Hey guys! I know it's been awhile since I've updated. I'll explain later; for now, just enjoy the new chapter (it's extra-long)!

Also, sorry if the first half comes off as choppy/boring/generally not great writing. I had a lot of trouble with imagining the first scene of the chapter and it may show. Apologies!

CHAPTER 6

Despite the extreme comfort that Hogwarts mattresses offered, along with their too-soft-to-be-true pillows, and sheets that stayed a perfect temperature, Rose couldn't sleep. Outwardly, her body was as tired as any other student would be at 12:46 at night, but inside her mind was racing as fast as Syla went through books. It was frustrating her to no end. She wanted to sleep. She didn't care that her cousin, his friend, and her almost-rival would be leaving on a tenacious quest to venture into the sealed dungeon. She didn't mind in the slightest that would meet in the common room in less than fifteen minutes. And she certainly didn't think she could possibly be blamed if they were caught by Finch and expelled.

He self-pressed thoughts did nothing to convince herself of her true worries. Okay, so she was a bit of a worrywart; but someone needed to look out for her dim-witted daredevil cousin and his equally delinquent friend. Her father has always insisted to Rose that she had inherited her mother's sense of priorities and caution (much to Hermione's relief), and he had always seemed to appreciate it as a good trait. "Can't have you leaping into danger like Uncle Harry and I use to," he had said. "Thank Merlin we had your mother to pull up back from the precipice a few times."

Rose rolled over on one side, blinking through tired eyes at the shadow Katie's chess table threw on its owner's bed. Night changes everything, she thought blearily to herself. What can appear like one thing in the daylight hours can be totally transformed in the shine of moon light. She wasn't sure where this brief burst of poetic thought came from, but it sounded nice in her head. Maybe she should look into a future as a poet.

"I need sleep," she groaned aloud softly, realizing how idiotic her thoughts were.

The minutes ticked by slowly, and Rose began to grow more and more desperate for the comforting peace of unconsciousness to creep over her. If she wasn't awake, she couldn't think about the secret venture taking place; if she couldn't think about the secret venture taking place, she couldn't grow more tempted by the prospects of it. Yet her mind didn't seem able to slow down enough for sleep to claim her. Instead, thoughts about the mission flew through her mind like owls in a storm, each laden with more ridiculous notions than the last. Naturally, most of them were a mix between worry and curiosity. What if there's a curfew alarm that nobody knows about? Could Finch or a teacher be permanently stationed at the dungeon stairs for precaution? What if there's something truly deadly down there? What if that something killed her cousin? Oh Merlin, how am I ever going to live with myself knowing I killed James Sirius Potter, oldest son of the famous Harry Potter?!

"Whoa, take it easy there, Rose," she murmured to herself. The tiredness must be making her think irrationally. If whatever down there was truly deadly, then it'd probably be guarded with more advanced spells than James could ever get through. After all, he was only a third year.

Still, a lot of things could go wrong with Jester James and Joking Joe at the reins of things. Teddy has assured Rose he felt their plan foolproof, but that wasn't a certainty that those two wouldn't muck it up. They needed someone who'd have their wits about them, someone quicker with their brain than feet. The idea of something going wrong could be minimalized by Rose's presence in the event that improvising would be needed…

No, Rose, you can't afford to think like that! The red-head chastised herself. Thinking like that would only encourage her curiosity; something she had been very affirmative on in the light of day.

Yet, when the soft chime of the one o'clock hour could be heard from the common room, Rose heaved a sigh and threw back her covers. She didn't even know what the plan was—what if it wasn't as foolproof as Teddy had insisted? They still had to explain it to Malfoy. Mayhap she'd be lucky enough to even overhear them explain it to him in! The hope was doubtful, but was enough to spur Rose to swing her legs out of bed, shivering when her bare feet made contact with the cold floor; the sheets may have been magical, but the stone floor of an old drafty castle were doubtfully enchanted to remain warm at all times, even in the chill of autumn. Rose, as quietly as she could without disturbing her room mates, set about to hunt for some of her thick, fuzzy socks to keep her toes warm.

Clunk. Despite her best attempts to remain silent, the trunk she was rooting through earlier shut itself while Rose was slipping on some lime green socks. To further her dismay, Syla sat up straight in her bed. "Whassat? Whas goin' on?"

