A/N: I know time seems to be going by quickly now but honestly if I went day by day this story would go on forever. Also without feedback I can only guess as to how readers are reacting, I don't know what you'd like to see more of so I will just continue on until I hear different then.
To say I became a little obsessive about my new project was putting it lightly. Not only was I religiously studying the books spending an obscene amount of time in the Library but I could do more thing to parchment now then most students could ever dream of. This included a nifty charm that complete my homework in my writing as I verbalized the answers. To say that cut down on school work time was a vast understatement. I was living and breathing what I was going to dub Lizzie's Map, and it seemed that an odd assortment of people were becoming concerned with my eating habits and the hours I spent pouring over books in the Library.
Shrugging off my robes I sit in my regular seat, a back table which was just beside the Restricted Section. Not many people bothered to come back here and I had managed to slip in undetected by Madam Pince a few times but ultimately the Restricted Section didn't have anything I needed so I had ceased in my rebellion. In what world was a rope a good security measure? Really especially with an again librarian who made more frequent trips to the washroom this year then any other year I had been here. She must have a nervous bladder.
I pull down my tie loosening it and undoing a few of my top buttons, it had been a stressful day and all I wanted to do was sleep yet at the same time I also needed to finish this. About have a dozen duplicated parchments with the castles layout sat hidden under one of the thicker books waiting to be charmed. If I was lucky I would have this done tonight and we'd all be a little safer when setting out to do our rebellious activities, it's now that I realized how much easier it would have been to do much of anything at the beginning of the year had I had Harry's map. Now I'd have my own version, it didn't have sentimental value but it would work. It had to. Ginny had wanted to help but when she offered I had sent her away, a bit too coolly maybe but I think she understood being seen together wasn't one of the greatest ideas in the world. She was torn up about Luna still, and that showed everyday as she would look up at meals searching the Ravenclaw table for her friend.
"Victoria, I really must insist you accompany me down to dinner." a familiar voice drawls from nearby, I feel my shoulder tense as I look up through my lashes and bangs to see Draco leaning against the nearest bookcase, his arms crossed and a smirk across his features. The expression alone was alarming, I hadn't seen that look for awhile.
"Not hungry, can't you see I'm busy?" I ask as he approaches the table pulling out the chair from across me, sitting down. I hadn't been talking to him much especially after the incident with Neville he had seen my face and I'm sure it was only a matter of time before he figured something out. I had also been avoiding him because I didn't want to see him, feelings that had once made me warm and fuzzy now vanished when I'd see him glaring down at younger students or walking along with Crabbe and Goyle, the pins in needles of being drenched in a cold bucket of water now replaced those pleasant feelings and I wanted nothing more then to hit him.
"Yes I can see that, however, what are you busy with, I know that 'Parchment, & 101 Ways to Charm It' has nothing to do with our course work."
"Well spotted, one could assume I was not doing course work then couldn't they?" I ask rhetorically feeling slightly annoyed with the blonde in front of me. I didn't care how long he sat here I wasn't planning on going to dinner I could easily find my way to the Kitchens later if I finished up like I had hoped, I also could continue with him watching me though.
"You have taken on a side project?"
"I thought that much was obvious."
"What are you doing?"
"I don't see how that's anyone's business but my own unfortunately. You should get going, dinner is going to start momentarily." I remind him watching as he sets the book down before folding his hands infront of him and leaning forward.
"Do you need any-" His eyes widen as he looks down, I stare at him confused and look behind him not seeing anyone behind that could have jinxed him. So why was he staring at my...
"Where did you get that?" he asks harshly pointing, I grasp at my necklace before shoving it back into my blouse silently cursing myself for still wearing it.
"It's just a necklace Malfoy, calm down"
His eyes narrow and he sticks his hand out towards me palm out, "Let me see it," he demands, "if it's 'just a necklace' you shouldn't have any trouble handing it over then"
"It is just a necklace and I don't have problems handing it over, I have problems having to hand over personal property just because you're having a fit." I retort rolling my eyes in what I hope was an annoyed manner, I could feel myself heating up and quickly work to grab all of the books that I had on the table and shove them into my school bag.
"Come on, let's go get dinner. That was your main goal was it not? You've successfully annoyed me out of the Library, let's go" I urge pulling my robes back on and tightening my tie around my neck. Out of all the things to happen tonight I had to deal with this, I really didn't want to sit up in my dorm and work on this tonight but it looked like I was going to have to.
I move to walk still noticing the absence of person beside me and turn to see him still sitting in his chair, almost frozen.
"Malfoy!" I bark,"let's go, Christ almighty, don't spaz out over a necklace you big dolt!"
He shakes his head for a moment before looking up at me with wide eyes, "Lizzie?"
Fuck.
"No, Vic-torrr-ria" I correct stretching out the name hoping that he couldn't hear my heart pounding in my chest. The last thing I needed was for him- Draco Malfoy- of all people to know who I really was. That just wouldn't be good. At all. I had trusted him at one point, I really had but at this point in my life there were only about 7 people I would trust further then I could throw them.
He stands up and squints at me circling me like a vulture, "No, I think I am right. You look very similar to her, your eyes are a different color, your nose is a little different same as your hair" he continues to mumble to himself as I stand there letting him get his fill. What on earth was I going to do, denying it would only work for so long if he truly believed... Could I hide? Surly if I hide somewhere Severus could make something up about sending me home? Or would that only work for the students, if Voldemort heard that would sound fishy and then if he knew I left because I was suspected to be...
