𝐵𝑒𝓆𝓊𝑒𝒶𝓉𝒽𝓂𝑒𝓃𝓉 | 𝒟.𝑀.

25 | ﴾ Details ﴿

The castle was warm and buzzing with students heading to dinner. The familiar twinkling of candlelight was inviting after spending another night at the manor. Popular ghosts were flitting towards the Great Hall to interact with the young inhabitants. I had no appetite after everything I had already been through that weekend so I made a beeline for the dungeon dorms, pushing against emerging green robes. My cheek was still scarlet from the wand cut but gradually the crest burn had returned to it's normal aching. 

I was reminded by passing conversations that it was Saturday. The common room would be active that night, making it difficult for me to hide in my bedroom peacefully. I whispered the password at the wall, watching it move aside with lifeless eyes. 

My predictions were correct, there was already music playing and clusters of conversations happening. Some people had drinks in their hands which brought back memories of a night that had changed my life forever. Warrington, Blaise and Montague stood by the fireplace. I noticed that Warrington had a neck brace on and Montague's face was still changing colors from bruising. Blaise raised an eyebrow sharply as I entered and they all turned to glare at me. A vague clip of their conversation floated into my earshot as I passed by with my head down, "...just look at her face...probably beating her senseless..." then cruel laughing. 

I swallowed the mortification and went straight upstairs to change. The space was dimly lit and I felt relief that I could escape from reality and hide in my own bed. It was only dinner time yet I was carelessly under the covers, drifting away.

My dreams were splattered with images of the haggish woman's face. I was back in the woods and it was late in the evening. No trail could be found this time, and I wandered aimlessly between the trees. It was colder than before and I was bleakly aware that the sun would set soon. My steps were sluggish, like the air was the same thickness as water. Movement to my left drew my eyes and there she was. Peering out from behind a tree with that maniacal expression and evil grin, showing only half of her gaunt face. I made to run but my legs wouldn't move just as they had in real life.  

I cried out and the scream reverberated throughout the landscape like an echo. She was running at me now, but the world was stretching making it look like we were growing farther apart. 

"Madeleine," This voice also echoed, and I twirled around with my bright blond hair swimming through the air. Draco stood on the other side of me, meters away. His hand was outstretched towards me. It was hard to make him out through the falling snow. It was night suddenly, and everything was hard to see. I reached towards his hand but the vortex from behind me stretched, pulling me from him. My arm was bent desperately towards him but the world was swallowing me backwards towards the running woman. She had almost reached me, laughing hysterical echoes around us, somehow fighting against the pull of the air. When I looked back to Draco with desperation in my eyes, his face was concealed in the Death Eater mask, the smoke from the edges of the mirage billowing towards me. The smoke seemed to grow from the mask getting thicker and enshrouding me. I screamed into the smog as a snake like skull emerged and opened it's jaws as though to swallow me whole.

"Madeleine! Mad! Wake up you blithering idiot," Hilda was on the edge of my bed shaking me hard. Her face was stricken with worry. I sat up feeling clammy and frightened, long strands of hair were plastered to my forehead.

"You were screaming. Everyone could hear you from the common room, was it just a nightmare?" She asked while rubbing my shoulder. The kindness in her voice made me reach across and hug her tightly. 

"Yes, a nightmare. A terrible one." I said into her hair.

"Well, you're really sweaty," She said pushing me back carefully while trying to hide the obvious disgust at the contact, "Are you going to be alright? What are you even doing hiding up here on a Saturday night?" I took in her shiny silver dress and makeup. She had been downstairs socializing like a normal young woman. On the contrary, I was in a pale green night dress with a bow at the neck. Compared to her I looked like I belonged in an old age home. I hadn't seen her since the ball, and we hadn't even had a chance to say goodbye that night. "Your boyfriend is downstairs asking about you," she said making a cheeky grin, "Should I tell him you were murdered in your sleep?"