Tʜᴇ Dᴀʀᴋ Lᴏʀᴅ's Aɴɢᴇʟ | Tom Riddle √

44: The Room of Requirement

Cassiopeia sat at the dinner table, pushing her food around her plate without much appetite. She was aware of the concerned glances from her friends, Pansy, Draco, and Blaise, who sat with her.

"Where are you going?" Draco inquired as she finished what little was on her plate. "You haven't eaten fully this time, either."

His brows furrowed as he looked between her and her barely touched meal. Cassiopeia had indeed lost her appetite lately, but she couldn't quite explain why.

"Uhm, I have to do something before curfew time," she replied, trying to make her escape. Draco, however, halted her by grabbing her wrist.

"What?" Cassiopeia arched an eyebrow at his grip.

"You're cold, Cassie," Draco said, his eyes widening as he squeezed her hand.

"Even I said it today," Pansy chimed in with a similar observation. Cassiopeia shrugged off their concern.

"I don't feel unwell," she stated matter-of-factly.

"Then why aren't you eating properly?" Blaise pointed at her unfinished meal. "You skipped breakfast, had no lunch, and now it's the same with dinner."

"I just haven't had much of an appetite lately, that's all," Cassiopeia replied, eager to remove herself from their scrutiny. "I'll catch up with you later."

"Weird recently, isn't she?" Cassiopeia overheard Blaise mutter as she walked away.

Cassiopeia headed towards the seventh floor, which was now deserted as everyone was at dinner. She tried to locate the Room of Requirement, but couldn't seem to find it. She walked back and forth in the corridor, her frustration growing. Tom had told her to find it on the seventh floor, on the left...

Suddenly, she felt a movement behind her. She turned around to see two massive doors appearing on the wall. She was certain they hadn't been there moments ago. The doors were dark brown with intricate black designs and gold doorknobs.

Cassiopeia approached them, examining them thoroughly before turning the gold doorknob and entering the room. As the doors closed behind her, she took in the grandeur of the space. The room was as large as the Great Hall, illuminated by a chandelier with numerous candles. A fireplace with green flames and an emerald couch stood on the right, while a grand piano occupied the left.

The walls were light blue with large windows offering a view of the starry night. A bookshelf filled with classic muggle books like "Pride and Prejudice" and "Wuthering Heights" stood in one corner, while a gold gramophone was nearby. On the opposite side was a dark brown piano with shiny white keys.

Cassiopeia couldn't resist the allure of the piano. She sat down and began to play "Woman in Love." She got lost in the music, momentarily forgetting her purpose in this room.

A few minutes passed, and she felt a presence in the room, sensing someone watching her. She spoke without breaking her gaze from the keys.

"Isn't it bad to stare like that... Tom?" she questioned, her hands resting on the piano keys. She heard his footsteps approaching and looked up to find a boy in the Slytherin uniform with the school robe.

Cassiopeia found herself curious about Tom's existence in this hidden room. She wondered about the logistics of his life in this secretive place. Did he need to eat, change his clothes, or quench his thirst? Did he ever sleep? These questions swirled in her mind, but she didn't voice them.

Tom, however, broke the silence with a flirtatious remark, "How can I stop staring when a pretty girl creates a pretty melody?" Cassiopeia stood up and approached him, ensuring she maintained a safe distance between them.

"Why do you want to meet me?" she asked, crossing her arms over her chest. Deep down, she was hesitant to have a reason to meet him, as her feelings for him were intensifying, something she didn't want to reveal.

"Just to talk," he replied, shrugging his shoulders as he walked to the fireplace. His gaze roamed the room, then settled on her. "Do you know how the Room of Requirement changes its background?"

Cassiopeia was puzzled. "Changed background?" She settled down on one corner of the couch while he did the same at the other end, removing his robe and rolling up his white sleeves.

Tom noticed her admiration while Cassiopeia was playful scolding within her own thoughts. "I thought you knew about it," he said with a hint of disappointment. Cassiopeia had heard about the Room of Requirement, but she knew little about it beyond it being a hidden place in Hogwarts.

"Normally, this place transforms into whatever the person needs at that moment," he explained, trying to clarify the situation. Cassiopeia nodded, scanning the room once more.

"But, I didn't have any thought of needing these," she said, furrowing her brows as she gestured towards the room's contents.

"Maybe you need a calm place, so it transformed into something like this," he suggested with a casual shrug. Cassiopeia accepted this explanation and gazed at the green fire in the fireplace.

Tom changed the topic, asking, "Do you know the history of the room?" Cassiopeia shook her head.

"Why? Is there anything on the history of this room for exams?" she asked sarcastically.

"I think you are a mirror of sarcasm, Cassiopeia," Tom said with an amused tilt of his head. Cassiopeia rolled her eyes and leaned back on the couch, closing her eyes momentarily.

"How was the day?" Tom asked, his tone friendly and calm.

"Not bad at all," Cassiopeia replied, shrugging her shoulders while keeping her eyes closed. Tom continued the conversation by inquiring about the identity of Umbridge.

"A mad woman from the Ministry came to teach us Defense Against the Dark Arts," Cassiopeia began, opening her eyes and turning fully towards Tom. "Without using spells."

"Without using spells?" Tom's brows furrowed in confusion.

"Yeah, she's completely mad," Cassiopeia said, remembering her encounters with Umbridge. "When Harry asked about using spells, she was like, 'Who do you imagine wants to attack children like yourself?'"

She imitated Umbridge's condescending tone, making Tom chuckle. "You really despise her, don't you?" he asked, wearing a smile.

"Why not? When Harry and I argued that Voldemort had returned, she insisted it was a lie. Both Harry and I argued about it, which ended with detention. Cruel and psychotic detention," Cassiopeia explained, and she heard another chuckle from Tom.

"Can you guess what she wanted us to do?" she asked, inviting him to guess.

"Maybe clean classrooms?" Tom suggested, shrugging as if it were the only idea that came to his mind.

"That bloody woman wanted us to write lines," Cassiopeia said, rolling her eyes. "To Harry, she told him to write, 'I must not tell lies,' and to me, 'I must not raise my voice unevenly,' using her special quill. That quill didn't require ink because it used our blood on the parchment, and what we wrote scarred the back of our hands. Just this morning, Draco healed my scar."

"Who on earth is that woman?" Tom asked, bewildered. "How can she treat students this way? It's completely against the rules."

"I know, right? Now she's become the Hogwarts High Inquisitor. It's going to be a bad year, I fear," Cassiopeia said, shaking her head in disappointment.