AN: Well…I actually finished another chapter. GO ME! J So, this is AU from after fifth year now. I'll put it in the main summary afterwards. I hope you enjoy. Hopefully I'll get around to writing the last chapter and epilogue sometime soon.

Chapter 24: Results

When she entered her classroom to begin the day's activities, Seraphim was surprised to notice Draco wasn't present. Thinking he was cutting class to strengthen their 'breakup', she simply marked him absent and started a lecture. Something at the back of her neck prickled though, she couldn't get Draco out of her head.

After class, she stayed behind, deciding to cut her history of magic class, and clean out her office. She'd be leaving in a month and classes were nearly over with anyway.

As she emptied drawers and file cabinets, she reminisced about the previous months. Setting aside old papers and knick knacks, she felt the prickle again. Wrinkling her nose, she stepped to the door and peered cautiously out. Seeing no one, she returned to her desk to continued her past-due spring cleaning, all the while trying to shake the unnerving feeling that something wasn't right.

When the students were released for lunch, Seraphim found Harry, Ron, and Hermione, a spot at the Gryffindor table, and the sugar quill she'd been looking for so she could finish her final lesson plan for the year. Unfortunately, Draco was still missing in action. Seraphim scanned the Slytherin table but could not seem to locate the silver-gold head of hair.

Noticing her disgruntled look, Hermione tapped her on the shoulder. "Are you all right?"

Seraphim wrinkled her nose. "I seem to have lost something." She rolled her eyes in the direction of the green-clothed table.

Hermione raised an eyebrow in understanding, "I see." Scanning the hall quickly, Hermione shrugged. "I'm sure he'll turn up later."

Casting a worried glance at the table, Seraphim nodded. Pouting, she ate the rest of her meal in silence.

By the time afternoon classes began, Seraphim was getting irritated. How could she and Draco have a terrible argument over whose side they would be on when the imminent war came if Draco never showed up? Huffily, she stomped to the sixth-year potions class, fully intending to give Draco a very large piece of her mind, but found, after looking warily through the doorframe, that he wasn't in that class either.

Puzzled, Seraphim returned to her own classroom and sat, not quite knowing what to do with herself. Julian swooped through the open window with some mail for her; nothing but a few bills and a notice that her subscription to The Daily Prophet was about to expire. Disgusted, she tossed the pieces of parchment into a 'to-do' bin, promptly forgetting about them.

Julian pecked incessantly at her shoulder, waiting for a treat. Seraphim ignored the falcon and distractedly ran her fingers through her hair. Finding a tangle, she began the monotonous task of finding a hairbrush and straightening it out.

Finally, when she was reduced to checking her wall clock every two minutes, Seraphim pulled a chair over to her desk, got out a pen, some ink, and a sheet of parchment, and grumpily began composing a note.

Draco Malfoy, she began. Chewing on her lip, she sighed, frustrated. After a few moments of reducing the parchment to meaningless scribbles, she smirked, pleased with herself. Taking out another clean sheet, she closed her eyes tightly and took a deep breath.

Draco,

I was just wondering where you've been all day. I haven't seen you since this morning. I need to speak to you about something very important. Please send Julian back with a response right away. I'd like to meet you as soon as possible.

I hope you're all right and haven't gotten into any trouble.

All my love,

Seraphim

Reading the letter over again, Seraphim was satisfied that no one outside the two of them would know what they were talking about. She called Julian over from where he'd found her bag of owl treats and tied the note to his leg.

"Now, you have permission to peck him as long as you want until he gives me a response, understand?" she told the bird, stroking his head.

Julian dipped his head and nibbled her ear affectionately.

"Good." Seraphim took Julian to the window and released him.

She had just fallen asleep from sheer boredom when Seraphim heard a sharp tapping on her window. Groggily, she opened it and was terrified to see a bundle of feathers flying straight for her face.

Fully awake, she was surprised to see Julian with her message still dangling from his leg. Looking quickly out the window to make sure nothing had attacked the falcon, Seraphim strode over to his perch. Julian, however, was not preening calmly as he usually would after a delivery. Instead, his eyes darted back and forth while he hovered anxiously by Seraphim's bed.

