Realisation
He clamped his teeth, making his jaws tremble. Harry wanted to know what was in front of him. A wild thought of a teacher crossed his mind momentarily, but was silenced. A voice resounded from the darkness.
"Hello?"
Harry jumped at the low and seemingly apprehensive sound.
"Who..Who's there?" He asked tentatively, feeling spirals of nausea engulf him.
There was a breathless pause.
"You?" Questioned the bodiless voice. "Where are you?" It asked again, before Harry had a chance to speak.
"I'm here." He said curiously, checking his sides.
"I can't see you." It teased.
Harry could have kicked himself.
"Oh, er right. Yea." He cautiously peeled the cloak, sticky from his nerves, off his head. "Here." He said.
He was sure he heard a gentle sigh.
With a twist of time and small fizz, Harry saw it. A figure had appeared only a few breaths away from him.
"Harry?" It asked, amazed.
"Rowan." He looked at the Slytherin standing two feet away. She looked back at him, her flowing hair glinting in the starlight.
She frowned. A tightening sensation gripped Harry, he noticed the look of worry on her face.
"What's up?" He asked, becoming all too aware of the nature of the meeting.
A light seemed to die behind her eyes. They glared at him.
"Why did you give me that note?" Her voice was hostile. It was his turn to frown.
Harry's mind went blank. She continued to stare at him, her blue eyes penetrating every cell of his body.
"What do you want?" She demanded.
He looked hurriedly to the classroom floor and then back up at her. "I need to talk to you."
She arched her eyebrows. "That, Harry, was clear." She shook her head. "But you can talk to me anywhere. Why choose the dead of night?"
He clenched his teeth once more. "Because I do not want Malfoy to know."
Rowan let out a shrill laugh.
"Find out?" She looked contemptuously at him. "Harry, Draco will find out and when he does, it will be me who suffers."
He looked puzzled. He had the feeling Rowan already knew what he was going to say.
"He's not an idiot, no matter what you think."
He saw a shadow of a sly smile cross her face.
"Then why are you here then? Eh?"
She paused, her face pondering.
To Harry's surprise, she softened. Becoming warmer but still holding onto signs of anguish.
"I don't know," She said plainly. "I have no idea." She shrugged. "Curiosity? I mean, you still haven't told me why I'm here."
He launched into explanation without time for breath.
"That look in transfiguration, a few days back. No-one has ever looked at me like that." He searched for her reaction. "You know something Rowan, and you felt something too."
She had blanched. Harry pounced.
"Tell me." He muttered.
"I can't."
"Tell me." Anger rose unexpectedly in his voice. He went to grip her arm, but she turned fiercely away.
"No, Harry." She scrambled around for a chair, slumping her body into it, her head in her hands.
To his ears, it was nothing less than a cry for help.
Realising his roughness, Harry chose a lighter tone. "I'm sorry." He said. "But you must realise, I need to know."
Rowan said nothing. The usually confident girl had wilted to a nervous heap.
Harry settled himself by her, taking in a gulp of her scent.
She sniffed, and looked down at him. He saw the vulnerability apparent in her eyes.
"I cannot tell you Harry. I shouldn't even be here." The desperation was too much for Harry.
"But why not?" He asked.
"Isn't it obvious?" She replied. His face was blank. "It's not just Draco, it's his father as well."
"Lucius Malfoy?" Harry spat indignantly.
"He's powerful. A lot more powerful than you seem to think."
"Huh." Harry snorted smugly. "I lost him his House Elf a few years back, Rowan. He's easy." He saw the disbelief dancing around her face.
"All the more reason." She muttered. Clearing her throat she began, "The Malfoys are my future Harry."
"What do you mean, your future?" He held her wrist tightly, wondering if she really meant that.
"It's all arranged." She said in a half sob, her voice wavering. "I cannot go against them."
He could feel anger burning in his chest. "But you are by being here?"
"Yes." She said, relieved. "Now do you understand, Harry?"
He nodded slowly, his eyes on the floor.
"If I tell you," Rowan started softly, "and they find out, I'll be for it, Harry."
To be continued........
A/N: Heylo, enjoy, tell me what you think. Rowan's POV next. ;) Please review and I'll do the nxt chapter double quick.