The red-head momentarily froze. If she said she was leaving for the bathroom, her roommate may fully waken and realize her surroundings. So, praying that she was right about Syla's level of wakefulness, she replied softly, "A kookaburra calls in the night. Sleep now, Cordo, let it cradle our minds to sleep!"

It seemed to work. "Aye, right," the drowsy girl responded, settling back down, "Kookaburras…mmmm…"

Rose breathed a sigh of relief and was thankful she paid some attention to Syla's choice of books. Her roommate read some whacked out stuff, but her recent addiction to an Australian wizard of the 17th century and his strangely written plays seemed particularly unsavory to Rose.

Quietly, she slipped out the door and down the spiral staircase to the catwalk. Thankfully, the stair trends were stone, so she had no fear of creaking wood giving her away. With caution she made her way to the railing and peeked over into the common room.

At first she saw nobody and disappointment wracked her. Had they given up their original mission? Her fears from earlier momentarily abandoned her at the thought. Rose had been looking forward to overhearing the plan, curious to know what they had in store. It had absolutely nothing to do with wishing she was brave enough to join them.

She caught a flicker of movement in her peripheral vision. Staring intently towards the center of the common room, she had failed to scrutinize the chamber's edges- had she done so sooner, she may have noticed an unfamiliar black shape just below her. Rose now peered at the figure, trying to make out details in the darkness. It was two people- she was sure of that much- and if they were who she was expecting, Joseph and James.

"I bet he's not coming," a voice murmured beneath her.

"It's eight past one," its companion agreed. "If he was..to join us...by now...tattled?"

Despite the straining of her ears, Rose couldn't catch the last few words but could guess what they were talking about. Her cousin and his friend must have been waiting around for their third entourage, and were quickly getting fed up with his absence. What if they're right? What if he's ratted them out after all?

"I'm here."

The red-head didn't think she'd ever be reassured at the presence of Scorpius Malfoy. Yet she couldn't help a tiny sigh of relief at the sight of the blond-headed Gryffindor, who was quietly making his way over to the two huddled figures. With a start, Rose realized that he must have been there for longer than he had revealed himself; the catwalk connected both the stairs to the girl and boy dormitories, and she hadn't seen him come down while she had been eavesdropping.

"About time," replied a voice. One of the figures stood, and Rose was able to recognize her cousin. "What took you so long?"

"It's not my fault Salux is a freakishly light sleeper, not to mention terrified of authority. If I'd woken him up, he would have reported our little exploit immediately. If your brother's thundersnores hadn't helped cover my noise, we'd probably all be sitting in Longbottom's office right now!"

James ignored the dig at Albus. "Yeah yeah, don't expect me to thank you. We should move out."

As the two third-years moved towards the portrait hole, Malfoy's scornful expression turned uneasy. "Wait, aren't you going to let me in on the plan?"

"What plan?"

"You know...the point of action we're taking to get inside the sealed dungeon?"

"Oh, that," James acknowledged dismissively. "Step one: go to the lower levels. Step two: enter."

"That's it?" Scorpius gaped at the two who stood confidently in front of him. "Are you out of your minds? Without a proper strategy we'd be caught with five minutes of stepping out after curfew! We'll never make it down the Grand Staircase, nevermind our actual destination."

"Keep your voice down," Joe hushed, speaking for the first time.

"Look, are you in or not?" James asked irritatedly. "We're going, with or without you."

"Are you guys insane?!"

Three heads turned upward towards the catwalk where the new voice had come from. Rose realized too late that she had said the thought aloud, blowing her perfect eavesdropping position. Quickly, she turned to descend into the common room, figuring that since they had already seen her, there was no harm to be done by drawing closer. Besides, muted muttering was a better option than loud stage whispers across the tower chamber and waking the whole of Gryffindor. "James, this must be one of the stupidest things you've done...and that's saying a lot!"

Her cousin in question looked struck between surprised and affronted; Joe appeared confused at her presence, and Malfoy seemed rather curious.

"Teddy told me he approved your plan!" she gritted out fiercely. Had he lied to her? I'm gonna kill him for letting James kill himself!

