DISGUISED INTENTIONS
V
When Pebble and Tom got to the Great Hall everyone was already there waiting for them, Pebble turned to Tom Riddle and whispered, "We're not late are we?"
"We're right on time." replied Tom while looking straight ahead.
As soon as the two joined the rest of the prefects infront of the big Great Hall doors, Nazar spoke immediately, "Alright, now that we're all here, we better get going to our floors. Be sure to be back here by eleven. And if you see anything suspicious, then report it at the end of your patrols." said Nazar before walking away with another fifth year Gryffindor prefect.
Pebble watched as the rest of the prefects leave while she and Patrick Lynch stood looking at each other. He smiled and said, "Shall we get going, we do have the second floor to cover, and from experience checking that floor would take more than an hour."
Pebble smiled, "Lead the way."
Patrick Lynch was masculine, just by looking at it, Pebble knew that the bulges that formed Lynch's arm were firm and strong. He was charming just like Gilroy, influencial just like Riddle and a Gryffindor who hates all Slytherin just like Nazar. With this thought Pebble's perception of Patrick Lynch has suddenly changed, with one thought, Pebble suddenly hated Patrick.
"I heard about Beatrice's little experiment." said Patrick, then he laughed, "It was such a shame I wasn't there, I would have loved to see that."
"Yeah it was quite funny to watch." Pebble said, her voice lacking humour.
Patrick sensed her aloofness but brushed it away, instead he walked beside her, "How do you like being a prefect so far?"
"It's fine." Pebble said, she then swiftly turned to face Patrick, "Although I think that patrolling during these hours are senseless. I mean what exactly are we looking for?" her voice suddenly soured from plain to angry.
"I though about the same thing when I became a prefect. Mostly there's nothing to find but in some days some creatures from the Forbidden Forest wander off to the castle." he said calmly, "Some can be as harmless as a rabbit but Headmaster Dippet has warned us about the possibilities of werewolves in the castle."
Although Pebble was alarmed by the thought of werewolves in the castle, she pretended to ignore Patrick's words, "Hmmm.." she pretended to listen.
"Have I done something?" he asked then chuckled, "How could I have done something when we only just started talking to each other tonight." he looked confuse.
"Why are you talking to me?!" Pebble finally burst.
Patrick's brows clashed and said almost mockingly, "Can I not talk to you?"
"You're a Gryffindor, I'm a Slytherin. We're suppose to hate each other." Pebble said as she stomped her feet climbing a flight of stairs
Patrick Lynch let out a burst of laughter, he stopped momentarily and clutched his belly before standing upright again. Then he spoke while still holding his laughter, from the top of the stairs Pebble watch him push out words from his mouth, "I don't understand how you Slytherins think."
"YOU SLYTHERINS!!??" shouted Pebble, her voice bouncing against the walls, she paced towards him filled with anger and to his surprise he found himself dumbfounded with fear, "Are you implying that we're mediocre, indifferent and inferior, perhaps even moronic, primitive and somewhat are fabricated to think of only superficial and contemptible thoughts and ideas?" she said so fast that she had to inhale furiously.
"No-." blurted Patrick Lynch.
"And just to add to your evidently limited knowledge, collectively Slytherins has the most intelligent and resourceful people in this school, and although we could be deleterious at times we, Slytherins, are genuine, we do not mask what we feel- we say sound it out like any honest person should."
"I've clearly hurt your pride." said Patrick Lynch after taking a big gulp of air.
"Clearly is an understatement." Pebble said as she rolled her eyes and proudly walked away.
"Im sorry."
"And so you should." she replied, hearing his footsteps behind hers.
"I really am sorry, but you have misunderstood me." Patrick said but when he saw Pebble's fury come back he quickly corrected himself, "I meant to say, my delivery was wrong which was what caused your misunderstanding."
Pebble smiled at him, and immediately forgave him. Patrick continued when he saw her wrath lifted, "What I was meant to say before was: just because you're in Slytherin and I'm in Gryffindor doesn't mean we have to hate each other."
Pebble lifted a brow and crossed her arms indicating her willingness to hear his argument, "Look, Headmaster Dippet has strictly told us to find ways to encourage unity between houses, how can we overlook our differences if we don't try to atleast communicate."
"So you're only following orders?" scoffed Pebble.
Patrick chuckled, "You are so hard to satisfy."
"And its so easy for you to be thrown off the edge ." laughed Pebble, "But I must admit, I do admire your assertiveness." she admitted.
"And I admire your ability to continue an argument." joked Patrick.
"It's a talent."
"You really did give me a scare. For the first time, when I saw you walking towards me, I felt my soul jump out of me."
Pebble laughed, "The almighty Gryffindor, Patrick Lynch frightened almost to death by a mere fifth year?"
