Chapter 11: The Snake and The Library

Celine hadn't expected for Draco to still be up whenever she returned to the Tower.
"Celine, look you shouldn't feel…embarrassed."
"Who said I was embarrassed? Just shocked that my intimate moment would be disrupted."
"The way that you're avoiding eye contact tells me something more."

Celine met his eyes. There was something she couldn't place – something -
"Celine…"
"Mmm?"
"Did you hear a word I just said?" A slow smirk.
"Something about not being embarrassed." Celine smiled back. She couldn't help it. What did she have to lose anymore anyway? "I'm not."
"Good…because fuck Merlin that was really hot." Draco chuckled.
A snappy retort at the tip of her tongue.
"What was hot?" Godric asked from his portrait. Salazar was walking behind him.
"Celine, I hope you're well." Godric's concerned expression turned on her. At the same time Salazar was telling Draco, "Don't use Merlin's name in vain boy. He was a great wizard."

"I've been better…his things will be sent to the estate. I'll probably have to go through it during Easter." Celine shrugged. She was highly aware of Draco standing close to her.
"So you have no idea who sent you the mead?" Salazar asked.
"Well…Draco is taking me to the store where the mead came from so we're going to try looking for leads from there." She looked at him surprised to find his gaze already on her.
"It'll have to be during a Hogsmeade weekend." He reminded her.
"Obviously." Celine adjusted her shirt also highly aware of her nipples grazing the front of her white French shirt. "I'm going to be in my room."

That night a note came to her window via a vaguely familiar eagle owl.

I have a lingering question to ask which I hope you don't mind me asking about it. Did you say my name in the Prefects' bathroom?

-DM

Light broke through the night sky, mauve and lilac shards cutting the clouds when Celine returned to the Tower. The wind had picked up leaving her shivering. Ginny had called practice over in the nick of time, rain was just beginning to pour coating the window in thousands of water droplets.
Draco sat by the fireplace, book in his hands.

"This is soothing." Draco broke the silence. Even he seemed surprised in himself for engaging in a conversation.
"Reading? Yeah I share the same feeling. Listen…I was going to make some hot chocolate on the stove. Would you like some? I know you like coffee but…"
"Err…yes…that sounds great actually."

Celine measure out the cocoa and salt while a small silver knife cut the vanilla beans and a pot heated up the milk. Whenever she looked up, he was already watching her.
She felt like she was on show. She rubbed a palm against her heated cheek. Celine wondered if Draco had ever smiled that way in Malfoy Manor.

"Have you always…done this yourself?" Draco waved a hand in her general direction. Celine shrugged her eyes on the steaming pot of milk.
"Uhh..not really…Mama died…when I was twelve. Papa has always shifted us around. You know…er…well I don't know how much you would know about the Muggle royal court,"
"Quite well surprisingly enough. Though he would never admit it back in the day, wizards and Muggle government were quite dependent upon each other." Draco said.
"Really? See…I didn't know that."
"Not a lot of people do…you were telling me about…"

"Right. Well…recently I've been able to do things myself. Not forced to be waited upon."
"And I thought I was mad for thinking the exact way."

Celine felt warmth spread through her. She'd never heard him properly laugh. Only ever the sneering Malfoy she remembered pre-War.
"Here you are. I didn't realize we were out of mini marshmallows. I would've made some but-…"
"Celine, just calm down and let me drink the damn hot cocoa."
She tried not to laugh seeing a different look on Draco's face.
"I need to ask –oh Merlin this is wonderful," Draco drank deeply from the mug.
Celine winced. "How do you not burn your tongue?"
"Coffee. I drink lots of coffee." Draco said.
"Wait…I don't see the connection." Celine sat on the armchair beside him.