"He certainly didn't. He's been trying to convince us for the past week that we're idiots."

"That's probably because you are!"

"Gee, can't appreciate my genius? Sucks for you. I'm not waiting around anymore for this little midnight family gathering. Let's go Joe- leave these two spineless fish to wail in worry."

Scorpius took a step forward. "Hang on a second! Just because I haven't got bees for brains and actually value caution doesn't mean I'm unwilling to go!" he growled. "I'm coming."

Rose wanted to melt into a puddle of despair. Boys! Did they have no sense? Any reason Malfoy might have had flew out the window the minute James insulted his pride. Why are male egos so fragile? She didn't particularly care about the blond, but she knew two things: it may have been easier to convince the two third-years to back out if she had someone on her side; and he was Nick's friend- she felt a sense of duty to look out for the boy, even if just for that.

She could easily see the three of them, bumbling around the hallways in the dead of night, relying on luck to dodge the several prefect sentries, professors, and Filch. "What if you run into Filch?" she asked, desperate to find a way to put them off.

Her cousin snorted, "That old squib? He's what, eighty years old or somethin'? We'll outrun him."

"And when he tells Headmaster McGonagall about it the next day?"

When James hesitated and shuffled his feet slightly, Rose could tell he hadn't thought much on the occasion if they were caught. They only saw the adventure before them, not the consequences. Blindness like that was one of Gryffindor's key downfalls, the willingness to let pride and craving of curiosity to lead the way instead of logic. The thirst for big-time accomplishment is what drove the lion-and-scarlet house.

"Look..." Rose sighed, pinching the bridge of her nose, "Going in without a contingency plan isn't just stupid. It's suicide."

"Our dads never had one!" James argued.

"That's because it was always a spur-of-the-moment, life-or-death situation," she shot back. "Besides, trouble followed Harry Potter around whether he liked it or not. Their calamities didn't occur because of their curiosity. This...this is just you wanting to satisfy your mind more than anything."

For a split second, uncertainty brewed in James Potter's brown eyes, and Rose actually hoped that he might abolish the whole foolish operation. But it was only a brief flash, and the stubborn determination of their family was back. "We're going," he repeated firmly, turning to leave. Joseph and Malfoy exchanged a glance before moving to follow him.

In that instant, Rose made a split decision that she would later come to regret. "I'm coming with you!" she blurted out.

James stopped dead in his tracks, half-stepping into the portrait hole. Slowly, he lowered his foot and turned around to face Rose, face a picture of total bemusement. "What?"

"Let me come with you!" she restated in a loud whisper. She felt as confused by her words as James seemed to; it was as if her tongue had a mind of its own. "Clearly this isn't a very well thought out plan- that much we've established. But let me lay out the facts for you; for one, I'll never be able to sleep tonight, knowing that you'll be romping around the school after curfew as if you were on a springtime picnic at mid-noon."

"Why?" This time is was Joseph who cut in. He seemed suspicious rather than puzzled.

"Because...well, even if you guys are a bunch of blockheaded numbskulls, I feel a sense of responsibility if I knew I could help you and I didn't." With each word she spoke, Rose began to grow more and more confident. "The second reason for coming along is that I admit I myself am curious. I never said anything before, only because I knew if I conceded that I, too, was as eager to know what dwelt in the lower levels of the place we call home for a great majority of the year, then that would only spur you further. Convincing you to abandon this foolhardy plan then would have been impossible, as you would have used my own interest against me in any possible argument. I never gave up hope that you would see sense in the weeks leading up to tonight. Now I see that unfortunately, nothing is going to convince you. So here's what I have to offer you: take me with you. You and I both know that the more trusted members that are on your little escapade, the easier this will be to pull off. I have a few valuable skills of my own, the best of which, for you, would be my subterfuge, something that will come in handy if we run into someone we'd rather not see out there. In return, you offer me the safest chance to explore the sealed dungeon. Deal?"

James looked utterly gobsmacked. Rose supposed she would probably feel the same way at her sudden display of suave talk if she hadn't been so elated. Everything she said was true; she was known around the Potter-Weasely children for her quick-thinking and natural instinct which had only further flourished in her past three months at Hogwarts. Still, her unforeseen and newly-realized skill of statistic sweeping arguments, blurted out without much forethought, had come as a surprise to everyone in the room.