"I admit it, I was frightened…" chuckled Patrick, he then looked at her with a beaming smile, "So I suppose I could call you a friend now?"
"Woah… Gryffindor, not so fast." Pebble said as she stepped back and placed her hands infront of her as to push him away, "One must spend time with another, getting to know their likes, dislikes, their habits and nature in order for one to call another a friend. In other words, it takes time."
"I'm willing to invest my time."
Pebble's eyes beamed with joy, "I like you, you're persistent."
**
Pebble Grimshaw and Patrick Lynch started making their way back as the minutes approached eleven. They talked animatedly, ignoring the resting paintings they disturbed and as they reached the moving staircases, they saw both Tom Riddle and a 6th year Hufflepuff descending from fourth floor.
"We should probably wait for them." said Patrick before stepping on the staircase.
"I'd rather if we leave." blurted Pebble. Although she and Tom Riddle had already come to a somewhat neutral understanding that night, she didn't want to be in such close proximity with him which would allow him to question her about his offer. Pebble's voice must have been so soft that Patrick did not hear it, because before she could step forward, he yelled out, "Riddle, Smith!" his voice echoing throughout the whole castle, there was no doubt, that with those two words Patrick had woken every single painting in each floors.
Tom Riddle and the 6th year Hufflepuff, Olga Smith looked surprise not because of the words that came from Patrick but because of the noise that seemed to have come from the third floor. Pebble and Patrick looked at each other, they too looked surprise, "Did you hear that?" they asked in unison.
Olga Smith's gaze drifted from the third floor door to Patrick Lynch as if asking him of what to do. Suddenly Pebble felt a chilly breeze, she felt the hair on the back of her neck rise and the muscles in her body shiver. She looked at Tom Riddle who was looking intently at the entry to the third floor, Pebble followed his gaze, her eyes tearing from straining. The darkness of the castle just seemed to lift momentarily to show the shadow of a three headed creature. Without thinking Pebble ran for the staircase leading to the third floor, Patrick Lynch, Tom Riddle and Olga Smith followed her. She didn't know if they saw it, but from what she saw, it was big, it had three heads and she felt that it was something to be frightened about.
"Pebble!" yelled Patrick as he ran behind her, "What did you see?"
"I don't know!" shouted Pebble back, although she could not see where the thing had gone, she could feel it, its warmth radiating so strongly infront of her.
"It's a Runespoor." said Tom Riddle confidently as he too ran after Pebble.
"A Runespoor!? What's a Runespoor doing in Hogwarts?"
"Stop!" shouted Pebble.
All of them suddenly came to a halt. They all looked at Pebble, Patrick and Olga looked confused but Tom Riddle seemed to be thinking the same thing she was. She couldn't feel it anymore, it suspiciously disappeared, "What's wrong?" asked Olga.
"Its gone." stated Pebble as she looked at Olga with wide eyes.
"That's good."
"No its not." said Tom Riddle as he walked forward, "Its hiding."
"How can you tell?" asked Olga.
"Can't you feel it?" replied Pebble innocently.
Olga suddenly gave her a twisted look and said, "I'm going to get Headmaster Dippet."
"No!" burst Pebble, "You have to stay, we all have to stay together." she then turned to Patrick and asked, "Whose patrolling this floor tonight?"
"James Parker and Elizabeth Bellazia." Answered Patrick.
"We have to find them! If they don't know that that thing is there, they could be in serious trouble!" shouted Pebble.
"Quite." suddenly interrupted Tom Riddle, he placed his ear against the walls and listened attentively, "We're close, there's more than one of them." He whispered as if to stay hidden.
"More than one?" asked Olga, her voice shaking as she whispered the words.
Like magnet to metal, Pebble's ear abruptly attached itself against the wall, she mimicked Tom and heard more than hissing, she heard a voice, a voice that was quickly drowning away. Her eyes widened as she announced, "Elizabeth…" without waiting she found herself again running in the long corridor. She knew that's she was running but she felt like she wasn't going anywhere because the long corridor just seemed to keep growing and growing but when she saw Tom Riddles face, she somewhat came back and suddenly all that there was at the end of the long corridor was a door and behind were unlimited possibilities involving dangerous three headed Runespoors and a helpless Elizabeth. Without waiting another second, Pebble's shaking hands found the doorknob, quickly twisted it and kicked it open. The pounding in her chest seemed to suddenly stop when she saw the swamp of slithering Runespoors surrounding the room, there were no words to describe how it was. To Pebble it was just a swamp, a swamp of disgusting and slimy newly born snakes, which seemed to glittering and move like calm water. At the other end of the room was an unconscious James Parker and a distressed Elizabeth Bellazia.
"They're over there!" hissed Pebble as she tried to think of a way to get to her fellow prefects.
