Ella Potter (Draco Malfoy)

Chapter 31

Draco and Ella left the castle at noon the next day to find a weak silver sun shining down upon the grounds. The weather was milder than it had been all year, and by the time they arrived in Hogsmeade it was already fairly crowded.

"Careful love" Draco holds Ella's hand "don't want you to get lost now do we?"

"Come on I might be clumsy but I'm no idiot" Ella says

"I didnt say you were dear" Draco kisses her cheek "I just want to be careful"

Ella and Draco walked through Hogsmeade looking at shops and stuff, basically anything there to keep them ocupied.

"So how'd you manage to get us permission to leave school?" Draco asks curiously

"Well it's useful to have a father for a teacher" Ella giggles

"I see, you used professor Snape to your advantage" Draco looks at her

"It's not like that" Ella nudges him "my father was more then happy to get me out of that dusty castle"

"Cheeky little one" Draco says pinching her nose and she giggles

-

The next day Ella, Draco, Crabbe, and Goyle descended the stone steps of the castle heading to Care of Magical Creatures. Pansy Parkinson was whispering and giggling behind them with her gang of Slytherin girls.

Catching sight of Harry, Pansy called, "Potter, have you split up with your girlfriend? Why was she so upset at breakfast?"

"Shut it Perkinson or I'll shut you up myself" Ella tells her spitefully

"Easy El" Draco says turning her to face forward away from the other girls

Harry smiled to his sister before continuing to walk and ignore the other Slytherins. Hagrid, who had told them last lesson that they had finished with unicorns, was waiting for them outside his cabin with a fresh supply of open crates at his feet.

When they got near enough to see inside, he found himself looking at a number of flurry black creatures with long snouts. Their front paws were curiously flat, like spades, and they were blinking up at the class, looking politely puzzled at all the attention.

"These're nifflers," said Hagrid, when the class had gathered around. "Yeh find 'em down mines mostly. They like sparkly stuff....There yeh go, look"

One of the nifflers had suddenly leapt up and attempted to bite Pansy Parkinson's watch off her wrist. She shrieked and jumped backward, making Ella laugh.

"Useful little treasure detectors," said Hagrid happily. "Thought we'd have some fun with 'em today. See over there?" He pointed at the large patch of freshly turned earth "I've buried some gold coins. I've got a prize fer whoever picks the niffler that digs up most. Jus' take off all yer valuables, an' choose a niffler, an get ready ter set 'em loose."

Ella took off her necklace that Draco had gotten her awhile ago and stuffed it into her pocket. She then picked up a niffler. It put its long snout in Ella's ear and sniffed enthusiastically. It was really quite cuddly.

Ella giggles "Draco it's so cute"

"Yes I suppose you would find these creatures cute" Draco agrees

"Oh stop being so moody" Ella pokes his cheek

It was easily the most fun they had ever had in Care of Magical Creatures. The nifflers dived in and out of the patch of earth as though it were water, each scurrying back to the student who had released it and spitting gold into their hands. Ron's was particularly efficient; it had soon filled his lap with coins.