My favourite colour is Sacramento green. It's always been that way. I'm not really sure when it was that the colour fully caught my attention, but once upon a time it did, and I haven't been able to think differently since. Actually no, that's a lie. I know exactly why.

My mum's favourite colour was Ash grey, though she told me that it wasn't always. Once upon a time she loved light blue, but then she met someone who changed her mind completely. She told me that the minute she fell in love with dad was the moment she realised that Ash grey was much more her speed than blue after all. She said his eyes were Ash grey.

I don't know much about my dad... Or, more, I don't know anything about my dad. All I know is that his eyes were Ash grey, and he left us. Mum tried telling me he hadn't a choice, but how could he not? We all have choices, and he made his. He chose to leave.

My dad had Ash grey eyes, he left us, and he once owned an old, green scarf. An old, Sacramento green scarf that my mother was buried with. She'd have wanted it that way, after all, as it was the only thing he'd left her of himself. Even though I can't forgive his choices, she loved him dearly, even after he left, and so I gave it to her when I had one last chance to leave her something.

I like to tell myself that the colour of his scarf, the last piece of himself, and only piece of himself, I ever knew, has nothing to do with my favourite colour. I try and tell myself that the colour reminds me of mum because she loved that piece of him, that last piece of him, and as seeing that piece made her happy, it made me happy too.

But, in the back of my mind, and hidden somewhere in my heart, I know that that's not the whole truth at all. Sacramento green is my favourite colour because it's the only piece of my dad I've ever know. I never saw the Ash of his eyes, after all.

It's the middle of the night, far past our curfew, but here we are, Hermione Granger and I, sitting in the Common Room and waiting patiently on her hunch. She woke me earlier and told me she had a bad feeling that Ron and Harry were going to do something stupid. I haven't known them very long, but I've known them long enough now to know that they are quite good at saying and doing stupid things, and so I followed her down here in my pyjamas to wait for them in the dark.

I'm broken from my tired thoughts by Hermione's sudden voice.

"I can't believe you're going to do this, Harry."

She's quick to turn the lamp on nearest to her after she's spoken, and when she does, the sudden light reveals the surprised duo of Harry Potter and Ronald Weasley, indeed, up to no good.

"You," Ron suddenly groans angrily. 'Go back to bed!"

"I'm here as well – just thought you should know," I speak gently from my place causing the two to jump again.

"Y/N? Not you too..."

"I almost told your brother!" Hermione snaps their attention back to her. "Percy – he's a Prefect, he'd put a stop to this."

I glance to Harry to find him looking mildly angry and somewhat frustrated with the situation. Suddenly he tugs on Ron's arm and tells him to just leave. Both boys move through the portrait hole and away from Mione and I, leaving us stood there, me a little shocked at Harry's actions. She's quick to chase after them though, and so I follow her through too.

"Don't you care about Gryffindor, do you only care about yourselves, I don't want Slytherin to win House Cup and you'll lose all the points I got from Professor McGonagall for knowing about Switching Spells."

I frown at her reasoning, as perhaps, it seems, her and I are here to stop them for different reasons.

"Go away," they both grumble.

"I just don't want you two to get in trouble. Who cares about the House Cup? Both of you could end up expelled for this," I tell them gently. Ron looks as though he's about to respond before Hermione is speaking up again.

"All right, but I warned you, you just remember what I said when you're on the train home tomorrow, you're so..."

She cuts her own sentence off once she turns just to find the portrait, where the woman called the Fat lady usually sits, empty.

"Now what are we going to do?" she asks me in a flurry of frustration and panic.

"That's your problem," Ron answers her. "We've got to go, we're going to be late."

"Where are you going?" I ask them as I quicken my pace to walk alongside them. "Hermione never told me. She just said you'd be getting into trouble."

"We're going to Duel Malfoy," Ron smiles triumphantly, and my eyes jump wide with shock.

"Wait, seriously? Can I come too?"

"Y/N!" Mione shouts in disbelief. "You cannot be serious!"

"He deserves it, Mione. Remember what he said today? I'm rather excited to see him with some sense knocked into that big head of his."

"That's right!" Ron backs me up. "Plus he's a git! You can come if you want, Y/N."

I smile and nod in appreciation before quickening my pace with them, Hermione racing after us as quietly as she can.

"I'm coming with you," she states once reaching us again, and I smile in appreciation to her.

"You are not," Ron exclaims back.

"D'you think I'm going to stand out here and wait for Filch to catch me? If he find all four of us I'll tell him the truth, that we tried to stop you and you can back me up."

"You've got some nerve-" Ron starts loudly but is swiftly cut off by Harry.

"Shut up, both of you!" he demands sharply. "I heard something."

I crane my neck to see past Harry and further into the darkened corridors. They're scarier at night than in the evenings, as most of the lights have been extinguished, and shadows seem to loom more terrifically against the walls and floors, casting faux-professors where ever you turn. I swallow thickly after convincing myself that what I'm looking at is merely a shadow and not Professor Snape, snooping around the corridors looking for Gryffindors to punish.

