Challenged Love

Chapter 4

I awoke to an intense ringing in my ear. The dark sky felt as if were closing in on me, and the stars had purposely turned their faces from me, stealing away their source of light from my eyes. It was complete, utter darkness, the one where you cannot see your own hand in front of your face. I was being dragged across the ground aggressively by an unknown force, trusting my feet to keep me from falling and being swallowed up by the raging darkness. Then, instead of hearing the ruffle of grass beneath my feet, I felt myself trudging upon wooden flooring. A light was lit, and I found myself in a familiar, deteriorated house. The same house where my parents received the Dark Mark.

I was suddenly eight years old again, shrinking into myself in a small corner, except this time, Kasper was not there. I then looked up with tears welling up in my eyes to see You-Know-Who. He was no longer a gross-looking parasite, but was now a tall, upright figure having a snake-like whisper. His mere presence tightened the atmosphere, stealing air from my lungs. I let out a mortified shriek, panicking greatly. Whatever was to happen, I did not believe I would make it to remember.

Behind You-Know-Who, I recognized both of my parents, smiling at me with unblinking and lifeless eyes. They fell to their knees, tears in their eyes yet smiles on their faces.  I squeezed my eyes shut.

I abruptly woke up from my traumatizing nightmare. I had shot up in my bed, breathing heavily and drenched in sweat. I frantically reached for my wand, spreading my hand over the surface of the nightstand until I grasped it. I whispered "Lumos" with quivering breath, and a glowing light emerged from the tip of my wand. I then did the unreasonable and pointed the light towards both my forearms. They were completely clear of any unwanted markings, and I resulted to gradually controlling my panicky breathing from there. My head was still pounding as hard as my heart; thus, I summoned the glass of water sitting idly on my desk. The glass delicately floated from off my desk and into my shaky hands. I drowned the cold liquid, spilling a few drops on my bedspread in the process.

It was still pitch-black outside, and the clock on my nightstand told me that it was almost 4 a.m. I needed to get in at least a few more extra hours of sleep, yet I was too afraid to lay my head back down on my pillow. That dream I just had was way too vivid. I could still see my parents smiling creepily at me, all while pleading for my help in a desperate manner. Their smiles portrayed to be forced, concealing the pain they were enduring on the inside.

The pain which they were putting themselves through willingly.

I started getting dressed around 6 a.m., sleep far from my convenient reach. I admit I was incredibly fatigued, but it was only the second week of school. Nevertheless, I did not need to miss a school day so early in the year. To cure my tiredness, I put on an enchantment to help me stay awake for the majority of the day, but it was not that effective, and I knew it would not last long enough for me to survive today's challenges.

Later on, I met Draco and Blaise in the dungeons.

"Good morning," they both said to me.

"Morning," I replied, yawning as I did so.

"Didn't sleep well?" suggested Blaise.

"Not really," I said.

"You'll be okay," claimed Blaise in a joking manner. "Anyways, what time are the Quidditch tryouts?"

"After school around five," answered Draco.

"Wait. Quidditch tryouts are today?" I questioned with a hint of unawareness in my tone.

"Yup," Draco replied, unphased by my shock.

"Are you going to tryout this year?" Blaise gasped, utterly surprised.

I smiled, feeling quite proud. "Perhaps."

I eyed Draco with a knowing glance.

"Have you got a broom?" Blaise inquired, resembling an excited countenance at my acquiring a new hobby which he enjoyed tremendously.

"Draco's father bought me one," I mentioned.

Then, I began to wonder whether or not I would be prepared enough to take on Quidditch tryouts.

Flashback to Summer:

"Okay, let's get you used to riding a broom."

At Draco's command, I hesitantly positioned myself on his broom, which he was allowing me to borrow until Lucius was to purchase mine. I mounted Draco's floating broom by throwing my leg over it, and seating myself upon its wooden seat. I squirmed around in the seat to get situated, although it was not exactly the most comfortable. I then leaned slightly forward, gripping onto the broom. I was ready for flight.

"When's the last time you rode a broom?" asked Draco.

"Since third year. Potter and I used to ride together on the Quidditch field."

"Well, I can promise Potter's teaching won't be as good as mine."

"I don't doubt it," I remarked.

However, if it were not for Potter, the feeling of grasping onto the broom would not seem familiar to me. Maybe I got one good thing out of that atrocious relationship.

"Now, all you have to do," began Draco, "is hold on tight and kick off the ground. Do you need me to demonstrate?"

"No, I remember that portion."

I pushed my feet off the ground. I was hovering just a couple feet from the earth, letting my feet dangle carelessly.

"When you want to go up, point the front tip of your broom upwards. When you want to go left-"

"I know that too," I cut him off with a sly smile.

Draco was basically teaching me the same thing Potter taught me years before.

I tilted the broom upwards, and away I went. I shot towards the sky, bolting wildly through the air. From where I was positioned, I could clearly spectate the very top roof of Malfoy Manor. It felt great to be soaring across the heavens once again. Flying gave me a sense of freedom, which I could hardly explain in simple words.

"Can you come down now?" I heard Draco yell out from below.

Instead of answering his words, I flew over to Malfoy Manor with the wind in my hair. I glanced down at my knuckles, which were ghostly white due to how tight I was holding on. My heart was pounding out of my chest, since I have never been this high up before. I felt free, alive, almost daring.

I thought I flew quite well considering I have not even touched a broom in approximately two years. I now hovered over the mansion of Malfoy Manor, and I wondered what it would be like to walk upon the roof.

"Holly! Holly!"

I heard Draco's voice trailing closer to me through the thick of dusk. He too was riding on a broom, a broom which had my name engraved on the side of it in bold, gold letters.

I went down to land on a flat part of the roof, and Draco followed after me.

We both stood on our own feet.

"Let's switch brooms," uttered Draco.

"Give it!" I demanded eagerly.

Once I laid hands on my very own broom, I caught sight of the breathtaking sky, blotched with colors of pink, orange, and yellow. The view was absolutely gorgeous, astonishing me with its beauty. I sat myself upon the roof, gazing at the sunset in awe of its colorful aura.

"Perhaps we should call off Quidditch lessons for another day," suggested Draco as he seated himself beside me.

"How about tomorrow?" I offered.

"Can't. I'm going somewhere tomorrow with a group of old friends."

"I see."

Together, Draco and I quietly rested on the roof, admiring the firmament.

"You know, we should come up here more often," I mentioned.

"I believe so," Draco replied, admiring something other than the sky.

Or perhaps, someone.