This one was really hard to write- bearing in mind they're only in the first year I wasn't sure if this was too soon...
But anyway, another chapter! Big love to my reviewer WhatsTheTimeMrWolf- how do you feel about Alex now? Ooh character depth oooooh ;)
As always, please review, favourite and follow! I need more reviewers to keep me motivated!
The months passed quickly, and with every meal, lesson and evening spent in the common room with friends I learned more about my new world and everything that came with it. Scorpius introduced me to wizard chess and I could even hover tentatively on a broomstick. I wasn't born to fly like the rest of my friends, who zoomed around the flying field, skimming the tops of trees and practicing holding the broom with only one hand. I had settled in well with all my other lessons too, and despite being behind in general wizarding knowledge I soon realised the rest of the students hadn't been learning Potions since primary school- they were all beginners too!
Scorpius and I were inseparable- we sat next to each other in every lesson and meal and he was even giving me extra help in Potions, which he seemed to have a particular talent for. We often spent long hours in the library, especially when we had been set Muggle Studies homework.
"No, Scor, central heating doesn't mean pipes with flames in them. That's not how it works."
He sighed and scratched out his last two paragraphs, "Can we stop?"
I nodded, closing my textbooks and skipping my quill back into my bag.
"Shall we go to the lake?"
I glanced out of the window and laughed. "You can go if you really want to but…"
Scorpius looked at the raindrops rolling down the glass panes. It was a typical winter day.
"Maybe not."
"We could go sit under the lake though…"
He jumped up. "Race you!"
I squealed and threw myself after him out the library door, much to the chagrin of the school librarian, and down the winding passages into the belly of the school. Scorpius had turned the corner just ahead of me.
I raced round it and tripped over something, falling hard to the floor. My bag spilled open and there were papers everywhere. A growing pool of blue told me my inkpot had smashed too. I lay completely still, ink creeping closer and closer towards my face. Was I hurt? I couldn't feel anything broken.
"Psst."
I sat up and looked around. This hallway was eerily deserted.
"Psst. Charley. Over here!"
I turned to look at the tapestry behind me. A hand was poking out from behind it, but I could see no body. The hand beckoned me closer and I crawled towards the tapestry cautiously, nursing a bruised elbow.
"Hello?" I whispered, moving closer still.
Suddenly, Alex jumped out from behind the tapestry. I screamed and fell back to the ground, smacking my head against the hard floor.
"Bloody hell Alex." I mumbled as he laughed above me.
"Need a hand?" he said, still laughing, "Get it?! Hand!"
I scowled and started trying to clear up my things. "You owe me a new ink pot. That one was my favourite."
Alex crouched to gather papers with me. "You have a favourite ink pot? That's sad."
I elbowed him, affronted. "The ink is much smoother than most and dries faster. Scorpius' parents sent it to me."
He rolled his eyes then. "Scorpius this, Scorpius that. Are you guys dating or what?"
I snatched the papers out of his hands and stuffed them back into my bag.
"I'm leaving now."
"No, don't." He grabbed my arm, "Don't you want to see what I found? I'm sorry about your ink, I'll send off for another tonight, ok?"
I shook his hand off and accepted the apology.
"My older brother owled me about this this morning- I can't believe he waited so long to tell me."
"About what?"
"This," Alex said dramatically, pulling the tapestry back from the wall with a flourish. Behind there was a passage, carved out and easily wide enough for us to get into. When the tapestry was dropped it was impossible to spot the hidden tunnel.
"Ladies first," announced Alex with a playful bow. I curtseyed back at him and climbed into the passageway. It was dusty and I tried to ignore the cobwebs that occupied every nook and cranny of the stones. Alex pushed past me in the dark.
"Apparently there's dozens of these, unused since the Battle of Hogwarts. The students and teachers used them to get around the castle without the enemy knowing. They were able to cut off loads of Death Eaters and to take their injured away without having to protect themselves."
I shivered. War heroes had stood where I was standing now, in the midst of battle. It was easy to forget that Hogwarts had been the setting for the bloodiest battle in wizarding history, but there were still markers if you went looking for them. Small gold placards in the Great Hall named all those killed in the Battle. I had been shocked to see a 'Hayley Pearson' amongst the names. I had never met anyone else with my surname.
