Fifteen

Who in the world did he think he was!

Higurashi Kagome suddenly gave a loud huff, as she sharply turned on her heel. It had taken her a moment or two to collect herself, but, damn it, she was not going to let that insufferable git lose her just because he needed a lesson in personal space. After all, there was no telling how many different corners the snake could have disappeared around in order to lurk amongst the shadows.

Her shoes pounded against the stone beneath her feet, as she raced after the Slytherin Prince before he got too much of a lead on her. The Gryffindor girl was determined more than ever to find out what he was doing after his little stunt.

How dare he tell her what to do!

If Draco Malfoy thought that she was going to take his demand lying down, he certainly had another thing coming to him. Had he hit his head recently? He must have, for he was definitely in need of a reminder as to why she absolutely despised him for many of her early Hogwarts years!

Fury hot on her heels, Kagome was surprised when she turned a corner to find that she had found the Slytherin boy so easily. She supposed that she should not have been surprised, since it was obvious that even Draco Malfoy could have gotten lost within the maze that the Room of Requirement had created. It made sense that he would not stray entirely too far from where the door was located.

She halted almost immediately, watching him for a moment, as he muttered something under his breath and tapped his wand lightly against the wooden door to the cabinet settled neatly into what could have been a corner among the books that surrounded it. Her anger melted into curiosity the instant he yanked the door open, only to sigh loudly in disappointment.

Was he expecting something to appear within the cabinet? Or had he placed something inside? And, if he had placed something inside the cabinet, what was supposed to happen after he finished his incantation? Was it a summoning into the unknown? A gateway? What was on the other side? Or was it meant to lead him somewhere?

The questions began to pile higher and higher with each second that ticked by.

Kagome's feet carried her forward, as she blinked heavily at Draco's back. The Slytherin Prince did not even seem to notice her shadow as it fell over him, or the sound of her feet echoing into the quiet that surrounded them. The cabinet held his complete attention, and she immediately regretted the worry that swept through her mind.

This was not the time to be worrying about his health!

Not when she was so close to knowing what was dragging him so far down that he did not even seem to feel the need to eat. Not when she was so close to understanding what had been nagging at her since she first noticed how pale he was becoming with each passing day. Not when…

A loud sigh escaped her when she realized that she was only making herself worry more with each passing thought. There was absolutely no reason for her to worry over the Slytherin! He had made it his mission to torment her from the moment she so much as opened her mouth in his presence. Though, thinking back on it, she supposed that that could have just been because—

Her eyes widening, Higurashi Kagome came to the realization that she was actually attempting to justify the way the Malfoy boy had treated her for five long years. Her hand started to lift toward her temple in an attempt to rub away the headache that she was beginning to form with each new emotion that swept through her. Then, after a moment, she snapped, "You're so insufferable, did you know that?"

The boy stiffened considerably, as he growled, "I told you to leave."

She merely huffed in response.

His shifted somewhat, snapping his head in her direction. His cool gray eyes were filled with anger, narrowing upon the sight of her standing so close to him. Draco's lip lifted in a familiar sneer, before he snarled, "Get out of here!"

Kagome felt her mouth drop slightly. The shock immediately dissipated, her own anger sparking back to life, and she decided that it was finally time to tell the Slytherin where he could shove his demands.

Nobody pushed around Higurashi Kagome, especially not Draco freaking Malfoy!