"I need to ask you something. You said my name. You've been having fantasies of me?" Draco grinned.
There.
That heat on her cheeks.
She glanced at the portraits to make sure that Godric and Salazar weren't there.
They weren't.
She took a slow sip of her hot chocolate trying to calm herself down. But there was that thrill of him walking in on her. "I don't see why I have to answer that. Isn't it enough that you know I said your name?" Celine raised an eyebrow.
Draco grinned. "I think I have the right to know what dirty things you're doing with my body."
Celine laughed. "How do you even know…"
"For starters you're open about your sexuality unlike Pansy…what…why are you making that face?"
"You're bonkers. I'm not making a face."
"Did you just call me bonkers?"
"Nothing wrong with your hearing is there?" Celine took another sip of hot chocolate. The burning sensation grounded her. Draco shook his head, ghost of a smirk still on his lips. It's been such a long time since she felt this at ease with someone else. Never in her craziest dreams she'd thought it would be with Draco Malfoy.
Draco grinned. "Are you just ignoring the main question now?"
"Look Professor Slughorn has another invitation…for you know…coming back to Hogwarts…Do you…"
"Do you want to come with me?" Draco asked.
A pause.
She laughed over the rim of her cup hoping that the dim lighting hid her flaming complexion. "Yes actually. That would be…interesting."
"I never thought 'interesting' would be a word a woman would use to describe going out with me."
"So this is it? We're going out now?" Celine asked wondering where this ballsy feeling was stemming from. She's flirting with Malfoy now? When did this happen?
An overwhelming need to talk to her best friend resurfaced.
"Isn't that what we're doing? Slughorn's office isn't located in the Tower-…"

Celine laughed feeling relieved.
"You know that it's one of his invitation only soirees right?"
"I leave before they start." Celine admitted.
"Never figured you for a prude."
"What? I'm not…I just don't enjoy being there by myself. I'm not…interested in casual encounters. Wouldn't Pansy object if she finds out?" She couldn't help it. Her defense mechanism kicked in. Her tone certainly came out snappier than she intended.
"Are you really that afraid of her?"
"I'm not afraid I just don't want her to accuse me of stealing…"
"You aren't." He said firmly. "Pansy has never even come close…" Draco trailed off. He took a long drink from his mug, avoiding her gaze. "I don't feel anything for her." He said.

She started tracing random patterns against the ceramic mug, unsure what to say. The heat felt comforting.
"Then why does she act like she owns you? And you just…allow it."
Without even looking up she could feel his gaze on her.

"You sound jealous."

There was a certain quality to his voice that made her look up. Something in his eyes that made her lips involuntarily curled upwards.

"So you did say my name."

Celine laughed throwing another glance at the portraits, "Maybe I did Draco. It was a fantasy. Everyone is allowed to have them." Celine shrugged trying to sound nonchalant. "Goodnight Draco."

"Slughorn's party tomorrow."
"Soiree."
"Not if the school board finds out."

"Yes, not if the school board ever finds out." Celine agreed under her breath. She entered her room finding Rascal asleep on the middle of her bed. He reminded her of George. It's been a while since she received another letter from him. Stroking Rascal's fur she wondered what George might be up to, would he be cooking? Did he finally buy ginger?
Celine stopped stroking Rascal's fur feeling as if she was being watched.
A glance over her shoulder revealed no one at the door. Did she expect Draco to follow her upstairs?
No.
The steps would've turned into a slide. At least that's what happened to Ron and Harry according to Hermione. The mirror drew her attention next. It felt like there was someone watching her through it. Sliding open her drawer, she grabbed the elixir and took a gulp. The liquid went down her throat as she happened to glance at the entrance of her bathroom where Celine thought she saw a red headed figure.
"Go…away." Celine pressed the heels of her hands against her eyes. "You're not real."
She opened her eyes again.
He wasn't there.

The smell of dusty books was perhaps her most favorite smell in the world.

"Where do you think it could be?" Hermione asked.
They were in the library looking for Helena's study that the Baron had somehow hidden under the noses of the founders.

"Not true. Rowena must have had some clue of where it ought to have been. I mean Celine if this is somehow connected to your father's murder then there has to be something in it worth killing for." Hermione reminded. Celine made a face, "It just doesn't seem feasible to put a secret room here."

"Just like it doesn't seem feasible to hide an entire chamber?" Harry asked drily as he started pulling books out at random.

"Ooh you don't have to get nasty. I wasn't here for that, remember?" Celine said.

"Sorry."

"Harry what are you doing?" Hermione giggled earning a fierce disapproving look from Madam Pince.
Harry shrugged continuing his seemingly random madness, "Maybe there might be a secret passageway."
"This isn't a crime show Harry, where would the key go?"

Celine barely paid attention to them. Where would the Baron have constructed the study?
It had to be out of sight for sure which ruled out the main study area and reception.

The afternoon passed by slowly. She watched the sun sinking between the mountains in the background. Shadows stretched from the trees around the Black Lake.
The trio gave in when the clock struck six.
"I have to leave. Slughorn's thing is tonight. Are you two going?" Celine asked.

Harry laughed, not maliciously. "Not on your life. I don't see a reason to, not after our sixth year."
"Oh well, I thought you enjoyed getting gawked at." Celine teased. "You're going for a Ministry job. Are you prepared for that?"
He shrugged. "I always figured I'd be too busy catching Voldemort's followers. There's still loads of them out there."
"Hermione?"

