Marauder's Daughter (Eventual Tom Riddle X OC)

Chapter 23: Norbert

I woke up after my adventure to a slightly sore body. I took a long hot shower to ease my muscles and cuts, which thankfully were healing, but unfortunately were obvious. I put some murtlap essence on them, which helped heal them a little further, to the point they were almost gone. 

I kept the stone on me from that day on, the little purse pouch hiding easily under my shirt, hanging from an unbreakable cord around my neck. I wasn't sure how often anyone went down to feed the troll, but judging on the bones I had briefly seen in the room it was in, I assumed it was eating rats that wandered in there, sort of like the Basilisk in the Chamber. I doubted anyone had any reason to check on the stone beyond that, so I'm sure the decoy I left was fine for now.

"You look really tired, but also really satisfied and smug." Roger observes suspiciously of me that day in History. It was Friday, and I was going to skip the class, but I had to turn in my homework, which is why I'm here, slumped at our shared table with a lazy grin on my face.

"Astute as ever, my dear Roger." I say with a smile to him, lolling my head over more to look at him. "I had a successful prank last night."

"Oh good heavens, what is it this time?" He asks in exasperation.

"I won't say. No one will find out for weeks anyway. Not even the twins know what it is, and trust me they spent all morning at breakfast asking me. That's why they're pouting right now." I lazily grin at them tauntingly, as they were not so subtly eavesdropping on me and Roger. 

Fred and George spotted the cuts on my face first thing this morning, so they knew I had done something reckless last night. They were offended for not being invited, and giving my mostly asleep brain an earful all morning. I sent Bruce off to Remus with a message saying how I grew my rock collection last night, a code he would understand that means I just stole the most valuable object in the world. For fun. I grin again smugly to myself at that fact, and Roger gives me another suspicious look.

"Less pranking, more studying, Black." Roger scolds me. He only uses my last name when he's scolding, which is funny, since he sleeps as much as me during this class. 

There are several Ravenclaws who are the top of our History class, but it's not Roger's area of expertise, and therefore he's only a tiny bit better at it than me. He's good with more creative things, which is why he's good at Runes and Astronomy. Things that are set, yet are open to interpretation are where he excels. Plus, he's actually really funny when he's not stressed about school or quidditch, which these days isn't very often. I can imagine he'll be awful in our OWL year, and downright unbearable in our NEWT, but I also know he'll be the one to make me actually study and do my work. He has a natural gift at making me be productive in the subjects I don't care for.

It was on the next Monday that Harry got a letter from Hedwig at breakfast, and since I was sitting next to him when he opened it, Hedwig also handed me a small piece of paper too before eating Harry's bacon.

"It's hatching." I read off what it says, and then grin at the golden trio. I stand up, ready to bolt to the hut immediately to watch.

"You can't go now, we have class!" Hermione scolds me loudly.

"But I gotta!" I reply with a smirk, spinning around and being grabbed by a firm set of arms.

"I know that look. You aren't ditching class, whatever it is that's giving you that glint in your eye." Cedric says with a lazy grin, firmly holding my shoulders.

"Buuuuut." I whine out over my shoulder at him, lamely struggling to get away while he chuckles.

"What's your next class?" He asks me quietly.