Picking and Choosing (Tales of Hogwarts Romance) Chapter 2
(AN: I told you that I would make this one longer, have fun)
"I want to know what it is you're doing out of the dorms after hours." He said with a smug look on his face, as he stepped out from a doorway, into the torch illuminated hallway.
"Well, I was just on my way to go see professor McGonagall, I happen to have some information I need. Not to mention I need to tell her you're wandering about the castle."
"Oh, shut up, you seem smart enough to respect a Malfoy! you wouldn't tell...would you?"
"No. Now go away, I'm going to see the sorting hat."
"What do you mean? You can't go 'see the sorting hat' they put him up for the rest of the year" Draco Malfoy was now padding softly down the hallway, almost as if he was following Killious Enquirous. As he began to jog a little to keep up with her the thought hit him.
"I know, but he told me where they keep him and asked me to come see him." Illy replied, quickening her pace ever so slightly, before remembering that she was several inches taller than Draco, meaning her quick strides were a slow jog to him.
"Sure, and I'll just run back to the dorms and claim my throne as queen of the fairies." Malfoy gestured and sneered trying to take control of the situation.
"Ughhh, can't you just leave me alone, you annoying pain in my arse!" She said, even though she had now slowed down a bit, so that he could keep up with her. Draco took note of the gesture and smirked, he had gotten her to accommodate him, he was the important one gain.
"Fine, I'll go, but you owe me for this, I don't think that other's will be so sympathetic towards your odd choice of friends." Draco said before heading back towards the dorm, he tucked his hands into his pockets and smiled before turning around, at which point his smile disappeared and was swiftly replaced by a look of utter confusion.
It took only a little longer to reach professor McGonagall's office. Killious knocked on her door softly; almost afraid she would begin yelling, just as she had done so many times around Mr. and Mrs. Enquirus when they claimed that their daughter was receiving proper education at home.
"Yes, come in." Her stern and yet warm voice came from behind the door.
"Good evening Professor McGonagall," Illy began as she nodded her head in the Professor's direction, before taking a seat in front of her desk. "I was just going to tell you that the Sorting hat requested I visit him, he said to tell you he was on the fifth floor behind a picture of a bicycle and broom racing" McGonagall didn't look pleased, but she pursed her lips and nodded her head non-the-less. Illy quickly left the office and headed for the stairs, trying to be as silent as possible, Filch was Filch, even if you had legitimate business to be in restricted areas. When she reached the fifth floor Illy asked a painting of a very hairy dwarf if he knew which way the bicycle and broom was. The Dwarf just laughed a very wet laugh...
"Well little missy, you're on the wrong floor for that, that's on the seventh deary."
"But I was told it was on the fifth" Illy complained, becoming irritated with how long her errand was taking. "Oh, the room behind the painting is on the fifth floor, but to reach it, well all of it, you must head to the seventh."
Killious looked a bit puzzled but headed to the stairs again even so. As she finally reached the seventh floor, which ended up taking fifteen minutes due to the stairs complaints about being walked all over in the dead of night, and their consequent moving about. She decided that maybe someone in Gryffindor would be awake and could shed light on where the ever illusive painting was. The halls were now black, and all of the torches had been put out, but Illy trusted her extensive knowledge of the castle to find her way to the Gryffindor dorm. Just as she was beginning to get nervous about stumbling around in the dark, she noticed a faint light spilling out into the corridor around the corner from where she stood and illuminating the opposite wall. The light quickly dissipated as the doorway from which it was emanating was closed. Killious softly but promptly darted off in the direction of the light.
Just as she rounded the corner Illy collided with a pillar of human that dropped all of what it was holding, before stumbling forward to try and save whatever it was that had fallen, which in turn left Illy as a stumbling block. Whomever it was, they had fallen on top of Killious, who when she rebounded from the collision had landed face up on the ground, rubbing the back of her skull; for a split second he was still, but after recovering from the shock of running directly into another person in a supposedly deserted hallway, he was up trying to find the wand he hoped to use as a light source. Killious offered her wand, and stuttered out a "Sorry about that mate." In all honesty she had no idea if the person she had run into was male or female due to the cloak they had draped around them, but seeing as they were both dually hooded and sneaking about in the middle of the night on the first day of school, she decided it was best no to pry. The figure began rummaging about for it's possessions for a few moments, but after all of it's, whatever-they-were-'s were gathered up it stood to face Illy, or so she assumed. Both of them stood searching the darkness for some kind of sign as to what they had run into. Killious knew she was shorter than it, so it was either a very tall girl, a teacher, or an older male student, and she also noticed that it was solid, hard everywhere, so there was little chance it was female, because as far as she knew, there were no girls that tall and flat-chested in the whole of Hogwarts.
"No worries, but, if you don't mind my asking, what are you doing up here?" At first Killious was surprised by the sudden crack in the silence, but her mind went to work soon after, "I'm here to find a picture...well actually it's a door of sorts." She explained.
"Oh, well the fat lady is to your left" The voice was low and male, not sweet in the way honey voices were…
"No, not her, I know where she is; I'm looking for a picture of a bicycle racing a broom." Illy mentally scanned her catalogue of food words that coordinated with voices, she had almost decided,
"Well isn't that something, I might know where it is for the right price" She could tell that he was pleased now, and ready to bargain for information…toffee, his voice was like warm toffee, creamy, sweet, notable, and rich, but not excessive or overly powerful. The change in his tone lead her directly to the adjective, he sounded lighthearted now, not expensive and haunting like another boy she had, had a run in with that night. Killious sighed and prepared to haggle for what she wanted.
