Bitten

False Markings

Startling awake, Riley found herself in a hospital bed in the Infirmary building. Pressing her palms to her eyes, she tried to figure out what had happened. She had forced Draco into a sleep-like state where she influenced his dreams to show her what was allowing his dreams to be entered. She'd found him chained by what seemed to be bones to a wall in a dark room with a single candle. He seemed lost in the darkness, which meant that he was feeling desperation, depression, or insecurity. The single, almost burnt out candle means that he was searching for the truth. But what about his restraints? Why were they made from bones? They had seemed to be broken and put back together to create the chains. Broken bones usually told Riley that Draco had realized a weakness in his plans.

Riley removed her hands from her eyes and looked around. The walls had no adornments. The paint was a dull and chipping, pale white. The windows were streaked with lime build up and the curtains stained from years of dust. She rubbed her eyes again, inhaling deeply. She had a sinking feeling in the pit of her stomach that she knew who Draco was bonded to. It was all too obvious.

Riley laid back down on the bed. The coils were old and stuck into her back. The pillow was stiff and smelled like death. Well, that part was probably just Riley's imagination. She glanced around the room again, with nothing else to do. There were about twenty beds, ten on each side of the room. There were curtains available to give the occupants some privacy. She glanced at the bed next to her, which had the curtains pulled shut. Being the inquisitive Hufflepuff that she was, Riley sat up on her elbow and reached over for the curtain. Just as her fingers brushed against the rough fabric she heard footsteps coming towards the room. Quickly, she settled back onto the bed. Closing her eyes, she acted like she was still sleeping.

"..found them both in the Room of Requirement?" Asked a voice. The voice sounded female.

"Yes." Came the reply. The voice belonged to, without a doubt, Professor Snape. The two speakers rounded the corner and entered the room.

"It seems as if they're both still unconscious." Said the female voice, now recognizable as Professor McGonagall. "What do you think happened, Severus?" Snape shook his head, the shuffling of his robes alerting Riley to the motion.

"They were in the Room of Requirement passed out on the floor. There didn't seem to be any foul play." He said slowly. Riley heard the two adults stop between her bed and the curtained bed.

"Sterling of Hufflepuff dorms, right?" McGonagall asked. Snape nodded.

"And Malfoy." Snape responded. The curtain of the other bed was pulled back a little, the ringlets of the curtain ringing as they were slid back. Riley opened one eye and was relieved when she saw that both teachers had their back to her.

She glanced around them and had to stifle a gasp. Draco was laying on the bed next to her. The snake markings had disappeared but his face was even more pale than normal. He looked almost like a corpse.

"I just don't understand it." McGonagall muttered. "Sterling and Malfoy never interacted with each other in my class. What about in yours?" Snape shook his head again.

"I would be surprised if Sterling was even aware that other people, let alone Malfoy, even existed within this world." McGonagall had to cover a laugh with a fake cough. Riley glared at Snape's back.

"Although I will admit that she is not the most self-aware of those I've seen, she is frighteningly sharp." Snape glanced back at Riley over his shoulder and Riley had just enough wit to close her eyes at the fluctuation of his shoulder muscles.

"I agree with you on that note, Professor." He said slowly. Turning back to face Draco he sighed. "Ever since the incident with You-Know-Who, he's seemed different."