"What did you hear, Harry?" I whisper to the dark-haired boy gently as not to rouse the attention of whomever or whatever he's heard.

"Mrs Norris?" Ron breathes, and I catch myself hoping it isn't her, or Filch either.

I squint a little harder against the gloom and finally make out a shape laying against the floor, and to my utmost surprise, it's Neville Longbottom, curled up and asleep on the corridor floor! He jerks suddenly, causing me to slightly do the same, and then he wakes up and stares at the four of us with wide eyes.

"Thank goodness you found me! I've been out here for hours. I couldn't remember the new password to get in to bed," he breathes out all at once, though a little loudly, a sentence filled with relief.

"Keep your voice down, Neville. The password's 'Pig snout' but it won't help you now, the Fat Lady's gone off somewhere," Hermione informs the boy.

"How's your arm?" Asks Harry kindly.

Neville goes on to tell us that his arm's fine, and that Madam Pomfrey, Hogwarts resident medical witch, fixed it up very quickly. I tune them all out though, and instead let my mind wander to what might happen if we're caught out of bed at this hour. Connie would be so disappointed in me for it, and I'm sure mum would be too... and then there's the disappointment that my friends would feel for having to go back home so soon and not be allowed to ever return.

I watch the shadows keenly, making sure to mark their places as to remind myself that they are shadows and not adults coming to tell us off. I jump when there's a sudden hand on my shoulder.

"Y/N? Are you alright?" Harry asks as he removes his hand. I nod and clutch my hands to my chest.

"I just don't want anyone to have to go home for this... I mean, is revenge on Draco Malfoy really worth all this?"

"Of course it is, Y/N! You know what he's like. He picks on you as well," Ron reasons, and I simply nod, completely unconvinced that this is worth disappointing so many people at all, as well as messing up our futures.

"Let's get this over with then... I don't want any of us getting expelled tonight. Hurry up," I coax them along quicker, letting Ron and Harry take the lead after remembering that I don't know where they're supposed to be meeting up with Malfoy, and most probably his goons as well.

We clamber as silently as possible down many halls, Harry, Ron, Hermione, Neville, and I. Eventually, after a lot of walking and glances over our shoulders, we come close to the trophy room on the third floor.

There are many trophies inside of said room, and they're very beautiful. They glitter and sparkle magnificently against the beams of moonlight filtering in through some of the high windows. There's all sorts of things in here, from cups, to shields, and all sorts of other awards. Harry takes out his wand, but it seems we're the only ones here.

"Is this where we're meeting him?" I ask gently.

"He's late," Ron whispers his response. "Maybe he's chickened out."

"Are you positive he was going to show up at-" I begin to question before I hear a noise and cut myself off.

I look around frantically, but the other four seem to not have heard anything. A louder noise comes that causes all five of us to jump in place, and then we hear a voice.

"Sniff around, my sweet, they might be lurking in a corner."

It's Filch and Mrs Norris. I don't hesitate to clasp Hermione's hand in my own and grip Neville's sleeve before following closely behind a rushing Harry and closely following Ron. We rush through the trophy room to it's other side in hopes of escaping our most likely expulsion, or at the very least, afternoon detention. Harry points us in another direction looking absolutely terrified, and we follow without question nor hesitance.

We're silent, almost completely so, until something seems to cause Neville to trip, which pulls him from my grip, and he wraps his arms around Ron in hopes of staying upright, though that isn't what happens, and instead of saving himself, he topples both himself and Ron into a suit or armour with an almighty CRASH.

"Run!" Harry yells.

I tighten my grip on Mione and the both of us sprint after Harry, Ron and Neville close behind, none of us daring to glance back to make sure we aren't being followed. We pelt through a couple corridors, behind a tapestry that turns out is hiding a secret passage way, and soon come out in another corridor close to Professor Flitwick's Charms classroom. This room, though, is nowhere near where we've just come from the trophy room, and so we let ourselves slow down and relax slightly.

"I think we've lost him" Harry pants whilst leaning against a wall.

I nod to the boy and then let myself drop to the ground, Hermione soon following me, and we both breathe heavily as we take in what we've just done, and whom we've just avoided. Both Ron and Neville are both huffing and spluttering as well, through their lack of athleticism or fear I don't quite know.

"I – told – you," Hermione gasps from my side. "I – told – you."

"We've got to get back to Gryffindor Tower," says Ron. "Quickly as possible."

"Malfoy tricked you, Y/N was right. He wasn't going to show up. You realise that, don't you?" Mione tells Harry. "He was never going to meet you – Filch knew someone was going to be in the trophy room, Malfoy must have tipped him off."

I nod and watch the look of realisation wash over Harry's face before he speaks up again.

"Let's go."

My blood runs cold when I hear the rattling of a doorknob, and before I can even wonder which of our professors is sure to be behind it, Peeves the poltergeist has come towards us cackling madly. I can't even make out the conversation the others are having with him before I hear him calling loudly to anyone who'll listen.

