Snake Pit (Ryeji)

Rooted To The Spot

Lunch passed, uneventfully as per usual, and half an hour later Yeji was waiting patiently in the corner of the library. The same place she had first found Ryujin, it having now become their regular meeting place. Yeji breathed in a sigh, the sun that streaked through the old glass windows was highlighting the millions of dust particles floating around the air and the thick smell of books and quiet murmurings were her ever gentle companion.

However after forty minutes of waiting Yeji began to grow restless. What was taking Ryujin so long? Surely the conversation with Professor Park hadn't gone on for that much longer? Maybe Ryujin was just taking her time over lunch? The thought did not sit right with Yeji, Ryujin was not a patient eater. Most of the time Yeji glanced over at her during meal times she was wolfing down a plateful of food, barely stopping to breathe between mouthfuls. Perhaps Ryujin had just forgotten? But again, that also felt far too out of character for Ryujin, if anything, Yeji was the one who was forgetful.

Thoughts circling her mind like vultures over a carcass, Yeji then noticed her knee bouncing up and down nervously. She stood up and paced around a bit before coming to the conclusion that she would just go and check she wasn't still with the Professor. Setting off down the many corridors and stair cases, she wound her way through the endless castle passageways before coming upon the wooden door of the classroom once again.

She knocked but no reply came from inside, so she cautiously opened the door only to find the room empty. No sign of Ryujin or Professor Park. Quietly closing it again Yeji spun back around,m contemplating  her options, if Ryujin wasn't here the next place she would be was the Great Hall. So off Yeji set again, her pace quickening as she retraced her steps.

Once she had got there, she scanned the Slytherin tables on the far left hand side of the hall, searching earnestly for dark hair with blonde highlights tied up into a ponytail, but to no avail. Yeji's eyebrows knitted in confusion before she came to the realization that Ryujin's conversation with Professor Park must have been bad news, if that was the case, the other would probably have gone straight to her room. So without really thinking Yeji started heading in the direction of the dungeons, towards the Slytherin dormitories. She didn't know how she'd be able to get in there but perhaps she'd find someone who could help.

However as she rounded the corner approaching the Slytherin common room she bumped into exactly the person she had been hoping not to see.

"What are you doing here?" Came the condescending tone of a certain Slytherin student.

"I'm just looking for Ryujin." Yeji replied, staring blankly at Karina. "You don't happen to have seen her?" She asked politely, although she didn't expect an answer.

"Why? You can't find your bes fwend?" Karina said in a mocking, baby-ish tone.

"Obviously, or I wouldn't be down here." Yeji ground out, trying to ignore the taunts and resisting the urge to slap the smug smile off the other girls face.

Karina just laughed. "She's already abandoned you is that it? Well that didn't take long. I'm shocked." She said sarcastically, placing her hand dramatically on her chest.

Yeji simply rolled her eyes and shouldered past her before Karina spoke again.

"As a matter of fact I did see her about half an hour ago, but I guess you're not interested."

At that Yeji stopped in her tracks and spun around walking back up to Karina and glaring at her.

"Where?"

"And why should I tell you?"

Yeji glowered at her.

"Jeez, no need to burst blood vessel. I'll tell you where she is, but... in return you have to polish my shoes next week."

"Fine. Just please tell me." Yeji begged.

Karina's smirk widened at Yeji's immediate submission. "She was by the Whomping Willow with Professor Park. Bit creepy don't you think?"

"Why would she be there?" Yeji asked incredulously.

"How should I know? Perhaps she's trying to get her grade up, if you know what I mean. I hear she been struggling in potions recently." Karina wiggled her eyebrows and Yeji scoffed, nearly choking on the air.

"That's disgusting." She replied, to which Karina shrugged her shoulders.

"Who are you to judge?"

"Stop it." Yeji said through gritted teeth.

"You can't speak to me like that. You asked the question, I was just telling you what I saw." And with that the Slytherin girl spun on her heels, her hair flicking Yeji's face in the process, and strutted away.

Yeji stood for a minute contemplating what Karina had said. She was surely lying to send Yeji on a wild goose chase. Except that Yeji had no other leads at the moment, and no actual way of checking if Ryujin was just in her room, so begrudgingly she headed off to the Whomping Willow, her walking slowly morphing into a jog and then a run the closer she got.

If what Karina had said was true and she had seen Ryujin there half an hour ago, chances were that she wasn't still there now, however there was no harm in checking just in case.

As suspected, Yeji got there and there was no one else to be seen. No Ryujin and no supposed Professor either. Yeji was about to head back and smack herself for letting Karina manipulate her into doing her chores for her so easily, when she noticed a tiny piece of black robe snagged on one of the willow's branches. Cautiously stepping closer to inspect it, without wanting to come too close knowing the Willow's bad temperament, she held up her own robe to compare and indeed it was the same fabric. Meaning a student had been here and, judging from how clean and undamaged from the weather it was, it must have got caught there recently.

Taking a step back to consider the evidence, Yeji then noticed a set of footprints and kicked up mud leading from where she stood to the base of the tree. Unusual as no one usually went anywhere near the tree, though it did therefore explain the snagged material. However pain closer inspection she realized that strangely the footprints did not then lead away from the tree again, stopping just next to the tree's massive gnarling roots.

Putting two and two together, along with Karina's story, Yeji understood it must have been Ryujin's robe that caught on the tree. What Ryujin had been doing here Yeji didn't know but determined to find her, Yeji girded herself and decided to follow the footprints in the mud towards the centre of the tree.

"Ok Yeji, you can do this." She muttered to herself and with a few quick breaths in and out she quickly made a mad dash toward the roots. As she did so the willow's branches suddenly twitched and shifted before one of the many large branches came hurtling down at Yeji. She yelped but managed to dive to the ground and dodge it.

Her robes now streaked with mud, she glanced back up at the tree only to suddenly notice for the first time a small tunnel down between the roots. She debated whether she should go inside but her thinking was cut short by the sound of  the tree twisting and beginning to swing down again. She scrambled toward the trunk and dived into the tunnel, the branch missing her by inches.

Catching her breath, she then turned her head in the direction of the tunnel underground. With no idea where it led but seeing it was certainly big enough for her to fit in, she was ninety percent sure this was where Ryujin had come. So with barely a glance back she fumbled her way through the darkened tunnel of twisted roots and soil.

After a few paces she brought her wand out of her pocket. "Lumos." She whispered quietly into the darkness, the tip of her wand illuminating the tunnel, the earthy passageway seeming to stretch on indefinitely.

What in the world was Ryujin playing at?