A Serpent's Heart

Chapter 8. Troubled Dreams.

I was laying on my bed, quietly sobbing. It was 2 AM and I had heard Luna enter our room, but I did not want her to see me like this. So much was going through my head,  I knew I wouldn't be able to sleep. I remembered the Autika Katheude and took the bottle out of my trunk. I let a few drops of it fall into a glass of water and drank it. I lay down and immediately felt sleepy. A few seconds later I was fast asleep. I had completely forgotten about Slughorn's warning.

I was in a classroom with Draco. There were others, too. Draco and I were talking about something, when suddenly he rolled up his sleeve to reveal his Dark Mark. He lifted his wand and touched the Mark with it. A bright light flashed through the room and Death Eaters burst through the window. There was chaos and the Death Eaters fired spells at the students. I hid under the table. I heard screams and I saw bodies fall to the ground. The sleeping potion didn't allow me to wake up from the nigthtmare, so I had to watch Draco point his wand at a girl in agony. "Avada Kedavra!" he cried. The girl collapsed. Draco stepped over her lifeless body. I tried to reach the door, but someone tapped me on the back. I wondered who would use such a soft gesture in this life-threatening situation. I turned around. It was Draco. "Keira," he said, and held out his hand. "Join me." "No," I said. Draco looked angry now and he menacingly stepped closer to me. "I thought you were on my side," he whispered. "I don't even know on whose side you are!" I cried out. I turned around and ran away, but Draco came after me, killing everyone who stood in his way.

"Wake up, sleepyhead!" someone said. I opened my eyes and after they had adjusted to the bright light coming through the window, I saw Luna standing next to my bed. "Are you okay?" she asked. My night had mainly been filled with nightmares, and I noticed my pillow was wet. I had cried. "Tell me later, now we should hurry before we miss breakfast!" I got out of bed and grabbed a shirt and a pleated skirt.

After I came out of the bathroom, I followed Luna to the Great Hall. Emma came over from the Hufflepuff table. "You're late," she said. I glanced at the Slytherin table. Fortunately, Draco wasn't there. I probably looked awful, because Emma asked: "Are you ill?"

I shook my head. Luna put her hand on my shoulder and said: "You would tell me what has happened to you."

"I'm not sure if I should tell you," I said.

"Why?" Emma asked.

"I know something I'm not supposed to know," I replied. I was worried terrible things would happen to me if I told anyone.

"We won't tell anyone," Luna assured me.

I knew I could trust my friends, so I took a deep breath and whispered: "Draco Malfoy is a Death Eater." Emma and Luna were shocked.

"You've been spending time with a Death Eater?" Emma cried out.

"I had no idea he was a Death Eater," I said apologetically.

"How did you find out anyways?" Luna asked curiously.

"I don't think you should know that either."

***

I spent the rest of the weekend in the Ravenclaw common room, so I wouldn't run into Draco. I did feel sorry for him, but I needed time to process this. After the Spring Ball I had really thought he was a nice guy, no longer the brat he used to be, or always pretended to be. I had almost forgotten he was the son of a Death Eater.

When I came down for dinner at last, I saw Draco next to Pansy at the Slytherin table. He did not look at her. Instead, he was gazing at the Ravenclaw table. He was looking for me. Our eyes met. Neither of us smiled or waved, we just looked at each other. He looked downright miserable. Pansy said something and he looked at her. The brief moment of interaction was over.

As tempting as it seemed, I did not plan to use the Autika Katheude any time soon. I rather spent my nights overthinking the situation and eventually dozing off in a light sleep than unable to wake up from my troubled dreams.