Chapter 10, Entranced

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I dreamed of them every night that long week.

I dreamed we three were sat side by side staring at the edge of the ocean, Blaises arm around my shoulders, Draco's around my waist and their free hands joined, resting on my lap as I stroked their triad marks with my thumbs.

A blue energy seemed to shroud us, protecting our thruple from any Invader. It shifted from green to red to blue occasionally as we sat staring at the tide in peace.

But it never lasted for long. Within the depths of the ocean, we could see a shadow lurking beneath.

A large pale sea serpent broke the surface of the waves, it's piercing red eyes locked on us, it's fangs dripping with venom.

It seemed to rise endlessly from the sea, looming over us until Blaise and Draco stood, brandishing their wands and shielding me as our protective bubble dissolved.

I couldn't move anything but my eyes to watch them bravely fend off the monstrous being until it opened its maw and two clouds of smoke sprung forth, forming skulls as they shot towards my boys.

The smoke trails wrapped around their arms as the skull seemed to engulf their wand hands, causing them to drop to their knees.

The serpent now looked dead at me, still unable to move a muscle as it approached, it's mouth open and a smoke skull wrapping around its tongue.

"Welcome to the army..."

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I woke with a start, sitting bolt upright with my hand over my mouth to supress the scream threatening to rip from my throat.

I always woke up just as the smoke began to shoot towards me...

Sweat coated my face and body.

"Not again..." I groaned rubbing my eyes and reaching for my wand on the nightstand, needing to ground myself in reality by illuminating my bedroom and reminding myself I was safe in bed.

The cosy surroundings eased my hammering heartbeat a little and I took a few deep breaths, telling myself it was just a nightmare.

Just a nightmare...

Just a nightmare...

Just a nightmare I'd had every night for a solid week...

Was it the triad magic angry at me for being so far from my boys?

I groaned again, wishing I could tell it to fuck off. That the distance was out was out of my control. To stop punishing me already...

A soft knock on the door startled me once more before my father's voice came through.

"Rellie? It's time to get up and ready. The Hogwarts Express is waiting."

My eyes snapped open wide.

Was it really time to go back?

I gave my wrist a small pinch and smiled as I hissed out an "ouch."

Yup, definitely not dreaming!

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I had waited on the platform for as long as I could, my eyes raking through the sea of students looking for them, but the last-call whistle and my father's urging forced me inside the train.

"Be careful. Write me as often as you can." Father said with a smile through the open window of the compartment I had quickly claimed.

"I will." I smiled back, trying to suppress the irritation boiling inside that I wasn't in my boys arms already.

The train jerked and my father stepped back, blowing a kiss as it began to carry me away from him.

I waved until he was out of my sight and sat down with a long sigh, crossing my arms and closing my eyes.

'find me...' I repeated in my mind.

'find me, find me, find me...'

I had hoped they could somehow hear me. Feel me. Sense my want to have them near...

Yes, it still scared me a little that I felt so driven by instinct to be head over heels over two young men I barely knew... But the euphoria of them was too nice of a distraction to worry all the time...

I closed the compartment blind and slid the lock across to give myself privacy from curious eyes and young students popping their head in asking to join me.

I wanted to be alone while I waited.

Surely they were somewhere on the train? Maybe caught up with their Slytherin groups?

'find me, find me please...' I had begun to mutter aloud now, picking at my cuticles until they were sore.

It was worse than the entire week away from them waiting for them to make themselves known on this few hour train ride. I wondered if they felt the same anxiousness. I wondered if they were waiting for me? Was that why they hadn't shown themselves yet?

I stared down at my hands in my lap, turning my wrist to see the little mark pressing out from under my skin. It looked pink and sore ever so slightly...

Just a bit further down, a horrible red rash covered the inside of my forearm.

I had been slathering it in salves and soothing enchantments but it had only slightly eased.

I had sent an owl to Malfoy Manor, addressed to the boys asking if they were okay. What they might know about the sudden infliction. Not one reply came back to me, but they had to be alive, right? Surely I would have felt something if they weren't...

