Searching
Harry lay awake staring up at the familiar maroon drapes of his four poster bed. So many times he had relived the sights and sounds of his life in this position that they all seemed to blur together.
He knew he had do something. To do nothing would kill him. It was like an itch, painful not to scratch. He decided there and then that he would do it.
The next day filled the dorm with pale light and Harry knew it was time for lessons again. Glumly, he realized it was potions. Heaving himself out of his warm bed with a creak from the mattress springs, he got dressed into his school robes.
Breakfast was a the usual. Fried bacon, eggs and maybe a bit of oaty porridge. He felt closed off from Ron and Hermione, why he could not explain. Sure they asked him but he could not understand it fully himself. Even though he had spent most of the night trying to clear the mist fogging up his mind, a haze still remained.
Harry chewed on his rasher, the coppery taste seeping up into his head. He was staring at a point in front of him, not caring about the frequent nudges Ron gave him. Suddenly he swallowed and blurted out,
"I'll see you later." He put his fork down with a clatter and raced out the Great Hall, Ron gazing open mouthed at his friend.
"What was that all about?" He asked his girlfriend, the muggle-born, Hermione Granger. She shrugged, looking just as puzzled as her red-haired companion.
****************
Harry raced up the spiral stairs, his hard shoes pounding on the stone. He knew what to do. He flipped the lid of his heavy leather trunk open with a grunt of effort. He rifled through the contents, searching for what he wanted.
"Aha." He muttered. The yellow parchment crackled in his clasping fingers. He lovingly smoothed it out onto his bed, a book underneath. Dipping his eagle-feather quill into his green inkpot, he scrawled his note, making sure that it was easy to read.
He sat back and felt his stomach churn upside down. Then it hit him. He looked at his watch and realized Potions would be starting at any moment. He hurriedly folded the note and pushed it into his pocket.
Breathing slowly, as to calm himself down, Harry descended the stairs and turned right for the labyrinthine passages of the Slytherin's world. Torches crackled and his heart was beating in time to his footsteps. Adrenaline pumped throughout his veins, his breathing becoming heavier. Harry turned the corner. His eyes caught a glimpse of raven black hair.
Drawing his wand and carefully aiming, Harry muttered, "Liberus Flexit." A Spellbook silently lifted from a schoolbag and hovered towards Harry. He caught it, and slipped his wand back into the folds of his robes.
"Wait!" He called out loudly. "You dropped your book." Harry was panting slightly but not so much from running.
The figure in front of him turned her head to the left of her, glancing over her shoulder. Harry caught another glimpse of her clear blue eyes. Rowan Lennox had a puzzled look on her face.
"Harry." She said almost inaudibly but she did not sound surprised. He held her cold gaze for a moment before passing her the thick book. He felt his insides contract. Rowan simply looked into his eyes, Harry felt as though she knew his mind, but she said nothing.
"I...err.." Harry started but stopped as he heard more footsteps behind him. Rowan shot her eyes behind his shoulder.
"I better go." She said quietly. "Snape, you know, we'll be late." He nodded and let her drift down the corridor to the right door, without a backward glance.
"What did she want?" Ron asked accusingly. He and Hermione had been watching from behind him, making Harry jump slightly. "Well?" He asked fiercely, eyes curious.
"Oh, she um, dropped her book." Harry said with difficulty. Hermione arched her eyebrows. Ron wouldn't lave it.
"Really Harry, I don't know why you'd want to help her. I mean she's in Syltherin." His voice sounded outraged.
"Isn't she Malfoy's girlfriend?" Hermione asked suspiciously.
"Yes." Harry said a little faster than he meant to. He could feel his neck reddening.
"Oh come on." Hermione bustled them along the corridor and bungled them into the cold, stone walled dungeon where they would be incarcerated for the next two hours.
* * * * * Starlight illuminated the classroom with an eerie blue light. Shadows exaggerated its contents, making the room seem so very different from its daytime self. It was chilly too. Harry's breath felt hot and clammy against his outstretched hands. The invisibility cloak was far too thin to offer proper protection against the cold.
He glanced apprehensively at his watch. Three minutes past two. He supposed there might have been a problem. Perhaps she had been caught? Or had the dragon been too demanding that night? He shuddered, trying to push the mental picture from his mind. Why hadn't he brought the Marauders Map?
He looked to the door but gave up and turned his attention to the swaying branches outside. Their forms made dancing patterns on the parquet floor. Without warning, the corner of his eye saw the door open and close. He held his breath and raised his eyes.
There was nothing there.
"Hello?" He whispered involuntarily. He waited with baited breath for a response.
A/N: Ooooh a little cliffhanger there. Do you want my next chapter?? I'll have to see how many reviews I get. ;)
P.S. Thanks to Jeanne for that last line. (
Harry lay awake staring up at the familiar maroon drapes of his four poster bed. So many times he had relived the sights and sounds of his life in this position that they all seemed to blur together.
