The Restricted Section

-Your POV-

The week had turned out to be quite stressful. The professors didn't shy away from announcing plenty of essays and homework and for a little while Y/N forgot about the mark on her hand.

She never had believed in these things anyway but it was the same as telling yourself that there is no need to be scared of the dark.

Y/N had found a chance to talk with Helena about Blaise. The two weren't dating yet but nonetheless, Helena didn't want to hear it. 

"Those are just rumors. He is amazing!"

Y/N kept insisting until her friend turned angry. "Just because you don't have a boyfriend doesn't mean you have to ruin this for me. It's not my fault that you are into guys who are as emotionally available as dried up cat feces."

The words had hurt because in a sense, Helena was right. 

Y/N had hoped that what happened in the Lost Wands room might have sparked a feeling in Draco but that quickly turned out to not be the case.

The time they spent together felt very platonic. At times they did have deep and soft conversations but it never went beyond that. Y/N had been putting in all she could to get something out of him but she started feeling like giving up.

She didn't want to end up like Pansy: Running after a boy who didn't feel like making it clear that he wasn't interested.

Speaking of Pansy, the girl had started trying to befriend Y/N. She kept making conversation, stopped calling her newbie and Y/N was too polite to tell her off. Y/N really wasn't fond of her but at the same time, she thought of Pansy as quite scary. Who knew what she'd do if she felt rejected.

It was Friday and as usual, Y/N had sat with Helena for lunch. They had just survived Umbridge and were faced with some free time before their Transfiguration class.

"What should we do? Go down to the lake?"

Y/N shrugged. "Sure."

"Or maybe we could-"

"I'm sorry to inform you but Y/N already has other plans."

She hadn't even noticed Draco approaching. Now he was standing next to her.

The girl looked up. "I do?"

"You wanted me to help you find something in the library. Remember?"

Her eyes widened. The pocket watch. "Oh right! I almost forgot!" Y/N got up. "Sorry, Lena."

"But…why did you ask him? I could have helped you! I'm just as smart!" Helena was pouting.

Her words made Draco laugh. "Yeah, right. Let's go."

He turned to leave the Great Hall. Y/N flashed her friend an apologetic look and then followed the boy.

On their way to the library, she wondered why all of a sudden Draco was interested in the mystery. Or was he just wanting to spend time with her…?

No. Y/N pushed that thought away in order to not get her hopes up. He was probably just bored, found the pocket watch under his bed and wanted to get it over with.

Suddenly, Draco leaned closer to Y/N as they were walking. "Chances are that the information we need is in the Restricted section. We might have to distract the librarian."

"But if we get caught-"

"We won't. Don't worry."

'Don't worry.' 

It was nice to hear something like that come out of Draco's mouth, like he actually cared about whether she'd worry or not.

Or maybe - probably - it was just an empty phrase. Like when you say 'Bless you' to someone who sneezes. You don't actually wish them a blessing. 

The library is pretty much empty which doesn't surprise Y/N at all. It was an extraordinarily beautiful day and most were spending their free time outside. Who would want to sit in the library when you can enjoy the sun instead?

Exactly.

Y/N and Draco.

He pulled her to one of the tables and they sat down on the wooden chairs. Draco lowered his voice.

"I didn't tell you but I already went looking yesterday."

"Wait, without me?"

"You were busy being a nerd. Anyway, I found an image of the pocket watch in a book."

His hand disappeared inside his coat and he pulled out the object to put it down on the table.

The golden hands were spinning like crazy. Y/N furrowed her eyebrows. "Didn't you say it was stuck at 5:16 pm?"

"Yes. I don't know what it's doing now."

They watched the pocket watch spin like a compass in bad weather.

"Anyway, I found it in a book in a chapter on dark magic. Apparently these kinds of pocket watches are called Eyes of Orcus."

"Weird name. What is Orcus?"

"I don't know. There was very little information on them as they were classified as dark magic artifacts. Hogwarts likes to put a censor on anything dark magic."

She looked at the watch which lay there innocently.

"And that's why you think we might find it in the Restricted Section?"

"If there is any answer inside this castle, it's in there."

Draco discreetly pointed at the part of the library separated through ropes. You can only borrow those books with a teacher's note. They clearly didn't have one.

"So how will we distract the librarian?"

They looked over to Madame Irma Pince, who was sitting behind her desk, filling out papers.

"I'm a pretty good actor," Draco mumbled. "As soon as she leaves the library, you'll have to start searching. You'll only have a few minutes. If you find something, don't take the book. Just rip out the page."

Y/N stared at him in disbelief. "I know you said we won't get caught but if we do, we are screwed," she hissed.

Draco rolled his eyes. "Don't be such a wuss." Then he got up and started walking over to the desk.

There was no going back.

"Madam Pince?"

"What?" The woman looked up, not amused about the interruption.

"Mr. Filch asked me to come get you." At the sound of Filch's name, her face lit up. "He found books outside in the bushes." 

"Books in the bushes? Which little rat did that?" She shot up. "Where exactly?"

"I'll show you."

Madam Pince followed Draco out of the library. He seemed so calm, like this was something he did every day.

As soon as they were out of her view, Y/N hurried over to the restricted section and started looking for the right category.

Spells, Horcruxes, Potions, Animals. 

There, artefacts!

Y/N pulled out a book called 'Lost Artifacts' and checked the index.

There were hundreds of pages but…no mention of the Eyes of Orcus. 'Dammit'.

She put the book back and nervously looked over to the entrance. How long would Draco be able to distract her before Irma Pince knew that he had lied? What would happen then?

Y/N kept looking over the back of the books until she found one that stood out.

'A Guide to rare Dark Magic Artifacts'

She pulled it out and opened it to see the index.

And… "Yes!"

'Eyes of Orcus - Pages 78-79'

She flipped through the pages.

75.

76.

77.

80.

81.

Wait.

She flipped back. Pages 77 and 80 were right next to each other. 

Somebody had already removed the page.

"I don't know where Mr. Filch went, he said he'd wait," she heard Draco say very loudly.

"I have no time for these games."

Shocked, Y/N almost dropped the book. She put it back quickly and then ran back to the table they had sat at earlier.

No second too early because right at that moment, Madam Pince entered the library, looking very annoyed. Draco didn't follow. He was waiting in the hallway.

Y/N got up again and left the hall, trying to look as unsuspicious as possible albeit her heart beating out of her chest.

But the librarian didn't even look at her, she was cursing to herself.

As soon as she had left the room, Draco grabbed her arm and pulled her with him.

"And?"

Y/N took a second to get her breathing under control. 

"I found them mentioned in a book."

"And?"

She shook her head.

"We came too late. Someone had already removed the page."