This chapter is going to be a little bit of a time jump. The next scene we really see Draco in is where Hermione is asking Ron if he ever stops eating so that'll be a part of this chapter even though he was in the background. Enjoy a little more of Draco's knowledge on my OC that he has learned over the following few weeks. Get ready for a long chapter to make up for the amount of time it took for me to upload! You're welcome :*
Draco POV
I sit in the library with a book on rare magic in front of me on the table. Nowhere in the books I've scoured does it mention eyes that flash rainbow which has been the theme for the past six weeks. After I tried following Griffin that day after Umbridge's class, I have tried to learn more about her, but every time I have gotten close to catching up to her; she has disappeared into thin air. My research has been nothing but dead ends since I started this useless hunt on a girl that doesn't want anything to do with me. I have, however, learned a little more through the fear of the younger students here at Hogwarts.
The past six weeks have further strengthened my need to find out more about the clever witch that has evaded all of my approaches in trying to corner her. My fascination, I tell myself, is all because I know she has answers about the doe I saw. It has nothing to do with the fact that she confuses and slightly intrigues me with her invisibility here at school. No, I was not enamored with the witch that I only knew the last name of. I think of the little information I have been able to learn about her.
Griffin is, in fact, a Slytherin, not a Ravenclaw. While I haven't been able to figure out why I saw a flash of rainbow from her eyes that time in Umbridge's class, I can assume she has a connection to the doe I saw near the Malfoy manor that day before I boarded the train. She is Diggory's half-sister and no one knows about her parents so I assume they are not important enough to know about. The last thing I learned, but definitely the most important, is Griffin is a ghost. The only person I ever see her around is a brunette that sits with her at the end of the Slytherin table in the Great Hall; Grace Nelson. Well, that is, when I see her which is rare nowadays.
Speaking of Griffin, she has not met my eye since that day I almost cornered her after our DADA class. After that day, I have only ever seen her in class. Every meal, I keep my eyes open to see her walk into the Great Hall, but every day is just another day that passes with me seeing Nelson alone at the end of the table with her nose in a book.
I guess they have that in common since Griffin is obsessed with books too. Not that I've noticed her love of books at all…That's not something a Malfoy would notice. I do have a reputation to uphold after all.
I huff in annoyance and close the book to start walking to the Great Hall since dinner would be starting soon. As I walk to the Great Hall, I notice a student being consoled by their friends while they look at the writing on her hand. Over the past few weeks, I've noticed the marks on certain student's arms that Umbridge has deemed insubordinate and defiant like Potter, but I haven't known any of them personally so I have ignored it. I have gotten many letters from my father demanding I get close to her as she is an ideal candidate for recruitment if she continues to prove she is not afraid of dishing out punishment.
Striding into the Great Hall, I make my way past a group of Slytherin girls whispering to themselves. When they see me, they stop to flutter their eyelashes at me which I reward with my signature smirk. They giggle and go back to talking, but have most likely changed the topic to me. Girls like this don't phase me after all these years. Since I've turned 16, I focus more on gaining more loyal friends who look up to me as a leader like my father wants. I have to keep father happy at all costs.
Although, if a certain green eyed witch gave me the time of day, I would make an exception and deviate from that task a little bit.
Sitting down, Crabbe and Goyle immediately gather around me and start filling me in on the details of the day that I missed. Those two were always somewhere close so they could keep me informed. Other fellow Slytherins come to take a seat, but soon our attention is drawn to two female voices outside the Great Hall. I stand with Crabbe and Goyle and follow them to see what all the fuss is about.
"Not at all Dolores. Merely your medieval methods."
Just as I hear this, I notice a flash of brown hair to my right and look to see Griffin standing next to that Nelson girl. After hearing McGonagall refer to Umbridge's methods in detention, I see her rub her arm with a slightly pained face.
Was she one of the ones Umbridge tortured in detention?
"I'm sorry dear, but to question my practices is to question the Ministry and by extension, the Minister himself. I am a tolerant woman, but the one thing I will not stand for is disloyalty."
McGonagall takes a step down as if in shock before continuing to repeat the word disloyalty in disbelief. Umbridge steps up one more step before speaking again to all of the students that have gathered now in the hallway.
"Things at Hogwarts are far worse than I feared. Cornelius will want to take immediate action."
She stands there for a moment more before raising her chin and walking up the stairs presumably to her office to call the Minister. McGonagall turns to look at all of us and stands for a moment just scanning the crowd in front of her. My eyes flit over to my right again and see Nelson has disappeared and Griffin is walking the opposite direction of the Great Hall. I faintly hear McGonagall barking out an order for students to return to their meal while I rush to push through the crowd of students to follow Griffin.