The eldest Potter's mouth opened, closed, and opened again before any words came out. "You sure you have such a skill to lay on the table?"

The question was poppycock, and they both knew it. Rose had just displayed her talent and why it might come in useful if, as she had indicated, they ran into unfriendly faces. She suspected the inquiry was more to save face in front of their little audience; an afterthought wrecked before it had been spoken. "Completely," she affirmed.

For a second, James looked like he was about to argue more. Instead, he shrugged his shoulders and let out a half-hearted sigh of resignation. "Okay," he agreed. "But follow my lead. Let's get going before it gets too late."

The four students did indeed follow him out of the portrait hole, stepping out into the deserted, dark corridor just outside the Gryffindor common room. Three heads turned to glare at Joseph when he sneezed, the sound muffled by his robes but still echoing through the hall. The oldest Potter lead the way to the Grand Staircase, pulling a piece of tattered parchment out of his pocket.

"What's that?" Rose murmured in quiet question.

Her cousin ignored her, instead pulling out his wand and tapping the blank parchment. Rose couldn't catch the whispered word. They must have been some sort of incantation, for ink began to swirl on the page, forming words. Before she could read the title, James was flipping it open, revealing many layers and flaps. It took the red-head only a moment to realize she was looking at a map of Hogwarts.

"This way," James muttered to the company, striking out confidently in step and choosing a western staircase. Joseph trailed behind him, looking over his shoulder every now and then, leaving Rose to tag along at the rear with Malfoy.

In all honesty, Rose had nearly forgotten about the blond. So caught up had she been in arguing with her cousin that her fellow first-year had drifted to the background- it had helped that he had barely spoken since she had made her appearance. Now he was staring at her with eyes betraying analytical thoughts. "Did you mean it?" he asked without warning in a muted undertone.

"About what?"

"When you said you were just as curious as the rest of us?" he blinked at her and tilted his head slightly. "I know you said at lunch a few days ago that you did, but to be truthful, I wasn't sure if you were serious."

This took Rose by surprise. "You thought I was lying?"

"Not necessarily," he corrected hastily, perhaps identifying the accusation in her tone. "I meant that while you did seem...impertinent about the whole thing, it was my impression that your interest lay with why the rest of us were curious. You seemed puzzled that we were inquisitive. Does that make sense?"

"I guess, though that notion was incorrect." Rose frowned. She was use to her and Malfoy butting heads and making sarcastic comments whenever the other was in earshot. Yet now he seemed sincere in his prying. Was this what he was like with Nick- amicable and civil? Why was he so confusing?

Malfoy looked like he was about to say something else, but he was violently shushed by Joseph. "Can't you two play midlife crisis some other time?" he hissed, reminding the two first-years about the situation. Both clammed up immediately, and the four students traveled in silence for the rest of the trek.

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By the time they had finally reached the dungeon entrances nearly half an hour had passed in the allotted time since their leaving of Gryffindor tower. The trip had been mostly quiet- twice James warned of patrolling prefects (how he knew their presence, Rose had no idea) but they were safely able to navigate around the threat. Now they stood just outside the former potions classroom.

Malfoy stuck his head inside the dark and unlit room, seemingly unable to resist a peek. "You guys had class in here?" he murmured in disbelief. "But it's so dark! Not to mention depressing."

James cuffed the younger student over the head lightly. "There were lights on during class period," he snapped.

As they continued passed the solid-looking timber door, Rose took a look of her own and couldn't help but agree with Malfoy- the classroom did appear rather gloomy, and she doubted it would have made for a cheerful workplace even in the light. Whose idea was it to have a classroom down here, anyway? Far from the rest and in such a bleak location? Rose wondered if it was simply because it was close to where the potion supply closet was, or if there was a more distressing reason behind the position.

The four students picked there way down the slightly curving staircase slowly, despite the fact that the treads were stone and still in great condition; they did not abate speed due to the fear of tripping, but rather of the uneasy feeling that grew as they descended. The further down they traveled, the closer Rose drew to the three others in her company. The curved wall made it impossible to see too far ahead despite their lighted wands. Occasionally the group would pass a door- some of them wood, others steel. Conditions of the portals varied considerably, from pristine and new-looking to well-rotted and rusted. One iron door was badly dented.

