Disclaimer: I do not own HP. Kahl (whose name may change) is my character,
as well as Sarah and some of the spells and books, namely Magick of
Warfare. Please respect that.
Author's Note: Mistress Pirate, I attend BYU-I. I would have e-mailed you except that, like myself, you do not post your addy. ( I don't know you, I think, but I am interested in meeting you. Could you please e-mail me at blackphoenix48juno.com? My name's Laura.
Enjoy, everyone!
-----
Chapter 2
It must have been evening when Kahl woke at the sound of the door opening; a firm tread stopped beside the bed. Her eyes cracked open, and they widened slightly. Malfoy stood over her, his face clear of all emotion. "You are Kahl Rabrek?"
She nodded.
"I will send word to the Dark Lord that you are here."
Kahl managed another weary bob of her head, and Malfoy turned to someone. "Take care of her." He walked away, still giving the maid instructions, his voice too low to make out the words. Kahl pursed her lips. Of all the Deatheaters, Lucius Malfoy was one of those she disliked the most. She shrugged mentally; he was also one of the ones who'd afford her the best shelter and care, if he chose to. Which he apparently had. It seemed a concern for appearances did have benefits.
-----
It was barely the second week in July. Almost two months to Hogwarts. Draco smiled slightly; only one more year at that school, befouled with Muggle blood. Draco barely noticed the maid hurrying past him towards the owlery. He entered the library and stopped, breathing in the smell of parchment and leather covers. He went over to one of the bookshelves and pulled out Magick of Warfare. The cover of the massive volume was stained; he opened it to reveal the pages, almost cloth-like in their worn condition. The ink, black text and colored pictures, was faded but visible. Draco sat down in the armchair by the tall windows, and he continued his reading.
He looked up at the clock; three hours had already gone by. He closed the book and replaced it on the shelf, and he left the library. The maid passed him, a glass of milk in her hand. She went up the stairs and vanished into the second room. Draco stepped into a shadowed alcove near the foot of the stairs. It was a good ten minutes, though, before the maid came back down the stairs. As she turned down another corridor, Draco slipped up the steps and into the room.
He'd been up there a few times since he'd first seen the courier, but she had always been sleeping. Now she was still asleep; but her face was smooth, not shut fast as it had always been before. Draco sat in a chair that was next to the bed. The girl had to be around his age, maybe a year older or younger. Draco frowned. 'If she is a witch, though, I'd have seen her at Hogwarts. Well, not if she's in another house,' he thought. He studied her face. 'No. I've only seen her bringing messages here.'
Draco stood and left.
-----
A few days after she first woke up, Kahl was sitting against the headboard, watching Sarah clean the room. The maid glanced over. "Do you want something to do?" she asked.
Kahl smiled. "Please."
"I could get you writing materials. Or books. Master Malfoy has a big library." Sarah's voice dropped. "Then again, I don't know if he'd allow it."
Kahl frowned slightly to herself.
"But I'll see what I can do," Sarah added.
Kahl nodded. "Oh. I . . . Thank you."
Sarah finished straightening the room, and left. Ten minutes later, she returned, a slim volume in her hand. She gave it to Kahl, who read the scripted title, Quidditch Through the Ages . "Thanks."
-----
Draco ran a finger along the books. "Care of Your Broomstick, Snitches of Legend—" He stopped at a gap in the books. "Odd. Maybe Father needed it." He shook his head and moved on, taking down From Shooting Star to Firebolt: A History of Broomsticks.
-----
When Draco entered the library the next morning, he glanced over at the shelf. Quidditch Through the Ages was back in its place; but Snitches of Legend was gone. Draco frowned. "Maybe it's the maid, but if she's reading, she has far too much time on her hands."
-----
Each morning, the missing book was back in place, and a new book was missing. Then for a few days, the shelf was undisturbed, and Draco was able to read his books without the mystery of a missing book running through his head. Instead, it was just the mystery of why they had been missing. One rainy morning, Draco entered the library. He looked around the large, leather and parchment-smelling room. "I haven't read Magick of Warfare for some days, and I want to finish it before school starts." He went over to get the massive tome.