You're not getting away this time.
After following her for a few minutes, I see her skirt around the last corner before stalling in the middle of the hallway with her shoulders slightly raised. I take a few steps back and hide behind the wall to see what she will do next. As she stands there with shocking stiffness, I realize this is the hallway I lost her in six weeks ago.
I hear her let out a quiet sniffle that slightly shakes her shoulders and then hear an even quieter no escape her mouth. Suddenly, I hear and see a door being formed out of nowhere on her left. Once the door is done forming, she races to open the door and rushes through it. It closes with a quiet click and I quietly walk to get in front of the door. With my mouth slightly open, I realize why I couldn't find her that day after DADA class.
The little minx found the Room of Requirement.
Shaking my head slightly with pride, I get over the shock of my discovery and realize now is the perfect time to get answers from my mysterious witch that has filled my head for the past few weeks. Now that I know she was one of Umbridge's chosen students for torture, I want even more answers. The thought of how I should torture and end Dolores Umbridge, of course, didn't cross my mind at all.
Keeping in mind the rules of the Room of Requirement from stories my mother use to tell me, I focus on what I want to be in the room. I focus on her green eyes, her captivating smirk, and the sight of her rubbing her arm a few moments ago. I take the few steps to the door and open the door that holds all of my question's answers. What I see behind that door, however, just adds to the questions I had.
Where am I?
After surveying the room for a few moments, I hear a loud SNAPand quickly dart my eyes over to my left. Green eyes meet my blue ones. The green eyes that have haunted my dreams every night since I got back to Hogwarts are finally looking at mine again, yet now I have to second guess my theory about who or whatthose mysterious eyes belong to…
After hearing Umbridge give that speech about her practices, I feel like my arm is on fire. It almost feels like it's happening all over again. Rushing out of the hallway in the opposite direction of the Great Hall, I make my way quickly to the Room of Requirement. I keep my eyes down knowing my eyes are flashing as my Animagus is fighting for control. The only answer I have been able to find in the books I've read in the past few weeks to explain my eyes is that rare magic has a certain level of unexplainable power to it. In my case, my eyes are a display of my powers being heightened due to my emotions which causes the rainbow flash. If I didn't retreat and shift into my Animagus form every time my strong emotions flared up, I would be able to harness an overwhelming amount of power and use it my advantage.
You would be able to be powerful enough to complete your task if you stopped running like a coward.
I suddenly freeze in the middle of the hallway right outside one of the entrances to the Room of Requirement. I feel my emotions start to get the best of me and I know I should stay human so I can face the thoughts running through my mind about how Cedric's pain must have been quicker than the torture Umbridge bestowed on me a week ago, but I know it's easier to shift into my Animagus. I can be brave and deal with these negative emotions, right?
A tear runs down my face as I hear myself sniffle and feel my shoulders shake slightly from the force of the light sniffle. I let out a quiet no and realize I'm not strong enough yet to deal with these emotions because they're not just about my detention or Cedric's death. They're about my destiny.
Finally, the stone doors appear and welcome me with open arms as I quickly turn and run inside. The door softly clicks behind me and, knowing I'm safe, I shift into my Animagus form. I take refuge under my tree that shields me from the rest of the room and feel the comfort of the simple thoughts that come with this form. There's nothing that fills my mind other than the sounds of the birds quietly chirping around me and the door closing.
Wait, door closing?
I lift my head that was resting on the grass and take a cautious sniff. I smell the natural scent of the forest and flowers that surround me. I even smell some of the animals I know are in the room somewhere, but what I don't expect to smell is him. I stand up quickly and realize he was able to find me.
He followed me when I had my guard down. I was trained to be more cautious! This is why Dumbledore says to never let emotion get too out of hand.
I hear his feet walking slowly on the grass as I start to walk towards the sound of him. Soon, I'm peeking through the leaves of the weeping willow tree I'm shaded by and see him looking around in wonder. I take another step forward to get a closer look and my hoof steps on a branch with a loud SNAP.
His eyes snap up and meet mine through the branches. I know he can see me in my Animagus form as the weeping willow doesn't fully reach the ground and has gaps in its branches, but I just stand there in shock. It isn't long before he puts two and two together. He wasn't meant to find out who I was at all, let alone that I was the doe in the forest by Malfoy Manor.
Dumbledore is going to murder me.
Blue meets green and I know there isn't much time left before he figures out the truth…But at the same time I find myself asking myself a question.
Would it be so bad if he knew?