Coming Undone

Anger

Eden's POV

He's got to be pulling a prank. And to be honest, he's quite convincing.

He's even selling his sulking rather well.

It's the Thursday before our quiz in Herbology, and I look up from my book to find Malfoy, across greenhouse three, quickly casting his eyes down to his own copy of the same book.

I can practically see the back of my head with how hard I roll my eyes, shaking my head and returning to my studying.

It's hard to focus though, when memories of everything Malfoy has done clouds my mind.

Does he really expect me to just forgive him? To just erase everything and walk into his arms? I've done nothing to ever deserve the level of harassment he's haunted me with. Additionally, I've never done anything back. I've never entertained his behavior. All I've ever done is ignore him and move on.

This must be his final prank before the end of the year, mere weeks away; playing with my feelings. Trying to rope me into whatever ruse this is to make me look like a fool, to embarrass me.

Oh the wise Ravenclaw falling for the cunning Slytherin's silver tongue. Gold plated promises, bittersweet lies. The word of a trickster, the smile of a snake.

I won't be so easily fooled. I won't fall into his shiny snare. And above all else, I will not be made a dolt at the flick of the serpent's tongue.

I am no stooge, and I will not stand to let him paint me as such. Try as he might, ambitious as he may be, this is one feat he will not accomplish.

***

The rest of the day whirs by in a blur of red. I hardly notice any of my friends' attempts at making conversation with me, as my thoughts are clouded with seething rage. There wasn't a moment during my classes that I didn't feel my heart trying to leap up my throat. I could even feel my blood pumping through my veins. My muscles were rarely found relaxed, and my eyes were barely able to focus on a single thing.

The only thing I could think about was my hatred for Malfoy. How badly he's hurt my friends. How cruel he's been to not just them, but people he doesn't even know. I've never once seen him speak to Cho Chang, yet he, on several occasions, has enchanted her quills to jump away from her hand each time she reached for it. And for what? For a laugh? To impress his goons? Or was it because he was so madly in love with her? So desperate to just be near her. Was that it? Or am I the chosen one? He must think I'm far more gullible than my peers. Must think I'm easily fooled.

Well, Malfoy, guess fucking what. I'm not.

So you can take that silver tongue and stick it up your ass.

"Why so stiff Eden? You look furious." Ron dares to ask as I'm sure there's a murderous look twisting my face.

I'd like to twist a knife into Malfoy's face.

I've been a good sport up until now, forgiving him time after time. But Merlin, you'd never catch me forgetting. I'll never forget the tears streaming down Hermione's face when he called her a mudblood, or the pure misery weighing Ron's face down every time Malfoy would call him every word in the book that related to stupidity, or the fury the viper stoked in Harry each time he hit a nerve at exactly the wrong time.

The only thing Malfoy is good at is bringing out the worst in people; taking their insecurities and turning them into the demons that haunt them.

The cruelty in just his words puts Voldemort's atrocities to shame.

There have been several students in Ravenclaw alone that dropped out of Hogwarts because of Malfoy. Hid away in the muggle world just to get away from him.