Chapter 24: Part One: Happy Holidays
Once again, I am late posting. Everything has been a bit messy as I am in the middle of alot of things, plus I have 4 diaries of my own to keep up. I apologize.
There was a tapping, scratching sound from the window and Harry jumped up to open it. Hedwig flew in and Harry removed the parchment from her beak. �I KNEW I was right!� He exclaimed and read Ivy�s letter to Draco to his two friends. �There that settles it, there is something going on between them� He finished triumphantly. Hermione nodded her head slowly, �Yes it really does seem to be that way. I never would have thought it but you were right Harry.�
Draco was sulking in the Slytherin Common room. Christmas was the worst it had ever been; Snape had caught him in the cottage; His father had been very inattentive when he had asked him for a Firebolt; His mother seemed to have sent him another box of sweets which were charmed so that he couldn�t open them till Christmas eve; Ivy hadn�t sent even a short note since leaving for London and to cap it all off the only other Slytherin that was staying was Sestine, who kept a watchful eye on him whenever he was out in public. Things couldn�t get worse for Draco Malfoy. He rattled the box from his mother again and toyed with the wrapping, a spark like fire ran up his fingers as the charm kicked in, he put it down and skulked off to the Quidditch pitch. At least there he felt close to her and Snape wouldn�t be suspicious.
Behind him Sestine followed slowly.
Snape finished scribbling on the parchment and laid down his quill. Taking his best owl he attached the letter to its leg and sent it out into the chill evening air. It was his most reliable owl that had been awaiting the reply from Ivy and he couldn�t trust a lesser bird to the serious task of informing the Women of the break in and the probable culprits. He had had to wait until that bird had returned and was rested until he sent out the news.
The Owl had also brought a reply to his private letter to Ivy. The answer had neither made him happy or sad, the box was still missing but it appeared it was not in the Cottage and as Ivy and Osanna never kept secrets from each other, it was highly unlikely that Osanna had found it and not told Ivy. �Not told Ivy?�He pondered out loud, �No Ivy would understand that he would only ask her to keep something from Osanna if it were imperative. She wouldn�t have told her about his letter.� He thought in answer. So, for now all was well.
Draco wandered out onto the pitch; he tried his best to ignore Sestine who had, for some reason made herself his shadow over the past few days. He rolled his eyes and sat down on the ground, his eyes gazing around the pitch...here he was free to think whatever he wanted to. He wanted her back so badly.............
Sestine hesitated for a moment, then she quickened her pace and sat down right next to Draco before he could even protest. He sighed heavily and she bristled slightly, she was obviously not wanted here, but that had never stopped her.
"What's wrong Draco?" she asked curiously, studying his face under the pale illumination of the stars.
He frowned, why in the hell was she asking? More importantly, why in the hell should he tell her?
"Nothing is wrong, now piss off!" he stated quite simply, yet again trying his best to ignore her.
Sestina was having none of it; she tucked her wildly streaked hair behind her ears and shrugged. "I haven�t anyplace else to go, and neither do you."
Draco made a face and finally turned to look her in the eye. "That may be true, but that does not mean I have to spend my time with you, so sod off already, I'm NOT interested in having company!"
He nodded to himself and turned his attention back to his own thoughts, that should have made his point quite clear...he couldn�t wait to wrap his presents for Ivy, his present for Osanna even, and though he had procured wonderful things...something was lacking, Ivy needed another gift, something special, special and beautiful..........