𝒪𝒷𝓁𝒾𝓋𝒾𝒶𝓉𝒾𝑜𝓃 | 𝒟.𝑀.

17 | ﴾ It Wasn't Me ﴿

"How dare he? I'll kill him myself!" I could hear shouting in the abandoned wing after having taken a rather dusty nap in the potions fireplace. My eyes flickered opened and I coughed dryly on the black filmy dust all around me. I swallowed whatever saliva I had left to calm my throat, hoping the Malfoy's wouldn't hear me.

Narcissa's anxious voice became more obvious, "Well check them all then. You're sure she's in this area, Draco?" I heard a doorway down the hall opening and their voices faded inside. Shit. They were going to find me, Draco was going to find me and force me back into that awful position. I would have to kill him or myself before I could go back to that room.

I pushed myself up and twisted my head around in disgust as I'd stood straight into a spiderweb. I moved across the room and grabbed a sharp shard of a broken beaker from the table, standing backwards to do so with my bound hands. Then I scrambled back to the fireplace and shoved as far as I could into the corner, knowing I looked nothing short of a filthy, abandoned dog. The slate gray dress I was wearing added a welcome blend into my surroundings at least, but my bright golden hair would be a painful giveaway. I winced as the rough glass sliced into my fingers unforgivingly.

Their footsteps indicated they were back in the hallway again. I could see the glow of a lantern now through the square holes in the metal doorway to the potions room. "It doesn't work like that, mother. It's not an exact location, it's perhaps a one hundred foot radius at best," Draco was saying, clearly annoyed.

"Try this one then," she suggested, and I heard them open yet another doorway close by. The lantern light disappeared from the hallway beyond. I stood and bolted for the potions door and without hesitation I was back in the hallway. I ran lightly past the room they were speaking in as I could hear them arguing and calling my name. I turned backwards at the door they had just tried, pried it open, and slipped backwards inside of a pitch black room that reeked of moldy furniture. Perhaps there was a terrace door I could escape through.

The room was so poorly lit that I squinted for several seconds inadequately. I heard the adjacent doorway open again and Draco stomped his foot in the hallway, cursing. Narcissa hissed, "Compose yourself. Let's try the lab." They crossed the hallway to where I had just come from and a stab of revenge gave me satisfaction knowing that I was leading them in circles.

I backed around the edge of the room awkwardly tripping on furniture. I could hear an old grandfather clock ticking away in one corner without a care in the world. I located the curtains to a window and tugged them open as best as I could with my bound hands. There was no latch to open the window and I cursed under my breath. I decided to settle for hiding behind the large curtain that weighed an absolute ton. Then I realized that my feet were sticking out.

So I did what I'd done before and fell onto my butt directly in front of the fireplace, then skooched myself deep into the monstrous cave that it was, curling up into a ball and putting my head between my knees. The glass that was now up my sleeve was leaving blistering cuts deep into my skin with every movement and my arm felt soaked from the running blood.

A chill went down my spine when I realized that the room was filled with growing whispers. It was so unbelievably terrifying I felt lightheaded in the pitch black. It was as though a good fifteen people were in the dark corners of the room, watching me.

The door ripped open to the room and I dared not look up. "She has to have come this way, look, this soot wasn't here before. Madeleine dear, if you're in here please just come," Narcissa said in a warm tone. I could tell she was genuinely concerned, but also in disbelief at my lack of lady-like behavior.

I could feel the warm light of the lantern drifting around without even opening my eyes. The whispers grew to full blown voices and I bleakly pictured an entire cavalry out looking for me before I realized the room was filled with paintings.