Who's fucking brilliant idea was it for me to hide in plain sight that is what I want to know!
"You've gone loopy Malfoy, so that's the mystery girl then? Elizabeth Potter? Tell me is she just as pathetic as her brother then?"
"Let me see that necklace Victoria" he snaps reaching out for my neck, batting his hands away I step forward bringing us nose to nose.
"It's not smart to manhandle the Headmaster's daughter Malfoy, your fascination with my jewelry is quite interesting though. Shall I keep that in mind for future gifts? Perhaps you'd like a pretty necklace as well?" I taunt.
"You're on thin ice, Potter"
"I know you wish I was her Malfoy but I'm not. Just because you think something is true doesn't mean it is, now I kindly ask that you stop referring to me as Potter as that is not my name. People may get the wrong idea yeah? Think you have sort of fetish. I don't want people to think I'm like her at all, I'm sure she was just a weak little girl, probably hiding in a forest somewhere with that pathetic brother of hers waiting for the war to be over." I say coolly watching as his expression doesn't change at all.
"Or she's hiding in plain sight, standing in the Library trying to convince me that it's not really her."
"You must have been dropped as a child, you really think they'd let the Golden Boy's sister walk around Hogwarts? What are they going to do Glamour her?" I ask keeping the nervousness out of my voice, yeah good job Lizzie tell him exactly how you've been surviving the year. Why don't you just add in the bit about the Potion to you idiot.
"Is that what you've been doing?"
"I don't have time for your pipe dreams, Malfoy. I'm not your little girlfriend, now excuse me I have to get some dinner before it's all gone." I hiss stalking away as quickly as I could praying I didn't start hyperventilating until after I got up to my room.
Smiling down at the parchment I watch as labeled dots come to the surface, with a smirk of my own I add one more charm followed by a list of names I had compiled a few days ago. Like promised the names read glowed a menacing red, red for enemies. I almost laugh gleefully as the dot labeled Pansy Parkinson walked through the dungon with Blaise Zabini and Draco Malfoy, the red colored names shone brightly in the dark as the rest of the names glowed a soft blue, the outlines of Hogwarts just a bright enough white to make out. It had always been a problem for us to use the Marauder's Map in the dark so I had set to fix that. In the light it looked like normal parchment and would act the same way only without a luminous quality.
I had two maps set aside to hand to Neville and Ginny the following morning, the rest I would roll up and put in my bag in case I found someone who needed them. For now I didn't need people to see them since my actual name was the one that was shown. I didn't need someone freaking out when they saw Elizabeth Potter walking around Hogwarts.
With them impending doom of Malfoy breathing down my back I take this moment to put a change of clothes, the extra maps, some extra toiletries and the potion I had received for Christmas in a cloth bag I had transfigured from an old shirt and shrink the bag putting it into the pocket of my robes so I could be ready at a moments notice. Easter break wasn't far off now and hopefully that would get Malfoy out of the castle. The switch between Draco and Malfoy had been a quick one as my tolerance for him diminished and my annoyance grew, for now he was back to being Malfoy and he'd stay that way.
I didn't know exactly where I would run if I needed too, I had some ideas though.
Tapping my wand on the surface of the parchment I whisper 'Hogwarts rebellion', watching the ink disappear before folding the parchment and putting it in my jumper pocket.
"Finished your project then?" Lisa asks, I jump slightly forgetting that she was there to begin with. Hopefully she didn't think much of my little survival kit and me talking to a piece of parchment.
"Uhh yeah" I stammer, moving back towards my bed and crawling in as she does the same.
"Padma is downstairs with Terry, apparently she needs help with Charms," she rolls her eyes, "She has a higher mark then he does I'm sure. I don't know who they're trying to fool."
"Well in such a stressful time, it's nice they can find comfort in each other" I shrug crawling in under my covers leaving the hangings open for the first time since I arrived. It felt nice to talk like this, it reminded me of the whispered conversations Hermione and I would have sometimes at night throughout the years... Hermione. Poor Hermione, I can't believe she was alone with them, Harry and Ron I mean, I felt sorry for the amount of testosterone that she had to deal with on a daily basis. I missed Hermione almost as much as Harry, she was like a sister, but I was thankful for Lisa at this point where she had stepped in unknowingly filling a void.
"I suppose, I wish Anthony would get his head out of his arse and ask me out though" she mutter after a moment, waving her wand to turn out the light. I bite my lip trying to hold back my laughter before a small giggle erupts. Lisa snorts through the darkness, "It's true though, you'd think a little danger would get his blood running. Maybe I should start sticking around him more, maybe I'll be the first thing he clings to at any sigh of danger."
"After he wets his pants you mean?" I ask between giggles. Lisa joins in a moment later her own laughter joining with mine. It felt good to laugh and it was probably because of all the stress that we were laughing so much, finding the whole situation a lot funnier then it actually was. "I could blow something up around him if you want?" I offer only making her laugh louder, a moment later a thump sounds through the room and I knew she'd fallen off of the bed.
I see light from the staircase stream in as the door opens reveling a very confused Padma.
"What on earth-"
"Anthony-pee-explosion! Victoria-SO FUNNY!"
I sit up in my bed only long enough to shrug before flopping back down, "She's crazy, I have no idea what she's going on about."