I SPY || 𝕝𝕦𝕔𝕚𝕦𝕤 𝕞𝕒𝕝𝕗𝕠𝕪

Chapter 12. Shattered

Lucius left not long after his and Astrid's steamy afternoon in bed, matters at the manor to attend to, which Astrid understood. As Astrid still undressed, wrapped up in crumpled green sheets a pit had grown in her stomach as she thought of the wife that waited for Lucius in their big house. Even though Lucius had assured her that he and his wife were Husband and Wife on paper only it still didn't erase the guilty feeling that sprung up inside her, no matter what she told herself, she was still 'the other woman', a home wrecker. She imagined how he would greet his wife when he got home, was it a nod, a simple hello, an embrace, a kiss? Astrid knew very little of Mrs Malfoy, Draco's mother, she imagined what she could look like, pale perhaps, with white blonde hair like her husband and son.

Astrid was pulled out of her train of thought by a tapping at her window, a white snowy owl perched a ledge by a window at the bottom of the stairs. With a groan Astrid pulled her aching legs from the bed, wrapping the green sheet securely around herself she hobbled down the steps, her legs quivering with each one.

She opened the window, the cold winds pushing their way through and hitting her skin like tiny knives, her skin covered with goosebumps instantly.

"Thank you," She whispered to the owl, giving it a little scratch on the noggin and taking its letter. Without any hesitation she pulled the window shut, fighting against the wind to latch it closed.

Astrid strolled over to her desk as she opened the letter, which only contained a small piece of parchment, it read:

Professor Moody.

Seventh floor, left corridor, opposite the tapestry.

Tomorrow 4pm.

HP

"That was quickly done, good job Mr Potter," Astrid smiled to herself as she stashed the parchment to the bottom of her desk drawer.

______________

The next day Astrid checked her watch, 3:55pm, she had found the corridor in the note, and the tapestry too, but there was still no sign of anybody. Sundays always seemed to make the castle feel so empty and cold, no students roamed the halls, they were all in their common rooms, the library, or in the grounds.

Astrid took the extra time to study the tapestry before her, it was rather amusing, a depiction of Barnabus the Barny teaching trolls ballet, Astrid wasn't aware of any significance to the piece, it certainly wasn't mentioned in any of her history books, it was amusing to look at though.

"Professor," Harry greeted the young woman, causing her to jolt slightly.

"Mr Potter, I got your message, this is the right place, but I see no... location?" Astrid asked quizzically, looking around.

"It's right there," Harry smiled pointing at a blank stone wall, "Neville found it, it's quite amazing actually, look here," Harry approached the wall, and out of nowhere dust and mortar began to shake and fall from the stonework. An intricate stone pattern began to shape itself into the wall, like vines up and down, followed by iron bars, recreating the swirling vine shapes. Before Astrid knew it a large beautiful door had appeared before her on the castle wall, seemingly out of nowhere.

"It's the Room of Requirement," Hermione chimed in as her and Ron approached from the end of the corridor. "When you have a real need for something, it shows itself, fully equipped with what you need,"

"So, if I was desperate for the toilet, it would become a restroom?" Astrid wondered aloud, bemused by the idea.

"That's what I said!" Ron laughed, pointing at himself goofily. Hermione rolled her eyes at the ginger boy and stepped forward pressing on the door, pushing it open.