Chapter Eight, In Which We Escape, And There's A Boy In The Girls' Dormitory
"Sniff around, my sweet," Filch grumbled. "They may be lurking in a corner."
"Mrrrrow?" Mrs. Filch seemed to be asking a question.
"Yes, that's what young Mal-fop said," muttered Filch in reply. "And of course, he's always right." Blaise and held as still as was humanly possible inside the laundry chute. We heard Mrs. Norris sniffing around the corners of the main chamber. Then she paused by the door to our room. I couldn't see her from my position behind Blaise, but I felt his back stiffen against me arm as we clung to the sides of the chute.
"Prrt!" Mrs. Norris seemed to exclaim.
"Yes, my dear," Filch said in a voice that made shivers run up my spine. "Have you found them?" I heard him poke around in the laundry pile. Then he seemed to be attempting to peer inside the chute. "Are they up here, love?" It was very strange to hear Filch of all people use the "L" word.
I saw something wave about in the chute's opening. Was it his hand? Apparently, because he soon stopped flapping it and said, "I don't think they're there, sweetheart. Perhaps they've left for fear of being caught! We'll get them for sure!" Filch sounded excited at the thought of handing out a terrible detention of some sort. He and Mrs. Norris left the room, and Blaise and I heard the door to the main chamber shut.
We waited for long minutes until we were positive the two anxious searchers were well and truly gone, then dropped wearily to the ground into the pile of clothing.
"That was close," I breathed, sliding down the cold stone wall to a sitting position. Blaise joined me on the floor.
"Yeah. I guess he hasn't conquered squib-dom yet, though, or we'd be toast and marmalade by now!"
"He's a squib?" I laughed. "Is that why he hates students so much?"
"It's not that hard to figure out, if you watch him for a little while." Blaise said thoughtfully.
"What do you think of Mrs. Norris?" I asked curiously, wondering if he any speculations as to who, or what, she actually was.
"I happen to believe she is a filthy old fleabag who has a remarkable empathic ability," Blaise said with a half-smile.
"You have a way with words, Blaise," I giggled. Blaise flicked his silvery cloak over the two of us, and interlaced his cool fingers with my own warm ones. We left the laundry rooms as quietly as possible, and slipped up to Gryffindor, unaided by secret passageways.
Even after Blaise had whisked furtively away from the Fat Lady's portrait, the glow of his presence didn't leave me. I felt warm and happy, even tingly, although I'm certain that phrase is quite cliched. Why is it that love feels so weird? Is this what it was? Yes, I admitted to myself. I was truly in love with Blaise Zabini.
I was sitting in an armchair in the common room, attempting vainly to focus on my book. My thoughts kept swirling back to Blaise's eyes as he'd leaned down to kiss me in front of Gryffindor Tower. So deep, so full of emotion…My daydream bubble was popped abruptly by the arrival of Professor McGonagall in the common room. Several of the Gryffindors also in the common room left hurriedly to fetch the other students.
"Are we missing anyone?" Professor McGonagall queried. She was answered with murmurs of "No, professor," and head shaking. "Well, then," she began. "Several of the Professors, headed by the Headmaster, thoroughly interrogated the intruder we captured on the ground on Saturday night. He has been removed from the school, and is no longer a problem. In the meantime, however, no student is allowed to be out of his or her common room past nine-thirty without a pass and a teacher escort. I know many students believe they can handle anything that heads their way," the Professor glanced quickly at the older students, three in particular, "but may I remind you that this is for your own safety and that of your schoolmates. Any student found disobeying this rule will be most severely punished, with a most probable result of expulsion. I looked down at my book. This ruled out any plans for future late-night meetings with Blaise.
"Quidditch practice will be cut short so that students are inside the castle before nightfall and all practice sessions will be overseen by Madame Hooch and others. Games will be held in a special stadium that Dumbledore created in his spare time." At this, the Transfiguration teacher looked stern, as though Dumbledore should be doing other things in his moments of leisure. The Quidditch players however cheered, remembering all too well the two years when Quidditch had been all together canceled.
"As I'm sure you are all aware, All Hallows Eve is fast approaching," Professor McGonagall continued. "Due to circumstances, however, the previously scheduled activities must be postponed until further notice." A collective groan issued from the gathered students as the professor finished this statement. "Small, house celebrations will be allowed, but no out-of-house mingling. I'm sorry," the professor sighed. "I know you were all looking forward to this. No one expected them to start so early…" Professor McGonagall abruptly straightened and looked around with an 'I didn't really say that' look on her lined face.
