COMPATIBLE DAMAGE

Five-night terror

⚠️mentions of death⚠️
Nightmares are different from night terrors.
In night terrors you know you're dreaming, that level of consciousness allows you to feel pain just like in real life.
It's like your own mind is trapping and torturing you. Punishing you.

—————the dream
I was in a big, dark cave with a lake inside. It was cold just enough for you to see your own breath form into fog before disappearing.
There was a thin stream of light coming from it's entrance, making the surface of the water softly glow.
The place felt magnetizing, like I was being drawn to it.
I felt someone's warm hand in mine.
-
I was reliving a memory but it was missing some pieces.
-
Suddenly I couldn't feel the hand anymore and heard a terrifying scream.
-
Now I was being pulled into the water by something. That's when I saw creatures coming from the depths of the lake. They looked pale and at the same time humanlike and inhuman which only made them even more scary.
There were so many of them, hundreds it seemed.
-
I was pulled under the surface. I tried to put up a fight but it was useless.
Their hands harshly grabbing me, leaving deep scratching marks, drawing blood.
I screamed underwater in pure fright.
But nobody could here me.
No one was coming to help.
I was alone.
Holding in the rest of air that hasn't left my lungs yet, I felt heavy.
Overwhelmed.

That's when I woke up.
Gasping for air, with sweat on my forehead.
I covered my mouth with my hand, trying to be as quiet as possible.
I didn't want to wake up the boys.

I slipped out of the bed barely standing and gathered my things before leaving the room. A killer headache was catching up with me.
I didn't have much sleep, if you can even call it that and I knew I was gonna be hangover today.
I leaned on a wall and calmed down a bit.
Luckily it was still very early, I didn't want anyone catching me leaving boys' dormitories.

Quickly skipping to my room, using a wall for support I stopped almost running into someone standing right in front of my doors.
I looked up so see Blaise leaving the dorm, probably not wanting to be seen as well.
We exchanged a look making a silent agreement not to expose each other.
His eyes fell to the bite marks on my neck and he left, giving me a wink.

I came inside and smiled at Pansy.
"Looks like I'm not the only one that had fun last night" She said laughing a little.
"Who's the lucky guy?" She asked.
I walked over to my desk and pulled out a potion to help with my condition.
I drank the orange liquid that ironically tasted like vodka and walked over to Pansy's bed, sitting down next to her.

"Promise you won't tell anyone." I gave her a pleading look.
"I promise." I could see curiosity growing in her eyes.
"I may have...had a threesome with the Riddle las night."
She gasped so loud it could be heard from the common room.
"Damn girl, I didn't know you were so wild."
"I'm not, it just, I don't know I was just feeling the moment I guess."
"Are they as big as they say?" She gave me a smug look.
"Pansy!-" I nudged her playfully. "-bigger."
We both giggled and gossiped for almost and hour.
Then we both went to take a shower before class.

Now that we didn't share the dorm with Blaise, we both had our own bathrooms which was definitely a big plus. I took my clothes off and stepped into the shower.
The hot water relaxing all my muscles, washing away what felt like sins.
Making all my worries go away.
You'd think that nearly drowning would create a certain distaste or fear of water.
It did at first but I've always found it calming at the same time. I guess my love for water and swimming was stronger.

When I was done I wrapped myself in a towel and went over to my closet and got dressed.
I put on a spell covering all my hickeys and put on my locket.
I felt more safe knowing it's with me.
Pansy was some getting ready too so we both took our bags and went to charms class. It was too late to get breakfast but I wasn't hungry anyway.

We sat down together at the right side of the class. Charms' classroom had two sets of rows of benches, facing each other and it seemed like Slytherins occupied the right side while Hufflepuffs- the left.

I spent the whole class sketching again, occasionally talking with Pansy. She seemed to really pay attention to the teacher. I never took her for the studying type.
I could see a boy from across the class glancing at me every now and then.
He was cute, his hazel eyes and chestnut hair shining in the sun, coming through the window.
We smiled at each other and got back to what we were doing.

After three long hours of Charms Pansy and I were walking down the hall for lunch.
The boy from class went over to us.
His tall figure was towering over my body.
"Hi, you're Izabelle, the new girl, right?"
"Yes I am, and you are..."
"Cedric Diggory." He said kissing my hand. Well that boy is definitely a playboy, not that I mind tho. I could see other girls in the hall eyeing me.
"I was wondering, would you like to see the game tonight and maybe hang out after? Hufflepuff is against Slytherin."
"I'd love to." I gave him a warm smile.
"Great, see you there then. The game starts at 6pm."
And with that he left.

"Damn girl, you really are pulling all the hot shit in our school."
"We're just gonna hang out, it's not a date or anything."
She raised her eyebrow at me. Was I being naive?
And if it was a date was that cheating on Riddle brothers?

No, it's not like we're dating.
It was just a one night thing.
Do I want it to lead to something more?
Definitely. But I can't date them both.
Can I?
I mean they didn't seem to have a problem with that last night.
It doesn't matter, I heard they 'don't do girlfriends' anyway.
Why do I always get attached to emotionally unavailable, toxic fuckboys.
Wait wait wait, I am NOT catching feelings for them.
Absolutely not. I'm just...slightly fond of them.

We got to The Great Hall and took a seat at our spot. Draco, Blaise, Enzo,Tom and Mattheo were already there.
I took the vial I got from the Weasley twins thinking if I should use it.
I was too distracted at the party and forgot about it.
I didn't want to have even more beef with Malfoy but it's just a prank and he really should be put in his place.
So I decided.

When no one was looking I put a few drops in his drink and started to eat my pancakes, listening to the boys' conversation.

Draco downed the rest of his drink and was about to leave with the rest of the boys for their next class when I felt a body behind me. I saw Enzo, Blaise and Draco looking in between us in..surprise?
I knew who it was, I could recognize that cologne anywhere.

Tom leaned down to my ear and lowly  whispered, making the hairs on the back of my neck stand.
"My dorm. Right after class."
"What?" He took me off guard.
"The DADA assignment." He responded shortly.
"At the library." I didn't know where we stranded yet and the library was more of a neutral territory.
That's when Theo joined in.
"Our dorm. Don't be late." And they both left