In Finding My Honor

Chatper 4: Hide and Seek around Hogwarts

Violet huffed quickly and quietly through the school after Malfoy. She navigated around loose stones, while keeping a safe distance between the two of them. The Slytherin boy led her down one of the large staircases at the center of Hogwarts. Violet held her breath, as she nervously passed a group of young Huffelpuff girls, hoping they would not notice her sneaky behavior. Of course, the students hardly noticed her at all—far too deep in a conversation about some guy—let alone to have any suspicions.

Soon enough Malfoy marched down the stairs into a familiar, indoor clearing on the West side of the castle. Violet peered down at him, from the staircase queue, above. She waited to see Malfoy's next move before she would do hers. Naturally, she suspected he would turn right and head for the staircase to the Slytherin common room. However, to her dismay, he did not. Instead, Malfoy walked down the opposite corridor; then pushed passed a beautifully crafted and burnished wooden door. The prefects' bathroom? That's right, he was a prefect! She had completely forgotten.

This now left her in an unsure situation. Obviously the young girl could not enter, but she could not just stand there either. What would happen if the Slytherin saw her when he came out? Taking a deep breath—partly of annoyance, but also due to the massive weight her bag had on her—Violet walked half way down the hallway, then stopped and released her book bag to the ground. She let herself slide down the stone wall to the cold floor. Pulling her dark, brunet hair out of her face and behind her ears, Violet grabbed a random book and flipped to a random page.

Minutes slipped by one after the other and Violet decided it was absolutely ridiculous to pretend to work when she could actually be getting assignments done. She sped through a Transfigulation essay questions then managed making an outline for a Veritaserum Potion. When Malfoy had finally emerged from the bathroom, Violet was halfway through a Herbology sheet. He had slipped out of the bathroom, down the hall, so quietly that if it were not for her passionate lack of interest in Herbology, she would not have heard him.

It was not until Malfoy had turned the corner that Violet shoved her books, quills, and parchment back into her bag and scurried after him. She picked up the pace when she passed the same corner, just in time to see Malfoy disappear behind another one, he too picking up the pace. It truly was a game of hide and seek. Something caught the young girl's eyes as well, just before he had turned down the corridor, an object in his left hand had glistened in the light. He had been too far away for her to make it out, but one thing was for sure: he hadn't had it before he entered the bathroom.

Apparently, when Violet managed to catch up to Malfoy sufficiently, her shaky breathing, or perhaps her heavy, tiered footsteps, had been too loud, and he shot his head around. Without another thought, she leaped behind an empty armor suite. He stood there for several moments scanning the area, but, to her luck, shrugged and sprinted away. Slowly, Violet emerged from her hiding spot, dusting her skirt. Annoyance growing in her; how would she ever catch up now? At that instant, she let out a squeal as a figure leaped out of the armor suite. It was Peeves, and she let out an irritated sigh. He floated past and raised a ghostly eyebrow.

"What is a young Gryffindor, such as yourself, doing, following a—" The poltergeist paused, his lips pulling back into a grin, " the handsome, Slytherin Prince?" Violet didn't answer, roughly slinging her book bag over her shoulder again and walking away, not in the mood to continue this conversation with Peeves.

"He's gone down the right corridor, pass the second floor Charms classroom." He smirked and Violet looked up giving him a grateful smile, before quickly heading off, "But don't get too frisky with the boy!" The poltergeist called after her, and disappeared into a solid brick pillar, his chuckles still echoing off the walls.