Short Change Hero

Chapter 25: Careless

Chapter Twenty-Five

A Million Miles an Hour

"Insanity is setting in,
Reality is getting thin,
The particles are dancing all around,
I can't deny the hardest thing for me,
Is finding time to finally breathe,
See no signs of ever coming down,
And suddenly we're traveling,
A million miles an hour..."

A Million miles an Hour by Nickelback

A quarter past ten at night, inside an old musky classroom

A somewhat familiar tingling sensation tugged at Draco's fingertips as he listened to his own even steady breaths. His head was tilted while his right cheek stuck to what felt like a tepid smooth surface as his eyes twitched faintly. Something then infringed upon his silence, something out of place and yet familiar, so much so it piqued his interest.

Slowly opening his eyes, he began illustrating his surroundings, detaching his cheek from the surface. The whole room presented before him was described with one word; melancholy, not only in color but in lack of personalization. It was neat, it was fragrant with dusted age, and to him it felt empty.

Draco couldn't fully recall how he'd gotten there. There was something off, something he couldn't quite place. He must have been needing space or something trivial like that because he did remember wandering around the castle for a bit. That was how he found this place, tucked in the far back where he had never been before. It looked like no one ever went into the rooms, so he sat down for a bit of peace and quiet.

Sighing, Draco adjusted in the seat; he then noted that it was in fact a limp and oddly comfortable leather chair, one that reminded him of his favorite chair back at the manor. Ignoring everything else, he looked downwards towards his lap to see a book opened, resting upon his legs with his thumb tucked between the pages near spine. Swallowing thickly, he placed the book onto the side table next to him as he looked to his right and out the window that sat beside him. Draco loved watching the faint pitter-pattering of the rain thrumming against the glass; it was honestly one of his favorite pass times.

Then out of nowhere that same sound that had pulled him from his unplanned nap began once more twisting softly into the air. He instantly knew that it was a piano. What confused him was the fact that that meant someone else other than him had wandered into these old classrooms. Quickly he stood up, closing his eyes for a second in order to clear his head of the hazy feeling, the one that made him feel like something was off. With a huff, he looked down to fix his robes as he then started following the rather familiar melody in hopes of finding out just who was back there.

Once he was out in the hallway, he walked closer to his destination, but then a clash of thunder boomed causing the music to stop. The scuffle of his shoe the only sound he could hear for a second. Two doors down a glowing blue light spilled from the room on his left followed by the piano picking up right where it left off. Making sure that he was quiet, he made his way towards the cracked door pushing it open slowly in order to keep it from creaking.

With a shaky exhale, he examined the enormous room packed with old boxes filled with miscellaneous things, so much so that it closely resembled the room of requirements. Draco listened to the soothing piano, the notes sashaying together flawlessly only making him more curious. That's when the pianist came into view, casually sitting in front of the piano.

'Typical ...' he thought to himself as he watched the familiar mess of curls secured into a messy bun sway to the soft music. The way her fingers glided across the keys what looked like effortlessly actually impressed him while he stuck his hands in his pockets, slowly making his way for a closer look.