It was gone.
Author's Note: Mistress Pirate, I attend BYU-I. I would have e-mailed you except that, like myself, you do not post your addy. ( I don't know you, I think, but I am interested in meeting you. Could you please e-mail me at blackphoenix48juno.com? My name's Laura.
Enjoy, everyone!
-----
Chapter 2
It must have been evening when Kahl woke at the sound of the door opening; a firm tread stopped beside the bed. Her eyes cracked open, and they widened slightly. Malfoy stood over her, his face clear of all emotion. "You are Kahl Rabrek?"
She nodded.
"I will send word to the Dark Lord that you are here."
Kahl managed another weary bob of her head, and Malfoy turned to someone. "Take care of her." He walked away, still giving the maid instructions, his voice too low to make out the words. Kahl pursed her lips. Of all the Deatheaters, Lucius Malfoy was one of those she disliked the most. She shrugged mentally; he was also one of the ones who'd afford her the best shelter and care, if he chose to. Which he apparently had. It seemed a concern for appearances did have benefits.
-----
It was barely the second week in July. Almost two months to Hogwarts. Draco smiled slightly; only one more year at that school, befouled with Muggle blood. Draco barely noticed the maid hurrying past him towards the owlery. He entered the library and stopped, breathing in the smell of parchment and leather covers. He went over to one of the bookshelves and pulled out Magick of Warfare. The cover of the massive volume was stained; he opened it to reveal the pages, almost cloth-like in their worn condition. The ink, black text and colored pictures, was faded but visible. Draco sat down in the armchair by the tall windows, and he continued his reading.
He looked up at the clock; three hours had already gone by. He closed the book and replaced it on the shelf, and he left the library. The maid passed him, a glass of milk in her hand. She went up the stairs and vanished into the second room. Draco stepped into a shadowed alcove near the foot of the stairs. It was a good ten minutes, though, before the maid came back down the stairs. As she turned down another corridor, Draco slipped up the steps and into the room.
He'd been up there a few times since he'd first seen the courier, but she had always been sleeping. Now she was still asleep; but her face was smooth, not shut fast as it had always been before. Draco sat in a chair that was next to the bed. The girl had to be around his age, maybe a year older or younger. Draco frowned. 'If she is a witch, though, I'd have seen her at Hogwarts. Well, not if she's in another house,' he thought. He studied her face. 'No. I've only seen her bringing messages here.'
Draco stood and left.
-----
A few days after she first woke up, Kahl was sitting against the headboard, watching Sarah clean the room. The maid glanced over. "Do you want something to do?" she asked.
Kahl smiled. "Please."
"I could get you writing materials. Or books. Master Malfoy has a big library." Sarah's voice dropped. "Then again, I don't know if he'd allow it."
Kahl frowned slightly to herself.
"But I'll see what I can do," Sarah added.
Kahl nodded. "Oh. I . . . Thank you."
Sarah finished straightening the room, and left. Ten minutes later, she returned, a slim volume in her hand. She gave it to Kahl, who read the scripted title, Quidditch Through the Ages . "Thanks."
-----
Draco ran a finger along the books. "Care of Your Broomstick, Snitches of Legend—" He stopped at a gap in the books. "Odd. Maybe Father needed it." He shook his head and moved on, taking down From Shooting Star to Firebolt: A History of Broomsticks.
-----
When Draco entered the library the next morning, he glanced over at the shelf. Quidditch Through the Ages was back in its place; but Snitches of Legend was gone. Draco frowned. "Maybe it's the maid, but if she's reading, she has far too much time on her hands."
-----
Each morning, the missing book was back in place, and a new book was missing. Then for a few days, the shelf was undisturbed, and Draco was able to read his books without the mystery of a missing book running through his head. Instead, it was just the mystery of why they had been missing. One rainy morning, Draco entered the library. He looked around the large, leather and parchment-smelling room. "I haven't read Magick of Warfare for some days, and I want to finish it before school starts." He went over to get the massive tome.
It was gone.