White Lies {discontinued}

Sixteen ~ Girl

A distant thud sounded from outside the Room of Requirement. Draco froze in the middle of of opening up the vanishing cabinet. Was that Crabbe, alerting him that someone was there?

Draco waited with baited breath. It only took a moment for the door to open, and a young, blonde Gryffindor girl came rushing in, her eyes wide.

"What is it?" Draco demanded.

The girl opened her mouth, and said, "There was a girl."

"What do you mean a girl? A girl where?" Draco asked.

"She came out," said the young girl, in Crabbe's voice.

"Came out of where?" Draco demanded rather agitatedly.

"This room," said Crabbe.

"You mean, the Room of Requirement?"

Crabbe nodded.

"Just now?" said Draco. His jaw clenched. He turned and angrily pounded the side of the cabinet with his fist. "How did I not see her?" Draco faced Crabbe again. "What did she look like?"

Crabbe paused a moment, then shrugged. "I . . . dunno. Just sorta average."

"Brilliant," said Draco sarcastically, "Now I know exactly who you're talking about. That random, average looking girl who's always coming here-"

Draco stopped. His face darkened as he remembered; there was a random girl who had come here. Draco had thought he'd made it pretty clear that if she came back, she would pay for it, but what if she hadn't got the message?

Well is she didn't, thought Draco, I'll just have to tell her again.

~~~~~~

Next day, Draco scanned the hallways, searching for the girl who had trespassed into the Room of Requirement before. Draco scraped his brain, trying to remember what she had looked like.

He hadn't paid much attention though. All his mind could come up with was a blurry image of a small, scared looking girl with dark hair. But he knew he would recognize her when he saw her, just like she had when she walked into the detention they'd been forced to share.

However the day made quick progress from morning into afternoon, and with no sightings of the girl.

Draco felt aggravation tug at him as he left Charms to find himself in a hallway jam up.

"Damn it, we're never going to get through here," said Draco, looking over across the heads of the many students filling the hallway.

He grit his teeth angrily, but it had more to do with the fact that he hadn't seen that girl then the fact that the hallway was jammed.

He had to find her. He couldn't have anyone risking the exposure of his plan, and if this girl was continuing to visit the Room of Requirement, she might discover what he was up to then do exactly that.

"Why don't you tell them to move Draco," said Pansy Parkinson, smiling at him. She put a hand on his cheek. "I love it when you go into prefect mode."

Draco gave the girl a tight smile. He used to Pansy's petting, but of late it had just become annoying. She had a point though.

"You're right," said Draco.

He moved forward and shoved two second years out of his way. "Move it! He snarled, "Come on! Get mov-"