MEMENTO MORI | DRACO MALFOY

THIRTY-THREE

CHAPTER THIRTY-THREE

     Ophelia stared up at the ceiling from her four-poster. Her breathing was erratic as she continued to relish in the feeling that had overcome her when the fangs penetrated that man's flesh. It had to have been some sort of trick to mess with Potter that she had somehow gotten dragged into. It had all just felt so very real, and it made sense why Potter reacted the way that he did.

Potter had woken up screaming, which had in turn woken the rest of his dormitory, and probably the rest of Gryffindor too, so she immediately got out of there. She moved quick, ditching the invisibility cloak on one of the Gryffindor couches in the empty Common Room and bolted through the portrait hole before the Fat Lady could recognize that she wasn't a Gryffindor.

     The whispers were eerily silent now, and while she'd been begging them to be silent just so she could get some peaceful sleep for months, the silence was just as deafening. All she could see was blood. All she could feel was the way it tasted when her teeth sunk into the man with such ease.

     She lay there until the sun rose, and she could hear her dorm mates rising from their sleep from behind her curtains. She waited until everyone left the room for breakfast before she slowly pulled the curtain back and slid out of bed, walking quickly to the bathroom. The reflection in the mirror startled her. The skin around her eyes almost looked sunken and dark as if she hadn't slept in months. She looked ill, like the life was slowly being sucked out of her.

     Ophelia did her best to cover her skin with makeup to try to mask the fact that something was happening to her. The last thing she'd need would be Thomas fussing over her for being sick. She needed him to continue to stay away from her, especially now. She wasn't even sure if she had succeeded with what Voldemort wanted from her. Sure, she'd given him access to Potter, but was he able to do everything that he wanted to do? Who was to say that he would ask even more of her.

     Ophelia felt more alone now than ever as she entered the Great Hall for breakfast. Blaise, Daphne and Tracey all looked up at her briefly before returning to their plates and conversations. Draco had glanced at her momentarily, his eyes narrowed as if trying to read her vacant expression. His gaze was quickly averted back to Pansy who had snapped viciously at him for ignoring her.

     Ophelia's eyes quickly cut to the staff table, where every single teacher seemed to be eating solemnly. All except Umbridge, of course, who was chewing cheerily while gazing out at all of the miserable students. Ophelia's eyes then met Snape's and she paused. He was difficult to read, but she could tell his jaw was set, as he gave her very small, barely noticeable nod. She nodded briefly back before taking her seat across from Theodore Nott, the only person who didn't seem to mind her these days, other than Cassius, of course, but she couldn't bear the thought of dealing with Cassius' affections right now.

     "Did you hear?" Nott asked without even looking up from his copy of the Daily Prophet. "Weasley's father was attacked last night."

     "Ophelia's head snapped up from her empty plate to stare at him. "What do you mean?"

     "Nott shrugged. "Attacked while working at the Department of Mysteries, apparently."

     Ophelia pulled the skin of her cheek between her teeth and bit down. "Is he—"

     "I don't know, Rosier." Theodore snapped, uncaring as usual.I just know he was attacked and now the whole Weasley clan is gone home early for the holidays and Potter went with them. Bullshit if you ask me."