He knew he had do something. To do nothing would kill him. It was like an itch, painful not to scratch. He decided there and then that he would do it.
The next day filled the dorm with pale light and Harry knew it was time for lessons again. Glumly, he realized it was potions. Heaving himself out of his warm bed with a creak from the mattress springs, he got dressed into his school robes.
Breakfast was a the usual. Fried bacon, eggs and maybe a bit of oaty porridge. He felt closed off from Ron and Hermione, why he could not explain. Sure they asked him but he could not understand it fully himself. Even though he had spent most of the night trying to clear the mist fogging up his mind, a haze still remained.
Harry chewed on his rasher, the coppery taste seeping up into his head. He was staring at a point in front of him, not caring about the frequent nudges Ron gave him. Suddenly he swallowed and blurted out,
"I'll see you later." He put his fork down with a clatter and raced out the Great Hall, Ron gazing open mouthed at his friend.
"What was that all about?" He asked his girlfriend, the muggle-born, Hermione Granger. She shrugged, looking just as puzzled as her red-haired companion.
****************
Harry raced up the spiral stairs, his hard shoes pounding on the stone. He knew what to do. He flipped the lid of his heavy leather trunk open with a grunt of effort. He rifled through the contents, searching for what he wanted.
"Aha." He muttered. The yellow parchment crackled in his clasping fingers. He lovingly smoothed it out onto his bed, a book underneath. Dipping his eagle-feather quill into his green inkpot, he scrawled his note, making sure that it was easy to read.
He sat back and felt his stomach churn upside down. Then it hit him. He looked at his watch and realized Potions would be starting at any moment. He hurriedly folded the note and pushed it into his pocket.
Breathing slowly, as to calm himself down, Harry descended the stairs and turned right for the labyrinthine passages of the Slytherin's world. Torches crackled and his heart was beating in time to his footsteps. Adrenaline pumped throughout his veins, his breathing becoming heavier. Harry turned the corner. His eyes caught a glimpse of raven black hair.
Drawing his wand and carefully aiming, Harry muttered, "Liberus Flexit." A Spellbook silently lifted from a schoolbag and hovered towards Harry. He caught it, and slipped his wand back into the folds of his robes.
"Wait!" He called out loudly. "You dropped your book." Harry was panting slightly but not so much from running.
The figure in front of him turned her head to the left of her, glancing over her shoulder. Harry caught another glimpse of her clear blue eyes. Rowan Lennox had a puzzled look on her face.
"Harry." She said almost inaudibly but she did not sound surprised. He held her cold gaze for a moment before passing her the thick book. He felt his insides contract. Rowan simply looked into his eyes, Harry felt as though she knew his mind, but she said nothing.
"I...err.." Harry started but stopped as he heard more footsteps behind him. Rowan shot her eyes behind his shoulder.
"I better go." She said quietly. "Snape, you know, we'll be late." He nodded and let her drift down the corridor to the right door, without a backward glance.
"What did she want?" Ron asked accusingly. He and Hermione had been watching from behind him, making Harry jump slightly. "Well?" He asked fiercely, eyes curious.
"Oh, she um, dropped her book." Harry said with difficulty. Hermione arched her eyebrows. Ron wouldn't lave it.
"Really Harry, I don't know why you'd want to help her. I mean she's in Syltherin." His voice sounded outraged.
"Isn't she Malfoy's girlfriend?" Hermione asked suspiciously.
"Yes." Harry said a little faster than he meant to. He could feel his neck reddening.
"Oh come on." Hermione bustled them along the corridor and bungled them into the cold, stone walled dungeon where they would be incarcerated for the next two hours.
* * * * * Starlight illuminated the classroom with an eerie blue light. Shadows exaggerated its contents, making the room seem so very different from its daytime self. It was chilly too. Harry's breath felt hot and clammy against his outstretched hands. The invisibility cloak was far too thin to offer proper protection against the cold.
He glanced apprehensively at his watch. Three minutes past two. He supposed there might have been a problem. Perhaps she had been caught? Or had the dragon been too demanding that night? He shuddered, trying to push the mental picture from his mind. Why hadn't he brought the Marauders Map?
He looked to the door but gave up and turned his attention to the swaying branches outside. Their forms made dancing patterns on the parquet floor. Without warning, the corner of his eye saw the door open and close. He held his breath and raised his eyes.
There was nothing there.
"Hello?" He whispered involuntarily. He waited with baited breath for a response.
A/N: Ooooh a little cliffhanger there. Do you want my next chapter?? I'll have to see how many reviews I get. ;)
P.S. Thanks to Jeanne for that last line. (