With an exhale, I grabbed my carry on bag with my ravenclaw robes inside and decided to use the excuse of getting changed early to search the train as discreetly as I could.

As terrible of an excuse as it was to be wandering the train, it was the first idea that came to my head...

I wasn't too far from the back of the train, the last few carriages reserved for Slytherins higher years only... It was my best bet for finding Draco and Blaise among their peers.

With my bag tucked under my arm, I made my way down the narrow walkway, my heart hammering as I approached the sound of laughing.

The last carriages weren't closed off compartments, but a similar layout to a normal train. It was easy to see the mass of students talking to each other at small tables in groups.

I hovered a few paces from the door, looking for a flash of silver hair or deep reddish brown eyes, but a figure stood up and walked towards me, blocking my eyeline.

"What do you want RavenSnore?" She snickered and my eyes narrowed as I recognised the Slytherin girl as Pansy Parkinson, a girl who's name was often said amongst Draco's as one of his inner circle of friends.

Maybe he was here then?

I tried to glance over her shoulder but she shifted to get in my eyeline again.

"Why don't you piss off back to where you strayed from?" She smirked at my mild frustration as my shoulders dropped and I sighed.

"I'm just looking for someone..." I uttered, feeling embarrassed as more eyes focused on me from the seats behind Pansy, none of them belonging to my boys...

Where were they?

Pansys scowl dropped and she simply smiled falsely.

"There's only Slytherins from here. Sorry." She almost sang her words as she reached for the door and pulled it across, the blind dropping, blocking my view completely now.

What an ass. Well... That went well.

I sighed and scratched at the redness on my arm irritably, wondering where on earth they could possibly be. Were they looking for me after all?

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I must have paced the length of the train a dozen times before it pulled into Hogsmeade station with no sign of them.

To say I was worried was the understatement of the year...

The horseless carriages took off one by one until only one was left as I watched each and every student exit the train.

Not even a glimpse of them. I had to assume they were most definitely not onboard and my best chance to see them would be at their table in the Great Hall.

I wouldn't be able to touch them, but I could at least see their faces and know they're alright!

I hopped into the waiting carriage and let it carry me off to the castle.

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I anxiously watched the Slytherin table from across the Hall as it filled up but when the large doors closed and the headmaster began to speak, that's when dread well and truly pierced me.

They weren't here at all...

Where were they?

"Ari?" A hand tapped at my elbow, drawing my attention from the Slytherins table to the voice on my left.

"Oh, hey Luna." I blinked, trying to shake off any expression of worry from my face.

"Aren't you going to eat? Surely you must be hungry after walking up and down the entire train ride?"

I looked down at the full plate in front of me and frowned.

I wasn't hungry. I really wasn't. My stomach felt full of stones and ice. The thought of chewing and swallowing a single bite on the place made me nauseas. But Luna's distant expression wouldn't leave the plate so I picked up my fork and bit into a carrot with a sheepish smile.

"I must just be too tired..."

"What's that on your arm?" Her calm airy voice almost caused my fork to drop.

Fuck.

I hastily dropped my arm, letting gravity pull the sleeve of my robe over the red streak and the little triad mark.

"Allergy." I quickly uttered, putting the fork on the plate and clearing my throat.

"I might turn in early. Hope some sleep gets me over it." I quickly swung my legs from the bench and started walking to the doors, sending a few curious eyes on me as I did.

It was so strange to see the castle so empty with all the students feasting in the Great Hall.

I took my time walking to the west side of the castle and up to the fifth floor.

I answered the doors riddle and was met with the usually soothing sight of the Ravenclaw common room.

But I couldn't quell the unease in my gut.

Where could they be? I asked over and over in my head, walking up to the dormitories to lay down.

I closed my eyes, knowing the nightmare that would greet me soon... But the faster I fell asleep, the sooner tomorrow would come and I could ask around.

I had potions first thing with the Slytherin head of house. Maybe he would know?

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I tapped my wand three times to the cauldron, causing it to bubble and turn blue just as the instructions said it would.