As they passed by it, Rose could have sworn she heard the faintest of moans. "Did you guys hear that?" she whispered, feeling a shudder run down her spine.

James looked back from where his eyes were glued to the parchment. "Hear what?"

"There was this sort of low moaning noise..."

Malfoy took a brief glance around. "Probably just the wind shifting through." His tone was reassuring, but his eyes betrayed his own uneasiness. Rose felt even more concerned; if Scorpius Malfoy was stooping low enough to attempt to comfort her, there was definitely reason to be anxious. He seemed to take notice of this. "Scared, Weasely?" he taunted.

Ah, that's more like the Malfoy I know. "Yeah, of your bed breath," she deadpanned.

"Save it for the honeymoon, you two," James grunted, still concentrating on the map. The company lapsed into silence once more.

The lower they descended, the colder and more drafty the air became. Rose could almost feel the morality of her companions shrinking with each further step down. Do these stairs go on forever? She wondered what it would be like climbing back up them. Probably hell after going twenty hours without sleep. That was assuming they would even make it back. Maybe whatever down there will eat us. Despite the growing sense of apprehension, Rose couldn't stifle a yawn. Unable to see momentarily, she promptly ran into Joseph's back as he stopped abruptly and nearly sending them both tumbling down the seemingly endless stairs.

"I don't understand," James was muttering, "the dungeons are suppose to end here!"

"Says who?" Rose asked irritatedly, still annoyed that her cousin wouldn't give her details.

"Look," he sighed, finally turning to face them, "This is called the Marauder's Map-"

"You stole that from Uncle Harry?!" She nearly shrieked, managing to keep it to a loud whisper of fury. She had heard plenty about the legendary item that had helped Harry in his troubles at Hogwarts.

"Yeah yeah, stole it from his desk drawer last year. I actually think he knows but just hasn't said anything. Maybe he realizes that it's no use to him since it only shows the school-"

"Will one of you please explain," Malfoy cut it exasperatedly, "what the bloody hell a mar-overs map is, or whatever the hell you're talking about?"

"Marauder's Map," Rose said patiently to the blond, "is a one-of-a-kind map made my Harry Potter's father, James I, and his friends. It's a perfect map of Hogwarts. Not only does it show the school, grounds, and every niche and cranny, but it also shows everybody inside it."

"This is us," James pointed out. He had several flaps and layers pulled back to reveal a winding staircase, and sure enough, four black dots appropriately labeled were shown. "The point is, from everything Joe and I have dug up in the past months on the sealed dungeon, it was suppose to be at the very bottom. According to the map, we should have reached it by now. The staircase simply stops about here on it." He showed them the map, and sure enough, no further rooms, stairs, or corridors were depicted on the blueprints. "This is the final layer, too, which means it should be the bottom layer."

"How do we know the map is correct?" Malfoy asked, eyes nervously darting from side to side.

"They show every other room, secret passage way, and space inbetween. Why shouldn't it show the dungeons properly?"

"That's not what I meant," the blond backtracked. "I mean, how do we know that the map shows everything? What if there's more to the school than what's on the map, but you don't know any better because it's all we know?" He looked hesitantly at the doubtful faces around him.

"Go on," James prompted.

"Well..." Malfoy continued slowly, "You said this map was made by James I and co, right? Do we know how the map was made?"

"That secret died with the Marauders," Rose answered sadly.

"What if the map only shows the places they know about? It would stand to reason that this, being an old, magical school, the only way to make a map of it would be to explore and make detailed notice of it. They could have found out about some passage ways and discovered a few of their own. A skilled fifth year could make a proportions charm to properly ratio the scales on the map. Look, my point is, what if what's on the map is only there because the Marauders explored it?"

Realization dawned on Rose. "If this was as far as they came into the dungeons, there'd be no additional layers to the map."

Malfoy shot her a glance as if in agreement. "Perhaps they decided that there was no need to fully explore the dungeons this deep, or maybe they just never got around to it. But if they never went further than these steps we're standing on now, that means that the map isn't wrong. It's not saying that this is where the dungeons end. This is just as far into it that the map has knowledge of."

