Serpent On Fire | DRACO x OC | HERMIONE x OC

Wasting Time

Aster spent the rest of the night glaring at Io until she finished her food. Under her watchful eye, Io spitefully waved around the last bite, ignoring the urge to admit she really needed to eat and finally felt satiated. Sleep fell on the rest of Slytherin house, quiet and still. The twins stayed awake, slowly coming out of the fog that hovered over their heads.

"When you're ready, get dressed."

Io scoffed. "It's like 11pm. Where exactly are we going?"

Aster tied her hair up loosely, stray blonde strands falling onto her shoulders. "Harry mentioned something about a room that only appears when you ask for something specific. Somewhere in the Astronomy Tower. I want to see it, and maybe we can use it to practice."

Io groaned, stretching her poorly used muscles after days in bed. "And what are we practicing for..."

Aster threw a stray sock at her sister's head. "All that sleep rotted your brain. You need to start Occlumency training right away. I hate to say it, but it might do you some good to try using the Unforgivable Curses. I don't think Voldemort will accept you if you don't."

"Aster, I'm not going to kill anyone. And I'm part Occlumens, in case you forgot."

"But you need to know what it feels like to use one of them," she pulled Io out of bed then rummaged through her trunk, tossing a jumper and jeans up. "Occlumency is more important, and only finishing half of your training means nothing. Let's see what happens with the Room of Requirement first, and then we'll figure it out later."

Once they were both ready, they snuck out of the Slytherin common room. Since Aster had no patience to become an Animagus, there was no point in Io using hers. Thankfully, there was no sign of Filch, and as long as they stayed quiet, the portraits paid them no mind. After a Confundus charm or two later, they were alone in the Astronomy Tower, circling back and forth between several empty walls.

"Harry couldn't have been a little more specific with his directions?" Io rolled her eyes. She raised her wand, "Lumos."

"Well, I can't imagine he was going to just whip out some parchment and draw me a map." Aster knocked on one of the stone walls. "Maybe if we try different walls, something will happen."

Io walked further ahead. "Wait," she looked out to the stairs where she would normally spend her sleepless nights.

She recognized it now. This was where Harry caught her conversation with Draco. At the time, she thought he'd appeared out of nowhere, but he must have come out from -

"It's this one." Io pointed her wand.

Aster caught up to her. "How can you be so sure? Did something happen?"

"No. But I hope I'm wrong." She nodded towards the wall. "Go on - ask for something."

Aster closed her eyes, and they waited. Io kept her eyes steady on one stone as if willing for it to open. After a few more seconds, the stone started to crumble away, as if dissolving into a large door with large iron handles.

"Did it work?" Aster opened one eye.

Io pushed the door open, and they were met with a large empty room. The walls were plated with glass, and there was a row of five dueling practice dummies. On the other side were two velvet chairs facing the other, and a chess set was placed in between them, hovering in the air.

"Remind me to thank Harry." Io chuckled. "I believe we've just found our Room of Requirement."

Aster walked over to the chess set. Trying to topple one of the pieces over, she realized they were stuck to the board. "This must be for Occlumency. I don't think the pieces will move unless you do it nonverbally. Honestly, that's brilliant."