Harry said, as they paused and watched the encounter with Professor Flitwick and Professor Slughorn. Diana frowned at the strange way that Flitwick was trying to avoid Slughorn. "Does anyone fancy a Butterbeer?"
He wrapped an arm around his shivering girlfriend's waist as the three of them nodded and they headed towards The Three Broomsticks pub. Diana sighed as they walked into the warm pub and walked over to a table. She sat next to Harry as Hermione sat on the other side with Ron. Her boyfriend ordered four butterbeers as she and her brother spotted their little sister sitting at a table with Dean.
"Oh, bloody hell," Ron muttered. "Slick git,"
"Come off it, Ron." Diana shook her head at her brother. "They're just holding hands—wait, they are snogging,"
"I'll like to leave," Ron said going to stand up.
"No, Ronald," Diana said, grabbing his arm and pushing him back down. "You're to stay seated and ignore them,"
Hermione and Harry looked between the siblings as they argued, amusedly, as Ron glared at her. "That happens to be our sister, Ana,"
Diana gave him a look. "So? What if she looked over here and saw me and Harry snogging? You expect her to leave?" Harry looked at his girlfriend with a smirk, causing her to elbow him. "No, Harry, don't even think about it,"
Harry pouted, as Slughorn came over to their table. "Harry, my boy! So wonderful to see you, and you three,"
"So what brings you here?" Harry asked.
"Oh, The Three Broomsticks and I go way back further than I care to admit," Slughorn said, chuckling. "I could remember when it was One Broomstick," Suddenly Slughorn spilled all over the table, Hermione and Ron. "All hands on deck, Granger, Wellbee"
Diana snickered into her drink, getting glares from her brother and Hermione, who were trying to clean themselves up a bit.
"Listen, my boy, in the old days, I used to throw together the occasional supper party," Slughorn said. "I select a student or two, or in this case three. Would you be game?"
"I consider it an honor, sir," Harry smiled nodding.
Slughorn looked at Diana and Hermione. "You'd be welcoming too, Granger, Black,"
"We'd be delighted, sir," Hermione agreed for both of them.
Slughorn grinned. "Splendid! Look for my owl!" He turned to Ron and nodded to him. "Good to see you, Wallenby,"
Diana chuckled. "Wallenby,"
Ron sent her a look. "Shut up, Ana," he looked at Harry. "What are you playing at?"
"Dumbledore's asked me to get to know him," Harry replied.
Ron furrowed his brows. "Get to know him?"
"I don't know. It must to important. If it wasn't, Dumbledore wouldn't ask."
The table fell quiet as Hermione gulped down her drink before she choked on some. She coughed, a bit of her drink dripped out of her mouth before she wiped it away. Her friends looked at her in confusion and concern as Ron spoke.
"Are you alright, Mione?"
"Fine." She says, glancing at where she saw Draco walking into the pub. She quickly looked away and made eye contact with her best friend. "I'd like to go."
The boys frown and Ron says. "What do you mean?"
"Diana, come with me." Hermione ignored the redhead, stood up, and grabbed the blonde.
The brunette dragged Diana through the crowded pub, out the door, and down the snowy road. When they were far away from the pub, Diana asked. "What's happening?"
"Draco was in the pub," Hermione responded, glancing behind them and saw the boys following them slowly.
The blonde linked arms with her best friend. "Mione, how long are you going to ignore his existence?"
"Until forever," Hermione says, as they walk back to the castle.
"Hermione, what if Harry was right? What if Draco is a Death Eater?" Diana murmured, eyeing around her.
Hermione looked tormented by the thought of Draco being a Death Eater. There was a very big possibility that he was one, and the thought made her sick to her stomach. He was going down a dark path, and to be honest, she didn't care he was one, she just wanted him safe and unscathed.
That was what she wished, for him not to be harmed in any way while being in the vicinity of the Dark Lord. But she knew that wish could never be fulfilled because he's already been hurt. His family, his father was a cruel man and she can also imagine what his father would do to him.
"I-I don't want to think about it, Ana." She says, her voice laced with agony. "But he might be right."
"I'll find out," Diana said, taking her best friend's hand. "I was planning on talking to him before you said anything. I want to see for myself."
