We will meet again ~ Fred Weasley

32| not a word

Nothing.

Not a word from her, I had seen her around. It was clear she was doing anything and everything to avoid me. I don't think it was hatred or anger, it was to stop me from getting closer to the truth. If she knew me in the slightest surely she'd know that wouldn't stop me. I needed help, but who could I ask? Hermione? Surely not, even though the group had been getting on with Ronnie since before Christmas they still didn't trust her. They would probably make up some evil, twisted plot she has planned.

I know she isn't like that, at least not willingly.

I was stuck in classes, the ones that we always shared and sat beside each other in. Only now she sat next to other Slytherins in each one, she made minimal eye contact and just blatantly ignored me. I wasn't one to let this affect my school work so in potions I kept my head down, intending to follow Slughorn's instructions to a T.

"Today we will be going over the properties of the antidote to Veritaserum, first set up your stations with all the required ingredients and utensils needed. In page 54 of your books..." I rushed around taking the work space next to Hermione, knowing full well she wouldn't interrupt or interrogate me in a class. She is always too focused.

'• Pour Honeywater into a cool silver cauldron and place over a low flame to bring to a simmer
• Coarsely chop Valerian Sprigs with a silver knife and stir them into the cauldron
• Slowly drop the Mistletoe Berries into the cauldron and stir seven times clockwise and seven times anti-clockwise'

I followed the instructions exactly as written often taking small glances at Ronnie's corner, she was out of it. Completely in her own world looking rather traumatised almost as if she was having flashbacks, in that moment I knew I had to find the truth and thankfully this class gave me an idea. I would get it out of her even if that means giving her Veritaserum myself. "Sir?" I called out and he quickly made his way in my direction "yes miss Potter?" I smiled innocently hoping to get the information I needed without drawing too much suspicion "I was just wondering, Veritaserum is dangerous would they happen to keep it here at Hogwarts? I can imagine they would have to be careful incase it got into the wrong hands."

"You are absolutely right Katherine, its very dangerous that's why it is kept in small batches, watched over carefully by Snape I assume. He has a whole storage room full of potions, kept away from students of course!" He spoke so cheerfully I had to hold back a smirk at what he had told me, of course I'd have to find a way to get in to Snape's storage cupboard without being caught by the devil himself. Then again an invisibility cloak would do the trick...

...

"Please, please, please!"

"Only if you tell me why you need it." Harry answered looking unmoved by my begging, but me being me stupidly didn't think of an excuse for it. "I- um... I need to get into the restricted section" I tried to sound believable but my stuttering gave me away anyway, he gave me a knowing look clearly understanding I thought of it on the spot. "The library, what could you possibly need from there?" I rolled my eyes after not getting the result I had wanted sitting down beside him looking angry, hoping it would intimidate him into agreement "listen just know it's important, I can't and won't tell you. I need to know this, but I can't without the cloak!" He stared at me blankly for a moment, if i'm honest he looked arrogant like he felt happy that I had to beg him for something. "Just give it to her mate, she's not gonna stop asking."

"Drop the arrogance, give it to me. You should know I will stop at nothing till you hand it over." I said sternly ignoring Ron's comment he groaned throwing it directly to hit me square in the face, I couldn't be mad at the shot I screeched with happiness and ran for the common room door "you're the best Haz, your sister wovy wovy loves you" I heard Ron sniggering loudly at my childish comment.

"I hate you." He responded only making me more proud of the situation. Not only had I successfully got my brothers cloak but I had embarrassed/annoyed him in the process, I'd call that a win.

-

I didn't plan on going to the storage room at night, that would be obvious everything is louder when the corridor is dead silent in the dark. It would only increase my chances of getting caught, and revealing my brothers invisibility cloak secret that would only get it confiscated till the end of our school years. He would never forgive me for that, it was a gift from dad. I'm not sure I would ever forgive myself.

I decided to skip dinner knowing for a fact I would have to come up with an excuse to Hermione and Ginny later, who I had promised to study and eat with. This was more important. Luckily most of the Professors and Students were in the Great hall making my life a hell of a lot easier. I could only pray that Snape was stuffing his face at the teachers table rather than being on the sixth floor where his storage room is.

I expected the door to be locked to keep others like me from getting in but I had my wand at my side just incase, just to be safe I kept the cloak on me since exiting the common room. I had reached the sixth floor tiptoeing along the corridor, being paranoid about what kind of trouble I would be in if I did get caught. When I reached the door I suspected to be the cupboard as I had seen Snape hang around this area of the corridor and it had easy access close by his DADA classroom.

I quickly reached out my hand trying the door and just as I assumed the door wouldn't budge it only shook slightly letting me hear the lock rattle over and over. "Alohomora" I whispered a large click emerged from the door before me, only it sounded much too loud only sending me into deeper paranoia, overthinking the fact that they could hear the noise all the way over at the great hall.

I slipped inside still not willing to remove the cloak from my body shutting the door behind me. Shelves filled the walls in the small box room, each shelf filled to the brim with potions, some I recognised some I didn't. The thing about Veritaserum that would only make my life harder, it's colourless and odourless. How I would find something so simple in a room full of intriguing brightly coloured potions was beyond me.

I climbed the ladders that rested against the left side of the room climbing up each step one at a time, inspecting each and every potion. By the time I had gotten to the eighth shelf I had given up hope. Every time I thought I had found it, I was proven wrong it was stressful. I almost toppled down crashing to the floor at the sound of the door opening, I had never been so quick to shove my arms back beneath the cloak, gripping onto the ladder for dear life.

I expected Snape to walk in and catch me red handed in the act but I gasped slightly at the sight of Draco Malfoy entering the room. I slapped my hand over my mouth staring down at him, he glanced up above him obviously hearing some kind of noise but not long after moved on by reaching into the second shelf, taking a vial of god knows what. He made it clear he got what he needed as he rushed back out shutting the door quietly behind him.

I let out a sigh of relief at my luck, my mood instantly changed when above me on the ninth shelf were small vials of clear liquid. I took the step up taking the cap off the bottle, smelling for any sign of it being the wrong potion. It was right, no smell, no colour I had found it. I wanted to get out as soon as possible but before I opened the door to make a quick escape, I grabbed a bottle of what Malfoy had taken needing to know what it was and why he needed it.

- did I forget to publish the chapter? Yes. 😶