I have worked very hard on this chapter and certain little someone has been getting very excited on Skype. This chapter is dedicated to my number one fan, Evelyn of course, enjoy :)
Classes passed by extremely slowly for Evelyn that day. Normally her main focus would be on the class, she was far too curious about what she would find at seven o'clock. Her lesson after lunch was potions and Michael was also in this class. He was messing around at the front, trying to get Jay to get eat a horned slug. Evelyn couldn't help herself and made her way to the front of the class. She tapped Michael on the shoulder just like he had with her earlier at breakfast. He turned and greeted her with a big, cheesy grin.
"Can't get enough of me can you?" He said cheekily to Evelyn as Jay lowered a slug into his mouth "So, what do you want?"
Evelyn wasn't sure if Jay knew or not. Chances were if Jay knew it would be some kind of prank and Evelyn would certainly not turn up. If that was the case, she would spend the entire night holding Titan close to her to make sure the horrible Gryffindor boys wouldn't get to him.
"Can't you just tell me what's happening tonight?" Evelyn asked hoping she didn't sound like she was begging. Michael simply tapped his nose before answering "It's a surprise little Ravenclaw"
Disappointed, Evelyn returned to her seat. Moments later the classroom was filled with applause as Jay finally swallowed the slug. Disgusting, thought Evelyn before a shiver of goose bumps washed over her. She would have to wait until seven o'clock to find out what Michaels plans were...
Evelyn sat at the Ravenclaw table that night. It was six o'clock and she was eagerly counting down the minutes before she found out. It wasn't that she was excited, she just hated surprises. And a Michael surprise? They were usually the worst kind. They normally involved something gross, slimy and horrid. But a small part of her believed that it wouldn't, he had after all said he was going to try and get her to like him. Granted it was impossible for him to actually succeed but it would be nice to not have him hurling insults her way.
She was happily eating her sweet corn and pepper pizza when she noticed the spaghetti hair bobbing around the Gryffindor table. This time Evelyn was doing the staring. She was trying to work out what he could possibly have planned for the night. And why in the name of Merlin did it involve Titan? What if he wanted to hurt him? Would Michael be so harsh? To hurt innocent little Titan to get at Evelyn? She didn't know the answer to any of these questions and wasn't sure she wanted to find out.
She soon realised that Michael had noticed her stare and was now smirking at her. Evelyn blushed and Michael winked before standing up and leaving the hall. Evelyn stayed and ate chocolate cookies and vanilla ice cream. It was quarter to nine when she finally left the great hall and made her way up to dorm to get ready. It wasn't a date or anything special so she wore skinny jeans, her navy blouse and a dark cardigan. She re-did her ponytail and delicately picked up Titan before making her way to the tapestry. Michael was waiting for her there.
He too had changed, now wearing a black jumper and jeans. His hair looked slightly messier than it had earlier and Evelyn wondered if perhaps he purposefully made it that way. She couldn't understand why someone would mess their hair up and look scruffy by choice. It just seemed stupid. Evelyn was a huge fan of neatness and tidiness. Her bed was always perfectly made and her things in her trunk were organized. Even her books were in alphabetical order and her socks were colour coded.
"So what's the big surprise?" Evelyn asked, still taking in his appearance. Evelyn knew that he obviously owned other clothes than just his Hogwarts uniform but she had never actually seen him in them. He looked more mature. If it was for his stupid grin she would have barely recognised him.
"Did you bring your cat?" He whispered as if the meeting was a secret drug deal or spy mission.
From underneath her cardigan, Evelyn displayed Titan for Michael to see. Seconds later Michael's hands appeared from behind his back holding a black and white ball of fluff. The fluff had long silvery whiskers and twitching triangular ears. It was Venus, the little kitten who had played with Titan on the train.
"Right then, the magic shall begin" Michael said placing Venus on the floor. She then began to frantically play with one of his shoelaces. Evelyn was about to ask Michael what he meant by magic but her question had already been answered. Slowly in the wall opposite the tapestry, a door was materializing. It was large and made of what looked like oak. She had read of this room, rumours of its existence had been recorded in Hogwarts a History. She had tried to find it in first year and was unlucky, she had always believed that it never existed and the rumours had been false.
