diffindo: a hogwarts fanfiction || fred weasley || draco malfoy

the chamber of secrets

Panic gripped Damien as if someone had him in a chokehold. Aline was nowhere to be found. They had searched through all the Hogwarts corridors and, before examining the Slytherin dormitories, they had arrived outside the Gryffindor Common Room, panting heavily. It was already past midnight at this point, the surrounding silence, haunting their anxiety. 

Kayla was pounding onto the portrait of the Fat Lady with her closed fist, but the now insulted Lady did not budge an inch and would not allow them entrance at any chance. 

"Come on now you old hag!", Damien hissed, kicking the bottom of the portrait, which earned him an outraged gasp but nothing else. He let out a loud, frustrated groan and leaned onto the edge of the staircase, staring down several levels, where some non-fixated staircases were moving around. 

"Bloody fucking hell", Kayla cursed, her right hand grabbing her curls tightly, leaning against the brick wall next to the portrait, slowly sliding down until she was sitting on the floor, her knees clutched to her chest. 

At that moment the portrait hole finally opened up but not due to their doing - a head full of firey orange hair was sticking through it and Fred stepped out of the entrance. When he spotted the two shaking up at the entrance opening, he granted them a confused expression.

"What are you two doing here looking all frustrated?", Fred asked, locking his arms in front of his chest.

"Is Aline with you?", Damien asked, almost jumping Fred, and when the Gryffindor realized the panic in the Hufflepuff boy's voice, his expression grimmed. 

"I wish she was...what is going on??", Fred demanded, looking down at Kayla now who was gradually getting up, holding out his hand to help her which she gratefully took. 

"Aline is nowhere to be found", Kayla whispered, biting down her lip slightly. And then in an act of pure desperation, Kayla emptied everything they had been doing in the last few weeks. 

Damien wanted to stop her, but the energy to do so was nowhere to be found. Fred had proven himself to be untrustworthy - concerning everything he had done to Aline. But everyone deserved a second chance, right? This was his time to prove himself. After all, they could need every help they could get. 

Damien could not read Fred's expression when Kayla had stopped talking. 

"But where would she go on this random Friday evening? It's not Quidditch considering she has been dropped from the team for constantly not showing up...", Fred murmured, not responding to anything else Kayla had just told him. 

"How do you even know tha-", Kayla started but was interrupted by Fred shortly after.

"Word goes around about Quidditch Teams - we want to win the cup after all."

Kayla was irritated by this - how much had he already known? She comprehended that Fred had helped Aline various times and that he perceived quite a bit even outside his own friend circle, but why was this not shaking him up?

Damien had no concept of what was going on in the ginger boy's head. But just right then, a light switch whipped on in Damien's head. It was Friday. 

"Oh, Merlin...", Damien whispered, clutching his curls fairly strongly.

"What is it?", Kayla and Fred gasped simultaneously, Fred taking a step forward towards Damien. 

Before any answer tumbled out of Damien's mouth, he got to his feet and sprinted down the Great Staircase, two steps at the time, almost tripping at one point. 

"Oi! Wait!", Kayla cursed, following Damien down the stairs, Fred caught up with her quickly and was now sprinting down in front of her. 

Damien didn't answer any questions, sprinting the whole of the castle corridors, down the dormitories until he stopped in front of the entrance to the Slytherin Common Room, panting heavily, his palm gripping his chest firmly.