Drarry : A Snake Life

Chapter 20 - Nightmare

I'm cold.

I'm really cold.

Shivering, I'm walking in the castle during the night, alone. My subconscious warns me that all of this isn't reality, that I am currently dreaming, but I keep walking.

"Malfoy?" I call out.

I try to find my way in the darkness. Where is Draco? I need to find him now... I can sense he is in danger...

After a few seconds, I catch glimpse of a silhouette wrapped in a black, hooded cloak. I move towards it.

"Excuse me, have you seen Malfoy?" I ask politely. "He is one meter long and has green scales, he's a good snake..."

The hooded figure turns round, it's Neville. He looks at me blankly and shows me his hands, covered in blood.

"The spell didn't work, I wish I had slaughtered him instead" he states sternly.

I shiver because of the cold, frowning.

"You can't do this, he's my snake!"

He shrugs.

"I had to, because of my brother."

"Oh, I see..." (I suddenly realise something.) "Wait, you don't have a brother, Neville..."

He smiles, and his smile creeps me out.

"Of course, because the culprit is not Neville."

"Wait, I-"

"Open your eyes, Chosen One" he whispers with a mad voice, unveiling his canine teeth.

I open my eyelids and gasp.

Shivering with cold, I sit in my bed. I run my hand into my hair nervously. What happened? Was I sleeping? I think I was dreaming of Neville, but it wasn't really him. He was kind of scary... And I was searching for Malfoy... My hand lays instinctively next to me to feel him, I freeze.

I am alone in the bed.

Rushing onto my wand, I quickly murmur "lumos" to have some light, panic seizing me. I can't see nor Malfoy, nor the snake. Where is he? I glance at the window.

It's ajar.

"Shite!" I swear.

~ ~ ~ ~ ~ ~ ~ ~ ~

"Ron !" I shout. "Hermione !"

Everybody turns to me, I don't care. I run across the Great Hall to reach my friends. They look at me in surprise. It's lunch time, I am barefoot, in pyjamas and my hair is a mess. Everybody is ogling at me, I must probably look like some weirdo escaped straight out from an asylum.

But I don't care at all.

"Harry, what is it?" Hermione asks. "Calm down-"

"Come with me. Now."

They stand up, completely lost, I wave towards the headmistress, sitting at the teacher table, and beckon her to come to me. She locks eyes with me and, seeing the panic on my face, she stands up right away and walks towards me.

Our group leaves the Great Hall. I'm heading towards the headmistress office, they follow me.

"Mr Potter" McGonagall wonders, distraught. "What's wrong?"

"Malfoy disappeared" I pant.

"What!?" Hermione exclaims.

"I woke up and he wasn't here anymore" I say very quickly. "I searched into the room, under every furniture, inside every drawer, but I couldn't find him!"