Duplicitous | T.N.

XXXIII • Forbidden Serpent

Sprinting through the empty halls, Aurora, panting at the breath, attempted to arrive to her DA meeting before it ended. She hadn't been keeping track of time whilst studying with Theodore. Her entire focus had been dedicated to him entirely.

She was suspicious to say the least, Rory didn't fully trust his supposed 'truce' but by the odd chance Theodore was being genuine she refrained from faking her attitude. In fact, she didn't give him any attitude at all, she barely even spoke. Whatever words they shared were polite and quick, unsure how to act around one another.

However the very moment she had realised the time, she rapidly snatched all her things from the table and stuffed it in her already full bag, not bothering to offer Theodore a proper departing manner besides a hasty 'Um okay, bye.'

She didn't hear any reply. She didn't notice his polite response, a simple 'See you' was given, but she didn't notice, she didn't notice his held gaze as she ran off, she didn't notice how unsure he was feeling too. She didn't notice much, she wasn't half as observant as Theodore was.

What she did notice was how tardy she was and how she skidded through the seventh floor in a desperate attempt to arrive on time to her secret lessons, she was supposed to be teaching, her lateness would not be appropriate nor appreciated.

She ran with the picture of her destination planted deep in her. Mind so distracted, that as she raced through the halls she failed to notice Theodore who sat at his usual spot. He was alone that time, twiddling his thumbs as he internally obsessed over the view outside.

He had heard the padded footsteps slapping the floor from behind him, turning around, he only caught sight of Aurora for a moment. At the speed she was going at, she practically zoomed right by him. He wouldn't have been surprised if he had been covered in a layer of dust kicked behind her, hair pointing upwards at her speed.

Standing up, he jogged through the halls in search for her. As his pace slowed, he watched as her figure disappeared behind the corner of an empty hallway. Continuing his run, he turned the corner. He was met with the sight of an empty hallway.

The hall stretched outwards, long and windy, with not a single intersection or door seen. He didn't get how Aurora had managed to escape him the second time that day. During their studying he didn't bother to grasp her attention, he didn't know how to approach her, so he made a speedy trip to one of his favourite places in the castle, using the library tunnels he, Blaise and Pansy had found in his fourth year.

The hidden tunnel wasn't in the library per say, but rather across from it, behind a statue of one the past headmasters of Hogwarts. The three had been roaming around intoxicated when they ran into it and ever since they had a speedy way through the library to the Ravenclaw commons which was rather close to the seventh floor. He had assumed it was out there by Rowena Ravenclaw as a shortcut for her students to make it to the library.

Unfortunately for him, as his curious eyes scanned the empty hallway, there was no severer tunnel to help him locate Aurora then, for she had already dove behind the walls of the room of requirement and out of his sight.

Panting as she slid through, all eyes in the room shot to her. Everyone wore gazes of shock and worry, they hadn't expected anyone and all feared they had been caught by either Umbridge or Filch. Rumours had began to spread like wild fire of the secret lessons they shared and even more rumours had evoked about Umbridge's plan to arrange for a team of students to sniff them out.

Aurora feared for the time. No doubt many Slytherin students would be all to eager to hunt for them whilst they prepared for the upcoming battle.

"Rory." Harry greeted with an unsure grin, his lips formed a straight line. Aurora winced I'm response, she knew why he seemed disappointed, her late arrival clearly didn't please the chosen one.