Curious and Curiouser

15: Starts

I know this one is super short and I will do my best to make the next one longer. I also know this is super late and I really apologize for that. 

On the brightside, I spent all my extra time outlining the rest of this story! So it should love alone fairly quickly from now on. 

Draco squared his shoulders and strode forward, "Okay, well then that's what you need to ask it for; say, 'I need a place where Granger can't stun me.'" He said, and then added, "Or us, if she's stunning multiple people."

Neville frowned, "But can't we just ask for the room to provide us with a safe space and then ask it to protect Harry once we're in there?"

Draco shook his head, "Look, I know how this place works, but I don't understand it. I can't tell you why. But if you have a specific need and you know you do, then be as up front with the room as you can be. It- the room, that is- likes honesty. It's weird like that." He said with a small grimace.

He looked over to see Harry, Ron and Blaise whispering with the two other aurors, the blonde witch was showing Granger something she had drawn on a piece of parchment.

Draco tutted impatiently, as if to remind them that he really did have other things he needed to do.

Harry glanced quickly at him, whispered a question at Hermione who shrugged at him and then turned to address Draco.

"You said to ask the room to protect us from Granger's stunning spell, would it work if we asked it to protect us from the effects of any spells?"

Draco frowned, "You could ask it to protect you from a spell, Potter. That would protect you from the effect too." He had been about to add, 'wouldn't it?' but decided not to, they all seemed to know more than he did and he don't want to risk sounding stupid.

"What if," Ron started slowly, Draco could tell he was trying not to say more than he should, "the effect isn't something intended by either spell?"

Draco raised his eyebrows, "Either spell?" Draco had been about to ask what they weren't telling him when Blaise interrupted,

"Look, let's try it out with the stunning spell," He said quickly, exchanging a glance with Harry, "If that doesn't work then there's really no point is there?"

Professor McGonagall agreed to remain in the hallway and divert any students who might be on a late night adventure.

The rest of them agreed and they all began walking back and forth in front of the blank wall. No one had told Draco whether or not he was coming with them but he was honestly curious now, he had never tried to ask the room to protect him from a spell before, so he fell into step beside Granger. She glanced at him out of the corner of her eye but didn't say anything, instead pressing her lips into a thinner line.

****

Neville seemed to accept Malfoy's logic and it really didn't seem as though he was trying to harm one of them Harry reminded himself. He walked a few paces into the room which was quite bare, taking it in. The walls, ceiling and floor were all stone, with torches every few feet around eye level on the walls.

"Alright," Harry said, "let's try this again, and er- hope it goes better than last time."

At this statement Blaise and Ron chuckled while Hermione and Cassie grimaced.

Harry closed his eyes in concentration for a moment, asking the room for a large beanbag, just in case. He had hit the floor once that morning and was not eager to repeat the experience.

****

Malfoy watched from the door with bated breath as Potter stood in front of the beanbag and Granger leveled her wand at him. They both nodded to each other once and with a flick of her wand she sent a bright red spell at him.

The spell collided with his chest but it didn't stun him.

There was a moment of silence before Hermione and the blonde woman- Cassie converged on Potter, asking him a series of questions about what he had felt when the spell had hit him.