found ➸ h.p.

chapter eleven

Roxanne's face had recovered well within a week, only a minor cut still showing near her hairline by the time Tuesday rolled around. She still hadn't talked to her Gryffindor friends since Friday morning, all of them giving her side eyes while they thought she wasn't looking. Even Fred and George barely looked at her, the three exchanging a brief conversation after Roxanne had slipped a Puking Pasty in Malfoy's meal.

The girl was sitting in Defence Against the Dark Arts with her arms crossed and eyes towards the ceiling, still sat in the ridiculous spot in the front of the classroom Umbridge insisted she sat in. It didn't increase the brunette's attention span, instead making it worse. Umbridge's constant chatter made Roxanne's temper rise like a phoenix from the ashes. Roxanne decided it was best to keep her mouth shut about her annoyance so she kept her eyes on anything but the blabbering woman.

The Ravenclaw still did the notes in advance, writing the date on the paper each day the notes were due. It was a system she'd never quit as long as Umbridge remained at Hogwarts.

The bell rang soon enough, releasing her from the temporary hell she called Umbridge's class. The girl pushed her way through the students trying to get out, ignoring the crude remarks she had thrown at her. Tonight was a night she'd saved for catching up on all the sleep she'd lost due to make up assignments from Friday.

Her feet were practically jogging themselves to the Ravenclaw tower, skipping around students who were clumped in the hallway in their gossip groups. However, the girl
was stopped short by a hand pulling the back of her robes slightly to signal they wanted to talk to her. She whipped her head around with a look that kill, but softened her eyes when she saw Hermione Granger standing behind her, hands fumbling as she took in the brunette's irritation.

"Here. Meet us tonight at the Room of Requirement," Hermione quickly said, handing slipping a coin into Roxanne's hand before she could react. The bushy haired girl was already walking away, a purposeful gait leading her to her next target.

Roxanne rolled the coin around in her hands as she looked down at it, seeing nothing but a regular coin. It looked almost like a chocolate one she saw muggles giggle over at chocolate shops around London. Her lips lifted at the corners slightly, knowing Hermione had done some incredibly difficult spell on the coin to secure the group's safety.

Shaking her head, Roxanne fled to the Ravenclaw tower, investing herself in the mountain of homework she had received. The girl worked until her hand was numb from how fast she was writing, not noticing the sky change from a beautiful blue to a terrifying black. It was a void of nothingness, almost mocking the girl for her feeling threatened by it.

Roxanne's only fear was the darkness. The idea of only seeing the inky, obsidian color brought memories back from the night her whole life had become a joke. It was a constant reminder that her life was without light for the rest, and Roxanne didn't need that hanging on her shoulders.

Her eyes drifted from her half finished Care for Magical Creatures essay to the clock, a frustrated sigh leaving her mouth as she realized she had missed any chance of dinner. It was half past 8, the girl knowing that the Great Hall was empty except lingering students and quite possibly Peeves. The thought of Peeves made her appetite simmer down, and Roxanne's face coiled in annoyance.

She had no idea where the Room of Requirement was, or when she was supposed to meet the others for the meeting. The girl didn't even want to go; she knew all eyes would be on her and questions would be raised about her presence. She had had enough of the whispers beside her in the halls, and outcries of mistrust from the students in the meeting would eventually make her snap.

Roxanne packed up all her stuff and sat staring at the fire for a few moments before she slipped her sneakers back on and trudged out of the common room. Others trailed her at an easy distance, giving the disheveled girl some space to ease her temper. The stairway only moved once while she made her journey downstairs, surprised to see Draco Malfoy standing at the bottom of the stairs with a plate of food in his hands.