Call me Squib

Black's Back

Chapter Fifteen: Black's Back

***Embry's POV***

"So how was your date?" Ginny gave me a large grin as soon as I walked through the portrait hole. She was sitting there with Hermione and Neville and all their eyes were on me. Neville just got up and went to his dorm without saying a word while I took a seat in an armchair.

"It was nice," I couldn't help but smile. "We talked and had some butterbeer. He's really sweet."

"What did you guys talk about?" Ginny raised a brow at me.

"He told me about Quidditch some and he told me about his dad. Then I told him a little about how much fun I had with you during this summer." I half lied to her. "When does the feast start?"

"Soon," Hermione shrugged. "Ron and I saw you guys run into Malfoy on your way back, what did he want?"

"To be a git," I looked back at the portrait when I heard familiar laughter. Sure enough I watched as Fred, George, and Lee made their way into the commons but as soon as they saw me they stopped laughing. I watched as George hurried up to their dorms without giving me a second look, Lee followed behind him but gave me a sad smile.

"What's wrong with them?" Ginny frowned as Fred sat down next to her on the couch.

"George has been a git ever since I refused to tell him who made my hair pink." I informed her. "I told him people were allowed to have secrets and he said that was all I had."

"I'm going to kill him!" Ginny went to get up but Fred and Hermione quickly held her down on the couch.

"George is just being stupid, he'll come back around sooner or later." Fred tried to assure me with a small smile.

"I don't care anymore." I told him the truth. "If he can't handle the fact that I'm not going to tell everyone every little thing about me then I don't need him as a friend."

"So...Who did make you go pink?" Fred honestly looked scared as he asked me which only made Ginny and Hermione laugh. "What?"

"You really are stupid," Hermione rolled her eyes as she looked down at the book in her lap. "Did you not see who walked into the Great Hall right before she came in with her pink hair?"

"You're snogging Diggory!" He almost shouted at me as his eyes went wide.

"We aren't snogging now shut it!" I threw a pillow at him and laughed as it hit him right in the face. "Let's head down to dinner, I'm starving!"

"I'll see you guys down there, I have to collect Lee and the git." Fred hurried up the stairs to the boys dorm just as Ron and Harry came down. I waved goodbye to Ginny, since she was waiting for some of her friends before heading down, and we headed down to the Great Hall. Before we even stepped foot inside the smell of pumpkins invaded my nostrils. I had never been a fan of the smell in the past but for some reason I welcomed it now.

"You've got some puppy eyes staring at you," Hermione whispered as we sat down across from Ron and Harry. I followed her gaze and sure enough I spotted Cedric smiling at me from where he was sitting at the Hufflepuff table with his friends. I smiled back at him before turning back to my friends.

"How was your day Harry?" I asked as more students made their way into the hall.

"I spent some time with Professor Lupin and we had tea," he shrugged. I felt a little sad at the mention of Lupin, I had skipped each of our lessons since I confronted him about the photo and he never questioned me about my skipping. "Snape brought him a potion though and he actually drank it!"

"Bloody hell, is he trying to get himself poisoned?" Ron's jaw dropped as the feast began and food appeared.

"I doubt Snape would poison Lupin in front of Harry Ron." Hermione rolled her eyes as I tore apart a roll and started to dip it in some soup. I could feel eyes on me but I ignored it as I continued to eat. For the rest of the feast I just ate quietly while the others talked about Snape and Lupin and even about Sirius Black.

"I'll see you guys upstairs," I excused myself when it was time for dessert since I wasn't very hungry. I slipped out of the hall without anyone really noticing and headed towards Lupin's classroom since he hadn't been at the feast.

"Professor?" I stuck my head into his classroom only to find it empty so I headed back towards his office but that was empty too. I knew that I should have just turned around and headed back towards the tower or Great Hall but instead I found myself looking around the office. I quickly found the photo of the man and little girl in a drawer but left it there as I decided to stop waiting around for Lupin to show up and made my way back towards the tower. As soon as I got there I knew something was wrong, there was a crowd of Gryffindors around the portrait hold and I also spotted Dumbledore and a few other professors.

"Fred!" I grabbed his arm when I spotted him, George, and Lee. As soon as George heard my voce he disappeared into the crowd without a word while the other looked at me. "What's going on?"

"Someone tried to break into the tower during the feast!" Lee informed me. "They're saying it was Black and now the fat lady's missing."

"Everyone back to the Great Hall!" One of the professors instructed us. No one argued as we all headed back down the stairs and through the corridors but no one stopped whispering with each other either.

"Do you think he's still in the castle?" I asked them once we'd reached the hall.

"Be mighty stupid if he was," Fred shrugged. "It's better if he is but I highly doubt it. He was smart enough to escape Azkaban so I don't see him being stupid enough to stick around."

"Lu, what's going on?" Cedric asked as he walked over to us. "Professor Sprout just told all of us to come back to the Great Hall."

"Black tried to break into Gryffindor tower during the feast apparently." I informed him as I saw the Slytherine and Ravenclaw students joining us in the hall too, trying to figure out what's going on. "We were all told to come back down here."

"Why would he attack the tower if the feast was going on?" Cedric furrowed his brows. "He could have easily attacked everyone during the feast."

"I'm not-" I started but was cut off as Dumbledore came into the hall.

"You will all be sleeping here tonight while we search the castle," he informed everyone but I didn't pay close attention until he waved his wand and sleeping bags appeared all over the room.

"Want to come and lay with some of my friends?" Cedric offered as he handed me a sleeping bag and picked one up for himself. I glanced around the room to see Ginny with her friends while Fred and Lee had rejoined George and a few other fifth years from Gryffindor. I didn't really want to intrude on Ginny and George was the last person I wanted to deal with now.

"Sure," I smiled as he took my hand and led me through the crowd of students until we reached a corner next to where the Hufflepuff table usually was and sat down with some others.

"Lu these are some of my friends Hannah, Ernie, Declan, Witney, and Connor." Cedric introduce me to the others as we sat down on our sleeping bags.

"Nice to meet you," I told them politely.

"No more talking, lights out!" Percy told everyone as the lights did go out and I slipped into my sleeping bag. I could hear others whispering to each other around the hall but I ignored it as I tried to fall asleep. I couldn't though, I was nervous about Lupin since he hadn't been at the feast or in his office tonight.

"It's okay," Cedric seemed to realize my unease as scooted his bag closer to mine and wrapped an arm around me. I felt myself relax some as I rested my head on his chest and I fell asleep to the sound of his breathing.