Little Memories

January passed by relatively quietly around Hogwarts. There was, however, news that Bathilda Bagshot’s body had been found around Godric’s Hollow that had caused a few murmurings and whispered in the study halls and corridors when those Aurors and others weren’t looking. Students were very rarely given the chance to interact with one another outside of their Common Rooms, which didn’t leave room for much private interaction or conversation. The students generally packed themselves into the Common Rooms or dormitories and held up in there until it was absolutely necessary for them to leave. Hogwarts School of Witchcraft and Wizardry was a quiet, hollow building that was void of any of the cheerfulness and laughter it held before.

The first week of February was a cold one that brought a few inches of snow along the grounds. By then, the students, secretly, were still sent into a tizzy over Valentine’s Day and everything that came with it. They would kiss freely in the Common Rooms, exchange love notes and date invitations during classes, and they would try to scrounge up as much romanticism they could in such traumatic times. Charlotte and Draco hadn’t had more than friendly conversations since they had parted from their prior relationships. They found themselves too swamped with schoolwork and worry to even think about rekindling their own relationship. The other students, however, noticed the change and their cordial attitudes to one another. It was a breath of relief really, for them to not have to worry about their bickering in the Common Room when everything else about the school had gone downhill.

“So,” Jackson commented softly from beside Charlotte as they sat together in the Common Room, “has lover boy asked you to do anything this weekend?” Charlotte looked up abruptly from her Transfiguration homework, frowning a bit.

“No,” she replied, shaking her head as she tucked her hair behind her ears, “why would he, though?” Jackson shot her a look and she rolled her eyes. “Okay, I get why, but…” She merely shrugged before she sighed and returned to her parchment, her quill flying over the page, only stopping to reload the ink into the tip. Jackson looked over at her with a crooked grin. She had taken such a defensive tone he knew that she secretly wished Draco would want to do something with her or at least be her boyfriend again.

“Well, would you want to do anything with him?” He asked quietly, glancing over to the blonde in question. Draco was sitting in a high-backed chair not too far from them, but far enough that he wouldn’t hear their conversation. Charlotte didn’t even bother looking up from her homework to answer his question.

“Of course, Jackson,” she said with another roll of her eyes. “Which girl do you know that wouldn’t want to do anything on Valentine’s Day with someone that means the world to them?” Jackson merely smiled over at her, shaking his head a bit at the young woman before him. Charlotte, ever-observant, noticed this movement even whilst she was working intently on her homework. “What?” She asked softly, looking up at the boy who sat just beside her. Jackson merely let out a little laugh at her.

“It’s nothing,” he said softly, “I just find it…cute how devoted you two are to each other.” Charlotte gave him a fond little smile before they both turned and looked at Draco, who seemed to be enveloped in schoolwork like the majority of the students in the Common Room. The tall, lithe, blonde woman merely let out a soft sigh and shook her head a bit before returning her gaze back to her Transfiguration paper, though, she found herself a bit distracted.

Quidditch practices were a bit odd to say the least. Each team was designated the same two Aurors to oversee the practice. To ensure that some secrecy remain about said practices, those two Aurors would remain with the teams until the end of term. The practices were to be had in an allotted time, and could not go over. If the weather was deemed unfit by the Aurors, often times they would complain of the cold, the practice would not be held.

This particular practice, tiny little flurries floated to the ground around and on the Pitch, and the players’ breath rose up in front of them in misty vapors. Charlotte had put on several layers of clothing, a knit cap, and wrapped two scarves around her neck and she found it still wasn’t enough to keep out the chilling cold. It felt nice to be back on a broom, she thought, since they’d only had one other practice since school had resumed from its Christmas holiday. Besides, she thought that practices would be much more pleasant now that she and Draco were on civil grounds once more.

“So, team,” Draco said as they stood on the field, finding the snow gathering up on the ground faster than they thought it would, “since we’ve got only a short amount of time that we’re allowed to practice-” He paused, shooting a dark look to the two Aurors overseeing their practice. “-we’re going to have to be focused and in top form. I will accept no less from you lot since we don’t have time for screw ups.” He took a short time to look at all of the players gathered there. “Crabbe. Goyle. You’ll work on aiming today. Harper, you’ll be working with Beckett, Nott and the other Goyle. They’re going to try their hardest to get the Quaffle past you and you’re not to let them. Practice those formations we worked on last practice.” He gave them sort of a nod and they all took to the air, getting to work straight away on what they were supposed to be doing.

