Broom Closet Brouhaha (Lucius)

Restless. Lucius was restless. This wasn't anything new for him, however. Ever since the end of the last term, right when the summer break began, Lucius had developed a bout of insomnia. He had always been a light sleeper, prone to waking up in the middle of the night when even the slightest disturbance was made. He was also prone to nightmares. When the break started, he found his nightmares were worsening and that he could hardly sleep at all anymore. These two things combined made sleeping a memory for him. He could barely remember the last time he'd gotten a full night's rest. Thank Merlin he was a prefect and could wander the halls to his heart's content.

He used to do the same thing at the Malfoy Manor in Wiltshire, England when he was just a boy. He'd crawl out of bed and explore the twisting halls of their home. He'd go to the library and sift through the books, trying to understand the complicated spell-work or the obscure history that was scrawled in the dusty pages. He adored going to the balcony to star-gaze or walking through their arboretum, smelling the plants and the flowers that grew in there. There was nothing about the manor that was particularly inviting though. The place was dark and cold, lacking in color, and standing by itself surrounded by a formidable, iron gate. But it was his own midnight adventure that he could explore while his parents were fast asleep. As the years passed, though, the manor had become less of a home and more of a prison. Hogwarts was more of a home to him now than that place. For the briefest moment, he felt like a little kid again, exploring the mysteries of his home.

Naturally, after all these years, the layout of the school was ingrained in his brain. There wasn't a corridor he hadn't been down, no part of the castle that he felt was a stranger to him. Even in the dark he walked through the halls confidently, knowing every turn. It was completely silent except for the soft click of his shoes and the light snoring of the paintings. Often he found he was the last of the prefect left when it came to patrolling. He figured they'd probably all gone to bed now.

He sighed, deciding he should probably at least try and get some sleep. Lucius turned on his heel to go back to the Slytherin common room, but then he noticed a shadow just around the corner. At any other time of day it probably wouldn't have been noticeable, but the flickering light of a lamp on the opposing wall had made it clear. Lucius sighed, expecting he'd just tell them to get a move on and go back to their dormitory. Lately he really didn't care that much for doling out discipline. After all, when he wasn't a prefect, he'd made a habit of being out after hours. "I see you," he called out half-heartedly. Deciding he should just face them head-on, he rounded the corner, seeing a blonde girl pressed against the wall like an international spy. He found himself smiling at the amusing sight. It almost hurt to smile, he hadn't smiled in so long.

"Don't worry. I'm not going to reprimand you or anything. Just go back to your dormitory and we'll call it a night." Something made him turn around then. He glanced rapidly up and down the dark corridor. He looked back at the Gryffindor, a confused expression on his face. "Did you hear that?" He heard it again and then turned back around. "What is that?" he breathed quietly, more to himself than to her. The sound broke through the quiet yet again, but this time it was louder and clearer than before. He realized what it was this time. A laugh.