If I Fall for You [Harry Potter: Next Generation]

10. Encounters

A/N: I literally have this completely random habit of saying merp
~
Rose became increasingly depressed as the weekend wore on. She was in the habit of going up to the seventh floor every now and then, but no amount of pleading with the wall opposite Barnabas The Barmy did any good. Nevertheless, Rose's gut insisted that if the Room of Requirement could be found, so could Scorpius Malfoy.

Sunday morning saw Rose wandering the halls, unfinished homework abandoned on a table back in the Slytherin common room. She wasn't in the mood for homework. She had no idea what the properties of moonstone were anyway. Why would she, when her life was such a mess?

Rose was just coming to the conclusion that she ought to go give the Room another try, when (surprise, surprise!) a Cloakless Albus Potter came around the corner, and jumped back five feet upon noticing her.

"Al!" Rose threw up her hands in exasperation. "That's it. You are going to tell me what's going on. Now."

He ran a hand through his close-cropped copper-coloured hair, a faint blush creeping into his cheeks. Eyes darting back and forth a like a cornered animal's. "I don't - "

"Who was that girl?" Rose demanded, cutting him off. "The one that came out of the Room of Requirement and bumped into you?"

Albus stumbled back, as if Rose had slapped him. His mouth opened and closed rapidly, like a fish's. Rose crossed her arms and tried again.

"On the first night I bumped into wandering around under that Cloak," Rose growled, "you went up to the seventh floor with it. You waited in front of the tapestry of Barnabas the Barmy, where the Room of Requirement is. The door of the Room opened, and some girl came out and bumped into you. Who was she? Why was she threatening you?"

Albus looked, is possible, increasingly stunned. "H-how do you know all that?" He stammered.

"Never mind how I know. Just answer. Who was the girl?"

He blinked, then his green eyes narrowed dangerously. "I won't answer," he spat. "If you actually cared, you'd stop bugging me! Can't you just give it a rest?"

This time, Rose actually did slap him.

Albus went into Fish Mode.

"You idiot," Rose snarled, inexplicable fury rising up inside her. "This isn't all about you! So sorry to burst your bubble, but you're not the only one with problems. Surely it has crossed your mind that I might just need you to tell me. I don't know what you're doing here, but I am trying to find my best friend, and I need you to answer me this: who was that girl?"

Stunned silence, during which Albus rubbed his cheek and stared at Rose like she'd just started singing opera. Then,

"Vanessa," Albus said, so quiet he could have been talking to himself. "Vanessa Ryan."

The floor beneath Rose's feet seemed to melt away. Her head swam. She leant a hand against the wall to steady herself.

This was just as she had feared. Vanessa Ryan, champion for Beaubaxtons, had somehow been at Hogwarts a week before her school arrived. She had been hiding somewhere. And that somewhere was almost definitely the Room of Requirement.

One thing was perfectly clear now: the icy-eyed French girl had something to do with Scorpius' disappearance. May have even been the one who kidnapped him. Scorpius was trapped in the Room. And Rose couldn't get in, because he was inside.

It occurred to her that no one would be able to get to him as long as he was in there.

Albus was watching her with a mixture of apprehension and curiosity. Rose shook her her head violently.

"Wait," she managed to croak out. "How in Merlin's name did she get past all the wards and protection spells and stuff?"

Albus' gaze turned guarded. "No idea."

Rose frowned, instantly suspicious. "Of course you have an idea."

"Nope."

"Have ever I mentioned that your lying skills are laughable?"

"You might have said something like that once before, yes."

"So, of course you have an idea."

"Nope."

"Yep."

"Nope."

"Yep."

"Nope."

"Yep."

"Go away."

"Yep - I mean, nope."

Albus eyed her, unsmiling, expression unfathomable. There was something in his eyes that Rose couldn't quite place. Something she had definitely seen before, but maybe didn't fully understand.

For some reason, his eyes conjured up an image of Scorpius' in her mind. Those cursed butterflies started fluttering, romping; irritating confetti being thrown around by some little kid long before the party has started.

"Yep," said Albus.

"Oh, stop it!" Rose burst out. "That Ryan girl threatened you with something. I can help. I've been trying to help! But it's rather hard when you won't let me in! I thought I was your friend, Albus. Maybe I thought wrong."

Rose immediately felt guilty at the hurt look which flashed across Albus' features.

"I'm sorry," he said after a moment, turning to go. He sounded so sad. Rose felt a pang.

"No, I'm sorry," she said suddenly, placing a restraining hand on his shoulder. "I didn't mean that. You are my friend. We've known each other forever. Please, Al, I just want to help."

Albus flushed faintly. "Look, Rose, I don't need any help, so just lay off, alright?"

"Fine." Rose dropped her hand from his shoulder, feeling a cold, hard feeling settle in her chest. "I'll lay off. And you stop running into me every other day."

"Hey, that's not my fault! You're running into me!"

"Well, you're the one associated with Vanessa Ryan."

"I'm not associated with her," he spat. "I don't know anything about her."

"This is a lie, Albus Potter, and you know it," interrupted a smooth, cold, richly accented voice.

Rose whirled around and her heart leaped into her throat. Albus sucked in a sharp breath.

"Ah, Rose Weasley, yes?" Vanessa Ryan was stalking towards them, hips swinging, curls bouncing, eyes gleaming maliciously. Lips curled into a humourless smile. "Your friend here is indeed a liar."
~
A/N: shorty. Ahweel. Comment and vote if you are actually reading this book. I'd like to find out exactly WHO these amazing people are who're taking my book up to 400 reads! If this is in your library, TELL ME SO!! IT WOULD SERIOUSLY MAKE MY DAY. Anyhoo my ballet exams are DONE. Yay. The examiner was so freaking nice it made me nervous. And I almost had an emotional breakdown before my first exam. Because I'm just awesome like that.