in the end ~ d. malfoy

Chapter Sixty-One

September 2016

THE CHOKING PAIN OF A FIST CLENCHING AROUND HER THROAT makes Maya bolt upright out of bed.

Heaving gasps leave her as she wheezes, hands immediately searching around her throat for evidence of the phantom sensation. Maya gasps, shuddering as she allows large gulps oxygen to enter her lungs, the darkness of her dormitory spinning and blurring around her as she tries to catch her bearings once more. Then, she slumps back down onto her bed with a thump, her head hitting the pillow again with a force that makes Diana stir in the bed across from her, the purple-and-blonde mess of her hair strewn haphazardly along her pillow. Her eyes flit to the clock on her nightstand, and a sense of resignation spikes within her as the numbers read out 5:04. For the third fucking time this week.

She lies there, for a few moments, absorbing the near-silence around her. The details from tonight's nightmare are hazy — they always are, after she wakes up. Maya can recall the burning sensation in her hamstrings as she ran, the sound of dead leaves crunching beneath her feet and the tall pines of the forest around her sending dark shadows over her path, the full moon above her the only source of illumination. She doesn't remember what — or who — she was running from, the thudding of her footfalls matching the frantic beat of her heart. But the unadulterated fear in her veins is the one thing that's clung to her like smoke, a mixture of horror, adrenaline and terror so palpable it makes her scan the shadows around her room with paranoia, waiting for them to jump out at her, claws unleashed.

Eventually, like all these mornings before, Maya manages to pull herself out of bed and into the bathroom, tying her hair out of her face as she brushes her teeth. It's grown past her shoulders now, far from the choppy bob Izzy had hacked it into this time last year. The wavy strands frame her slightly pink face in the steam-covered, post-shower mirror, slightly softening the once-sharp angles, and Maya's surprised to find that she likes it this way. She finishes knotting her Gryffindor tie and straightens her collar, the soft sounds of conversation from the dorm growing louder as Maya shuts the bathroom door behind herself. Clary's dressed already, fixing her red hair into a loose braid as she smiles at Maya, "What took you so long?"

"I...." Maya trails off, mind flashing back to the many moments she spent zoned out as the water ran over her hair, heart frantically thudding as her blood pumped with electric anxiety. She clears her throat, suddenly feeling self-conscious, "I ran out of shampoo."

"You could've asked me. I have extra in the cupboard." Diana frowns, eyes momentarily flitting over the dark circles beneath Maya eyes. There's a moment passing between them that Clary doesn't notice, a moment where Diana's eyes narrow with a spark of something that feels like suspicion. She opens her mouth as if to say something, but stops at the hitch in Maya's breath, sparing Clary a millisecond's glance before a glint of understanding pops into her head, "Did you finish your Transfiguration worksheet?"

"Yes, mother." Maya rolls her eyes teasingly, suddenly grateful for how easily Diana can read her moods, "I've eaten my vegetables and made my bed as well."

"Good child." Diana nods, airily, as Clary snickers.

Maya's eyes flit up to the aforementioned cupboard for a few seconds, before her eyes narrow at a magnet holding a paper in place and she lets out an embarrassed groan, covering her face with her hand, "Oh come on, Diana! Did you really have to pin up my O.W.L results for everyone to see?"

"It's out of pride, you idiot!" Diana proclaims, "Besides, I need some sort of motivation to study for them this year, considering the immaculate grades you got."

"And here I thought you were above competing with me." Maya tuts, playfully, a hint of pride creeping up on her as she remembers the proud expression on Nandini's face as she'd opened them before leaving New York. There hadn't been a single fail grade, not even a standard 'Acceptable' to show that she'd scraped by in certain subjects. Instead, she'd gotten all 'Exceeds Expectations' and above, the 'Outstandings' in Astronomy, Defence Against The Dark Arts, Transfiguration and History of Magic making a warm feeling of success glow within her. Despite all that had happened last year, she'd pulled through and gotten the grades she deserved, with only her hard work to depend on. And with the turn of events so far, it looks like this year might be the same.