You were sat on your bed in your dorm, cradling and taking sips from a bottle of vodka, trying to numb both the pain in your head and the pain from your body.
Your boyfriend had left your dorm half an hour ago, but the bruises on your face and arms had already developed and they hurt like a bitch.
You felt a tear fall down your cheek and immediately swiped it away, taking another swig from the bottle, desperate to quiet the voice in your head. The one that begged you to tell someone what was going on. To get help. To get yourself out of this situation. But you just couldn't.
Despite his frequent outbursts, you knew that deep down your boyfriend loved you. And when he wasn't angry or drunk or high, he could be sweet and caring.
You were holding out hope that things would get better. That he'd get better. But you knew that they wouldn't. You were just denying the harsh reality that your boyfriend would never get better and you'd be stuck with his abuse forever, unless you somehow managed to escape.
You couldn't help it, as you burst into tears, heaving sobs shaking your body, as you curled up into a ball on your bed, hugging the glass bottle to your chest and bawling your eyes out as you realised how trapped and helpless you were. Even if you wanted to break up and leave him, you'd just make things worse. He might become angrier and make your life even more miserable than it already is and you wouldn't want to risk that.
You knew how violent he could get. You'd seen it when other guys talked to you and he got mad at them for even going near you.
When your tears ducts have finally run dry, and your head feels all hot and clammy from crying and drinking so much, you let out a defeated sigh.
You decide to go for a walk to get some fresh air and to clear your head. Not thinking about it too much, you quickly put on some shoes before walking out your dorm and down the hallways, your legs subconsciously carrying you through the school grounds.
Eventually you reach the astronomy tower, and slowly begin to climb up the steps to get to the top. By the time you reach the top you're panting slightly and your cheeks are flushed but you let out a contented sigh as you feel a cooling breeze blow over you.
Your eyes flicker shut and you stand still for a minute, taking in the quiet of the night and feeling strangely calm and at peace.
That is, up until you heard someone let out a small cough, and your eyes immediately snap open as you lift your head up, to see Draco, Lorenzo, Blaise, Theodore, Mattheo and Tom stood on the opposite end of the tower, watching you curiously.
You immediately feel your cheeks heating again and smile at them awkwardly. You'd always gotten along with the Slytherin boys, but since you started dating your boyfriend, you'd drifted apart from them, not wanting your boyfriend to have a go at them if you were caught hanging out with them.
"Y/n! it's been ages since we've seen you." Theo says, as you walk towards them still smiling at them softly.
"Yeah. You never hang out with us anymore." Draco adds, frowning at you before quickly smiling again.
"Oh yeah. Erm I've just been busy with my boyfriend." You hastily say, shrugging your shoulders slightly, and quickly trying to dismiss the subject.
"Fucking punk ass bitch." You hear Mattheo mutter under his breath, and you raise your eyebrows at him slightly shocked.
"Sorry sweetheart, but you can do so much better than him." Enzo says smiling at you gently. You notice all the other boys nodding in agreement around you and you let out a resigned sigh.
"He's not that bad." You say, lying through your teeth as you smile at them brightly. To the side of you, you briefly notice Tom scanning your face intently and you turn your head to look at him.
"You okay Tom?" You ask, shooting
him a confused look as he narrows his eyes at you.
"You're hidden in the shadows there doll. Step into the light so we can see you better." He orders, and you quickly comply, not thinking much of it.