Throughout practice, Draco would fly over to a group and give them advice before sitting back on his broom and watching the team he had picked in action. He smirked a bit as he watched Charlotte zoom past him on that pure white, custom broomstick of hers. His mind was on how much trouble she had caused him during previous practices and the horrible names she had called him. She was such a little spitfire at times, so strong-willed and headstrong. He couldn’t believe that she was willing to be his once more and he was willing to make things permanent, or at least promise it. Her heart belonged to him, literally, and his essentially belonged to her.

As soon as it seemed the team had really gotten into the practice, the bells of the school went off and the Aurors promptly stood, letting the players and the captain know that they had a mere ten minutes to get changed, put the equipment away, and meet the Aurors outside of the Locker Room to be escorted into the Great Hall for a near silent supper. Simultaneously, the team flew to the ground and marched into the locker room. At least once they got inside they’d be allowed a bit of privacy. The moment Charlotte passed Draco, since she was the last one in and he always waited to close the door behind the group, he caught her by the arm.

“I need to talk to you for a moment in my office,” he said in a low voice, as if he didn’t want anyone else to hear. Her brow furrowed a bit as she stared at him before she gave a short nod of consent and led the way into the Captain’s Office. She plopped down in the single seat in front of the polished, black wooden desk of his and he took a seat in front of her.

“What have you called me in here for, Draco?” She asked softly, watching him closely. That romantic within her hoped he’d ask for her to do something with him on Valentine’s Day, since they hadn’t had much of one the year before since they were still very new in their relationship. This year she felt there was no other time than Valentine’s Day to rekindle their status as the ultimate Slytherin couple.

“I was wondering if you had paid any attention to the formations that we discussed last practice,” Draco said sternly, yet his voice remained soft. He was not scolding her, but merely reminding her. Charlotte’s spirits plummeted a little. This was not what she had hoped they’d talk about. But she knew he had good reason to talk to her. She had fudged a little bit on the field, doing what she felt was right instead of what was called of her to do, per the formation and game plans Draco had made.

“I’m sorry,” she said softly, looking down to her knees bashfully, “my mind’s been elsewhere and I guess it didn’t help that I was freezing my arse off out there today.” Draco merely nodded, his expression remaining impassive. He pulled off the thick woolen cloak of his uniform, keeping his eyes on Charlotte as she slowly brought her eyes back to his.

“Well then, you can go,” he said, finality in his tone. Charlotte sat there for a moment, eyeing Draco carefully.

“There’s nothing else you want to talk to me about?” She asked, wanting him to pick up on this one hint that she was going to shoot to him. She didn’t know what she’d do if he didn’t. He frowned a bit and shook his head.

“Nope, nothing else,” he said simply. Charlotte pulled a bit of a face before standing and leaving the room without another word. That had been a waste of time, certainly. Now she only had a few minutes to change before the Aurors barged in and demanded that they all got in line before they took matters into their own hands. None of the students had dared defied them and none of them wanted to see what they would do had they disobeyed. Charlotte quickly stripped out of her uniform and hurriedly placed it into the locker. She tugged on her uniform and her thick wool cloak on, lining up by the door behind of her brother just as the Auror pushed the door open. The moment she stepped outside, the damp, icy wind buffeted against her and she immediately shoved her hands into her pockets.

A small frown formed on her lips as her fingers brushed against a folded piece of parchment in her right hand pocket. Pulling it out discreetly, she unfolded it slowly as if to not make it crinkle loudly and draw attention to herself. Not that they would hear much over the whistling wind anyways, but still, she’d rather not have to wave around her Dark Mark to get out of being punished. If it had to come down to it, she’d do it though. She would not allow some lowlife crony of the Ministry boss her around when she followed unwillingly (they would not need to know that) the powerful wizard behind it all. Once she unfolded it, the simple words on the paper baffled her just as much as the fact that she did not recognize the handwriting in the least.

‘Meet me in the Astronomy Tower. 8 o’clock. February 14th.’

Her frown only deepened as she noticed the date and the near commanding tone the message held. She was tempted to ask if anyone had seen who had slipped this into her cloak while she’d been talking to Draco, but she knew she wouldn’t have the chance to talk to anyone until they were back in the Slytherin Common Room. With a soft sigh that produced a large plume of steam from her mouth, she folded the parchment and stuck in back into her pocket.

Charlotte then remembered that Jackson was behind her, since he was next in line due to alphabetical and year order. She opened her mouth to ask him if he’d seen who had slipped her the note, since their lockers were but two or three apart from the others, but one of the Aurors shot her a warning look. Letting out a dissatisfied noise, she childishly jutted her chin out at him as if she were challenging to do anything before turning back forward. As the lot of them marched into the school, she figured she’d just have to wait patiently to figure out more about that piece of parchment in her pocket and her newly discovered secret admirer.