Rose had to admit, the blond was pretty clever. Unfortunately, if he was right, their situation just got worse. "Maybe we should head back," she suggested. It was chilly, dark, and just plain creepy this deep under Hogwarts.

Even James, so confident before in his "plan", seemed uncertain. "Let's just go a little further," he suggested warily. "If we don't find anything in five minutes, we'll turn back."

So the group continued. The more Rose thought about it, the less and less she liked the idea of proceeding. If the Marauders, arguably the bravest (and most arrogant) Gryffindors in a century hadn't even come this far, what did that mean for them? She had a growing urge to turn right around a flee, nevermind the exhaustion of the stairs.

Preoccupied with her thoughts, she didn't stop until she nearly ran into Joseph again. "What's wrong this time?" she asked nervously. It had been about five minutes- maybe they were turning around?

"We've hit a wall."

"What?"

"Look."

Sure enough, right before their wand lights was a very solid looking wall. Rose squinted at it, but could see nothing unordinary about it. "That's...odd."

"Understatement. Look at the steps."

Glancing at their feet, Rose realized Malfoy was right. Instead of the stairs ending in a landing like one would commonly find, they continued to descend until they reached the wall. The sight made it look like someone had built it mid-way between the stairs. "Weird," she murmured aloud, mostly to herself.

"Could this be the entrance to the sealed dungeon?" Malfoy suggested. He didn't seem too enthusiastic. Rose might have teased him for chickening out on the adventure he forced himself into if she wasn't as unhappy as he was.

"Maybe," James said thoughtfully. "Perhaps it's a secret door. Some sort of incantation needed to open it, or potion or something." He began rubbing the surface, which seemed oddly smooth. He banged a palm on it, only to pull it away rubbing it. "Pretty solid," he confirmed.

"James, let's head back," Joseph said, sounding uncertain. "This idea was great and all in theory, but if the Marauders themselves didn't venture down here, maybe we shouldn't either. Besides, if that is the door, it's probably sealed with all sorts of spells that third years can't undo."

"Alright," he resigned. James looked dejected, and Rose felt a bit sorry for him. They'd all be curious about the dungeon, but he had been the most and had clearly done some homework before their escapade. Still, she was only too happy to oblige as they slowly trudged up the steps, starting the long ascent upwards. Rose began to curse the whole venture, if only for her thighs' sakes. Hey, on the bright side, at least you'll lose that bit of extra weight you've put on since you arrived!

A mere five minutes into the climb, the group stopped once more. "Oh no," she heard James murmur from the front. "This cannot be happening."

"What's wrong?" she whispered, trying to push her way past them to see. The light of her wand was blocked by the two tall boys in front of her. They were no where near the top; what could possibly be holding them up this time? Rose managed to wedge herself between James and Joe in the rather narrow corridor and finally saw what had made them stop.

Before the four students and blocking the stairway was another stone wall.

Hehehe, end chapter 6!

What's that sizzling noise I hear? Oh my, its the ignition of the main non-romance plot! The coals were set in previous chapters, now I'm lighting 'em!

A few notes: first, I am terribly sorry for taking a week and a half to finally update! Especially if I scared anyone into thinking I'd dropped this fic. Two main problems occurred, one being a lot of school work and second was lack of inspiration/motivation. Normally I have a good idea of what will go down each chapter before I sit down to write it; this time I knew a vague idea of the start and a detailed end, so the main wait stemmed from trying to get that first part written. Again, sorry if that section seemed a little forced. To make up for your wait, this chapter is extra long (1k over the usual)!

Second, as already mentioned, this is the real beginning of the plot. The chapters up until now have mostly been to properly set the scene, characters, and relationships before diving into the heavier stuff. So buckled up- the next chapter is going to get intense and have lasting consequences.

Last note, someone commented that Teddy would be too old to go to Hogwarts at Rose's year. My apologies; when I wrote that last chapter it was late at night, my internet was down (ergh parents) and it'd been a year or so since I last read the books, so I tried to go off memory and thought that the epilogue took place at 17 years later rather than 19. Oops. Hence the discrepancy in age. Sorry!

Don't forget to review!

P.S: Were those last couple of paragraphs coming off as creepy? Cause that was my goal.