"STUDENTS OUT OF BED! STUDENTS OUT OF BED DOWN THE CHARMS CORRIDOR!"

We duck underneath him and run for it, but after too little time, we've reached the end of the corridor and have run into a locked tight door.

"That's it!" Ron cries. "We're done for! This is the end!"

"Oh, move over," Hermione demands before pushing him out of the way and drawing her wand from her light-pink dressing gown, tapped on the lock, and whispers a spell I can't believe slipped my mind. "Alohomora!"

The lock click open, and as soon as it does, all five of us pile into the room before slamming it shut again and pressing our ears to it, listening.

"Which way did they go, Peeves?" Filch asks the poltergeist. "Quick, tell me."

"Say please." I chuckle silently after hearing this. Hermione nudges me with her elbow and gives me a warning look.

"Don't mess me about, Peeves, now where did they go?"

"Shan't say nothing if you don't say please."

"All right – please."

"NOTHING! Ha haaa! Told you I wouldn't say nothing if you didn't say please! Ha ha! Haaaaaa!"

The voices are quickly followed by the sound of Peeves whooshing away and Filch muttering curses to himself in a rage before he, too, limps away. I'm filled with relief with the sound of him leaving.

"He thinks this door is locked," harry whispers. "I think we'll be OK – get off, Neville!"

Neville was indeed tugging furiously on both mine and Harry's sleeves trying to get our attention, and for very good reason too, because when I turn to face what he's facing, I come to see something I really wish I hadn't – at least, not under these circumstances.

Standing before us and snarling angrily is a gigantic, three headed, dark coloured dog, with bared, drool-coated teeth, terrifying eyes, and terrible breath. I gasp, and that seems to collect the rest of my friends attention, because soon they're gasping as well. Before I can even register what's happening, I'm being pulled from the room with the others and the door's being slammed shut again, and as soon as I've come back too, we're running again. Zipping through the corridors, now more familiar than before, and pelting back towards Gryffindor Tower where, with some luck, the Fat Lady will be back in her portrait, and we'll be allowed back in into our Common Room and dormitories. None of us stop running until we reach the aforementioned lady on the seventh floor.

"Where on earth have you all been?" she asks us in surprise when she notices our puffed out stances and wheezing breaths, our wide eyes and dressing gowns hanging off of us.

"Never mind that – pig snout, pig snout," Harry pants, and without question, the portrait flips back open, and the five of us are scurrying back into our Common Room and collapsing on the armchairs and couches laid about. It's a long while of silence before anyone decides to break it.

"What do they think they're doing, keeping a thing like that locked up in a school?" Ron finally speaks. "If any dog needs exercise, that one does."

I chuckle and nod slightly.

"You don't use your eyes, any of you, do you?" Hermione snaps. "Didn't you see what it was standing on?"

"The floor?" Harry shrugs, and I, once again, break out into a quest laugh. "I wasn't looking at it's feet, I was too busy with it's heads."

"No, not the floor. It was standing on a trapdoor. It's obviously guarding something." Hermione quickly stands after her exclamation and glares at the boys. "I hope you're please with yourselves. We could all have been killed – or worse, expelled. Now, if you don't mind, I'm going to bed."

Ron stares after her with his mouth wide open.

"No, we don't mind. You'd think we dragged her along, wouldn't you? That girl needs to get her priorities straight! Killed – or worse, expelled – pfft."

"To be fair," I finally speak up myself, quietly, and a little sadly after hearing him, "to some of us, Ron, this is our home. Some of us don't have much to return to if not here, so please understand that she want's to be here with everything she has, and you shouldn't underestimate that of her. Goodnight."

I stand and leave after Hermione. I move into our dorm and find her brooding on her bed with her arms crossed and a scowl on her face.

"I can't believe those two!" she whisper-shouts. "Who'd be dumb enough to fall for something like that? Even if Malfoy did show up – what's the point? They'd have gotten in trouble."

"I know," I try to comfort her as I sit on my own bed, cross-legged, facing her. "But it's okay, we didn't get caught, Mione."

"But we could have, N/N... and then what?"

"Yes, we could have, but we weren't, so lets just count it as a win instead of a loss, okay? I understand that your afraid of getting expelled – I am as well – but we weren't caught, and so nothing of the sort will happen, okay? Come on, we should get some sleep. Since last night after Astronomy, this'll be our second night up past midnight, and we need some rest."

"I suppose you're right, thank you..." she breathes before lying down and trying to fall asleep.

"You're welcome. What are friends for?"

I try to sleep as well, though the thought of that dog on the third-floor has my mind plagued.

What is it guarding? Obviously there has to be something important hidden under that trapdoor, but what? Harry had said something about he and Hagrid having been at Gringotts when it was broken into. Said Hagrid collected something from one of the vaults under Hogwarts Business. Could that have something to do with it? Whatever was in that vault, is that what's being hidden under there? Harry's expression when Hermione mentioned something hidden would suggest something of the sort, I suppose.

With those thoughts in mind, I finally drift off to sleep.