Being back in a classroom made me feel so much better. I could focus on something I knew I was good at and devote my attention to it. Although the boys were in the back of my head the whole time, I had already agreed with myself to stay behind after the class had finished to speak to Snape, a thought that caused me to shiver.

I was a hard worker and lucky that my lessons were mostly with Hufflepuffs which meant he wouldn't be unfair and show his house favouritism by being vile to any other house but Slytherin.

But calm as he was in these non syltherin lessons, he could still be incredibly nasty should someone not be giving their full attention or be whispering to their class mates.

I didn't want detention simply for asking a question...

I waited the number of seconds the book told me before tipping in two tablespoons of powered root, completing the Draught of Light Sleep.

"Time." Snape called out with a deflated sneer, already starting to loom over each cauldron, causing students to quickly remove their stirring utensils and stand back.

A few were scolded for incorrect shades or the fact it was still bubbling and one was even given deducted house points for sighing in defeat after being told their potion had completely failed.

I held my breath as he looked down at my cauldron and shrugged.

"Decent."

I didn't dare exhale until he had gone back to his desk.

"Clean up and get out." He said with a wave of his hand, already writing a long scroll of everyone's results.

I took my time cleaning, letting other students ahead of me, all desperate to leave.

The final student walked out the door and I took a deep breath, looking down at the triad mark to remind myself to be brave for them. I had to know...

"Professor?" I broke the silence after a long moment. His eyes didn't leave the scroll.

"Yes?" He said, nasally and irritably.

"Um... It's about two of your students..." He waved a hand dismissively.

"I don't care for house quarrels. Go speak to your head of house."

"I- uh, no sir, it's not a quarrel... I hadn't seen them yet and was wondering if you knew where they were?"

The silence that followed was deafening. His gaze slowly slid up from the scroll to meet my face.

"Excuse me?"

Oh I was blowing this... Do I just tell him outright? It might be helpful having a professor understand what we three were... But Snape? Ugh...

"You see it's... We're..." I stumbled to find the right choice of words and mentally slapped myself for it.

For Merlin's sake!

"I need to see Draco Malfoy and Blaise Zabini. It's urgent. Do you know where they are? If they're okay? If... They're alive?"

I could see anger beginning to boil in him until my last few words. His expression seemed to change into one I had never seen on him before just for a fraction of a second.

Pity.

"I think it would be best to abandon your search. They are indisposed currently."

What did that mean? Indisposed? What's happened to them?

"Sir, please. You don't quite understand... We're part of a..."

Stools scraped behind me as the next lot of students began to walk in and take their seats.

I guess my time to talk with Snape had ended.

He raised a brow at me and I sighed.

"Sorry for taking up your time, professor." I mumbled and left the classroom to head to Divination.

My best chance at finding any answers gave me nothing... He knew something but I don't think I'd have gotten more out of him even if I had another hour.

Where are you?

"Hey. You. Ravenclaw." I head a voice snap from behind me in the corridor.

I turned to see a tall boy with a narrow face and very familiar eyes...It took me a moment to realise why he looked so familiar.

This was one of the boys I had danced with at the matching.

"Oh. Hello. Can I help you?" I cleared my throat, turning my head away a little, hoping he didn't recognize me.

"You were at Malfoy Manor wasn't you? Gold mask? Or black. I don't remember too well."

I inwardly sighed.

"Yes I was. May I help you with anything?"

He smirked and crossed his arms.

"You should be asking me that. I'm Theodore Nott. I'm a good friend of Draco. And Blaise." His smirk widened as my mouth dropped.

What did he know? What did he know about us? Ugh, forget all that! Did he know where they were?

"Ah. So you are her." He took a few paces towards me, digging in his pocket and pulling out a letter.

"You're a Ravenclaw. Should be able to figure this out quick enough. Blaise does like his puzzles."

I quickly took the letter, expecting him to yank it back and demand something in exchange. But he didn't.

He just chuckled and waved good bye after he turned on his heel and walked away.

I decided that Divinations class wasn't a priority and ran for the library, letter held tight to my chest and unopened.

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A/N: sorry if this feels a rushed chapter! And don't worry, the boys will be around soon! :)