The pair fell silent for a moment before Hermione spoke. "It started a few months after the Yule Ball in the fourth year. After I sent Harry and Ron to bed, I went for a walk to calm down and Draco...he saw me crying and he was actually nice to me. He took me to the Astronomy Tower and comforted me. It was really nice." She smiled, softly with adoring eyes. "After a few weeks, I went back to the Tower, it was quiet and peaceful, and he started showing up, and we talked, and.. it became something we did. Going to the Astronomy Tower."
Diana smiled at her best friend. "You really did like him?"
"I do." The brunette nods, kicking a bit of the snow. She paused, looking sorrowful. "I was going to tell him I love him."
"Mione..."
"Before he ended things, I was going to tell him." Hermione looks at her best friend. "I do, Diana. I love him. So much."
Diana glanced back at the boys, before hugging Hermione. "I'm sorry, Mione."
"It's fine," Hermione mumbled, hugging her best friend back for a moment before they pulled away. "It doesn't matter now."
"Don't say that, Hermione."
"It doesn't. Not anymore. I don't want to talk about it anymore." The brunette says, dismissing the conversation. "Christmas is a couple of weeks away."
Diana's hair turned blue at the mention of Christmas. It not just going to be a Christmas without her dad but without her mum too. She didn't know when Joanna was, or if she was safe, nobody won't tell her and Sam anything. Her mum left without a trace in July and hasn't been heard by her children, niece, and nephews since, but Diana reckoned that the Order knew and wasn't telling her and her siblings.
"Erm...yeah, I don't think it will be a good one." She says as the footsteps of the boys grow closer. They probably saw her hair and got worried. "Without Dad, and with Mum missing, and Voldemort's followers up ours and the Orders asses, Christmas won't be the same."
Hermione nodded, agreeing as the boys came up on each side of them. Harry took her girlfriend's hand as her brother spoke. "Why is your hair blue, Ana?"
Diana rolled her eyes at the worry warts and shook her head, causing her hair to return to normal. "Nothing. Just talking about Christmas."
"Oh...well, Mione, why did you want to leave—" Ron started but got interrupted by a scream.
The four of them snapped their heads over to the scene and saw Katie Bell levitate off the ground and in the air, as a brown bag and a beautiful necklace fell from her grasp. They hurried over, looking confused and concerned.
"I warned her," Leanne says, standing near her friends. "I warned her not to touch it,"
"Don't get any closer," Hagrid shouted. "Don't get any closer,"
The four of them and Leanne walked to McGonagall's office as Hagrid took Katie to the hospital wing. In the office, they waited for McGonagall to be done examining and questioning Leanne.
"You're sure Katie did not have this in her possession when she entered the Three Broomsticks?" McGonagall questioned.
"It's like I said," Leanne said. "She left to go to the loo, and when she came back she had the package. She said it was important that she deliver it."
"Did she say to whom?"
Leanne nodded. "To Professor Dumbledore."
"Very well, Thank you, Leanne. You may go." McGonagall said as the girl walked away. She looked at the four in front of her. "Why is it when something happens it is always you four?"
"Believe me, Professor, I've been asking myself the same question for six years," Ron answered.
McGonagall looked behind them and saw Snape. "Oh, Severus. What do you think?"
Snape levitated the necklace with his wand. "I think Miss Bell is lucky to be alive."
"She was cursed, wasn't she?" Harry asked. "I know Katie. off the Quidditch pitch, she wouldn't hurt a fly. If she was delivering that to Dumbledore, she wasn't doing it knowingly,"
"Yes, she was cursed," McGonagall nodded, grimly.
"It was Malfoy," Harry suddenly accused.
Diana scrunched up her face and Hermione tried hard not to react as McGonagall looked back at the boy. "That is a very serious accusation, Potter."
"Indeed," Snape said, looking down at the boy. "Your evidence?"
"I just know,"
"You 'just' know," Snape said, slowly. "Once again, I'm astonished by your gifts, Potter. Gifts mere mortals can only dream of possessing. How grand it must be to be the Chosen One,"
"I suggest you all go back to your dormitories. All of you," McGonagall said, dismissing them.