"Julian, what is it?" Seraphim held out her arm, concerned for him. "What's wrong?"

The agitated bird did not want to be calmed. He ignored the human perch that was being offered him and continued glancing all about the room, shrieking incessantly.

"Julian," Seraphim tried again, this time worried about Draco. "Julian, is something wrong with Draco?"

This time the bird swooped in and out the window before coming to rest on Seraphim's shoulder, still tense and glancing quickly about.

"Is Draco in trouble? Is that why you didn't deliver my message?" Seraphim asked anxiously.

Julian screamed again, this time louder and more nervous.

Seraphim grabbed the bird's beak. "Julian, calm down. Listen to me. Is Draco all right?"

The bird's head continued to jerk as she held it, the movements becoming smaller and smaller until he fluttered his wings and looked Seraphim in the eye.

"Did you find him?" she asked firmly, looking Julian in the eye.

The bird nodded once, fidgeting.

"Good. Is he all right?" Seraphim kept her voice calm and even.

Hesitating a moment, the bird nodded again.

Seraphim sighed with relief. "Then what's wrong?"

Julian glanced out the window again and quickly made a muffled squawking sound.

Thinking a moment, Seraphim cleared her throat. "Will you take me to where he is?"

Fluttering his wings in response, Julian left Seraphim's wrist and drifted over to the door. Quickly locking it after exiting, Seraphim followed.

Julian led Seraphim out of Gryffindor tower and down the corridor, stopping every few doors to make sure she was still with him. Seraphim sensed the bird's unease and couldn't understand what exactly the problem was. She knew that Draco didn't particularly like the falcon, but they tolerated each other.

Taking a sharp turn, Seraphim saw that Julian had brought her to the less-used, read 'secret', passage leading to the Slytherin common room. Irritated, she rolled her eyes. "Julian, if you knew Draco was in his room, why didn't you just…" she trailed off. Really, it wasn't is fault he couldn't speak. Grumbling to herself, she continued after the bird.

Muttering the password, Seraphim followed her disgruntled pet and stepped cautiously into the passageway. Satisfied that she was alone in her intrusion, she continued, following the wall and searching for markers that would tell her where Draco's room was.

Upon reaching the door to Draco's dorm, Seraphim heard voices. Cautiously, she reached for the door, shushing Julian. "I'm just going to find out what he's up to," she whispered, stroking the bird's neck.

"Alohomora," she said quietly, cracking the door open.

Peering inside the room, she froze.

Draco was in his room all right. In fact, he was lying in bed, comfy as you please, with Yvonne Alacir, a seventh-year Slytherin, and, apparently, bestowing on his bedmate certain carnal pleasures which will go unmentioned.

Seraphim felt a burning sensation prick her eyes and realized she was crying. Hurriedly wiping her cheeks and setting her jaw, she cleared her throat. "Ahem."

The bed's occupants looked up quickly, Yvonne's pale hair fanning out behind her as she left off making her way down Draco's chest in favor of turning around.

Seraphim didn't know what she expected. Perhaps sorrow, remorse, resentment. But definitely not the look she saw in Draco's eyes. Disdain.

"What do you want?" he snapped, drawing Yvonne closer to him. Seraphim could see him trail his fingers up her back.

"I-" Seraphim bit her lip. "I was worried about you," she replied. "I haven't seen you all day and wondered if you were all right." She blinked hard, fighting tears.

"Well," Draco retorted, "I'm fine and I'm right here. But I am a little busy." He waved at her. "Come back in half an hour and I'm sure we'll be finished." Smirking naughtily at Yvonne, he chuckled. "We only need half an hour, right?"

Furious, Seraphim swung the door open and stalked toward Draco, slapping him hard across the cheek. "Draco Malfoy," she began angrily, "I don't know what I ever saw in you, but it certainly isn't there anymore and I never, ever want to speak to you again!"

Refraining from slapping him a second time, Seraphim turned quickly on her heels and stormed out of the dorm, heading for the safety of Gryffindor tower and her own bed.