Bedknobs and Broomsticks [HP fanfic; BNB Book 1]

In the Dark of the Night

September, 1977

With a particularly loud snore, the girl's hazel eyes snapped open and she looked around in alarm. The library had emptied and the lights had been doused so that everything lay in darkness. She ran a hand through her hair and looked down at the book she'd been reading, but could only see the tips of her fingers floating there.

"Dammit..." She'd fallen asleep in the Invisibility Section. Slowly, she pulled herself to her feet and groped along the shelves towards the entrance. The door was unlocked, and she let herself out as quietly as she could, wincing at the creaky old door.

She'd only just reached the marble staircase when a low hiss made her spin around in time to see a dusty-colored tail flit around the corner. Mrs. Norris. Panicked, she flitted up the stairs, hopping four at a time while still trying to make as little noise as possible.

A distant sound caught her attention and she glanced around before resuming her hurried tiptoe down the corridor. She was almost to the next corner when light suddenly flooded the floor right in front of her feet. At the same time, a hand clamped over her mouth and she was yanked backwards through a tapestry on the wall and held tight against the stone wall as the light shone through gaps in the weaving and Filch's scratching voice reached her ears.

"Slippery things they are, tracking mud and slime, muck, trooping around after hours like they own the place. Mark my words, Mrs. Norris, they'll have more than moonlit strolls on their mind when I'm done with 'em..." His voice was fading with the light, echoing now as though from far off. "...no doubt Potter and Black again... I'll get them yet..."

After a few minutes in which Filch's voice faded entirely into the distance, the hand dropped from the girl's mouth and she whirled around to see a tall figure drawing aside the tapestry to peer out into the hallway.

"Come on, move..." he muttered, pushing her through the tapestry.

She stepped out slowly, watching for the fading flickering light around the corner at the end of the hall. Once it was out of sight, she turned to face her companion. She recognized him as someone she had seen around, but rarely noticed. He was tall, with dark hair that needed a cut, and piercing amber eyes that were fixed on her with some bemusement. From what she could recall, his name started with an L... or was it V-something...

"I fell asleep in the Library. What are you doing out?" she asked quickly.

"I was hungry," the boy said, shrugging.

"Oh, well come on, we've got to get out of here before Filch comes back!" She started off for the corner, but turned back to see him looking back at the other end of the corridor. "Come on."

He turned back and followed her. Quickly and quietly, they made their way up to where the portrait of the Fat Lady hung on the wall, gently snoozing in her frame. The girl prodded her awake to tell her the password (Acid Pops), and was halfway through the portrait hole when she saw the tall boy hanging back.

"What are you doing? Get in!" she hissed.

"I can't, I'm not in Gryffindor," said the boy nonchalantly.

The girl paused, drawing a blank for a moment, her mouth open. "Oh... Right." Mariah could have kicked herself. Stupid. She had only meant to leave the scene, but without thinking, had automatically led the boy right back to the Gryffindor Common Room. Stupid, stupid, stupid...

"But... but... but you..." She frowned. "Why did you follow me?"

"You told me to," shrugged the boy, smiling. "And Filch went the way I'd intended to go, anyway."

"And you... you just let me lead you straight to the portrait hole?" exclaimed the girl.

The boy shrugged again. "You seemed very driven, I would've hated to interrupt" he said. "Besides, this detour has probably given Filch enough time to get to a whole other wing of the castle. Thank you for that. I suppose I'll be heading back now. It was very nice to meet you... Mariah, isn't it?" He paused, waiting for the girl's confirmation.

"Yeah," she said, still confused.

"Right," he said. "Well, goodnight!" He turned with a wave, starting off down the corridor once more and disappearing into the shadows

Mariah stood there dumbstruck a good thirty seconds longer before the Fat Lady barked for her to choose whether she wanted in or out before she made the decision for her.

The hole closed and she entered the Gryffindor common room, which was dark, but eerily adorned with shadows thrown by the lowly flickering flames that still lingered in the grate. Hushed voices caught her ear and she turned abruptly, reaching for the wand in her pocket.

"Who's there?"

Two black-haired heads rose from behind a squashy red velvet couch that faced the far window, and she relaxed slightly, though still not releasing the wand. The boys rose to their feet, both looking at her.

"Mariah? Why're you back so late, eh?"

"I wouldn't have taken you for the type to sneak around after dark. That is, if you weren't teaching the gargoyles at the top of the tower to dance again."

"I fell asleep in the library," said Mariah, turning and walking towards the staircase to the Girls' Dormitories. "Heard Filch talking about you two on the way up though. Potter and Black've done it again."

"Oh, was it about the frog brains in Flitwick's class?" asked Sirius Black, crossing his arms and leaning over the back of the couch.

"No, it was more of a general comment," said Mariah, yawning. "You know, the ones he mutters under his breath."

"Those are the ones that tell us that deep down inside, he really does love us," said James Potter, grinning at Sirius.

"Like his own sons," the latter remarked in a simpering voice.

Mariah looked from one to the other. "What are you doing?" she asked.

"Killing time until the sun comes up," replied James.

Mariah blinked, but felt too sleepy to care. With a last "goodnight" she walked back up to her dormitory where the sign on the door read "Seventh Years." She fell onto her four-poster bed fully clothed, kicking off her shoes and pressing her face into the pillow as sleep began to take hold.