Shadows of Slytherin Book 1

Dani

Voldemort's voice echoed through the darkness. My heart began to race with fear. I stood in the hallway, wand held tightly in my hand.

"Danielle Potter..." Voldemort's voice was laced with venom as he spat out my name. "I am coming." Wormtail and a familiar man stand up, looking at me. 

"You are weak, Dani. You think you stand a chance against me?"

"You underestimate me, Voldemort," I said, my voice steady, though my heart pounded in my chest. 

Voldemort's voice rising to a cold, menacing tone. "You and your brother stand no chance against me. Your efforts are worthless."

My grip on my wand tightened. I refused to back down, no matter how powerful Voldemort was. I had to protect her loved ones, her friends, and the entire wizarding world from the tyranny of Voldemort.

"I will never bow to you, Voldemort," I declared, my voice ringing with defiance. "I will fight until my last breath to kill you, one and for all."

Voldemort's sinister laughter filled the chamber, sending chills down my spine. 

"You are a fool, Danielle Potter," Voldemort sneered. "Your bravery will be your downfall. I will enjoy watching you suffer before I end your pitiful existence."

My heart pounded faster, but I held my ground. I couldn't let fear consume her. I had to be strong, for myself, for my brother, and for them...

"Avada Kedavra!" Voldemort's curse shot towards me, and I deflected it with a shield charm. The impact of the curse sent me stumbling back, making me fall to the ground...

My eyes snap open, and a scream escapes from my mouth, piercing the stillness of the night. My body jerks upright, my chest heaving as I struggle to catch my breath. Sweat trickles down my neck, drenching the clothes on my skin. My heart hammers in my chest.

"Dani, it's okay. It's okay. It wasn't real. I'm here. It wasn't real," Mattheo's soothing voice reaches my ears, and I turn to see him sitting in a chair beside me, his eyes filled with concern.

I blink at him, trying to bring myself back to reality, the remnants of the nightmare still clinging to me like a suffocating fog. I swipe at the tears that roll down my cheeks, hating the vulnerability that comes with crying in front of someone else. It makes me feel weak.

"It felt so real..." I whisper, my voice barely above a hoarse murmur. The images from the nightmare are still vivid in my mind, the fear still coursing throughout my body.

"I know, love... I know," Mattheo's voice is gentle, and he reaches out to place a comforting hand on my back. His touch is warm and reassuring, grounding me in the present moment. I take a deep breath, trying to steady myself, feeling the racing of my heart gradually slowing down.

"I'm going to help you, Dani. These attacks are happening too frequently, and the lack of sleep is making it easier for Voldemort to invade your mind," Mattheo says with a determined expression.

I'm puzzled, looking at him. "How can you help me?"

There's a tinge of sadness in his eyes as he speaks. "I'll help you train your mind, make it stronger so that you regain control over who enters it. It will make it harder for them to see what's in your head."

I peer at him, noticing his clenched jaw and the pain in his eyes. "And by letting you go so you can be with Draco..."

His words catch me off guard. "What? What do you mean..?" I stutter. Did the other night mean nothing to him? I thought...

"I won't interfere with whatever you and Draco have, Dani." He removes his hand from my back and sits back in the chair. "What I did the other day was not fair to you or him..."

My heart cracks. It feels like he's breaking up with me all over again...

"I'll help you keep my father from invading your mind... and I'll protect you," He continues. "But I won't keep you from being with Draco."

He stands up, and my eyes follow his every move. "I'll never stop loving you, Dani. I'll always love you... But being with me is only going to get you hurt or worse, killed. And I wouldn't be able to live with myself if anything happened to you because of me." 

He starts to walk away. My confusion and pain are overwhelming. "If you love me, then why end things between us, Mattheo?" I call out.

He looks back at me one last time, and his eyes are filled with misery. "For reasons beyond my control..." And then he's gone, leaving me alone once again. 

After a couple of minutes, I curl up into a ball, bringing my knees to my chest, and let myself cry. Out of everything I've been through, it's Mattheo's desertion that hurts the most.

As I lay in bed, feeling the weight of the world crushing down on me, I suddenly feel a shift in the mattress beside me. Without even looking, I know who it is. Pansy. She's always been there for me, through thick and thin. I feel her warm embrace as she wraps her arms around me, and I'm grateful for her presence.

"I'm sorry, love," she whispers, and I can feel the sincerity in her voice. It's been months since I've felt this way, since Mattheo ended things between us. But Pansy is the only one who has ever seen me in this type of state.

I hold onto her arm tightly, burying my face in the pillow, and begin to sob uncontrollably. It's like a dam has broken inside of me, and all of the emotions I've been bottling up for so long are finally pouring out. Pansy runs her fingers through my hair, trying to bring me some comfort, but we both know that this is going to be a long night.

"Let it all out, Dani. I'm here for you always," Pansy says, her voice soothing and calming.

I nod, unable to speak as the sobs and tears continue to torment my body. But even though I can't find the words to express my pain, I know that Pansy understands. She's been through her fair share of heartbreak and disappointment, and she knows exactly what it's like to feel like your world is falling apart.

So we lay there, I cry myself to sleep. And even though I know that tomorrow will be just as hard as today, I'm comforted by the fact that I have someone like Pansy by my side, someone who will always be there for me, no matter what...