He clamped his teeth, making his jaws tremble. Harry wanted to know what was in front of him. A wild thought of a teacher crossed his mind momentarily, but was silenced. A voice resounded from the darkness.
"Hello?"
Harry jumped at the low and seemingly apprehensive sound.
"Who..Who's there?" He asked tentatively, feeling spirals of nausea engulf him.
There was a breathless pause.
"You?" Questioned the bodiless voice. "Where are you?" It asked again, before Harry had a chance to speak.
"I'm here." He said curiously, checking his sides.
"I can't see you." It teased.
Harry could have kicked himself.
"Oh, er right. Yea." He cautiously peeled the cloak, sticky from his nerves, off his head. "Here." He said.
He was sure he heard a gentle sigh.
With a twist of time and small fizz, Harry saw it. A figure had appeared only a few breaths away from him.
"Harry?" It asked, amazed.
"Rowan." He looked at the Slytherin standing two feet away. She looked back at him, her flowing hair glinting in the starlight.
She frowned. A tightening sensation gripped Harry, he noticed the look of worry on her face.
"What's up?" He asked, becoming all too aware of the nature of the meeting.
A light seemed to die behind her eyes. They glared at him.
"Why did you give me that note?" Her voice was hostile. It was his turn to frown.
Harry's mind went blank. She continued to stare at him, her blue eyes penetrating every cell of his body.
"What do you want?" She demanded.
He looked hurriedly to the classroom floor and then back up at her. "I need to talk to you."
She arched her eyebrows. "That, Harry, was clear." She shook her head. "But you can talk to me anywhere. Why choose the dead of night?"
He clenched his teeth once more. "Because I do not want Malfoy to know."
Rowan let out a shrill laugh.
"Find out?" She looked contemptuously at him. "Harry, Draco will find out and when he does, it will be me who suffers."
He looked puzzled. He had the feeling Rowan already knew what he was going to say.
"He's not an idiot, no matter what you think."
He saw a shadow of a sly smile cross her face.
"Then why are you here then? Eh?"
She paused, her face pondering.
To Harry's surprise, she softened. Becoming warmer but still holding onto signs of anguish.
"I don't know," She said plainly. "I have no idea." She shrugged. "Curiosity? I mean, you still haven't told me why I'm here."
He launched into explanation without time for breath.
"That look in transfiguration, a few days back. No-one has ever looked at me like that." He searched for her reaction. "You know something Rowan, and you felt something too."
She had blanched. Harry pounced.
"Tell me." He muttered.
"I can't."
"Tell me." Anger rose unexpectedly in his voice. He went to grip her arm, but she turned fiercely away.
"No, Harry." She scrambled around for a chair, slumping her body into it, her head in her hands.
To his ears, it was nothing less than a cry for help.
Realising his roughness, Harry chose a lighter tone. "I'm sorry." He said. "But you must realise, I need to know."
Rowan said nothing. The usually confident girl had wilted to a nervous heap.
Harry settled himself by her, taking in a gulp of her scent.
She sniffed, and looked down at him. He saw the vulnerability apparent in her eyes.
"I cannot tell you Harry. I shouldn't even be here." The desperation was too much for Harry.
"But why not?" He asked.
"Isn't it obvious?" She replied. His face was blank. "It's not just Draco, it's his father as well."
"Lucius Malfoy?" Harry spat indignantly.
"He's powerful. A lot more powerful than you seem to think."
"Huh." Harry snorted smugly. "I lost him his House Elf a few years back, Rowan. He's easy." He saw the disbelief dancing around her face.
"All the more reason." She muttered. Clearing her throat she began, "The Malfoys are my future Harry."
"What do you mean, your future?" He held her wrist tightly, wondering if she really meant that.
"It's all arranged." She said in a half sob, her voice wavering. "I cannot go against them."
He could feel anger burning in his chest. "But you are by being here?"
"Yes." She said, relieved. "Now do you understand, Harry?"
He nodded slowly, his eyes on the floor.
"If I tell you," Rowan started softly, "and they find out, I'll be for it, Harry."
To be continued........
A/N: Heylo, enjoy, tell me what you think. Rowan's POV next. ;) Please review and I'll do the nxt chapter double quick.