"I think I'm going to read up on something tonight." Hermione said. Harry rolled his hazel eyes, "That's new."
Hermione chuckled while giving Harry a push. "Well this won't have anything to do with exams."
"No? Looking into your job prospects already?" Celine asked.
Hermione gave a half shrug which somehow made Celine's stomach did a flip flop. Was everyone already neck deep in job searching?
She wasn't even close to figuring anything out.
Job-wise.

"Do you think attending Professor Slughorn's soiree is a good idea?" Hermione suddenly asked. Celine shot her a quizzical look.
"Because of what's been happening."

Celine bit her bottom lip. "Yeah…I see your point. I don't know now that you've put it like that…take a leaf out of Mad-Eye's book and start drinking from a flask." She half joked. There was a certain heaviness that settled in her chest cavity. Without realizing it she had been excited about going to this soiree even though she didn't agree with half the things that went on, she wouldn't be attending it alone this time.

"Why do you look so upset?" Hermione questioned.
Celine hadn't realized the question had been directed to her. "It's a distraction." She finally said.

Harry removed his glasses making a show of cleaning them. Hermione's expression revealed her sympathy. "You don't want to risk it. Especially since we don't know what lengths this person might take to assure…you…you know." Hermione gestured uncomfortably. Celine nodded. "I know. You're right. Obviously. I shouldn't risk it."
"I think you should tell Professor McGonagall." Hermione continued.

"That's a little extreme don't you think? After the year we had…besides the Ministry has already opened a case for…Papa's murder. If there's anything in connection with me I think they would've done it by now. Remember when the Minister came to the Burrow that Christmas?"

"I have to agree with Hermione on this. It's just too risky." Harry said.
"You obviously think this is a student then?" Celine asked.
"There's no one else that would know where the Tower is. I don't think anyone outside the Prefects actually know where it is in the first place." Harry reasoned.

"Oh c'mon you know it's near the prefects' bathroom." Celine's cheeks suddenly felt warm.
"Well aside from Quidditch captains and prefects then." He conceded.
Celine sighed pushing the heels of her hands against her eyes trying to conceal her real emotions.
Why am I getting so upset?

"I guess this frees up my evening. Maybe I can look into the Baron's story. Try to find for a clue." Celine relented.
"Or you could start looking for job opportunities." Hermione pointed out. "I know you don't exactly want to hear that but our NEWTs are coming up soon and-…"
"I'll look into it okay?"

"Didn't you do something at George's joke shop after Christmas?" Harry asked.
"That was just a day." Celine replied grabbing the stack of books hat detailed Hogwart's history.
"I don't think what we're looking for would be in an obvious place." Hermione said as they walked out of the library together.
"No kidding." Celine tried to keep the sarcasm from dripping into her tone. "Either way we need something to…pivot from. And I've got all this free time."

She ran into Draco still dressed in his Quidditch robes in front of Thunder's portraits.

"I'm surprised you're not upstairs getting ready." Draco said offering Celine to walk through the portrait hole first. She shrugged placing the stack of books on the coffee table, "Yeah we're going to need a raincheck on the soiree. Hermione just enlightened me on the dangers of going out while I have a target on my back."
She watched Draco walk into the pantry, pouring himself a drink from the jug of water on the granite tabletop. He shrugged leaning against the counter. "She has a point I suppose, good thing she has a brain in her skull."
"You're not mad?"
"Why should I be? I was only interested in taking you…t-to the soiree." He stammered. "It's not like I'm going to miss talking to nosy people trying to figure out what happened with the Malfoy family and fortune after the War."

Celine hadn't expected that much emotion to pour forth from him like that. "Do you want me to make some hot chocolate? You look like you need it."
Draco shook his head. "What did you have planned instead?"
"Try to figure out where…" Celine caught herself. She had never explained to Draco what was going on with the Baron. The key weighed heavily in her pocket when she glanced at Draco, he was still waiting for her to finish her sentence.

"Would you believe me if I told you something?" Celine asked.
"I guess that depends on what you have to say. Be warned though if it it's stuff from the Quibbler you might have a harder time convincing me."
Celine giggled, "I wish it were that simple."
She hadn't planned on telling him everything but when she started to talk it just flowed out. It felt like a weight was being lifted off her shoulders as she as talking – from the mysterious owl shaped key that appeared in the mail a year after her mother died, the curious question that Professor Slughorn posed regarding the key's origin when Celine hadn't even mentioned it to him up to Marc's subsequent death.