"Fine, what'll it be, money, every flavor beans, homework, what?" He snickered at her offers.
"No, I want something more valuable than that..."
"I'm not doing you any 'favors' if that's what your insinuating." She said taking a step back from where she was standing, making her notice just how close they must have been by the sudden rush of goose bumps up her spine when the warmth his body was producing faded.
"Nah, I'm not that desperate. How about you don't mention my sneaking about to no one and we'll call it even." He suggested in a tone that made him seem almost devoid of any thoughts that could be considered sexually impure…or extensively educated for that matter.
"Even if I wanted to tell someone I couldn't, as you may have noticed, neither one of us can see each other, so it's not like I can go tell professor McGonagall, whom I suspect is your house head, that some person whom I couldn't see was sneaking around somewhere on the seventh floor." As soon as the words left her mouth Killious realized just how daft she was, as she quickly clapped her hands around her mouth.
"You're right. Then I want something else."
"Well what is it? How about some Polly juice potion, I'm game for making some fresh, or giving you some of what I have if you prefer." The two of them had started walking in the direction of the fat lady by now and if there was any one in the halls to observe them, it would be easy to think that they were old friends, not random acquaintances trading information for illegal items.
"Nope, I'd rather make my own, so what house are you in?"
"Slytherin, what about muggle money?"
"That must suck, and no." He moved closer to where she was walking again, brushing her hand as he did so.
"It's not as bad a some imagine, the students aren't exactly a prize, but the common room is nice, not intimate or anything, but it feels natural for me. How about an invisibility charm?"
"Nah, I know the spell, and a friend who had a cloak. What year are you?"
"I'm a third year, what about yourself?"
"I'm a fourth, you play quidditch?"
"Not yet, but I think I can make the team if I try out. Oh, I know, I'll lend you my broom for a game!" She suggested, brushing his warm fingers again as she animatedly showed her excitement over the option.
"I'm on a team, and what kind of broom do you use?" He asked, seeming to take some interest at this point.
"A nimbus two thousand and one, my parents bought me a new one for my birthday."
"On second thought, nah, I can play without an expensive broom." Her hands fell to her side again and the pair stopped walking. They were now standing outside the Fat Lady's painting and he was about to say the password and leave her clueless as to where the picture was.
"Hog snout," he said to the picture, it began to open slowly, yawning the whole way.
"Colloportus!" The picture shut again and the boy turned to face Illy.
"Now what did you do that for, I'm gonna get caught." he snapped
"Because, I need to know where that picture is, now!"
"But you don't have a thing that I want in return for the info, so you're out of luck sweety." He said, awaiting her explanation impatiently. She racked her brain, scrambling for some kind of helpful idea, finally she decided.
Killious chewed softly on her lower lip before finalizing what she was about to do in her head, she stood on her tiptoes and used her hands to locate his face. She pulled him close before he could protest or question her, sending her own lips crashing into his. The impact was clumsy, and not the best start to a kiss she'd ever experienced, but it seemed to be working; he was in shock for a moment as she caught his lip with her teeth, making him gasp just enough to slip her tongue into his mouth. His lips were soft, almost creamy, and just as his voice sounded like toffee, even his mouth was sweet and distinct. After four or five second he let down his tense shoulders and relaxed into the kiss. His hands moved to her face, cupping her cheeks and rooting his fingers in the start of her hair. Killious moved her own hands to wrap them around his neck, suddenly he broke from the kiss, taking in a deep breath of fresh air. He pulled her closer to him again, both of them enjoying the spontaneity of the moment. She ran her teeth lightly across his tongue, and reached into his cloak to touch his hair, it was soft and a bit short for my liking but still felt like fine threads of silk as she ran her fingers through it. As she finished the kiss she could feel him mouth a small yet complimenting "wow." She let him catch his breath for a moment and whispered "Alohomor"to the painting. It didn't open but the spell to seal it was now cancelled.
"Hog snot...I mean snout." The boy finally said. He grabbed her hand and led her through the painting. "It's this way, just be quiet ok?" he spoke softly as they walked up the stairs to the boys' dormitory together. Illy noticed the painting at once and after explaining to the bicycle and broom, which apparently could speak, that she intended to visit the sorting hat, the painting's figures turned their race from west to east across the night time scenery to face her directly. At first she jumped back a bit, but the figures were limited by their painting as a person was limited by a brick wall, and they had only pushed the painting forward on it's hinges to reveal a dark, four foot, frame of a door. Inside the frame the passage way opened upwards to a seven or eight foot height and had a very narrow spiraling staircase inside that presented absolutely no light. The boy followed Killious down the stairs purely out of curiosity, almost tripping over her cloak twice, and apologizing through his laughs at her exaggerated squeals.
As she carefully made her way down two floors of stairs Killious was trying desperately to remember why she was here, changing houses was out of the question, she wouldn't give up that easily, in honesty she was just looking for someone to talk to. But, a notion like that seemed to be paltry for the trip it took to get here, not that the trip was a necessary disaster, but still she had put in quite a bit of effort just to talk to a hat. She tried her best to come up with something to ask the sorting hat, so that she didn't seem quite so desperate for companionship of some kind.
She reached the bottom of the staircase and through a barred window in the wall could see it...the sorting hat. She practically ran across the room and put the hat on.
Here so soon? I guess Slytherin wasn't all you'd hoped it could be. "No it wasn't, but I'll be fine there, I actually just wanted to ask you something." Killious glanced at the boy who was across the room from her, waiting, curiously, and hesitated a moment.
I see, what's on your mind? Do you want to know who that boy is? Is that it?...
(AN: Don't forget to R&R, -Richard S.)