In all truthfulness, I had completely forgotten about the holiday that lay only two weeks away. Hogsmeade visits would most certainly be canceled…how disappointing! With no further ado, Professor McGonagall left the tower and returned to whatever it was she did on Monday mornings when school had been cancelled. Apparently, classes would be resuming tomorrow. I sighed and stood up. At least I'd have extra time today to complete my Potions essay on Picasso potions, a solution that'd make your features rearrange. I thought longingly of slipping one into Jeremy Flint's pumpkin juice. With a mental smile, I leapt up the stairs to my dormitory and reorganized my desk, sorting through a disorderly stack of parchment.
Erin was just leaning back to relax a little, when a creak at her doorway made her look up. Dennis stood there, looking around. "Dennis!" I exclaimed in shock. He knew he wasn't supposed to be up here!
"I'm surprised you don't have all sorts of odd trinkets floating about," Dennis laughed. "I was under the impression that the girls had special dorms!"
"Is that the only reason you're up here?" I inquired, leaning forward in my chair.
"No," Dennis shook his head. "I wanted to know if you felt like joining me for a bit of homework. I'm having trouble with my Arithmancy…"
Several hours later, I lay on my bed. Dinner was over, and the latest curfew had just passed. Going out was not an option, but I lay awake, tired but not particularly sleepy. I rolled over, pressing my face into the cool satiny duvet. Suddenly, I heard a small tapping noise, like a pebble against glass. I lay still, unsure if what I'd heard came from inside or outside of my head.
Yes, a tap was issuing from the window. I looked up just in time to see something bounce off of the lower left-hand pane of glass. I moved slowly over to the window and looked down. I saw nothing. I opened the window and stuck my head out, peering anxiously around. Nothing! Something bounced off of my head, and I looked up, irritated. All feelings of distress melted away when I saw Blaise looking anxiously down at me from his precarious perch on a gargoyle.
"May I come down?" he inquired politely.
"Er," I said smartly. "Yeah." Blaise dropped lightly to the windowsill as I moved back into the dormitory. My friends were still downstairs, but I had no idea when they'd be heading to bed. Blaise saw my worried expression as he entered the room.
"If anyone comes up here, I'll dive under the bed or something, okay?" Blaise's eyes were dancing. The thought of Blaise diving anywhere, without the aid of a broomstick, cracked me up. We both collapsed to the floor laughing.
"So, what do you think of this new curfew?" Blaise asked once we had regained our composure.
"It sure didn't stop you any," I pointed out. Blaise smiled smugly and shrugged.
"'Course not," he said. "Who was going to stop me anyway? There are only five teachers and four house elves guarding each floor…" I giggled. Somehow, the image of a house elf attempting to halt Blaise Zabini's late-night wanderings amused me quite sincerely. Blaise scooted across the floor to me and wrapped me into his arms. I relaxed with a deep sigh of contentment, and he held me, there on the floor in the dimness of the girls' dormitory. Suddenly, we heard laughter and footsteps rising from the corridor. Blaise and I leapt up, and Blaise looked round at the window.
"No time to jump out," Blaise said. He wriggled under my bed. No sooner had the last bit of his shoe disappeared under the ruffle that hung at the base of the mattress then Amanda and Eunice burst into the room. I hurriedly pretended to have been digging in my desk for something.
"It's a bit chilly in here," Amanda said breathlessly, looking around. She clapped her hands and a light came on. "Well no wonder! The window's open!" She crossed to the window and shut it. A bit too late, I noticed Blaise's cloak on the floor. I hastened to pick it up, but Eunice was faster.
"Ooh, Erin! What's th-is?" she turned it into a two syllable word, teasing. "Have you been entertaining someone, hmmmm?" I blushed and Eunice laughed. "Could it belong to a tall, dark, handsome, boy of your dreams?"
"No, dear," I said sweetly. "That's your dreams." Eunice laughed again and handed me back to lightweight silvery cloak. "You better shove it back to whomever it belongs to, though. Those are valuable." I nodded.
"How was your party?" I inquired, hoping to distract them.
"What party?" Amanda laughed. "We were doing homework, Erin, honestly!" she looked at me. "Are you okay? You look a bit peaky. Flushed and all."
"No, no!" I said hastily. "I'm fine!" Now Eunice joined Amanda in peering at me. I prayed silently for some distraction, and presently it came. A huge crash resounded from the common room below us.
"What was that?" we all exclaimed together. Amanda and Eunice turned and dashed down the stairs.
"Blaise!" I hissed. "Leg it! Pronto!" A muffled grunt came from under the bed. Blaise wriggled out from under the bed again, brushing himself off. I handed him the cloak and he strode over to the window, flinging it wide. He climbed halfway out, then turned and brushed my lips with a soft kiss. Then, he swung up onto the illustrious gargoyle and was gone. I heaved a sigh, and shut the window. That was close! Then, it was my turn to hurry down the stairs and investigate the source of the crash.