"How did you find it?" She asked walking closer and stroking the oak doors. Already things were turning out a lot better than she had planned.
"I was running away from Filch in second year and I needed somewhere to hide, then this door appeared. Now, how about we actually go inside rather than just stroke it, eh?" he said walking closer and pushing the door open "Ladies first"
Evelyn slowly walked through the door still suspicious of Michael's intentions. The room of requirement could hold anything. Anything at all. For all Evelyn knew, it could fill with giant, disgusting flies or he might trap in a tiny cage and leave her there to starve! And what about poor Titan? What was Michael's wicked plan for him?
But Evelyn was pleased to find that there were no flies or cages. Instead there were shelves and shelves of beautiful, leather bound, hard backed books in every shade of every colour. The room seemed to go on for miles and there seemed to be no ceiling. A never ending collection of books stood before her eyes. She placed Titan on the floor and wandered over to the nearest to her. She pulled out a yellow, leather bound book.
The cover had bold silver letters embossed into the cover that read 'The Wizard of Oz' and below it was a silver silhouette of a girl with pigtails and a scruffy dog. They were all muggle books! How much more perfect could things get?
She looked down to check on Titan only to see he had gone! She spun around hoping that she just hadn't noticed him but he was nowhere to be seen. She immediately turned on Michael. This had been his plan all along, lull in her into a false sense of security with books, distract her with wizard of oz and then when her back was turned he kidnapped Titan.
"What have you done to him?" she pulled out her wand, she was very worried now that he might have hurt her little cat and was quite happy to hex him "If you have hurt him then I'll-"
"Hold you horses! I haven't touched the cat I swear!" he said throwing his hands up in defence "I'll take you to Tiddles, just please don't murder me, I'm too young and beautiful to die"
Evelyn rolled her eyes but nevertheless lowered her wand. Michael began slowly walking down an isle of book shelves. Every so often they would pass one of the ladders that Evelyn loved to lay on so much, the sort you found in huge libraries with wheels that let you move fly through the shelves like an eagle.
Evelyn and Michael came to a small area amongst the shelves. A large stone fireplace had roaring red flames crackling away. In front of it were two large, plump red armchairs with soft maroon cushions just screaming at Evelyn to sit on. A small mahogany table stood in-between the two chairs with a small, silver gas lamp and a plate of chocolate cookies. The cutest sight that Evelyn had ever set her eyes on. Both Titan and Venus were curled up together in front of the fire. Titan was gently licking the back of Venus's ears.
Evelyn now felt slightly guilty for accusing Michael of kidnapping her cat. She sat down in one of the armchairs and took a cookie from the plate beside her. She was in disbelief, everything that happened today felt like a dream. How could any of this be real? Michael actually being nice, a room filled with muggle books, a plate of cookies...it all seemed just too perfect.
"How did you know?" she said turning to Michael who was sitting the armchair beside her "I mean, you don't even talk to me but you know I love muggle books and chocolate cookies. Have you been spying on me?"
Michael laughed "Not spying" his Irish accent sounded really thick "Just I heard you moaning to Madame Pince last term...a lot. And you are constantly eating those cookies; it doesn't take an idiot to work out that they are both things you like"
Evelyn sat back in her chair. Everyone had to be in their common rooms at nine and it was already eight. But she really didn't want to leave. She wanted to stay in her little sanctuary and read all night.
"So, do you like me now?" he said sounding quite smug. Evelyn simply shook her head "Why?"
"I really did like this surprise" she said to him honestly "But it's going to take a lot more than just this to make me your friend. Friendship can't be bought, it has to be earned. You have a lot of hard work to do before I like you"
Michael smirked "Well, I like a challenge" he stood up, picked up Titan and turned to leave "See you tomorrow"
Evelyn head turned faster than she thought possible "Tomorrow?"
"Yeah at the Quidditch match" he said turning around and giving smiling smugly "I would have thought you would have wanted to come and watch me beat the eagles"
He gave Evelyn one last wink before turning on his heel and leaving with Venus. Moments after he left Evelyn took the Wizard of Oz and curled up in front of the fire. She didn't usually attend Quidditch matches but perhaps just this once she would make an exception.