Forever And Always | D.M

Chapter 9

Waking up with a groggy feeling, I blinked my eyes as I looked around in confusion. The last thing I can remember was falling asleep on Neville's shoulder in the common room, yet here I am in my bed.

How did I get here?

Sitting up, trying to clear my mind of the confusion. I glance at the clock, which tells me it is 7 am. I throw off the covers and realize I am still in the same clothes I wore last night.

Did I sleepwalk back to my room? That's never happened before.

Dismissing my bewilderment for the time being, I get up and prepare myself for the day ahead, making my way to the bathroom to take a shower.

As I let the water run for a few minutes, allowing it to heat up to the perfect temperature before stepping in. I then luxuriated in the feeling of the warm water cascading over my body.

Taking my time and savoring the delightful aroma of my coconut shampoo, I thoroughly washed my hair and body before turning off the water and emerging out of the shower feeling refreshed and wide awake.

After I finished getting dressed, I double-checked that I had everything I needed, and then proceeded confidently to the Great Hall.

Walking into the Great Hall, my eyes scanned the sea of students for any familiar faces. As I weaved my way through the crowd, I spotted Dean, Neville, and Seamus.

I made my way over to them, a smile spreading across my face as they noticed me and waved me over to join them. I took a seat next to Seamus and grabbed a plate, piling on some pancakes, eggs, and bacon.

"I'm curious to know," I said as I chewed my food, "what time did we all go to bed last night? I remember dozing off on Neville's shoulder, yet when I woke up this morning I was in my bed, and I'm not sure how I got there."

"It was Ginny and Hermione's doing," Neville said. "They felt bad for having to wake you up, so they just had Ron carry you to your bed."

"Oh, that makes sense," I said, chuckling along with everyone else.

•••

Stepping out of my last class feeling relieved that the school day had finally ended. I quickly gathered my things and made my way to the library, knowing I had a lot of catching up to do on the assignments I missed yesterday. As I walked down the hallway, I saw Ginny approaching me.

"Hey Sofia," Ginny asked eagerly, "are you still coming to watch us try out for the Quidditch team later?"

I smiled and nodded. "Of course! I wouldn't miss it for the world."

After bidding her goodbye, I continued on my way to the library. As I settled into a secluded corner, I began to concentrate on my work. The following hours passed in the blink of an eye as I delved into my assignments, but I couldn't help but keep an eye on the clock. I didn't want to be late for Ginny's Quidditch tryout.

Finally, I finish my last assignment with only half an hour to spare. I began packing up my things and head out of the library excited to watch my friends play.

As I walked down the hallway, I noticed Draco lurking around the corner. He seemed to be in a hurry, and his eyes darted around nervously. I couldn't help but be curious about what he was up to, so I decided to follow him at a safe distance.

As I was tailing him, he suddenly turned a corner and stopped in front of a wall that began to change.

At this point, nothing surprised me, so I just watched as the wall formed a doorway as he entered the unknown room. I hesitated for a moment, but my curiosity got the best of me and I quietly followed him inside.

Once I entered the room, I kept quiet and took in the overwhelming sight of the clutter. My mind couldn't make sense of the jumble of old desks, chairs, boxes, clothing racks, cabinets, hundreds of books, journals, quills, jackets, and shoes. It appeared to be a place where one could come to take refuge or discard unwanted items.

I heard a creak like a door being opened. Following the sound, I found Draco standing in front of a towering, ebony-colored cabinet.

The door was ajar, its incessant creaking likely the culprit. His left hand curled around the handle as he stood still, gazing inside.

Despite my best efforts, my clumsiness got the better of me and I ended up creating an unfortunate racket by knocking something over. The loud noise reverberated through the room.

As I quickly scurried back around the corner, I heard Draco's menacing yell. "Who's there?" His voice was a deep, growl that filled me with fear.

When my survival instinct kicked in, I was relieved to find my body had decided to turn and run. But Draco was too fast and he roughly pulled me back, making me stumble and almost lose my footing.

He hissed, his eyes blazing with anger, "What are you doing here?" His grip loosened on my wrist as soon as he saw it was just me.

I desperately tried to explain my curiosity as the reason why I had followed him, but he seemed unconvinced. We stood there, facing each other, and an overwhelming feeling of fear and uncertainty engulfed me.

What was Draco up to, and why did he seem so angry with me?

Draco's face softened a bit, and he let out a deep sigh. "Look, Sofia, I don't have time for this. Just go and forget about what you saw here."

But I couldn't let it go. "What are you doing?" I asked, my curiosity getting the best of me, only to be cut off.

He snapped angrily as I took a step back in shock, his words ringing in my ears. So much for the apology and his insistence that he didn't want to cause any harm. I scoffed and looked down at my wrist, feeling the beginnings of a bruise forming beneath my skin. Taking one last look at him, I turned and left.

As I walk out of the Room of Requirement, my heart is still pounding from the encounter with Draco. I can't believe he yelled at me like that. But I refuse to let him ruin my day. I promised Ginny I would watch her and the boys try out for Quidditch, and I'm not going to let her down.

I make my way through the castle, passing students and teachers alike. It feels like everyone is staring at me, like they know what just happened. But I hold my head high and keep walking.

Finally, I reach the Quidditch field. And the boys are already up in the air, zooming around on their broomsticks. I find Hermione sitting by a girl with long blonde hair in the stands and settle in a spot next to them.

"Sofia, this is Luna Lovegood," Hermione said, gesturing toward the girl with a warm smile. I politely shook Luna's hand as Hermione introduced us. "Luna, this is Sofia Mikaelson," she added.

Luna had an ethereal quality about her, with her long blonde hair and dreamy expression. Hermione told me that Luna was in the same year as us and that we should all hang out sometime.