Harry Potter - Series Fan Fiction ❯ The Food Basket ❯ Chapter Three: Surprises. ( Chapter 3 )

Chapter Three:

Surprises.

“Boo!”

“God Pansy, will you stop it.” Draco Malfoy was not in a good mood, he had barely slept due to the weirdness of his incomprehensible dreams he had been having of late.

“What's up with you lately? You're moody and act as if you don't wana be friends with us lot anymore. I even saw you hanging around with that girl the other day.”Malfoy raised an eyebrow questioningly.

“You know, Lolita. That mudblood, Slytherin wannabe.”

“She is a Slytherin.”

“Hmph, what's she got that I don't?”

“Where do you want me to start? She's prettier, smarter, and nicer. Is that enough for you or do you want me to go on?” Pansy Parkinson walked away, upset beyond words. Her role model, her high school crush, Malfoy had just ditched her; he had been acting weird all month, what was going on?

Draco rubbed his face, suppressing a yawn as he left the Slytherin common room to make his way down to the great hall. Rounding the corner and continuing up the hallway, his stomach gave an audible rumble. Not surprising really, he hadn't ate since yesterday lunchtime- after that fiasco he couldn't face it, thank god nobody noticed.

Draco entered the great hall, proceeded to the Slytherin table and sat down alone. Within five minutes he was joined by the one person whose company he could stand at the moment, Lolita. It was strange really, a month ago he would have made snide comments and disregarded her, but now...she was the only one he could turn to. The only one who could understand/who does understand. She tenderly grasped his hand and brought it up a bit higher.

“You're nails are getting atrocious, we're going to have to do a manicure session.”

“ Hell no! I'm not poofy!”

“Poofy?!”

“Poof like, poofy, a poof. None of the above am I!”

“But, you'll look so cute with purple nail varnish!!!It's the in thing for baddies such as yourself!”

“Bugger off!”

“Bu...”

“Bugger off!”

Lolita opened her mouth as if to continue arguing, but she was beaten to it...

“Ahh...no! The end.”

“Oh alright then...”She pouted as she accepted defeat...for now. She opened his cupped hand and began to make patterns running her finger across his palm, as was her way. She traced around the strange black marks that adorned his hands, causing a reluctant smile to appear across his face.

 

* * * * * * * * * * * *

Ever since Harry had seen Malfoy walk into the great hall, he had been staring, watching him as closely as possible from the furthest table away from where he sat. Hermione and Ron glanced nervously at him, concern written all over their faces. Harry looked awful, his eyes were surrounded by big black circles, his face was blotchy and his whole body shook- if only he had been able to sleep for more than twenty minutes he might not have been so on edge.

Harry started to wring his hands as he watched apprehensively; Lolita was approaching Malfoy- but why? She was the only Slytherin who was nice, the only one anyone of his friends got on with. He was sure it was a mistake that she was placed into that house. Malfoys talking to her? What's going on?! He doesn't talk to her...They look like they're friends? This wasn't right, something's definitely gone awry.

“Why won't you believe me? Something's up with Malfoy and your just sitting there! Is it so out there that it's not possible?! I mean look, right now look...”

“Harry please calm down, you're ranting...”

“Just look.” He hissed in return. Ron and Hermione turned to glance over in Malfoy's general direction.

“Well?!”

“Harry, mate. I'll admit that's a little strange, but she is a Slytherin, it's probably nothing.” Ron tried to phrase his words carefully. Harry glowered at them, fuming; he stood up and walked over to the doors and out into the entrance hall.

He had to tell someone, the headmaster would know what to do. He made his way up to the entrance to his office, and strode over to the gargoyle;

“Password?” boomed the stone figure.

What if he doesn't believe me?! He won't believe me... “I'm a bird for god's sake...” Of course he won't believe....eh?!

Harry recoiled, the gargoyle had moved away but instead of stairs appearing going upwards to the Headmaster's office, they went down, down to where? Cool air rushed past his face, from the depths below. Cautiously Harry moved closer, he removed his wand from his pocket, holding it out in front of him and made the decision to see where it leads. His footsteps echoed around him as the stone figure leapt back into place, plunging the stairwell into darkness. He froze, his breath ringing in his ears;

Lumos he exhaled the words, causing a warm yellow light to appear above his wand tip. He took a deep breath and then continued down the small winding steps, further and further down into the bowels of Hogwarts.

Suddenly the walls opened up exposing an oval room bathed in darkness, a weak stream of light protruded into the room from a slit in the doorway opposite him. It was completely empty, but as Harry walked across to the source of the light, he noticed an intricate design on the floor, like a mosaic. Wondering what it portrayed he pressed the palm of his hand against the cool wooden surface of the door, applying a tiny amount of pressure.

The door gave way, light spilling out of the room Harry entered with a gasp.

“Oh my god, what the hell is this?” He exclaimed in surprise. The room was huge and square, three walls were covered from floor to ceiling in bookshelves, containing works of calibre that Harry could only imagine. He ran his hands through his soft dark hair, and continued to study the room. There were four armchairs by the fire; scarlet and gold, silver and green, yellow and black and blue and bronze- one for each of the houses! Over by the one wall that didn't contain bookshelves a tapestry of the Hogwarts crest was hanging on the wall. A table sat near there with four chairs.

This is amazing! I wonder where those passageways lead. Turning in a full circle Harry observed five doorways leading out of the room, including the one he had entered by.

“What the hell are you doing here?! How they hell did you get in here?!”

Harry span around, to come face to face with... “Malfoy?!”