Alex walked confidently through the dark. My eyes adjusted quickly to the darkness and I stepped carefully behind him.
"Where are we going?"
He put a finger to his lips and we carried on. The tunnel sloped sharply to the right and then downwards.
"Are we going back to the common room?"
"Stop guessing." Alex was giving nothing away. My legs were starting to get tired.
"Can we go back? This is too far."
"Stop complaining Charley."
Just as I was about to open my mouth to retaliate, he stopped suddenly. I bumped into him.
"Clumsier by the day," he muttered, shaking his head at me. "We're here."
I stepped past him, straight into a large, dark room. There were chairs and desks stacked at the back of the room and the lack of windows told me we were in the dungeons. Alex carefully swung another tapestry over the exit and the passage was concealed once more.
"Charley!" Lucas' voice came from the far corner, "So Alex found you too?"
I could see Noah waving from behind Lucas too. They had pulled chairs down from the piles and were hunched over desks.
"What are you doing?" I said, grabbing my own chair and sitting beside Noah. Alex joined me on my other side, "And where's Scorpius?"
Alex shrugged, "Couldn't find him." There was a suspicious tone to his voice. I had a feeling Alex hadn't wanted Scorpius to come along.
"We're reading this old graffiti," said Lucas, "It's from students before the war we think."
I squinted and tilted my head to read one aloud.
"Messrs Moony, Wormtail, Padfoot and…" I paused, "I can't read the last bit. What does that mean?"
Lucas shrugged, "This one looks newer: Snape sucks troll bogies. Who's Snape?"
"I bet that's Professor Snape. He was Headmaster during the Battle of Hogwarts and a Potions professor before that." Alex got his quill out.
"Reckon we should do our own?"
I shook my head. Not without Scorpius here.
"Was this a potions classroom then?"
Lucas nodded. "We found the storeroom- it's still got some stuff in it! Only little things though, they must've forgotten about this room after the war."
"How far is it to the Common Room?"
Noah went to the door and tried to open it. "I think it's stuck… or locked."
Alex stepped forward, pulling his wand out of his robes. "I've got this." He planted his feet and checked his stance quickly, then waved his wand carefully. "Alohamora."
There was a quiet click and the door creaked a little. I was impressed.
"How'd you do that? We aren't supposed to start that charm until next week!"
Alex smirked over his shoulder at me, "Natural talent. What can I say?"
I coughed once and pointedly said "Arrogant."
He laughed and opened the door with ease. We poked our heads out, and then Lucas pointed.
"The common room's that way… I think."
He led the way and we arrived at our favourite mossy wall.
"Distressed chic." I said in a shrill voice. The boys laughed and we melted through the wall, still chuckling.
Scorpius stalked towards me, "Where the hell have you been?"
"I…" I was lost for words. Why was he so angry?
Alex stepped in front of me then. "We went for a little walk. Is there a problem with that?"
Scorpius squared up to him. He had a few inches on Alex, but Alex had a stockier build.
"Actually, it is. She was supposed to watch the lake with me."
"Well clearly she prefers to spend her time with me."
They were nose to nose, both gritting their teeth and scowling.
"Scorpius-" I said, still confused, "I didn't-"
He raised a hand, stopping me. "This isn't your fault. It's his." He balled his hands into fists.
"Go on Scorp. Hit me. I dare you to. Hit me."
I pushed past Alex and grabbed Scorpius, pulling him backwards as hard as I could.
"Let's get out of here." I muttered.
He shook me off. "No. Alex has to apologise. We were supposed to spend time together."
"It's my fault. I bumped into Alex and got distracted."
"No," Scorpius looked down at me, his fists still clenched. "He did this deliberately. He's had a problem with me from day one."
I thought about it. Alex had always been a bit frosty.
"But I don't have a problem with you Scorp. You're my best friend."
I heard Alex snigger behind me, and suddenly I was knocked to the floor. I looked up just as Scorpius' fist collided with Alex's face.
