A\N: This story is a translation of the one I wrote in Italian (link in my biography). English is not my first language, and I'm really trying not to make mistakes; I apologize in advance for any errors you may find. Feel free to tell me so I can correct them. Well, I don't have much to add; this fanfiction was born just for fun, and I hope you will enjoy it. Reviews are welcolmed.
Disclaimer: I don't own anything in the Harry Potter Universe, it all belongs to J.K. Rowling.
The Library of Hogwarts School of Witchcraft and Wizardry was silent. In the section of History of Magic, one of the furthest from the entrance, the light of the moon was shining above the shelves full of books.
A girl was sitting on the floor, leaning against the enormous window. A Heating Spell had been cast on the glass of the window to ensure that the freezing cold would not bother her while she was reading.
The student who had been watching her for a while knew that the girl had probably arrived in the Library a couple of hours before, and that she had headed without hesitation to that particular section. Then she had surely Conjured the red cushions on which she was sitting now, and she had started to read one of that remarkably large volumes that she seemed so fond of.
He knew all that because he had seen her doing so nearly every evening in the last week.
Maybe, in the last few days, she had been aware of his presence, but apparently didn't pay enough attention to him: after all he was just one of the many students that inhabited the Library at every hour of the day, studying or doing their homework. It seemed that nothing could distract her or make her lose her concentration.
That night, in that moment, the two of them were the only people inside the Library. He was sure of it, just as he had made sure that nobody could disturb the girl by the window. Unfortunately for her, absorbed as she was by her stupid book, she didn't realize that it was well past curfew.
"Lumos," he whispered, and slowly moved away from the dark of the shelves that had hidden him. He didn't bother to be quiet. Pretending to have just arrived in the Library, he walked towards the girl, keeping his wand high to light the way. She raised her eyes, apparently annoyed by the sudden nuisance. Bless her, she did not have the slightest idea.
"What do we have here? A bookworm? You are breaking curfew, Miss," he scolded her.
Funny, he didn't even know what her name was. She looked familiar; he probably had seen her walking by the corridors of the castle they both lived in. Only a week before, before she caught his attention, if he had seen her outside Hogwarts he wouldn't have recognized her. She looked young, but she couldn't be more than one or two years younger than him.
Lauren? Bonnie? She looked like a Bonnie. But it didn't make sense trying to guess her name, he thought. It would be a lot easier if he didn't know her name, if she was just a stranger.
In the meantime the girl had seen his shining Slytherin Prefect badge and had gotten up, looking in great discomfort. Apparently she didn't like to break rules, then.
"Oh. I – look," she said, glancing quickly at her watch. "I didn't realize it was so late. I'm sorry. I will get back to the Tower at once."
"Not so fast," he retorted. The girl looked resigned, maybe expecting him to deduct a million points from her House or something. He wasn't about to do that.
Gingerly, he aimed his wand against her face.
"Stupefy."