"Be quite or you'll distress the snakes." hushed Tom Riddle, "They're newly born, their venom has not yet developed, although their bites might sting, its not deadly."
"What should we do? I have never dealt with such creatures before." Asked Patrick.
"It would be most wise if we levitated Parker and Bellazia out from there, build a barrier around the room and immediately report our findings to the Headmaster." Replied Tom, "You and the Smith should leave and get the Headmaster, Grimshaw and I will take care of everything else."
"I should stay here with you." argued Patrick, "I'm a man, more capable." He added but as soon as those three words scaped his lips both Olga and Pebble threw him questioning looks.
"I will stay with Riddle, I know exactly what to do." Defended Pebble, "I can correctly say that there are no other Runespoors anywhere else in the castle, therefore you won't need to worry. Just get the Headmaster." Commanded Pebble.
"It is I who should stay."
"Lynch!" shouted Olga, "Will you desist!? We're trying to save our friends not win the battle of the sexes!" Pebble looked at the Hufflepuff with a thankful expression. Olga then held on to Patrick Lynch's arm and dragged him out of the room.
Tom Riddle and Pebble Grimshaw looked at each other and from the moment their eyes met they knew what they both had to do. Pebble looked at Elizabeth who was in return pleading to her for help, "Are you alright?"
"Yes, but Parker is unconscious, you should probably get him out first." Elizabeth replied.
As if taking Elizabeth's words as a signal, Pebble drew her wand out and softly chanted words and as if being lifted by a rope, James Parker was smoothly pulled out of the swamp of snakes, his uncounscious body floated above Elizabeth's to be beside Pebble.
"Is he still breathing?" asked Tom.
Pebble looked at him questioningly, thinking of how she could possibly check Parker's breathing, then like lightning that hit the earth, it came to her. With one swift move Pebble kneeled next to her fellow Slytherin, she placed her ear on his chest and heard his steady yet slow heartbeat, "His fine, but he needs to be treated soon." Pebble blurted.
"You better get Bellazia out while I start to build a barrier." Tom Riddle said as he walked away.
Pebble nodded as she once again raised her wand, chanted the spell and lifted Elizabeth out of the crowed of snakes, she smiled when she saw the Ravenclaw's fragile figure almost out of the danger, but as Elizabeth reached the middle of the pool of Runespoors, an eight foot long Runespoor landed angrily on Pebble's shoulder. Pebble shrieked, she tried to wriggle the snake away from her without causing Elizabeth to move from where she was, "Tom, Help!" she yelled as she felt a painful stinging sensation on her waist. Pebble saw and felt the burning furry in the hissing of the three heads. She saw the left head, the deadliest of the three, preparing of its attack, but before it could launch at her she heard Tom Riddle's calm voice and just like weightless feather, the Runespoor flew across the room hissing very angrily at the two Slytherins.
"Are you alright?" he asked as he placed his hand on her shoulder.
"I'm fine." She lied, "But I'd feel much better if we get out of this place."
"I'm almost done. Just take Bellazia and Parker out."
Pebble nodded as she placed Elizabeth Bellazia beside her, "Can you walk?" she asked.
Elizabeth nodded in reply, "Parker..." she muttered as she saw his figure whimpering on the floor, "He looks like he's been bitten."
Tom Riddle frantically turned to the two girls, "You mustn't move him," he commanded with haste, "if the venom circulates throughout his body, he'll turn into stone and there is no remedy in the world to cure him."
Suddenly he saw panic in Pebble's eyes, he watched her place her shaking hands on Elizabeth's shoulder and her voice trembled as she spoke, "Run to the Headmaster's office, you must hurry. Go now!" As soon as Elizabeth's figure disappeared behind the door, Pebble cautiously waved her wand to scoop the fellow Slytherin from the floor and onto thin air. She saw his figure stiffening, his skin slowly turning grey, "Don't move a muscle Parker or I'm going to have to immobilise you and I know how much you don't like that." she commanded smiling.
Before Pebble realised, they were already outside of the Runespoor infested room, she sighed in relief when she found Patrick, Olga, Elizabeth, the Headmaster and a few other professors running towards them, "Oh my dear children!" let out the Headmaster Dippet.
Pebble smiled when she saw wrinkles of worry etched across the Headmaster's forehead and the corners of his eyes. Tom Riddle soon joined the party, closing the door behind him with a loud thud, his face expressing satisfaction. Everything that seemed to happen after seeing Tom Riddle's face was a blur, all that occupied her mind was the stinging sensation on her waist that seemed to grow more and more painful as the minutes passed. She heard the Headmaster's bellowing voice, the nurse's worried tone, the echoing of her own footsteps as she left for the Slyhterin common room, trying to ignore the voice that crept so silently onto her shoulders, "You're going to die..."