The Devil's In The Details

Chapter Ten

The halls were dark and thankfully empty as Kaerim headed off towards the dungeons. He took the longer route, to ensure he wouldn't run into the hordes of students returning to their Slytherin and Hufflepuff common rooms. It would add plenty of time to his excursion, enough for his absence to surely be noted, but if he could avoid being seen not in Gryffindor tower, it would be worth it. There was more wiggle room for excuses if no one had witnessed his galavanting. He supposed he could use his Cloak, but he could honestly use the extra 'me time'.

The flagstones absorbed the sound of his steps and the warmth from the corridor. It was barely September, but the chill was already creeping in. As Kaerim passed, the braziers would blaze before flickering out when he slipped into the next hallway. The stairways seemed to understand where he was headed and moved accordingly. And by that he means that they moved in the least helpful ways, adding time to his already longer voyage.

He couldn't say that he minded too much without being in danger of sounding hypocritical, but he couldn't help the impatience that would flood his chest when the stone steps would begin to move when he'd only partly descended them.

When Kaerim finally arrived in the dungeons, he was mildly regretting all of the exercise he had given himself after eating so much food that his body was already labouring over trying to digest.

"Hurry up!" a shrill adolescent's voice carried around the corner of the hall from a ways away. "Snape'll wring us by our toes!" their voice cracked with breathless dread.

Kaerim turned in a circle, his robes swishing about his ankles. He knew from experience that Snape kept all these spare rooms locked. The bare stone walls also didn't provide anything to hide behind.

Kaerim groaned softly, "shit ." He steepled his fingers into his forehead trying to think over the drumming in his head. He put his non-prescription glasses in the inner pocket of his robe and pulled his hair loose over his eyes, covering his scar. Assuming by the sound of their voice and the sound of their steps the Slytherins were small, maybe second years? He was going in the opposite direction of the Slytherin common room, but it would be highly suspicious for a Hufflepuff to be in this area of the dungeons...

He sighed, already regretting the decision that he was barely consciously aware could be an option. If Ron could see him now. He pulled out his wand and flicked it in the direction of his tie, changing the colours from Gryffindor red and gold, to Slytherin green and silver. Lovely. Treason.

Kaerim kept his head up, looking just over the smaller pair of Slytherins, not looking either in the face. He felt them staring up at him, but he kept moving forward, embodying the most arrogant strut he could manage. When the duo was well and truly out of his figurative rear-view mirror, and what they had thought to be out of his ear-shot, which was probably a fair assumption for a human, one of them muttered to their friend, "What a dick ! I forgot how stuck up the upper years are..." they trailed off, shooting a look at Kaerim's rapidly retreating back.

As Kaerim rounded the corner out of sight he sighed loudly. Treason does wonders apparently, he can see why it's so popular. He slumped his shoulders to their usual atrocious posture and continued down the corridor. He thankfully arrived at the kitchens in one piece, his dignity notwithstanding, but he supposed if it worked, the how shouldn't be thought about too much.

"Master Harry Potter, Sir! Dobby is so happy to sees you, Sir!!" a small elf bound up to Kaerim, shaking his hand vigorously, his ears wagging with the force. Kaerim met the glowing tennis ball eyes of his young friend.

"Hello, Dobby,"

"Dobby! Steps aways!"

Dobby turned to face the Elder who had spoken so energetically that the corner of his large ears slapped against Kaerim's knees.