"You think this is all connected?" Draco asked sipping his freshly made hot chocolate. Celine had to practically force it on him. "Did you add something new to this?"
"Yeah. Caramel syrup. Do you like it?"
"It's not bad. It's delicious…actually…"Draco cleared his throat. "So where do you think the study room is?"

Celine shot him a look that she hoped portrayed her disbelief. "You're joking. That's all you have to say? To all that?"
Draco made a face, "Yes? The connections check out. Theoretically…you could very well be connected to Rowena. It looks like aside from finding the study, you could get in touch with that relative you have around here."
"It's just a guess, I don't really know for sure. I vaguely recognized the handwriting." Celine shrugged.
Draco gestured dismissively. Celine noticed a light clarity shine through his eyes suddenly. "That could very well be the reason why your Father was targeted. Do you know if there's anything in the study? Did the Baron say anything? It's strange, all this while he'd never speak to any Slytherins. But he did have a grunting contest with Crabbe once."
"That sounds creepy."
"It was quite hilarious."
"Hermione thinks I should tell Professor McGonagall."
"I think that's premature." Draco shifted in his seat. "You were given the poisoned mead before Christmas. And the…murder…"

"-…occurred after." Celine paused. The spines of the books looked new- presumably they incorporated facts about the recent War. None of them look as if they've ever been opened. The pages crackled whenever she flipped pages. "I'm surprised you didn't change at the pitch. You always seem to be taking showers."
"Been spying on me in the bath are we now?" Draco half smirked.

"You don't dry your hair with magic and I thought I was the only one who does that so I couldn't help notice. It was something Mama taught me growing up."
"I always just thought I didn't give damn." Draco said breaking the tension that slipped into the conversation through the tiny mention of Mama.

Celine readjusted herself on the armchair feeling her leg fall asleep, a smile on her face. "And you were never reprimanded?"
"I was also a very privileged son."

Grabbing the first book from the coffee table, "I should probably get started on this."
She heard him cross the room and took the armchair beside her. "So do you have any idea where in the library the study is?"
Celine shook her head eyes still focusing on the same spot on the page. "I told you this, I don't know. If I did it would definitely help narrow down the radius."

A small silence ensued which Celine took absorbing the details the author of Magical Schools of Europe used to describe Rowena Ravenclaw: a dark beauty with large doe-like eyes underneath a set of thick eyelashes. Helena, the current Lady Grey, was described the same way. Her father's heritage did come up as a mystery since Rowena refused to acknowledge him.

"Pansy was waiting for me in the dressing room." Draco eventually said interrupting her concentration. She looked up at him.
"I…you asked…" He stammered half-heartedly.

"Okay. Well…I guess Pansy heard through someone that you were taking me to Slughorn's soiree."
Draco made a face. "I doubt that was it…she's not…petty…just clingy."
"I think she's just trying to make sure that the person she thinks she's dating isn't dating anyone else."
"I was never…" But Draco fell silent when she glanced at him over the top of her book.
"Maybe."

"Ah you two are still awake." Godric exclaimed from on top of the fireplace.
"You seem to have delightful news." Celine commented. Draco seemed to have gained some form of energy, sitting up straight in his chair with a calculating look on his features. "I can't believe we never made the connection." He murmured so that Celine barely caught it. "Are there any portraits of Rowena Ravenclaw?"

Celine leant back against her armchair in awe of him. Before Godric could reply Celine spoke, "There isn't. I tried looking for one but oddly enough there are only busts in the Ravenclaw common room. Any other portrait would be in a museum or private collection."

"Your family…would they-" Draco began but stopped upon seeing her shake her head.
"Papa's family is all gone and honestly I don't know much about this…great-aunt."
"Then maybe you should find out. Honestly Celine, that seems like a better solution than going through all that." Draco gestured towards the stack of books. "-and perhaps finding nothing useful. Writing a letter might yield something."

"What are you two talking about?" Salazar asked his thick eyebrows highlighting his curiosity.

"Nothing." Both answered simultaneously. Draco glanced at her, "You know it's not too late to go to Slughorn's soiree."
"Hermione and Harry said-"
"Forget them. Look I'll personally take the first sip of every single drink you have tonight to make sure it isn't poisoned."

Celine glanced at him a smile unconsciously playing on her lips. Draco shifted in his seat, "What? Why are you looking at me that way?"
"I'm remembering the bully that used to torture my friends and I all these years."
"The War changed a lot of things."